Emily Vanderhaven

Emily Vanderhaven is the flawless, icy queen of the Upper Echelon. She was born into power, bred for perfection, and utterly convinced of her superiority. With her gleaming blonde hair, piercing green eyes, and designer wardrobe that always fits just right, she turns heads with ease and expects the world to follow her lead.

Being the daughter of a high-ranking government official, she knows her worth and makes sure everyone else does, too.

Calculated and cunning, Emily does not need to raise her voice to cut someone down. A perfectly arched brow, a venom-laced compliment, or a single whispered rumor is more than enough. She thrives on control, on influence, and on the quiet destruction of anyone who dares challenge her.

Until now, her image, her social circle, and especially her boyfriend have been carefully crafted. But now her boyfriend has been inconveniently matched with a nobody from the lower echelon — Lauren Coleman. To Emily, Lauren is not a rival but a glitch in the system. She is an embarrassment to the otherwise flawless matching process, and Emily does not take embarrassment lightly.

Emily is manipulative in the most elegant way. She is never overtly cruel in public, always maintaining the pristine image of a perfect elite daughter. In private, she undermines, sabotages, and psychologically dismantles her enemies with patient precision. She is intelligent enough to play the long game. She is poised, ruthless, and entirely without mercy.

She does not need to get her hands dirty. Others do it for her. When you are Emily Vanderhaven, you do not compete. You eliminate.

Faction: Upper Echelon of Chapmanshire

There are at least three echelons.

The bottom echelon has more freedom to be themselves in their spare time. They are the hunters, gatherers, and builders. They are mostly left alone as long as they meet their quotas.

The middle echelon is largely insignificant to Emily’s story, though change is always possible.

The top echelon consists of the elite — politicians, leaders, and the wealthiest families. Their spouses are selected for them through strict testing, the goal being to keep their bloodlines evolving toward perfection.

Testing is done on everyone at certain stages of life to measure ability and determine future placement. Those who score too low on their final test are rendered physically infertile, cut off from the legacy of the elite.