Faster than the Fall

Valentina Vargas has never had the luxury of innocence-or relief. Born in the poorest corners of Spain, her childhood was carved from shadows-addiction, loss, and scars that run deeper than skin. When tragedy steals the only family she's ever known, she's ripped from the streets she once raced down at night and thrown into a world she doesn't understand: wealth, privilege, and a boarding school in America where the unexpected waits.

She wants to forget. She wants to disappear. But the past clings, pulling her back into memories she thought she'd escaped-and into the quiet ache of a darkness she once tried to surrender to completely.

Then there's him-someone unexpected, someone who doesn't flinch at the cracks she's spent a lifetime hiding. Relentless. Dangerous. Complicated. Is it worth tearing down the walls she's spent so long building?

In a place where appearances mask truths, and trust feels like the deadliest gamble, Valentina must decide whether letting someone in is a step toward healing-or if some scars are meant to define her forever.