Nova wasn't trying to be noticed.
But somehow, her name kept floating through the halls like a whisper no one could catch."She's new.""She's smart.""She's… different."
By the end of the week, she was already drawing attention—and not the kind her stepbrothers wanted.
That night, Ryder found her in the kitchen.
She had come down for tea. Just five minutes of peace.
Instead, she got Ryder Vale leaning against the fridge like a shadow with anger for blood.
"You think this is a joke?" he said, voice low.
Nova didn't flinch. "What are you talking about now?"
"You said you'd stay quiet. Stay invisible. But people are talking. They're looking at you."
"I haven't said a word about you. Or this house."
"That doesn't matter!" His voice rose. "You being there is enough. You think you're special because people are looking at you now?"
Nova's jaw tightened. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to live here. Or to be seen. Or to have brothers who treat me like trash."
Ryder took a step closer, eyes sharp. "You're just some orphan who got lucky. Don't act like you belong in our world."
The words hit like fists.
And for a second, the kitchen went silent.
Then—
SLAP.
Nova's hand cracked across his face before she even realized what she was doing. Her breath was shaking, her whole body trembling with rage.
Ryder's head jerked slightly, eyes wide—not in pain, but in stunned silence. He hadn't expected her to fight back.
Nova stared at him, voice cold. "Say it again. Go ahead. Call me that one more time."
He didn't.
For the first time since she'd moved in, Ryder Vale had no comeback.
Max, who had just walked into the hallway, blinked at the scene. "Whoa. What'd I miss?"
No one answered.
Ryder stormed past them both, brushing Nova's shoulder hard as he shoved through the door and disappeared.
Nova stood frozen, her hand still burning, chest rising and falling like a storm was trapped in her ribs.
Max walked over slowly. "Remind me never to make you mad."
She didn't laugh.
She didn't even blink.
But for the first time in days, she didn't feel powerless.