𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐫

"You've spent four years trying to beat me," he murmurs. "But tell me the truth, Caldwell-was it ever just about winning?"

At Columbia University, reputation is everything-and Ivy Caldwell has spent her entire college career building hers from the ground up.

Smart, relentless, middle-class, and chronically underestimated, she's clawed her way into the top three of the most prestigious scholarship race in the country: the Rhodes. All that's standing in her way?

Theo Black.

Rich, untouchable, dangerously charming. Son of a political dynasty. Heir to a name that opens doors Ivy's never been allowed to walk through.
The boy who's been two steps ahead of her since freshman year-and made sure she knew it.

They've hated each other from the first lecture hall.
Now, they're being forced to co-lead the university's high-profile mentorship initiative. Weekly speeches. Donor galas. Shared deadlines. No escape.

But somewhere between cutting remarks and late-night arguments, something shifts.
Tension turns electric.
Rivalry starts to blur.

And as the Rhodes decision looms closer, Ivy will have to decide what she's really willing to sacrifice:

Her pride.
Her plan.
Or the one person who might actually understand her.