Chapter 243: I Know Who Owns That Car

After our massive fashion avenue takeover, the Maybachs whisked us down to the private Dubai Harbor Marina. The golden afternoon sun reflected brilliantly off the turquoise waters as we stepped out onto the private dock.

Anchored just offshore was our crown jewel: a sleek, custom-built 300-foot multi-deck mega-yacht with a helipad, glass-bottomed infinity pool, and polished teak decks glowing in the light.

A sleek tender boat brought us to the main boarding deck, where the white-gloved crew stood at full attention, welcoming us aboard with crystal flutes of chilled vintage champagne.

Ruby immediately kicked off her newly bought designer heels and ran up the spiral staircase to the upper sun deck. "Now this is what I call a vacation!" she shouted over the water, leaning over the teak railing as the yacht’s engines hummed smoothly to life, gliding out toward the open gulf.

Patricia walked up beside me, taking a slow sip of champagne as the Dubai skyline began to recede into a breathtaking background view. "I have to admit, Ethan... after non-stop contract reviews and financial integrations with Sterling Co., this breeze is exactly what I needed."

"Get used to it," I smiled, sliding my arm around Patricia’s waist as Chloe joined us on the deck, looking effortlessly elegant with her sunglasses pushed up on her head.

May stretched her arms back, leaning against the cushioned sunbed in her swimwear, her world-record tone fully on display. "Dune buggies yesterday, 300-foot superyacht today. Ethan, you’re setting the bar dangerously high."

Just then, the yacht’s private helipad comms chimed. Sarah stepped up beside me with her tablet.

"Boss," Sarah reported with a crisp smile. "The secondary transport chop just landed at the mainland VIP pad. Mia and Benita have officially landed in Dubai and are being ferried directly out to the yacht right now."

Within fifteen minutes, the shadow of a sleek corporate helicopter hovered over the stern, touching down smoothly on the yacht’s helipad. The doors slid open, and Mia and Benita stepped out onto the deck, their hair blowing in the rotor wash.

Mia looked around the towering mega-yacht, her eyes wide with impressed disbelief. "Ethan! We knew you said luxury, but a floating palace?!"

Benita laughed, running over to hug Chloe and Ruby. "We caught the news on the flight—May’s 9.15s and Ruby taking over positions 1 through 12! The whole world is talking about Hidden Gem!"

With the entire core squad finally reunited under the warm Dubai sun—Chloe, May, Ruby, Patricia, Mia, and Benita—the energy on the yacht was electric.

Later that evening, after the superyacht anchored back at the marina and all the girls retreated upstairs to the Apex Sky Penthouse to rest, I decided to head down to grab a few things.

My custom hypercar was parked in the VIP bay outside the luxury avenue entrance—sleek, predatory, and gleaming under the neon Dubai streetlights. As I walked down the grand marble steps, I noticed a young woman standing a few feet away, holding a professional camera setup on a lightweight stabilizer. She was moving with sharp, natural precision, tracking the sharp aerodynamic angles of the bodywork with an incredible eye for framing.

Suddenly, a semi-transparent interface flickered across my retinas:

[SYSTEM SCAN COMPLETE] -------------------------------------------------- TARGET: Dynamic Cinematographer / Content Creator CURRENT STATS: 6.8 / 10 POTENTIAL: 9.8 / 10 (S-TIER DYNAMIC VISUAL CREATIVE) CURRENT STATUS: Lacking equipment, funding, and access. SPECIAL EVENT: Glowup Cashback Activated (200x Return on Investment)

A 9.8 potential. Raw, unrefined talent just waiting for the right backing.

I casually leaned against a nearby marble pillar, acting as if the multi-million dollar vehicle wasn’t mine. I adjusted my jacket and walked over smoothly, stopping a few feet away from her shot line.

"Monster car... am I right?" I asked with a light, easy smile.

She paused mid-pan, lowering her camera slightly to look at me. She was dressed in casual, semi-worn streetwear—nothing fancy, but her eyes carried a sharp, passionate drive.

"Yeah," she sighed, letting out a small, amazed breath as she looked back at the matte-black body. "Honestly, you don’t see builds like this every day, even around here. The line flow is insane."

"You look like you’re making..." I prompted smoothly, leaving the sentence hanging.

"...a dynamic cinematic edit," she finished with a bright, enthusiastic spark in her eyes, raising her camera interface to show me the raw footage. "The way the light hits the carbon weave is incredible. I’m trying to build my reel, but..."

She trailed off, looking at the dark tinted windows of the car with a wistful expression.

"If only I could meet the owner," she added softly, tapping the side of her lens. "Getting just five seconds of interior shots—the custom leather, the dash ignition, the engine bay—it would make this edit absolutely blow up."

I chuckled, crossing my arms. "Well, you shouldn’t give up so fast. Why don’t you just wait around for the owner to show up?"

She scoffed playfully, shaking her head. "Bad idea. Guys who drive two-million-dollar hypercars usually have five security guards and zero patience for random creators filming their rides."

"I don’t know," I said, a razor-sharp, secret smirk touching my lips. "I actually happened to catch a glimpse of the owner earlier. He seems pretty cool. I bet if you just asked, he’d let you get whatever shots you need. In fact... I actually know the girl."

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly. "Wait... really? You know her?"

"Yeah," I smiled, gesturing to a sleek outdoor lounge bench right near the valet bay. "Come on, let’s sit down for a minute while we wait. Tell me more about this edit you’re building."

Her face lit up with pure excitement as we walked over to take a seat, her mind already racing with creative shot ideas—completely unaware that the owner she was waiting for was sitting right beside her, ready to unleash her full potential.

She kept her eyes locked on the sleek reflection of the tinted windows, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the dial on her camera. She adjusted the lens hood, wiped a speck of dust off the glass with her sleeve, and scrubbed through her recent clips on the tiny LCD monitor.

"How do you even know the owner anyway?" she asked, not looking up, her voice laced with genuine skepticism.