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CHAPTER 7

Author: Angela Ray
last update Huling Na-update: 2024-12-12 01:35:13

The Fragile Artist

Roman's POV

The hallway stretched in eerie silence, broken only by the faint whisper of Naomi's footsteps as they faded into the night. She hadn’t returned to her room, not that I expected her to. Her retreat was different tonight, more desperate.

A dim light glowed through the crack of an open door as my hand touched the doorframe of one of the mansion's less-used wings. I heard a faint, hardly inaudible rustling. My heartbeat accelerated, but I couldn't explain why.

What is she doing here?

Slowly, I pushed the door open and entered the dark studio. I was struck by the smell of oil paints and turpentine, which blended with the subtle floral perfume that followed her around.

She held a paintbrush, her shoulders shaking, and her back bent. Her brushstrokes on the canvas were erratic and frantic, as if the emotions she was experiencing were bursting forth in colors she could not control. Strands of her hair were falling over her face, somewhat untied.

I was
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