PART 2: Your million-dollar toy just quit!

engine didn’t just fail—it jerked violently with a loud CLICK before dying completely, horns exploding behind the stalled luxury car as heads turned and phones lifted, the street instantly alive with attention. “Your million-dollar toy just quit!” one friend laughed, loud enough for the crowd to hear.

“Shut up—” Adrian snapped, slamming the steering wheel, irritation flashing across his face—until he noticed her. Nia. Standing still on the sidewalk. Watching. Calm. Unbothered. He smirked, leaning out slightly. “Hey—fix my car… and I’ll give you 100 million dollars.” Laughter burst again, sharper this time. Phones angled closer. Recording everything. Nia didn’t react. She simply stepped forward. Quiet. Controlled.

“Open the hood,” she said softly. The laughter grew louder. “She’s serious—this is gold!” someone added. Adrian chuckled, then shrugged. “Go ahead. Entertain us.” The hood popped open. The camera pushed in as Nia leaned over the engine, her fingers brushing lightly against a wire… then another. She paused. Closed her eyes for a second.

The noise of the street began to fade. Silence crept in. “You disconnected it yourself,” she said calmly. Adrian froze. “What?” She pointed deeper inside. “Not by accident.” A beat. Her voice dropped. “Someone wanted you stuck here.” The laughter died instantly. Uneasy glances spread.

Adrian’s expression shifted, confusion turning sharp. “…who?” he asked. Nia slowly lifted her gaze. Locked onto him. Then—she glanced past him. Toward one of his friends. “The one who told you to try again.” Silence hit like a wall. The camera snapped to the friend—his face draining, breath catching. “That’s not—” he started, but his voice failed. Adrian turned slowly, something dark building behind his eyes. “You told me to restart it,” he said, low, controlled.

The friend stepped back. “I was just trying to help—” “You knew it wouldn’t start,” Adrian cut in, stepping out of the car now, the crowd closing in tighter. The tension thickened. The friend’s hands trembled. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this…” he whispered. Adrian stopped. “…what wasn’t?” he asked quietly. The friend swallowed hard, eyes darting. “They said you’d be alone,” he said under his breath. A chill ran through the crowd.

Nia didn’t move. Just watched. Adrian’s jaw tightened. “…who said that?” he demanded. The friend hesitated—just long enough. Then the engine suddenly ROARED back to life on its own. Everyone flinched. No one touched it. Adrian slowly turned his head back toward the car… then toward Nia. “…you didn’t fix it…” he said. Nia met his eyes, calm as ever. “No,” she said softly. “…I stopped them.”