Page 58 of Now Streaming

Her heart sank as she joined him in what turned out to be a small conference room. She sat at the small table and braced herself. She didn’t know what he wanted to talk about, but after the day she had, she could only assume it was going to be awful. She tried to hide her nerves, clasping her hands in her lap. She wanted to appear unbothered, but it was too soon after a crowd was just calling her names to seem completely unaffected.

Dylan started. “So, obviously it’s been a bit of a day. The company has been under fire since the photos leaked, and we’ve been doing what damage control we can. I’m sure you saw the statement refuting that the man in the photos with you ever worked here. We’re ready to stand behind that. But in reality, unless Mr. Phillips is prepared to step forward, there’s going to be a shadow on this event.”

Min nodded, agreeing with what he was saying. “I don’t believe Hayden is going to step forward. He’s worked for years to keep his privacy private. This would ruin that for him, and I can’t ask him to do that.”

Dylan shook his head. “Then we’re in a bit of a pickle. There’s concern the other players could file suits against the company. Obviously, that’s something we would like to avoid.”

He paused there, giving her an expectant look that confused Min. Did she miss a question? Whatever it was, she wasn’t figuring it out on her own.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m going to need you to spell whatever this is out for me.”

Dylan tensed, even as he plastered a fake smile on his face.

“Ms. Hayes, we appreciate your situation. And we’re so happy that you’ve been able to participate in the tournament. While we won’t ask you to remove yourself from the competition—”

Min’s heart stopped. “Wait, what?”

Dylan soldiered on as if she hadn’t interrupted. “—I think you can understand when we suggest that if you do happen to win it would be best for you to announce you won’t be keeping the money.”

Min blinked. She couldn’t help it. She was stunned. “Give back the money?”

“To mitigate the fallout if you do manage to win.” Dylan’s voice was so even, so bored, that it sounded like he was ordering bread for the table, not ruining her life.

Min’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe what he was telling her. “But I can’t. I need the money. My sister was in a car accident making her unable to work. This tournament, the winnings were supposed to help pay for her bills. I’m not some rich streamer, I’m just a woman trying to make ends meet doing what she loves.”

Dylan shook his head, appearing sympathetic in a way that made Min’s skin crawl. “Ms. Hayes, you’re free to do what you’d like if you win the money. But there is going to be a massive investigation when all of this is over. Your behavior has made it impossible to declare this a fair game without it.”

Min is taken back. “My behavior? I had a drink at a bar with a friend. Hayden was there, too. Are you going to talk with him about his behavior?”

“Unfortunately, that looks different when you’ve already been involved in some less than PG photos circulating the internet. And besides, Mr. Phillips is in a different position than you.”

Her mind raced, trying to understand what he was really saying. And then she realized.

“DeathsHead is a bigger deal than me. I’m here because he’s here, otherwise, I wouldn’t be. So, you won’t be holding him to this standard of punishment. He’s going to walk away as if nothing happened, while I take full blame. As if I did something wrong. Which I didn’t.”

“That’s not exactly what I’m saying.”

“Not in those words, but it’s what you meant.” Min crossed her arms, willing herself to speak as coldly as this douche.

Dylan sighed, sounding almost annoyed with her, and Min couldn’t believe she had signed a contract with this man. Couldn’t believe she was once again in this position, getting blamed for pictures she didn’t consent to, having her career taken away yet again. Sure, this time she was fully clothed, but in the world of competitive gaming, cheating was a death sentence for a streamer. She wouldn’t come back from this.

Dylan knew that. And he didn’t care. “The fact is that the company has signed a number of NDAs in order to work with Mr. Phillips, which means there’s little we can do to refute his position in the tournament.”

“Meaning you can’t force him to give back his winnings?”

He stood up, apparently finished with this conversation.

“You’re free to do what you’d like, Ms. Hayes. Just know that no matter the outcome, there will be an investigation that may get uncomfortable for some involved. I encourage you to remember that, should you win.”

He turned to leave, and Min felt bitterness rising in her, the unfairness of the entire situation. She had done nothing wrong, she had not consented to any photos, hadn’t flaunted her relationship with Hayden, had done nothing but try to compete in the tournament and win money to help herself and her family. And now he was telling her that no matter what, she couldn’t win.

“I’ll think on my choices,” she told him, letting her voice go cold. “But you should think about who knew both me and Hayden were going to show up to your office around a similar time. Who would know to be ready with a camera to snap a few shots? Because I didn’t tell anyone, didn’t even know he would be there. And I would bet all my future winnings that Hayden hadn’t told anyone, either. Which means the leak came from you.”

Dylan had turned back when she started talking, and now the asshole was frowning at her like she was a bug he had just squashed under his shoe. Secretly, she wanted to crumple up into a ball and hide, but there was no way she was going to let that show. She forced herself to smirk at him.

“In fact, you and your company were the only people who knew where I was staying for the convention. But somehow, someone knew where I was, what room I was staying in, and managed to break in and trash the place. Feels like there’s only one place that person could’ve learned that information. Am I right?”

Dylan’s eyes narrowed at her. “Bleeding Sword was obviously distraught to hear what had happened to your room, but if you’re implying there’s a breach in our protocol, I’m going to assure you that we had no involvement.”

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