Aiden's phone chimed with a notification at 9:47 AM on a Thursday morning. He was in Business Analytics, half-listening to a lecture on market trends he already understood better than the professor, when he saw it.
Investment Alert: TechNova Industries +342% gain
His hands trembled slightly as he opened his trading app. The number at the top made his breath catch.
Portfolio Value: $1,221,000
One million, two hundred twenty-one thousand dollars.
Millionaire. He was a millionaire. At twenty-one. Three weeks after being dumped for being too poor to afford restaurant dates.
"Mr. Schols, would you like to share what's so fascinating on your phone?"
Professor Hayes stood at the front of the lecture hall, one eyebrow raised. The stunning thirty-two-year-old was notorious for calling out distracted students.
"Actually, yes." Aiden stood, ignoring the surprised faces around him. "You just said that rapid market gains are unsustainable and that investors should be wary of volatility. But you're wrong."
The classroom went silent.
"Excuse me?" Professor Hayes's voice could have frozen water.
"Volatility is only dangerous if you don't understand the underlying patterns. TechNova's AI technology isn't a bubble—it's genuinely revolutionary. The market is correcting to reflect actual value, not speculation." He pulled up his phone. "I invested three weeks ago. I'm up 342%."
"Show me."
It wasn't a request. Aiden walked down the steps and handed her his phone. He watched her eyes widen as she scanned his portfolio.
"This is... How much did you initially invest?"
"Fifty thousand."
Gasps around the classroom. Professor Hayes looked at him with new interest, professional curiosity replacing her irritation.
"Where did you get fifty thousand dollars for an initial investment?"
"That's private." He took his phone back. "But I'm happy to discuss my analysis of TechNova's trajectory if you're interested."
A slow smile crossed her face. "Office hours. Today. 3 PM. Don't be late."
After class, Aiden was surrounded. Students who'd never spoken to him wanted his investment advice. Girls who'd looked through him three weeks ago were suddenly fascinated by his market insights. He extracted himself politely and headed to the one place he could think clearly: Sophia's library spot.
She was already there, naturally.
"You look simultaneously thrilled and terrified," Sophia observed without looking up from her code. "What happened?"
"I hit a million."
Now she looked at him. "Dollars?"
"Dollars."
She whistled low. "Okay, now I'm actually impressed. And more suspicious." She closed her laptop. "Aiden, nobody makes a million in three weeks without either being a genius, a criminal, or having information they shouldn't."
"What if I told you I was a genius?"
"I'd say you're in the wrong major. Computer science geniuses don't study business analytics."
He sat down across from her, suddenly exhausted by the pretense. "What if I told you I have a system? An actual, literal system that helps me predict market movements?"
Sophia studied him for a long moment. "I'd say you're either delusional or telling a truth so strange I'd need proof."
"Would you believe me if I showed you proof?"
"Maybe. But Aiden—" Her expression grew serious. "Be careful. Money changes things. Changes people. You've gone from invisible to campus celebrity in three weeks. That kind of transformation has consequences."
"Says the girl with a 4.0 who's building revolutionary AI."
"I'm brilliant, not rich. There's a difference. Nobody wants to use me for my differential equations." She reopened her laptop. "Just... don't lose yourself in whatever this is. The version of you that didn't care about my immunity to your charm—that guy was interesting. The millionaire who might start believing his own hype would be boring."
Aiden felt something shift in his chest. Here was someone who'd seen him at his lowest—working two jobs, eating ramen, being dumped publicly—and still thought the real version of him was worth knowing.
"Want to help me spend some of it?" he heard himself ask.
"Doing what?"
"Your AI project. How much do you need to actually complete it?"
Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Why would you fund my research?"
"Because you're brilliant, because your project is genuinely innovative, and because—" He paused, then decided on honesty. "Because you're the only person who's talked to me like I'm still human."
"I don't need charity."
"It's not charity. It's investment. When your neural network changes the world, I want to say I backed it from the start."
She studied him for a long moment. Then: "My project needs $50,000 for the hardware and testing phase. But I won't take your money just because you have it. I need to know you understand what you're investing in. And I need to understand how you made a million in three weeks."
"Deal. Coffee?"
"No. Dinner. Real dinner, not campus food. You're a millionaire now—act like it."
As Aiden made reservations at the nicest restaurant in town, the system pinged.
MILESTONE ACHIEVED: First MillionReward: Enhanced Business Analytics, +5 Intelligence, New Ability Unlocked
But he barely noticed. He was too busy thinking about Sophia Chen and the way she looked at him—not like a charity case or a walking wallet, but like someone worth figuring out.
That, he was learning, was worth more than any number in his bank account.