Page 39 of Players Love Hard
I look over my shoulder at the open door and slide my chair over to shut it. Spinning around to face Preston, I lower my voice. “The game looked like a rip-off of Doom, Diablo, and Mage Wars.”
“So?” Preston’s not following my train of thought. “What does that have to do with a blogger who’s keeping tabs on us?”
“I think she wrote the code to imply my dad copied Diablo and Doom. They’re two of the most iconic video games of all time. Diablo was the first real-time combat fantasy game. It also had randomized opponents, weapons, and dungeons which personalized it to where no user ever had the same experience. And Doom is one of the best first-person shooter games ever made. People still love it after all these years.”
“What does that have to do with The Queen?” Preston asks, taking his place on the bed again. “She likes old school video games? So what?”
“No, I think she’s trying to tell me that my dad stole some of his ideas from Doom and Diablo.”
“Oh…” Preston’s mouth widens in shock. “You don’t think…” he pauses. “No, he wouldn’t.”
“I mean, if you look for them, the similarities are there. Mage Wars is nothing like either of those games, but older versions of The Fallen Universe have a lot of the same features, like the randomized-user experience.”
“Shit,” he mutters, biting his bottom lip. “Do you think that’s why your dad is selling his company?”
“I didn’t even think of that,” I say, still in awe over everything that’s happened over the last few weeks. “You think Carmichael has something on my dad and is forcing him to sell?”
He shrugs. “It would make sense. Your dad wanted you to help take over his company, so something must have changed. Your dad has tons of money. He’d never sell for financial reasons.”
“My dad couldn’t care less about money.”
He grew up without it, and for that reason, he could go back to living on welfare if he had to. My dad is an extreme minimalist. Every cent he makes goes back into a new product for his company. None of this makes sense.
“If The Queen knows something, look harder for her.”
I snort at his comment. “Fuck, you look harder. I’ve spent all of my free time tracking her. She’s too fucking good.”
“You’re better than her,” Preston challenges. “So stop acting like a spoiled billionaire who didn’t get his way and go after her.”
“I’m not a billionaire,” I counter. “And I’m trying my hardest.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Your dad is. Same thing.”
“Still, it’s not my money.”
Most of the time I pretend as though it doesn’t even exist. Money complicates things. It’s never been important to my parents, even though they have it, and they instilled that into me. My dad always says we should live as if the money could disappear tomorrow. Sure, he has an enormous house and expensive cars and gadgets, but he doesn’t live too lavishly.
Preston closes the distance between us and extends his hand to me. “C’mon, let’s get a drink.”
“You?” I shoot him a confused expression. “After all the shit you’ve given Tucker about drinking.”
He chuckles. “I just like breaking his balls.”
“I could use a drink,” I say, getting up from the chair. “Or two. I need to clear my head.”
Preston taps me on the back. “It’ll all work out, J. It always does.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
My dad is losing his company.
Shannon hates my guts.
And somehow, Cece is at the heart of everything. I just need to figure out the missing piece.
Chapter Sixteen
Jamie
