H_Vasuja

Main Character: Vale Carter

A girl with honey-toned skin, plump lips, and hazel waves that fall like poetry. She’s elegant and silver-clad on the outside, but beneath that shine lies a world no one knows—except her best friend, Lila. Vale is an unspoken genius with hidden talents in car racing, computer hacking, and self-defense. She's lovable, honest, and open-hearted… but everyone she’s ever loved has walked away.

Until Kian Bennett shows up.

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Male Lead: Kian Bennett

The transfer student from a rival family—the Bennetts, whose name alone stirs drama in Vale’s household. Kian is charming, intelligent, and as misunderstood as Vale. He carries the weight of legacy but seeks something real. Something like her.

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Plot Overview:

When Kian transfers to Cresthill High, Vale’s world tilts. Their families share wealth, power—and buried tension from an old rivalry. Vale tries to keep her distance, but Kian’s curiosity and calm persistence begin to break through her defenses.

As the chapters unfold, Kian slowly uncovers parts of Vale that no one’s seen:

Her sharp mind in computer science class
Her fight skills during gym
Her secret life behind the wheel of a midnight-black racing car

While rumors swirl at school and family pressures build, the connection between Vale and Kian grows deeper. But love—real love—means exposing your scars. And Vale’s afraid she’s too much to stay with… or too unforgettable to leave.

"Loved, But Never Left"

Vale sat in the backseat of her mother's luxury car, the kind that looked expensive enough to run on judgment alone. Her mother's sunglasses were still on, though the sun had already dipped behind the clouds.

"How many times do I have to remind you," her mother said, lips tight, "to keep a low profile?"

"Fighting in gym class? Fixing computers like some… technician? What next, Vale? Are you going to start racing cars again?"

That last line was sharp—too sharp. Her mother didn't know. Not really. Not about the secret drives Vale took after midnight, engines roaring like a second heartbeat. But the fact she mentioned it at all sent a chill through her.

"You make it sound like being capable is a crime," Vale muttered.

There it was. The name. The weight of legacy.

"You're not just some girl," her mother continued. "You're a Carter. And Carters don't cause trouble. They don't stand out. They win quietly, from the top. You've already been seen too much."

Vale bit the inside of her cheek. She could feel her pulse thudding behind her eyes.

She used to argue. Used to yell. Now, silence was safer.

The moment they reached the house—a mansion laced in glass and marble, but cold as a winter tomb—Vale made a beeline for her room.

Locked the door. Turned the music up.

Then sat on the floor beside her bed, hugging her knees.

Her fingers itched for her sketchpad. But even more than that, she wanted to race. To get in a car, feel the world blur around her, remind herself that speed could silence anything. Instead, she opened her laptop. Lines of code filled the screen, familiar and clean and honest.

A knock at the door pulled her out of it.

"It's me," came Lila's voice. "I brought ice cream and moral support."

Lila stepped in and immediately wrapped her in a hug, no questions asked.

"They say the Bennett boy's got it bad for you," she murmured into Vale's shoulder.

"You okay?" Lila asked after a beat.

Lila didn't believe her. But she didn't push.

Instead, she flopped onto the bed and asked, "What are we hacking tonight?"

Vale smiled faintly. "Nothing dangerous."

They spent the next hour shoulder to shoulder, their screens glowing in the dark like their own secret rebellion. Somewhere in the silence, Vale whispered:

"Do you think people like us can actually… stay with someone?"

"You mean people who are good at pretending they're fine when they're not?"

"I think the right person won't need you to pretend."

Vale didn't say it, but part of her hoped—maybe—that person might be Kian.

Even if everything—her family, her fear, her silence—warned her not to.

Chapter 6: Bloodlines & Bruises