Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 94: Car Shopping

<🎧 Song Recommendation: I Can’t Breathe by Dax>

...

After the emotional high of Naomi’s acceptance letter, the reality of their sudden relocation finally set in.

The Venetian Islands mansion was fully furnished, but their suitcases were mostly packed with heavy New York streetwear.

So, they piled back into their rented SUV and hit the city.

It was their first true taste of wealth since a long time. They hit a few high-end boutiques in the Design District, where Von swiped his new Absolute Records corporate card for fresh clothes, sunglasses, and sneakers without even glancing at the price tags.

From there, they raided a luxury grocery store, filling the back of the SUV with enough premium snacks, organic fruit, and drinks to survive them months.

That night was the best Von had experienced in years.

They gathered in the open-concept living room, boxes of insanely expensive seafood takeout spread across the glass coffee table, and they all watched a movie together with loads of laughter.

The next morning, as the sun began pouring into his room through the massive windows, Von woke up slowly from his bed.

He laid there for a moment, listening to the peace and quiet he was now accustomed to. He relished it, before getting up to have a steaming shower and changed into some of the fresh clothes he bought the night before, a white t-shirt and loose, comfortable designer sweatpants.

When he walked downstairs, the house was already alive.

Naomi was out on the back patio, sitting by the edge of the infinity pool with her sketchbook open, humming softly to herself as she drew the Miami skyline.

Loki was curled up into a dark, furry ball on the sun-warmed concrete right next to her, soaking up the heat.

Emily was sitting at the massive marble kitchen island, a fresh cup of coffee in one hand and her laptop open in front of her. She was rapidly scrolling through spreadsheets.

"You’re spending a lot of money very quickly, Von," Emily noted without looking up as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the smart-fridge.

"And I’ve already taken aside the amount we’ll be needing for your album."

Von bent against the counter and took a long sip 8 of water. "Are we broke?"

"Far from it," Emily smirked, finally looking up and turning her laptop screen toward him. "That’s the beauty of owning your masters. You are entirely independent!"

She pointed to the dashboard. The green arrows were pointing straight up.

"Even with all these expenses, Masquerade is currently acting as a massive cash cow. The song is holding incredibly strong at Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s on every major pop and R&B playlist across all streaming platforms. And the official music video is now pulling in over three million views a day. The algorithm absolutely loves it!"

Von looked at the staggering numbers. He had created a self-sustaining hype machine.

"Because you didn’t sign a 360-deal," Emily continued, her eyes gleaming with pride, "No one is taking an 80% cut of your royalties. So, yes, you are dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars right now, but based on the current streaming data, we are projected to make millions in the coming months. You’re expected to receive a massive royalty payout by the end of August that will more than refill our coffers."

"So, I can afford to make one more major purchase today?" Von asked, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Emily sighed. "What are you buying now?"

"Transportation!" Von said. He turned his head toward the living room, where Zack was laying out on one of the sofas, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. "Zack! Get dressed. We have an errand to run."

Zack looked up and raised an eyebrow. "An errand?"

"Yes, just call the Uber!" Von responded with a grin.

***

Forty-five minutes later, a black Suburban dropped them off in front of a high-end exotic car dealership in Coral Gables. The showroom floor was a playground of Ferraris, Porsches, customized Range Rovers, and Bentley.

Zack stepped out of the Uber, adjusting his suit jacket, and let out a low whistle. "Okay, I get it. The Top 3 Billboard star needs a ride to match the Island house. You looking for a sports car to flex in?"

"Let’s just see what they have," Von said, putting his dark sunglasses on as they walked through the automatic sliding doors.

A well dressed salesman with a perfectly trimmed beard immediately spotted them. His eyes darted from Von’s recognizable violet eyes, down to his limited-edition Vanguard sneakers, and instantly smelled a massive commission.

"Gentlemen," the salesman approached with a million-dollar smile, extending a hand. "I’m Marcus. Welcome to Ocean Drive Exotics. What kind of statement are we looking to make today?"

"We’re just browsing for a minute," Von replied politely, walking past Marcus to wander the floor.

He stopped in front of a breathtaking, completely customized Rolls-Royce Phantom. It looked like a yacht meant for the asphalt. Out of pure curiosity, Von ran a hand over the polished hood and looked over his shoulder. "How much for this one?"

Marcus smiled warmly. "Ah, excellent taste, sir. That specific Phantom has the bespoke starlight headliner and armored paneling. It’s listed at five hundred and eighty thousand dollars."

Von kept his face entirely neutral, but internally, he flinched. Half a million dollars for a single car. Even with all the money rolling in, dropping half his liquid capital on one vehicle would be financial suicide.

