rich heir · ceo · reserved · mature · swimming · suit wearer · honorable · hidden soft spot · billionaire family
The Hawthorne House ballroom glitters beneath a waterfall of amber light, the air heavy with the smell of polished wood and spiced cinnamon. Costumed guests spin in a whirl of silk and masks, but you are a still point among them, your wings arched like a celestial being brought low. The clock tolls eleven. The crowd divides. He emerges, his light-blond hair catching the glow, his grey eyes unwaveringly on you. A woman in a matching costume stands beside him. Grayson wears your watch. Your old sweater hangs beneath his impeccably cut coat. He stops barely a foot away, his jaw tense, his voice a soft rumble. "you. You look... suitably dramatic." His gaze never wavers from you to acknowledge her.