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

As Avery knelt by Damien's bleeding form, the words of the Puppet Master echoed in her thoughts. Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer.

"Run, Avery," Damien exclaimed, his gaze flashing. "Don't let them win."

After one last look at the masked guy, Avery escaped. Her feet pounded the pavement as she dashed through the shadowy campus, her mind a tornado of uncertainty and panic.

She found herself at the door to her dorm room, fumbling with shaky hands to unlock it. Once inside, Avery leaned against the closed door, dropping to the floor as the excitement left her body.

Her phone vibrated. Lucas texted: "Where are you?" "Are you safe?"

Avery focused on the screen, her thumb lingering above the reply button. Who did she text as? What about the dedicated student? The skilled assassin? The possible criminal leader?

She flung the phone away and buried her face in her fists. How did everything get so tangled?

The Masks We Wear