Semua Bab The Ugly Duckling: Rise of the Forsaken Wife: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Danice’s heart finally settled a little. She steadied her mask, lifted her gaze, and met Julian’s dull eyes.“…Are you Mr. Albrich’s student?”Julian slowly nodded. “I am.”“I see. You must be J.A. I’m Danice. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She used the most professional tone she could muster, praying her voice wouldn’t falter, nor her mask slip.“…This is not the first time we’ve met.” Julian’s glassy eyes seemed to pierce through her.Danice swallowed hard. Her heart trembled all over again.“At the banquet. In the garden…” Julian hinted.“Oh.” Her mind cleared at last. Right—she had run away that night. She never thought he’d recognize her, let alone remember such a fleeting encounter in the dark.“Ha…ha, I did not recognize you for a moment. It’s nice meeting you again. I heard I’ll be modeling for you. I look forward to working with you.”Julian gave a quiet nod.Silence fell between them once more.Danice glanced to one side, then the other—anywhere but at Julian.It still stun

Danice sat on the chair, her phone already set with an alarm for exactly two hours.Julian quietly set up his paints and began working in silence.She didn’t remind him about the Q&A. If two hours passed without him asking anything, all the better.But, against her hopes, Julian spoke after a while. “…What do you like to eat?”Danice blinked. She had expected something deeper, not… food preferences.Her mind drifted. Back when she lived with the Zagars, she had always wished for a birthday cake of her own. Later, at the Roan mansion, she became obsessed with cake—but after Yvette ruined her birthday, she never touched one again.The truth was, she didn’t have many preferences when it came to food. Having starved since childhood, she learned to eat almost anything. And the one thing she had once cherished had been tainted.But in this new life, there was something she held dear. “…Pizza,” she answered at last.It wasn’t the food itself she loved, but the memory of sharing it with Jen

Danice turned off the TV and went back to bed. Even though she had spent the day watching a film and training with her instructor, she still couldn’t get the events of last night out of her head.She plopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.She had been married to him for ten years, yet she had never known that he actually had an artistic side. And that he had a condition like sleepwalking...Danice suddenly remembered the paintings. Every piece in that studio was filled with heavy emotions, reflecting the painter's mind and heart. Could it be that Julian… was going through something?Was he having a difficult time right now?In the past, had he also been struggling—and she never even realized it, despite being married to him for ten years? But thinking about their relationship, even though they were husband and wife, they seldom spoke. So it was natural that she didn’t know much about him.Danice rolled to her side. 'This isn’t good… I keep thinking about him.'She shouldn’t

Danice accepted the wooden abacus in a daze. What was she supposed to do with this?She fiddled with it, not really understanding its purpose or mechanism. The soft clattering of wooden beads broke the long silence that stretched between them.“...That night...” Julian suddenly spoke, and the sound of the wooden beads came to an abrupt halt. “At your welcoming banquet, when you sat on that rock, staring at the moon—what was on your mind?”Danice was taken aback by the question. That night... he had been watching her. But why ask about it now? Was it truly necessary to get into the mind of his model—or was he still suspecting her?“I... I wasn’t used to the Roan mansion yet, so I just needed a place to be alone. Well, it turned out I wasn’t alone that night.” She watched Julian closely. “Are you still suspecting me? I told you before—I didn’t recognize you.”Julian met her gaze calmly. “I’m not suspecting you. Although I don’t know much about you, I don’t think you’d approach me just b

Danice demonstrated a few more moves for Instructor Vi. When she was about to grab another piece of plywood again, Instructor Vi quickly stopped her.“…I see what you’re trying to prove now.” Instructor Vi tossed the broken plywood aside. A small pile had already formed, and she winced. How could such a small, slender girl break so many pieces of wood?“It’s good to show your strength. An actress who knows martial arts is rare. You can start building your brand through action films.”Danice tilted her head. “But that’s not what I’m aiming for.”Instructor Vi blinked in confusion. “??” Not action movies? Then what are those broken planks for?Danice rolled up her sleeves and, to Instructor Vi’s shock, suddenly slapped her own cheeks—hard. “I’m a fan of melodrama,” she said earnestly. “I’m good at taking a beating. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many actresses who would willingly get beaten up in scenes. So for those kinds of roles, I don’t think a lot of artists would line up for the job