Evie Alden wasn't supposed to be here. A girl from the poorhouse, she was admitted to the elite Imperial Gifted Center on a whim—hand-selected by a lonely emperor despite her humble beginnings. Now an outsider, Evie faces ruthless bullying from peers who want her gone. But she has a secret weapon... a genius so undeniable that even the most feared instructors can't ignore it. As Evie proves she belongs, she unknowingly begins to heal the broken heart of the man who thought he'd lost everything.