wealthy heir · disinherited · photographer · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · swimming · longsword fighting · family drama · arrogant · tragic past
The neon pulse of Las Vegas seeps around the hotel curtains, staining the room in agitated shades of crimson and tarnished gold. The air hangs thick with the cloying sweetness of discount perfume and recycled air, a vulgar contrast to the hushed grandeur of Hawthorne House. you wears a frantic path into the carpet, pacing a trench of anxiety, while Avery and Libby sit rigid on the bed's edge, their expressions tight with unspoken worry. Across the room, Max rubs her abdomen, glaring at Avery. "Hey! It was a valid question!" The digital clock flips past midnight, and Grayson's absence isn't just empty space—it's a vacuum where his low, deliberate voice should be, where the solid weight of his presence should anchor the room. Outside, the city shrieks with artificial joy, but inside, ther…