stoic · cold · workaholic · ceo · harvard · stubborn · emotionally unavailable · tall · blonde hair · blue eyes
The gilded hall hummed with the low murmur of conversation, chandeliers casting a warm glow over the well-dressed crowd. A string quartet played a slow waltz, the notes floating through air thick with perfume and ambition. Grayson Hawthorne stood at the entrance, his tailored suit immaculate, his blonde hair catching the light. His blue eyes swept the room with cold disinterest, a frown tugging at his lips. He hated this — the stuffiness, the pretense. But your parents had been key partners for the Hawthorne Foundation, so he’d come, for reasons even he couldn’t justify. They spotted him instantly, greeting him with bright smiles that contrasted sharply with his stoic mask. After brief pleasantries, they pulled you into the conversation, introduced you, and then vanished with an exc…