Chapter 66: The Man Who Changed Everything

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: The Man Who Changed Everything

Jason’s grip tightened on the edge of the leather seat, his knuckles turning white as he stared at the glowing screen. He read the headline again, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I can’t wrap my head around the logic of this," Jason said, his voice low and vibrating with a hint of a growl. "You don’t just step away from the helm of a global empire to grade undergraduate essays on macroeconomics. It’s a waste of time, or it’s a cover for something. Why the hell would a billionaire CEO suddenly decide to play professor?"

Finn scrolled further down the article, his thumb moving lazily across the glass. He leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips.

"It says here he’s personally taking over several of the advanced courses. Apparently, his class is mandatory for the final-year students. From the look of this, passing his course is basically the new gatekeeper. If you don’t get his seal of approval, you might as well forget about graduating."

Shawn leaned across the center console, squinting at the text. He didn’t share Finn’s amusement; his brow was furrowed in deep concentration.

"That’s the part that doesn’t sit right with me. A man like Alexander Grant doesn’t just wake up one morning and decide that running a multibillion-dollar company isn’t stimulating enough, so he pivots to a lecture hall. There’s a calculation here we aren’t seeing."

Jason scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Exactly. It’s a power move. He’s not here to teach; he’s here to mark his territory."

"There is something about this... something I’m forgetting," Shawn murmured. He rubbed his forehead, his expression one of genuine irritation.

Finn glanced at him, tilting his head. "What could you possibly be forgetting? You have a memory like a filing cabinet, Shawn."

"I don’t know," Shawn admitted, his voice strained. "It’s right there, on the tip of my tongue. I can almost feel the thought, but every time I try to grab onto it, it just slips away. It’s like a blurred image I can’t quite focus on."

Jason turned his head, his gaze piercing. "And you’re certain this missing piece has something to do with Grant?"

Shawn looked at the photograph on the screen—a candid shot of Alexander Grant during his introduction. Even through the graininess of the mobile upload, the man was imposing. His dark hair was styled with clinical precision, and his suit clung to a broad, powerful frame that suggested more than just gym hours. But it was the eyes—a piercing, unnatural blue—that seemed to stare back through the screen with a predatory intensity.

"I think so," Shawn whispered. "There’s a scent to this whole situation that feels... familiar. But I can’t place it."

Finn whistled softly, breaking the tension. "Whatever the mystery is, one thing is undeniably true."

"And what’s that?" Jason asked, his tone clipped.

"He’s filthy rich, ridiculously successful, and unfortunately for the rest of us, he’s a goddamn specimen," Finn said, gesturing vaguely toward the phone. "Look at him, man. You were the golden boy of this campus. Star basketball player, rich family, the kind of looks that made girls trip over their own feet in the hallway. But this guy? He walks in and suddenly we look like we’re still waiting for puberty to finish."

Shawn let out a short, dry laugh, but Jason remained rigid.

"The girls are going to lose their minds," Finn continued, oblivious to Jason’s mood. "Just wait until the next lecture. I wouldn’t be surprised if students from the arts and sciences departments suddenly discover a passionate, lifelong interest in Business Administration."

Jason’s expression darkened, a flicker of something primal crossing his features. "Who cares about the girls?"

"I care," Finn countered immediately. "I’m trying to enjoy our final semester without having to listen to half the female population swoon over some professor’s jawline. It’s going to be an atmospheric nightmare."

Shawn shook his head, a small smile appearing. "You sound jealous, Finn."

"I’m not jealous," Finn insisted, though he shifted uncomfortably. "I’m simply appreciating the sudden threat to our social ecosystem. We’ve been at the top of the food chain for four years, and now a shark just swam into the koi pond."

Jason snorted, but Finn’s voice dropped an octave, becoming more serious.

"But it’s not just the looks, Jason. The guy has actual influence. The final-year students are probably thanking every god they know right now. Having Alexander Grant’s name on a transcript is like a golden ticket to any boardroom in the country. It’s an upgrade to their résumé before they’ve even walked across the stage."

Finn paused, glancing at Jason. "And let’s not forget that Grant Enterprises is one of the university’s biggest benefactors. The Falcons’ new training facilities, the high-end equipment, the funding that got us through the finals—all of that flowed from his company’s endorsement. As team captain, you’ve seen the invoices. You know how deep his pockets go into this school."

Jason’s jaw tightened, a muscle leaping in his cheek. "I’m well aware of who pays for the gym, Finn."

"Then you should understand why the administration is treating him like royalty."

"Whatever," Jason muttered, glancing toward the university building. "I still don’t buy it. A man with a global empire doesn’t spend his Monday mornings explaining supply and demand to twenty-somethings."

Finn shrugged. "Maybe he’s bored. Maybe he’s having a mid-life crisis at his age."

"Or maybe he’s insane," Jason countered.

"Or maybe he actually likes teaching," Finn persisted, though he looked skeptical himself.

Jason gave him a look of pure disbelief. "You actually believe that?"

"No," Finn grinned. "But I don’t know the man, so I’m willing to entertain the possibility for the sake of argument."

Jason’s attention drifted back to the screen. "Does he even have the actual credentials? Or did he just buy the position?"

Finn laughed, a loud, barking sound. "You really can’t stand him, can you? Don’t tell me the great Jason Montgomery is feeling intimidated."

"I didn’t say that," Jason snapped, his voice dropping into a warning register. "And I am not intimidated by anyone."

Finn was already typing, his fingers flying. "Hold on, let’s see what the deep web says about our mysterious professor. Give me a second..." He paused, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline. "Oh."

Shawn leaned in. "What ’oh’?"

"Yeah... he can teach," Finn said, his voice sounding slightly humbled. "Graduated from Harvard as the top of his class. Multiple postgraduate qualifications in business, economics, finance, and law. He’s basically a walking encyclopedia of capitalism." He scrolled further, his eyes widening. "And apparently, he also studied at Juilliard."

Jason frowned. "Juilliard? Why would a corporate shark spend time at a performing arts conservatory?"

Finn shrugged. "Because apparently being insanely rich and ridiculously handsome wasn’t enough. He decided he needed to be a polymath too."

Shawn chuckled, but Jason remained silent, staring at the phone.

"There are honorary degrees, international leadership awards, the works," Finn read aloud. "Dude, this man has more certificates than some of the community colleges in the state."

"How old is he again?" Jason asked.

"Thirty," Finn replied.

"Thirty?" Jason’s voice rose. "That doesn’t make any sense."

"Why not?"

"Because you don’t accomplish all of that—the company, the degrees, the reputation—by thirty. It’s physically and temporally impossible unless he’s working twenty-four hours a day."

Finn shrugged. "By apparently being Alexander fucking Grant. Some people just play the game on a different difficulty setting."

Shawn laughed. "He’s got a point, Jason."

Finn nodded. "According to this, the guy could probably walk into the Vice Chancellor’s office right now and qualify for half the positions in the building."

Jason looked unimpressed, leaning back against the seat. "No wonder Whitmore made the introductory lecture mandatory. The university wants to keep the benefactor happy."

"Exactly," Finn agreed. "The guy is the university’s new celebrity."

Jason exhaled a long, slow breath, his gaze shifting toward the Business Administration building. "I just hope he finishes early so I can talk to Iris."

Shawn’s expression shifted, his eyes searching Jason’s face. "She knows you’re waiting for her, right?"

"Yes."

"And she actually agreed to talk to you afterward?"