Chapter 26
“Yeah.”
Jeffrey looked at her against the light, his hair tousled by the sea breeze. With the white houses as a backdrop, he seemed like a living painting, sparking a surge of inspiration in Grace’s heart.
“But I think you got the short end of the stick.”
“Oh?”
Grace sat down, setting up her sketchpad. “A whole yacht just to know I was in Draywick? The rest you had to figure out yourself. You definitely got played by my brother.”
“But I don’t mind.”
Jeffrey sat down beside her. “What do you want to draw?”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “You.”
Jeffrey paused for a moment before standing up. “Alright, it’s an honor to be your model.”
She had to admit, being around Jeffrey felt like an endless well of inspiration. Her mind felt free, like a bird soaring through open skies.
In contrast, when she was with Antonio, it was a struggle to put her thoughts onto canvas.
Perhaps it was a matter of the heart.
Grace stayed in Velmora for a month, and Jeffrey stayed with her the entire time. During the day, they roamed the island sketching, and at
Chapter 26
night, they sat on the terrace, sipping cocktails and listening to the waves, chatting about anything and everything.
Jeffrey had an innate sense of boundaries. He was gentle without overstepping, making Grace sometimes wonder if she might eventually fall into his quiet warmth.
When it was time to leave, Grace said, “Why don’t we test fate again? Let’s cach pick a random destination. If we end up in the same place, I’ll consider adding you to my list of potential husbands.”
Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. “Consider?”
“Yeah, just consider. I just ended a marriage, you know. Can’t jump into another one right away, right?”
“I understand.”
On the plane, Grace stared at the clouds outside the window, suddenly doubting if this little “test” was a good idea.
What if they didn’t meet? Wouldn’t it be awkward running into him back in Auroville?
But then again, if she wanted to gently push Jeffrey away, this was probably the best way.
What she didn’t expect, though, was to see Jeffrey standing at the Nyhaven arrival gate, dressed in a black trench coat, waiting for her.
“Did you track my flight?”
Jeffrey shook his head. “No, I believe in fate. If I checked, it would ruin the magic.”
He smiled. “But I did take a private jet to make sure I’d get here in time. Just in case.”
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Grace opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words.
After that. Jeffrey accompanied her through several more countries. About six months later, they finally returned to Auroville.
When Jonah came to pick them up at the airport and saw them together, he nodded in satisfaction. “Mom can finally stop worrying.”
“Brother, don’t go telling Mom nonsense. We’re just friends.”
Grace linked her arm with Jonah’s. “But I did buy some great paintings. and came up with a few new ideas. I think they could work for our product packaging designs.”
“Great, no problem. You’ve been away for six months, and I’ve been managing the gallery. You owe me a meal.”
не
“Sure, ten meals if you want.”
After that, Grace shut herself away for almost two months and painted ten new pieces, each representing one of the cities she and Jeffrey had visited.
On the day of the new exhibition, Antonio was there.
He sat in the farthest corner, watching the woman on stage who once stirred up so many rumors, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
She was shining brighter than ever, while he had faded into the shadows.
In the end, he anonymously purchased Grace’s final painting at the highest price and hung it in his office.
Every day, he stared at it, as if she were still there with him.
In those six months, his grandfather had passed, Grace had left, the Kaufman Group was no longer what it used to be, and Antonio himself had aged a decade. The two serious injuries from half a year ago had left lasting damage, as he never properly recovered.
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Chapter 36
Suddenly, Antonio’s phone buzzed.
It was a refund from the gallery, accompanied by a text message.
“Antonio, I know it was you who bought the painting. I’m glad you like it, so consider it a gift. But don’t buy any painting from me. People need to move forward, and you should too.”
Antonio’s eyes reddened the moment he read the message.
He had always hoped she’d acknowledge him, but now that she finally had, it felt like knives slicing through his entire being.
She refunded the money probably because she believed people should move on, but also, maybe because she thought he was too broke now.
That money felt more like charity.
He had completely and utterly lost everything connected to her.
Staring at the painting, Antonio let out a bitter laugh, a line of poetry echoing in his mind.
“My soul is restless, for it has lost her.”
