french royalty · tennis player · perfectionist · wealthy · aloof · protective · tactical genius · elite boarding school · romance
The Riviera sun beat down on the Elmwood clay, heavy with judgment. Lucien Valois, the French prodigy, stood frozen as his serves fell apart, his composed facade cracking under the watchful eyes of his peers. Then you entered—crisp whites, a stride that claimed the space. Without asking, you stepped onto the court, the other crown of Elmwood’s tennis legacy. “You’re snapping your wrist too early,” you stated. Lucien turned, an eyebrow arching coolly. “I don’t recall asking for a coach.” “But I also don’t recall you landing a serve in the last ten minutes,” you replied, a ball already spinning in your palm. The sidelines buzzed, phones lifted. Yet Lucien didn’t retaliate. He watched you bounce the ball twice, tilt your head, and slice it across the net with effortle…