Oof, this chapter got me all excited for the next one to find out what happens to these 'couples'/soon-to-be 'not couples'! That scene with Kiara and Eric is oh-my-sim-llamas so hot! Girl I feel you because even though I think everyone's good looking, Eric is so my type of hot. 🐸🐸🐸🐸 Eric! I want to know more about you to see if you're stringing Kiara along or not. At this point I'm just suspicious of everyone! (p.s I'm sorry for regressing to light-cussing to express my feelings! )
Ok, on to musings!
Do you plan to give us a more detailed sneak peak of Brianna's pov on her and Laurie's relationship? Because so far I thought she was this conniving woman with only eyes for herself and it has seem so for the entire time, but this chapter and the fact that she still stayed in their twisted arrangement hints that there's more than meets the eye; and that she's probably confused herself with the complications and outside forces influencing their relationship; and perhaps Laurie's treatment of her (this part is made up since we don't see that much, but I can only imagine the subtle hints one gets when they're in an 'un-reciprocated' relationship and that causes some people to act quite unlike themselves. i.e. he's not exactly happy to see her in his office here, isn't he? If she picked up on that, imagine what else she picked up the whole duration of their relationship.) I have obviously projected too much into their relationship!
If I were to sum up the entire chapter in one word it would be indecisive. So does Eric like Kiara or no? I get it - they're colleagues, but it's been a while. Also - when exactly he expects her to complete the tasks he assigned to her when they're too busy eating, chatting and necking?
Laurie looks like he's drunk or something on that closeup. If this was an intentional decision to make him look as befitting his current status in the story - it fits.
So Laurie saw the kiss. Okay, that is juicy. Except he has bigger problems to worry about. Like Brianna. Oh, and speaking of.
Then we have Laurie and Brianna. First there are threats, then there are sudden tears. It's a little bit to late to justify Brianna's actions. We've seen that she's willing to do a lot of rotten stuff to get what she wants, with her stealing information from Kiara's computer being the worst. Now readers are supposed to have sympathies? So is she out for blood or no? Last I checked, people don't go out to ruin someone's life out of love. Oh and let's not forget all those people who can lose their jobs if Kerr Industries falls. Brianna loves he own ego and image, not Laurie, and is willing to ruin more that one life to get her way. She certainly is willing to ruin Kiara's.
And then there is this chapter on the whole. Not much happens, really. It's as if the story itself is a bit hesitant o move forward. Kiara and Eric share a kiss. Mkay, we've seen that there is chemistry already. Two reasonably attractive people spend a lot of time together, get to know each other, like each other and then physical contact ensues. Anyone surprised? Laurie sees the kiss. Okay that is good...except he doesn't get to use that information, so what's the point? Imagine him going to\calling Michael or even better - Michael seeing it himself. Now that would set off a few things into motion. And then there is Brianna's visit.
At this point it's a bit too late to dance around the bush. But hey - what do I know, right?
If I were to sum up the entire chapter in one word it would be indecisive. So does Eric like Kiara or no? I get it - they're colleagues, but it's been a while. Also - when exactly he expects her to complete the tasks he assigned to her when they're too busy eating, chatting and necking?
Laurie looks like he's drunk or something on that closeup. If this was an intentional decision to make him look as befitting his current status in the story - it fits.
So Laurie saw the kiss. Okay, that is juicy. Except he has bigger problems to worry about. Like Brianna. Oh, and speaking of.
Then we have Laurie and Brianna. First there are threats, then there are sudden tears. It's a little bit to late to justify Brianna's actions. We've seen that she's willing to do a lot of rotten stuff to get what she wants, with her stealing information from Kiara's computer being the worst. Now readers are supposed to have sympathies? So is she out for blood or no? Last I checked, people don't go out to ruin someone's life out of love. Oh and let's not forget all those people who can lose their jobs if Kerr Industries falls. Brianna loves he own ego and image, not Laurie, and is willing to ruin more that one life to get her way. She certainly is willing to ruin Kiara's.
And then there is this chapter on the whole. Not much happens, really. It's as if the story itself is a bit hesitant o move forward. Kiara and Eric share a kiss. Mkay, we've seen that there is chemistry already. Two reasonably attractive people spend a lot of time together, get to know each other, like each other and then physical contact ensues. Anyone surprised? Laurie sees the kiss. Okay that is good...except he doesn't get to use that information, so what's the point? Imagine him going to\calling Michael or even better - Michael seeing it himself. Now that would set off a few things into motion. And then there is Brianna's visit.
