Hi everyone! This started out as my second ONC endeavor, and is now a continuation to the Bauhinia Legacy series. Enjoy Seams and Shadows ! ✨💖

This story is dedicated to J.S. (if you ever come across this book). Thank you for being an amazing cousin and such an inspiration. I love you <3

The prompts I am using are as follows (listed in order of importance):

#13. Every family has that one member of whom no one speaks, and that's you.
↪ This will be the main prompt that drives the plot of 'Seams and Shadows'.

#95. "I will become as monstrous as I must."
↪ I wonder whose villain arc we'll be exploring this time!

#67. A promise is a promise. A secret is a secret. They must not tell anybody.
↪ I might change this into a dialogue and replace 'they' with 'you.' This will definitely be related to a pact or an alliance of sorts - or maybe even a certain family's motto 😉

The Blurb:

The Jewel of the Orient isn't all that true to its name—most inhabitants of Hong Kong never get to enjoy the high-end splendor the city boasts.

Yeung Tze Yan is more than eager to return to the city she calls home, but she has become nothing but a forgotten name in her family's triad organization, the Bauhinias. Her unexpected return sends a wave of shock throughout the household. Under the lead of her fearsome father, the Bauhinias have gained notoriety over the years, but Yan's brother Hak Keung is eager to take charge.

Feeling determined to be recognized, Yan decides to collect intel about the Bauhinias through her passion for cosmetics and fashion, exchanging innocuous disguises for gossip and heist locations. Through her small business, she learns about her brother's malicious—yet rightful—intention to take over the Bauhinias. It doesn't help that Yan must care for a young prodigy orphan, who shows up by her shop window one day, begging to join the triad.

After Hak Keung's takeover, the tantalizing call for power and greed slowly takes root in his mind. Yan must make dangerous decisions that could change her life forever. Secrets become as precious as currency, and Yan must learn to balance the fabrics of fate in her hands. Will fashion be her escape or her end? Will she be able to navigate between silhouettes and shades of gray?

Above all, if there's one thing clear to Yan, it's that all that glitters is not gold.

Thank you so much to all the fellow ONCers who noticed that the previous book's draft creation date was way before February 1, narrowly avoiding a disqualification from the first round. Wherever this book goes, I'll be extremely grateful for your help because you made it possible for me to (hopefully) qualify without any more hassles.

With all that said, I'm super excited to churn out an action thriller story for you all (yes, I'm wandering into a new genre again), and I am forever grateful for the support you gave 'The Cantonesia Caper' last year! This is a prequel to the story, but it can definitely be read as a standalone.

'Seams and Shadows' will be heavily based on Chinese traditions and culture, possibly - no, definitely - even more so than 'The Cantonesia Caper.' I'm taking you to a fictional imagining of Hong Kong in the near future, around 2030, starting with a snippet from Yan in 2070 looking back on her youth. Fear not, I plan to include a pronunciation guide complete with explanations for any and all cultural references, slangs, customs and more!

Reads, votes, and comments are always appreciated. Enjoy <3

~ Faith (信蘭)