"You better not be calling me to drag me out somewhere," Ethan said tiredly.

    "Relax, man," Zack''s voice came through, laced with excitement. "I''ve got news."

    Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. "This better be good."

    "Oh, it''s better than good," Zack said, his grin practically audible. "I got you a race."

    Ethan blinked. "A what?"

    "A race, genius. Against Vanessa."

    Ethan sat up straighter. "The racer from your club?"

    "That''s the one."

    Ethan sighed, rubbing his temple. "Zack, I never agreed to a race."

    "Yeah, well, you also never said you wouldn''t race."

    Ethan let out a dry laugh. "That''s not how this works."

    "Look, man," Zack said, his tone turning serious. "She''s good. Like, really good. And I just staked fifty grand on you winning."

    Ethan nearly dropped his phone. "You what?"

    "You heard me," Zack said unapologetically. "Fifty grand. On you."

    Ethan exhaled sharply. "You''re out of your damn mind."

    "Maybe," Zack admitted. "But I believe in you. And, hey, if you win, not only do we make bank, but you''ll have some serious credibility in the racing scene. You know how useful that could be?"

    Ethan leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a moment. He didn''t particularly care about street racing. He preferred his bike, and cars — while powerful — never gave him the same thrill.

    But Zack''s confidence in him wasn''t misplaced. Ethan was good behind the wheel.

    He had spent enough time perfecting his driving skills, and if Vanessa was as good as Zack made her out to be... well, a challenge wasn''t something Ethan ever backed down from.

    Still, he wasn''t about to let Zack get off that easy.

    "You really staked fifty grand on me?" Ethan asked again, his voice filled with disbelief.

    Zack laughed. "Of course, I did. Think of it as motivation."

    Ethan shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "You''re lucky I don''t back down from a challenge."

    "So you''re in?"

    Ethan sighed dramatically. "Looks like I don''t have much of a choice, do I?"

    "That''s the spirit!" Zack said, sounding way too pleased with himself. "I''ll send you the details. Get some rest, man. You''re gonna need it."

    Ethan ended the call, setting his phone down with a chuckle.

    A race against Vanessa, huh?

    #####

    Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring at the dim glow of his System Phone.

    The screen pulsed with a soft blue light, displaying the latest notifications regarding his investments.

    He snorted. "That''s not what I meant."

    "I know." She sighed. "I just — look, I get it. You''re building something. You''re making moves. But you don''t have to do everything alone, Ethan. And you don''t always have to push yourself... too hard,"

    He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Lila had always been like this. One of the few people who actually cared. Not about his money, not about his status — just about him.

    "I''ll be fine," he said, even though he wasn''t sure if it was true.

    Lila made a sound of disapproval. "Liar."

    That made him chuckle. "You should get some sleep."

    "Only if you do, too," she countered.

    "I''ll try."

    Another silence. It was a comfortable one this time.

    "Goodnight, Babe."

    "Goodnight, Babe."

    The call ended with a soft beep, and Ethan set his phone down, exhaling.

    Then his eyes drifted down to another set of notifications.

    30 missed calls from his sister.

    His chest tightened.

    For a moment, he just stared at the screen, his thumb hovering over the call history.

    That wasn''t an accident. That wasn''t a casual check-in.

    She really wants to talk.

    And he knew exactly why.

    Ethan slowly leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk as he let out a long breath.

    ''I should call her back.''

    But he didn''t.

    He tapped his fingers against the chair, debating it.

    He could already hear her voice in his head, the same frustrated, disappointed tone she used to speak to him last time... but now that everything had been cleared?

    She wanted him to come home.

    To talk.

    To fix things.

    And Ethan didn''t know if he was ready for that.

    He clenched his jaw, exhaling through his nose.

    ''Not tonight. Maybe after the race.''

    He could put it off for a little longer.

    Just a little longer.