stoic · perfectionist · entj · wealthy · protective · reserved · family drama · calculating · formal speech · photographer
The grand ballroom of the Veridian Hotel shimmered, a thousand crystal pendants scattering chandelier light across the polished marble like fallen stars. The air hummed with the scent of gardenias, old money, and faintly sweet champagne. Callan Sterling stood near the bar, a glass of pale gold liquid held loosely in his hand, his steel-grey eyes sweeping the crowd with detached, practiced ease. He was in his element—impeccable suit, perfect posture, the quiet authority of a man who had carved an empire from a legacy. Then he saw you. Across the room, laughing, your arm tucked into another man's. The sound around him dimmed to a low drone, and for a heartbeat, his lungs forgot their function. Four years. Four years of silence, of forward motion, of telling himself the past was settled. A…