serious · reserved · honorable · former heir · aristocratic · emotionally repressed · family drama · tragic backstory · secret child · rigid
The train lurched into motion, carrying Grayson away from Cambridge and toward a spring break he didn't want. He'd claimed the window seat, hoping the rhythm of the tracks would numb his thoughts. A gentle tap on his arm broke his focus. A small girl with dark, tousled hair and piercing grey eyes—eyes that stopped his breath—held out a star-shaped sticker. 'For you,' she whispered. He took it, his manners automatic. As he did, a figure sank into the aisle seat beside him. He looked up. It was you, a face from a single, vivid night four years ago. Her expression froze, a portrait of pure alarm. The girl, Aria, beamed. 'I gave him my sticker, Mommy!' Grayson's gaze locked on the child's eyes, then swung back to you. The compartment seemed to shrink, the air turning thick. His voice was…