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Chapter 45: New Foundations

Penulis: jhumz
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-09-05 22:04:59

Five Years Later

The morning light filtered through the gauze curtains of the small art studio, casting dancing shadows across canvases propped against weathered easels. Leo Moretti stood before a half-finished painting, his brush poised in mid-air, studying the interplay of amber and gold that swirled across the canvas like captured sunlight. His hands, once smooth and manicured for Dominic's galas, now bore the honest calluses of creative work and the faint, silvered scars from that final night when purple fire had consumed everything.

Five years. Five years since the cabin in the valley, since the quiet mornings on the porch steps, since the slow, careful process of learning to breathe again. The scars had faded, but they remained—not just on his hands, but in the careful way he still checked locks twice, in the way his shoulders tensed when footsteps approached too quickly behind him, in the dreams that sometimes pulled him back to marble floors and champagne flutes that felt like
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    The article appeared in a national art magazine, a glossy, high-profile publication that had been clamoring for an in-depth feature on Leo since the Whitney Biennial. The piece was supposed to be a celebration of his work, a deep dive into his artistic process and the success of The Anchor Workshop. But when Leo opened the magazine and saw the headline, his blood ran cold. "The Tragic Muse: How Leo Moretti Transformed a Life of Abuse into Art." Leo scanned the first few paragraphs, his horror growing with each word. The article wasn't about his art—it was about his past. It detailed his marriage to Dominic, the emotional and physical abuse he had suffered, his dramatic escape, even hints about the mysterious circumstances of Dominic's death. It was a sensationalized, exploitative account that stripped away his privacy and reduced his entire life and career to the trauma he had fought so hard to overcome. "How did they get this?" Leo whispered, his hands shaking as he held

  • the bodyguard's secret   Chapter 64: A Voice from the Past

    Two years after Leo received the MacArthur Fellowship, The Anchor Workshop had become a nationally recognized center for art-based community healing. The research study with the National Institute of Mental Health was yielding groundbreaking data, and Leo and Silas were in high demand as speakers and consultants. They had found a rhythm that allowed them to expand their impact without sacrificing their own well-being, balancing national travel with quiet time at home.But their peaceful, purposeful life was about to be disrupted by a voice from a past they thought was long buried.Leo was in his studio, working on a new series of paintings for an upcoming solo exhibition, when Silas appeared in the doorway with a strange expression on his face."You have a visitor," Silas said, his voice carefully neutral in a way that immediately put Leo on high alert."A visitor?" Leo asked, setting down his brush. "Who is it?""Someone who claims to be your cousin," Silas said. "From your mother's

  • the bodyguard's secret   Chapter 63: Home Improvements

    The blueprints were spread across their kitchen table like a map of their future, detailed drawings that showed how their modest house could be expanded to accommodate Leo's growing success and their evolving needs. Leo traced the lines with his finger, envisioning the new studio space that would be large enough for major installations, the expanded workshop where Silas could take on bigger projects, the guest suite where visiting artists or workshop participants could stay. "It's a lot," Silas said, studying the plans with his practical eye. "Are you sure we want to change this much? This house has been our sanctuary for so long." Leo understood his husband's hesitation. Their home had been their refuge, the place where they'd learned to heal and love and simply exist without fear. The idea of major construction, of disrupting the peace they'd worked so hard to create, was daunting. "I don't want to change what we have," Leo said carefully. "I want to expand it. The core of t

  • the bodyguard's secret   Chapter 62: The Gallery Opening

    The invitation arrived on elegant cream paper, embossed with gold lettering that caught the light as Leo turned it over in his hands. "The Meridian Foundation cordially invites you to the opening reception for 'Journey to Light: An Installation by Leo Moretti.'" Below the formal text was a photograph of his completed installation—four connected rooms that told the story of transformation from trauma to healing, from darkness to light. "It's really happening," Leo said, his voice a mixture of excitement and terror. "Three months of work, and now people are actually going to see it." Silas looked up from the woodworking magazine he'd been reading, immediately picking up on the anxiety in Leo's voice. "How are you feeling about it?" "Terrified," Leo admitted, sinking into the chair beside Silas. "What if people don't understand it? What if they think it's too personal, too raw? What if the critics hate it?" The installation had been the most challenging project of Leo's career,

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    October 15th dawned clear and crisp, with the kind of autumn light that made everything look like it had been painted in gold and amber. Leo woke early, as he always did on significant days, and lay in bed for a moment watching Silas sleep. One year. They had been married for exactly one year, and it felt both like a lifetime and like no time at all. The man beside him looked peaceful in sleep, his face relaxed in a way that still sometimes surprised Leo. For so many years, Silas had carried tension even in rest, his body always alert for potential threats. But marriage, their quiet life, the meaningful work they were doing together—it had all contributed to a deep sense of safety that allowed Silas to truly relax. Leo slipped out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake his husband just yet. He had plans for their anniversary morning, a small surprise that he'd been preparing for weeks. In the kitchen, he started coffee and began assembling the ingredients for Silas's favorite b

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