Page 80 of Storm Warning

Kate took a shaky breath, her chest tightening with the weight of her fears. The tightness spread, making each inhale laborious, her ribs too small to contain her emotions. She recalled the moments of vulnerability she had shared with Nick, the raw honesty that had passed between them. He had seen her, truly seen her, in a way no one else ever had. The memory of his gaze on her, soft and wondering, made her throat ache. He had accepted her, embraced her, and in that moment, she had allowed herself to believe: maybe, just maybe, she was worthy of his love.

In the light of day, with no more manuscript deadlines, those doubts seemed to loom larger than ever. The afternoon sun beat down on her shoulders, too bright, too revealing. Shadows of her past whispered in her ear, reminding her of every failure, every rejection, every moment she had felt less than. They taunted her, mocked her for daring to dream of something more, something real.

Kate clenched her jaw, her teeth grinding together with enough force to send a dull ache through her temples.Enough! She was tired of feeling this way, tired of being held back by her own insecurities. The anger, clean and sharp, cut through the fog of self-doubt. She wanted to believe, to trust, to let go of the fears that had controlled her for so long.

“I am just as deserving of love as anyone else.” The words resonated true in her bones, even if her heart needed to catch up. She wanted the love Nick offered, to build a future with him, to create a life filled with happiness and fulfillment.

But how? How did she overcome such a deeply ingrained belief? How did she silence the whisper that she could never beenough? How did she find the courage to step forward and claim the love standing right in front of her?

Her mind raced with myriad thoughts and emotions. The cool air filled her lungs again, and this time, something shifted. A loosening. A possibility. She had a choice to make—continue living in the shadow of her fears or step into the light, to embrace the love and the future awaiting her.

It wouldn’t be easy, confronting her deepest insecurities, facing the lies she had been told, and she had told herself, for so long, and choosing a different path.

She was so tired of living a life dictated by fear and doubt. She wanted more; she deserved more. And she wanted to fight for it, to fight for the love she knew, deep down, was worth every struggle, every challenge, every point of uncertainty.

Her resolve strengthened with each passing moment as she gazed out at the sea. The waves continued their eternal rhythm, indifferent to her crisis, and somehow that constancy comforted her. Her fears would not dictate her future. She would not let the ghosts of her past haunt her present. She would face them head-on. She would prove to herself, and to Nick, that she was worthy of love, that she was enough.

She deserved to be happy.

She stepped back into her bedroom, the cool air-conditioned air raising fresh goosebumps on her sun-warmed skin. She took a deep breath, calm washing over her like the tide smoothing sand.

Ready to confront the challenges ahead and embrace the love waiting in front of her, waiting to be claimed, she took the first step forward: she grabbed her phone, its weight solid in her palm, and called Callie.

“Callie, we are fighting back.” Her voice held steady, the edge of newly forged steel unmistakable, and hearing her own conviction sent a thrill through her. “First, send me a copy ofmy publishing contract. We’re going to go through it line by line and make damn sure they’re following every term, because I don’t believe they are. There’s no way they can pull my books without evidence, not when we’ve proven the copyright is mine. I’m not letting them steal what's mine.”

“Yes! I’m in! I agree, and Deanna is already working on it. Let’s set up a Zoom working meeting, where we go through it together.” Callie’s excitement rang crystal clear through the phone’s speaker, and Kate pictured her assistant’s face lit up with the fierce loyalty that always made Kate’s chest tighten with gratitude.

“Agreed. Set it up.” The words tasted good in her mouth, like determination. “The next thing I need is for you to slap me off the side of the head again. I have a real chance at love here, Callie, and I am not going to let my old fears and uncertainties stand in the way. I need you to talk me through it. We are going to tackle this like a book. I am the stupid FMC who needs counseling, and you are giving it.”

“OMG! Yes! We are doing this. I am so happy for you, boss lady! We will get you through this, and I think that’s a great way to tackle it. If you just say a lot of this out loud, you’ll realize how silly it is. Ok, give me ten minutes to get with Deanna and set up the Zoom with her. You and I are getting on right away, and we’ll start with you. When Deanna joins us, we can switch to the contract.”

Hope blossomed inside her chest as she listened to Callie, the sensation as physical as it was emotional—a lightness, a warmth spreading through her ribs like sunshine breaking through clouds, reaffirming her resolution. She could do this.

Chapter 43

Legalese

“Why can’tthey just write this stuff in English?” Kate slumped back in her chair, her mind numb from hours of trying to decipher all the legalese in her contract. Her eyes burned from staring at the screen, dry and gritty, and she blinked hard, trying to clear her vision. Her shoulders ached with tension, tight knots of muscle that screamed for relief.

"You really think this could do it?" She swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady as hope flickered at the edges of her exhaustion. The words came out rougher than she intended, her throat dry from hours of talking.

"Yes, and here's why." Deanna leaned forward, her excitement cutting through her professional demeanor. "Look at Section 10(b)—the suspension of royalties clause. They were only allowed to freeze the royalties on the specific book, or series in this case, under investigation, and only for ninety days maximum. Instead, they frozeeverything—your entire backlist, books that have nothing to do with this dispute."

Kate's pulse quickened, the fog of exhaustion lifting slightly. "So they overstepped?"

"Massively." Deanna’s finger traced acrossher screen, following the contract language Kate could see mirrored on her own monitor. "And that's not even the best part. See this language here? 'Upon Author's submission of documentation establishing clear ownership, Publisher shall promptly reinstate regular royalty payments.' I sent them your copyright documentation three weeks ago. They acknowledged receipt. They should have unfrozen your accounts immediately."

"But they didn't." Kate's voice was flat, anger beginning to simmer beneath the exhaustion.

"No, they didn't. Instead, they doubled-down by canceling your contract. Which brings us to Section 14—Material Breach." Deanna’s smile was sharp, predatory. "When a publisher fails to comply with any material obligation of the contract, including—and I quote—'timely payment of royalties or adherence to the limitations set forth in Section 10(b)', that's a material breach."

Callie's eyes were wide on the screen. "And what happens when there's a material breach?"

"The author gets to send a Notice to Cure. The publisher has thirty days to fix it. If they don't..." Deanna paused, letting the moment build. "All rights automatically revert to the author. No negotiation. No buyout. Just... reversion."

Kate's hands trembled slightly as the implications sank in. “Deanna, when did you send the copyright documentation?"

"Twenty-three days ago."