Chapter 1

• Vivienne Sinclair
• Ding!
• ‘... Reminder to pay up your loan to avoid it accumulating higher. Loan balance: Twenty-three thousand dollars’
• Sighs. It was twenty thousand dollars last month and now an addition of three thousand? It's going to accumulate to thirty at this point.
• My fingers tightened on the phone and I sighed. What a way to ruin this special day for me.
• My fingers tightened at my sides. Should I have stayed in my former school? Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be in this mess now… But I just wanted the best for myself.
• I'm not an orphan of both parents. Though my mom is dead, my dad is alive and doing well for himself… owns a company that was literally built with my late mom's sweat, yet, he refused to help me.
• After he remarried and adopted his wife's daughter, his attention has shifted to her. He gives her everything… took her to the best sports school, and me… I was forced to go to the cheapest school, and even then, I paid my tuition fees sometimes.
• My life wasn't going to amount to anything there… I needed to be in a popular school where I'll have a chance at a better future, so I saved up and transferred to Stormbridge academy… Saved up? No! I took loans.
• Yeah, it was crazy. But I was desperate, and here I am in this mess.
• Ugh! Fuck my life.
• Sighs. I'll worry about this later, but for now, I need to head back to the arena and watch the conclusion of the hockey match... I need to see Noah Boulevard ace this match as usual.
• Oh… It's the 2018 inter academy hockey match, and we're here at Stormbridge hockey arena. I stepped out in the middle of the match to use the restroom.
• As I approached the arena, someone suddenly pushed me from behind, and my knees cracked against the floor.
• I winced.
• “What the fuck was…” I paused as I lifted my gaze, and the most annoying pair of brown eyes welcomed me.
• Bailey Sinclair. My stepsister and dad's adopted daughter.
• My mom had just passed away ten years ago shortly after my eighth years birthday, when my dad remarried and adopted this bitch, his new wife's daughter, as his.
• He neglected me for her.
• Oh… She's the perfect daughter dad always wanted, and me? I was a crazy bitch he regretted giving birth to.
• Maybe I'd have been swayed too if I was in his shoes. I mean, Bailey presented herself as a perfect daughter, doing every of his bidding, and here's me who doesn't give two fucks about him or anyone.
• Ugh! This bitch!
• “Sorry… My hands slipped.” A smirk curled around her lips.
• “I told you not to show your face here... Have you forgotten that you don't belong here?” She crossed her arms in front of her, eyes locked down on me.
• Well, Bailey claims to be Stormbridge's queenbee, forcing herself on the school's popular hockey player, Noah, but she's obviously making a fool of herself... Noah doesn't give a shit about her.
• Pain exploded through my knees as I tried to get up. God help this bitch, because she'd be so fucking screwed once I manage to get up from here.
• “Bailey!”
• “What? Does it hurt?” She huffed.
• Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and when I lifted my gaze, I saw people walking out of the arena.
• I gasped. Is the match over already?
• ‘What is going on there?’
• ‘Oh, my God! Isn't that Vivianne? Come on, let's go watch them. I think something interesting is happening there’
• One thing I hate… People seeing me in my worst state, and right now, I feel like disappearing. I hate being pathetic.
• Fuck! I need to put this bitch in her place!
• I muffled a cry as I tried to stand on my feet, but limped and staggered, crashing back to the floor.
• By then, students already had their phones in the air, taking videos of me.
• "I thought she's strong. Why is she being all pathetic now?"
• "What a day to witness the downfall of Vivianne. She's always so full of herself."
• My nails dug into the marbled floor, my jaw tightening as I listened to them say shits to me.
• Fuck!
• Then suddenly, their loud noises slowly faded into silence, each head turning back as loud footsteps echoed behind them.
• I blinked. What's that?
• Bailey gasped, covering her mouth the moment she turned her head back.
• “Noah?” Her voice cracked.
• I blinked. Noah?
• “What's going on here?”
• My breath caught as his voice tore through the heavy silence. Sharp, firm, and demanding.
• “No…Noah…” Bailey stuttered before she was shoved out of the way, and Noah stood before me.
• He was still wearing his jerseys. On one hand is his skates, and the other is wrapped around his helmet, his honey brown eyes locked on me.
• My pulse quickened, and stomach knotted nervously.
• I've had a crush on Noah since I transferred to Stormbridge Academy months ago.
• I'd daydream about him… imagine shits in my head… I'd even imagined what sex with him would feel like.
• You wouldn't blame me, right? Noah is hot, talented, flirty, soft-spoken, and even the top student in the whole Stormbridge… In short, he ticked all my boxes. How could I not want him?
• “Ms. Sinclair?”
• I blinked. He knows my name? It's the first time he's saying my name. I always thought he never noticed me.
• “Are you okay?” He dropped everything he was holding and hurried to squat beside me, my throat tightened as he held my shoulders and helped me up, but I crashed against him, letting out a sharp cry.
• He turned to Bailey, his face dripping with rage. “Did you do this to her?”
• Her lips trembled. “It's… it's not what you think, Noah. I was… I was…”
• “You!” He gritted angrily, then turned to me and said, “I'll take you to the infirmary.”
• And without a warning, he swept me off my feet.
• I froze, my eyes widened.
• Then he turned to Bailey. "You better be ready to explain to the principal why you were trying to ruin Stormbridge's reputation by bullying someone."
• ‘What’s going on between them?’
• ‘Why is Noah helping her?’
• Whispers echoed behind us, as he walked away with me in his arms without even a single glance back at them.
• My cheeks burned hot, eyes locked on his sharp jawlines, and heart pounding as my fingers fisted on his chest.
• Is this a dream? Noah stepping up to help me? Or is he just trying to save the academy's reputation?
• We reached the infirmary, and the health assistant attended to my wound.
• *****
• “Can you walk?” Noah asked as I limped beside him out of the infirmary.
• ‘No, I can't’
• I wanted him to carry me again… It felt good earlier. I could see his face close-up… and I enjoyed the view, but still, I shook my head.
• “Hmm… Thank you.”
• “I'm sorry for bothering you.” I muttered, fondling my fingers.
• “It's nothing at all.”
• A smile crept up my face as I looked away. Thanks to that bitch, I got to be in Noah's arms. I guess I will forgive her this time... but wait! She fucking made me not to see the conclusion of the match.
• Well, scratch that! I'm going to make her pay for this.
• Maybe I should ask Noah how the match ended.
• “Uhm… The match…”
• “Stormbridge won the game today. We're having a party to celebrate our win tonight. Mind coming..." His voice trailed off and he sighed, glancing down at my knees. "Sorry... I almost forgot. Of course, you can't make it."
• Can't make it? Give me a fucking break! I don't mind going there in a wheelchair. I mean, Noah just invited me, so I must be there.
• "Yeah, sure... I'll be there."
• He blinked.
• "Oh... This is fine. It doesn't hurt as much." I chuckled nervously.
• Unlike some other rude rich kids, Noah is different. He is down-to-earth, sweet, polite, and cheerful despite being the son of the wealthiest man in New York, and the future heir of Boulevard's empire, owned and managed by his dad, Mr. Boulevard.
• "Are you sure about this?"
• I nodded.
• "Let me have your phone."
• I handed him my phone and we exchanged numbers.
• "Saved it for you." he turned my phone screen to me. He'd already saved his number on my phone.
• "Send me your address. I'll pick you up tonight."