Written in Love

Chapter 23: Tactical Approaches

February 7, Wednesday
SCPI Rosario, Cavite
8:51 a.m.

Kjin and Quila walk towards their office after changing into their company shoes, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the hallway as they chat. Quila, her brow furrowed with concern, broke the silence. "I'm worried about Aerish."

Kjin, with a reassuring smile, replied, "Don't stress yourself. Worrying won't change anything." His calm demeanor helped ease Quila's anxiety as they continued their walk.

Upon reaching their office, Kjin spotted a note placed neatly on his desk, signed by Chartoff. The message detailed Chartoff's official business trip for the day and the impending visit of ShinMetal for a meeting at ten o'clock.

"I've reserved conference room one for the meeting. Please prepare your data," the Chartoff note read.

Quila, too, found a note waiting for her, this time from Rodney. It informed her of Rodney's leave for the day and the virtual meeting scheduled with Oracle-Plastic Phil. Inc. at one o'clock.

"Use this laptop and connect to the monitor in conference room two, which I had already reserved," Rodney's note instructed.

As they absorbed the information from the notes, Kjin mused aloud, "Perhaps Sean Garren took the day off to support his girlfriend."

Their actions spoke volumes as they swiftly prepared for the upcoming meetings, each lost in their thoughts about the day ahead. The air in the office buzzed with anticipation and the promise of productive interactions with their business partners.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit office of Red Mountain Publishing in Davao City, Ronwaldo, the shrewd owner of the publishing company, sat behind his mahogany desk, a smug grin playing on his lips.

Across from him, Eduardo, the manga artist embroiled in a scandal of plagiarism, leaned back in his leather chair, exuding confidence.

As they discussed their devious plan, Eduardo's eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and arrogance. "I'm sure they have no idea who's the one behind that article online," he remarked, his voice dripping with self-assurance.

Ronwaldo leaned forward, his eyes calculating. "You're right, and it's possible they already have a copy of your manga," he stated, his tone laced with intrigue.

Eduardo, reveling in the success of their scheme, leaned back further, a smug expression crossing his face. "The first volume of Aerish's manga was released two years ago, while my manga was just unveiled last Sunday," he boasted, a hint of pride in his voice.

Ronwaldo, the puppeteer pulling the strings, chuckled softly. "We spread the article last Monday using a dummy account, and now the sales of your manga have skyrocketed," he revealed, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Eduardo leaned in, a sinister smirk playing on his lips. "Just because they want to compare my manga to the original, there are subtle details in my work that prove its originality," he stated cryptically, his mind already plotting the next move in their elaborate game of deception.

On the other hand, in the hushed atmosphere of the Aerish Manga Studio, tension hung thick in the air as Titus and Mildred, accompanied by Aerish and Sean Garren, gathered in the meeting room.

Titus, with a sense of purpose, handed over the copies of the allegedly plagiarized manga to Aerish and Sean Garren, his movements deliberate and firm.

"I ordered four copies online, and they arrived yesterday. This manga is exclusively available to Davao City and six other major cities like Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, Butuan City, Iligan City, and Cotabato City," Titus explained, his voice steady as he presented the evidence.

Mildred interjected, "This manga was released just last Sunday," emphasizing the timeline of events as Aerish scrutinized the contents of the manga with a furrowed brow.

Aerish examined the pages intently. "The title is the same as mine, but the character styles are different. However, the background is an exact match," Aerish observed, her mind racing to make sense of the uncanny similarities.

Sean Garren posed a crucial question: "What could be their motive for such actions?"

Mildred responded, "We're still in the dark. There have been no official statements addressing these plagiarism accusations, except for the article chatter among netizens."

Titus added, "Our top management believes this may be an isolated incident, possibly orchestrated by a dummy account," his words reflecting a blend of concern and determination as they delved deeper into the mysterious web of deceit surrounding Aerish's work.