Page 43 of Stream Heat (Omega Stream #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Kara

The heat had broken at some point and the guys had all excused themselves so I wasn’t surprised when I woke up alone but I didn’t understand why my phone was buzzing like it was having a seizure.

For a second I thought maybe something had gone catastrophically wrong, but as I dug in, it was more complicated than that.

A lot of the messages were what you’d expect, support from Omega streamers dealing with the same industry crap, viewers dropping thank-yous for being honest, other content creators rallying behind me.

What I hadn’t expected, or maybe just hadn’t wanted to think about, was that Victoria would have a counterattack ready to go.

There was a distinct flavor to the hate, it looked coordinated, and I was sure someone had spent all night making sure it did.

@AlphaGaming: Kara Quinn throws agent under bus to deflect from her own poor choices. Classic omega victim mentality.

@ProStreamNews: brEAKING: Sources close to Victoria Smith say Quinn’s accusations are "desperate deflection" from breach of contract.

@TradGaming: First she lies about her designation for years, now she’s destroying people’s careers with false accusations. Where does it end?

It was almost funny, if it hadn’t made my insides twist up. Each post sounded like it was copy-pasted from the same shared doc. Classic PR maneuver, paint me as vindictive and unreliable, muddy the waters as fast as possible. Victoria’s fingerprints all over it.

"Damage control in full swing," I muttered, scrolling past the parade of corporate-approved outrage.

Reid appeared in my doorway, cup of coffee in hand, looking for all the world like he hadn’t just woken up to find my reputation on fire. "What’s happening?" he asked.

I shoved my phone in his direction. "Victoria’s firing back. They’re accusing me of making up everything I said on the stream. Trying to frame it as me being dramatic."

He gave me a look I couldn’t read. "Are you lying?" he asked, voice low.

I was so offended my brain short-circuited for a second. "No. Of course not. I have everything documented, every text, every email she ever sent me about the suppressants, about NDAs, about all of it. I just... I’m guessing what you’re really asking is if I can prove it."

Reid nodded. "I’m asking if you’re ready for a legal war, Kara. Because that’s where this is going."

My phone rang before I could reply. Jennifer, my lawyer. She wasn’t the type to waste time on pleasantries.

"Kara, we need to talk," she said, skipping hello completely. "Victoria Smith’s legal team has already contacted us. They’re claiming defamation and threatening to sue unless you issue a public retraction."

I barked a humorless laugh. "A retraction of what? The truth?"

"They’re arguing you can’t prove that Victoria herself was at fault. And your posts have harmed her professional reputation. So, they want you to apologize and walk it back."

My stomach dropped. I risked a glance at Reid. "Can they actually do that?"

"They can try," Jennifer replied. "And they probably hope you’ll back down rather than fight. But if this goes to court, we’ll get discovery. They’ll have to turn over all their emails, all their DMs, everything. And that could get very messy for Victoria."

"So it’s a bluff," I said, half to myself.

"It’s a serious bluff," Jennifer corrected. "You don’t need to respond directly. Document everything, don’t make more statements about her specifically, and let me handle the rest. But be ready, it’ll get nasty. She’s going to use every tool she has to try and discredit you."

I hung up and just... sat there. "This is exactly what I was afraid of," I said. "Going up against people with more connections, more resources. She could bury me if she wanted."

Reid’s jaw worked as he read through my timeline. "She isn’t stronger than the truth," he said, but he didn’t sound as sure as he wanted to.

"The truth doesn’t matter if nobody believes it," I shot back, pulling up Twitter to see #KaraLies trending. "Look at this. She’s got all these bots, all these paid trolls already going after my credibility."

He just looked at me. Then, wordless, he pulled out his own phone and started typing.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He didn’t look up. "Something I should’ve done as soon as we saw this shit. We’ve been letting you fight this alone for the most part. But that doesn’t mean we can’t speak up for you."

New notifications popped up on my phone, one after the other.

@DiesalWreck: I’ve worked with @QueenQuinnGaming for months. She’s honest, professional, and talented. Anyone questioning her integrity clearly hasn’t been paying attention. #TeamKara

The replies hit immediately, like he’d lobbed a grenade into the trending feed.

