A Contracted Business Man

The contractual process commenced shortly after pleasantries were exchanged. Trent couldn't resist sipping the drink placed before him, even though Kamila had advised against it.

He was employing the drink as a distraction, allowing him to subtly observe his soon-to-be colleagues. Not that he was unfamiliar with them; Trent had meticulously researched them prior to this day, gathering crucial information on each individual seated across the glass table from him.

It's not that he was being paranoid; he merely sought a leverage point or a potential countermeasure should he feel deceived. And indeed, he had unearthed some deeply private details about them—secrets that no one else should know.

'Mr. Bald head here may be acting tough and keeping a straight face, but he's gone through four divorces and his wife abuses him at home, lol,' Trent mused, recalling the CCTV footage of the man's house he had procured.

'And Moustache here?' Trent casually turned his gaze, still sipping his drink, to another man. 'A chronic viewer of a pornographic content that could get him in jail.' Trent shrugged and skimmed the other two—a woman and another male. He had information about them too. 

"Templar!" His name was called again as the only person he knew personally re-entered the room with haste. He briskly approached and laid a file of documents before Trent and Kamila.

The man, whose name was Nathan Vyle, son of the original founder of the company, had a wide smile as he offered Trent a pen. But Trent refused the offer, displaying his own special pen.

Trent glanced at the others, noticing they all had eager faces to wrap the process up. He was eager as well. Only a few minutes to go and he would be a millionaire.

Kamila began reading out the principal details for the pivotal contract between Trent Docker, age 25, and Vyle Inc., which would formalize a revenue sharing arrangement of 60:40 for gaming profits and 30:70 for market revenues, respectively, in favour of Trent.

Trent bit at the tip of his straw, listening to Kamila list out all the skins and maps he had integrated into the realm and she even passed around the photographs for everyone to see and inspect. Trent noticed a disturbed look on the face of the woman before him. She must have been concerned with the appearance of the female skins in Paradox Unbound. Trent had made them look extremely sumptuous, sensual and beddable. Once again, you can't blame him.

Trent grew tired of listening to Kamila mention every single term that was related with the Paradox realm and he used that moment to mentally rehearse a signature.

When she was done, she nodded at Trent and signed her portion as a witness, passing it to the next person. The moustache man signed as quickly as lightning and passed to the next.

Trent's eyes watched the document move around the table in a circle and eventually, it was presented to him by Nathan, who had just signed his. Trent inhaled deeply, set down his drink, and clicked open his pen. He leaned forward, seeking his name on the document. Finding it emboldened and prominently placed at the bottom, and in such a way that it assured him how important he was. Trent gave a short smile, and scribbled what came to his mind at that moment.

"Congratulations, Trent the Templar!" Nathan announced jovially with a stretched hand for a handshake.

Trent couldn't help but smile as he stood up to accept Nathan's handshake. He tried his best to keep his handshake firm, but his palms were already damp. "Thank you so much for this opportunity," Trent replied, as Nathan patted him on the back. 

Handshakes were exchanged all around as the contractual process was finalized. Paradox Unbound was now set for a full launch at midnight. All Trent could think about was the signing bonus that came with it, and my, so many zeros.

He couldn't fathom the figures he had just seen in his bank account, and many more to come. Trent politely excused himself from the cheering group of suits and left the building. He wanted to celebrate with his mother.

Upon entering his mother's hotel room, which was just across from the company, Trent saw her gripping her legs, sitting nervously at the foot of the bed. "Mama! We're rich!" Trent exclaimed, and his mother's eyes lit up with happiness. She ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

As Trent hugged his mother, he noticed a familiar figure emerging from the bathroom. It was his brother. Trent couldn't believe it!

He hadn't seen his brother in five years, since he had gone abroad to pursue his educational ambitions, leaving him to be the one who dropped out of school. Nonetheless, Trent still loved his little brother. They immediately shared a hug too and started a family celebration.

Conor, Trent's brother, immediately grabbed the champagne and some cups. His mother revealed the pastries she had prepared beforehand, and they began setting up a little celebration. Trent excused himself to the bathroom; he wanted to undress out of that suit and feel lighter with his family.

He noticed that Kamila was calling and briefly spoke about what would come next. It all seemed like happy sailing to Trent. He switched off his phone for the celebration, just after his eyes caught the 34 missed calls from Jessica.

He chuckled while untying his tie. 'I fuckin' did it!'

He paused when he couldn't hear the joyful cheer of his mother anymore, and it seemed Conor had stopped jumping with whoops. "Keep the party going, naww," Trent bellowed as he pulled off his trousers just after removing those tight shoes.

The sudden silence was too much for him to bear, and he decided to check if there was a problem. Stepping out on socks, Trent was hit by an eerie stillness. His brother and mother were lying peacefully on the bed as if they were asleep.

'Can't be drunk already, are ya?'

Trent kicked the champagne bottle that must have slipped from his brother's hand, sending it skittering across the floor. He immediately stopped in his tracks as the acrid smell of burnt plastic lingered in the air, seeping into his nostrils. A sense of dread began creeping into his heart, gnawing at his insides. With growing confusion and alarm, Trent approached his family, shaking them by their shoulders. When they didn't respond, his fear quickly escalated.

Trent's heart began to race, but his mind was clear enough to think about rushing for his phone to call for immediate help. He sprinted back to the bathroom and grabbed his phone, dialling the hotel's emergency line as fast as he could. He tried numerous times, but there was no answer.

Trent darted out of the bathroom to check on his family, only to be met by the horrifying sight of flames erupting from the walls. His heart skipped a beat and his mouth fell open in shock. He dialled Kamila's number frantically, but her line was unresponsive, adding to his mounting terror.

Trent rushed for the doors while dialling the usual 911. 

The fire had started engulfing everything, burning the furniture and everything in sight. Trent began weeping while banging on the door, choking on smoke.

The realization of what was happening hit him like a moving train. And he didn't need to be told that he had been betrayed. This was the price.

When he thought he had these people checkmated and that they would never sway him, he never thought they would go to this extent. Trent banged on the door, and his lungs were filled with smoke just as the police line answered. 'You bastards!'

"Hello?" came the voice on the other end, but Trent could only cough, his voice lost in the smoke. Gathering the last of his strength, he stumbled towards his mother and brother, collapsing beside them. He hugged them tightly, his tears mixing with the soot on his face.

The fire spread rapidly, consuming everything in its path. Flames licked the walls, and the heat became unbearable. The Docker family was trapped, and their fate was inevitable. The smoke thickened, making it hard to breathe or see. Trent's vision blurred as he held onto his family, feeling the intense heat closing in.

Within moments, the Docker family was consumed by the flames, Trent's screams silenced as he was reduced to ashes.