It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 49: The Anonymous Investor

Chapter 49: The Anonymous Investor

"Well, has your story reached the halfway point yet?" Valeria asked from the other end of the line. Her tone sounded excited, accompanied by a noisy background. Kyra could barely make out her words if Valeria hadn’t raised her voice a bit.

Kyra let out a small laugh while shaking her head. "Where exactly are you? If you’re not free to talk right now, we can continue later tonight!"

A long sigh was heard from the other end. Valeria responded in an annoyed tone, "It’s fine. If we wait until tonight, I might end up calling you at dawn. You’re in a crucial recovery period right now. I don’t want to bother you."

Thanks to the exposure from Kyra and Lila’s scandal, PrintScribe Ink was thriving. Many new authors, as well as some established ones without agency representation, were coming to sign under them.

It seemed they greatly appreciated PrintScribe Ink’s defense of their author, Kay Hammond. Seeing how responsible and protective the company was, authors felt reassured about signing their books with them.

At the very least, the company didn’t cower under the threat of larger companies. This showed high integrity.

However, with the influx of new authors and books under contract, the editors became the ones who suffered the aftermath. From manuscript checks, and plot editing, to communication with authors, all of these tasks fell under their responsibilities.

Ultimately, Valeria herself had to review dozens of new submissions. On top of that, she also had to attend weekly editorial team discussions led by Linda as well as participate in upcoming company’s events.

There was a lot to do, and the most significant task was the web novel project. After thorough consideration, PrintScribe Ink decided to expand into the online field.

"Isn’t it a good thing that you’re busy now? You used to complain about being idle, handling only me since Naomi was reassigned to another editor," Kyra teased playfully.

"This and that are two different things, Honey. Like c’mon, there also needs to be a balance between work and resting time. I might actually go crazy if I have to constantly burn the midnight oil."

Kyra burst out in laughter. "But that also means more overtime bonus and who knows, you might get promoted soon!"

In the beginning, Valeria had started as an editorial assistant until her internship period ended. Coincidentally, during that time, Linda, the editor-in-chief, invited Valeria to an event as a substitute for her second assistant, who couldn’t attend due to illness.

At the event, as a literature graduate and an avid reader, Valeria easily impressed other editors and authors. Her excellent communication with one of the renowned authors in attendance even convinced the author to submit one of their manuscripts to PrintScribe Ink. This achievement officially secured Valeria a position as an editor.

However, nearly four years later, Valeria had yet to achieve significant milestones. This was partly because other editors routinely intercepted new submissions from falling into her hand, a practice commonly referred to as gatekeeping.

This all started because Linda constantly praised Valeria for persuading that famous author to collaborate with them. At the time, PrintScribe Ink was still a relatively small company, and that manuscript became the catalyst for their initial recognition in the industry. In the end, envy will always exist within a company.

Valeria would have been dismissed back then if not for Kyra, who suddenly showed up with James and specifically requested Valeria to be her editor. So, the case closed with power dominates the childishly envious editors.

"Just enjoy being busy for once. When else will you be this sought-after? You’re needed wherever you go," Kyra teased again, laughing. She was genuinely happy to see her close friend’s rapid progress, especially since she had a hand in it.

Valeria clicked her tongue. "Stop teasing me! Don’t forget that I’m still your editor. I have the authority to push you with deadlines, so you’d better treat me nicely! Hmph!"

Kyra burst out laughing, startling the nurse who was replacing the bandages on her head. The nurse immediately frowned and gave Kyra a disapproving look. Realizing her mistake, Kyra’s cheeks turned red, and she lowered her head in a gesture of apology.

The nurse sighed deeply, trying to stay patient by reminding herself who this young woman before her was. She simply gave a small nod in response before continuing her work.

"Hey! You should be thanking me, not threatening me with deadlines! I’m a patient right now. You need to be gentler with me!" Kyra joked while pretending to sound annoyed.

Valeria chuckled softly at her friend’s mock arrogance. Of course, Valeria was grateful to Kyra for helping her at the start of her career. That’s why she had the courage to stand by Kyra during the incident with Lila.

"I know! I’m just kidding. Take your time writing it, but make sure the content is outstanding. You know this isn’t just about releasing your work—it’s also a way to fight back against Lila. We need to teach that fake author a lesson! Let her learn not to mess with new writers!" Valeria exclaimed passionately.

Kyra laughed again. Talking with this friend of hers could cure even the worst depression. There wasn’t a day without laughter whenever Kyra chatted with Valeria.

"But I’m the one who has issues with her. Why are you the one busy hating her? Lila is still a writer, you know. As an editor, you’re supposed to stay objective."

Valeria snorted at that. "Objective, my foot! If I were her editor, I’d probably start questioning her previous works right away. If she dared to steal your manuscript over something as petty as jealousy, isn’t it highly possible that her other works aren’t original either?"

Hearing her friend’s explanation, Kyra paused to think. What Valeria said had a point. If Lila was willing to go that far over something so trivial, it was likely she had done it before.

As people say, "if it happens once, it can happen a second time."

"Regardless, I would never agree to handle Lila, even if her work were the only one in the world. I’d rather resign as an editor and work part-time while looking for another job."

