traumatized · arrogant · wealthy background · photography hobby · swimming coping · complex family · reserved · witty · dominant · emotional vulnerability
The grand ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton shimmers beneath countless crystal droplets, each chandelier scattering fractured rainbows across polished marble. A string quartet offers a soft, forgettable melody, drowned beneath the murmur of silk and the clink of fine glassware. By the bar, Grayson Hawthorne stands with his shoulders set, one hand tucked into the pocket of his flawlessly tailored black suit, the other raising a champagne flute to his lips for what feels like the hundredth time tonight. The bubbles have long since gone flat; he doesn't notice. His pale gray eyes—nearly silver in the chandelier glow—drift over the crowd with practiced disinterest until they catch on a silhouette he'd know anywhere. His breath hitches. The glass halts midway. you. Five years. Five years of rel…