…..

  The m, it was official - the tract between Regal and Everleaf Press was signed.

  Editing and proofing took ter stage as the entire editorial team at Everleaf Press dove headfirst into the manuscript.

  Every editor in the room khe stakes, and they were ready for what they thought would be an exhausting, detail-heavy week.

  From their first glimpse al's work, they would know the stakes were high. The story was intricately set in the UK, weaving together its ndscapes, culture, and history. Every detail, down to the colloquialisms and historical references, would o hold up under scrutiny.

  To streamlihe process, one of the editors tentatively proposed relog the story's setting to the USA, arguing that the team's familiarity with the region could save tless hours of researd avoid cultural missteps.

  Regal, however, deed the suggestion with polite but firm resolve.

  The UK, as he expined, was 'chosen' deliberately, it provided the most ral ground for the story.

  With the suggestion off the table, the team steeled themselves for what they assumed would be an avanche of revisions.

  But when they began bing through the manuscript, something ued happened.

  Instead of an overwhelming mess, Regal's manuscript erfect.

  The vocabury, the phrasing, everythi authentic.

  It was as though the words had been penned by someone who had walked every street and alley of London.

  What truly left the editors stunned was when Regal, almost nontly, handed over an alternate version of the manuscript tailored for Ameri readers.

  This version wasn't just adjusted, it was fwless, as if it had been crafted with Ameri readers in mind from the very beginning.

  The editors exged looks.

  One of them muttered. "Did he have a whole team w on this before handing it over?"

  It felt like the kind of perfe you only see in polished final drafts after months of bad-forth.

  With the heavy lifting already dohe editing and proofing process breezed by.

  Instead of the grueling marathon they had expected, the entire job ed up in just two days.

  Evehe pace was so rexed it felt more like a vacation than work.

  By the end of those two days, they didn't just finish the manuscript.

  Regal and the team had also designed a sleek book cover, picked out a title font, and brainstormed a few catchy taglio market the book.

  on the list was setting the unch date and finalizing the printing schedule.

  After a brief discussion, they agreed on a date exactly twenty-five days away.

  For the unch, they secured three distinct locations, each chosen with care.

  The mai would take pce at an indepe bookstore called Books & Books in Miami, FL.

  This would be the only big event that is pnned, with Regal as the author, who would get his limelight, and Gwendolyn would be there to help him handle everything.

  The other two locations were more low-key.

  One would be a book stall set up at the New York Public Library branch to Everleaf Press's office.

  The other would involve pop-up stalls at various coffee shops and cafés around San Francisco, CA.

  These stalls would be staffed by a small team from Everleaf, ensuring the book gained broader visibility without stretg the budget.

  Speaking of the budget, Regal's decision to not take any advance payment paid off in ued ways.

  Instead of printing the pnned 5,000 copies, they bumped it up to 6,600.

  With this added 1600 books, the team was fident in attrag the attention of the minimum readers.

  They pnned a giveaway of a few hundred books, adding an air of excitement to the unch.

  Everyone loves free stuff, after all.

  While Regal's busy with the creative, Gwendolyn aeam take the physical work.

  Printing the books, marketing, and making sure the world knew about the unch was now their mission.

  Their reach will be small no matter what, but they made sure they were still being effective.

  Using ptforms like WordPress, they set up a , straightforward website for the book. It showcased the cover, a gripping synopsis, and all the details about the unch.

  Theook to social media, sprinkling posts across ptforms to create buzz among book enthusiasts.

  Flyers were printed and distributed to local coffee shops and libraries - pces where readers were most likely to take notice.

  ….

  1 Month Later - February 1st, 2010.

  ….

  The day before unch.

  Late evening.

  "So, dear Junior, shall we begin?" Gwendolyn rose from her chair.

  Gwendolyn was back to her casual self Regal had witnessed in their first unscheduled meeting as she crossed the room with a stack of papers tucked against her chest.

  Her lenses were removed, eyegsses were on, her coat draped over the chair, heels cast aside, and the colr was unbuttoned.

  Regal, sprawled across the middle of the couch like he was trying to sink into it, let out a long, heavy sigh. "You are still stu that?"

  Her lips quivered into a smirk. "Of course. It suits you."

  Gwendolyn calling him 'Junior' was a battle she had never pnned on g.

  To be fair, she wasn't wrong.

  Apparently they both attehe same Uy.

  Back then, she had been his senior, though she hadn't even known it until he had offhandedly mentio during one of their versations.

  Of course, that didn't mean she was older than him.

