Chapter 159
Hudson let out a long breath when he heard Babur’s words.
He turned to look at him, searching his face. “Are you sure? Are you really sure Victor will forgive us-will even consider working with us again p>
Babur’s expression was unwavering. “Yes. I’m sure.” His eyes burned with conviction.
He knew Victor all too well.
Victor always led with his heart-exactly why Jasper was able to stab him in the back.
If not for that, Apex would have been a publicly traded company by now, not stuck waiting for its moment.
Clinging to this last sliver of hope, Hudson shot out of his chair. “Come on! Let’s go-let’s get to Apex right now p>
Babur got up and hurried after him.
Thanks to the overnight sensation of Imperial Ascent, the front of Apex Tower was swarming with journalists and camera crews.
Everyone wanted an exclusive with Victor.
But more than that, what they all truly craved was an interview with the elusive Miss Kensington.
Without Miss Kensington, Apex Game Studios would never have achieved this kind of success.
Hudson and Babur gaped at the sight of the strict security system at the entrance, and the sea of reporters with their cameras raised.
They had never imagined it would become this difficult to even get a word with Victor.
Suddenly, a ripple of excitement swept through the crowd.
“There he is! Mr. Winslow just arrived p>
At the sound of someone’s shout, Victor, just stepping out of his car, was
immediately engulfed by a wave of press.
Microphones and cameras pointed directly at his face.
“Mr. Winslow, Imperial Ascent’s downloads are about to break a hundred million! Can you share with us how you’re feeling right now p>
No game had ever reached that milestone on the international market. Imperial Ascent was the first.
Victor faced the cameras, smiling graciously. “To be honest, I never saw this coming. Just two months ago, after some people walked out, Apex was falling apart. But we owe everything to Miss Kensington. If she hadn’t developed Imperial Ascent, our first-ever international AAA title, Apex would never be where it is right now p>
“Is Miss Kensington here in the car? Could we possibly have a word with her?” a reporter pressed.
“I’m sorry, Miss Kensington is very private. She prefers to stay out of the public eye p>
“Could you at least tell us her real name? The internet’s ablaze with curiosity— gamers everywhere want to know more about Miss Kensington p>
“Sorry, I can’t share that p>
“Will Miss Kensington be accepting the Celestial Awards on behalf of Apex this year p>
Although the results for the Celestial Awards hadn’t been announced yet, it was obvious to everyone.
The Chandler Group had once been a contender.
Now, they were a laughingstock-especially Julian, the so-called financial prodigy
of the decade, who was now the punchline of every industry joke.
Victor paused at the question. “Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I’ll need to discuss that with Miss Kensington p>
“Mr. Winslow, one more thing-Is Miss Kensington an employee at Apex, or is she a shareholder p>
“She’s a shareholder,” Victor replied, still smiling to the cameras. “Not just any shareholder-Miss Kensington is our largest stakeholder. To us, though, she’s more than that. She’s our guiding star, the light in our darkest hours. Without her, Apex wouldn’t be where it is today p>
Victor wasn’t just being polite-he meant every word.
To him, Caitlin was nothing short of a guiding faith.
She had always been that, and always would be.
He would never betray Caitlin.
Across the churning crowd, Babur and Hudson waved frantically at Victor.
“Mr. Winslow! Mr. Winslow p>
They tried desperately to get his attention, but there were simply too many people. Victor didn’t so much as glance in their direction.
Suddenly, Babur seemed to remember something. “Come on, Mr. Barrett, let’s go this way p>
Hudson had no idea what Babur was planning, but he followed him without question.
The two circled around Apex Tower, eventually making their way to the rear entrance.
Since Apex’s meteoric rise had happened just last night, security at the back was still lax, and the location was so out of the way that none of the reporters had found it yet.
Babur had worked with Apex for years he knew the building like the back of his hand.
As soon as they slipped inside, they caught sight of Jasper stepping out of the elevator.
Gone was the confident, self-assured look Jasper once wore; now, he looked utterly defeated—like a balloon that had lost all its air.
He had thought that leaving Apex for the Chandler Group would be his ticket to
the top, his chance to become a big name in the gaming world.
He imagined adoration, fame, his name etched into the industry’s history.
He even thought Apex would fall apart without him, turning into a relic of the past. Instead, reality had taken a very different turn.
Apex hadn’t crumbled after his departure-in fact, it had soared, delivering the first international AAA blockbuster.
And Jasper? After joining the Chandler Group, he hadn’t become a gaming mogul. Instead, he’d crashed and burned.
With the Chandler Group’s high-profile failure, his reputation plummeted overnight. The community called him a traitor, and furious gamers had even tracked down his personal social media to harass him.
At this point, no game company in the industry would touch Jasper.
No one could know just how much he regretted his decision.
If he’d known it would turn out like this, he’d never have left Apex. If he’d stayed,
he would have been part of the team that built the AAA title, and his standing would have skyrocketed.
Which meant that Jasper’s purpose now was the same as Babur’s and Hudson’s.
He was here to beg Victor.
Beg him for another chance. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on.net
But Victor hadn’t given him one.
So Jasper trudged out of the elevator, utterly dejected.
Babur’s eyes flashed with scorn as he spotted him. “Well, well, if it isn’t Manager Lockwood-the man who stabbed Mr. Winslow in the back. Tell me, do you actually have the nerve to show your face at Apex p>