Chapter 6
At 1:50 PM the next day, I stood outside Beacon Ventures.
The floor-to-ceiling windows on the 67th floor reflected the Eastport skyline.
I wore a white shirt and black pants, my hair pulled back in a low ponytail.
I kept my makeup light.
Today wasn't about going live; it was about business.
After the front desk confirmed my identity, they led me to a small conference room.
It wasn't big, but the view was incredible, one whole wall was glass.
I'd barely waited two minutes when the door opened.
David walked in.
He was taller than those paparazzi pics online, probably around 6'1", dressed in a dark blue shirt with no tie.
His looks weren't anything flashy, nothing that grabbed your attention right away, but the kind you could get used to and find more appealing the longer you stared.
"Ms. Nolan," he said.
"Mr. Stone," I replied.
He motioned for me to sit, then took the seat across from me. The table was completely bare, not even a glass of water.
He got straight to the point.
"Let me start by telling you what I need," he said.
"Okay," I replied.
"Last year, Beacon Ventures put money into a live streaming platform called Streamline. now we've got 30 million users, but we're only sixth in the industry. The issue isn't our tech, what we're missing is someone who can define what quality content should look like."
"What do you want me to do?"
"We want you to be Streamline's Chief Content Officer. You'll be in charge of the platform's live content strategy, talent development, and brand partnerships," he said.
He wasn't asking me to be a streamer.
He wanted me to shape the platform.
I looked at him.
"Why me?" I asked.
"Because you're the only one who can talk about ingredient lists on a livestream and still pull in 27 million dollars in GMV," David said, his voice steady and deliberate. "This industry doesn't need more salespeople."
"What are the terms?"
"1.7 million dollars a year, plus 2% equity in the platform. If Streamline goes public within two years, based on the current valuation, "
He paused.
"I'll let you figure that part out yourself," he said.
Of course I could do the math.
Streamline was currently valued at about 2.7 billion dollars, so 2% would be about 53 million dollars.
Even if it got cut in half after the IPO and the shares were diluted,
It was still a number I couldn't even earn in ten years at Radiant Media.
"What about the non-compete agreement?" I asked.
"I had our legal team look into it. The non-compete clause with Radiant Media only applies to MCN streamers. As a platform content officer, you're not restricted. Legally, it's all clear," he said.
He'd done his homework.
I leaned back in my chair, thinking for thirty seconds.
"I have one more condition," I said.
"Go ahead," he replied.
"I want my own team. I'll hire them myself, and I don't want any interference from the existing management."
David looked at me, without a moment's pause.
"Deal," he said.
I reached out my hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you," I said.
He shook my hand.
His hand was dry, his grip firm and confident.
"Welcome aboard, Grace," he said.
*****
We kept the news under wraps for three days.
By the third night, an article from an industry blog set the group chats on fire.
The headline screamed: "Grace Joins Streamline as Chief Content Officer, David of Beacon Ventures Gets Hands-On."
The post came with Streamline's official announcement poster.
My photo was front and center, with a line beside it: "Grace, Chief Content Officer, Streamline."
Within ten minutes of the post going live, my phone was blowing up with over a hundred messages.
Former colleagues, old friends, brand contacts, everyone was reaching out.
Even a few fellow streamers sent messages, their tone dripping with envy: [Grace, you've really leveled up.]
But none of that was what I cared about.
I was waiting for one person's reaction.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Charles's message popped up.
[Grace, you're at Streamline? Was this all part of your plan? No wonder you stirred things up in the livestream that day, you did it on purpose!]
I typed out a few words, then deleted them.
In the end, I didn't reply at all.
'Why waste my breath explaining to someone like him? As long as I know every step I took was right, that's all that matters.'
Edward's call came through out of nowhere.
Of all people, he was the last one I wanted to talk to.
But after a moment's thought, I answered.
"Grace," Edward's voice was so deep it sounded like it was coming from the depths of the earth. "You did a number on us. Cosmique has suspended all cooperation with us because of you, and the company has lost over 17 million dollars in Q4."
"Mr. Lane," I said, my voice flat. "Cosmique pulled out because you broke the contract first. Their agreement clearly states I'm their exclusive host. By unilaterally ending my contract, you trashed the deal with the brand."
There was a five-second silence on the other end.
"Don't celebrate just yet. That tiny Streamline platform? I give it six months tops, " Edward said.
"Mr. Lane," I cut him off, "my lawyer's in court next Monday, so you better have 670,000 dollars ready for compensation. And that demand letter for 1 million dollars you sent? I've already countersued. Keep harassing me, and I'll tack on emotional distress damages."
I hung up.
My hand didn't even shake.
I blocked his number.