ACE ⟢ (#1 VALENCOURT SENTINELS)

AURELIA

I've never been one to not get what I want.

That's a lie-I've always gotten everything I wanted.

The daughter of an athlete. The niece of more. I was born into the spotlight, raised in the heat of competition. I don't just play volleyball - I breathe it. Live it. It's in my blood, in my bones.

I've spent years sharpening myself into a weapon, perfecting every set, every spike, every move until they became instinct. Until I became undeniable. So when Valencourt recruited me in eighth grade, it wasn't luck. It was inevitable.

My life has been a cycle of wake up, train, win, repeat.

But when I step onto Valencourt's court for the first time, I feel a hunger for something else.

Cassian Archer.

The captain. The setter.
The Archer.

I want to crush him. I want to beat him.

And I want him to want me just as badly.

⸻

CASSIAN

When life gives you lemons, you squeeze the fuck out of them and take the whole damn orchard.

That's how I live. That's how I've always lived. Because if I'm not the best, if I'm not winning, then what's the point?

Ever since I set foot on Valencourt's court, I've been the star setter. The playmaker. The one everyone counts on. The weight of every game rests in my hands. One bad set, and the entire team falls apart. That kind of pressure would break most people.

I thrive in it.

Then, she walks in.

Head high. Eyes burning. A girl built from fire and precision, someone who doesn't just play volleyball; she dominates it.

And when I see her in action?

I know exactly what I want.

Her.

On my court. In my arms. Under me.

I don't lose. And Aurelia?

She's already mine.