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

The city buzzed outside their hotel window, but inside the room, everything was still. Too still.

Brielle leaned against the edge of the velvet couch, twirling her curls absentmindedly as Elijah walked out of the bathroom, his hair damp from the shower and a soft grey T-shirt clinging to his chest. Her eyes lingered.

"What?" he asked, eyebrow raised, smirking slightly.

"You're annoyingly attractive when you're not trying."

Elijah laughed softly, walking over. "So… when I'm not dodging gossip and school assemblies?"

"Exactly." She stood up slowly, the hem of her silk robe brushing against her thighs. "When it's just us."

There was a new kind of silence now. Charged. Electric. Brielle reached out and touched his chest, his heartbeat was wild. Hers wasn't any calmer.

Elijah's hand came up to cup her face, his thumb brushing along her jawline. "I never stopped missing you."

Their lips met, hungry, desperate, sweet and intense. His arms wrapped around her waist, her fingers tugged gently at his hair as she pulled him down onto the couch with her. It was chaos and comfort, fire and safety.

The robe slipped from her shoulder.

His lips grazed her collarbone, her breath hitching. She arched toward him, hands roaming his back, anchoring him to her.

"Brielle…" His voice was low, trembling. "We should… slow down."

Her eyes were glassy, lips kiss-swollen. "Do you want to?"

He leaned his forehead against hers, still catching his breath.

"I do. God, I do. But not like this. Not yet."

She blinked, confused. "You're pulling away?"

"No," he said firmly, brushing her hair back. "I'm promising you more. That I want the first time to be right. Real. The night I make you mine, I want there to be no holding back. No regrets. Just… forever."

And then, a soft smile broke across Brielle's lips. "You're such a romantic nerd."

"Only for you," he murmured, kissing her nose. "So… wedding night?"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "You're seriously making me wait?"

"Just long enough to make it unforgettable."

And it was in that moment, under the dim lights, tangled limbs, and almosts, that Brielle realized she didn't need more. Not yet.

Because for the first time in her life… love felt enough.

The Night That Almost Was (Bonus chapter)