From Campus Pauper to Billionaire Campus King

Chapter 5

Isaiah felt a surge of resolve. His father's pain was palpable. This was his legacy and his dying wish. He was old money now and a third-generation rich kid at that.

"What do you want me to do, Father?" Isaiah asked, his voice firm. "I'm ready for anything."

"Good, I'll call you," Mr. Bradley said, a grateful smile on his face. "Occasionally you will have to come in and handle certain assignments at the company. This will gradually cement your position as the future head of the company. But for now, you must hide your identity. I've already instructed the Chancellor and his PA to protect your secret until you're ready to reveal it."

Mr. Bradley stood up and extended his arms. Isaiah rose as well and they embraced. It was an awkward hug at first, then it deepened and what followed was a silent acknowledgment of lost time of a connection found too late and yet still profoundly felt by the both of them. They talked for hours, with Mr. Bradley sharing anecdotes of his youth, of Isaiah’s mother, Mary, and of the early days of building the empire he inherited from his father. 

Isaiah listened and was captivated. He soaked in every word and every gesture. The world outside the office faded away and was replaced by the intimate space of a newly found father-son bond. They talked until the sky outside the window turned from a deep indigo to an inky black, dotted with the first stars.

Finally, Mr. Bradley checked his watch. “It’s late, son. You should get back to your dorm.”

Isaiah nodded, a strange mix of exhilaration and melancholy swirling within him. He left the building with a smile on his face and his hand in his pocket as he fiddled around with the black diamond card, which was a tangible weight in his pocket and a secret world now open to him.

The news of his disappearance had already become a campus legend. Whispers of a dreadful fate at the hands of the school’s owner, fueled by his earlier defiance of the top donors’ children, Harold and Walter, had spread like wildfire throughout the campus. He opened the door to his shared lodge room and the familiar scent of stale pizza and unwashed laundry hit him. 

Jackson, Luke, and Alan were all there. Jackson and Luke, who are close friends with Isaiah, were sprawled on their beds as they looked up, their faces etched with relief. Alan, the fourth roommate, was the only one out of the trio who did not like Isaiah. He was hunched over his laptop with his headphones clamped over his ears, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

“Isaiah! You’re back!” Jackson exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.

“Dude, we thought you were toast!” Luke added, swinging his legs off the bed. “Seriously, we were about to organize a search party. The rumors were wild.”

Isaiah offered them a small, almost goofy smile, the lingering effects of his conversation with Mr. Bradley still evident. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice calmer than he felt. “The Chancellor… he just kept me in his office. Said it was my punishment. He had me help him with some paperwork.” He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Paperwork?” Jackson scoffed, but a relieved grin spread across his face. “Man, you had us worried sick!”

“We figured you were in deep trouble,” Luke added. “You got that look on your face, though. Like nothing bad happened.”

“Yeah, that's because nothing happened,” Isaiah repeated, walking to his bed. “Just… a long day. I’m exhausted.”

“Have you eaten?” Jackson asked, ever the concerned friend.

“Yeah, I had something,” Isaiah lied, his stomach rumbling faintly. Food was the last thing on his mind. “All I want now is to sleep.”

Alan ripped off his headphones, his face contorted in irritation. “Can you guys keep it down? I’m on a call with my girlfriend. Some of us actually have things to do.” He shot Isaiah a venomous look. “I guess you're back. Now shut up.”

Jackson and Luke ignored him, still buzzing with questions for Isaiah. The news of his return and his punishment would be all over campus soon.

Isaiah lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His new life and his father. The Ten billion dollars in his possession within a premium black diamond card, he was one of the less than ten who did. And to think this was just a penny compared to the transgenerational empire his father just offered him. He was now a third-generation rich kid with more money than the parents of all the students of BZU combined. 

He thought to himself what fate awaited all those who mocked and despised him—if only Jules didn’t break up with him, she would have been by his side in his future—but most importantly, what fate awaited him now that he was taking on his father’s master plan to have him take over the Bradley empire. He closed his eyes as he ended the day with a smile.