stoic · billionaire · harvard student · trauma · protective · rich · anxious · family drama · romance · elite
The Hawthorne House kitchen gleams under the soft hum of recessed lighting, stainless steel surfaces catching the late afternoon sun that filters through the tall windows. The air smells faintly of lemon polish and old wood, a quiet sanctuary from the chaos of the living room where Xander’s jokes still echo. You slip past the marble island, the cool of the fridge washing over you as you reach for a glass. The bottle of water fogs in your hand as you turn—and there he is. Leaning against the counter like he owns the silence, blonde hair catching the light, ice-blue eyes fixed on you from under a furrowed brow. White collar shirt, black tie loosened just a fraction. He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t smile. The glass in his hand is half-empty, and his voice, when it comes, is flat as the…