As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Vanessa grabbed Ethan''s wrist and tugged him toward the shoreline.

    "Come on, we''re not done yet," she said with a grin.

    Ethan raised a brow but allowed himself to be led.

    The warm water lapped at their ankles as they strolled along the beach, the sand soft beneath their feet.

    The crowd had thinned, leaving behind only a few scattered figures in the distance — some couples, some lone wanderers, all lost in their own little moments.

    For a while, neither of them spoke.

    The sound of the waves rolling in and out filled the silence, accompanied by the occasional cry of seagulls overhead.

    Ethan slipped his hands into his pockets, glancing at Vanessa from the corner of his eye.

    "You''ve been thinking about something," he said finally. "Spit it out."

    Vanessa smirked. "You always this blunt?"

    "When necessary."

    She let out a small chuckle, but her gaze drifted toward the horizon, watching the sun slowly sink into the sea.

    "I just... I guess I''ve been thinking about what''s next."

    Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Next?"

    Vanessa took a deep breath, her playful expression fading just a little.

    "I''ve spent so much of my life racing. The thrill, the competition... I love it. But sometimes, I wonder if it''s all I am."

    Ethan remained quiet, letting her continue.

    "I''ve been on the track since I was a kid. It''s always been about going faster, pushing limits, proving myself. But when I step outside of that world, when I''m not behind the wheel... I don''t know. It''s like, who am I then?"

    She let out a short, humorless laugh. "It''s stupid, right? People dream of being in my position, but here I am, wondering if it''s enough."

    Ethan watched her for a moment before speaking. "It''s not stupid."

    Vanessa glanced at him, surprised by the certainty in his voice.

    "Everyone reaches a point where they question things," he continued. "Doesn''t matter how successful or talented they are. If anything, the more you achieve, the more you start wondering if there''s more to life than just that one thing."

    Vanessa let his words sink in.

    Vanessa raised a brow. "You, Mr. ''Look Beyond What You Know,'' don''t have an answer?"

    Ethan chuckled. "Not yet."

    She studied him for a moment before shaking her head with a small laugh. "You''re a hard guy to figure out, you know that?"

    "So I''ve been told."

    Vanessa sighed, rolling her shoulders. "Guess I''ll have to do some figuring out of my own, then."

    Ethan nodded. "Seems like it."

    They stood there for a while, watching the sun finally dip below the horizon.

    The sky burned with shades of orange, pink, and deep purple, reflecting over the water like a dream.

    Vanessa stretched her arms over her head, then turned to him with a grin. "Alright, let''s head back. You still owe me a rematch, remember?"

    Ethan smirked. "You mean another race you''re going to lose?"

    Vanessa gasped in mock offense. "Oh, you are so dead, Grey."

    She grabbed his wrist again, pulling him back toward the beach, her earlier worries momentarily forgotten.

    Ethan followed, a small, almost imperceptible smile lingering on his face.

    As the last streaks of sunlight faded into the horizon, Ethan and Vanessa walked back toward the parking lot, their footprints trailing behind them in the cooling sand.

    Ethan took a deep breath as they reached their cars.

    He ran a hand through his slightly damp hair, his expression unreadable.

    Then, turning to Vanessa, he hesitated for a second before finally speaking.

    "I have a favor to ask," he said, his voice steady but carrying an edge of something rare — uncertainty.

    Vanessa, who had just unlocked her car, glanced up at him, intrigued. "A favor?"

    Ethan nodded. "Yeah. My sisters... they''re staying over at my place tonight."

    He exhaled through his nose. "They''re big fans of yours. I was wondering if you''d come along."

    Vanessa blinked. She hadn''t expected that.

    Of all the things he could''ve asked for — a rematch, another outing, even some kind of business-related request — this was not on the list.