Ryan heared his phone buzz on his nightstand and it was enough to jerk him awake.
It was 5:43 Am. His alarm should have co minutes later, this was a diffrent notification.
He fumbled for his phone, one eye half-open, and squinted at the screen.
> RETURN PROCESSED
> Previous Balance: $429.82
> Return Amount: $862.50
> New Balance: $1,292.32
He sat bolt upright, heart slamming against his ribs. Over a grand. In three days he’d turned two hundred and forty-seven bucks into this. And tonight Sophie was coming over.
Ryan eyes scanned his studio apartnt with the gaze of a man more disappointed in himself than anyone could be.
There were still dishes piling the sink from days ago that he always swore he’d get to at so point but never did. There also were hips of laundry on the chair.
Perhaps there was no apartnt more reflecting of how he had felt recently – defeated, unwilling to keep trying.
His phone dragged him out of his thoughts with a new notification.
> Morning mission available
> Optional: Apartnt preparation
> Investnt range: $150-200
> Includes: Cleaning service, quality groceries, wine, ambiance materials
> Projected return: 2.5x if evening successful
Ryan stared at the ceiling for a second, then muttered, "Yeah, okay. Accept mission."
> MISSION: PREPARATION
> Ti limit: 12 hours
> Objective: Create environnt conducive to seduction
> Note: Quality matters. Invest in details.
By noon the place looked like soone actually lived there instead of just surviving in it.
Won, who were quite stern, had co from the cleaning service and worked miracles on the studio.
Even his socks were folded and the place no longer reeked of dead dreams and sothing that actually died - Ryan guessed it was a rat but could never find the corpse.
He went to wholefoods - grabbing salmon fillets, asparagus, tiny potatoes, a bag of arugula that didn’t co in a plastic clamshell.
All the fancy cooking things he knew what to do with but would never buy cause he didn’t care about himself enough to.
Current investnt: $183.47
He also made a stop at the ho section, he figured he’d invest in so real cloth napkins, two proper wine glasses, and a pack of unscented candles.
Current investnt: $247.89
For a second at the register his thumb hovered.
Realistically he couldn’t afford to spend this much - money he might need if the whole system thing vanished tomorrow. But then he pictured Sophie.
He tapped his card before he could overthink it.
By six everything was ready. Salmon marinating in miso and ginger, table (okay, kitchen counter with stools) set, single candle waiting to be lit.
The place slled even nicer now - like a second chance.
Ryan had showered, thrown on dark jeans.
He caught his reflection and did a double-take.
His phone lit up.
Sophie: On my way. Should I bring anything?
Ryan: Just yourself. And an appetite.
Sophie: Both covered. Be there in 20.
> Target en route
> Mission status: Active
He dimd the lights, lit the candle, and started heating the pan. His hands didn’t even shake. Weird how calm he felt.
The knock ca at 7:04.
Sophie stood there in dark jeans, ankle boots, and an off-the-shoulder cream sweater that made his brain short-circuit for a second. Hair pulled back, neck on full display, holding a bottle of red like a peace offering.
"I know you said not to bring anything," she said, grinning, "but I couldn’t show up empty-handed."
"Co in." He stepped aside and watched her do the slow spin.
"Wow. Ryan... this is nice. Like, clean-nice. Organized-nice." She turned to him with that teasing smile. "Tulips? Really? I didn’t peg you for the fresh-flower guy."
"I’m full of surprises."
"Clearly." She handed him the wine and wandered toward the kitchen. "God, it slls amazing. What are you making?"
"Miso salmon, roasted potatoes, asparagus. Nothing crazy."
She laughed. "I was fully expecting pizza and a side of ’I tried.’"
"You underestimate , darling."
"Mmm." Her voice dropped a little. "I guess I did."
They moved around each other in the tiny space like they’d done it a hundred tis. She tore arugula for the salad while he watched the salmon. Shoulders brushing, little sparks every ti. It felt easy. Natural.
"So where’d this version of you co from?" she asked, glancing over. "The guy who cooks and sets an actual table and apparently has his life together?"
Ryan flipped the fish, buying a second. "He was always in there sowhere. Just... buried under trying to be what everyone else wanted."
"Your old boss?"
"Him. Everybody, really." He plated everything, the glaze shiny and perfect. "A long ti of making myself smaller so other people could feel bigger. Turns out that shit catches up with you."
Sophie set the salad down and looked at him straight on. "Quitting really flipped a switch, huh?"
"Pretty much. Hit rock bottom, decided I wasn’t building a house there, you know?"
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." He slid her plate across the counter. "Sotis you get sick of your own excuses."
She picked up her wine, took a bite, and actually closed her eyes. "Okay, this is stupid good. I take it all back."
"Don’t sound so shocked," he teased.
"I’m pleasantly shocked. That’s allowed." She leaned forward on her elbows. "So... the revenge plan. You gonna tell ?"
Ryan’s fork paused halfway to his mouth.
> WARNING: Maintain operational security
> Do not reveal system existence
He set the fork down. "You really want to hear it?"
"Desperately."
"Success." He held her eyes. "I build sothing they can’t look away from. And when they realize what they threw away? That’s the mont they lose."
Sophie was quiet for a beat, studying him. Then she smiled, soft and real. "That’s... actually brilliant. Revenge through becoming undeniable."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She raised her glass. "I’m one hundred percent here for that plan."
They clinked, and the night loosened up after that – stories about the city, nightmare roommates, nightmare bosses. She told him about the ti she accidentally left "THIS GUY SUCKS" in a client proof that definitely wasn’t supposed to be there. He told her about walking in on his old boss asleep at his desk with porn still playing. She laughed so hard she had to put her wine down.
Later they migrated to the couch – his only other piece of furniture. Sophie kicked off her boots, curled her feet under her, glass still in hand.
"Can I ask you sothing kinda personal?" she said.
"Hit ."
"Why’d you buy that coffee that day?"
Ryan took a second. He couldn’t just say because you’re gorgeous – she’d heard that a million tis.
"Honestly? You looked like the opposite of where I was. Put together. Going after things that actually mattered. I guess I wanted to know if soone like that would even notice ."
"Soone like that," she repeated, voice softer. "aning soone who scares you a little?"
"I’m never scared."
"Oh?" She set her glass on the coffee table and scooted closer.
She was close enough that he could sll her perfu – sothing warm and expensive and completely distracting. Her eyes flicked to his mouth, then back up.
"Ryan?"
"Yeah?"
"If you aren’t scared, why are you hesitating?"
He kissed her.
She tasted like wine and certainty. One hand slid into his hair, the other gripped his shoulder like she’d been waiting for this too. The kiss went deeper fast, and for a minute the whole system, the money, the revenge – everything disappeared. There was just her little sound when he pulled her closer, the way she nipped his bottom lip like a dare.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Sophie’s smile was pure trouble.
"Your bedroom better be as clean as the rest of this place."
Ryan stood and held out his hand. "Only one way to find out."
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