It was a humbling reality check. He was a King now, sure, but the empire was still under construction. He had a long way to go before he could casually point at a Rolls-Royce.

"A bit too flashy for my daily commute," Von said smoothly, stepping away from the Phantom. "I need a mobile office. Something with privacy and enough space for my management to comfortably work while we head to the studio."

Marcus nodded, pivoting seamlessly. "Understood. Right this way, sir."

He led them to the back of the showroom, where a massive, fully blacked-out Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum sat elevated on a display platform. Matte black paint, window tints, and heavy black rims. It was imposing, luxurious, and undeniably boss-level.

"Extended wheelbase," Marcus pitched. "The interior features custom captain’s chairs with massage functions, folding tray tables for laptops, a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, and a partition between the driver and the rear cabin for absolute privacy. It is the ultimate executive transport. Priced at one hundred and sixty-five thousand."

Von looked at the massive vehicle. It was a fortress on wheels. "I like it."

He then turned around and scanned the floor again. He casually pointed to a sleek, sophisticated silver Mercedes-Benz AMG E53 sedan parked a few yards away. "How much is the Mercedes?"

"The AMG E53? A beautiful daily driver. Eighty-five thousand."

"I’ll take the Escalade," Von said. He then pointed to the silver sedan. "And I’ll take the Mercedes, too."

Zack froze. He slowly turned his head to look at Von, his jaw practically hitting the polished showroom floor. "Wait. Hold up. Did you just say too? Von, you don’t need two cars."

"I know," Von smiled, walking over to the Mercedes and patting the hood. "The Escalade is the my car. This one is yours."

Zack stared at him, completely speechless. "You... you’re buying me a Benz? Bro, what are you talking about?"

Von waved it aside with a grin. "Consider this a sign-on bonus for everything you’ve done. You kept me out of jail and saved me three hundred grand yesterday. It’s the least I can do."

"Not a big deal?" Zack smiled wryly. "Seriously, thank you so much, bro!"

"Excellent choices, gentlemen," Marcus beamed, pulling a calculator from his suit pocket. "So, the Escalade at one sixty-five, and the Mercedes at eighty-five. That brings us to two hundred and fifty thousand, before taxes and our standard dealership prep fees—"

"Hold on," Zack interrupted, "Nobody is paying sticker price, Marcus."

Marcus chuckled nervously. "Well, sir, these are premium, highly sought-after vehicles—"

"And we are offering a direct, corporate cash wire transfer. You’re moving a quarter-million dollars of inventory off your floor in the next ten minutes. But we aren’t paying your inflated dealer prep fees, and we aren’t paying two-fifty."

"Two hundred and fifteen thousand, taxes included. Or we call our Uber back and go to the dealership in South Beach."

Marcus blinked at the demand. He looked at Von, expecting the young star to override his friend, but Von just stood there with his arms crossed, an amused smirk on his face, letting his lawyer work.

"Two hundred and twenty-five," Marcus countered weakly. "I have a manager I have to answer to."

"Two hundred and twenty," Zack said with an extended hand.

Marcus sighed in defeat, but a smile broke through anyway. He shook Zack’s hand. "Two twenty. You drive a hard bargain, counselor. If you’ll follow me to my office, we can get the titles and registration sorted right now."

They sat down in the plush leather chairs inside the glass-walled office. Marcus pulled up the documents on his monitors, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Alright, Mr. Varley. The wire transfer from Absolute Records is pending approval, everything looks fantastic," Marcus said smoothly. "I just need a copy of your valid driver’s license for the title, registration, and the dealership’s insurance release forms, and you guys can drive them off the lot."

Von leaned back in his chair. He didn’t reach for his wallet. Instead, he just stared blankly at Marcus.

"I don’t have a license."

Marcus paused his typing. "Excuse me? You mean you don’t have it on you? I can accept a passport for the primary ID, but we do need a driver’s license on file for the insurance—"

"No, I mean I literally do not have a driver’s license," Von clarified, taking his sunglasses off. "I can’t drive."

Zack, who had been sitting in his chair feeling like really good after that negotiation, suddenly snapped his head toward Von. "Wait. What? You don’t know how to drive?"

"When exactly was I supposed to learn?" Von asked with a raised eyebrow. "I never owned a vehicle before now. Unless my gaming experience counts."

Zack just stared at him for three seconds before bursting into laughter. He slid his own driver’s license across the desk to Marcus. "Put both titles under the Absolute Records LLC. I’ll drive the Escalade, and you guys can have one of your lot porters deliver my Mercedes this afternoon."