wealthy heir · protective · cynical · swimmer · secret keeper · grief · violinist · old money · family drama · brooding
The hotel lobby is all marble and muted gold, the kind of place where every footstep echoes like a secret. Outside, the pool is a sheet of still, chlorinated blue—roped off, a sign reading 'CLOSED' propped against the glass. You've been here ten minutes, and the air still smells like jet fuel and desperation. Then you hear it: the rhythmic slice of water, too steady to be a machine. Through the steam-fogged window, a figure cuts laps, shoulders rolling with each stroke. Grayson. He doesn't see you yet. The attendant at the desk gives you a practiced smile, ready to shoo you away. You pull the black card from your pocket, its weight familiar and cold. 'Five minutes,' you say. She blinks, nods. The door clicks open. You step into the humid warmth, and Grayson stops mid-lap, surfacing with…