It's over! It's finally over!- E-eherm..Well wasn't this a trainwreck of a story.Heartstrings was supposed to be over well over a month ago. If it weren't for an arbitrary chapter and word count requirement, as well as poor planning, this thing would've been done in just over 80 to 90k words just like its predecessor. Now, at the very least, I had some takeaways from writing this thing, so do keep in mind that this serves as both a gigantic author's note and as a reflection for me to read as well.Let's get started, shall we?I never expected to write this kind of story in the first place; one that involved CEO bullshit that I always saw dominating the recommended pages of literary sites. In fact, this tale wasn't even on the master timeline that I always referred to in my note. It just... materialized in my head, per
The tale begins...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛A new year. Another full year of living an uneventful, peaceful life.This was on the thoughts of one Alice Heather Littman as she stared out of her cheap, one person apartment balcony. White smoke billowed in the distance as the young adult stretched her lithe body for the day ahead, mismatched ruby and sapphire eyes gazing out into the metal-filled landscape. Living in the more industrialized district of the city, she was used to the towering chimneys and sterile white factories that surrounded the small apartment building. Granted, Nancaan wasn't exactly known for its sprawling suburban domiciles and cleaner than not clean air, but it still sported small, leftover communities, ones untouched by the rapid industrialization of the district."Hnggggg...." The spectacled woman moaned as some of her bones cracked comfortably into place. "That never gets old."Not in the same way that she can get old at least. Having just turned 26 last month, the young adult
"Hey, did you hear? It's the same as last week.." "Yeah.. They found another one up north near Downtown. Heart gone and everything.""Yikes. That's pretty near us too.."Heather tried her best to enjoy her small afternoon break in peace, ignoring the hushed whispers of some of her colleagues as she munched on a lame piece of white bread. The snacking teacher never really paid too much attention about the going ons of the city anymore, having found that news about killings and other random incidents always made her mood drop considerably."Hey, Heather." A fellow teacher whispered from the left side of their conjoined desks, her short brown hair failing to hide its owner's electric blue eyes. "Aren't you worried? That's pretty close to your place isn't it?""Not really." Why should she be worried? "It's not like I walk the streets in the middle of the night." "Still! You never know Heather." The brown-haired gal protested, left hand chastising the redhead while the other continued to
A small glimpse...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛In a certain office building in Downtown Midas, a fairly handsome man sat comfortably behind his posh desk, a wine glass on one hand as he read a printed out itinerary on the other. The clear walls behind the man displayed a sprawling cityscape, a playground for the rich and powerful to play with."Hmmm..." A nine o'clock meeting with the stockholders.. Rounds by the docks at eleven.. "A fairly standard rundown."Dio Panagopolous was a simple man by his standards. Everyday, the black-haired Chief Operating Officer of the Alexandria Shipping Company would wake up in his penthouse just above his office at exactly 5 AM on the dot, followed by a strict regimen of daily exercises to maintain his adonis-like figure. By 6 AM the COO would take a brief shower
Time moves forward...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛"I hate sports."The Nancaan Elementary School's 25th Foundation Day was currently in full swing. All throughout the school grounds, various games and athletic events were being played out in front of Heather's bespectacled eyes. The teacher sat on the bleachers of the school's roofed basketball court, her head propped up on one hand as she turned her attention back to the court, lazily watching her boys take on their opponents from their sister class of 5-A."Don't be such a sourpuss Helly!" Beside the skulking redhead, a familiar brunette coaxed, her endless amounts of energy unbound not only by her lack of a proper teacher's uniform. "I know for a fact you'd kill it out there if you tried!"A faint smile colored Heat
"Okay, kids!" Heather shouted with a commanding tone, her once meek voice now capable of carrying authority through experience. "Line up according to height!"The redhead put her hands on her jacket's pockets as she watched her children do their thing, the boys and girls of 5-B displaying a heightened level of discipline and attentiveness. The proud teacher almost felt a tear escape her sapphire eye; she loved them so much right now.The roofed basketball court was packed, students of various grades and sizes all lining up in front of the stage that was built on to the side of the court. It was decorated with the customary school colors of peach and black as balloons and drapes decorated the elevated platform. A big popped out lettering stood out at the back wall of the stage, displaying in bold letters 'Nancaan Elementary School's 25th Foundation Day!'Kind of
"Alice Heather Littman, sir."Sapphire eyes lit up the more Dio knew more about the ravishing maiden in front of him. The COO never thought that he would find exceptional beauty in such an insignificant location, having previously planned off of doing his nightly excursion for the week due to the sudden intrusion on his schedule. But simply seeing such crimson red locks, along with her slender physique, not to mention her different colored irises, this woman was possibly the rarest beauty in all of Midas!"How exquisite,"Dio could barely contain his euphoria as he drank in every inch of her form. Keen eyes lingered from the woman's slender legs, to her jacket covered body. The teacher was blushing furiously, red and blue firmly transfixed against his own sapphire orbs.His breath hitche
"I hope that I'll be worth your while."Heather watched as the uncanny man in the suit left the court with an elegant gait, his ebony hair fluttering on nonexistent wind as he disappeared through the school gate. All the while, Alexa never stopped judging her initial attempt at rebuffing the suspicious COO, dragging her all the way to the women's bathroom to avoid the incredulous stares from both students and fellow faculty. While she did admit that he was fairly attractive, the redhead was no stranger to underlying motives."What were you thinking Helly?!"The confounded teacher ignored her friend's outburst in favor of focusing on the slightly molded tiles of the small washroom. Why her of all people? It's not like she's any more beautiful than her currently annoying colleague. Was it her eyes? Her hair? Hell, she didn't even talk to the man at least once bef