Chapter 152

Howard's POV

The restaurant was quiet and intimate, juist as I had expected when making the reservation. Annie and I had just ordered several dishes when I noticed Susan approaching our table.

"Mr. Thompson, do you mind if I report on some work matters first?"Susan asked, her expression professional yet carrying that subtle hint of excitement I'd come to recognize when she had promising news.

I gestured for her to take a seat across from us, simultaneously catching the waiter's attention to order an additional appetizer for Susan.She settled into the chair, straightening her back as she always did before delivering important information.

"Neighboring countries have taken notice of how well our merchandise is selling." Susan began, opening her tablet to display a series of charts. "They all want to acquire publishing rights for the comics, and they're offering quite favorable profit-sharing ratios." Her eyes brightened as she scrolled through the data. "My thought is that we could grant them publishing rights. What do you think?"

"Proceed with it," I nodded in agreement, my decision made after a quick mental calculation of the potential benefits versus any possible drawbacks.The international exposure would only strengthen Annie's brand, and the profit margins looked promising.

With my approval secured, Susan immediately began contacting the potential partners to confirm collaboration details. The representatives from various countries all expressed an urgent desire to finalize agreements quickly, clearly afraid of missing the current momentum.I watched with quiet satisfaction as Susan efficiently navigated these negotiations, her years of experience evident in how smoothly she handled each conversation.

After completing these calls. Susan turned toward Annie, her expression softening slightly. "Though the comics haven't been officially published yet.the pre-order data is already quite remarkable."

Annie's face registered surprise, her eyebrows rising slightly. "Oh?"

"Pre-order means selling before printing," Susan explained patiently,recognizing Annie's unfamiliarity with publishing terminology. "The current sales have already broken the publisher's records, far exceeding their projected targets." Susan's voice carried genuine excitement as she continued. "The publisher is thrilled and is increasing their print run while hoping to continue publishing subsequent content. They're even discussing promotional activities to create even higher sales records.Your comic is undoubtedly this year's dark horse."

I observed Annie's face carefully, noting the spark of excitement dancing in her eyes. "Are there really that many people buying it?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief that was endearing to hear.

"Yes," Susan confirmed with a definitive nod. "Your comic is even more popular than anticipated. Add to that the news about your former mother-in-law, and sales are likely to increase further."

Susan's phone chimed, and after checking the message, she looked up with a smile. "The publisher just sent another message-they need to increase the print run again." She continued her explanation. her hands moving animatedly as she spoke."The comics are priced affordably, so sales will be higher than other products. I expect Sarah and her friends will continue creating buzz,and with our own marketing efforts plus international sales, future numbers will be even more impressive."

Annie smiled. a tentative hope visible in her expression. "So I can expect some income?"

Just then. Annie's phone received a bank notification. She glanced at it casually at first. then visibly froze, her eyes widening with shock. I knew exactly what she was seeing-a substantial deposit, farexceeding what an average white-collar professional might earn monthly.

Susan smiled. clearly enjoying Annie's reaction. "How does it feel? Better than working for someone else, right?"

"Yes." Annie responded. her voice carrying undisguised shock. "I... I had no idea it would be this much."

She looked up, her eyes glistening with a mixture of surprise and gratitude."You know. I've been calculating how many years I'd need to save to help my mother retire comfortably. I thought it might take two or three years..."

"And now?" I asked softly, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear her say it.

A smile spread across Annie's face,genuine and warm. "Now it seems I won't have to wait that long."

Annie turned to me, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love. I never imagined drawing could bring me this kind of reward."

I gently patted her shoulder, my touch lingering slightly longer than necessary. "I merely provided a platform. Annie, your talent and hard work are the real keys here. It's your perseverance and creativity that made all this possible."

I could see Annie understood I was being modest. that I didIn't want her to feel indebted for what I had done. She pressed her lips together, her expression clearly touched. "Even so, I'm the beneficiary."

I reached out and gently caressed her face, my fingers lingering against her soft skin. "Between us. do we really need to be so formal?"

Annie smiled shyly at my touach, her cheeks coloring slightly.

Susan cleared her throat discreetly. "I'm still here. Perhaps you two could show a little restraint."

We exchanged smiles and obligingly moved slightly apart.

"Excuse me for a moment," I said, glancing at my watch and standing up."I need to return a call."

I nodded to Annie and Susan, then walked toward a secluded corridor at the side of the restaurant. Once there, I dialed Selena's number.

"Hi, dear brother," Selena's voice came through, as vibrant as always."What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you," I went straight to the point, "about Betty Baker's recent troubles, what do you know about that?"

The brief silence on the other end confirmed my intuition.

"Oh, that," Selena let out a light laugh. "Mother has been quite interested her in that situation lately."

"Just interested?"I asked, my tone calm but probing.

"Well," she sighed, "I might have helped Mother push things along a tiny bit."

"Push things along." I repeated her choice of words. "What exactly do you

mean by that?"

I heard Selena adjusting her position, imagining her shifting to a more comfortable spot on the luxurious sofa in her apartment.

"Howard. you know about Betty's last visit to Mother, demanding she break up you and Annie, right?" Selena asked directly.

"Of course." I answered, recalling the anger on Mother's face when she told me about it.

"Betty came back," Selena's tone sharpened. "Last week, she visited Mother again and said even more unpleasant things. Mother handled it gracefully on the surface, but I could tell how angry she was."

"So you decided to retaliate." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"You know," she chuckled lightly, though the sound carried a cold edge,"sometimes a little... well-placed guidance can make things develop in interesting ways. Women of Betty's age are easily provoked, especially when it concerns what they consider their impeccable family honor."

I raised an eyebrow, though she couldn't see it. "So you're behind all this?"

"I'm simply protecting our family," she stated firmly. "Betty can disparage Annie all she wants, but I won't allow her to hurt Mother. If she wants to play this game of reputation attacks, she should be prepared for counterattacks."

"Selena..." My tone carried a warning.

"Don't worry, Howard," her voice suddenly softened. "I merely allowed Betty to expose her ugly side herself. All I,did was ensure that this time.her words were recorded, rather than hurting people in private as she's done before."

I remained silent for a moment, contemplating my sister's words.Sometimes Selena's methods concerned me, but her protective instinct toward our family had always been strong.

"Remember. moderation is key," I finally said.

"Of course," she responded lightly. "The results are perfect, aren't they?Betty got her lesson, Philip is in chaos, and Annie... well, Annie got the success and recognition she deserves."

"And Mother?" I prompted.

"Mother could barely stop smiling when she saw the news this morning,"Selena laughed. "She called it 'karmic justice."

I remained silent for a moment, appreciating the weight of her words.Selena had always been clever, knowing how to achieve her goals without crossing too many lines.

"You know," I finally said, "you're quite inscrutable sometimes."

She laughed. "That's why I'm your favorite sister."

"You're my only sister," I pointed out, though I couldn't help but smile. "Details don't matter," she replied easily. "What matters is that Betty should have learned her lesson. Sometimes, Howard, fate needs a little nudge to move in the right direction."

I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me. "You should be more careful about your limits."

"Don't worry, brother," her voice suddenly turned serious. "I always know where the boundaries lie. It's just thát sometimes, fate needs a little nudge to move in the right direction."

After hanging up, I stood by the window for a brief moment of reflection.Selena's actions might have been somewhat excessive, but her motivation was to protect our mother and family reputation. While I didn't approve of her methods, I understood her motives-the Thompson family had always stuck together.