waking

Chapter 14 

Shawn’s intense eyes captured Naomi’s attention. Seeing her reaction, his handsome brow furrowed slightly, and he spoke again, his voice dropping even lower. 

“You want to refuse?” he asked. 

“No, I…” Naomi quickly shook her head. In a moment of panic and confusion, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. 

As it was her first kiss in panic, she kept her wide, round eyes open, staring straight into Shawn’s annoyed gaze. 

The kiss, fueled by her panic, was clumsy. Her teeth accidentally nipped at Shawn’s lip, earning a frown from him. Deciding to take charge, he firmly wrapped his big hands around her waist and commanded, “Close your eyes.” 

Considering his face was covered with intimidating scars, it was already a miracle she hadn’t screamed and fled. Why would Shawn even ask for a kiss? Simply because the female staff member disgusted him just now. He needed a distraction desperately. 

Despite it being both Naomi and Shawn’s first time, it seemed like men had a knack for these moments, often mastering it sooner than women. 

This innate skill meant Shawn quickly took the lead in the kiss. 

Naomi, the woman in his arms, was on her tiptoes, her fingers tentatively clinging to his chest, her head tilted back and her lashes fluttering uncontrollably, like a startled butterfly. His nose was filled with the scent of gardenias, a fragrance he’d noticed ever since he cushioned her fall. 

Lost in the moment, Shawn found himself enchanted by Naomi’s kiss, better than he ever expected. 

Two minutes later, Naomi flushed red. Shawn released her and said in a hoarse voice, “Breathe.” It was then that Naomi finally took deep breaths. 

It was her first kiss, and she didn’t even know how to breathe. 

Shawn was pleased, saying, “Get back to work.” 

“Okay,” Naomi said. Her legs were shaky. Her small face was a fiery pink, and her moist, wide eyes looked so innocent and pitiful. It was almost irresistible to not tease her. 

Shawn swore at himself internally. He felt like a jerk. He had made a promise to himself not to touch her, yet he had nearly lost control. 

With unsteady steps, Naomi made her way back to her desk, planning to resume her design drafts, but her mind was utterly blank. 

In her previous and current life, she was completely inexperienced with romance. Her relationship with Freddy was only in name, strictly platonic. 

The pings and dings of messages brought Naomi back to reality. They were from the comic book editor, Kelly. Naomi forced herself to stop thinking about the kiss just now by reading those messages. 

She calmed down and started replying to Kelly, who had been texting her non–stop since yesterday. Kelly had even tried calling, but Naomi’s phone was off. 

As soon as Naomi got online, Kelly sent her a message right away. 

Kelly: [You there?] 

Elf in the Evening: [Yeah, sorry Kelly, I got caught up with stuff after I logged off yesterday.] 

Naomi went by the pen name Elf in the Evening, just like her comic. It was about a young elf maid brought to life by the evening glow. She somehow wandered into the elf king’s palace, got caught, and fought to get free with wisdom and courage. Facing all sorts of dangers, she grew stronger, went on wild adventures, and eventually became the mightiest queen of the elves. Her complicated love–hate relationship with the elf king was heart–wrenching and full of ups and downs. 

Naomi’s comic took off in popularity as soon as it was released, gathering an amazing number of views and fans. Being consistently featured in recommended lists helped it attract even more attention and clicks over time. 

When her comic was added to the VIP section, it shattered website records for subscriptions, thereby becoming a key priority for the editor–in- chief and the site owner. 

Discussions were already in motion for turning it into various formats. As long as Naomi kept her updates consistent, transitioning her work into print, animated series, or video games was all possible. 

In her previous life, Naomi had always been the one to update their shared comic book, while Rosalind took care of talking to the editor. Naomi was clueless about their agreements. But when the comic hit it big, Rosalind hogged the spotlight, leaving Naomi to weep under her blankets late at night 

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Chapter 14 

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Rosalind received all the praise. After wrapping up the series, she quickly changed the password and treated fans to bonus chapters, claiming them as her creation. 

한 특 

The fans went wild with joy, showering the comic with likes and leaving tens of millions of positive comments. The views soared into the billions. 

When Naomi approached Rosalind to get back what was rightfully hers, she was slapped and accused of being the real thief. Rosalind acted innocent, saying she had good intentions by sharing the password, but now Naomi was trying to steal her glory. 

Fuming, Naomi was ready to expose Rosalind online, but Freddy intervened. He smoothed things over, apologizing for Rosalind, mentioning her frail health, and saying that she couldn’t take the stress. “She’s been weak since childhood, poor thing. If she’s so desperate for the glory, let her have it,” he urged Naomi, thinking that she was strong and talented, with loads of opportunities ahead of her. 

However, Rosalind’s apology seemed fake. She said she was sorry and asked Naomi to forgive her for the slap. 

Naomi spent that day crying, but ultimately, she gave in to Freddy’s and Rosalind’s mind games. When Rosalind took prizes and had book signings, Naomi could do nothing but watch from a distance, shedding silent tears. 

This life would be different. Naomi vowed not to let history repeat itself. She was determined to retrieve the glory that belonged to her. 

As for Rosalind, Naomi planned to show her just what it felt like to fall from grace all the way down to the depths of despair. 

Kelly: [Hey, you’ve been featured on the banner today, so you need to update three more chapters. Is that cool?] 

Elf in the Evening: [No problem, I’ll get right on it.] 

Kelly: [Make sure to notify your fans, too. Have them vote and get us up the charts. Once we climb, I’ll put in a word for a top spot on the main page.] 

Elf in the Evening: [Sure, thanks, Kelly.] 

Kelly: “Oh, the website owner mentioned adding some more romantic scenes between the elf king and the elf maid, like unexpected kisses and stuff. Our readers will eat that up.” 

Elf in the Evening: [Got it, I’ll add that.] 

Kelly: [You got this, Elf!] 

Elf in the Evening: [Thanks, I’m on it.] 

After chatting with Kelly, Naomi logged into her author’s account. She had changed the password. Rosalind would never get her hands on it again. The plot, firmly etched in her mind, didn’t require any pondering. Quickly, she translated her thoughts into the story. Recalling the website owner’s request, an image of Shawn kissing her just moments ago made her cheeks burn with a flush, so she wove that moment into the story. 

Shawn epitomized the elf king, and Naomi, the elf maid in the narrative. She was caught by the inebriated elf king in the sanctuary of his magic hideout, her back pressed against a door as he kissed her. 

After the kiss, the elf king jested, “Elf, you’re so inexperienced. You need to learn how to kiss. Come here. Let me teach you.” 

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鱼