Meanwhile, Miranda and Lionel sat outside the café, watching through the large windows. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said, Mindy’s expressions shifted from dazed to serious, then to apologetic.

That would suggest the conversation wasn’t going well.

Warren stood up, ready to leave, but suddenly, Mindy looked up and said something. It was as if she lit a candle within him, and Warren seemed to come alive.

He sat back down, and they resumed their discussion. This time, Mindy spoke much more, and the initial stiffness in her expression gradually turned into one of renewed vitality.

When they finally finished, Warren stood up and extended his hand again. “Ms. Harrison, I look forward to a successful partnership.”

This time, Mindy didn’t hesitate. She stood and shook his hand. “Thank you. To be honest, if you had shown me the proofread draft from the beginning, this conversation would have gone much smoother.”

Warren replied, “Words are sacred. They can tell stories, convey emotions, and celebrate beauty, but they should never be used as tools of moral coercion.”

Mindy sighed softly, “You’re a good editor. I hope this time…” She paused, hoping she wouldn’t misjudge again.

On the way home, Miranda asked Mindy about her impression of Warren.

“Reliable, sincere, and genuine,” Mindy replied.

“So, you two reached an agreement?” Miranda asked.

“Yes. Initially, I didn’t have much hope, but his sincerity made it hard to refuse. Then I thought, things couldn’t possibly get worse than they are now. So, I decided to give us both a chance.”

Back home, as Miranda reviewed the contract details, she suddenly gasped.

Mindy looked over. “What’s wrong?”

Lionel quickly leaned in. “Is there a problem?”

Miranda shook her head. “This contract isn’t just fair, it’s remarkably in your favor.”

Most importantly, the contract was for Mindy as an author, not just her books. Warren had broken the usual practice of only signing deals for individual works and had signed Mindy herself.

After explaining this, both Lionel and Mindy felt relieved.

Miranda then shared Warren’s profile with Mindy, covering everything from his basic background information to the successful works and hit books he had created.

Mindy was stunned. “Is he really that accomplished?”

Miranda summed it up in four words. “Top of the industry.”

Chapter 0379

“Um?”

The next morning at nine, Miranda took her parents to the train station. She stood by the gate, watching them walk away until they were out of sight before she left.

When she got back home, she happened to see Paul holding a stack of papers, about to knock on the door.

“Dr. Jefferson.” Miranda climbed the last step and stood face to face with him.

“Is your dad home?” Paul asked.

“My parents left today. Were you looking for him?”

“He asked me to help him find some research papers. I printed them all out.” He patted the stack in his hand.

“Oh? They just left…”

“No problem. I have an electronic copy. I’ll send it to you, and you can forward it to him.”

“Thank you, Dr. Jefferson. I really appreciate it!”

“You’re welcome. Your dad is… quite an interesting person.”

Except for one thing—his insistence on becoming Paul’s brother.

With her parents gone, Miranda’s life returned to its routine. She spent her days shuttling between home and the library.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, September arrived—the start of her graduate school.