At this point it's a bit too late to dance around the bush. But hey - what do I know, right?
Both Eric and Kiara wanted to make a move on each other for a while, but held back because they wanted to be professional... And now they just couldn't take it anymore!
I'm not necessarily expecting people to feel sympathetic for Brianna, but I want her to be more than just a straight villain or inherently pure evil. She's showing signs of sociopathy but sociopaths are still capable of experiencing love, or at least feel something that they think is love. But because sociopaths make their decisions based on their own needs and desires and don’t think about how their actions affect others, they obviously don't make great partners (i.e. the cheating and sneaking around on Brianna's part)... Brianna views all of her relationships in self-serving terms and she sees Laurie as a "trophy", someone she is aiming to have by her side, but in her mind she thinks that's love... So although she's willing to engage in behaviours that result in harm to others, she's confused when it comes to Laurie because she thinks she "loves" him.
Well you'll find out soon if Laurie is going to use the information or not...
Oof, this chapter got me all excited for the next one to find out what happens to these 'couples'/soon-to-be 'not couples'! That scene with Kiara and Eric is oh-my-sim-llamas so hot! Girl I feel you because even though I think everyone's good looking, Eric is so my type of hot. 🌺🌺🌺🌺 Eric! I want to know more about you to see if you're stringing Kiara along or not. At this point I'm just suspicious of everyone! (p.s I'm sorry for regressing to light-cussing to express my feelings! )
Ok, on to musings!
Do you plan to give us a more detailed sneak peak of Brianna's pov on her and Laurie's relationship? Because so far I thought she was this conniving woman with only eyes for herself and it has seem so for the entire time, but this chapter and the fact that she still stayed in their twisted arrangement hints that there's more than meets the eye; and that she's probably confused herself with the complications and outside forces influencing their relationship; and perhaps Laurie's treatment of her (this part is made up since we don't see that much, but I can only imagine the subtle hints one gets when they're in an 'un-reciprocated' relationship and that causes some people to act quite unlike themselves. i.e. he's not exactly happy to see her in his office here, isn't he? If she picked up on that, imagine what else she picked up the whole duration of their relationship.) I have obviously projected too much into their relationship!
Hahaha I love Eric too! But totally fair that you are suspicious of everyone, they're all pretty dodgy...
As I said in my comment above, I don't want Brianna to be just pure evil because people are more complicated than that. Brianna's desire to possess Laurie was so strong that she didn't care if she didn't feel her feelings were reciprocated, because it was never about their feelings in the first place. For Brianna, it was always about the image - she just wanted Laurie as a trophy, but she thinks that she is in love with him. But Laurie wanted a real meaningful relationship, which Brianna isn't capable of providing...
Before I say anything - this is amazing chapter. Absolutely excellent.
I assume that Brianna has a copy or ten stored elsewhere? With that said, I can kind of see her having only one copy. Maybe she is not thinking straight?
I like that Laurie has finally grown a spine and stood his ground, Granted, the consequences were catastrophic but still he gets a point for making his position clear. Even him pushing Brianna away in a twisted way makes him more respectable. He's not a joke anymore. Well done. I also like the subtlety or his and Eric's dichotomy. Laurie does something which leads to bad consequences, essentially panics and Eric is the one to start acting and getting things done.
You've made an excellent decision regarding Brianna's backstory. I really like the approach, as it humanizes Brianna, gives James more personality AND keeps Brianna's established character traits relatively intact. Very good choice.
While a good cliffhanger, Brianna potentially having an amnesia is something I can't quite agree with. Kind of an easy way to have a retcon available. This development does have gravitas, but I don't think it is actually a good idea to have her lose memory. Temporary, perhaps, but not permanently.
Definitely one of the strongest chapters in the whole story. You've done well.
Fabulous chapter! I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next!
I do wonder if Brianna has copies of that or not, only she knows or does she!? Her getting pushed shocked me and then the blood! I hope she is okay but what if her memories don't come back that will be very interesting. I really appreciated James point of view of Brianna! Changes things about her a bit, but just a bit.
Laurie is so temperamental That's me being really nice there. Sure, he's revolted by her demands but the company isn't exactly upstanding either. For Eric to ask Briana's demands, he knows the company is doing dodgy stuff.
I can't tell if Brianna's 'I love you' confession is real or not. That playful smile in the screenshot's speaking otherwise, like I can literally see cat ears popping from the sides of her head and a little curvy tail wriggling behind. (Now that I think of it, it kinda suits her look)
I wonder what account did Eric give the policeman. Oh booyyy!!!
