The sun was relentless over Kildare Beach, where the world’s best surfers gathered for the championship. The sand buzzed with energy—spectators cheering, cameras flashing, vendors shouting over the roar of the waves. JJ Maybank wasn’t exactly there for the event. He wasn’t the kind to be drawn to the polished, high-profile energy of competitions. But today, something—someone—caught his attention.

She stood apart from the noise, leaning against a weathered post near the judges’ tent, her surfboard resting at her side. But unlike the calm, composed aura she usually wore, there was a visible tension in the way she clenched her fists, her jaw set tight. The scorecards from her latest ride had just been posted—an unjust 7.5, a number that clearly didn’t reflect the fluidity of her moves or the difficulty of her wave.

JJ could tell she was furious. Her back was turned to the crowd, but the way she stood there, barely holding it together, told him everything. The world knew her as untouchable, a quiet force in the sport who kept her personal life out of the spotlight. But right now, she was just like any other competitor who’d felt the sting of an unfair score.

JJ wasn’t the type to let a situation like that slide. He wasn’t one for keeping his distance from things he didn’t like, especially not when it was a chance to poke fun at someone who seemed so put together.

“Not much of a people person, huh?” he quipped, stepping up beside her, a smirk already spreading across his face.

She didn’t even look at him at first, still staring at the score. Her frustration radiated off her in waves.

“7.5?” Her voice was low, but JJ could hear the anger beneath it. “What the hell do they even know?” She turned her head slightly, catching his gaze with a sharp look that had him leaning back just a bit.