"BRO!! IT'S 7 MILLION—!".
Emily's shout died in her throat halfway through. She and Bella stood frozen in the doorway, their eyes wide, taking in the scene. Me, lying back on the couch. Vera, draped across me, her face flushed and her body tense. My hand was a very obvious, large lump under her shirt, clearly cupping her breast.
There was a beat of dead, awkward silence.
"Huh?! What is?". I asked, my voice completely calm, though I did stop moving my hand.
Bella found her voice first, though it was a squeak. "Silent Hill! It hit 5 million sales! And the counter is still going absolutely crazy!".
The number hit me like a physical blow. Seven million. In a few minutes, since I last leave it, the shock was so profound, so visceral, that my body reacted before my brain could. My hand, still under Vera's shirt, clenched on reflex. I didn't just squeeze; I grabbed a handful of her soft breast and yanked, a gut-level reaction to the staggering news. For Vera, the combination of the intense stimulation and the sudden, sharp surprise was too much.
"AAAHH!! FFFFUUUCCC!!!! Splurt♥ Splurt!!! Aaahhh♥ Aaahhh♥". Her eyes flew wide open. A strangled, high-pitched sound escaped her lips, and then her whole body went rigid against mine. Her back arched violently, her thighs clamped together, and she let out a loud, shuddering, utterly unmistakable moan of orgasm that echoed through the suddenly silent living room. It was a raw, helpless sound that seemed to go on for seconds, her body trembling uncontrollably against me as she rode out the waves of her climax.
"Ah, ahh, nn… Hhhnn… Feels so good, mijo…hah~". Vera was panting as her entire body shuddering, she collapsed against my chest, breathing in ragged, shallow gasps, her face buried in my shirt, utterly spent and completely mortified.
The silence returned, thicker and more awkward than before. Bella was just staring, her mouth a perfect 'O' of shock. Then her expression shifted. She uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips, a spectacular pout forming on her lips.
"Really?" she huffed, her voice dripping with exaggerated indignation. "Now? You two just had to get handsy right when we have the biggest news ever? When's it my turn?".
I couldn't help but smirk. I slowly extracted my now-damp hand from under Vera's shirt, giving her breast one last, apologetic pat. Vera made a weak, muffled sound of protest but didn't move.
"mi culpa, Bella," I said, my voice laced with amusement. "Got a little carried away…. As for your turn? Soon, baby girl, Mwah!". I leaned over, grabbed Bella's arm, and pulled her down enough to plant a firm, promising kiss on her pouting lips. She melted instantly, the pout replaced by a dazed, happy smile.
Emily, recovering from her own shock, just shook her head and rolled her eyes with a sisterly sigh. She flopped down onto the opposite sofa, pulling her phone back out. Bella joined her, both of them trying—and failing—to pretend they hadn't just witnessed Vera's very vocal finish.
Vera, meanwhile, slowly, awkwardly, pushed herself up. Her face was a brilliant shade of crimson. She couldn't meet anyone's eyes as she shakily straightened her tank top, trying to regain some semblance of her usual composed, fierce demeanor. She smoothed her hair back and settled into her own corner of the couch, looking anywhere but at the rest of us, the air still crackling with the aftermath of what had just happened. My aunt had just come her brains out on me because I'd sold five million copies of my video game.
The air in the living room was thick with a bizarre cocktail of awkwardness, arousal, and overwhelming excitement. Vera was doing a commendable job of pretending to be deeply interested in a loose thread on the couch cushion, her face still flushed a deep rose. Bella was shooting me looks that promised a world of trouble—the good kind—her earlier pout replaced by a simmering, competitive heat. Emily, ever the pragmatist, broke the silence.
"Okay, weirdness aside," she said, holding up her phone like a holy relic. "You need to see this for real, bro..." She scooted to the edge of the sofa and handed the device to me.
The screen displayed a live sales tracker connected to the Vapor API. The number was indeed hovering just over five million. But it wasn't static. As I watched, the last three digits blurred, refreshing so fast they were just a smear of motion. 5,001,147… 5,001,893… 5,002,641… It was like watching a slot machine jackpot that had no intention of stopping.
