For years, Mindy had dreamed of having her mystery works published again. She’d approached Edith countless times, but Edith always had an excuse to push it off. And now, someone was suddenly telling her that her work could be published.

Warren continued, “If you agree, we’ll immediately apply for an ISBN, contact the printing company, and start engaging the promotional media for all the pre-release preparations. Then, it will be about typesetting, printing, marketing, and launching. We expect the entire process to be completed within two months. As for the royalty and future earnings split, this is our initial proposal. But of course, you’re welcome to share your thoughts, and we can discuss and negotiate further.”

It was clear Warren had come well-prepared. The royalty rate and revenue share he proposed were more than generous. He even brought a contract along. Mindy went from being shocked and overwhelmed at first to listening intently. Finally, a calm settled over her.

“Mr. Warren,” she began, taking a deep breath, “I’m sorry…”

Warren’s heart sank the moment he heard her start with an apology.

Mindy continued, “The terms you’ve offered are indeed very generous. The issue is with me… I think I need some time to process this.”

After being trapped in a pit for ten years, Mindy had become cautious and wary of everyone. Warren spoke sincerely, but so had Edith when she first approached her years ago. And look how that turned out. Now, once bitten, twice shy.

Disappointment flickered across Warren’s face, but he respected Mindy’s decision. “Ms. Harrison, I completely understand how you feel. Anyone would struggle after going through something like this. But I truly believe that someone as logical and clear-minded as a mystery novelist would be more rational than the average person.”

He handed her his business card. “This has all my contact information. If you decide to move forward, I hope Ten Directions Publishing will be the first partner you reach out to.”

“Thank you.” Mindy accepted the card.

“One more thing,” Warren said, placing a USB drive in front of her. “This contains the electronic drafts of your four books that Miranda shared with me. I’ve already had them proofread. While we can’t publish them right now, these corrected drafts might come in handy later.”

“They’ve already been proofread?” Mindy asked in astonishment, her breath catching.

Warren’s expression grew serious. “I apologize for doing it without your permission.”

“Why? If I don’t agree now, all that work would be for nothing. Was it really worth it?”

“Well, what if you had agreed?” Warren replied. “By skipping the proofreading stage, we’d have saved at least half a month in preparation time for the new release.”

“And you weren’t afraid of wasting your effort?”

“Investment always involves risks,” Warren said. “Just as success and failure are common for any strategist.”

Success and failure… common for any strategist? Mindy stood there, momentarily lost in thought.

“Ms. Harrison,” Warren said, rising and extending his hand with a smile, “I hope we’ll have the opportunity to work together in the future.”

Mindy stared at his outstretched hand, seemingly deep in thought.

Warren, though puzzled, waited patiently without pressuring her. Just as he was about to awkwardly withdraw his hand, Mindy suddenly spoke up. “You’re planning to publish all four books together?”

Warren froze for a moment; then, his eyes lit up.

“Yes,” he said eagerly. “You’ve been silent in the mystery genre for a decade, but thanks to ‘Murder Weapon’ and ‘The Deserted School,’ you still have strong market appeal. We believe that if you make a comeback, it has to be bold and attention-grabbing to truly capture the public’s interest.”