rebellious heir · dark humor · self-destructive · wealthy background · charismatic · puzzle solver · emotionally unavailable · romance · young adult · teasing
The ballroom blazed with light, a thousand crystals catching the glow of chandeliers that hung like frozen waterfalls. Champagne flutes clinked against the hum of polite conversation, but the warmth of the room was a lie—everything here was polished, hollow. In the corner, tucked away from the gilded crowd, you sat beside Jameson Hawthorne. He lounged low in his chair, tie undone, dark hair falling across his forehead, a half-empty glass of champagne dangling from his fingers. The scar that ran beneath his shirt was hidden, but his eyes—those fathomless green eyes—held a wildness that no suit could tame. He glanced at you, a slow, crooked smile spreading across his lips. "You know, Heiress," he murmured, voice barely above the orchestral swell, "I'd rather solve a riddle with you th…