A slow, genuine smile spread across my face, one that started deep in my chest and worked its way out. It felt foreign and familiar at the same time. This wasn't the smug grin of a manipulative god watching his plan unfold. This was the relieved, incredulous, and utterly ecstatic smile of a guy who had just won the lottery.
"Looks like I made it," I said, my voice quieter than I intended, laced with a wonder I couldn't hide. This number wasn't just money. It was freedom. It was validation. It was a giant, flashing billboard telling the entire world that Sael Hardcox—or at least, Meteor Studios—was not a fluke. It was the first, monumental step on the road to everything I'd ever wanted.
I looked up from the glowing screen, the smile still on my face, and found four pairs of eyes locked on me. Cathy had emerged from her nap, drawn by the commotion, and was standing in the doorway to the living room, her hair slightly mussed from sleep. She was just staring, her hand over her heart.
Vera had finally looked up from her intense thread examination. Bella and Emily were both watching me, their phones forgotten in their laps.
"What?" I asked, the smile fading slightly under the intensity of their gaze.
Cathy was the one who spoke, her voice soft and a little watery. "It's just…". She took a few steps into the room, her eyes glistening.
"It's the first time in so, so long we've seen you genuinely smile like that. A real, happy smile... Not a smirk, not a fake one, A real one.". She blinked, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek. "It's… it's beautiful, my baby.".
The raw emotion in her voice hit me harder than any sales figure. Before I could form a response, she crossed the room and sat next to me on the couch. She didn't say another word. She just wrapped her arms around me and pulled my head down onto her chest, cradling me like I was a little kid again. The soft, familiar swell of her breasts made a perfect pillow, and I could smell her light, floral perfume and the clean scent of her skin.
Vera didn't hesitate. She immediately shifted over and hugged me from the other side, her own impressive chest pressing against my arm, her head resting on my shoulder. The scent of her coconut shampoo mixed with Cathy's perfume. A moment later, Nadia, sensing the shift in energy, entered and gracefully settled on the long couch next to Vera, completing the circle and placing a warm, comforting hand on my knee.
It was a spontaneous, loving pile of feminine affection. I was buried in a couch of softness, warmth, and the overwhelming, unconditional pride of my family. I closed my eyes, just for a second, and let myself soak it in. This feels appropriate.
The moment was shattered by the blaring, overly dramatic theme music of the 3 PM news from the TV Vera had left on. The telenovela was over. The screen cut to a stark, serious news set. A stunningly beautiful blonde anchorwoman with razor-sharp cheekbones and a severe blue suit looked directly into the camera, her expression grave.
"{We begin with breaking news in the entertainment world,}" she announced, her voice a smooth, professional baritone. "{The launch of the highly anticipated game Silent Hill: First Fear has caused an unprecedented event that has reverberated beyond the gaming community.}".
Behind her, a graphic of the Vapor logo with a large red "X" over it appeared. "{The Vapor gaming platform confirmed a total server crash earlier today due to what they are calling 'historic, record-shattering demand.' The crash lasted approximately fifteen minutes, halting all sales and downloads platform-wide.}"
The screen then showed a screenshot of the official Vapor Chirper account's humiliating public apology. The anchor continued, her voice rising slightly with each incredible statistic.
"{Despite the catastrophic outage, initial sales reports confirm numbers that have left industry analysts in a state of shock. confirmed sales have already soared past 6.9 million copies…}".
She paused for effect, letting the number hang in the air.
"{…utterly demolishing the previous single-day sales record of 3.5 million, held for the past five years by The Suffering of Duke Winston.}".
Another pause. The camera zoomed in slightly on her face.
"{And with hours still left in the day, that number is expected to climb astronomically higher. The developer, a mysterious new entity known only as 'Meteor Studios,' has not yet released a statement.}"
I let out a low, incredulous whistle. "Well, shit... My game made the news." I meant it as a joke, a casual deflection of the overwhelming reality.
But when I turned to look at my family, the words died in my throat.
Cathy, Vera, Nadia, Bella, and Emily. All five of them. They were all staring at the television screen, their mouths hanging open in identical, perfect, comical 'O's of utter, complete, and total shock. All the color had drained from Vera's face. Cathy's hand was clamped over her mouth again, but this time in pure disbelief. Bella's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. Emily was just pointing weakly at the screen, unable to form words. The scale of it, the official confirmation from the stern-faced news lady, had finally made it real for them.