Isaiah ran as fast as he could with his long legs eating up the ground. He ducked behind the old and overgrown shed near the sports fields with his heart hammering against his ribs. He stayed there, hidden, for what felt like an eternity, all the while listening for footsteps or for shouts. After nearly two hours later, he was now convinced Harold and his crew were long gone.Isaiah thought to himself. “I’m safe, for now.” He sighed as he crept out of the hiding place. His legs were asleep and his back hurt from staying in the same spot for over an hour. “Shit, how am I going to explain to the guys that I spilled their food? Jules is definitely going to be mad at me.” Isaiah took a deep breath to reassure himself, “It's fine. I will figure it out and for the rest of the guys, I will just borrow from a friend and somehow make it right.”As he approached the main academic building, a strange sight caught his attention. Not the usual scattered students, but a dense crowd gathered under

The hum of the air conditioning unit in the Chancellor’s office was the only sound for a long moment; it was a stark contrast to the chaotic energy that had brought Isaiah here. Mr. Bradley held Isaiah at arm's length, his eyes shining. "Isaiah, my son. You have come back into my life, and everything is about to change for you. I am sorry for not finding you sooner and for all the suffering you've had to endure throughout your life. But I promise you, you will never have to suffer again." Mr. Bradley reached into the inner pocket of his impeccably tailored suit jacket. He withdrew a sleek and obsidian-colored card that caught the light in the room with a subtle and almost unseen shimmer. It wasn't plastic, nor was it metal. It looked… different. He extended it towards Isaiah. "This is a premium black diamond card. It has ten billion dollars on it. Take this as a token of my apology. I don’t expect this to make the pain of the years vanish, but it is a start. A start at rebuilding o

The morning light, filtered through the grimy window of the shared dorm room, did little to dispel the strange weight pressing on Isaiah. He lay in bed, his eyes open, with the black diamond card, a cool and smooth presence, beneath his pillow. He felt light, like he was reborn and yet heavy by the huge responsibility he was now expected to take on. The lightness he felt was the sheer, unbelievable relief of never having to worry about money again and the ten billion dollars in his possession. But the heaviness… that was the crushing weight of responsibility and the size of the empire his father had laid at his feet, as well as the intricate and dangerous game he now had to play against his step siblings. Power, he was learning, wasn't just freedom; it was a burden and a target.A thunderous bang on the door rattled the entire room and jolted everyone awake.“I got it!” Alan grumbled as he swung his legs over the side of his bed. He yanked the door open. His sleepy eyes grew wide, an

Jenny's threat hung in the air. “Do I make myself clear, Jules?” Jenny’s voice cut through the stunned silence and was as sharp as broken glass. “Because if you and your boyfriend cannot conduct yourselves with an ounce of dignity, then your name will be removed from the final list I submit to FrontView Talent Agency. And trust me, I have that power.”Jules, for once, looked genuinely rattled. She glanced at Walter, a silent plea in her eyes. Walter, still fuming from Isaiah’s earlier defiance, hesitated. He wanted to lash out, to make Isaiah pay, but he knew how much this beauty ambassador deal meant to Jules. The FrontView Talent Agency deal wasn’t just about fame; it was about the staggering sum of five million dollars annually, a luxury car, and endless travel opportunities for both business and vacations. To top it off, the winners get to work with one of the Brad Zay Group companies as their beauty ambassador. It was the golden ticket every aspiring campus queen dreamed of. Jen

The students couldn’t believe their ears. A collective sigh, a wave of dismissive murmurs, swept through the classroom.“Are you serious?” Someone scoffed, loud enough for Isaiah to hear. “He had one request from Chancellor Mark Baun. The richest man in the country’s right-hand man. He could’ve asked for a full scholarship, a trust fund, anything!”“A pauper will always be a fool,” another voice muttered, laced with disgust. “He could’ve been set for life, but he blew it on getting Professor Lance fired. What a dumb move.”“Yeah, like that changes anything for him,” a girl sneered, her eyes raking over Isaiah’s worn clothes. “His one and only lottery ticket is gone. And he is back to being Fetch-Boy.”One by one, they turned away with their faces etched with disappointment, some with outright contempt. The brief and fleeting respect they had shown Isaiah evaporated and was replaced by the familiar disdain. They had hoped for a spectacle and a continued display of power, but Isaiah’s