جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

When Clara saw Oscar arrive, a trace of disdain slipped into her voice before she could stop it. "You came?"He had sounded so firm on the phone, yet here he was, rushing over anyway. If this was how it would be, why speak with such finality before?Oscar gave a faint nod. Nothing she thought ever escaped him. He simply could not be bothered to explain himself to her now."You…" Clara had just begun to bring up what Amara had told her to say when she caught sight of the person behind Oscar out of the corner of her eye.She stepped forward at once. "Mr. Lawrence, you're here? Please, come in."Just like that, she left Oscar behind and turned to greet the man behind him.Harvey Lawrence, president of the Silverton Painters' Association, had played a major role in Clara's success as a painter.Harvey gave a mild nod. Slightly overweight, he was a middle-aged man in his 40s.He exchanged a few pleasantries with her before asking, "Did you bring anything new to this exhibition? We d

"See what the painting's worth first?"In the lounge, Amara frowned at Clara. "He really said that?""He did." Clara still sounded annoyed."What was there to look at? If we didn't need something from him, his paintings would never have made it into my exhibition." Amara shook her head, though a smile tugged at her lips. "He's growing fast.""Hm?""You still don't see it? Our former heir is using this chance to make demands." Amara let out a cold laugh. "'See what the painting's worth first.' He just wants to know whether the price is high enough. If it is, he'll agree. Throwing someone like that out of our family was the right call. Otherwise, who knows what he might do for money later on."Amara's analysis left Clara's head spinning."No, that's not it. That didn't seem like what Ozzy meant…" She trailed off as she looked at Amara. "He was smiling. I think he just trusts himself. He believes his paintings are actually worth something."Even to her own ears, the explanation so

Clara patted her chest as she spoke, completely certain. "No, Mr. Lawrence. You've got it wrong. That painting really is his. His name is Oscar Stone. He was once known as Oscar Chamberlain, the younger brother our family adopted."Now that we've cast him out, he's fallen on hard times. We couldn't bear to see him end up like this, so we put his painting up for sale to help him earn enough for food."Just look at the figures in the painting. That's clearly him with my parents. How could it possibly be a work by Remi Calsabrancho?"However, doubt crept into Harvey's eyes. He studied the figures in the painting again, then looked closely at Oscar. "No wonder he seemed familiar.""Wait, seriously? That's the fake Chamberlain heir? He doesn't look like a bad person. Why would they throw him out?""I heard the Chamberlains found their real blood heir, so they kicked out the adopted son they'd raised for more than 10 years.""Damn. The Chamberlains are really that heartless? More than

Clara staggered back two steps, unable to accept it. "Impossible. No way."Remi Calsabrancho was her idol. The reason Oscar's paintings had always seemed so similar to hers was simple. She had been imitating Remi all along. She had only added a few minor innovations of her own to his style.However, true mastery was still true mastery. No matter how striking her personal touches were or distinctive they seemed, they were insignificant beside the real thing.At that moment, the difference between her painting and Oscar's was exactly that. It was the gap between imitation with enhancement and the original standard."No. That can't be right." Clara grabbed Harvey's arm, as if clinging to the last thing keeping her steady. "Mr. Lawrence, Remi Calsabrancho is dead, right? He has to be a fake. He's pretending. He's just the fake young heir our family threw out."She could not believe Oscar was Remi. It was too absurd. The man she had looked down on most had suddenly become the person sh

Amara had no answer. She had assumed the only leverage she still held over Oscar was his poverty.Now, one of his paintings could sell for tens of millions with ease. What bargaining chip did she have left to make him attend Jason's renaming banquet?"We've been fools." Harvey slapped his forehead. "These paintings are valuable, yes, but the painter himself is standing right in front of us. Why are we chasing meaning inside the paintings when we can simply ask the man who made them?"At once, every eye in the room turned toward Oscar."That's right. Could you explain the techniques hidden in the painting?""Please, Master Remi. In Silverton alone, countless painters have tried to imitate your new school. You have to give us some guidance.""Master Remi, give us a lecture. We want a lecture."As she watched the burning excitement in the Painters' Association's eyes, Amara felt only growing exhaustion.Oscar had hidden himself too well. All those years in the family, and she had