Aaron_Joshua_6501

Seeking a fresh start, Avery Chen, the abandoned daughter of a well-known mafia lord, enrolls in a top university. Rather, she discovers she is in the middle of a dangerous network of academics and criminal activities. Avery draws the attention of campus golden boy Lucas Sterling as she is bullied for her family ties but she politely denies his interest. Expert assassin Avery pays for her schooling by means of high-stakes operations. Her world meets Lucas's when she finds out he is in charge of a competitor criminal group. As Lucas and his estranged brother Damien come to see Avery could be the key to bringing their disparate groups together, Avery must negotiate her feelings, her mission, and the dangerous underground of college organized crime. Avery battles to find the truth about her father's desertion and create her own path, therefore her particular abilities both help and hinder her. Will Avery be swallowed by the criminal underworld in a society where loyalties shift like sand?

The Don's Heir: A Campus Underworld

Avery, Lucas, and Jess sat around a homemade map, contemplating their next move, and it felt suffocating in the safe house. Damien's betrayal hung heavy in the air, a continuous reminder of how easily everything may unravel.

"We need help," Jess muttered, her voice hoarse with worry. "Someone who knows the campus inside and out."

Lucas nodded grudgingly. "Someone with connections we can trust."

Avery's eyes brightened up. "I'm Professor Russo. If anyone can guide us through this catastrophe, it's her."

The mention of Elena Russo lit a spark of hope in their worn cheeks. The professor had been Avery's anchor throughout her stay at Blackthorn, a mentor who appeared to comprehend the delicate balance between academia and its shadowy underbelly.

"I'll contact her," Avery said, bringing out a burner phone. "If we're lucky, she might even know something about Nikolai's plans."

Shadows of Trust