Chapter 89

"You really can't spoil girls too much. Did you see her just now? She totally gave Elio the cold shoulder in front of everyone. She thinks she's all that."

"Right? If I were him, I wouldn't go running after her. Let's see what she does then. Is Elio really going to give up a whole pond for just one fish?"

"I bet he won't even last three days before he's crawling back, begging her to forgive him. Seriously, just watch. Hahaha!"

All the teasing from his friends stung more than he cared to admit. He'd chased after her for three years, always the one putting in the effort, always the one trying to make things work. Honestly, he was tired. Maybe it was time to let things cool off now that she'd gone back home. He could live it up for a few months, then win her back when she returned. She still had to come back for her master's degree; there'd be plenty of chances.

He never expected she wouldn't come back at all. The next thing he heard, she had married Steven. It happened so fast, he didn't even have a chance to try and make things right.

That ended up being the biggest regret of his life.

***

By twelve thirty, the exhibition tour was officially over. The museum director and the local officials from Elmridge were all smiles, clearly pleased with how everything had gone. "This exhibition was a huge success," someone said, and everyone agreed.

The foreign guests had been totally blown away by the precious artifacts.

"Let's take a group photo to remember this day," someone suggested.

Everyone gathered for a picture, smiling into the cameras. Afterward, they headed

to the reception area, where lunch had already been set up.

By the time the lunch and the little celebration were over, it was already three thirty. The foreign delegation went back to their hotel to rest before their tour of Elmridge's infrastructure the next day, which Lucie and her group didn't need to attend. The local expert team also left for their hotel.

Dr. Tate found Lucie just as the crowd was thinning out. "Ms. Anderson, could I have a word?"

He handed her several photographs. "I have a batch of valuable artifacts that were damaged. Do you think you'd be able to restore them?"

Lucie took the photos and looked them over closely. One was a noblewoman's sheer ceremonial dress another was a painted figure, and another showed a badly. damaged bronze cauldron

She asked. "They're incredible. But the damage is pretty severe-looks like tomb raiders got to them first."

Dr. Tate nodded. "I've already had several teams of experts try to restore them, but none of the results were satisfactory."

Lucie studied the

photos a little

longer. "I've worked on similar pieces before, but I'd really need to see them up close to know what's possible. The inscriptions on this cauldron, for example, are so worn down you can't even make them out, in the pictures. I'd have to examine it in person to figure out how to restore it."

Dr. Tate hesitated, then asked, "Do you think you can do it?"

Lucie didn't feel a hundred percent sure, but she was never the type to back away from a tough challenge "I'll do my best to get them as close to the original as possible. If you

trust me, you can send the artifacts, to my studio in New Amberton. I'll study them and put together a detailed restoration plan for you. If you're satisfied with the proposal, I'll get started."

qustime you can send this ar

Dr. Tate's face broke into a smile. "That sounds perfect. I'll have my assistant arrange for the items to be sent to New Amberton as soon as possible."

"Great,” Lucie said, matching his enthusiasm.

Dr. Tate glanced at her, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Mr. Murphy mentioned

you're really into archaeology, is that right?"

Lucie nodded without hesitation. “Yes, I absolutely love this field.”

He studied her for a few seconds, his voice more serious. "You know, this line of

work isn't easy. It's tough, sometimes boring, sometimes dangerous."