Welcome to St. Jude's International College.
There are boarding schools where students dream of standing out.
And then there is St. Jude's.
Here, excellence is the bare minimum. Within its halls, heirs of presidents, aristocrats, entrepreneurs, and some of the world's most powerful families coexist. Excellence is a tradition, and there is little room for failure.
And, against all odds, you are among the best. In your final year, you have only one goal: to graduate at the top of your class.
The problem is that someone else has exactly the same plan.
Reed Jackson.
Brilliant. Irritatingly brilliant.
Heir to one of the most influential aristocratic families in Europe, he always seems to have the right answer, a witty retort ready, and a composure that is infuriating. You question everything he says. He insists on calling you Mad with infuriating naturalness.
Every exam is a duel.
Every shared project, a test of patience.
Every conversation ends up feeling like a competition that neither is willing to lose.
The strange thing is that the more time you spend trying to outdo each other, the harder it becomes to ignore the ease with which the other understands you. Little by little, the arguments hint at an unexpected trust, the barbs hide a complicity that is hard to explain, and the line between rivalry and something much more dangerous begins to blur.
But in a place where expectations weigh as much as surnames and where every decision can change a carefully planned future, letting your guard down has never been an option.
Especially when the only person capable of challenging you in everything... also starts to be the only one you never want to stop competing with.