@RuinTheGame: What Reid said. Kara’s been nothing but real with her community. Some people can’t handle authentic women. #TeamKara

@MutePoint: Actions speak louder than words. Watch how @QueenQuinnGaming handles adversity. That’s character. #TeamKara

@GraveDigger: Built her a custom setup because she deserves the best tools to succeed. Still believe that. #TeamKara

@ZenMaster: Mental health professional here. @QueenQuinnGaming honesty about suppressant abuse will help other Omegas. That takes courage, not desperation. #TeamKara

I stared at my phone like it was a stranger. "You don’t have to do this, Reid. Any of you. If Victoria goes nuclear, it’ll splash on your reputations too."

"We’re not letting you get torn apart alone," Reid said simply, his eyes hard. "You’re pack. That makes your fight our fight."

Jace appeared in the kitchen next, his hair still a mess from sleep. "And if anyone has a problem with us backing you, they never cared about us in the first place."

My phone was going off again, this time because #TeamKara was skyrocketing. Other streamers picked it up, and suddenly my feed was flooded with support.

@CalliesCrossed: Hearing @QueenQuinnGaming’s courage last night was life changing. Some people attack what they can’t understand. Keep being authentic, Kara. #TeamKara

@IndieQueenGamer: Know what’s really "unprofessional"? Attacking someone for escaping an exploitative situation. @QueenQuinnGaming deserves better. #TeamKara

@HealthyGamingDoc: Suppressant abuse is real and dangerous. Thank you @QueenQuinnGaming for bringing attention to industry pressures on Omega creators. #TeamKara

It was happening faster than I could process. Every time Victoria’s bots posted, someone I knew fired back with a real story.

Theo bounced into the kitchen, already grinning. "People know the difference between fake and real," he announced, ignoring the tension in the room. "And this PR campaign is as fake as it gets."

"But what if this blows back on you?" The fear was real, wrapping around my ribs tight as a belt. "What if sponsors ditch Pack Wrecked because of me?"

"If they do, they weren’t worth having," Ash said, joining the conversation without hesitation. "We’re not going to succeed by selling you out. Either we stand up together, or we don’t deserve to win, period."

"Plus," Reid added, "this isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about the whole system. Whether management can silence creators, or if people like us can change things. That’s a hill I’ll die on, honestly."

The phone rang again. Callie’s name flashed on the screen.

"Kara, have you seen the response?" she asked, voice clipped with excitement.

"You mean the coordinated campaign to turn me into the villain?"

"I mean the three streaming platforms that just reached out to offer you partnership deals," she corrected. "CreatorSpace, IndieStream, and Authentic Media. They want to work with creators who value transparency over drama."

Part of me didn’t believe her. "You’re not joking?"

"Not even a little," she said. "That stream last night? Yeah, it was rough. But you stuck to your truth, and it resonated. These platforms want more of that."

"But Victoria’s got reach. She could still tank all of this if she wanted."

"Then let her try," Callie said bluntly. "You’re making actual waves, Kara. That’s what real change feels like. I’ll send you the contact info for each."

When I hung up, Malik was watching me, brow raised. "Something good?"

"Three new platforms want to partner with me," I said, still a little dazed.

Reid grinned. "Told you. The truth wins over time."

"I want to believe that," I admitted, "but Victoria always finds an angle. There’s nothing she won’t do if it gets her what she wants."

"Then we adapt," Jace said, voice level. "Whatever she throws next, we handle it. We’re not letting her dictate the terms."

I took in the five of them, all of them backing me, confident, calm, steady. The fear was still there, but suddenly it felt shared. A weight spread out instead of crushing me alone.

"Okay," I said, quieter than I intended. "If any of you ever want to step back, I won’t blame you. I know I’m a lightning rod right now."

"Not possible," Reid shot back, immediately.

"We’re pack," Theo added, like it was obvious. "We don’t run."

"Even through ugly lawsuits?" I asked, making it a joke and failing.

"Especially then," Malik said, a slow smile breaking through.

I stared at the notifications. #TeamKara kept climbing, and underneath it real people were telling their own stories, finding each other in the mess. Opportunities, yes, but more than that, it was community, something I’d built myself by just existing and not backing down.

Victoria had wanted me isolated, desperate for her approval. She’d miscalculated. I had my own connections. My own worth.

And now, I had backup.

Let her come for me with every tool at her disposal.

We had the truth. And each other.

That’s what winning felt like.