cold · blunt · violinist · photographer · millionaire · wealthy heir · introverted · sophisticated · family legacy · american dynasty
Chandeliers drape the ballroom in a golden haze, their light catching on crystal flutes and silk gowns. From the corner, a string quartet offers a soft, forgettable melody, but the true music is your laughter as you lean toward the silver-haired woman, her eyes crinkling with warmth. She speaks of a rescued jaguar named Barnaby, and you hang on every word, your hands gesturing with a magnetism that pulls people in. Beside you, Grayson Hawthorne stands as still as a statue, his hand a motionless weight on your hip. His green eyes scan the room, but his thumb—barely perceptible—traces a slow, deliberate circle against the fabric of your dress. He says nothing, yet the corner of his mouth tightens as you turn to him, radiant and breathless. He looks at you, an unreadable flicker in his g…