Seattle, IndieVibe Headquarters.
In the sleek office of marketing director Marcus Chen, Nebula Games VP Chen Holt lounged, pouring a cup of artisanal coffee with exaggerated respect.
"Marcus, my man, you came through," Chen Holt said, handing over the cup. "Not only did you boost Brothers' Adventure up the vote charts, you buried WindyPeak's game."
For a mid-tier studio like Nebula, WindyPeak's rise was a thorn in their side.
Their indie hits, Cat Leo and Who's the Daddy, had snatched Nebula's sales crown twice.
Unlike big studios that could buy out rivals, Nebula had to play dirty to stay on top.
Lucky for them, WindyPeak hadn't cozied up to Marcus Chen.
No visits, no "gifts."
So Chen Holt pitched "nudging WindyPeak down a bit."
Marcus, feeling snubbed by WindyPeak's success—two chart-toppers and no nod to him—was all in.
Under his orders, a trusted engineer tweaked Vampire Survivor's refresh logic, relegating it to the back pages of IndieVibe's random list.
The day before the vote settlement, Marcus swapped Brothers' Adventure and Vampire Survivor's first-round results in the backend.
This broke every rule in CEO Victor Lang's "fairness" playbook.
Marcus just smirked.
Anti-corruption? Please.
These shady deals were IndieVibe's unwritten code, running smoothly for years.
Victor's reforms were just new-boss posturing—smoke and mirrors.
Marcus, a company vet, was untouchable.
"No big deal," Marcus said, sipping the coffee. "I've got your back, alum. Not some outsider like WindyPeak."
"Besides, Nebula's got the polish, the experience. Promo slots should go to players like you, not amateurs."
He didn't mention the payoff, keeping it sanctimonious.
Chen Holt nodded, grinning. "You're the visionary, Marcus. No one else could've pulled this off."
They clinked mugs, laughing like old frat brothers.
"Alright, I won't keep you," Chen Holt said, standing. "You're swamped. I'll swing by after the fest for a proper drink."
He left, humming, heading for the elevator.
Ding!
As the doors opened, a young woman and an older, poised assistant stepped out.
Chen Holt's eyes lingered, smirking, before stepping into the elevator.
As the doors closed, he caught the young woman's voice at the front desk, sharp and commanding:
"Your CEO's Victor Lang, right? He in? I've got questions."
…
The front desk clerk froze.
This girl was all fire, backed by a cool-headed assistant.
Not your average walk-in.
"Who are you?" the clerk asked, forcing a smile.
"Zoey Parker, CEO of WindyPeak Games," Zoey snapped, Seattle drawl cutting through.
The clerk blinked. WindyPeak? Never heard of them.
"What's this about? Got an appointment with Mr. Lang?"
"Nope, don't need one," Zoey said, shaking her head. "Tell Lang that Mr. Parker's daughter is here."
The clerk hesitated, gesturing to the lounge. "Uh, please wait over there. I'll check with his office."
Normally, no appointment meant no meeting, but this girl's vibe—and that name—screamed trouble.
The clerk dialed Victor's secretary, Carter.
"Carter, front desk. Got a Zoey Parker, CEO of WindyPeak Games, says she's Mr. Parker's daughter. Wants to see Mr. Lang. He free?"
…
"Who?!"
In Victor Lang's IndieVibe office, the CEO nearly dropped his coffee.
His calm, sharp reputation crumbled, eyes wide with panic. "Who's here?!"
Carter, stunned by her boss's reaction, repeated, "Zoey Parker, WindyPeak Games. Says she's Mr. Parker's daughter."
"You know him?"
Victor's heart skipped.
The front desk and Carter might not know Mr. Parker, but Victor did.
Head of Parker Capital, worth billions, with stakes in tech, real estate, healthcare, you name it.
Low-key but a top-tier player in global business.
And now, a young woman named Parker, claiming to be his daughter?
At best, she was a close relative.
Victor wasn't about to roll the dice.
"She's trouble," he muttered, grabbing his suit jacket. "Big player. I know of him; he probably doesn't know me."
Carter's eyes widened. "Uh, front desk says she's pissed. Not here to talk shop—sounds like she's out for blood."
Victor nearly tripped, spinning to Carter. "The front desk didn't mouth off, right?"
"Nope," Carter said. "You drilled 'smile always' into them. They saw her attitude and played it safe, asked her to wait."
"Bless them," Victor said, flashing a thumbs-up. "Give the front desk a bonus this month."
Thank God no one pulled a cliché 'you're nobody' stunt, he thought.
Offending a Parker would end careers.
Victor straightened his tie, strode out, and spotted Zoey in the lounge.
Before he reached her, his face was all smiles.
"Ms. Parker! What a surprise!" he called, voice dripping with charm. "Sorry for not rolling out the red carpet—didn't know you were coming!"