<🎧 Song Recommendation: Something Just Like This by Color Music Choir>

...

"It won’t be possible... for me not to give you a chance."

Von’s heart dropped for a split second when he heard the first half of the sentence, thinking it was a flat-out rejection.

But as Leviathan finished his statement with a slight smirk, relief washed over Von.

The rapper continued. "You’re the lead of this movie, Von. And whether we like it or not, our money is tied together now. If you think you can elevate this track, I’d be a fool not to see what you’ve got."

"Appreciate the trust, man," Von said as a confident smile returning to his face. "I won’t disappoint you."

"I don’t expect you to," Leviathan replied while grabbing a flash drive from his desk and tossing it to Von. Von caught it effortlessly.

"Those are the raw vocal stems and the beat. But we are on a ticking clock. I’mma give you five days to show me what you’re capable of. Good luck, kid."

"Five days is more than enough," Von assured him, slipping the drive into his pocket.

They spent the next hour just chilling in the suite, talking about several other things outside of the movie.

Leviathan shared some crazy stories about his early days in the music industry, his upcoming album plans, and the logistics of dropping music during a global lockdown.

With how easy the conversation flowed, one wouldn’t know they were two artists on entirely different levels.

***

The next morning, the doors of the Grand Beverly Hotel finally opened for good.

The strict production bubble was officially burst. Cast and crew members were hugging, loading heavy bags into waiting cars, and heading off to reunite with their families.

Von didn’t linger. He grabbed his luggage, gave a quick wave to Marcus, and hopped into a black SUV headed straight for LAX.

They had already agreed that he could continue working on the song from his home.

It was mostly because the song was already seventy percent complete, and to Von it was a more preferable option.

As the plane took off, leaving the Los Angeles skyline behind, Von looked out the window.

The past month had been an absolute rollercoaster. He had sneaked out of the hotel, drained his acting paycheck, almost lost his mind once again, and shared an unforgettable, bittersweet kiss with Chloe.

But as the plane broke through the clouds, he felt lighter than he had in weeks. He felt a lot more like Von again, and this time he had a mission to complete.

***

Several hours later, Von was welcomed back in Miami, and after a short drive with Bunny, he was back in the Pinecrest Mansion.

"You absolute idiot!"

Naomi rushed out of the house and practically tackled Von the moment he stepped out of the car. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly it surprised him.

"Whoa, hey," Von chuckled, hugging his older sister back. "I missed you too."

Naomi pulled back, and Von could see that her eyes were a little red. She immediately smacked him hard on the shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For scaring us half to death!" Naomi scolded him. "Do you know what it was like reading online that you fell into a coma?! For the second time, too! Emily wouldn’t tell me exactly what was wrong, the press said the movie was cursed, and I couldn’t even fly out to see you because of the lockdown!"

Von’s smile softened. He had been so focused on the movie that he hadn’t fully considered how terrifying the leaked articles must have been for his family.

"I’m sorry, Naomi," Von said sincerely, rubbing her shoulder. "I was just exhausted like last time, but I’m fine now. I promise."

"You better be," a voice called out from the doorway.

Von looked up to see the rest of his crew standing in the foyer. Max was holding a camera and grinning widely. Emily had her arms crossed as she smiled in satisfaction, and Olivia was clapping softly.

"Look who decided to hibernate again," Max joked, walking over to give Von a bro-hug.

"I was starting to think you were aiming for the Sleeping Beauty world record, but we’re still happy you’re back with us. Welcome home, bro!"

"Thanks, boss," Von laughed, stepping inside and giving Emily a hug next. She rolled her eyes at Von with several unsaid questions lingering in her gaze, but for now, she was focused on welcoming him inside.

"Signore! Come in!" Marcello yelled enthusiastically from the direction of the massive kitchen.

"I make Wagyu ribeyes and lobster tails! You will love them!"

The atmosphere inside the Pinecrest estate was incredibly warm and grounding. They all gathered around the massive dining table and ate in laughter.

After weeks of eating nothing but basic hotel catering, Marcello’s perfectly seared Wagyu and garlic-butter lobster felt like heaven to Von.

The dining room was filled with chatter. Max and Patch argued about a new video game, while Naomi updated Von on the minor stuff he had missed back in Miami.

But as the dinner began to reach its climax and everyone had happily settled into their seats with full stomachs, Emily stood up.

She excused herself to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, but not before shooting Von a sharp look and signaling with her eyes for him to follow her.

Von wiped his mouth with a napkin and quietly slipped away from the table.

The moment they were completely alone in the spacious kitchen, Emily’s warm smile had dropped.

"I still haven’t forgotten you for all this," Emily whispered while crossing her arms. "I can’t believe you spent nearly three months in that hotel bubble for just nothing. I had to sign away your entire salary!" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Von knew exactly where she was getting at, but he didn’t want to break the good news to her just yet. He leaned against the marble counter and crossed his legs casually.

"Well, it wasn’t exactly nothing," Von smirked. "I made some good friends, met beautiful ladies, and the acting experience was really nice too."

Emily glared daggers at his statement, clearly unamused, but eventually let out a heavy sigh. She rubbed her temples in frustration.

"I would have been glad if this at least improved your connection to Leviathan," Emily muttered. "But then you had to ruin it all over again by passing out. You stalled his production and bled his budget."

"Chill, I bet it’s not that bad."

"It actually is," Emily fired back, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn’t hear. "Who knows if they’ll even be able to launch the movie in a cinema now. With the PR nightmare we are in, it might actually perform terribly at the box office. That would completely taint your acting career right as it’s getting started."

Von shrugged lightly. "Well, you know my plan about the soundtrack."

"Yes, but Leviathan rejected it!" Emily reminded him in exasperation. "Which is very odd, because you’ve become one of the hottest stars in the world right now. Most of your tracks are back-to-back bangers. It makes no sense for him to pass on you for a movie you are already starring in."

"I’m sure Leviathan had his reasons," Von said with a mysterious look in his violet eyes.

"Well, it wouldn’t matter anyway... because I’ll most likely feature on the lead soundtrack."

Emily froze. She slowly turned her head towards him in shock. "No way."

Her stunned reaction made Von grin even wider.

"Yup... But I have to improve the song to have any chances. He gave me exactly five days to show him what I can do. It’s still up to me to deliver."

Emily didn’t even care about the timeline. She already trusted his musical abilities a hundred percent. If Von was given a beat and a microphone, she knew he wasn’t going to fail.

"This is great news, Von!" Emily squealed quietly, her frustration instantly evaporating into pure excitement. "But just five days? Why are you still standing here? You should get going right now! Make your best single yet!"

She grabbed his arm and practically pushed him out of the kitchen with glee.

Von only laughed at her dramatic response and returned to the dining table.

Immediately after the small dinner wrapped up, which eventually saw Patch and the rest of the occupants move into the living room to chill as time progressed, Von had already decided to spend the rest of the night with his producer in the basement studio.

He was eager to jump on the Leviathan track, but before he could dive into the music, he had some serious stuff to do.

Between the successful movie scenes, milestones, and the completed quests, he had racked up a significant amount of EXP, and he’d need to first spend term to have any chances of whatever came next.

Sitting back on the plush living room sofa, Von closed his eyes and called out in his mind.

’Status’