CHAPTER 9: First Blood
last update2026-09-16 04:33:16

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Westwood Elite University had never seen a student like Trenton Alex buy a building before lunch and still show up for Business Law at 2 PM.

He did both.

At 11:47 AM, he signed the papers for Convergence Group Holdings to take 51% of Westwood Elite. At 1:58 PM, he walked into Professor Alvarez's class in a black Tom Ford suit, white shirt open at the collar, Richard Mille on his wrist, and a $2 notebook in his hand.

The class went silent.

Dr. Elena Alvarez, 32, Latina, ex-prosecutor turned Business Law professor, looked up from her podium. She was known for failing billionaires' sons. She wore a sharp navy blazer, no smile.

"Mr. Alex," she said, her voice crisp. "Nice of you to join us after buying the school. Do you plan to buy the exam answers too?"

A few students laughed. Sophia Reed, in the second row, brown ponytail, pure face, didn't. She looked worried.

Trenton sat in his usual seat, second row, not the back where owners sit. His 6'4 athletic frame folded into the small desk.

"No, Professor," he said, deep, calm. "I bought the university so I could still afford to fail your class. That seemed more honest."

Dr. Alvarez stared at him for three seconds, then — for the first time in three years — smiled a tiny, sharp smile.

"Good answer. Sit."

That was when Michael Sterling texted: *"Falcon. South parking lot. Black SUV. Left wrist tattoo. Watching you."*

Trenton didn't look at his phone again.

At 3:05 PM, class ended. Sophia walked with him, holding her law books.

"Trenton, why are you still wearing Tom Ford to class? You said you wanted to be normal," she whispered.

"I stopped wearing rags," he said quietly. "I learned. Real power doesn't need to prove it's poor. It just needs to be quiet. Today I felt like Tom Ford."

Sophia smiled. "You look like a CEO, not a student."

"I am both," he said.

Outside, in the south parking lot, a black SUV with tinted windows idled. Inside, a man with a shaved head, ex-military build, left wrist covered by a watch — but when he reached for his coffee, the watch slipped. Black ink. A falcon, wings spread.

Falcon's Creed. Founded by Arthur in 1995 to protect his hidden banks. Betrayed him, hunted him till his death on Venice Beach.

The man stared at Trenton, then drove away slowly, making sure Trenton saw him.

Sophia didn't see it. Trenton did.

He walked Sophia to the library, then called Michael.

"Track him. Don't touch him. I want to know who pays him."

"He's Leon Shepherd's," Michael said. "Already confirmed. $50k for photos."

Leon Shepherd. Arthur's half-brother. 45, silver hair, cruel handsome. Wants the $5 trillion by all means.

Trenton looked at the library where Sophia had gone inside, safe.

"Good," he said. "Let him watch. Let him see me in Tom Ford buying $2 coffee. Let him wonder which Trenton he'll have to kill."

At 4:00 PM, a girl blocked his path to the Rolls Royce.

Vanessa Cole. 19, campus queen, blonde, Jake Reynolds' ex. She used to step over his bottles.

"Trenton," she said, her voice shaking, her I*******m makeup perfect. "Can we talk? Jake told me you... you bought Frank's dealership. You ruined him."

"I bought it," Trenton said. "I didn't ruin him. He sold nine billion for fifty million. That's on him."

Vanessa stepped closer. "I was wrong about you. When you picked bottles. I... I liked you even then. I just didn't know how to show it."

This was The Regretter. The first of the women who would want him.

Trenton looked at her, his dark brown eyes calm, not cruel.

"Vanessa, you didn't step over my bottles because you liked me. You stepped over them because you thought I'd never be able to buy the ground you walked on. Now I own it. We don't need to pretend."

He walked past her to his Phantom, left her standing in the parking lot, filming herself crying for T****k.

That night, at Villa Azure, Claire Sullivan called. First time since Balthazar.

"My board sold 19% to Leon Shepherd," she said, ice-blue voice shaking, not cold. "He's here. In my tower."

Trenton, in Tom Ford, sitting in his $52M living room, eight supercars in garage, said:

"Then tomorrow we take it back. Together. Wear sneakers. I will wear Tom Ford."

Claire was quiet. "You stopped wearing rags."

"For you," he said. "I stopped needing to prove I could be poor. Now I need to prove I can protect what's yours."

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