Chapter 250
The third floor of Kinokuniya Books was buzzing with noise and excitement.
The book signing hadn't even started yet, but readers already packed the hallway.
Security guards linked arms to form a human barricade.
A giant display stand stood at the entrance, with copies of "Seven-Day Talk" piled high like a small mountain.
Next to it was a life-size cardboard cutout, featuring the book's cover art intertwined with cartoon character designs.
"Oh my god—" a young girl gasped sharply.
Her boyfriend trailed behind her and let out a curse.
"It's just a book signing. How is it more chaotic than a top-tier concert?"
The girl was a seasoned idol chaser, switching her favorite celebrity monthly and hopping between new crushes daily, but she had never followed a novelist before.
Last week, she randomly picked up a suspense novel her father had left on the coffee table. Its cover was eerie and ominous.
With her phone in for repairs, she was bored and picked up the book out of curiosity.
She was completely hooked from that moment on.
When she retrieved her phone that afternoon, she didn't even touch it.
She stayed up all night to finish the book and immediately searched for the author online, but found very little information.
She texted her boyfriend in frustration: Is this author a caveman? She doesn't even have social media!
Unyielding, she dug up Isabella Sullivan's earlier works.
She expected a decade-old novel to be cliché and outdated.
To her surprise—
She was deeply captivated once again!
She spent a week devouring all of Isabella's suspense novels. Apart from that one terribly clichéd youth campus story, every other book was absolutely brilliant.
The writing from ten years ago still felt sharp as a knife, cutting straight to the dark underbelly of society.
A book of that nature would never get published today.
Yet it was written a decade ago!
She wrote fearlessly about everything, laying bare the complexities of human nature with raw honesty.
She learned about the signing while frantically trying to snag tickets for her idol's fan meet.
After two days of internal struggle, she finally chose the book signing.
But the moment she arrived at the bookstore, she regretted it.
Her boyfriend delivered his classic line: "Well, we're already here."
They decided to just go upstairs, take a quick look, and then leave.
But then…
"My support sign! Get it out now!"
Her boyfriend was stunned. "Didn't you throw it in the trash downstairs?"
"Go fish it out!"
"I thought we were going to Ethan Roscente's meet and greet?"
"Not anymore! What kind of turnout does a minor celeb have? I love a big, lively crowd!"
"...Women are so unpredictable."
"Hurry up!"
By the time her boyfriend retrieved the sign, the event was starting.
The girl charged to the front, sign held high.
She suddenly screeched to a halt.
The front rows were filled exclusively with uncles and aunts.
"What's going on?"
Her boyfriend blurted out, "Why is it all older people?"
This instantly provoked outrage—
"What's wrong with older people? Are we in your way?"
Her boyfriend tried to explain. "Aren't you a bit old for this sort of thing?"
"We're here for the books! Got a problem with that?"
"Exactly!"
Her boyfriend was dumbfounded. "Isabella Sullivan's reader base is this diverse?"
"Hmph! We've been fans for ten years. We got busy with marriage, kids, and careers. We might not be online voting, but we support her by buying her books with real money."
"We were just busy, not gone!"
The girl looked around. The readers indeed spanned a wide age range.
The host took the stage to warm up the crowd.
Isabella Sullivan made her appearance amidst applause.
"Wow—"
"Professor Sullivan is this beautiful?"
"Incredible! The author of horror novels is a stunning beauty!"
Isabella wore a simple black dress with a white chiffon scarf tied at her waist. Her steps were light, making the sheer fabric sway gracefully.
"Hello everyone, I'm Isabella Sullivan. Thank you all for coming…"
She bowed deeply.
Sincerity is always moving.
Thunderous applause erupted.
Sophia Sullivan stood in the crowd, watching her radiant mother on stage, a smile touching her lips.
After the Q&A session, the signing officially began.
The crowd surged forward.
Sophia was pushed along by the flow of people. She tried to step aside, but a sudden force shoved her from behind.
She lost her balance and stumbled forward.
Just as she was about to fall, a pair of hands caught her by the waist, steadying her securely.
"Thank— Professor Laurent?" Sophia's eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"
Alexander Laurent cleared his throat softly and withdrew his hands.
The sensation of her slender waist lingered on his fingertips.
He bent down to pick up the book that had fallen to the floor. The title "Seven-Day Talk" was prominently displayed on the cover.
"I came for the book signing."
"You read my mother's books?"
"Yes."
Sophia looked perplexed. "If you wanted her signature, you could have just asked me. Why bother with this crowd?"
"It holds a different meaning this way."
"What differ—"
Before she could finish, the crowd surged again.
Sophia was shoved forward, her face crashing directly into the man's chest.
The warmth of his body seeped through his shirt. She froze instantly.
Alexander's entire body tensed.
The woman was right there in his arms. A simple lift of his arms would pull her completely against him.
Her soft breaths ghosted near his collarbone. His own heart was pounding violently in his ears.
Sophia's breath hitched.
She hurriedly tried to step back, but someone pushed her again.
She collided with his chest once more, this time pressed even tighter against him.
"Sorry, Professor, I…" It wasn't on purpose!