At prestigious St Jude, reputation is the only currency that counts. Amelia Vance, a brilliant scholarship student fighting to stay afloat, knows this system all too well ? she is the one writing essays that go out under the names of the country's richest children. James Thorne, son of a Supreme Court judge and the system's golden boy, runs this underground intellect factory.

When a looming disciplinary proceeding threatens them both, the only way out is a deal. James needs the impeccable image of a settled, responsible student, and Amelia needs protection from being kicked out of college. The condition is simple: for the next term, they have to pretend to be a couple.

In a world of oak-panelled rooms and cold calculations, where every word has its price, Amelia and James start to realise their agreement may come with one clause they never anticipated: real feelings. In a system built on appearances, is there room for a truth that doesn't come from the case files?