He rules the Academy. She will bring it down.

Rafael Moretti was born to rule—crowned heir of a mafia dynasty, trained to break minds with magic and bodies with fists. At the Academy, he’s judge, executioner, and sin wrapped in muscle and cold command. No one dares defy him.

Until Claire Williams.

She’s a scholarship nobody with rare shadow magic and a mouth that won’t stop tempting fate—or him. She was supposed to kneel like everyone else. Instead, she made him bleed for it.

Now he wants to own her. Break her. Brand her. But Claire is all sharp edges and venomous heat, and every failed attempt to bend her only feeds his obsession. He can’t control her. Can’t touch her. But when the Academy turns on her, he’s the only one brutal enough to keep her breathing.

She’s everything he shouldn’t want. He’s everything she was raised to hate. But some enemies set the world on fire just by looking at each other.

And when they finally burn, there will be no survivors.

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For readers who crave: Enemies to lovers. Mafia heir x defiant underdog. Touch her and you die. Bully romance. Dark academia. Violent longing. Filthy heat. Raw obsession. Shadow magic vs. mind control. Morally gray. Guaranteed HEA.

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------My 3 star review notes: TITLED: I Liked how they challenged each other

25 year old Claire Williams is a Shadow Witch who isn't doing too well. She's tough and gained a scholarship to the academy, and she's not one to back down from anyone. The minute she arrives at the college she is confronted by a handsome, arrogant man who treats her like a cheap servant. No way Hosea, not happening. She stands her ground, giving as good as she got only to find out it's His House. He's the Mafia Heir, Rafael Moretti ! Great, she thinks she just picked a fight with him by standing up for herself !

His friend Dante, is his Head of Security who questions whether she is an asset or an enemy. He thinks she's dangerous. No one is immune to Command Magic but she seems to be. Rafael is stumped and he hates that ! His father, Vincent is up to something and he likes that even less. He doesn't trust him. Vincent has a consigliere, Torrino, the Enforcer, who watches and reports everything back to Vincent. Rafael is reminded by Vincent that he is in charge of maintaining order among the students and assessing and recruiting. But not to worry Claire ends up doing her own research on Rafael too ! A Command magic at 12 years old, a weapon honed in childhood for sure!

The emotions, magic and dangers abound and so does the dangerous attraction between Claire and Rafael. I liked that we get to see both of their tortured points of views. And the attraction that they've been fighting? It's getting irresistible ! Is anyone going to get out of this place alive? And with their minds intact?

-------------------------------Side Note:

Not a favorite for me