Gemotions

The phone vibrated in her hand. A text from her agent, a terse, demanding message. It spoke of a potential legal action, a claim of copyright infringement. The other author named was Charles Beaumont, her long-admired idol. Elara felt lightheaded.

Her legs buckled slightly, and she sat abruptly, the phone falling to the floor. The world blurred around the edges, the walls of her apartment seemingly closing in. She stared at the cracked screen, at the words, at the implication.

She was drowning in a wave of disbelief. The air felt thin, the silence deafening. Her entire career, her hopes, her dreams, seemed to hang in the balance, threatened by a literary giant she'd once considered a hero.