The cold night air hung heavy over the campus courtyard. Blue warning lights flashed against the stone walls as municipal trucks idled near the laboratory entrance.Bailiffs were carrying out heavy silver server cases, setting them carelessly onto the damp wooden flatbeds.Chief Miller stood by the open truck tailgate, sipping coffee from a paper cup. He looked smug and satisfied. The cold wind didn't bother him because his pocket was heavy with Eleanor Peterson’s cash."Careful with that one, boys," Miller called out lazily, waving his hand at a bailiff carrying a micro-chip cooling unit. "If it breaks, the kid can just buy another one with his fake billions."The junior bailiffs laughed loudly, their boots crunching against the gravel.Director Marsh stood near the stone bench, wringing his hands in total agony. Sweat stood out on his forehead despite the freezing wind."Nicholas, look at them," Marsh pleaded, his voice trembling with deep pain and helplessness. "They are damaging t

"The summit is tomorrow morning in the capital city," Marsh started speaking again, his voice laced with pure dread. "A private jet leaves from the regional airport at midnight. If you aren't on it, they will flag your accounts by dawn."Nicholas leaned back in his leather chair, casually twirling a black pen between his fingers. He didn't even glance at the gold envelope."I'm not going," Nicholas said flatly.Marsh gasped, stepping back so fast he nearly bumped into a server rack. "You're... you're ignoring a direct summons from the Council of Patriarchs? Nicholas, those people control national clearinghouses! They can freeze your wire transfers with one phone call!""They want me in the capital because that's where Eleanor has home-field advantage," Nicholas replied, his tone entirely calm. "She wants to drag me into a national political circus before I even finish my senior year. I have three weeks until graduation. I'm staying right here."Marsh swallowed hard, rubbing the back o