Chapter 195 The Start of Graduate School
Camilla and Alistair sat outside the coffee shop, separated by a floor-to-ceiling window. Although they couldn't hear what Bella was saying, her expression shifted from dazed to serious, then to apologetic, indicating the conversation wasn't going well.
Elmer had already stood up, ready to leave, when Bella suddenly looked up and said something. Elmer got excited and sat back down to continue the discussion.
This time, Bella spoke noticeably more, and her previously wooden expression regained its vitality.
When they finished, Elmer stood up and extended his hand again, "Bella, I look forward to our collaboration."
This time, Bella didn't hesitate. She stood up and shook his hand, "Thank you. Actually, if you had shown me the proofread manuscript from the start, our conversation would have gone much smoother."
Elmer replied, "Words are sacred. They can tell stories, express emotions, and celebrate beauty, but they should never be used as tools for moral coercion."
Bella sighed lightly, "You're a good editor. I hope this collaboration goes well."
She wouldn't misjudge again.
On the way home, Camilla asked Bella about her impression of Elmer, and Bella commented, "Reliable, sincere, genuine."
"So, you two have reached an agreement?"
"Yes. I had lost hope, but Elmer's sincerity made it hard to refuse. I thought, it can't get any worse than it is now, so why not give each other a chance?"
Back home, as Camilla was going through the contract details, she suddenly exclaimed.
Bella looked over, "What's wrong?"
Alistair immediately leaned in, "Is there a trap?"
Camilla shook her head. The contract not only had no pitfalls but was also quite fair, even somewhat favorable to Bella.
Most importantly, the contract was for Bella, not just her book.
In other words, Elmer broke the usual practice of signing only works, not authors, and signed Bella herself.
After explaining this, Alistair and Bella were finally at ease.
Camilla even sent Bella Elmer's personal information, from basic personal details to the works he had signed and the blockbuster IPs he had created.
After reading it, Bella said, "Is he really that impressive?"
Camilla replied, "He's top of the industry."
The next day, Bella received the royalty payment from SoulSpring Publishing.
Alistair exclaimed, "Two million dollars!"
And that was just the royalties for the physical publication of four books. If there were reprints or sales of other derivative rights, there would be additional earnings.
Bella didn't expect Elmer to act so quickly, as if he was afraid she might back out.
Camilla was also surprised, "Mom, you're amazing!"
Bella blushed, "I didn't expect it either."
To be precise, she didn't think she was worth that much.
They had agreed on one million dollars yesterday, so how did it double? Although Elmer said he would try to get her the best deal, Bella was still a bit shocked by the final amount.
Just then, Elmer called, "Bella, did you receive the money?"
"I did, but why is the amount different from what we agreed on?"
"One million dollars is the royalty for the publication, which we agreed on yesterday. The additional five hundred thousand dollars is what I negotiated with the publisher for you, and the remaining five hundred thousand dollars is the share from the short drama adaptation rights for Crimson Shadows."
"Short drama adaptation? The book hasn't even been published yet, and the derivative rights have already been sold?"
"Yes. That's your clout."
Bella never thought that after being away for so many years, she still had clout.
Although Elmer had mentioned it before, Bella thought he was just being polite and had no concrete concept of it.
That night, Camilla found an unexpected two million dollars in her bank account.
She received a balance alert and was stunned. She immediately threw off her covers, got out of bed, and ran to the next room.
"Mom, why did you transfer the money to me?"
Bella and Alistair exchanged a knowing look, as if they had anticipated her reaction. "Your dad and I discussed it. You spent so much on the villa. We couldn't help before, but now we can. Although it's not enough, at least it helps a bit."
"I don't need money!"
"I know," Bella said gently with a smile, "I'm not giving it to you because you need it. The villa is where your dad and I live. If we have extra money, it's only right to share some of the cost."
"But we're family. There's no need to be so clear-cut."
"I agree with that, so do you still want to be so clear-cut with us?"
Camilla was at a loss for words.
"But..."
"Alright, no buts," Alistair interrupted, "Listen to me. Besides, if we need money in the future, would you refuse to give it to us?"
Camilla replied, "No."
"Then that's settled. It's getting late, and you have a train to catch tomorrow. Go to bed."
"Okay, I'll keep the money for now. If you need it, just let me know."
"Alright, go on."
Camilla then turned and went back to her room.
Bella sighed, "That silly girl is probably overthinking it again."
Alistair said, "Actually, Camilla probably doesn't care about the money."
He vaguely knew that Camilla likely had a substantial amount of money, though he had never asked for the exact figure. It was probably not less than ten million dollars.
Bella suddenly became serious, "No matter how much money Camilla has, it's hers. What we give, no matter how little, is our gesture as parents."
Alistair sighed, "When Camilla was little, we couldn't provide her with a villa. Now, we're living in such a nice house thanks to her. I shouldn't take it for granted. It's my fault for being useless."
"You are not useless."
"Sweetheart," Alistair was suddenly moved.
"Without you, I couldn't have had a child on my own, and there would be no Camilla."
The next morning at nine, Camilla took her parents to the train station.
Standing at the gate, she watched them walk away until they were out of sight before leaving.
When she got home, she ran into Sebastian, who was holding a stack of papers and about to knock on her door.
"Sebastian." Camilla climbed the last step and faced Sebastian.
Sebastian asked, "Is your dad home?"
"My parents went back today. Do you need something from him?"
"He asked me to help find some papers. I printed them out; they're all here." Sebastian patted the stack of papers in his hand.
"But they just left."
"It's okay, I have electronic copies. I'll send them to you, and you can forward them to him."
"Thank you, sorry for the trouble!"
"You're welcome. Your dad is an interesting man."
Except for one thing—he insisted on calling him brother.
After sending off her parents, Camilla's life returned to its usual routine.
Every day, she shuttled between home and the library.
Time flew by, and soon it was September, the start of the graduate school term.
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