Sitting comfortably on the long sofa, Josie glanced at the man sitting behind his desk in the same room. Atlas Raymond seemed completely immersed in his work, his focus seemingly untouched by the outside world, let alone the gaze of a frustrated writer.
Josie sighed softly and then turned her attention to the man's left hand. Specifically, to the notebook lying quietly on the table next to Atlas's left hand. The book looked so innocent and guileless, bound in the name of the writer. Its existence, now out of reach, felt like the most elegant torture Josie had ever experienced in her life.
With sad eyes, she stared at the object that had never left her grasp—her beloved notebook, her soul mate, the place where she poured out her life and death as a writer. That precious little object had accompanied her through the most difficult times in her writing, as well as being a silent witness to all her wild imaginations. She had received it as a nineteenth birthday present—a moment that still lingered warmly in her memory. The gift had been given to her by Baron Kingsley's wife, a wise and generous woman who had also been Josie's main sponsor in publishing her first book.
They had always been inseparable, together through thick and thin. Only recently were they forced apart, like the famous story of Romeo and Juliet. It was all because of Atlas Raymond, a man with a high position in the military and an infuriating determination, who was unwilling to give it back without a reasonable excuse.
And as a result of that man's decision, Josie Everhart had been stuck in this room for days. Sitting in a quiet, high-pressure office all the time, with the man who—unfortunately—was the main source of inspiration for her new main character.
Captain Valrick.
Since their second encounter a few days ago, when Josie came with Kat to Raventon Hall hoping to divert the Major General's attention to her sister, she had never really gone home.
Not physically, but her mind was still there. Physically, she had returned home. She sat at the dining table, slept in her room, and even chatted casually with her siblings. However, since that moment, a part of her remained in Atlas Raymond's office. Trapped between the walls and the masculine scent that filled the man's office.
Since their second meeting, that moment kept replaying in Josie's mind like a shadow she couldn't shake off. She remembered everything clearly, how Atlas Raymond looked at her without saying much, how page after page of her notebook was opened and read without a single expression on his face, and how his words when he mentioned a jaw like a marble sculpture now made her want to dig a hole and live there forever.
And the most painful thing was how the man refused to give her back her book until she paid her debt to him—a concept that sounded so absurd to her.
Yes, somehow, she was now indebted to Atlas Raymond. How ridiculous, wasn't it? The debt was not in the form of money, but something more like a joke that she couldn't fully understand.
"Why not? You stalked me for a week and I found it annoying."
Even now, Josie could still remember very clearly the words Atlas had said during their second meeting. His blunt words revealed how annoyed he was by Josie's reckless actions of secretly following him for a whole week on the streets of Bluebill.
"Then why don't you pay your debt by entertaining me? Maybe then I'll consider forgiving you and returning your book, Miss Everhart."
Cheeky? Oh, very! But before you start defending Josie, keep in mind that she was the one who started this cheeky game.
"From now on, do your best to entertain me, Miss Everhart."
Do you think Josie just kept quiet when she heard that? Of course not! She always protested. Every time she got the chance, she would explain at length, argue, and—if necessary—threaten to cry crocodile tears, which unfortunately never worked. She always failed to get the Major General's sympathy. And as usual, the man always had a way of turning the tables. To keep her here, sitting on the same long sofa for several days, and remaining the 'entertainment' that he claimed was not yet worthy of being redeemed with the return of her notebook.
"I'll keep your book until you've paid off your debt in full."
For God's sake, that man was so annoying! So, so annoying! But even stranger, despite his irritating behaviour and many demands during their second meeting, Josie could never bring herself to hate him. Not at all! Strange, isn't it? On the contrary, she grew to like him more—not in a romantic way, but because Atlas truly embodied the Captain Valrick who had only existed in her imagination.
And so, to this day, she was still here. Coming every morning and going home in the late afternoon. Always sitting quietly on the same long sofa, trapped in the same room, with the same man, with feelings that were increasingly difficult to explain.
Today was her fifth day staying in that office as an entertainer who failed to entertain. Just like the days before, Josie didn't say much. This time, she tried desperately to act more calm and normal. Refusing to act like she did a few days ago, when she had rushed towards Atlas without thinking twice during their second meeting.