Who has the USB stick now!?
Ooh yay! A sneak peak into Brianna's past. More to come for sure yes!
Oh I can't wait to find out the gravity/type of memory loss. She remembers everyone so there's a good sign there. But things can go in so many directions from here!
So glad you guys liked the latest chapter! I can't wait to reveal what happens to Brianna
I'm no longer working from home 5 days a week though - work wants me to go in at least twice a week now so I don't have as much time to write anymore but hopefully I will be back soon with an update!
I can see why Kiara doesn’t even consider Jackson. I like the guy but if I were her I’d never had known he’s got feelings for her. He needs to show his feelings more than mope around being jealous. That’s not very attractive. She’s comfortable around him but he’s sooo friend-zoned at this point.
Jackson is not surprised that Brianna is doing blackmail? That’s a curious reaction. He’s either so used to her character or idk. I’d be more interested in what kind of blackmail she’s doing.
Not surprising that her family pressed charges. So Eric is kept in the dark about his company’s shenannigans? This is getting complicated.
I can see why Kiara doesn’t even consider Jackson. I like the guy but if I were her I’d never had known he’s got feelings for her. He needs to show his feelings more than mope around being jealous. That’s not very attractive. She’s comfortable around him but he’s sooo friend-zoned at this point.
Jackson is not surprised that Brianna is doing blackmail? That’s a curious reaction. He’s either so used to her character or idk. I’d be more interested in what kind of blackmail she’s doing.
Not surprising that her family pressed charges. So Eric is kept in the dark about his company’s shenannigans? This is getting complicated.
Haha Jackson has indeed been seriously friend-zoned! It's interesting how different Laurie and Jackson are - Laurie didn't hesitate to take Kiara to bed on their first meeting at a party, but Jackson has not let anything slip in all of the time he has known her...
Jackson is used to what Brianna has become, and he was distracted by reminiscing back to simpler times.
Hello there. My apologies for disturbing, but is "The Circle" on infinite hiatus? I realize that work must be taking a lot of your time, but I still am very interested in your story. Once again, apologies for disturbing.
Hello there. My apologies for disturbing, but is "The Circle" on infinite hiatus? I realize that work must be taking a lot of your time, but I still am very interested in your story. Once again, apologies for disturbing.
Hi there @ArcherDK! You're not disturbing at all and I'm so sorry, I have been so busy recently that I haven't had time to upload any chapters. But I will try and upload something by the end of this week!
@pinot_grigio, I know I'm a bit late to the party but your story was just recommended to me by a friend. I have to say he was completely right, it was well worth the read. I was quickly drawn into their drama and stayed to the end. It is really good, quite intriguing and I hope it will be continuing. Great job.
Comments
Ok, on to musings!
Do you plan to give us a more detailed sneak peak of Brianna's pov on her and Laurie's relationship? Because so far I thought she was this conniving woman with only eyes for herself and it has seem so for the entire time, but this chapter and the fact that she still stayed in their twisted arrangement hints that there's more than meets the eye; and that she's probably confused herself with the complications and outside forces influencing their relationship; and perhaps Laurie's treatment of her (this part is made up since we don't see that much, but I can only imagine the subtle hints one gets when they're in an 'un-reciprocated' relationship and that causes some people to act quite unlike themselves. i.e. he's not exactly happy to see her in his office here, isn't he? If she picked up on that, imagine what else she picked up the whole duration of their relationship.) I have obviously projected too much into their relationship!
Laurie looks like he's drunk or something on that closeup. If this was an intentional decision to make him look as befitting his current status in the story - it fits.
So Laurie saw the kiss. Okay, that is juicy. Except he has bigger problems to worry about. Like Brianna. Oh, and speaking of.
Then we have Laurie and Brianna. First there are threats, then there are sudden tears. It's a little bit to late to justify Brianna's actions. We've seen that she's willing to do a lot of rotten stuff to get what she wants, with her stealing information from Kiara's computer being the worst. Now readers are supposed to have sympathies? So is she out for blood or no? Last I checked, people don't go out to ruin someone's life out of love. Oh and let's not forget all those people who can lose their jobs if Kerr Industries falls. Brianna loves he own ego and image, not Laurie, and is willing to ruin more that one life to get her way. She certainly is willing to ruin Kiara's.
