The next morning dawned with an air of tension, the sky grey and overcast as Ethan prepared for his meeting with Liam. His mind was swirling with doubts, anger, and curiosity, all competing for dominance. He paced his apartment, unable to shake the feeling that this encounter would change everything.
Olivia knocked on his door, poking her head in. "You're sure about this?" she asked, concern written across her face. "Meeting with Liam… it could stir up a lot of old wounds."
Ethan nodded, though he wasn't sure if it was for her benefit or his own. "I have to. If there's even a chance that he knows something about the accident, I need to hear it."
Olivia hesitated before stepping in fully, holding out a small envelope. "Before you go… I found this on your desk. It's from your system. I think it's a reward from yesterday's deal."
Ethan took the envelope, surprised. He hadn't expected the system to issue something in physical form. Opening it, he found a sleek black card with golden writing on it:
---
**[Ding!]**
*Special Reward Activated: Luxora's Prestige Card*
- **Description:** Use this card to gain access to exclusive parties, events, and industry connections.
- **Effect:** Unlock networking opportunities and hidden tasks.
---
Ethan stared at the card for a moment. The system was certainly playing an interesting game, tying rewards to the real world in unexpected ways. "Thanks, Liv," he said, slipping the card into his pocket. "I'll use it when the time's right."
She smiled but still looked uneasy. "Just… be careful, okay?"
"I will."
---
**A few hours later…**
Ethan found himself sitting in a small, dimly lit café on the outskirts of town, waiting for Liam. The tension in his body was almost unbearable as he checked his watch for the third time in ten minutes. The café was quiet, with only a few other patrons scattered around, lost in their own thoughts.
The door chimed, and Ethan's heart jumped. Liam walked in, looking exactly as Ethan remembered—tall, broad-shouldered, with the same sharp eyes and confident stride. But there was something different now. A shadow of guilt or regret clung to him, making him appear older, more weathered than the last time they had spoken.
Liam sat down across from Ethan, his expression unreadable. "It's been a while."
Ethan didn't respond immediately, his mind racing with everything he wanted to say. But he forced himself to stay calm. "Why now, Liam? After everything that happened, why reach out to me?"
Liam exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. "Because I need to clear the air. I know what I did was unforgivable. But there are things about that night that you don't know."
Ethan clenched his fists under the table. "What could you possibly say to make up for the fact that you betrayed me?"
Liam looked him straight in the eye. "I wasn't the one behind the accident. I set things in motion, yes. But there were others involved. People with a lot more power than me."
---
**[Ding!]**
*Task Progress: 30% Complete*
- **Objective:** Learn the truth about the accident from Liam.
---
Ethan's stomach twisted. "Others? What are you talking about?"
Liam leaned forward, his voice lowering. "I got mixed up with some people in the industry—people who wanted to control you, manipulate your rise to fame. When I betrayed you, I was following their orders. But the accident? That wasn't supposed to happen. They went too far."
Ethan's blood ran cold. "Who are 'they'?"
Liam shook his head. "I can't give you names. Not yet. But I can tell you that they're still watching you, even in this world."
Ethan's mind reeled. Was it possible that whoever had manipulated him in his previous life had somehow followed him here? "Why should I trust anything you're saying?"
"Because I'm risking everything by meeting you here," Liam said, his voice tinged with desperation. "They don't forgive betrayals easily. If they find out I'm talking to you, I'm dead."
---
**[Ding!]**
*New Task: Investigate the Hidden Power in the Industry*
- **Objective:** Use your growing influence to uncover the people controlling the entertainment industry from the shadows.
- **Reward:** 4,500 System Points + Special Skill: Deception Detection.
---
Ethan's head spun with the new information. Liam's confession had opened a door to a darker, more dangerous reality than he had ever imagined. He had thought this world was his chance at a fresh start, but now it seemed the same forces that had nearly destroyed him before were still lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.
"Why are you telling me this now?" Ethan asked, his voice low. "Why not just disappear?"
Liam sighed, his expression softening. "Because I owe you, Ethan. I messed up—badly. But I don't want to see you fall into the same trap again. If you keep rising in this industry, they're going to come for you. I want to help you stop them before it's too late."
Ethan sat back, his thoughts swirling. Could he really trust Liam after everything that had happened? Or was this just another manipulation, another trap designed to pull him into something darker?
"I need time to think," Ethan said finally. "I don't know if I can trust you."
Liam nodded, standing up. "I get it. Take all the time you need. But remember, the longer you wait, the more dangerous it gets. They don't like loose ends."
With that, Liam turned and walked out of the café, leaving Ethan alone with his thoughts.
---
**Later that night...**
Ethan sat in his apartment, staring out the window as the city lights flickered below. His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a message from Olivia.
**Olivia:** *How did it go?*
Ethan hesitated before typing a response.
**Ethan:** *It was... complicated. He said there are people in the industry trying to control everything. That they were behind the accident.*
A few seconds passed before Olivia's response came through.
**Olivia:** *Do you believe him?*
Ethan didn't know how to answer that. Part of him wanted to believe that Liam had changed, that he was genuinely trying to help. But another part of him knew that trusting Liam could be the most dangerous thing he'd ever done.
**Ethan:** *I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out.*
He put his phone down and closed his eyes, the weight of everything pressing down on him. His rise to fame had always felt like a race against time, but now it felt like a race against something far more sinister.
And this time, the stakes were higher than ever.
---