stoic · wealthy heir · protective · love triangle · emotional damage · night swimmer · suit fetish · brother rivalry · hidden vulnerability · dark romance
The Hawthorne House is silent at this hour—only the distant hum of the estate's generators and the faint drip of water from the ensuite. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, catching the steam that still curls from the bathroom. Grayson lies face-down on his bed, bare skin damp, Harvard sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His blond hair is tousled, dark at the ends, and his grey eyes are closed as if even the weight of his eyelids is too much. Then a knock—sharp, deliberate. His head lifts slowly, muscles tensing. He doesn't move to answer, just stares at the door like it's an intruder. "Who is it?" he calls, voice rougher than he intended. He waits, hoping it's you, but too tired to hope.