The Hidden King Of Northwood University

9: The Price of a Bruise

“You didn’t come to the cafe for breakfast,” Elena said. Her voice was a small, soft thing in a morning that felt like it was made of jagged glass.

Leo looked up from the weathered stone bench. He was tucked away in a corner of the Northwood quad where the grass was patchy and the rich kids didn't bother to go. He wore his old, grey hoodie. The cuffs were frayed, and the fabric was thin, making him look like just another scholarship kid trying to disappear.

Elena sat down beside him. She was wearing a simple cotton dress, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looked tired, her eyes a bit red, but when she looked at Leo, she gave him a small, genuine smile.

“I wasn’t hungry,” Leo replied. He kept his voice flat.

“You’re a bad liar, Leo,” Elena murmured. She reached into a crinkled brown paper bag and pulled out a large, homemade sandwich. She carefully tore the bread in half, the crust making a soft, crunching sound.

She pushed the bigger half toward him. “My mom sent this. She says that the bigger the problem, the more you need to eat. And looking at you… you’ve got a lot of problems.”

Leo looked at the sandwich, then at her. He could see the sincerity in her face. She didn’t know about the Blackwood suit or the auction. To her, he was just a guy who worked too many shifts.

“Thanks, Elena,” he said. He took the bread. It was still warm.

For a few seconds, he wasn't a Blackwood heir. He was just a human being. Then, the peace was ripped apart.

The sound of screeching tires made the birds fly away in a panic. Three black SUVs tore across the manicured lawn, the heavy wheels digging deep rifts into the sod. They didn't stop until they were ten feet from the bench.

The doors flew open. Six men in black tactical vests stepped out. These weren't campus security. These were private contractors.

“There he is!” a voice screamed.

Brad pushed through the line of guards. He looked like a man who had spent the night in a dryer. His expensive shirt was wrinkled, his tie was gone, and his eyes were bloodshot. Behind him, Sarah followed. She looked pale, her hand covering her mouth.

“Get him!” Brad yelled, pointing a shaking finger. “Drag that piece of trash over here right now!”

Elena stood up, her face draining of color. “Leo? What’s going on?”

Two of the guards reached the bench in three long strides. One grabbed Leo by the back of his hoodie, and the other clamped a hand around his bicep. They jerked him upward with enough force to make him drop the sandwich Elena had just given him. The bread hit the dirt, face down.

“Hey! Stop it!” Elena cried out. She reached out and grabbed the sleeve of the guard holding Leo’s arm. “You’re hurting him!”

The guard didn't even look at her. He just gave his arm a sharp jerk, throwing Elena backward. She stumbled and fell hard onto her side.

Leo’s head snapped toward her. The look in his eyes changed instantly. A cold, lethal stillness took over his face.

“Don’t touch her,” Leo said. His voice wasn't loud, but it had a vibration to it that made the guard’s grip tighten instinctively.

“Oh, you’re worried about the charity case?” Brad laughed. It was a high, jagged sound.

The guards dragged Leo toward the center of the quad. They threw him down onto the dirt at Brad’s feet. Leo stayed on his knees, his hood falling back. He didn't fight. He didn't beg. He just watched Brad with eyes that looked like they belonged to a ghost.

“You think you’re special?” Brad spat, leaning down until his face was inches from Leo’s. “You think because your 'employer' bought my dad’s loans, you’re someone? You’re a messenger boy, Leo. A puppet for a man who’s too much of a coward to show his own face.”

Brad looked up at the circle of students, his voice booming. “Look at him! This is the guy who thinks he can take down the Miller family! He’s a janitor!”

Brad turned back to Leo and kicked dirt onto his shoes. “My dad is in a police station right now because of the documents you handed him. Our house is being locked up. All because of a lie you told your boss.”

“It wasn't a lie,” Leo said quietly.

Brad’s face twisted with rage. He grabbed Leo by the hair, forcing his head back. “Shut up! You’re going to give me his name. Right now. You’re going to tell me who bought those debts, or I’m going to make sure they carry you out of here in a bag.”

In the background, Elena was trying to get up, her eyes filling with tears. Sarah was watching, too. She looked at Leo, her eyes searching for any sign of the man she had seen at the auction.

“Give me the name!” Brad roared. He raised his fist.

The blow landed hard against Leo’s jaw, sending his head snapping to the side. A small trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. The crowd gasped, but nobody moved.

Leo slowly turned his head back. He spat blood onto the grass. He looked at Brad, and for the first time, a small, terrifying smile touched his lips.

“The man who owns you,” Leo whispered, “is someone you aren't worthy of meeting.”

Brad swung again, but before his fist could connect, a loud, sharp whistle cut through the quad.

Everyone turned. A black town car had pulled up silently behind the SUVs. The door opened, and a man in a perfectly tailored charcoal overcoat stepped out.

It was Sebastian.

He didn't look at the students. He walked straight toward the center of the circle. Brad’s guards stepped back instinctively. There was something about the way the man moved that signaled he was the top of the food chain.

“Let him go,” Sebastian said. His voice was calm, but it carried across the entire quad.

Brad laughed, though his voice was shaky. “And who are you? Another one of my dad’s creditors? You’re too late. The Millers are done. I have nothing left to lose, which means I can kill this kid right now.”

Sebastian didn't flinch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone, pressing a button.

Suddenly, every student’s phone in the quad buzzed at once.

A notification appeared on the Northwood University private board. It was a video. A high-definition recording from a hidden camera in the shop the day before. It showed Brad’s father, Mr. Miller, on his knees in a back office, begging an unseen man for more time. It showed him offering to sell his own son’s trust fund just to stay afloat.

The crowd began to murmur. Brad’s face went from red to a translucent white as he watched the video on someone’s screen nearby.

“My employer doesn't like his messengers being touched,” Sebastian said, stepping closer to Brad. “The man who bought your father’s debt just added a new clause to the contract. For every bruise on Leo’s face, another one of your family’s remaining assets is liquidated. Currently, you have a beach house in Malibu and a vintage car collection. Do you want to go for a third punch?”

Brad’s hand dropped from Leo’s hair. He backed away, his chest heaving. He looked at the guards, but they were already looking at Sebastian with fear.

Leo stood up slowly. He didn't look like a victim. He looked like a man who was bored. He walked over to where Elena was standing and gently brushed the grass off her shoulder.

“I’m sorry about the sandwich, Elena,” Leo said.

Sebastian stepped up behind Leo, bowing his head just slightly—enough to show respect, but not enough to give the secret away to the crowd. “The Boss is waiting for your report on the auction, Leo. He’s impressed with your... efficiency.”

Leo nodded. He turned to look at Sarah, who was standing there, shivering. He didn't say a word to her. He didn't have to. The look in his eyes told her that she was already a ghost to him.

Leo walked toward the black town car. As the door was held open for him, he looked back at Brad, who was standing in the middle of the quad, completely alone.

“I told you, Brad,” Leo said. “You’re just part of the trash he’s clearing out.”