They destroyed a criminal empire. Now something bigger wants revenge. The Foundation is gone. Its leaders are in prison. Justice has been served. But Vera, Carter, Rhett, and Eli aren't safe. The Problem: Expelled from Clearwater University. Hunted by Foundation loyalists. Forced into a "trial semester" designed to break them. And the organization they exposed? It wasn't the top of the pyramid. Someone bigger is watching. Someone more powerful. Someone who doesn't forgive betrayal. What They Want: To finish their degrees. To protect the students still being exploited. To build a life together-all four of them-despite society's rules about love and relationships. What Stands in Their Way: → A trial semester forcing them to betray confidential information or face prosecution → A resistance network they're building in secret-risking everything to save others → Foundation loyalists using violence and harassment to silence them → An FBI investigation where they're both witnesses and suspects → A trafficking operation bigger than they imagined-900 students exploited across 19 universities And the foundation they destroyed? Just middle management. The real power is still out there. Still operating. Still dangerous. As Carter loses his family and inheritance, as Rhett faces assault from Foundation sympathizers, as Eli's anxiety spirals from carrying everyone's safety, and as Vera navigates becoming the face of student resistance-they discover something worse than The Foundation: The Syndicate. A shadow organization that's been operating for decades. That funded The Foundation. That's still trafficking students through "alternative institutions." And it's coming for them. Book 2 delivers: ✓ Forced proximity in monitored housing ✓ All three Kings choosing Vera over everything (devotion earned through sacrifice) ✓ High-stakes FBI testimony and federal trial ✓ Explicit why-choose romance-all four together ✓ Psychological warfare from a sophisticated enemy ✓ Victory that costs everything but proves love is worth it ✓ Commitment rings and chosen family ✓ HEA with hints of bigger threats ahead Perfect for readers who loved: The Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, Brutal Birthright, Kings of Rittenhouse, and dark college romances where the heroine doesn't just survive-she conquers. This is Book 2 in The Dean's List series. Reading Book 1 (Broken Scholarship) first is recommended. Contains mature content including explicit sexual situations, violence, psychological manipulation, and morally gray characters. All characters are 18+. They exposed The Foundation. They survived the trial. They chose each other over everything. Now they're ready for whatever comes next. Together.