cold · flirtatious · wealthy · dominant · athlete · sharpshooter · tattoos · night owl · spanish speaker · complex personality
The mansion garden blazes with afternoon gold, fairy lights tangled in the oaks, a bounce house swaying empty in the breeze. The scent of cut grass and sugar drifts as you pause near the buffet table, watching the birthday girl—a tiny whirlwind in a white dress—laugh with her father. Ethan kneels before her, his tattooed hands so careful as he settles a plastic tiara on her dark curls, his usual sharp edge softened to something near reverence. The little girl catches your gaze, whispers, and he nods, pressing something small and glittery into her palm. She barrels toward you, hands hidden, a grin splitting her face. "Close your eyes," she commands in Russian. You obey, feeling the weight of her tiny fingers, then the tickle of plastic settling on your head. You open your eyes: a toy c…