Page 63 of Glitched Play

When Witt finally takes the stage, the room quiets before he reaches the microphone.

He doesn't smile for the crowd. He doesn't charm them. He doesn't open with a joke or a polished anecdote. He stands there in his perfectly tailored tux, without a black tie at a black-tie event. His hands resting lightly on the podium and lets the silence settle.

"Most people think games are about winning," he says.

A pause.

"They're not."

The room goes still.

"They're about access. Choice. Independence. Belonging. They're about entering a world where the rules can be adjusted so more people get to play."

My throat tightens.

He looks out over the room, not at anyone in particular, but somehow at everyone. He has a knack for not looking people in the eye.

"When I built my first game, I didn't think about markets or revenue or disruption. I thought about escape. I thought about control. I thought about what it felt like to enter a world where I understood the rules."

Something inside me aches.

"Tonight is about making sure more children get that chance. Not someday. Not when technology becomes cheaper or easier or more convenient. Now."

The applause starts before he finishes.

This time, when people look at Witt O'Ryan, they don't just see the billionaire, the genius, the quiet man behind a gaming empire.

They see the reason behind it. And so do I.

After his speech, the room swallows Witt once more. Sponsors approach. Donors shake his hand. Reporters ask questions. He answers with short, efficient sentences, but now I can see the effort beneath every interaction. The way his shoulders tense with too many people too close. The way he never looks anyone in the eye except his family. The way his fingers tap once against his leg before he stills them. The way he keeps searching for quiet inside a room built for noise.

Chase finds me and ask me to dance. He slips his arm around my waist and we sway to the beat.

“Thanks for inviting me. Maci… I … I want more.”

“More champagne? There’s plenty.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “No, us. We get along so well and I’ve hardly seen you since you moved here.”

“Once I’m settled in and have a handle on my job, I’ll have more time.”

Tyler dances into us with a gorgeous brunette. “Hey sis, this is the best night of my life.”

“Thanks for coming. It means a lot.” It really does because none of my family has ever been to anything of mine.

The song ends and Tyler and the girl ask Chase to go look at the silent auction items with them.

Eventually, I find a corner near one of the balconies where the music is softer and the air feels less crowded. I stand there holding a glass of champagne I haven't touched, watching kids test adaptive controllers under glittering chandeliers, and let myself feel happy.

Really happy.

For once, I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

"You disappeared." His voice comes from beside me, low and familiar.

I turn and Witt stands a few feet away, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass of water. Of course it's water.

"I needed a second."