Page 41 of Forbidden Game

I’ve kept my eyes on the screen as much as possible as Parker plays, but I’ve also been scrolling through my emails and the guys’ social media. I’ve seen Parker run through this game enough times that I don’t need to keep avid watch. I keep flipping to my notes app, though, to look at the standard times of the others players. I know them by heart, but it’s a force of habit at this point.

So far, everyone is on track with their last public speedrun of the game.

If everything goes right, Parker should be done in the next fifteen minutes. The closest competitor is a solid ten minutes behind his gameplay time. Honestly, I had planned this tournament as an easier win for Parker. The gamers who signed up are well-known, but they aren’t that well-known. Not like the matches in the upcoming weeks where he will be up against his biggest rivals in the space.

As chill as Parker has been about everything, I still wanted him to have a higher likelihood of success for his first public speedrun.

I really shouldn’t have worried. He’s taken everything in stride. The press from the event has been nothing but positive so far. Everyone’s been raving about his performance in the team FrozeLine matches, and now they are fawning over his solo speedrun.

I watch as the clock keeps ticking up.

Just a few more minutes.

Parker defeats the final boss and quickly implements a skip through the penultimate cut scene before rushing his character through a cemetery so he can finish the game. There’s a cheer from the crowd. That skip is one that I know is hard to time correctly, and Parker’s success has effectively guaranteed him first place.

I let out a loud whoop when his character finishes digging up a coffin and opens it to reveal the empty interior. The end credits grace the screen, and Parker grins wildly. He pushes away from the desktop and stands up, raising his arms as he walks across the front of the stage.

The crowd cheers his name.

English. English. English. English.

He stops when he makes eye contact with me. I give him two thumbs up, and he returns the gesture with a dramatic bow. One of the workers comes up to escort him offstage, which is my cue. He’s going to be pulled into a few interviews now that all his events are over.

As happy as I might be with the way today has gone so far, I’m not about to let it cloud my judgment. Parker is still a loose cannon when it comes to interviews. He has a habit of getting a little too comfortable with the reporters. Something about being in his EnglishCoffee persona makes him more relaxed than usual.

“It was great meeting you, Mr. Kelton, but duty calls.”

“Please, call me Jace. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sydney.” He smiles before taking my hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

Any regular woman would be melting at the panty-dropping grin, but it’s nothing Parker hasn’t done before. If anything, it feels more robotic coming from Jace.

“And do remind Parker that he owes me a drink. He polished off my bottle of Paradis Imperial during our last poker game.”

“I can’t promise you anything, Jace, but I’ll try. Until next time.”

I hop down from our platform and begin weaving my way through the fans crowded around the stage. There’s a small hallway I need to get to that only gamers and their teams can access. It effectively bypasses the regular route to the greenroom and brings you right to it.

I finally manage to break through the sea of people and stumble into the hallway. A quick flash of my badge has me passing through the two beefy security guards.

I finally come to the door and breathe a sigh of relief as I step across the threshold. The greenroom isn’t relaxing by any means; it’s packed with all the top players and their teams, but it’s better than being out in gen pop.

Parker’s white-blond hair isn’t hard to miss. That, and he is one of the tallest people in the room and is wearing his mask.

He’s already in conversation with a black-haired journalist.

My hackles rise.

Press isn’t supposed to be allowed in here.

I pick up my pace, twisting around the other gamers until I pull up next to Parker.

“Genevieve, talking to my client without me, I see.” My smile is thin and tight.

“Sydney, there you are. English and I were just talking about you.” She taps his forearm, and my stomach swirls.

“Oh, really? How lovely. But our interview isn’t scheduled for another twenty minutes.”

“Well, I caught English right after the run, and he invited me in, so I thought, why not get it out of the way.” Her smile is as fake as her veneers. “It was great chatting with you, English. Sydney, we’ll send you the article once it’s live.” She gives a wiggle of her fingers before she flounces off.

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