Gemotions

The champagne cork popped with a satisfying bang, spraying a fine mist across the room. Elias let out a whoop of pure joy, the sound echoing off the high, ornate ceilings of his apartment. He poured himself a glass, the bubbly liquid reflecting his elated expression. He'd done it. The manuscript, the one he'd secretly nurtured, the one he'd sent anonymously, had finally seen the light of day.

But there, on the cover, a single, devastating name: "By Veronica Bellweather." She was a popular author, a name that could sell anything. Elias felt a brief pang of annoyance, then quashed it. He had a plan. This was just a springboard. He downed the champagne in one gulp.

He spun around, the room a whirlwind of possibilities. The publication, the reviews, the praise, they were all his! He lifted his glass again. "To Veronica," he mumbled, a private, knowing smile playing on his lips.