Chapter 3I Sold My Family For Millions

Theo saw me staring and mistook my silence for defeat. He chuckled. "What’s the matter, Julia? Reality finally sinking in? You need more than a bank account to play this game. You need vision."

He closed his textbook, leaning back with an air of mock charity. "Tell you what. I know Mary bought you that condo. It’s too big for you anyway. Sell it to me for five million, and I’ll give you some real-world advice on what to do with the cash."

He was smiling, but his eyes were predatory. He didn't want the condo; he just wanted to strip away every last tie I had to Mary. He wanted me back in the gutter where he felt I belonged.

"Deal," I said.

Theo blinked, clearly caught off guard by how fast I’d folded. But then he grinned, triumphant. "Smart move. Send me your routing number."

My phone buzzed minutes later. Five million arrived.

I looked at the confirmation screen. As I started to put my phone away, Theo burst out laughing.

"You idiot!" he crowed to the room. "I told you he had no vision. Do you even know the zoning laws for that area, Julia? That property is going to appreciate by twenty percent by next year. It’ll be worth six million easy."

He shook his head, looking at his friends. "A twenty percent return on a guaranteed asset, and he just hands it over. This is why some people are born to be poor."

The room erupted in muffled snickers. I just looked at him, my expression unreadable.

I knew the house would go up in value. I also knew that the real estate bubble in that specific sector was going to pop eighteen months from now, leaving those condos underwater for a decade. But more importantly, I had five million dollars in liquid cash.

And I knew exactly where Nadia Keller was.

The bell rang for the start of class. The room settled. A middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked in, flicking through a PowerPoint at breakneck speed.

I tuned everything else out. I opened my notebook and began to write.

I’ll admit, a lot of it was over my head. IRR, valuation modeling—it felt like a foreign language. But I recorded every word. I circled what I didn't know. I didn't look up once.

When the two-hour session ended, I had six pages of dense notes. As I packed my bag, I saw her standing by the door.

Nadia Keller.