Hollywood: Lights, Ink, Entertainment!

….

.

The man casually extended his hand toward her.

"I am Regal Seraphsail." He said with a relaxed smile.

Gwendolyn shook it, as she replied automatically. "Gwendolyn Oulworth."

"Right, Miss Gwendolyn." He said with a nod. "Shall we begin?"

Gwendolyn didn't answer immediately. Instead, she took a seat, feeling the weight of her tiredness pressing down on her.

Wait... what am I supposed to be doing with him again? Her mind wandered, still sluggish from the remnants of the previous night.

She had stayed late at the office again, grinding through paperwork until her eyes burned. She couldn't remember when she had finally dozed off, but the next thing she knew, she had woken up on the office couch, groggy and disoriented.

It was morning, and the clock read - 10:30 a.m.

And, of course, there was the lingering irritation. Why hadn't someone woken her up? That was literally their job.

But she also knew she can't blame them.

Anyway, remembering she might have to continue her day, she shot up and headed to the restroom to freshen up.

But midway through the building, the smell of Maggie's tea made her pause, drawn to the familiar scent.

It led her straight into this room.

Now, here she was, sitting across from Regal Seraphsail.

A man who, in the span of a few minutes, had confidently declared he held the best-selling book of the next decade.

The absurdity of it made her inwardly scoff.

It sounded like something plucked from a cheap sales pitch.

Yet… she had walked right into it.

She wasn't sure, but something about his presence - whether it was his calm confidence or the lack of pushiness, had kept her there.

Regal, for his part, wasn't privy to the chaos that had landed her here, nor to the 'unconventional' state she had been in just minutes ago.

But one thing was clear to him - she was exhausted.

Her posture, the faint sluggishness in her movements, it all mirrored a feeling he knew far too well.

So, he didn't waste time.

"Miss Gwendolyn, I don't want to waste your time." Regal said, then pulled out a thick stack of papers and set them on the desk in front of her. "Here is the manuscript. You can take a look whenever you are ready."

Gwendolyn didn't respond immediately. She just nodded and looked back down at the pages, her thoughts momentarily silenced by his casualness.

Satisfied, Regal turned to Maggie, who had been hovering by the door, unsure of her role in the moment. "Miss Maggie, could you bring Miss Gwendolyn another tea? She might need it while she looks through this. Thanks."

His request sounded like a natural flow of this conversation, making Maggie blink for a moment, then nod, as if she, too, understood.

Gwendolyn watched Maggie's retreating figure for a moment before returning her attention to the manuscript.

Her fingers skimmed the pages, but her mind was racing, her thoughts tangled.

How old is he, really?

She couldn't help but wonder.

He looked young, maybe around her age, but there was an undeniable maturity in the way he carried himself, something that seemed more suited to someone with far more years under their belt.

Where did it come from? Was it genuine? Or was this all just an act?

Gwendolyn wasn't the type to be easily fooled.

She had seen enough in the industry to recognize the signs of ambition, even arrogance.

Their one's top publishing company was now barely hanging on by a thread.

Everyone was pushing hard, reviewing manuscripts with a fine-tooth comb just to keep the doors open.

She had been doing the same herself - every manuscript had to go through a rigorous review.

Most debut authors had no experience, and she had learned long ago not to expect anything groundbreaking from them.

Writing was a journey, a skill earned over years of hard work.

Rarely did someone hit it big on their first try.

But she couldn't deny that it did happen - every now and then, a debut author would pull off the impossible and create something extraordinary.

She needed a miracle.

A breakthrough - anything to save the company.

With a quiet sigh, she flipped the cover.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, huh?

She skimmed over the title with mild indifference.

A children's book, probably.

She wasn't sure if she was in the mood for something light, not when she had so much on her plate.

She opened the first page, already mentally preparing for another slog through boring dialogue.

The Dursleys were introduced, an overly ordinary family.

Strange things start happening around them - people in cloaks celebrating and talking about someone named Harry Potter.

Soon, Dumbledore, a mysterious figure, arrives on their street, carrying baby Harry.

He explains that Harry's parents were killed by the dark wizard Voldemort, but Harry survived the attack.

Dumbledore leaves Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep, telling them that they are his only remaining family.

This sets the stage for Harry's journey, leaving her curious about what will happen next.

Gwendolyn couldn't help moving to the second chapter - titled,

Harry's life with the Dursleys feels incredibly unfair.

He is treated terribly, with his cousin Dudley being spoiled and demanding, while he is left to suffer.

On Dudley's birthday, they visit the zoo, and Harry ends up in front of a snake's enclosure.

Harry finds himself in front of a large glass tank containing a boa constrictor.

When Harry accidentally makes the glass disappear, the snake escapes, and he shares a brief moment of communication with it.

The snake thanks Harry for setting it free and tells him that it was 'born in Brazil' before slithering away.

But then, Gwendolyn came across the part about the owl tapping at the window.

She stopped.

Huh. That was a bit odd.

It was a small moment, but for some reason, it caught her attention more than she expected.

She read it again, a little more carefully this time.

Was it her imagination, or was the tone of the writing starting to shift?

It wasn't just a typical children's book opening anymore.

She continued, her pace quickening as Harry received the letter.

The words felt lighter, more playful now, while also building an undercurrent of intrigue, giving her an odd sense of anticipation.

She found herself invested in the brief mention of his birthday and then the mysterious arrival of Hagrid, the giant of a man who came to inform Harry of his true nature.

The moment Harry first learned he was a wizard was so deftly handled, so full of raw astonishment and wonder, that it made her smile - genuinely.

By the time she finished the second chapter, she felt slightly embarrassed by her earlier dismissal.

What had she been thinking? She had almost missed this.

Maggie, who had been sitting quietly beside her, caught the subtle shift in her expression. She raised an eyebrow, clearly startled by the change.

Before Gwendolyn could speak, Maggie, looking a little sheepish but clearly intrigued, picked up one of the sketches from the pile and held it up.

"Uh… sorry, I couldn't help but look."

Gwendolyn shot her a glance but didn't seem annoyed.

….

.

"It was over, huh?"

Gwendolyn muttered, finishing the last page of ＜Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone＞

Currently, she was in her place - it's the same day she got the manuscript.

After reading for two straight hours, as if noticing her tired eyes, Regal excused himself, gave her his contact info, and left.

Now, after a few hours of rest, she had finally wrapped it up.

'I am glad I was so wrong.' She thought to herself.

She had forgotten what it felt like to get completely lost in a book.

Regal's writing was simple but packed with layers.

And the characters? Harry was so real, from his loneliness to his struggle with his new identity.

She couldn't help but connect with him.

Ron and Hermione, though secondary, were just as well done.

Their friendship with Harry was believable, formed through shared secrets and experiences.

The trio was definitely the highlight.

The suspense with the letters, the slow build of Harry's life before Hogwarts, had paid off.

The magic? It didn't feel forced. It felt like a natural part of the world.

Even the side characters, like Hagrid and McGonagall, brought richness to the story - each had their own purpose.

The plot twists at the end, she hadn't seen them coming, and they had her on edge, heart racing.

With every turn, Harry's first year became more thrilling.

The stakes were constantly rising, and she found herself fully invested, caught up in the tension, the mystery, and the sense of discovery.

The themes were spot on - belonging, bravery, and identity.

By the time she hit the final page, she couldn't help but mentally retract every assumption she had made.

Regal's confidence suddenly made sense.

He wasn't just hopeful.

He believed in this work.

She could feel that belief in every word.

In this day and age, that kind of pure conviction was rare and admirable.

It was something that could truly connect with readers.

.

….

[To be continued…]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★

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