On the long sofa, she just sat quietly in silent mode while watching the man from a distance. She watched how Atlas Raymond worked calmly, writing reports, reading documents, or occasionally talking to his aide, and almost never looking at Josie for more than five seconds.
And don't forget that the reason she was here for five days was to pay off a debt. Not a monetary debt, but a debt of entertainment!
A light punishment for the stalking charges that Josie couldn't deny, even though in her heart, she still called the stalking "research" alone. Atlas Raymond demanded compensation for his discomfort, but not in the form of money or an apology. Yes, entertainment, he said. Without any specific explanation or further clues as to what kind of entertainment he needed.
The problem was, Josie still hadn't found a way to entertain someone as hard as granite as Atlas Raymond. She had tried every method on the first day of debt repayment. Starting from bringing old storybooks that she had bought when she was young with her savings, to show Atlas Raymond in the hope that perhaps he would be entertained by reading—unfortunately, that never happened. The next day of debt repayment, she tried sketching in the corner of a piece of paper, and even read excerpts from her novel in the most theatrical tone. However, all her efforts were only met with a small nod or a short mumble from Atlas, "Hm, interesting."
It sounded more like a formality than a compliment. Interesting, he said, but he never even looked at her attempts to entertain him for more than five seconds. So, what part was interesting? Damn it!
Now all she could do was show up every morning at Raventon Hall, sit quietly on the sofa and daydream, because she had given up on her fourth day of being an entertainer who failed to entertain. While sitting and daydreaming, her eyes often wandered to gaze at Atlas's face from a distance, simply to admire his beauty—no matter how annoying his personality was, Josie still couldn't ignore that face.
The face she had been searching for, the real embodiment of Captain Valrick in her mind. However, even after meeting him in person, Josie began to realise one important thing: not all aspects of Atlas Raymond reflected Captain Valrick. There were sides to him that made him different from Captain Valrick.
In her imagination, her Captain Valrick was known to be colder than the snow on the peak of Mount Arcelin. He was a man of few words, full of mystery, and able to make anyone submit with just a sharp glance. Meanwhile, Atlas Raymond only appeared cold on the outside. Or perhaps, he wasn't actually as cold as Josie had imagined.
Yes, Atlas was not a man who built high walls because of past wounds, like Captain Valrick in her mind. No! Atlas Raymond was more like a sturdy fortress that was deliberately built because he knew how to control his emotions and hide his thoughts.
He is also not a quiet man. Unlike Captain Valrick, whom Josie describes as a quiet, cold man. However, he is not someone who only speaks when necessary like Captain Valrick. In fact, Atlas can talk a lot—just in a different way. He is not a man who speaks to explain something, but rather he speaks to observe your reaction afterwards.
And that, in her opinion, was even more dangerous.
Josie sighed softly as she watched the man who was still busy working behind his desk.
"Captain Valrick is a character I created, but Atlas Raymond ... he's far more complex than any fictional character I've ever written," she muttered softly as she leaned her head back against the sofa with a tired expression.
And for the first time as a writer, Josie felt that perhaps the main character in her story had to be slightly defeated by reality.
Putting aside the issue of her characters, deep down in her heart, Josie missed writing. For several days now, she had been unable to string together a single sentence that felt alive. Her mind was suddenly dull, her imagination like a dry river, and her focus was always scattered. All for one reason: her notebook—the soul of every story she created—was still being held hostage by Atlas.
Two days ago, she had tried begging him repeatedly. With a soft voice that she hoped sounded sweet, with subtle flattery, even with a pleading look that had several times persuaded Ed to give her a discount on books at his shop. But all of that crumbled when she met Atlas's calm expression, like an ocean untouched by stormy waves.
"Not entertaining enough," he replied, so calmly and without the slightest empathy. "Still not enough to pay your debt."
Entertaining?! What kind of entertainment did Atlas Raymond expect from a writer like Josie? Standing on a table and dancing like a stage clown? Reading poetry with background sound effects? Or painting the man's face on the ceiling of Raventon Hall as an unasked-for masterpiece?
Both his hands clenched tightly, while his mind raced wildly, searching for answers amid the burning panic. Yet no matter where he looked, no answers emerged.
No answers meant no solutions!