The Counter-Strike
Dan was speaking professionally, his eyes never looking directly into the camera as he walked around the third, and most heavily damaged, property. It was a sprawling ranch-style home built around a Zen garden. All the windows and outer doors had been removed, and the floors had been destroyed.
"As you can see, this property has sustained the most significant damage. We believe the culprits knew that this is one of our flagship properties. These windows had been double-paned etched glass, and the doors and floors were made of imported teak wood. Now the windows and doors are gone, and the floors..."
The camera panned down. "Well, you can see the floors." In some areas, the soft wood had been dug into, revealing the unfinished floor beneath; in other areas, there were dark scorch marks in the wood.
"But that is okay. Trace Progressive will be able to overcome this—not just due to our financial stability, but because of Amber Ann Lance-Trace and the Blue Serene Lake Resort. I still haven't been able to give you the entire review of the resort—don't worry, we will be bringing that to you soon—but believe me when I say the interior design and unique architecture of the entire resort is breathtaking. And it is all done sustainably with upcycled materials."
A truck was pulling into the driveway as he left the home. Amber Ann got out of the passenger side while a large man stepped out of the driver's side.
"And here is Amber Ann Lance-Trace now."
Amber smiled at him and then at the camera. Her voice was light, breezy, and full of confidence. "Hello, I am Amber Ann Lance-Trace, owner of the Blue Serene Lake Resort, and I wanted to help Trace Progressive just as they have helped us." She looked to the driver of the truck she had arrived in. "This is Thomas Long, and he is probably one of the best architectural artisans in Carson City. He introduced me to a recycled material called Liquid Stone, and we have used it throughout the resort property. Come and explain things, Thomas."
The large man blushed and froze behind her. Amber smiled wide and looked back to the camera. "He is a bit shy. Give him a moment, everyone." She moved around to the back of the truck and the camera followed her. Thomas opened the back of the truck and Amber jumped into it with ease. "Dan already chose the design for his doors and floors, and these are the molds for them. Thomas has poured the floors so they can be installed. He is going to pour the last door for you here today so you can see the process. It takes twenty-four hours for the Liquid Stone to cure, and then it is indestructible."
Amber looked to Thomas for confirmation and he gave her a nod. She stepped down, and the quiet artisan climbed into the back of the truck. He showed the camera the floor pieces and the doors. They looked like natural stone and featured intricate designs of vines and leaves. The material was a mineral composite that looked like grayish-white marble with deep black veining.
The followers watching the Live began asking questions about the materials, the process, and about Amber Ann. Answering a question, Amber Ann demonstrated the durability of the material. Thomas handed one of the floor tiles to the workers, but Amber took it first and struck it with a hammer. She then showed it to the camera with a smile. "Not a single scratch."
Even Dan was impressed as he ran his fingers over the tile. The comments section went wild. In the end, Dan smiled into the camera, his voice going cold and determined. "To whomever needs to know this: Trace Progressive can weather any storm. Try your best to destroy us, and we will still come out the other side better than before."
The Live ended, but the buzz continued. Over five million people had watched, and half of them had left comments.
Jessica Lance was one of the people watching. She didn't make a comment; she just stared—first with obsession at Dan, and then with surprise and horror as Amber Ann showed up and actually did a good job. Now she was looking at the accumulating comments and the number of shares steadily going up. He didn't need her. He had solved the issue without spending a dime. He could continue to support Amber Ann without any impedance.
What was worse, Amber Ann was able to help him without any problem as well. Jessica's blood boiled. Her hand drew up into a fist and she trembled. She forced herself to calm down with deep, cleansing breaths.
Amber Ann would not get away with this. Amber Ann did not deserve Dan—only Jessica did.