Etherealfaith_

Brielle Kingsley is wild, reckless, and filthy rich. She rules the school with glam, attitude, and chaos in her wake. Expelled from yet another elite academy, her billionaire parents have had enough, fix her, or she’s cut off for good.

Enter Elijah Carter - the quiet, brilliant scholarship student with zero tolerance for drama. He’s tasked with tutoring Brielle or losing his academic grant.

He wants peace.
She lives for trouble.
They were never supposed to mix.

But when forced proximity leads to forbidden feelings, secrets from Brielle’s dark past and Elijah’s complicated present begin to unravel.
And in a world full of lies, sabotage, and privilege - falling for each other might be the most dangerous thing of all.

He’s her calm. She’s his storm. Together, they’re about to change everything.

Taming Her Chaos

Elijah Carter was many things, quiet, calculated, invisible.

He walked up the school stage in the middle of the student assembly, grabbing the mic like it belonged to him.

Wasn't he supposed to keep his head down?

Principal Moore stepped forward, frowning. "Elijah, what is this?"

"I won't take long," Elijah said. "But I have to say this."

The murmurs grew louder. Phones came out. Cameras flashed.

In the middle of the crowd, Brielle Kingsley froze, heart in her throat. "What's he doing...?"

Ariana Lane, perched beside the student council podium, picture-perfect in her tailored blazer, arched a brow, lips twisting in a smirk. "Desperation's not a good look, Carter."

But Elijah? He wasn't looking at Ariana. Or at the principal. Or the crowd.

He was looking at Brielle. Only Brielle.

"She's not perfect," Elijah began, voice steady. "She's loud, reckless, unpredictable..."

"...and absolutely the most real person I've ever met."

He swallowed hard. "Her name is Brielle Kingsley. You all know her. Or at least, you think you do."

Phones lifted higher. Some students whispered her name.

"She's the girl you love to hate. The one people mock in group chats. The one who's always the punchline, but never the person."

Brielle stood frozen, every muscle locked.

Zane, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, straightened sharply.

Elijah kept going, louder this time. "I love her. Not because she's rich or hot or complicated. But because she challenged me. Because she saw me when I didn't even know who I was. Because I hurt her, and she still forgave me."

He turned to the crowd. "When that video leaked, I stayed silent. I had proof it was fake. I could've stopped it. I didn't. I was scared."

"And that's on me," Elijah said. "I was a coward."

Ariana's face darkened, but she plastered on her usual sweet smile.

He turned back to Brielle. "She already gave me a second chance. But this moment? It's not to win her back. It's to tell everyone, I choose her. Every damn time."

Brielle's chest was heaving. Her fingers shook. But her eyes... her eyes were locked on him.

Elijah stepped down from the stage.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea.

He walked toward her, slow but sure.

Ariana's voice rang out, sharp. "You really think some dramatic speech fixes everything? She's a walking disaster. And you..." her eyes flared, "...you're going to throw your entire future away for her?"

Zane stepped forward too, voice low and dangerous. "You're playing with fire, Carter. She doesn't love you. You're just her latest rebellion."

Brielle stepped forward then. Not hiding. Not shaken.

"Funny," she said, eyes locked on Zane, "I don't remember asking you to speak for me."

Then she turned to Ariana. "And you? You've always been fake, but this is a new low."

The crowd gasped again. Some were already live-streaming.

They stared at each other. Time slowed.

"I meant every word," he said, breathless.

Brielle smirked through the emotion rising in her throat. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're everything," he replied.

And then, without caring who watched, she kissed him.

Some screamed. Some cheered. Some stormed off... Ariana included, heels clicking like gunshots.

Big Grand Gesture