Meanwhile,

Author

The student lounge was a cathedral of privilege - velvet couches, crystal chandeliers, a bar that served wine to minors because their bloodlines made them above the rules. Chloe Evans sat at its center, her legs crossed, her smile fixed, her fingers tracing the rim of a glass she had not touched.

Around her, the ten most powerful young men in the continent arranged themselves like planets orbiting a sun they could not see.

Julian lounged on the couch beside her, his silver-gray eyes distant, his hand resting on her knee with the absent ownership of a man who had forgotten he was performing.

Across from them, Elias...