Chapter Seven: Remix

Maya knew they were capturing something special even before Elena finished the final take. The story—about recreating her grandmother's secret kimchi recipe through trial and error—had flowed perfectly, Elena's voice carrying all the love and frustration of chasing a memory through taste and smell.

In the control room, Marcus was absolutely still, the way he used to get when reading a manuscript that moved him. Only his fingers moved, making minute adjustments to levels, adding subtle layers of kitchen sounds: the crisp of napa cabbage, the gentle bubble of fermenting jars, the rhythmic chopping of garlic and ginger.

"That's it," he said softly into the intercom. "That's the one."

Elena's smile was visible through the booth window. "Really? Because I can—"

"No." Marcus's voice was firm but gentle. "Sometimes you get a perfect take. Like finding the exact right word on the first try. This was it."

Maya felt a familiar warmth in her chest. This was the Marcus she remembered—the one who could recognize raw creative truth and nurture it into something extraordinary.

"Playback?" Elena requested.

Marcus obliged, and the studio filled with Elena's story, enhanced by his careful sound design. Maya closed her eyes, letting the audio paint pictures: a young Elena in her grandmother's kitchen, the patient teaching of family traditions, the heartbreak of losing the recipe, and the joy of finally recreating it through pure stubborn love.

When the playback ended, Elena was wiping tears from her eyes. "That's... that's exactly how it felt. How did you know which sounds to add?"

Marcus glanced at Maya before answering. "I had some experience with kimchi-making lessons. The importance of getting it right for family."

"Well," Elena gathered her things, "this calls for celebration. Drinks? There's a great place around the corner—"

"The Oak Room," Maya and Marcus said simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

Elena's eyes sparkled. "Perfect! I need to freshen up first. Meet you there in thirty?"

After she left, the studio felt suddenly intimate. Maya watched Marcus save the session, his movements precise and familiar.

"You kept the recipe," she said quietly.

He didn't look up from the console. "What?"

"Your mother's kimchi recipe. The sound design... those were the exact sounds from her kitchen. The specific way she showed us to chop garlic, the sound of glass jars being sealed..."

Now he did look at her, something vulnerable in his expression. "I kept a lot of things."

The air between them felt charged, like the moment before a thunderstorm. Maya took a step closer, drawn by memory and possibility and the way he still looked at her like she was a story he hadn't finished reading.

Marcus's phone chimed—a social media alert. His expression changed as he read it.

"What?" Maya moved to see his screen.

It was a tweet from one of the industry's most-followed literary bloggers, @PublishingTea: Spotted at Prima Coffee: Rising star agent Maya Chen with ex-flame Marcus Taylor (of defunct Groundbreaking Press fame). Sources say they're collaborating again... professionally? Or is there a juicier story brewing? #PublishingDrama #BookWorld

The responses were already flooding in:

@BookishGossip: OMG! Weren't they publishing's power couple before Groundbreaking crashed? The drama! 👀

@LitAgentLife: Careful Maya... mixing business with pleasure burned you once already. Some chapters better left closed.

@NYCBookScene: Inside scoop: Chen Media Group NOT happy about this reunion. Sources say daddy dearest has Opinions.

And worst of all, from Peter Walsh himself: Interesting to see Preston & Associates letting personal history influence business decisions. Elena Reyes deserves established production values, not indie experiments. #ProfessionalismMatters

Attached was a photo from yesterday's confrontation with Walsh—but the angle made it look intimate, Maya and Marcus leaning close together, his hand near hers on the table. Someone had already made it into a meme, comparing it to famous romantic movie scenes.

Maya's phone was exploding with notifications:

- Three missed calls from Thomas Chen

- Two from Ava Kumar

- A message from Elena: Ignore the vultures. Art needs passion.

- A text from Jessica: PR department wants to know how to handle questions about your "personal involvement" with the Reyes audiobook producer. Also, Buzzfeed Books wants to do a feature on "Publishing's Most Dramatic Reunions" 😬

- A DM from her mother: Darling, your father is having palpitations. Call me.

- An email from Preston & Associates' board about "maintaining professional appearances"

- A calendar invite for an emergency PR strategy meeting

And then, most surprisingly, a text from Marcus's mother: Some people never understood the best recipes need both heat and heart. Love you both. Fighting!

"Maya." Marcus's voice was careful. "Your father follows this account."

She was already pulling out her phone. Three missed calls from Thomas Chen. Two from Ava Kumar. And a text from Jessica: PR department wants to know how to handle questions about your "personal involvement" with the Reyes audiobook producer.

"This could affect the deal," she said, professional instincts kicking in. "If people think we're..."

"Being unprofessional?" His tone was neutral, but she saw the hurt flash across his face.

"Marcus—"

"We should head to the bar. Elena's waiting." He started shutting down equipment with quick, efficient movements. "Don't worry. I'll keep my distance, make sure no one gets the wrong idea."

"That's not—"

"It's fine, Maya. I get it. You've worked hard for your reputation. The last thing you need is people thinking you're repeating old mistakes."

The words hit like a physical blow. "Is that what you think you were? A mistake?"

He stopped moving, his back to her. "Weren't I? The indie publisher who crashed and burned? The one who was too proud to be saved by the Chen family fortune?"

"You know that's not—"

"Do I?" He turned, and the rawness in his voice made her step back. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you spent five years building the perfect corporate image. Everything I wasn't. Everything we weren't."

"Marcus, please—"

"Elena's waiting," he repeated, his professional mask sliding back into place. "We should go. Separately, of course. Wouldn't want to generate more industry gossip."

He was out the door before Maya could find the words to tell him that their old dreams weren't mistakes—they were just unfinished stories. That sometimes the best books needed multiple drafts before they got it right.

Her phone buzzed again: another text from Jessica. Your father wants to know if this will affect the Chen Media Group's potential investment in Preston & Associates.

Maya stared at the message, feeling the weight of expectations and corporate politics and family obligations settling back onto her shoulders. But for the first time in five years, those expectations felt less like armor and more like chains.

She looked at the studio console where Marcus had worked his magic, making Elena's memories come alive through sound. Where he'd once helped authors' dreams come alive through print. Where he'd always, always known how to find the heart of a story.

Maybe it was time to find the heart of their story.

Maya opened her photo app and clicked on a hidden album she never let herself look at: pictures from their Groundbreaking days. She found what she was looking for—a candid shot from their first book launch. Both of them laughing, surrounded by manuscripts and empty coffee cups, looking at each other like they were sharing the best secret in the world.

Before she could overthink it, she posted the photo to her professional Instagram with a caption: TBT to my first acquisition as an agent. Some stories take a few drafts to get right. #PublishingMemories #SecondChances

The response was immediate:

@PublishingTea: MAYA CHEN CONFIRMS?! 🚨 That photo! That caption! BRB DYING

@BookHistory: Fun fact: Chen/Taylor's first collaboration "The Ghost Hunter's Daughter" won a Crawford Award. Publishing's best enemies-to-lovers story since Maxwell Perkins and F. Scott Fitzgerald

@LiteraryAgentsDaily: Now THIS is how you handle industry gossip. Classy, professional, but that caption... 🔥

Her phone lit up with a text from Dom: Boss just saw your post. Currently having feelings in the sound booth. Send help.

Then from Elena: FINALLY. See you both at the Oak Room. No running away this time.

And finally, from Ava Kumar: Gutsy move, Maya. Your father will hate it. But sometimes the best stories are the ones that scare us. I've got your back.

Maya smiled and headed to the Oak Room, where Marcus would be pretending not to wait for her, and Elena would be pretending not to notice, and Twitter would be exploding with theories about publishing's prodigal power couple.