Chapter 23
Chapter 23
That’s right.
Fortune had an only son, now forty, who’d moved in with his wife’s family in Silverhaven years ago. These days, he still lived with his
in–laws.
Back when Fortune first found Caitlin, he’d intended for his son and daughter–in–law to raise her!
But things didn’t go as planned. Neither his son nor his daughter–in–law wanted the responsibility. They insisted that “children should be your own,” and, “no matter how much love you give someone else’s child, it never feels the same. They even joked that “hair should grow on its own“-meaning you should have your own kids, not take in someone else’s.
Fortune, however, couldn’t bring himself to leave Caitlin at an orphanage. So, he raised her himself–and kept her close all these years. “Sure” Caitlin nodded.
From the scattered memories of her former self, she hardly remembered her uncle or aunt. Until she was fifteen, she’d lived with her grandfather in the countryside, and her uncle and aunt barely visited–maybe once every few years. Even after she’d moved with her grandfather to Silverhaven, she’d only seen them once or twice.
After dinner, Caitlin got back to assembling her new computer. She worked straight through until nine that evening before finally checking her phone
Opening WhatsApp, she found ten friend requests from strang
strangers p>
That’s when she remembered–she had business to attend to.
She accepted the requests one by one, then created a small group chat and pulled everyone in. Her first message was simple: (Hi everyone, I’m Caitlin, Looking forward to working together p>
[Hello, Miss Kensington, I’m Amy. If there’s anything you need, just message me here on WhatsApp J
Hello, Miss Kensington, I’m Lucy p>
[Hello, Miss Kensington, I’m Major 18
A round of introductions followed
Once everyone had checked in, Caitlin posted the group’s assignments. Just send me your work by 4 p.m. tomorrow. Thanks, everyone.] Meanwhile–0
Inside the cubicle maze on the third floor at Apex Game Studios.
Amy spun her chair toward her neighbor. “Lucy, who do you think this Miss Kensington really is? Does she honestly have what it takes to pull us back from the brink p>
Lucy took a sip of her iced coffee, eyes narrowed. “Hard to
honestly p>
Jen, sitting across from them, leaned in and lowered her voice. “Did you guys hear? Mr. Barrett and Mr. Blake have both left the company. Not just them–the Chandler Group even poached Mr. Lockwood from our Triple A project team! I’m telling you, things are really falling
apart this time p>
Lucy and Amy stared, wide–eyed. “What? Mr. Lockwood’s gone p>
Jasper Lockwood was practically the backbone of the Triple–A team. Losing him was a crushing blow, not just for Apex Game Studios, but for Victor, too.
“Shh Jen pressed a finger to her lips. “Keep it downl
Lucy swallowed hard. “Mr. Lockwood really left p>
Jen nodded. “Swear to God p>
Lucy let out a heavy sigh. “He was our last hope. Now that he’s gone, there’s nothing left for us here. Competition’s brutal out there–if we lose this job, how am I ever going to find coworkers like you guys again p>
Amy glanced at Jen, skeptical. “That’s so sudden. I saw Mr. Lockwood working just yesterday on the fifth floor. Are you sure you’re not mistaken p>
Jen scanned the room, then whispered, “My roommute is Mr. Lockwood’s assistant. She told me herself! Even she was caught off guard. There was no sign of it–he was at his desk yesterday, then this morning called in and quill Honestly, Mr. Winslow should’ve had him sign a massive penalty clause when he recruited him. Now look–he just walks out without a second thought p>
Army frowned. “That’s so unfair of Mr. Lockwood. How’s Mr. Winslow supposed to handle this p>
“it’s not entirely Mr. Lockwood’s fault, Lucy said. “He’s just an employee, and with the company in shambles, he can’t be expected to go down with the ship.” She sighed again. “Let’s just hope Miss Kensington can live up to Mr. Winslow’s trust and restore Apex Game Studios to its former glory
Jen snorted. “Don’t get your hopes up p>
“Why not?” Lucy asked, puzzled
Amy watched her, just as cunous.X
Jen leaned in 1 saw Miss Kensington yesterday when I went to see Mr. Winslow. Guess what? She looks super young–like, fresh out of high school. She’s pretty, sure, but more the type you’d expect to see in show business, not running a game studio. Frankly, I think Mr. Winslow’s just clutching at straws p>
A pretty face running a studio? Who was he kidding?
Amy and Lucy exchanged a look, their confidence in the mysterious Miss Kensington evaporating on the spot.
It seemed Apex was truly doomed.
Seventh floor.
Victor stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear. He was so anxious that sweat beaded on his brow
Ring… ring p>
The call was picked up quickly p>
“Hello–1
Victor wasted no time. “Miss Kensington, are you busy? There’s something important I need to discuss.“K “ Go ahead” Caitlin answered cris
crisply.
Victor took a breath. “We’ll have to push back our timeline. Jasper from the Triple–A team was poached by The Chandler Group. I can’t find anyone to replace him on such short notice p>
He couldn’t help but curse. “That bastard Jasper–what the hell is wrong with him? Back when he was overseas, he was a nobody just breaking into the industry. If it weren’t for me, he’d be nowhere! And now he stabs me in the back at a time like this p>
Everyone knew Jasper was Victor’s overseas recruit. What they didn’t know was that Jasper had been a complete unknown when Victor found him. In those early days, they’d built things together from scratch, step by step. That shared journey was the foundation of Victor’s trust–and why he’d never made Jasper sign any binding agreements. That trust had just given Jasper the perfect chance to betray him.