"Martin! Let's go!" "What?" Martin froze. He hadn't expected Piper to pull a stunt like this. Are you kidding me? We finally latched onto a golden opportunity, and she just tosses it? One look at Storm's glare—cold enough to kill—made Martin grit his teeth and follow Piper. He knew the truth—they weren't being helped out of kindness. Piper's looks had bought their spot. With her gone, staying behind would have been suicidal. "Piper, what's going on? Now it's just us. How are we supposed to level?" Martin caught up, worry twisting his face. "Then we don't level. It's just a dumb game. You think I care?" Piper pouted. "Besides, he chewed me out like that, and you're defending him? Are you even my friend?" "Okay, okay, my bad. But come on—if someone talked like that about your sister, of course Storm would get mad," Martin rubbed his temple. "That's why I gave him a chance. If he just let Drizzle apologize, I'd have let it go. Who knew he'd keep pushing?" Piper sounded hurt. "How dare he?" Martin was speechless. "So you think that was you giving him a way out?" "Wasn't it?" Piper's gaze was serious. Martin hesitated. "Not really." "Aiden always coaxed me like that," Piper added. "If I got mad and gave him a step down, he'd take it with a smile. If he were the one helping me level, and I told him to kick someone, he wouldn't even blink." "Uh..." Martin considered it and said nothing. She was right. D*mn it. When I told you to ask Aiden to carry you, you acted all high and mighty. Now you've hit a wall and got rejected. Suddenly, you remember how good he was. He kept that thought to himself. For two years, he'd been milking Piper for favors with puppy eyes and sob stories. He knew how to play it. "Exactly. Aiden treats you really well. If he hasn't reached out, something must be going on. Or maybe you said something that upset him," he said. "You're generous—just let it go and don't bother arguing with Storm." Piper snorted coldly, saying nothing. Martin hesitated, then continued, "Doomsday is a huge opportunity. However, it's brutal. You know that. We've barely played games before, and I'm not strong. Just the two of us? Leveling will be tough. We might even get wiped by random mobs." Piper scoffed. "What's so hard? We can find other people to party with." "Sure. Plenty will carry you because you're gorgeous. The real question is what kind of people they are," Martin warned. "Like that team earlier—they worked hard and only gained one level in half a day. Exhausting. If Aiden carried us, it'd be different. The chubby kid in class says he's always loved gaming and is really good at it. More importantly, he'd spend on you. Even if he wasn't top-tier, he'd hire pros to boost us if you asked. Right?" Piper shook her head. "You make it sound like I only deal with him for money." Isn't that true? Martin thought. Every time she contacts Aiden, it's either for a gift or to get him to cover something. He smiled. "Others don't get you. I do. You're just trying not to hurt his feelings." "Exactly." Piper smiled. "See? You get me. If Aiden were half as thoughtful as you, that'd be perfect." "Everyone has strengths and flaws. No complaints there," Martin said with a smirk. "Still, real talk—Aiden might be a mess in many ways, yet he's solid with you. It's been a while since he reached out. He's probably miserable. Don't kick him when he's down. You're kind. You can cut him some slack, right?" Piper hesitated. "So... I should reach out first?" "Of course!" Martin grinned. Mission accomplished!If you don't contact him, where's the startup cash for the game gonna come from? And how am I supposed to get my cut?