Steam still rose from the paper bowls, fading into the cool night air. The food truck's sizzling grill hissed behind them, its lights throwing pale glows against the cracked pavement. Ethan leaned against the Mercedes, finishing the last of his noodles, while Mary stood a step away, holding her container delicately, as if it were fine China instead of grease-stained cardboard.
She ate slowly, cautiously, her cheeks still flushed from drink, her lips curving into the faintest smile as she tried another bite. For the first time since they'd met, she looked… human. Not the untouchable jewel of wealth, not the flawless beauty who carried herself like a goddess, but a woman discovering something simple and new.
Ethan found himself staring before he caught it, forcing his eyes back to his food.
Mary's gaze flicked sideways, catching his slip, and a faint smirk tugged at her lips. She didn't tease him, though. Instead, she returned her attention to the noodles, finishing the last bite with surprising determination.
"This is…" She paused, swallowing, her eyes narrowing slightly as though she hated admitting it. "Better than most of the restaurants I've been dragged to."
Ethan raised a brow. "Really?"
She nodded, her expression uncharacteristically earnest. "Really."
Something warm stirred in his chest, a strange pride he couldn't quite name.
And then it came.
The faint pulse at the edge of his vision, the shimmer of light that only he could see.
--- [Bonus Mission Unlocked] ---
Mission Type: Clubs → Effort-based missions (work, physical grind)
Mission Rank: [6] – Six of Clubs
Objective: Follow Mary. Do whatever she asks of you for the night.
Rewards:– Double Card Draw (next mission rewards doubled)
– Attributes System Unlocked
– $100,000 cash transfer
– 5 System Points
– Mary's Mercedes-Benz GLE (Permanent Ownership)
Penalty for Failure: Host will suffer attribute lock for one month.
Ethan's breath caught, his pulse hammering in his ears. His eyes flicked to Mary instinctively, as if she might have seen the glowing prompt hanging in the air between them. But of course, she hadn't. She simply brushed her hair back with graceful fingers, her face calm, her lips faintly pink from the steam of the food.
The system's words drilled into him. Mary's car. Permanent ownership.
He then remembered that he had unlocked before starting the hotel mission which he did not check, and this was the same mission
It didn't make sense. The mission rewards had been money, points, strange abilities. But this time… a car? Her car?
He clenched his fists lightly, the key fob heavy in his pocket.
And then, as if the world had aligned to prove the system right, Mary turned to him.
"Ethan," she said softly.
"Yes?"
She stepped closer, her perfume warm and intoxicating. Her eyes glimmered faintly under the flickering streetlamp. "Do you know why I asked for a driver tonight?"
Ethan shook his head.
A faint smile curved her lips. "Because I didn't want to drive myself."
He almost laughed at the simplicity of it, but the way she said it carried something heavier, something layered. She studied him a moment longer, then reached into her purse and drew out a small envelope. She handed it to him.
Inside was a folded slip of paper, typed in clean black letters. It was the contract of sorts—her arrangement with Mike, the one who had called him.
"You know," Mary said, her voice smooth, "when I agreed to this… I added something to the deal. Whoever took the job—whoever became my driver—would get to keep the car."
Ethan froze.
She tilted her head, watching him carefully. "That was my condition. My… test, I suppose. If someone was willing to take this role, to do whatever I asked, then their payment wouldn't just be money. It would be the car they drove for me. That car."
Her eyes flicked to the Mercedes, its sleek body gleaming faintly under the streetlamp.
Ethan's heart thudded in his chest. The system hadn't lied. The car wasn't just a digital reward. It was real. Tangible. And Mary herself was confirming it.
His throat tightened. "So… you're saying…"
She smiled faintly, almost mischievous. "If you want it, Ethan, then you'll have to keep driving me. You'll have to do whatever I say."
"But since you have completed my request tonight the car is yours but whenever i call you must answer ok"
His stomach twisted. The words echoed the mission's text perfectly. Do whatever she asks. Follow her.
The system wasn't creating these events out of thin air—it was weaving reality to fit them.
He forced his expression neutral, even as his mind reeled. "That's… generous of you."
Mary's smile deepened slightly, though her eyes remained cool, calculating. "Generous, maybe. Or maybe I just like seeing what people do when they're tested."
Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer before she stepped back toward the car. "Come on. Take me back to the hotel."
Ethan nodded, slipping into the driver's seat once more. The ride back was quiet, the city's lights flickering across their faces. Mary leaned slightly against the window, her expression calm, though her cheeks still carried a faint blush from drink.
By the time they pulled into the Twilight Hotel's driveway, the clock was nearing two. The valet stepped forward instinctively, but Mary raised a hand, dismissing him. She didn't move to open the door. Instead, she turned toward Ethan, her eyes steady.
"Remember what I said," she murmured. "The car is yours. As long as you're willing to do what I ask."
Ethan nodded once, his throat tight.
Mary smiled faintly, then leaned closer. The scent of her perfume washed over him, rich and intoxicating. Before he could react, her lips brushed lightly against his cheek.
The kiss was brief, soft, but it set his face aflame. Heat rushed to his ears, his heart thudding wildly against his chest.
Mary pulled back smoothly, her expression unreadable except for the faintest curve of amusement at the corners of her mouth.
"Goodnight, Ethan."
She stepped from the car, her heels clicking softly against the marble. The doorman opened the glass doors for her, bowing as she passed, and within moments she had disappeared into the golden glow of the lobby.
Ethan sat frozen in the driver's seat, his hand unconsciously touching the spot where her lips had brushed his skin. His face burned, his chest tight, his mind reeling.
The system's interface flickered once more before his eyes.
--- [Mission Complete: Six of Clubs] ---
Rewards Granted:– Double Card Draw (next mission)
– Attributes System: Unlocked
– $100,000 transferred
– 5 System Points
– Mercedes-Benz GLE: Ownership Confirmed
The numbers glowed brightly, undeniable.
Ethan leaned back against the leather seat, his breath escaping in a shaky laugh. Hours ago, he had been a poor student, mocked by classmates, his only possessions a threadbare set of clothes and a stack of textbooks.
Now, he sat in a luxury car that was his, his balance swelling, his future shifting into a shape he couldn't predict.
And on his cheek, the warmth of Mary's kiss lingered, refusing to fade.