Claimed by My Rival’s Dad

"Oh f*ck, I missed the alarm again." I woke up from the hostel bed. "You’re twenty, Hana Carter." "You can’t keep missing mornings like this." "You can’t keep falling behind" I mutter to myself, and get ready for my class. I enter the classroom in a hurry. My hair is messy, my notebook almost falls from my hand, and I know I am late. Again. And of course, he is already there. Sitting in the first row, leaning back like he owns the place. The Rich Kid, Arrogant, Cocky, Clever, Charming, Competitive, Etc., Etc., Christian Vale. The boy I hate the most. My rival. My enemy. I hate him. I really do. But hating him is exhausting. Because when he looks at me with those sharp blue eyes, it feels like he sees something deeper. Something I don’t want him to see. The class finally ends. Students rush out, chatting and laughing, but I pack my books slowly. I want to avoid him. I want him gone before I step outside. But fate never works in my favor. Every time I see his face, my blood starts boiling. He looks up, eyes full of mischief, and that smirk comes on his lips. “Late again, Carter? What happened? Did the mirror take too long to approve you?" The whole class laughs. My cheeks burn hot, but I keep my head high. I will not let him win. I look straight at him and say, “Funny, Vale. I didn’t know arrogance has become a subject now. Maybe you will graduate top of your class.” The room gasps. A few people laugh. This time, the laughter is at him. For a second, I see it. His smirk slips. His jaw tightens, his eyes flash. But only for a moment. He recovers quickly, lips curling back into that same confident smile, sharper, colder. I know it. That i***t never accepts a small downfall. Such an arrogant creature. Our professor clears his throat, telling us to settle down, but I can still feel Christian’s eyes on me. Heavy. Irritating. Always watching. Always watching. Always waiting. Always challenging. The lecture begins, but my mind doesn’t stay with the professor’s words. I keep glancing at my notes, pretending to write, but in truth, I am thinking about him. Christian Vale. From the very first day I met him, he has been my rival. Smart, arrogant, always one step ahead. The golden boy everyone admires, but I see through his perfect smile and perfect charm. I see the devil underneath. I don't know where he got that. And somehow, we are always against each other. In class, in debates, in competitions. If I stand, he has to stand taller. If I shine, he has to shine brighter. I hate him. I really do. But hating him is exhausting. Because when he looks at me with those sharp blue eyes, it feels like he sees something deeper. Something I don’t want him to see. The class finally ends. Students rush out, chatting and laughing, but I pack my books slowly. I want to avoid him. I want him gone before I step outside. But fate never works in my favor. The moment I walk into the corridor, I hear his voice behind me. Low. Confident. Dangerous and ofcourse Arrogance. “You can try, Hana,” he says, close to my ear. Too close. “But you will never beat me. Not in class. Not in life.” I freeze for a second, then turn sharply. My eyes meet his, fire against ice. “Watch me, Vale. One day I will make you eat those words.” For the first time, his smirk falters. Just a little. His eyes darken, his lips press tight, and for a second, I see something serious there. Something intense. Then he steps back. The smirk returns. He brushes past me, his shoulder grazing mine, and walks away without another word. I stand there, my chest rising and falling too fast. My fists are tight by my sides. I hate him. I hate the way he talks, the way he looks at me, the way he makes me feel like I am nothing and everything at the same time. But deep inside, a voice whispers something I don’t want to hear. This rivalry is not simple. It is not harmless. It is pulling me toward something dangerous. I try to shake off the way my heart is still racing, but it is useless. Even after Christian walks away, the echo of his voice stays in my ears. His words repeat again and again “You will never beat me.” Why does he always have to talk like that? Like he is untouchable. Like I am just someone he can step over. I hate him. I tell myself that every day. I hate his arrogance, his smirk, his stupid charm that everyone else seems to fall for. But sometimes, late at night, I ask myself a question I don’t like. "Why does he get under my skin so much?" Maybe it is because I cannot ignore him. Even when I try, he finds a way to pull me into his game. Back in the classroom, I replay the scene. The laughter, the stares, the way people looked at me when I answered back. Some students looked impressed. Some looked nervous, like they were afraid Christian would crush me later. That is the thing about him. He doesn’t lose. Not in front of people. He is the golden boy. Tall, handsome, rich. His father is a big name. Everyone respects the Vale family. Everyone fears them too. And me? I am just Hana Carter. A girl who studies hard, fights harder, and refuses to let him walk all over me. As I leave the building, I remember the first time I met him. It was at the fresher’s orientation, almost a year ago. The auditorium was buzzing with new students, all excited, nervous, trying to find their place. I was sitting in the front row, clutching my notebook, when the professor asked for volunteers for the debate round. Before I could even think, my hand shot up. "I love debates. I love proving myself." And then, of course, another hand went up. His hand. Christian Vale. The same smirk and excessive arrogance. He walked to the stage like he owned it. Confident steps, eyes shining with mischief, lips already curved in a smile. When I looked at him, I thought, this boy is dangerous. Very dangerous. We stood on opposite sides of the stage. The topic was something about technology and its impact on society. I don’t even remember the details now, because what I remember is him. The way he looked straight at me when he spoke, like I was the only person in the room. The way his words flowed smooth, sharp, perfect, like a river. I was little impressed. Just a little. And the way he made me feel like I had to fight with everything inside me just to keep up. When it was my turn, I spoke from my heart. I didn’t care about impressing anyone. I wanted to defeat him. I wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. The audience clapped for me. The