Chapter 72

AURORA.

After speaking with Nathaniel, I went home and immediately delved into preparations for the bid. My thoughts raced through various possibilities for the new story outline. Whatever plot I chose had to be unique and enthralling or I could kiss the bid goodbye. I knew there were numerous other writers bidding and the possibility that one of them could be a better writer than me was high. Plot mattered; it was what would set me apart from the other writers.

It was during one of these contemplative moments that a rather intriguing idea crossed my mind: why not incorporate Winter's story of his first love, Lena, into the narrative?

It was an amazing idea. As soon as Winter had begun talking about Lena, I just knew there was something about that story that had the ability to draw attention. It had certainly drawn mine. It was bittersweet and had an ending that would pull at the readers' heartstrings for sure. Coupled with the layer of depth and authenticity I knew would resonate with the readers, nothing was keeping me from getting that bid.

But first, I needed to get Winter’s permission. After all, it was his story and it would be terrible of me to put it out there without asking him first.

So, I composed a message to Winter, explaining my vision and how his story could help me win the upcoming bid. I tried to be as clear as possible, as well as precise. If he said no, then I was back to square one, another step further away from winning the bid. I held my breath as I hit the send button, waiting anxiously for his response.

Moments later, a message notification chimed on my phone, and I eagerly opened it to find Winter's reply.

Winter: Hey, Aurora! Thank you for asking. I think writing about Lena could be a great way to remember her. And it would be nice if people could learn a thing or two from it. Count me in!

I chuckled softly at his enthusiasm, heartened to know that he was willing to share such a personal part of his life with the world with the intention that it would help people make the right choice if they were ever in that situation.

With Winter's permission secured, I set to work, crafting out the outline first to create a feel and flow of the plot. Though this was Winter’s story, I made sure to infuse some other scenarios here and there, just for a touch of the dramatic. Once the outline was done, I worked on the character descriptions and definitions to understand my characters better. Since I was more aware of Winter’s personality than Lena’s, crafting his character description did not take me too long. I introduced a few more characters just to keep things well-balanced, adding some family members and whatnot.

After that was taken care of, I began writing the first few chapters. I knew I had just one week to finish the full script but I was not going to rush the process. Instead, I let the story flow through me. My fingers danced across the keyboard as I breathed life into the characters and sculpted the world they inhabited. The words flowed, and my imagination took flight. It was a thrilling process, one where I lost myself in the story.

It was as though I’d gone back to the time when I’d loved writing. The younger me had hungered to tell stories that resonated with the human spirit and she’d gone on a writing spree. But that was so long ago that I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to weave delicate webs. With too much time on my hands and very little responsibility, all I’d done was write.

I remember now that it was my favorite thing to do as a teenager. I’d always wanted to be a writer. Somehow, life had gotten in the way of that dream and I’d lost sight of it.

And now Fate had brought it back to me. Not everyone got a second chance at doing what they loved. I had and I was going to make certain I did not waste this opportunity.

As the story grew and evolved, so did my excitement and anticipation. I’d been so caught up in the tale that I’d forgotten to sleep, instead writing all night until 7:00 in the morning before I finally fell asleep on my laptop.

At Abuela’s insistence, I went to catch some sleep for about three hours before I resumed writing. Twenty-four hours later with almost dead wrists, I’d gotten to the part where Lena died. A few tears dropped from my eyes as I wrote that scene, almost as if I was reliving the painful memory with Winter. I tried not to think about what he must’ve gone through losing the love of his life in such a brutal manner, trying my utmost best not to paint her husband, the rich England heir as a monster even though I desperately wanted to.

It took a few more hours before the manuscript was done. With the manuscript complete, I called my agent, Sarah and let her know of my intention to bid for the copyright. She was ecstatic that I had not given up like she’d thought prior and expressed her approval of my writing a new book to prove that Mateo would not have a hand in it if I won.

Sarah assured me that she would not let me down, letting me know that there were other production companies looking to buy copyrights and that she would also extend my manuscript to them. Sarah would create a buzz around the manuscript, sparking interest among production companies. An auction-type scenario would ensue, where these companies would compete, not just with their interest but with their financial bids. As I didn’t know much about the business end of things, I let her do her magic as my agent after expressing my gratitude to her for her patience and understanding.

It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. The thought of production companies vying for the rights to my creation was a heady feeling, but it also carried the weight of expectation. I had so many questions. What if things did not go as I planned? What if I’d just spent the past three days of my life writing a book no one wanted? What if no company bid for my book? I would be shattered. The thought of sleeping hadn’t even occurred to me.

I was too anxious to close my eyes. I needed to know what would happen by tomorrow.

That night, Nathaniel called to check up on me. A sweet gesture, one that I found myself blushing over. We talked about the bid and my story and how it came about, and finally, it was the calming sound of his voice that had me shutting my eyes as reality gave way to sleep.

Friday morning came, and with it, an anxiety the kind of which I’d never before experienced. Today was the day the bidding of Mateo’s company would come to a close. This meant that they would be choosing a book today.

With bated breath, I awaited the outcome, my heart a mix of hope and trepidation. As the hours passed, the weight of the decision hung in the air, but Sarah's expertise and dedication shone through. Her efforts had paid off, and the news arrived like a ray of sunlight on a cloudy day—we had successfully won the bid.