Friday morning. Adrian woke up with Jessica curled against his side, her sculpted body exhausted and deeply asleep.
He carefully reached over her and grabbed his laptop from the nightstand. He opened the cryptocurrency exchange.
His heart gave a single, hard thump against his ribs.
The system's [Opportunity Insight] had been flawlessly accurate. The institutional buyout of Aetherium had occurred at 3:00 AM. The coin had skyrocketed. His 20x leveraged position had triggered a massive cascade of profits before he had set it to auto-close at the peak.
[Host Wealth Updated: $68,450]
Adrian stared at the number. Sixty-eight thousand dollars. A week ago, he was standing in the rain with seventy-four dollars to his name. Now, he had more liquid cash than most of the professors on campus.
He closed the laptop. It was time to hunt bigger game.
That night, Victor Lang was hosting an elite, invite-only mixer at his off-campus mansion. It was a gathering of the wealthiest, most connected students at the university. A week ago, Adrian wouldn't have been allowed within a mile of the front gates.
Tonight, he walked right through the front door.
He was wearing his tailored charcoal suit, the fit absolutely flawless, accentuating his broad shoulders and dominant posture. The [Clean Aura] and [Dominant Aura] were fully active. As he stepped into the massive, chandelier-lit living room, the chatter noticeably dipped.
People stared. The rich frat boys looked confused and intimidated. The girls in their designer dresses whispered behind their cocktail glasses, their eyes tracking his every move.
Adrian ignored them all. He scanned the room until he found his target.
Mia Sterling.
Olivia's wealthy sorority sister was standing near the grand staircase, looking incredibly bored as a guy in a Vineyard Vines polo tried to explain his father's hedge fund to her. Mia was stunning. She wore a plunging emerald-green silk dress that clung to her wide, soft hips and proudly displayed the deep cleavage of her heavy D-cup chest. She radiated old money and sophisticated elegance.
Adrian walked straight toward her. He didn't wait for an introduction. He stepped right beside the frat boy, his [Social Intimidation] flaring just enough to make the kid stutter and step back.
"You look like you're contemplating jumping off the balcony just to escape this conversation," Adrian said, his deep voice cutting smoothly through the music.
Mia blinked, turning to look at him. Her sophisticated, bored expression vanished instantly. She took in his tailored suit, his sharp jawline, and the overwhelming, suffocating confidence radiating from him.
"Adrian Vale," Mia said, her voice a soft, intrigued purr. "I barely recognized you. You've... changed."
"I evolved," Adrian corrected smoothly, flashing his [Magnetic Smile].
Mia's heart did a sudden, violent flutter. The dopamine hit her brain, making her cheeks flush. She had dated rich boys her whole life. They were arrogant, loud, and desperate to prove their wealth. Adrian was different. He was quiet, dark, and carried himself like a man who already owned the world.
"It's too loud in here," Adrian stated, stepping closer to her. He could smell her expensive Chanel perfume. He looked down at her heavy, silk-covered chest, then back up to her eyes. "Show me the balcony."
It wasn't a request.
Mia, a girl who usually made men jump through hoops just to get her phone number, found herself completely unable to say no. Her wide hips swayed as she turned, leading him away from the crowd, her mind racing with a thrilling, dangerous anticipation.
The Tycoon was about to claim his first golden prize.