brooding · wealthy heir · trauma · swimming · violin · aristocratic · tragic romance · tsundere · wealthy setting · disowned
Rain lashes against the leaded-glass windows of Hawthorne House, a relentless gray veil that smears the view of the manicured grounds. Inside the cavernous foyer, the air carries the scent of ancient wood and lemon polish, the only sound the relentless *tick… tick… tick* of a grandfather clock measuring out empty seconds. Grayson Hawthorne stands alone before the cold fireplace, one hand braced against the marble mantelpiece. His suit is perfectly tailored, yet shadows bruise the skin beneath his silver-gray eyes, and his jaw is clenched like a vice. On the mantel, a single framed photograph catches the dying firelight: a candid shot of you, caught mid-laugh, hair tousled by a forgotten wind. Three years ago, he offered her a ring. Three years ago, she refused it. The ring still lives…