Kyra couldn’t help but laugh again. Her friend was truly extreme and stubborn. Once Valeria made up her mind, it was hard to change it unless the consequences were severe.

From the moment Kyra first mentioned Lila, Valeria already had a bad feeling about her. It could be called a woman’s intuition towards another woman. Even though Lila hadn’t done anything wrong at first, Valeria still couldn’t bring herself to like her.

After all, women are emotional beings, and Valeria couldn’t ignore how close James and Kyra had always been. At one point, she even wondered about their future partners—whether those partners could ever compare to James or Kyra themselves.

Unexpectedly, a conflict did arise between them. Though it was through this conflict that James came to realize his feelings. Sometimes, it takes something extreme to open someone’s eyes.

"Alright! I’ll give it my all to create a masterpiece that will knock Lila off her position as a best-selling author!" Kyra exclaimed with fiery determination. Not just for herself but also to support her friend’s career. With her success, Valeria would surely be up for a promotion.

"That’s the spirit! I’ll be eagerly waiting for your work. After all, I’m your first fan—don’t forget that!"

A smile bloomed on Kyra’s face, growing healthier and more radiant by the day. Her heart warmed, filled with gratitude that after everything she had endured, every drop of tears were finally paying off.

The heartbreak had brought her the love she had always wanted, and the sorrow over her stolen dream was slowly finding its resolution. Everything seemed to be falling into place for her now.

Kyra’s gaze fell briefly to the white blanket covering her. Even so, she couldn’t deny that a trace of fear still lingered in the depths of her heart. Would everything truly be alright from here onwards?

For now, all Kyra could do was move forward. "Thank you, Val. You don’t need to worry. I’ve made significant progress in my writing. Whether it’s halfway done, I still can’t say—it might undergo some changes."

"No problem. I’m already happy to hear that much. Your health should still be your top priority," Valeria replied. Then, in her usual playful manner, she teased Kyra. "Especially since you’re now the company’s asset."

Kyra rolled her eyes, even though Valeria couldn’t see it. "I’ve always been an important asset to the company!" she retorted smugly, eliciting laughter from Valeria.

"You’re something else! But good—stay a valuable asset, because that means more benefits for me! Thanks, bestie!"

"Damn!" Kyra cursed playfully. "If that’s the case, I should take at least 5% of your salary as my service fee!"

"Hey, I’ve treated you to so many meals, darling! Did all that vanish the moment you were full?"

Kyra laughed again. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten. Valeria didn’t just treat her at restaurants; she often brought her snacks during Kyra’s late-night writing sessions.

Sometimes, Valeria even cooked for her, happily taking special requests. She never once asked for repayment. In return, Kyra often invited Valeria on trips, both out of town and abroad, covering most of the expenses herself.

Smiling fondly, Kyra said, "Of course, I won’t forget! So, have they mentioned anything about a promotion after this quarter?"

"Hmm... nothing specific, but I have a hunch. They’re planning to launch a new division for online publishing. This web novel project will definitely have its own editorial team, and Linda has occasionally hinted at it during our discussions. But I’m not sure—I could be misinterpreting things."

Kyra raised an eyebrow. "Where did the idea for web novels even come from? Why does it feel so sudden?"

"I heard the project has been in the works for a while but didn’t have enough funding to move forward, despite their research showing promising results. Well, we are in the digital era where everything revolves around the internet, it’s no surprise that PrintScribe wants to expand into online publishing"

Kyra nodded at Valeria’s explanation. It wasn’t surprising, but the timing still felt abrupt to her. She knew that PrintScribe had been in the spotlight recently.

Their business was thriving and they were finally successful in signing partnerships with major bookstores like Book Attic and Lost Library for their fiction and non-fiction works. Meanwhile, their children’s books had also risen to the forefront of the famous children’s bookstore, Tiny Tales.

Hence, shouldn’t they focus on strengthening their partnerships and stabilizing things first before starting a new project? Web novels weren’t a small undertaking—they needed significant funding and manpower.

"Who’s funding all this, anyway? Is PrintScribe really making that much profit now?" Kyra asked, her tone skeptical.

Valeria shrugged. "No clue. They only told the editorial team and a few key people that a new investor is backing the web novel project. That’s why it’s the top priority for now."

Kyra nodded, but her suspicion only deepened. For some reason, an ominous feeling began to creep in. "And you’re being transferred to this new division?"

"Yep! I don’t mind since it’s still in the same field, and working on web novels might even be more enjoyable than physical publishing. I just hope the transfer comes with a promotion. Maybe I can be the lead editor for the new editorial team."

Kyra chuckled, amused at her friend’s high aspirations. Valeria was probably already planning a lot of things, even though nothing was confirmed yet.

"I’ll hope for that too. It’s about time for you to move up to the next level. But don’t forget about me, Miss Editor-in-Chief."

Valeria burst out laughing. "Hey! Of course not, I’ll never forget my baby! Anyway, I need to go now. Get plenty of rest, and call me if you need anything. I’ll try to find time to visit you again!"

"Okay. Good luck with work! See you soon!"

Beep...beep...

As the call ended, Kyra stared at her phone with furrowed brows.

A web novel project, huh?

No matter what, Kyra couldn’t ignore the weird timing and the sudden emergence of a new investor. All of the sudden, her heart felt unsettled.