At St. Augustine’s Academy, privilege and power run through every marble hallway. For some, this final year means freedom. For others, it’s the stepping stone to even greater influence. But for a few, it will become a life-altering secret they can never escape.

Isabella Marquez has her future mapped out; graduate top of her class, enter the most prestigious university, and one day take control of her father’s empire. Nothing and no one will stop her.

Especially not Alexander Hawthorne with his smirk and blue eyes, the Duke’s reckless second son. To Isabella, he’s nothing more than a chain-smoking, party-throwing menace who will likely end up in jail before graduation.

But when a classmate turns up dead in Isabella’s dorm room, Alexander becomes the only person who can help her prove her innocence. Forced into an uneasy alliance, Isabella discovers that behind his arrogant smirk and scandalous reputation lies someone far more complicated than she ever imagined.

And in a world where secrets are currency and friends can become enemies and enemies can become something dangerously more, Isabella may find herself risking more than just her future, she may risk her heart.



Dive in to explore Isabella's life as it either takes a turn for the best or the worse.


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Chapter 56: What Was Heard in the Shadows


The girl looked out of place on the rooftop.


She was standing just behind Eilidh, fidgeting with the hem of her uniform blazer, her eyes darting between me, Michael, and Arthur as though she'd stumbled into a room full of wolves.


Eilidh crossed her arms, the wind tugging strands of brown hair across her face. "Go on, then," she said. "Tell them what you told me."


The girl hesitated, glancing down at the floor. Her shoes scuffed against the concrete. "I...I'm not sure I should…"


Eilidh gave her a sharp look. "You said it yourself, Maeve. You don't bring me half stories. Either it's the truth or it's not, so say it properly."


Chapter 56 - What Was Heard in the Shadows