The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

I felt a sense of relief knowing Sasha was ready to support me.

"But the problem we're dealing with right now is that we're one person short. We

need someone who can help us bring everything together," I explained.

At that moment, Shane walked over. He asked, "What about me?"

Sasha and I both turned to look at him, who seemed a bit uncomfortable.

He lowered his eyes and said, "I know I've messed around before and didn't take

things seriously, but I've changed. You can count on me. If you're willing to give

me a chance, I'll give it everything I've got."

I didn't doubt Shane's sincerity, but I wasn't entirely sure he had the skills we

needed.

"You really think you can handle it?" I asked.

The question caught Shane off guard.

Sasha spoke up. "Honestly, he hasn't been involved with work lately. So, I'm not

entirely sure about his abilities either."

I took a moment to consider it before suggesting, "Why don't you reach out to your

friends? See if anyone has experience with something like this?"

Shane understood where we were coming from.

"Alright, just give me a minute," he said.

"Sure."

The wind howling on the rooftop was loud enough to be a distraction. Concerned

it might interfere with his call, Shane moved to a quiet spot and started dialing his

friends.

After he walked off, Sasha dropped her voice and asked, "You seriously plan on

working with Shane?"

"We don't have anyone else at the moment," I answered.

It was then that I realized how my habit of burying myself in work and avoiding

relationships had come back to bite me. Now that I needed a partner, I couldn't

think of anyone.

Sasha sighed. "You're right. I'll reach out to a few of my friends and see if

anyone's free to help."

"Okay."

Once they were gone, I leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance. Itnoveldrama

was just past noon, the time when most people were finishing up and heading out

for the day.

Below, people hurried in every direction, each working hard to make a living. As I

watched them, a surprising sense of calm washed over me.

Whether it was the animated series or the amusement park, I wasn't backing

down from either. Once the park was up and running and the revenue started

coming in, I'd be ready to build more parks.

With my purpose clear, a smile slowly spread across my face.

Sasha came over to fill me in. "One of my friends actually tried to start an

amusement park with a partner once. At first, they were on the same page—each

would invest half and split the profits down the middle.

"So, my friend went into business with her partner. But once the park was

finished, her partner backed out and cut her off."

I couldn't believe it. "How does something like that even happen?"

"Right?" Sasha said, her lips curling

in disgust "I asked her about the

money. She told me her partner told

her to consider her investment gone.

My friend was furious, obviously,

and now she's stuck in a lawsuit."

I nodded. "With that much money on the line, there's no way she could just walk

away because her partner said so."

Sasha's face brightened. "I asked her

if she'd be willing to work with us.

She said yes. But this time, she

wants a contract. That way, she can

ensure she doesn't get taken

advantage of again after the park's

built."

I felt a wave of relief. "I'm okay with that."

"She said she has the experience, so

she can take on most of the work.

On top of that, she's willing to invest,

but she'll put in a little less to make

up for all the legwork—things like

running errands and handling the

paperwork. What do you think?"

Sasha asked.

She knew the investment would be massive if we were serious about building an

amusement park. When she mentioned her friend contributing a little less, it could

easily add up to tens or even hundreds of millions.