Ethan''s hands rested on the wheel of the Porsche as he pulled into the driveway, the car rolling to a smooth stop in front of his father''s house.

    The ride home had been mostly quiet, the occasional comment from his father about the shop breaking the silence.

    "Tomorrow morning, I''ll head back and start figuring things out," his father said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Got a lot to set up. Might have to do some remodeling inside — want to make it feel like my own space, you know?"

    Ethan smirked, glancing at his father as he shifted the car into park. "Makes sense. You never were the type to leave things as they were."

    His father chuckled, the corners of his mouth tugging into a small smile. "Damn right. I''ll give it a proper touch."

    Ethan could tell that his father was already making mental plans, already seeing the space as his own, which was exactly what he had wanted.

    Giving his father something that belonged to him — not a job, not a favor, but something real — felt like one of the better decisions he''d made in a while.

    And as long as the System moved within his expectations, his Return points as well as the money he could make from this would be extremely worth it.

    As his father unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to step out of the car, he paused and glanced back at Ethan. "You should stay for lunch."

    Ethan shook his head with a small chuckle. "Can''t. I need to meet Zack. Something came up."

    His father exhaled through his nose, clearly unimpressed but not surprised. "Always busy, huh?"

    Ethan smirked. "You know how it is."

    His father shook his head with a sigh but didn''t push further. "Alright. But don''t forget to eat."

    "I won''t," Ethan said, even though he probably would.

    His father nodded once before stepping out, shutting the door behind him.

    Ethan watched as he walked toward the front door, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

    Just as his father disappeared inside, Ethan''s phone buzzed against the center console.

    A call.

    He glanced at the screen.

    Unknown Number.

    Ethan frowned.

    He didn''t like picking up calls from unknown numbers — usually, they led to spam or business offers he wasn''t interested in.

    But something in his gut told him to answer this one.

    With a sigh, he tapped the screen and brought the phone to his ear. "Ethan."

    There was a pause, then —

    "Hey, stranger."

    Ethan blinked, his grip on the phone tightening slightly. "Vanessa?"

    When he arrived, Vanessa was already there, leaning against her car, the wind playing with the strands of her hair.

    She turned as he pulled up, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Took you long enough."

    Ethan stepped out of the car, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You called me ten minutes ago."

    "Exactly. You''re late."

    He rolled his eyes but walked over, standing beside her.

    The view was breathtaking in a way that made the world feel bigger, yet somehow smaller at the same time.

    Vanessa leaned back against her bike, looking at him. "So, what''s new with you?"

    Ethan exhaled, glancing at the city below. "Nothing much, secured a deal today."

    Her eyebrows lifted slightly. "For yourself?"

    "For my dad."

    A brief pause. Then, a slow smile spread across her lips. "That''s actually really cool."

    Ethan shrugged. "Figured he deserved it."

    Vanessa studied him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. He does."

    The wind picked up slightly, brushing past them in a cool rush.

    "Anyway," Vanessa said, stretching her arms, "I''ll be out of the city for a few days. Don''t do anything too exciting without me."

    Ethan smirked. "No promises."

    She rolled her eyes, then hesitated before stepping closer. "Take care, alright?"

    He looked at her, slightly surprised by the sudden sincerity in her voice.

    "You too," he said.

    Vanessa grinned, then, in a quick motion, leaned up and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

    It was brief — just a touch, gone as quickly as it came.

    But it was enough to make Ethan pause.

    Before he could say anything, she was already entering her car. "See you around, Grey."

    And just like that, she was gone, the roar of her engine cutting through the afternoon as she disappeared down the road.

    Ethan stood there for a moment, watching the city lights flicker in the distance.

    Then, with a quiet chuckle, he shook his head and got back into his car.

    It was time to meet Zack.