Character dossier/backstory
766 Words
VALESKA ROMANOVA
Full Name: Valeska Elena Romanova
Age: Same as Vian
Nationality: Norwegian (with Eastern European family roots, if you want the surname Romanova)
Background
Valeska was never interested in attention.
Even as a child, she preferred libraries over parties, mountains over cities, and quiet conversations over crowded rooms.
She grew up in Bergen, Norway, in an educated, close-knit family.
Her father, Alexander Romanov, is a respected civil engineer who later founded a boutique infrastructure consultancy.
Her mother, Elena Romanova, is a literature professor whose home was always filled with books, classical music, and long dinner conversations.
There was no celebrity culture in their home.
No obsession with wealth.
They valued education, discipline, kindness, and independence above everything else.
Education
Valeska was the brightest student in almost every class she attended.
She graduated at the top of her school.
Later, she earned admission to University of Oxford, where she studied Business Management and Behavioral Sciences.
She graduated with First Class Honours.
Instead of chasing prestigious corporate jobs, she pursued further education at Stanford University, focusing on entrepreneurship and sustainable business.
Professors described her as thoughtful rather than loud.
She rarely spoke in class.
But when she did...
Everyone listened.
Career
Valeska never wanted to become famous.
She never wanted to become "the girlfriend of football's biggest star."
She wanted her own identity.
At twenty-four, she quietly founded a Scandinavian lifestyle company focused on handcrafted furniture, home décor, and sustainable interiors.
The business remained intentionally small.
Around twenty-five employees.
No celebrity ambassadors.
No flashy campaigns.
No unnecessary expansion.
She believed growth should never come at the cost of quality.
Even after becoming financially secure through her own work, she still reviewed designs personally, answered important client emails herself, and knew every employee by name.
PersonalityCalm under pressure.Highly intelligent.Introverted.Observant.Emotionally mature.Patient.Soft-spoken.Exceptionally loyal.Values privacy over recognition.
She dislikes unnecessary luxury.
She prefers reading beside a fireplace over attending celebrity parties.
She enjoys hiking, painting, classical music, gardening, architecture, and spending quiet evenings at home.
Relationship with Vian
Valeska met Vian when they were children in school.
He was loud.
Competitive.
Always running.
Always dreaming about football.
She was the quiet girl sitting by the window with a book.
They became friends long before either understood what love meant.
Their relationship survived school, university, football academies, injuries, distance, and fame.
To Vian...
Valeska was home.
The only person who knew him before the headlines.
The only person who remembered the boy who cried after missing a penalty at fourteen.
The only person who celebrated his first academy contract before anyone else cared.
She never fell in love with the footballer.
She fell in love with the teenager.
Family's View of Vian
The Romanovs welcomed Vian into their home long before he became famous.
Alexander admired his work ethic but often worried about the life football would bring.
Elena loved him like a son but quietly reminded Valeska that fame changes people.
Neither ever tried to interfere in their relationship.
They simply hoped success wouldn't take away the kind-hearted boy they had watched grow up.
VIAN LAURENT
Full Name: Vian Laurent
Nationality: Norwegian
Background
Vian was raised in a football-obsessed household where discipline, sacrifice, and ambition were part of everyday life.
From the age of six, it was obvious he possessed extraordinary talent.
By fourteen, scouts from Europe's biggest academies were watching him.
By eighteen, he had become one of the brightest young stars in world football.
By twenty-one, he won the Ballon d'Or.
His rise happened so quickly that he barely had time to process it.
The world knew Vian Laurent.
Very few people still knew just Vian.
Relationship with Valeska
No matter how famous he became...
He never hid Valeska.
He spoke about her in interviews.
Mentioned her in acceptance speeches.
Dedicated victories to her.
Introduced her proudly to teammates, coaches, and family.
In his mind, there was never another woman who could replace her.
Yet as fame grew, so did his contradictions.
He loved Valeska deeply.
He also grew accustomed to a world where admiration, temptation, and excess surrounded him every day.
That conflict became the fault line running beneath their entire relationship.
One important detail for the novel
At this stage of the story, Valeska is not a celebrity in her own right.
Football fans know of her because Vian occasionally mentions her, but she isn't walking red carpets, giving interviews, or chasing the spotlight. She avoids the media whenever possible. Her public recognition grows naturally over time as Vian's career reaches global heights, making her increasing visibility feel earned rather than immediate.
- Writer
