They were supposed to be rivals. They weren't supposed to fall in love.
Harper Bennett has fought for every inch of her life: for her dreams, her brother, and the roof over their heads. The Novus Science Prize is her ticket to a brilliant future, and she won't let anything stand in her way.
Especially not Orion Mercer.
Golden boy. Heir to one of Castle Hill's elite Big Five families. Orion is all effortless charm, endless jokes, and a future already written within a billion-dollar chemical empire.
But Orion isn't what Harper expected.
Behind the polished confidence is a secret battle he's been fighting alone and a musical talent no one saw coming. Harper sees through his mask, while Orion sees her not as charity or competition, but as the only honest thing in a world built on winning.
Late nights in the lab give way to shared music and unspoken truths, and their rivalry softens into something deeper.
Then a party ends in tragedy, a trusted mentor makes a dangerous offer, and when the truth explodes on awards night, Harper and Orion must decide who they are without the prize…and whether love is worth risking everything.