Due to the strong winds, the river kept churning with waves. The area was also surrounded by trees. It was a desolate corner with not a single human in sight.Staring out the window of the car, Holly saw the fierce gushing of the river and asked in confusion, "Why are we here?""Let's get down," Bryce said before opening the door and stepping out of the car. Holly did likewise.Bryce passed the car keys to her and said, "Help me get something out of the trunk."Puzzled, Holly took the keys and went to the back of the car.When she opened the trunk, her heart jumped, and her eyes lit up in surprise.The trunk was filled with red roses—the special kind that was imported. Each rose petal was almost as large as the palm of her hand. The petals felt as soft as silk and were a brilliant, intoxicating red. The graceful curves of the roses made them look even more elegant.They were gorgeous.With one hand in his pocket, Bryce leaned against the car and looked at the dazed Holly as h
Bryce's eyes glittered ever so briefly as he pushed himself up and hovered over Holly. Pursing his lips, he observed her for a while.At last, he pecked her nose and muttered, "You'd better keep your word."Holly hummed in acknowledgment, but that wasn't enough for Bryce."You're not taking it seriously. Say it again," Bryce commanded.Holly wanted to laugh. Bryce was the one who decided the state of their relationship, but he was acting as though she didn't want him.After pondering briefly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, "Many people like you because you're handsome, rich, and powerful. Some like you because they've seen you at your lowest and feel empathy for you."And, there was one who sat by your side in silence—who only wanted to lend you a shoulder and share her candy with you."Bryce's gaze stiffened. He cupped her face and pressed his face against hers.It was a while before he finally said, "I only wanted you to stir up a bit more pa
Abelin paused briefly before saying, "That works. I took a picture of the painting earlier, so I'll send it to you later.""That won't be necessary. I have it memorized. I promise the replica will look exactly the same," Holly assured.After a moment of silence, Abelin said quietly, "You're still as incredible as ever."Holly's heart missed a beat. "What did you say?"Abelin chuckled and said a little louder, "I said you're almost more incredible than I expected."Holly figured she must've heard him wrong earlier. "I was trained to do it ever since I was a child, so it's a skill developed through practice.""Let's just put your signature on the painting. I have faith that you'll be famous one day. Once you do, the replica you made of Shadow Scape will be worth a fortune, too," Abelin said."You're too kind," Holly said demurely, though she was thrilled to receive such recognition from him.Once the call ended, Holly went to her study and hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door
Knowing Bryce might've gotten angry, Holly hastily explained, "He kept the painting in his office, and one of his regular clients bought it for 13 million dollars. He then transferred the extra one million dollars to me. I wanted to return the money to him, but he asked me to buy him a meal instead."I rejected that idea and decided to make him a replica of the painting, but he now wants to treat me to dinner. I couldn't say no, so my only option now is to bring you along. I'll ask Annie to come with me if you're busy."As soon as she finished speaking, Bryce replied, "I'm not busy.""Thank you," Holly said with a smile.…At 6:00 pm the next day, Holly and Bryce arrived at the restaurant.The restaurant owner was said to have come from a long line of chefs who cooked for royalty before. He only served eight tables a day and would only prepare a chef's menu of eight dishes per table. Customers weren't allowed to order what they wanted, and he never made extra, either.Even so, b
Noticing the still-stormy expression on Bryce's face, Holly picked up a spoonful of risotto and brought it to his mouth, saying with a smile, "Try some of this risotto. It's the perfect comfort food after a long day of work."Bryce didn't object. As he slowly chewed the risotto, his expression returned to normal.Holly secretly exhaled in relief. Thankfully, she had managed to smooth things over.Prior to this dinner, she never expected the courteous and gentlemanly Bryce to have such a stubborn side.He was known as the shrewd and charismatic genius of the business world, but just moments ago, he was acting like a jealous schoolboy. It was rather unlike him.While Holly was caught up in her thoughts, Bryce took up a spoonful of the bouillabaisse and held it up to her. Gazing gently at her, he said pleasantly, "You've been up for many nights working on the painting. I'm sure you're exhausted. Have some of this bouillabaisse. The vitamins and minerals from the shellfish are good
"I don't know what you're talking about," Abelin said coldly.Bryce's gaze turned meaningful after he glanced at the broken cigarette in Abelin's hand. He said, "Holly's my wife. No matter what your last name is, don't disturb her."Abelin shrugged and said with a provocative expression, "What are you afraid of?"Bryce's eyes turned a little icy as he eyed Abelin. He began to exude a chilly air.Abelin responded with a challenging smirk.Chuckling, Bryce tapped his cigarette on the ashtray before remarking, "Holly took the initiative to invite me to dinner today. You saw for yourself just how much she cares about me."His voice was deep, and a faint smile seemed to dance on the corners of his lips. It was hard to tell what he was feeling.Abelin stiffened, his smile fading."Take good care of her," he said before getting up to leave.Bryce's eyes were as cold as ice as he retorted, "You're an outsider. Isn't it a little inappropriate for you to express so much concern for my w
Holly underwent two months of rehabilitation for her left hand. Having almost regained full use of it, she returned to work at Treasure Grove.As soon as she walked in, she saw Shawn standing at the counter with a massive magnifying glass in hand. He was studying a historical painting to discern its authenticity.While passing by, she glanced at the painting. It was the painting Trees and Leaves by Zachary Quine.When Holly first started training to be a restorer, she practiced creating replicas of Zachary's paintings. Thus, she could identify them with just a single glance.Shawn adjusted his glasses before asking the seller, "How much do you plan on selling it for?"The seller was a shabbily dressed middle-aged man. He was hunched over with his hands hidden in his sleeves. "This painting, Tree and Leaves by Zachary Quine, is a family heirloom of mine. I wouldn't be selling it now if I didn't have to. "I looked up how much his paintings sold for at auctions in recent years, and
Shawn's expression turned dark at once as sweat dripped down his back.He was truly grateful that Holly came in time. Otherwise, he would've been fooled. He would've lost a fortune if he had paid tens of millions of dollars for that painting.More importantly, he would lose all credibility in this field.When Holly first joined Treasure Grove, Hayden instructed Shawn to consult with Holly if he ever had any questions about something. At the time, Shawn felt disgruntled, but now, he was well and truly convinced of her capabilities."How did you figure it out?" he asked respectfully.Holly smiled.Although the parchment, paint, and signature on the painting were all authentic, she found tiny fibers that hadn't been cleared off cleanly upon taking a closer look.However, she didn't tell Shawn that. She merely said, "It was a gut feeling. I've been handling old paintings since I was a kid. Even though I'm young, I've been doing such work for nearly two decades now. "Something abou