waking
Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Naomi froze, her fingers pausing mid–air. She bit her lip and tried to pull away, but Shawn’s strong hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her into

his arms.

Her heart raced in surprise, but just as quickly, Shawn pushed her away, scowling. Apparently, her makeup and perfume bothered him.

“Go back,” Shawn said coldly. It was unclear whether he was addressing Naomi or Chandler.

Naomi reminded herself that she needed to get used to Shawn’s unpredictable moods. He was notorious for his temper, and even if he was scarred and disabled, he had the power to enforce his will.

“Mr. Fischer, did I do something wrong?” Naomi asked cautiously.

“Nope,” Shawn replied, hardly looking at her. “You’re free for the rest of the day.”

Then he turned to Chandler. “Chandler, let’s go.”

“Yes, Mr. Fischer,” Chandler said, stepping forward to push Shawn’s wheelchair out of the room.

Naomi did a quick scan of the cafeteria. Initially, the stares from the Fischer Group staff were hard to miss, but no one showed any disrespect. Instead, there was a kind of respectful curiosity in their eyes. Shawn Fischer wasn’t known for tolerating women in his personal space, Cheryl Larson being the sole exception, and even she only made it as far as the office.

With Naomi’s face recently splashed across the Elaine Jewelry campaign, gossip and intrigue had spiked among the employees. But as soon as they caught Naomi’s eye, they looked away, not wanting to be caught staring.

Keen to keep it friendly and light, Naomi gave everyone a warm smile and then headed out, her step a little lighter knowing she had the rest of the day to herself. It was the perfect opportunity to go live on Instagram and share her passion for drawing with her followers, known affectionately as BreezyNomi fans.

Back home at Spring Villa, Naomi slipped into her comfy casual clothes after a quick shower–the kind of budget–friendly gear she’d brought with her. She generally avoided wearing the fancier stuff Shawn had given her unless it was for work.

With everything set, Naomi glanced at the clock. Showtime for her livestream was creeping up. She had ignored a barrage of calls from Rosalind, opting to stay focused on her own agenda.

Just before going live, she hit Instagram to cue in Kelly and Warren, and gave a heads–up to her fan club. As the livestream hour struck, she was ready to roll, streaming right on cue.

Camera pointed at her sketchpad, Naomi was in her element. The story came to life beneath her fingers without a second thought.

Her fan base swarmed in at the start thanks to her shout–outs, flooding her chat with waves of ‘hellos: Naomi couldn’t hide her delight at their enthusiasm and kind words—even if her face wasn’t on screen, the warmth in her voice said it all. Life before had been lonely, her online persona curated by Rosalind. But now, chatting directly with her fans? It was a whole new world of awesome.

“Hey guys! How’s everyone tonight? Grab a snack yet? It’s Elf in the Evening here, but just call me Elf. Good news–I got my account back! I’ll be posting an update tonight. Check this out,” Naomi said, angling the camera to show the ready update page on her screen. “As soon as this sketch is done, we’re going live with a fresh page.”

Out of nowhere, an impressive virtual gift zipped across her livestream screen, and Naomi’s eyes widened.

Before she could even process what was happening, more virtual gifts exploded

the screen.

The onslaught of virtual fanfare floored Naomi. Once she collected her thoughts, she quickly interjected, “Whoa, LoveElf, that’s super generous, but please, let’s pump the brakes on the gifts, folks. I’m here to hang out, not to cash in. Really, save your money.”

The stampede of effects made the chat hard to read, but Naomi settled in as she realized that some of her fans, like LoveElf, were heavy hitters- regularly dropping big tips for her comics. She’d always urge them to keep their money–appreciation was enough, she’d say–but they’d insist that they just wanted to show their support. Kelly even told her that fan support through tips was a good thing. Since reclaiming her account, she’d been getting tip alerts every day. Some fans went big, others small–Naomi appreciated it all, always thanking them and asking them to stay within their

means.

Love Elf, her superstar supporter, left as quickly as they’d arrived, all generosity,

After that, the deluge of gifts tapered off to a more chill stream, and Naomi made a point to thank each sender, Meanwhile, she kept up her art and the back–and–forth banter with the fans. They were all dying to know about the account hack and the crummy sketches that got posted while she fought to get her account back.

Naomi wrapped up her drawing quickly, showcasing her signature flair. “Alright, just wrapped up this piece and I’m gonna post it for y’all in a sec. Now tell me, what do you all wanna see next? Trust me, I’ve got a little surprise in store for you!”

12

Chapter 41

Someone said, [I’m dying to see what you look like, Elf! With that sweet voice, you’ve gotta be a knockout.]

[Hey, any chance of getting your autograph or maybe a selfie?] said another fan.

[Do you have a BF then? Bet the elf king is on his toes, huh?]

[You better not let that hacker off easy–we laid into them for you]

[Imagine if the hacker’s lurking in the livestream right now. Creepy!]

[No hacker can fake Elf’s style! And the drama between the elf maid and the elf king–it’s epic, way more than just a love story! That hacker couldn’t give us such an amazing story]

[Just keep the updates coming, Elf. We’ve got your back!]

Naomi’s heart swelled as the chat messages rolled in, filled with unwavering trust and support from her fans. She recalled a time when she felt alone and powerless, her creative work stolen and paraded by Rosalind, who basked in all the attention that rightfully belonged to Naomi. Yet now, this sense of community, this was all for her. She chose to keep her private life to herself, aware that revealing too much might draw out Rosalind sooner than she’d like.

Two chapters in, Naomi put down her pen and decided it was the perfect time for some direct fan interaction. She knew connecting with her fans was key. To show her appreciation, she threw an impromptu giveaway, dialing up the excitement in the chat.

Wrapping up her first major livestream since the hack, she checked her account and found herself getting 200 thousand dollars. It was an absolute hit.

Notifications showed Rosalind had been trying to reach her, desperate for a response. Naomi smirked at the urgency, taking her sweet time before replying with a nonchalant, [What’s up?]

“I’ll wire you 1.5 million, no joke. We need to talk. Now.” Rosalind’s message reeked of desperation. Naomi considered her next move–careful, yet in total control.

2/2