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Chapter 67: The Confrontation
Last Updated:
2025-11-04 21:35:41
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the bodyguard's secret Chapter 68: A New Horizon
Six months after the confrontation with his father, a new sense of peace had settled over The Anchor Workshop. The negative publicity had faded, the funding had been restored, and the community had rallied around them with a renewed sense of loyalty and support. The sabotage, in a strange way, had been a gift. It had forced them to be more transparent, more vocal about their mission, and in doing so, had strengthened their connection to the people they served. Leo's art had also entered a new phase. The paintings he created in the aftermath of the confrontation were his most powerful to date—bold, defiant, and filled with a raw, unapologetic beauty. His upcoming solo exhibition, titled "Resilience," was already generating significant buzz in the art world. But the most significant change was not in their work, but in their life. The battles of the past year—Anna's death, the media scandal, the sabotage—had forged their relationship into something even stronger, more resilient, a
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 67: The Confrontation
Leo stared at the report from the security firm, his mind struggling to process the information. His father. The man who had disowned him, who hadn't spoken to him in over twenty years, was the one behind the systematic campaign to destroy his life and his work. It didn't make any sense. "Why?" Leo asked, his voice a hoarse whisper. "Why would he do this?" "The report suggests a possible motive," said David Chen, the head of the security firm, who had flown to Oregon to deliver the news in person. "Your father's business has been failing for several years. He's on the verge of bankruptcy. It seems he saw your success, your MacArthur grant, as a source of potential funding. When you didn't offer to bail him out, he decided to... retaliate." Leo felt a wave of sickness wash over him. His father wasn't just trying to destroy him out of spite or disapproval—he was trying to extort him. He was holding Leo's life and reputation hostage in a twisted attempt to get money. "There's m
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 66: The Sabotage
Just when Leo thought the storm had passed, a new and more insidious threat emerged. It began with small things—a negative review of The Anchor Workshop on a local blog, a series of anonymous complaints to the county zoning board, a sudden and unexplained drop in online donations. At first, Leo and Silas dismissed them as isolated incidents, the inevitable annoyances that came with a higher public profile. But the incidents escalated. A shipment of expensive wood for Silas's workshop was mysteriously rerouted and delayed for weeks. A visiting artist who was scheduled to lead a workshop at The Anchor received a series of threatening emails and canceled his visit. A local newspaper published an editorial questioning the financial practices of their non-profit, citing anonymous sources who claimed that the MacArthur grant was being used for personal enrichment. "This isn't random," Silas said one evening as they reviewed a spreadsheet of the recent incidents. "This is a coordinated
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 65: The Betrayal
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
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