Semua Bab Behind His Mask: My Hockey Alpha: Bab 1 - Bab 4

(Rhea's POV)For some people, a painting is just art. But for me, it's peace—at least until an old painting arrived at the gallery this morning.I stared at it—“The Moon Painting”—now laid out on the restoration table. The canvas was aged, the colors dull, and some corners were starting to peel. But what had me frozen wasn't just its physical state. There was something about this painting that made me... feel strange. Like my heart would beat faster every time I gently brushed its surface.I’m Rhea Hale. A painting restorer. And since I was a kid, I’ve always had a sensitivity to old things. Some people call it intuition. My mom said I was “different.” But to me, it just means I often end up emotionally drained after working.Today I was alone in the restoration studio at Elaria Gallery. The afternoon light streamed in through the large windows, catching dust particles dancing in the air. “The Moon Painting” was set to be displayed at a charity event tomorrow at two. I was almost done

(Rhea's POV)I knew today was going to be a long one, but I didn’t expect every second of it to feel this strange.I tried to shake off my thoughts and quickly went to check the paintings on display before the guests started arriving.Out of all the pieces exhibited tonight, the Moon Painting always pulled at me the most. But for some reason, when I looked at it tonight, something felt... different.I only glanced at the canvas as I crossed the hall—but in that brief moment, I saw something. A pair of eyes in the painting shimmered, like they were reflecting actual moonlight.I froze. My steps halted.Was I hallucinating?My eyes scanned the room, hoping someone else had seen it too. The guests were still admiring the painting, but their faces looked normal. They were just smiling, nodding, or chatting about colors and techniques. No one looked surprised. No one seemed to notice what I just saw.My heart thudded unevenly in my chest.I forced myself to stay calm as I explained the Moo