The night breeze rolled in from the ocean, carrying the scent of salt, grilled meat, and fried food from the nearby food trucks lined along the beach parking lot. The distant sound of waves crashing mixed with faint music playing from someone's car and the occasional laughter of late-night beachgoers.
Strings of warm lights from the food stalls glowed softly against the dark sky, casting long shadows across the sand.
Inside the matte-black BMW parked a short distance away from the main crowd, Adam slowly stirred.
He groaned and rubbed the side of his neck where Leo had struck him earlier. "Ha… my neck is killing me…"
Blinking a few times, he looked around in confusion, realizing he was inside a car. It took him a second to recognize the unfamiliar interior. He turned his head toward the driver's seat, only to find it empty. Frowning, he looked outside through the windshield.
There, leaning against the hood of the car with one leg casually crossed over the other, was Leo. He was eating a taco with complete nonchalance, like he hadn't just walked into a criminal's den hours ago.
Adam pushed the door open and stepped out, still rubbing his neck. He walked over and stopped beside Leo, who didn't turn to look at him at first.
Leo let out a quiet sigh, took another bite of his taco, and finally glanced sideways.
"Why the hell do you only ever call me when there's trouble?"
Adam let out a short laugh and leaned against the car next to him.
"Because you're the only one who actually shows up," he said, grinning despite the lingering pain in his neck. "Everyone else just sends a 'stay safe' text and ghosts me."
Leo shook his head, but there was a faint trace of amusement in his eyes as he kept eating.
Adam looked out at the beach, watching the dark waves roll in under the moonlight. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The sound of the ocean and the distant chatter from the food trucks filled the silence.
After a while, Adam spoke again, his tone more curious.
"…What the hell happened back there, man? One second I was tied to a chair, next thing I know I'm waking up in this car." He glanced at Leo. "Whose car is this anyway?"
Leo took his time finishing his taco before answering.
"Mine," he said simply. "Bought it recently."
Adam's face froze for a few seconds before his mouth fell open.
"No fucking way… you're lying."
Leo calmly wiped his hands with a napkin, crumpled it, and tossed it into a nearby trash can with lazy accuracy.
"Come on. I'll drop you off."
Adam walked back and forth a couple of times in disbelief before finally getting into the passenger seat.
"Bro, you actually bought this? What about the old machine then?"
Leo started the car and let out a short laugh.
"My Honda was fine. I left it at home."
Adam stared at him for a moment, still trying to process everything. He leaned back in the seat and shook his head with a small grin.
"Man… one day you're gonna have to stop carrying everything by yourself, you know."
Leo kept his eyes on the road, his expression calm.
"For now," he said quietly, "just be glad you're not tied to a chair anymore."
Adam let out a low whistle and looked out the window, watching the city lights pass by. "Fair enough," he muttered.
Leo didn't reply. He simply tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly and kept driving.
**
The Cross family home was filled with the warm scent of home-cooked food and the low hum of conversation. Leo sat at the dining table with the rest of the family, even though he had already told his mother he wasn't hungry. Elizabeth, as usual, hadn't taken no for an answer and had simply placed a plate in front of him. This story is hosted at novelping.com.
Across the table, Mary was unusually quiet. She wasn't glued to her phone like she normally was. Instead, she quietly ate her food, occasionally glancing around the table.
Sam, noticing the change, smirked and nudged her lightly with his elbow.
"Princess, why are you so silent today? Do you need some extra allowance?"
Mary looked up with a smug little smile.
"I don't need it anymore. I'm already grown up."
Sam raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, while Elizabeth exchanged a confused look with him.
"Didn't you make a big scene just a few days ago asking for money?" Sam asked.
Mary shrugged, still wearing that same smug expression.
"That's in the past now."
Before anyone could respond, the front door opened. Hazel walked in, dressed in a sleek, fitted black blouse tucked into high-waisted beige trousers that hugged her figure elegantly.
