Sarah wasn’t doing well. Her face was pale, and her expression remained heavy and troubled.
Nancy wasn’t any better.
Today’s chaos had blown up so badly. She didn’t know how to fix it.
“I just don’t get it. How could it all happen so suddenly?” Sarah took a deep breath. Her eyes were red from anger.
Years of carefully building her reputation and status had been shattered in one fell swoop. She couldn’t accept it.
Ariel had actually shown up to stir up trouble.
Even the painting they had gifted Cecilia as a favor had turned into a dagger aimed straight at her.
“What’s with that painting?” Nancy, unaccustomed to situations like this, sounded colder than usual, as if this might vent her frustration.
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. “I’ve kept ‘Into Stillness‘ close all this time. Even you didn’t know it was with me. A while back, I was organizing things and planned to tuck it away in the gallery’s vault. Out of sight, out of mind. But somehow… Abby took it out to clean.”
“Into Stillness” was kept locked in a private room. Sarah never let the gallery staff, Abby Pearson, open that door.
So how did Cecilia manage to storm in at exactly the moment Abby took it out to clean?
Why did the problem happen precisely at the moment Sarah let her guard down?
Nancy pressed her lips tightly as she looked at Sarah. “Then why did you keep that painting at all? If you’ve just gotten rid of it-”
Sarah’s face darkened, and her gaze turned sharp. “Because I wanted to prove I’m better than Elena!”
Back then, Elena had used “Dawnstay” and “Into Stillness” to outshine her. Sarah’s scholarship disappeared like a mirage.
She could never catch up to Elena, the naturally gifted daughter of a wealthy family.
If they had started on equal footing, she might have had a chance.
Nancy stared at Sarah and suddenly realized that this painting was, to some extent, Sarah’s inner demon. No matter how risky, she held onto it, constantly wrestling with the unfairness of her loss.
“Mom, get some rest. I’ll figure out a way to handle this.” Nancy didn’t want to touch that raw nerve any further.
But how could Sarah rest easy now?
Chapter 493
+15 BONUS
How would she face the storm ahead? She probably wouldn’t be able to hold her head up again. She might even face a blacklist in the industry.
The thought tore her apart.
She still couldn’t understand it. She had clearly told Abby not to go near that room when she moved “Into Stillness” recently.
Nancy was about to get up and call Jayson when Sarah’s phone on the table started ringing.
She glanced at the screen. It was Dylan, the art gallery director.
Sarah saw the incoming call too and answered it with a frown. “Yes, Mr. Hudson?”
“Hi, I hope I’m not disturbing you.” Dylan’s tone was polite.
Sarah looked at Nancy, then rubbed her temples, exhausted. “It’s fine, Mr. Hudson. Is there something you need?”
Dylan replied, “I’ve heard some rumors about your exhibition, Mrs. Stanton. I think you owe me an explanation.”
Sarah froze. “Mr. Hudson, there’s been a misunderstanding. I hope you can wait for me to sort this out.”
Dylan chuckled. “Sorry, I do have some connections. I’ve already been informed about the situation. We have just signed the contract and paid a five–million–dollar deposit to you.
“But with your current circumstances, no gallery would want to work with you. The risk is just high. So I’m here to notify you to refund the deposit, and that you must compensate us according t the breach of contract terms.”
Sarah was stunned. “What do you mean? Nothing is final yet. Isn’t this too hasty?”
Dylan was blunt. “Mrs. Stanton, this is your problem, not ours. We won’t share the consequences. We don’t work with toxic people in this industry. I’m giving you one week at most to pay the penalty. After that, you bear the consequences.”
He cut the call without another word. This was just a simple notice.
Nancy clenched her fists tightly, and her chest heaved. She even found the cruelty of human nature laughable.
When Jayson was around, Dylan went along with everything. But now that trouble had arrived, he was the first to turn against her.
Sarah’s lips trembled. She barely held back her anger. “How much does the contract say for the penalty?”
