It’s Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle

As soon as Wordsmith Wonders responded to the lawsuit with their own evidence, questions and doubts were thrown at them. The comment section of the post received negative responses along with some supportive fans. But, the amount of negative comments far suppressed the positive ones.

[Are you serious? You're comparing a digital draft with the one on a notebook? You're joking, right?]

[No one jotted down their ideas in such a neat manner. Look at the scribbles on the notebook and the mind-mapping]

[Bruh, look at the characters' sketches! That's hard evidence right there.]

[I'm crying! Look at how beautiful Charles was drawn. I need a visual for the ending of the book.]

[I've always believed in Kay Hammond. Been a fan since day one. Although I did read Lilian's book as well, the style is completely different.]

[With time, style can change. It's been two years since Lilian wrote her last book. There might be improvement in her writing.]

[I agree! There's a possibility that Lilian adopted a new style of writing in those two years.]

[+1 Besides who is Lilian and who is Kay Hammond? Lilian is a best-selling author! Why would she need to plagiarise a newbie? Use your brain for once!]

[I'm speechless. Who is the brainless one here?]

[Pfftt…my brother above, you can't ever win against a fanatic fan. Better stay quiet than suffer a headache.]

[Those stupid fans chose to ignore the records of phone calls and chat history. Great…]

While the PR team was busy handling the backlash and Lila was panicking, James watched as PrintScribes Ink launched another attack on Wordsmith Wonders.

A full-blown analysis comparing Lilian Barnett's writing style with Kay Hammond's was published by Linda Blackshaw, a reputable editor as well as movie critic.

Yes, in the end, Linda not only put her chips on Kyra, she also agreed to raise the stake by risking her own name. At first, Linda rejected Kyra's proposal but Kyra cleverly convinced her.

"I need you to join the fight and put up your name."

"Are you crazy? Why would I risk my reputation for a newbie writer?" Linda looked at Kyra as if she was out of her mind. "We're not even that close."

Kyra smiled as she leaned forward. "I'm well aware of that, but it is exactly because we're strictly business partners that I'm giving you this proposal. There's no gain in staying safe, Linda."

Linda was about to rebut her but Kyra cut her off, "Are you going to be chief editor for another five years?"

That question stumped Linda into silence. It was true, her promotion was long overdue. She had been in the position for almost eight years, not to mention her contribution to this company, her reputation was also starling outside as a movie critic. It was a bit embarrassing to still be stuck in this position after more than seven years.

"It's time to be greedy, Linda."

That sentence was what pushed Linda into the limelight now. Her analysis was well-received by other editors whose some were her friends while others were those who respected her. Even some actors and actresses came out to support her.

Her detailed analysis that highlighted the differences between Kyra and Lila elevated the scandal onto another level. Linda pointed out that Hammond's writing dove deep into the characters' emotions, in fact characters were Hammond's focal point in her book.

Meanwhile, Lilian focused more on the plot. The main attraction of her writing was the heavy conflicts and the creative plot. However, emotions were never Lilian's strong point because her books were mostly fantasy so the exploration lied on world-building.

Linda's explanation was sharp and precise, attacking every point of both authors. She completely shut down any room for rebuttal, leaving Wordsmith Wonders out in the open for the public to attack.

When Linda saw the chaos that ensued afterwards, the eyes that she used to look at Kyra changed. They absolutely sparkle.

"We're winning." 

Kyra nodded expressionlessly. There was not a hint of excitement on her face.

"Oh my God." Valeria was giddy. She kept grinning non-stop while watching how the news slowly rose to the top of trending topics. "That bitch is going to lose so much money. We have to extort her."

Linda raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, she felt like there was a personal grudge mixed in this retaliation but she kept quiet. It was none of her business. All she wanted was to reap some benefits and earn the promotion that she deserved.

However, Kyra mumbled something that made them tense again, "He's not going to stay silent."

"What?" Valeria felt spooked by her word "he". There was only one "he" who was worth mentioning on the other party's side.

"It's not his style." Kyra didn't answer Valeria's question and instead continued to murmur to herself as she closed her eyes. "It should be any minute now."

"There's no way, right? Our evidence is too solid."

Linda knitted her eyebrows. No matter how she looked at it, there was no room for the enemy to turn the table. But, Kyra snorted sarcastically.

"If there's no room to fight legally, then he can always force it behind the door."

Both Linda and Valeria instantly shut their mouths. It meant James would directly come for Kyra and possibly exercised his authority as her guardian, at least this was their hypothesis.

When Linda met Kyra for the first time, she had long known of Kyra's background and her relationship with James Synders. She saw how close Kyra was with James. She was spoiled and loved beyond words that sometimes even Linda thought that James' cold persona was merely a front.

So, it came as a surprise for her when Kyra wished to sue Lila despite knowing that Lila was James' girlfriend. Her action was basically an indirect slap to her uncle. 

"But, you won't settle, right?" Linda asked rhetorically.

"Don't worry." Kyra flashed a cold smile. "I don't fight a losing battle."

Although she said that, there was a small part within her that wished James wouldn't do it. She didn't ask for him to defend her, she just hoped he did nothing. He only had to do nothing.

The words kept repeating in her head unknowingly.

'Please…don't do it.'

'Don't call.'

'Let it be…'

But reality crushed her hope into dust. Her phone rang. His name was written so vividly against the black screen.

Kyra closed her eyes as she picked it up. At first, both of them engaged in a battle of silence but eventually James gave up.

"What does it take for you to stop all of this?"

The man stood in his office, looking through the floor to ceiling window. Something dark was hidden behind his pair of cold eyes. His voice sounded restrained as if he was holding back something.

Kyra sensed a warning behind his question. It was clear as day but she chose to ignore it.

"What does it take?" She chuckled bitterly. "You, Uncle. All of you."

The word uncle used to sound endearing from her lips. But today, it was nothing but an insult to him. James pursed his lips. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. They were devoid of any warmth now.

"I'm giving you one last chance."

Kyra smiled. "And I'm out of chances for you, Uncle."

She hung up without giving him a chance to respond. Valeria widened her eyes in horror and so did Linda. But, what was even more insane was Kyra's next move. If the lawsuit cornered Wordsmith Wonders to the edge, this next move unceremoniously smacked them down the cliff.

Kay Hammond: "@Lilian_Barnett must be cosy hiding behind your man's back. Perhaps another job might suit you better, Ms. Barnett. But, if you're not convinced, I shall give you a chance. So, don't let someone else fight your battle. Let's prove our ability by writing the second book within three months and the readers shall be the judge."

The meaning was evident: Let me openly humiliate you in front of your fans, you good-for-nothing author!