A long, light coat was draped over her arm, and her hair was tied in a neat, low ponytail. She looked tired but still carried herself with her usual composed grace.
Sam immediately stood up and walked over to her, taking the bag from her hand with a small smile.
"Thanks, honey," Hazel said softly.
"Come, let's eat. We just started," Sam replied, gently guiding her toward the table. He pulled out a chair for her and helped her sit down.
Elizabeth stood up and began serving food onto Hazel's plate with a warm smile. Hazel had barely taken a few bites when she glanced toward the window and spoke.
"Sam, whose car is parked outside? The black BMW?"
Sam paused mid-bite and looked at her, confused.
"What car?"
"The BMW," Hazel repeated. "It's parked right in front of the house."
Sam shook his head.
"I don't know. Maybe one of the neighbors—"
"It's mine," Leo said casually, not even looking up from his plate as he took another bite. "I bought it today."
A sudden, heavy silence fell over the table.
Mary's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. She turned to stare at Leo with wide eyes.
"You… You bought a new car?" she asked slowly. "And not just any car… a BMW?"
Leo finally looked up and gave a small nod.
"Yeah. So?"
Without another word, both Sam and Mary shot up from their seats and rushed toward the front door, nearly tripping over each other in their hurry to go outside and see the car.
Elizabeth watched them go and let out a soft, amused sigh.
She shook her head fondly and sat back down, though there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she looked at Leo.
Hazel, on the other hand, remained seated. She slowly turned her gaze toward Leo, studying him quietly over the rim of her glass. Unlike the others, she didn't rush outside. Instead, she simply watched him with a thoughtful, unreadable expression.
Leo met her gaze for a brief second before calmly continuing to eat, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb in the middle of dinner.
The night passed with Sam and Mary constantly hovering around Leo, firing question after question about the car. They couldn't seem to get over the fact that their usually low-key brother had suddenly brought home a brand-new BMW.
Leo kept his answers short and casual.
"My friend needed some quick cash, so he sold it to me for a lower price," he said, not even looking up from his phone.
Sam and Mary exchanged a glance. They didn't fully believe him, but they didn't push too hard either. Leo had always been private about certain things, and they knew better than to dig too deep.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, didn't ask many questions. After dinner, she simply walked over to Leo, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and kissed his forehead.
"You deserve the best, my son," she said warmly. "I'm proud of you."
Leo gave her a small, genuine smile and didn't say much in return.
That night, he slept better than he had in weeks. With the recent money in his account, the system points sitting comfortably, and a new lottery ticket waiting to be used, he felt strangely at peace. For once, things seemed to be going his way.
The next morning, Leo stepped out of his room feeling refreshed. As he walked into the living room, he noticed Sam standing near the couch, already dressed in his usual work clothes. There was a nervous energy about him — he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other, like he was working up the courage to say something.
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Need anything?"
Sam coughed into his fist, clearly struggling to get the words out. Before he could speak, Mary walked past them, casually tossing a comment over her shoulder.
"He wants to borrow your car, Leo."
Sam shot her a sharp glare, but Mary only smirked and kept walking.
Leo turned back to his brother, waiting.
Sam scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Leo… can I take your car for the day? I have a small office lunch today, and I thought it might be nice to…"
He trailed off, but Leo already understood.
Leo nodded without much thought.
"Of course. Take it. I'll just use the Honda today."
Sam's face lit up instantly. He stepped forward and pulled Leo into a quick, grateful hug.
"You're the best, man. Seriously."
Before Leo could respond, Sam grabbed the car keys from the table and rushed out the door like he was afraid Leo might change his mind.
Leo watched him go with a faint smile, then shook his head and headed to the dining table for breakfast.
As he sat down and started eating, he couldn't help but think how strange it felt — watching his family react to the small changes in his life, completely unaware of how much had actually shifted beneath the surface.
***
/c/DevilsWhisper