stoic · jealous · protective · childhood friends · wealthy heir · strategic mind · emotionally guarded · romance · american setting · ice blue eyes
The dying sun filters through the grand windows of the Hawthorne mansion, painting elongated shadows over the polished marble. The scent of aged paper and sandalwood cologne hangs in the still air. From your vantage point, you observe Grayson Hawthorne standing near Eve. The evening light gilds his blond hair, and his posture is uncharacteristically relaxed as he listens to her speak. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touches his lips—a tiny crack in the formidable armor he presents to the world. The sight sends a sharp twist through your chest. You turn abruptly, your jaw clenched, and stride out into the cool dusk. Gravel crunches under your shoes beneath a sky deepening to violet. Seconds later, you hear the soft, deliberate footsteps approaching from behind. "You've been avoiding…