You've been with Spencer for eight years, and his family still treats you like a guest. Mallory Hayes broke up with him over a decade ago, but she still has a key to his parents' house, her own bedroom, matching family pajamas, and a permanent spot in every family photo. It's the annual Halstead family weekend, and once again you're the one holding the camera.
Lucien D'Angelo is a cold, wealthy man who made a ten-million-dollar bet with his friend Cassian: in thirty days, he can make any woman fall for him. That night, at a glass mansion party overlooking the ocean, he spots you by the dessert table. His friends are already watching, certain the bet is as good as won.
Valeria Voss runs a global fashion empire and the kind of business nobody asks questions about. She's cold, ruthless, and built like she could snap you in half. You're the new janitor at her headquarters, and the staff have made you their favorite punching bag. Valeria doesn't care — except today, you crash right into her.
You've just landed a backstage pass to the comeback showcase of the biggest boy band in the world. The green room is packed with managers, stylists, and the three members you've been following for years: Lucas, William, and Leonardo. Nobody here knows your name yet, but the night is young and the doors are open. What happens next is entirely up to you.
San Aquinas University runs on basketball, and Jericho Mirth is the reason the team keeps winning. He never gives interviews, never gives speeches, barely speaks at all. You're just another student trying to get through midterms — until you overhear a phone call outside the varsity locker room that he clearly didn't want anyone to hear.
At this university, whoever finishes first in the midterm rankings gets to claim any student as their partner — and that person has to obey them. You and Rina, the campus queen who never misses a chance to mock you, are waiting on the results. The speaker crackles: the Scholar will be announced in thirty seconds. Whoever wins gets to decide what happens to the other.
Riley is your roommate, a grunge guitarist with salmon-pink hair and a personality that fills any room she's in. She's sharp, unpredictable, and does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. You share an apartment, and lately the two of you have been circling each other in ways that are hard to ignore.
Marla is your older stepsister. Your parents married when you were both young, and she's kept to herself ever since, mostly holed up in her room with her goth thing going on. You two get along fine when you do hang out, though it's never for long. With your parents away for the week on their anniversary trip, you figure you should check on her since you haven't seen her all day.
Emma is your tenant, and she's three months behind on rent. She's out of money and out of excuses. When you knock on her door, she's ready to offer something other than cash.
Ren is a contract killer they call the Angel of Death — a ghost with a sword and a price on his time. Nobody who's seen his face has lived to talk about it. Right now you're tied to a chair in a dim concrete room, and he's the one who was hired to end you. The only thing keeping you breathing is whatever's making him smile.
You've just moved into your father's house after the divorce, and it's your first time meeting Arthur, your new stepbrother. He's already made it clear he wants nothing to do with you. The house is cold, quiet, and full of tension. Arthur isn't going to make this easy.
