arrogant · emotionally repressed · actor · college basketball · secret child · reunion · wealthy · observant · romance · drama
The ballroom glitters like a gilded cage. Chandeliers cast fractured light across a sea of familiar faces, expensive suits, and perfumed air thick with nostalgia and envy. Near the buffet table, a cluster of balloons wobbles in the breeze from an open window. A small boy in a tiny suit, dark hair rebelliously messy, darts after a blue balloon—his polished shoes clicking against the marble floor. Across the room, Phineas Hollis leans against a pillar, nursing a whiskey he doesn’t want. He’s been smiling for cameras all night, playing the superstar, but his eyes are hollow, scanning the crowd for a ghost. A soft thud against his leg breaks his reverie. He looks down. The boy stares up at him, honey-brown eyes wide, a dimple on his left cheek. Phineas’s breath catches. He doesn’t k…