Autumn came to Princeton with a rustle of amber leaves and distant echoes of laughter from the stone-paved campus. Lukas pulled the collar of his coat higher as he crossed the university lawn, a leather satchel slung over one shoulder, eyes hidden behind his trademark shades.
From the outside, he looked like every other student: hurried, thoughtful, and a little sleep-deprived. But the inside of that bag held the master keys to one of the fastest-growing tech empires in the world.
He had made a promise to himself—and to Annie, Bella, and even Lana, who'd all supported him in different ways—that he'd finish the semester strong. Not just to keep up appearances. Not for the grades. But because Lukas valued growth. Discipline. Foundation.
So he went to class. He wrote his papers. He sat in the back of lecture halls, sometimes beside Lana, who'd give him a look every time his phone vibrated.
"World domination can wait," she'd whisper, flipping a page.
