Velvet Thorns

Theo Maeda arrives at the Elyria Institute with a single mission: destroy the Roses, the four untouchable students who hosted the party where his twin sister Bella was raped and driven to suicide. The elite boarding school’s famous “no love, no sex” rule is the perfect shield—until Theo discovers the Roses already operate above every rule. He slips into their glittering orbit disguised as a wide-eyed transfer student, but the moment he locks eyes with their magnetic leader, Noah Kang, the plan begins to fracture. Every stolen glance and secret touch pulls Theo deeper into the very world he vowed to burn down. Caught between vengeance and an affair that could expose them both, Theo must decide how much of himself he’s willing to sacrifice for retribution. As he infiltrates the Roses’ clandestine parties and their lethal web of bribery, blackmail, and worse, he learns Noah’s charm hides dangerous fractures of his own. One misstep and Theo won’t just lose his chance at justice—he’ll become another whispered casualty of the most powerful students in the country.