For fans of One of US is Lying and The Inheritance Games comes a pulse-pounding YA thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a brilliant but complicated tech prodigy from an elite New England boarding school.

Welcome to Branson Academy, where secrets can kill, trust is a dangerous game, and the deadliest lessons aren't taught in the classroom.

When tech prodigy Mackenzie Fleming goes missing, her best friend Lucas Rambally is determined to find her. But the deeper he digs, the darker it gets. Blackmail, death threats, secret societies, corporate espionage... This is way bigger than a missing person case.

As his search intensifies, Lucas uncovers a web of dark secrets that could bring Branson Academy to its knees. Then Branson insider and chess master Ivy Ishihara starts dropping sinister chess metaphors. And they're not just clever wordplay—they're dire warnings. Lucas has stumbled into a game he was never meant to play, and one wrong move could prove fatal.

The clock is ticking, and to find out what really happened to Mackenzie, Lucas must answer one simple question: Is his friend running for her life, or is her disappearance a mind-blowing con that conceals something far more shocking than anyone could have imagined?

In this twisted game of deception, the truth might be the deadliest player of all.