  Nope. In fact, Regal was a few months older.

  He had just started college a little ter than usual, while Gwendolyn had gotten a head start.

  Now, as she sifted through the stack of papers, Regal's thoughts began to wander.

  He hadn't expected to run into anyone from his college after he dropped out - especially not when walking into the Everleaf Press office.

  Of all people, her?

  Gwendolyn had been a name most of his peers' students knew. Sharp, brilliant, aiful, she exuded an effortless charisma that made her impossible to overlook.

  People were naturally drawn to her. He too was one of them.

  So when she didn't bat an eye upon seeing him that first day in her office building, it didn't catch him off guard.

  To her, he must have been just another fettable undercssman, lost in the sea of faces.

  However, the irony is that now they are in the same office - pying the roles of Author and Publisher and w toward the same goal.

  It still felt surreal.

  When Regal had arrived for that first meeting, ostensibly to meet his 'editor,' he hadn't e unprepared.

  He had done his homework, digging into Everleaf Press after receiving the editor's call.

  It was a pany unfamiliar to him, not something he remembered from his past life, nor his current memories.

  The CEO, as it turned out, was listed as Ashton Oulworth.

  Gwendolyn's father.

  This, too, he had only uncovered retly.

  Apparently, six months ago, Ashton's health issues had forced him to step back from his position, leaving Gwendolyn, fresh out of uy, with no choice but to step into the role.

  Regal recalled how Gwendolyn had dowhe situation during their earlier versation.

  She had mentio as though stepping into her father's role had always been the pn, just slightly accelerated.

  Even so, knowing the full story had sparked an ued flicker of admiration for her.

  Lost in thought, Regal barely noticed her preseil she was right beside him.

  Without hesitation, Gwendolyn casually dropped onto the couch, perg herself on the edge.

  The distaween them was minimal, but she seemed utterly indifferent, her attention fixed oack of papers in her hands.

  Regal tensed involuntarily.

  The sudden closeness caught him off guard, making him acutely aware of her proximity. He quickly diverted his gaze, finding refuge in the far wall or any other point of focus that wasn't her.

  Gwendolyn, however, 'seemed' pletely unfazed, her focus unwavering as she flipped through the dots.

  From the er of his eye, Regal observed her a a faint twinge of disappoi.

  "What are you thinking about so seriously?" Her voice was light, curious.

  "Huh?" Regal blinked, snapped from his thoughts. He waved a hand dismissively, trying to mask the awkwardness. "No, it's nothing. Just... zoned out."

  Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow but didn't push. Then, her expression shifted, like she had figured something out.

  "It's normal to be nervous before something big like this. That's why I came prepared!" She held up the papers triumphantly.

  Regal khat wasn't the reason, but he just rolled with it, unwilling to get into the details.

  "...Thanks." He muttered. "Guess this Junior of yours will owe you one."

  Gwendolyn didn't reaodding slightly. She knew whients to let slide.

  "Alright, let's begin." She cleared her throat, sing the first sheet. "First question - What was your inspiration for writing the book?"

  "Inspiration?" Regal echoed, tilting his head like he was sidering it. After a brief pause, he shrugged. "Holy, I just thought about making some money."

  The room went silent.

  Gwendolyn froze, her eyes narrowing as she processed his words. Her fiightened around the paper, the edges kling.

  She had expected this.

  Regal wasn't the type for flowery expnations, no-nonseo the core.

  But still, the bluntness stung more than she expected.

  If she interrupted, it would just look like they were sileng the young author.

  Not that Regal cared.

  But the optics - she knew how they would be.

  "These are the questions people will ask you tomorrow." She said, holding up the crumpled sheet with exaggerated fir. "Actual human beings, sitting right in front of you. Expeg thoughtful answers. Do you really think 'money' is what they want to hear?"

  Regal scratched his cheek, looking mildly sheepish. "Well... it's true."

  Gwendolyn shot him a look that could freeze fire. "You are lucky I anticipated this, Junior. Otherwise, you would be walking into your own disaster tomorrow."

  Regal groaned, muttering under his breath. He wasn't sure if it was the niame or the scolding tohat bothered him more. "Alright, alright. Let's just keep going."

  "Good." Gwendolyn nodded, her gaze flig back to the papers in her hands as she shifted a little closer, her presenow even more tangible.

  Regal this time just gave a side-eye, then he also forced the task ahead.

  Gwendolyn was already flipping to the sheet, her toter-of-fact as she spoke. " question. What would you say to people who think your book cks depth?"

  .

  ….

  [To be tinued…]

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