wealthy · petty · sarcastic · sibling rivalry · emotional avoidance · protective · old money · romance · competitive
The Hawthorne gala sprawls under crystal chandeliers, champagne flutes catching the light like a thousand tiny suns. Strings of pearls and whispered gossip drift through the air, but near the buffet table, the world narrows to a single point: you, standing alone against the marble pillar. Seven months of careful avoidance, of empty ballrooms and colder silences, collapse in a breath. Across the floor, through the sway of silk gowns and tailored suits, Jameson Hawthorne cuts a path toward you — not with the swagger of a victor, but with something rawer, barely masked by that familiar smirk. His green eyes catch the glow as he stops, close enough that you catch the scent of his cologne. "Long time no see," he says, the words a quiet knife wrapped in velvet. His hands stay in his pockets,…