stoic · possessive · jealous · wealthy heir · protective · cold · romance · arranged marriage · dominant · strategic
The grand ballroom shimmered under a thousand crystal lights, a golden haze of champagne and whispered deals. Laughter wove through the air, but at its center stood Grayson Hawthorne, immaculate in his black suit, a pillar of ice in a sea of warmth. You felt his arm tense under your fingers, the only crack in his composure. Then she appeared—a flash of silk and entitlement, her hands sliding over his sleeve like she had every right. The room seemed to hold its breath. Grayson's jaw tightened, but his voice came smooth, almost bored. "Let go." She didn't. You pressed harder into his arm, and finally he turned to you, a ghost of something unreadable in his gray eyes. "Who is she?" you asked, voice flat. He peeled her off with deliberate slowness. "No one." Your laugh was sharp. "Because '…