Chapter 194
Violet watched Victoria’s retreating figure, Lyndon trailing faithfully at her side. A shadow crossed Violet’s eyes.
She quickened her pace to catch up, but by the time she entered the venue, Victoria had already vanished.
Maybe Victoria just knew someone here and slipped in through a side door, Violet thought. After all, a woman like Victoria-nothing but pride and pampered airs- couldn’t possibly have achieved anything meaningful on her own.
As Violet stepped onto the track, her bright yellow racing suit turned heads everywhere. The crowd erupted the moment they saw her, fans waving signs with her name scrawled across them, shouting with wild enthusiasm.
The sight of it all set Violet’s pride ablaze, and in an instant, she cast aside any thoughts of Victoria.
Really, someone like Victoria wasn’t worth her concern.
Her focus needed to be here, on today’s race—and on the one rival who’d nearly matched her time in the qualifiers. That driver was the only real threat she faced.
Violet knew that no one gave everything during trial runs. Normally, racers held something back. But with fans watching and McNeil present that day, she’d been forced to push herself to the limit just to edge out her competitor.
Today’s race was bound to be a fierce battle. She’d stirred up enough headlines in the media already-now she couldn’t afford to embarrass herself.
“Violet, is your game back online?”
As Violet led her team into the paddock, someone called out from behind. At first she barely registered the question, but then, glancing around, she realized she was surrounded by massive billboards-adverts plastered everywhere with the racing game’s title. Even without looking closely, she recognized it as the Quantum Core Technologies release.
She saw that the game’s main character, once “Violet,” was now “Vivian.” Wade hustled over and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Only you could pull this off, Ms. Marchand. Remember when that game got pulled from the store and everyone lost their minds? But the hype was insane. Now they bring it back during the championship-boss, you hit the jackpot.”
Violet stared at the ad, making sure she hadn’t misread it. The developer name was “Vivian.” Ever since the real Vivian retired and got married, Violet had stepped into her role.
The game really had been taken down, and Mr. Garcia had sold it off. Now, seeing it relaunched, Violet’s expression darkened. She quickly pulled out her phone and called Curtis.
Curtis, meanwhile, had already noticed the game’s return. As he watched Violet in her racing suit from the stands—confident, striking, impossible to ignore he felt none of the old affection he once had. Whatever feelings he’d held for her had ended the moment she started seeing McNeil. Now, he felt only resentment, especially after she’d snatched Victoria’s game rights.
Just as Curtis was about to call her, Violet’s number flashed on his screen. He slipped away from the noisy crowd, finding a quiet corner to answer.
“Mr. Garcia, did you see the ads?” Violet demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. The looming race was far from her mind now.
Curtis immediately realized she’d had nothing to do with the re-release.
“Probably the new owners. They’re behind this,” he replied.
Violet forced her voice to stay calm. “You sold the game’s rights for two million. We didn’t just lose money-we lost our reputation. Imagine what the other tech companies are saying about us now.”
Curtis’s tone grew colder, irritation creeping in. “You and I both know who wrote that game’s code. I sold it because I hoped the creator would at least get some credit and closure. I’m a businessman, not a snake. No one should have to betray themselves for a paycheck.”
Violet was momentarily stunned by his sharp response, thrown off balance by the unexpected rebuke.