judges nodded. But when Christian spoke again, he twisted my words, challenged me, cornered me in front of everyone. By the end, the hall was roaring with cheers. Half for me, half for him. That was the beginning. That was the moment we became rivals. And from that day, we never stopped fighting, even for little things. I snap out of the memory with a sigh. Even now, after years, I can still hear his voice from that stage, teasing, mocking, daring me. Sometimes I wonder if he remembers too. Or maybe for him, it was just another game, another win, another chance to prove he is better. But for me, it was personal. Very personal. I never accept a defeat. By the time I reach the campus gates, the sun is hot on my face. I pull my scarf tighter and head toward the bus stop and my hostel is in a short distance from my university. My mind should be on assignments, deadlines, the exam next week. But all I can think about is him. Christian Vale. Why does he always have to be there? In my classes, in my competitions, in my head. I tell myself it is only rivalry. Only hate. But my heart beats too fast whenever he is near, and my body feels restless, like it knows something my mind refuses to admit. No. I shake my head hard. This is not an attraction. This is war. I will not lose to him. I cannot. Not when everything in my life depends on proving myself. And not when every time I look at him, I hear that arrogant voice saying “You will never beat me.” I will beat him. I have to. Even if it destroys me. Most of the students have already left, their voices fading into the distance. I walk faster, hoping to escape before he finds me again. But Christian Vale is never far away. “Running off so quickly, Carter?” His voice comes from behind me, smooth and mocking, but quieter this time. Not loud like in the classroom. Almost personal. I stop walking. My spine stiffens. Slowly, I turn around. He is there, leaning against the wall, arms folded, eyes fixed on me. The sun light falls on his face, making his features look sharper, more dangerous. “What do you want now, Vale?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm, but I can already feel the heat rising in my chest. He pushes himself off the wall and takes a slow step toward me. Then another. The sound of his shoes echoes on the floor. “I just wanted to remind you of something,” he says. “You can try all you like, but you’ll never win against me.” His words are soft, but they cut deep. I clench my fists. “You think too highly of yourself. One day I will prove you wrong.” He stops close, much too close. My back almost touches the wall. His eyes lock onto mine, and I can’t look away. His gaze is sharp, like he is peeling back my layers, trying to see what lies underneath. “You’re fiery, Carter,” he says quietly. “I’ll give you that. But fire burns out. I don’t.” I swallow hard. My throat feels dry. I hate that he makes me feel this way like I am standing on the edge of something dangerous, something I cannot control. “Move,” I whisper, trying to sound strong. For a moment, he doesn’t. He leans in just a little, his breath brushing my skin, and my heartbeat races wildly. Then, with that same infuriating smirk, he steps back. He brushes past me deliberately, his shoulder grazing mine, sending a jolt down my arm. I stay frozen until his footsteps fade away. Only then do I let out the breath I was holding. My body is trembling, but not from fear. From something else. Something I don’t want to name. I reach my hostel room, the door clicking shut behind me. Silence greets me, but it doesn’t bring peace. My heart is still racing, my hands trembling slightly from the previous encounter. I toss my bag onto the bed, pull off my scarf, and slump into the chair by the study table. I can’t stop thinking about him. Christian Vale. Why does he have this effect on me? I hate him. I tell myself that every day. And yet… every time he is near, my mind refuses to behave. My body refuses to obey. I close my eyes, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. But the memory of him leaning so close, that smirk on his face, the way he looked into my eyes… it makes me shiver. Not with fear. Something else. Something I don’t want to name. I shake my head angrily. "It’s just rivalry, Hana. Nothing more." My eyes fall on my books lying on the table. Assignments, notes, deadlines. These are supposed to be my world, my focus. But tonight, I can’t concentrate. My thoughts keep wandering back to him, to the feeling of his closeness, to that dangerous pull that I don’t understand. I tell myself firmly: I will not lose to him. I cannot. I have worked too hard for this life. Too hard for my goals. I cannot let Christian Vale, or anyone else, distract me. And yet, deep down, I know this rivalry is only the beginning. The tension between us is dangerous and impossible to ignore. I pick up my notebook and start writing down my plans for the week, trying to push away the thoughts that keep invading my mind. But even as I write, I can feel a shadow hovering over my future, a shadow I haven’t met yet. I felt something more dangerous is about to come soon. I shake my head. "Stop imagining things, Hana. You have enough to worry about without creating fantasies." Still, the feeling won’t leave me. The sense of danger, of something forbidden waiting just around the corner. Something that will pull me into a world I am not ready for. I look at myself in the mirror. My reflection stares back at me. Determined. Fierce. Fire in my eyes. "I will beat him." I whisper to myself. "Christian Vale will not win. I will not let him break me. I will rise above him, above everything, and prove that I am stronger." But even as I make this promise, a small, stubborn thought creeps into my mind. What happens when the real enemy is not Christian Vale… but someone more dangerous? I push the thought away. I am not ready to think about that yet. I have to survive today. I have to focus on my life. My studies. My dreams. Still, the pull is there. A danger I cannot ignore. Something forbidden. Something I will meet soon, whether I like it or not. I close my eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. Tonight, I am alone. But I know that tomorrow, my life will take a turn I am not prepared for. And somehow, deep inside, a part of me is terrified and secretly excited about what is coming. And in that ruin, I will find something I never expected. Something I will never be able to forget.