A Piece of Your Heart

At that moment, Nathan spotted me.

And to my mortification, I blushed.

What was I doing? Why did I feel as if I had been caught red-handed doing something embarrassing?

He pulled the phone away from his ear slightly, and then smiled. “Do you need something?” he mouthed.

I shook my head and waved a dismissive hand. “I’m okay.”

I then approached the bathroom and peeked inside.

“Wow,” I couldn’t help but gasp aloud.

The bathroom… was magnificent.

There was a large bathtub carved from smooth white stone with gleaming gold patterns on the sides. There was also a walk-in closet with custom shelving that housed an extensive collection of designer clothing, watches, and accessories.

The sink rested on a smooth marble counter. There was a large mirror with bright lights, and the shelves below held soft towels and fancy-looking soaps. The toilet was modern and sleek, and fluffy towels and soft robes hung on hooks.

“This is really a bathroom for the ‘rich’ rich,” I marveled. “I can only see bathrooms like this on TV.”

Nathan and I were truly worlds apart, huh?

I left the bathroom and explored other areas. Everything was beautifully decorated, and I could tell that some of the appliances were automated. Nathan could probably operate them with a single button on a remote control or a simple tap on the phone.

There was also an expansive private balcony with a small table between the chairs, a bottle of wine and a wine glass resting on the surface. I resisted the urge to go there since it seemed too private for me to intrude.

“So how was the tour?”

I jumped at the sound of Nathan’s voice from behind me. I turned to face him, blushing with embarrassment at how transparent I must have been. What was wrong with me today? I was usually calmer than this.

Maybe I was too excited because it felt like I was entering a whole new world…This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“It was great. I mean, this place is amazing,” I told him honestly. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a home like this. It feels like something out of a luxury magazine.”

Nathan smiled a little. “You’re welcome to visit anytime you want.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s not appropriate,” I told him promptly. “I’ll only come whenever you ask me to.”

He chuckled. It didn’t sound mocking, but rather pleasant. “Okay, I understand.”

I followed him back to the living room. I still couldn’t take my eyes off the place. It was so luxurious and full of technology, like I had stepped into a whole new world. My cheap apartment could never compare to something like this.

“I have something to confess,” Nathan suddenly said as he sat down on the couch, gesturing for me to sit down as well.

“Yeah?” I asked, looking at him solemnly. I wondered what he was going to say.

“I’m…” He hesitated for a moment. “About my identity. And my position at work. I think that you deserve to know.”

“Um, not really,” I said without hesitation. “I mean, if you’re not comfortable with telling me, it’s fine.”

“Nah. I want to do this. I don’t want to keep you in the dark for too long.”

He let out a short breath.

“Have you ever heard of NA Games, Inc.?”

“NA Games?” I repeated, surprised.”Yes, of course. Wait… are you telling me that you’re…?”

I didn’t need to finish my question.

Nathan nodded.

“I work there,” he said. “As its CEO, in fact.”

“As its what?!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I must’ve heard wrong, right?

“It’s the truth,” he said, affirming my doubts.

“But…” I didn’t know how to respond. “NA Games’ CEO has never revealed his face in public.”

Wait a minute.

NA…

Nathaniel Adams.

Oh my god.

I’d been such an idiot.

“Yeah.” A wry smile played on his lips. “I’ve never really been fond of being under the spotlight. Plus, it’s easier that way. The less people know my face, the better. I can go wherever I wish without anybody recognizing me.”

I stared at him, open-mouthed. “No way… My brother loves your games!” I exclaimed.

He seemed surprised. “The company’s games, you mean?”

“Yeah!” I could feel the excitement slowly coursing through my veins. I wasn’t a gamer myself, but after finally putting a face to the prominent figure in the video game industry, I felt like I was meeting face-to-face with a celebrity.

No wonder he was this rich! Only the top wealthy people could afford a condo unit of this standard. It all made sense now.

Oh my god. I was interacting with a CEO. What kind of sorcery was this?

Was I dreaming?

Such an important man offered to buy my time? Little, ordinary me?

“He loves the Eden Shadow series,” I added.

Nathan’s eyes lit up. “Personally, I loved what the development team and story did with the world building. I can say it’s one of my favorite games I’ve had the pleasure of greenlighting.”

“I’ve never played it, but I admit that I was taken in by the graphics and the characters,” I said with a smile.

Despite being starstruck, it was refreshing to know his true identity and also to realize that he was so passionate about his work.

The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. I remembered the article I had read in the taxi that day, specifically the night Nathan saved me from those men. It was an article about the CEO of NA Games Inc. recovering from an illness. Nathan had mentioned that he was still recovering the day we first met, so the facts checked out.

“It’s still a pleasure to have caught the attention of a non-gamer,” Nathan said, making me laugh a little.

“My brother’s most favorite is the Vital Sword series, by the way,” I told him.

Nathan was beaming. “The sequel will be out this year, but I can give him a free copy if you want.”

“What? No, it’s okay. You don’t have to do that,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed. He didn’t even know Ken, so it would be awkward if he gave him a free copy out of the blue. Besides, Ken would definitely ask me how I got a copy when the CD wasn’t even out in stores yet, either physically or digitally.

“That’s okay,” Nathan said with a smile. “I’ve got a few extra copies with me. Even though I’m not part of the beta testing department, I tend to play the games extensively from time to time to check for bugs and graphical issues. The copies that I currently have are the ones that were finalized. I’m really okay with giving them out.”

“But it’s more complicated than that,” I protested. “I can’t just get a free gift from you. My brother’s going to ask me a lot of questions, too. It doesn’t feel right.”

Nathan looked at me for a moment. There was no anger or annoyance in his features. Rather, his expression was one of contemplation.

Then he gave me a warm smile.

“Okay,” he said simply. “Then, in exchange for the free physical copy of the game, please watch a movie with me today.”