And then there is this chapter on the whole. Not much happens, really. It's as if the story itself is a bit hesitant o move forward. Kiara and Eric share a kiss. Mkay, we've seen that there is chemistry already. Two reasonably attractive people spend a lot of time together, get to know each other, like each other and then physical contact ensues. Anyone surprised? Laurie sees the kiss. Okay that is good...except he doesn't get to use that information, so what's the point? Imagine him going to\calling Michael or even better - Michael seeing it himself. Now that would set off a few things into motion. And then there is Brianna's visit.
At this point it's a bit too late to dance around the bush. But hey - what do I know, right?
I'm not necessarily expecting people to feel sympathetic for Brianna, but I want her to be more than just a straight villain or inherently pure evil. She's showing signs of sociopathy but sociopaths are still capable of experiencing love, or at least feel something that they think is love. But because sociopaths make their decisions based on their own needs and desires and don’t think about how their actions affect others, they obviously don't make great partners (i.e. the cheating and sneaking around on Brianna's part)... Brianna views all of her relationships in self-serving terms and she sees Laurie as a "trophy", someone she is aiming to have by her side, but in her mind she thinks that's love... So although she's willing to engage in behaviours that result in harm to others, she's confused when it comes to Laurie because she thinks she "loves" him.
Well you'll find out soon if Laurie is going to use the information or not...
As I said in my comment above, I don't want Brianna to be just pure evil because people are more complicated than that. Brianna's desire to possess Laurie was so strong that she didn't care if she didn't feel her feelings were reciprocated, because it was never about their feelings in the first place. For Brianna, it was always about the image - she just wanted Laurie as a trophy, but she thinks that she is in love with him. But Laurie wanted a real meaningful relationship, which Brianna isn't capable of providing...
I assume that Brianna has a copy or ten stored elsewhere? With that said, I can kind of see her having only one copy. Maybe she is not thinking straight?
I like that Laurie has finally grown a spine and stood his ground, Granted, the consequences were catastrophic but still he gets a point for making his position clear. Even him pushing Brianna away in a twisted way makes him more respectable. He's not a joke anymore. Well done. I also like the subtlety or his and Eric's dichotomy. Laurie does something which leads to bad consequences, essentially panics and Eric is the one to start acting and getting things done.
You've made an excellent decision regarding Brianna's backstory. I really like the approach, as it humanizes Brianna, gives James more personality AND keeps Brianna's established character traits relatively intact. Very good choice.
While a good cliffhanger, Brianna potentially having an amnesia is something I can't quite agree with. Kind of an easy way to have a retcon available. This development does have gravitas, but I don't think it is actually a good idea to have her lose memory. Temporary, perhaps, but not permanently.
Definitely one of the strongest chapters in the whole story. You've done well.
I can't tell if Brianna's 'I love you' confession is real or not. That playful smile in the screenshot's speaking otherwise, like I can literally see cat ears popping from the sides of her head and a little curvy tail wriggling behind. (Now that I think of it, it kinda suits her look)
I wonder what account did Eric give the policeman. Oh booyyy!!!
Who has the USB stick now!?
Ooh yay! A sneak peak into Brianna's past. More to come for sure yes!
Oh I can't wait to find out the gravity/type of memory loss. She remembers everyone so there's a good sign there. But things can go in so many directions from here!
So glad you guys liked the latest chapter! I can't wait to reveal what happens to Brianna
I'm no longer working from home 5 days a week though - work wants me to go in at least twice a week now so I don't have as much time to write anymore
Hope you're all having a good week so far
More backstory is always nice, even morbid one. So Brianna and Kiara have something in common. Interesting...
That's very specific wording there. "FOR assault", not " UNDER SUSPICION". That implies that police has evidence. That's juicy!
Jackson is not surprised that Brianna is doing blackmail? That’s a curious reaction. He’s either so used to her character or idk. I’d be more interested in what kind of blackmail she’s doing.
Not surprising that her family pressed charges. So Eric is kept in the dark about his company’s shenannigans? This is getting complicated.
@ArcherDK
Yes, Brianna and Kiara share a common past, but they have turned out to be very different people. Or maybe they haven't.
As for your last sentence, I won't give anything away by saying something about here. You'll have to wait for the next chapter!
@mercuryfoam
Jackson is used to what Brianna has become, and he was distracted by reminiscing back to simpler times.
Complicated makes for a juicy story!
Hi there @ArcherDK! You're not disturbing at all and I'm so sorry, I have been so busy recently that I haven't had time to upload any chapters. But I will try and upload something by the end of this week!