Sophia Winters couldn't pin down the vibe. Curiosity? Intrigue? Ethan Black was a walking enigma—villa, restaurant, now a Bentley—and she was hooked on cracking the code. At Westfield's gate, she and Abigail "Abby" Carter waited. Ethan's sleek Bentley Continental GT rolled up, right on time.
Abby's jaw dropped. "Dude, this is your 'low-key' ride?" She'd begged him to skip the Ferrari—too flashy, too cramped for three. Ethan promised a "chill" car, but a $500,000 Bentley? "Low-key my ass," Abby snorted. "You're out here flexing like a TikTok influencer!"
Sophia, unfazed, slid into the passenger seat. She'd clocked Ethan's Ferrari without blinking, same with his PrimeBite ownership reveal. Only his restaurant flex had sparked a flicker of surprise. Whatever her deal was—rich parents, secret trust fund?—she wasn't easily shook.
Ethan grinned, revving the engine. "Buckle up—NewWest Plaza's calling." The mall was about to be his—$100 million empire, courtesy of a game task. This wasn't just shopping; it was a victory lap.
Forty minutes later, they parked at NewWest Plaza, a sprawling temple of luxury—Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, all gleaming under chandeliers. Abby was hyped, bouncing like a kid at Disneyland. Sophia stayed cool, mirroring Ethan's "meh" energy. "Shopping's fine," he shrugged, but Abby dragged them into the fray.
Half an hour in, Ethan's phone buzzed. He ducked behind a Prada display and opened Monthly Pay $3,000, I'm the World's Richest:
[Challenge Complete: Mall Night with Abby & Sophia]
[Congrats! You Own NewWest Plaza]
[Congrats! +8 XP, +3 Points]
Ethan smirked. His status ticked up: Lv1 (13/100 XP), Store: 1-Star (15/50). "Level 2's close," he muttered. "And a $100 million mall? Not bad for a Tuesday." Somewhere, NewWest's execs were getting the memo: new boss in town.
Back to the group, Abby led the charge, piling Ethan's arms with jackets. "Fall's brutal—stock up!" Then, true to her Cupid playbook, she winked. "Gotta hit the ladies' room. You two… bond." She bolted, leaving Ethan and Sophia in awkward silence.
"Tired?" Ethan asked, nodding to a sleek lounge area.
"Yeah," Sophia said, easing onto a bench.
They didn't notice three girls—Westfield classmates—lurking nearby. "No way, that's Sophia Winters!" one hissed, eyes wide. "With a guy? At the mall?"
"Isn't that Ethan Black?" another whispered, pulling up X. "The Ferrari dude who hugged her water bottle!"
"Let's creep closer," the third urged, phone ready.
As Ethan and Sophia crossed a crowded atrium, Sophia's heel caught a slick tile. She stumbled, ankle twisting, and pitched forward. Ethan's game-honed reflexes kicked in—he lunged, catching her in a full-on rom-com swoop, her frame pressed against his.
The three girls rounded the corner and froze. "OH MY GOD!" one squeaked. Sophia, Ice Queen supreme, cradled in Ethan's arms? No pushback, no icy glare? Their brains short-circuited. "He's holding her!" another gasped. "This is bigger than the Ferrari thing!"
The leader, phone out, snapped a blurry pic. "This is going viral," she vowed. They scurried off, not wanting to get caught, already drafting X posts: "Ethan Black & Sophia Winters: Mall Hug Heard 'Round the World!"
Abby, fresh from her "bathroom" break, strutted back—then halted. Ethan, hugging Sophia like a rom-com lead? "What the—?!" Her jaw hit the floor. "My boy's a savage! I leave for five minutes, and he's got the Ice Queen in a clinch?" She'd been scheming for weeks, but Ethan was out here speedrunning romance. Guess I'm unemployed as Cupid.
Not wanting to third-wheel, Abby dove into a nearby Starbucks, plotting her next move. More bathroom breaks, stat—let's keep this vibe going.
Ethan, oblivious, crouched to check Sophia's ankle. "Looks sprained—swelling's starting." Her face was flaming, heart racing—not from pain, but from Ethan's arms still around her. First time a guy had held her, and it was… weirdly okay? "I'm taking you to a doc," Ethan said, all business. "No arguments."
He scooped her up again—full princess carry—and strode toward the exit. Sophia, mortified but stuck, buried her face in his shoulder like an ostrich. "This is fine," she muttered, pulse hammering.
Outside, Ethan eased her into the Bentley's passenger seat. Abby, spotting them from Starbucks, sprinted over. "Whoa, what happened? You okay, Soph?"
"Ankle's jacked," Ethan said. "Hospital run."
"I'm coming," Abby declared, hopping in.
As they peeled out, Ethan's phone buzzed:
[Auto-Purchase Detected: Space Station, $50.00 – Acquired]
[Next Suggested Item: Quantum AI Network, $75.00]
[Warning: Reality's Cracking. Stay Sharp.]
He glanced in the rearview. That black SUV was back, tailing them through Westfield's neon glow. Sophia's ankle, a viral hug, and now a space station? Ethan's night was spiraling—and that SUV wasn't here for selfies.