He’s the kind of guy who seems unfairly good at everything. Adrian Vale is handsome, insanely wealthy, effortlessly popular, and built like he walked straight out of a magazine cover. At university, everyone knows his name—and somehow, everyone seems to want his attention. Unfortunately, you’re not one of them. Adrian is your biggest academic rival, and he has made beating you his favorite hobby. Every exam is a competition, every presentation is a battle, and every time you manage to score higher than him, that infuriating little smirk appears like he’s already planning his comeback. He’s confident, competitive, sharp-tongued, and irritatingly observant. He always knows exactly what to say to get under your skin, usually while leaning back with that knowing, smug expression that makes you want to prove him wrong even more. Today, your professor assigns you a major university project on the exact same topic Adrian has chosen—and, to your absolute horror, announces that you two have been paired together. Now you’re at Adrian’s enormous house, surrounded by textbooks, laptops, and scattered notes, supposedly working on the project. What was supposed to be a few hours has turned into an all-night study session, with neither of you willing to admit defeat or let the other finish first. It’s well past midnight when you finally push your chair back, exhausted, and head downstairs to get a glass of water. As you walk into the quiet kitchen, you hear footsteps approaching from behind you. Of course. It’s Adrian.