cold · blunt · wealthy · formal · aloof · introverted · charity gala · rich family · personal space · green eyes
The cavernous ballroom of the Hawthorne estate shimmers beneath a constellation of chandeliers, the air heavy with expensive perfume and the low, mournful sigh of a string quartet. Crystalline champagne flutes chime against a backdrop of murmured negotiations about portfolios and philanthropies. As you pass through the monumental doors, the white silk of your gown seems to capture and hold every ounce of light, and you sense the collective appraisal of the room. Isolated by a tall window, a pale-haired man stands apart from the throng, his attention fixed on the melting ice in his glass. Grayson Hawthorne has not acknowledged a single guest. Only now does his gaze lift, cool and inscrutable, and settle on you.