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CHAPTER 71
The rented event space buzzed with energy as over a hundred students filed in, filling rows of chairs arranged theater-style. Jerry Stone stood at the front, adjusting his tie with practiced calm, watching his empire assemble.Charlie would have dismissed this as undergraduate theatrics six months ago. He'd have been wrong.Victoria Hunt approached with a printed agenda. "Final headcount: one-oh-seven. Twelve corporate sponsors confirmed for fall. Budget approved by student activities."Jerry nodded, scanning the crowd. YEN had evolved from a loose coalition of wealthy students into something structured, professional, and undeniably legitimate. Officers wore matching blazers. Committee chairs coordinated logistics. A constitution—actual bylaws, governed operations."Ready?" Victoria asked."Always."Jerry stepped to the microphone as conversations died. "Good evening. Thank you for being here."The room quieted completely."A year ago, this organization didn't exist," Jerry began. "To
CHAPTER 70
The email arrived Monday morning, simple and direct: Charlie, please come to my office during your free period today. - SterlingCharlie showed up at two p.m., expecting another mentorship conversation about balancing academics and professional experience. Instead, Sterling's expression was unusually grave, the kind of seriousness that made Charlie straighten in his chair before a word was spoken."Close the door," Sterling said.Charlie complied and sat."I'm hearing concerning things," Sterling began, folding his hands on his desk. "The Grant brothers are back, and they're working with Jerry Stone's network to undermine your reputation systematically. Students are talking. Questions are spreading about your scholarship, your summer internship, whether your success is merit or privilege."Charlie nodded. "I'm aware. Daniel filled me in."“And you’re not worried?”"Not particularly," Charlie said honestly. "I dealt with Nathan Cross trying to sabotage a multi-million dollar acquisitio
CHAPTER 69
Charlie first noticed Jim and Jey Grant on a Wednesday afternoon in late September. They were crossing the main quad with a group of students, and something about them had fundamentally changed. Gone were the flashy clothes and loud confidence. They wore simple button-downs and joggers, their expressions serious, their posture controlled.The summer had hardened them.Daniel noticed too, nudging Charlie as they walked past. "The Grant twins are back. They look different.""Different how?""Dangerous," Daniel said quietly. "Like they learned something over summer."Charlie filed the observation away but didn't think much of it. He'd survived Nathan Cross's sabotage and Perry Stone's political maneuvering. Whatever undergraduate drama the Grant brothers could produce seemed minor league by comparison.He should have paid more attention.The Grant family's collapse had been comprehensive. Charlie learned details from campus gossip: the mansion foreclosed, Charles and Claudia's marriage b
CHAPTER 68
Jacy’s absence landed harder than Charlie expected. He’d known she was staying in San Francisco at Rebecca Wong’s VC firm had made the offer irresistible but understanding the decision didn’t dull the feeling of being left behind.Their Sunday calls still happened at eight, steady and familiar, though the substance had changed. Jacy appeared on screen with the Golden Gate Bridge behind her, business casual even on weekends, laptop always within reach. She looked energized and focused, already embedded in a life Charlie could watch but not enter.Cindy remained in Thailand, her extension approved through December. Her connection flickered, backgrounds shifting between rural villages and cramped NGO offices, but her voice carried certainty. She spoke about trauma counseling and microfinance with a passion that cut through the static.Daniel was the only one still nearby, though increasingly occupied with classes and part-time work at his father’s firm. They ate together, studied togethe
CHAPTER 67
Charlie pulled into Yorkers University's parking lot on a Tuesday morning in late August, the familiar brick buildings rising against a cloudless sky. He'd driven this route hundreds of times, but something felt different now. The campus looked smaller somehow, less significant after three months navigating Claire Corporation's glass towers and boardroom politics.He grabbed his bag and walked toward the main quad, where students clustered in familiar patterns with freshmen looking lost, sophomores pretending confidence, seniors already nostalgic. Their conversations drifted past him: class schedules, party plans, who hooked up with whom over summer.It all felt strangely trivial.Daniel found him at their usual spot near the fountain, grinning wide. "There he is! The corporate warrior returns."They hugged, and the warmth was genuine, but Charlie noticed something beneath it. A hesitation, a gap that hadn't existed in May. Daniel had spent his summer filing papers and fighting copy
CHAPTER 66
Charlie's final day at Claire Corporation started with scheduled exit interviews, a ritual he'd initially dreaded but now approached with something close to relief. Three months compressed into institutional feedback, measured and documented.Emily Torres sat across from him in her office, the same glass-walled space where she'd first handed him that impossible Riverside assignment. Her expression was softer than usual, though not by much."You have real potential," she said without preamble. "Not because you're connected to the Maxwell family, but because you think strategically and you're willing to admit when you don't know something. Those are rare qualities."Charlie nodded, absorbing the weight of her words. Coming from Emily, this was practically effusive praise."Most people defend their ignorance," she continued. "They pretend to know things they don't, then make catastrophic decisions based on false confidence. You asked questions. You verified assumptions. That depreciation
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