Chapter 994
Chapter 994:
Curran, taken aback, leaned back, furrowed his brow at Fernanda, and tried to make sense of what he had just learned.
Ashley quickly made her way over to Fernanda, her face alight with eagerness, and asked, “My dear, did you really create this painting?”
Under the expectant gazes of everyone present, Fernanda couldn’t deny the truth—nor did she wish to. With a composed smile, she nodded. “Yes. I painted it.”
Ashley’s eyes darted between the painting and Fernanda, her lips quivering faintly with emotion. “So… you’re really…”
Fernanda’s tone remained humble. “It’s an honor that you appreciate it.”
Ashley suddenly clasped her hands together, her excitement bubbling over like a child discovering a treasure. Without hesitation, she took Fernanda’s hand in hers. “Come with me. It’s too crowded here. Let’s talk somewhere quieter.”
Not wanting to miss anything, Curran quickly trailed after them.
Bobby, meanwhile, was utterly bewildered. He couldn’t fathom why his grandmother had grown so enthusiastic all of a sudden, but he followed them nonetheless.
The group descended to the private lounge tucked away on the first floor, just off the main lobby.
The moment they stepped inside, Ashley guided Fernanda to the sofa and urged her to sit. Curran made a move to join them, but Ashley waved him off, directing him to a different sofa entirely.
Settling in comfortably, Ashley began chatting with Fernanda about painting. Fernanda, relaxed and articulate, engaged with her seamlessly, their conversation flowing as though they’d known each other for years.
Taking advantage of a pause while Ashley sipped her tea, Curran seized the opportunity to chime in. “You see? Isn’t she extraordinary?” By now, Curran had fully recovered from the initial shock of discovering Fernanda’s identity as Rose. Any lingering annoyance toward her had vanished, replaced by admiration.
In fact, he’d even gone so far as to quietly remove her from his blacklist.
Ashley, however, wasn’t about to let him off so easily. She scoffed and fixed Curran with a sharp look. “Extraordinary, yes. And yet, didn’t you try to chase her away?”
C𝓱𝓮𝓬𝓴 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓇𝓈 𝓪𝓽 g𝓪𝗅𝗇ovє𝗅𝓈.𝒸om
Curran flinched as though struck. “What? Me? Chase her away? Never!”
Ashley arched a brow, unimpressed. “Didn’t you have a dispute with her yesterday and then proceed to ignore her entirely? She traveled all the way from Esaham, and that’s how you treated her?”
Curran shot Bobby a glare, his suspicions clear. Bobby, however, feigned obliviousness, his gaze lifting toward the ceiling as if it were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the room.
“I knew you were the snitch!” Curran accused, jabbing a finger in Bobby’s direction.
Bobby immediately ducked behind Ashley, his voice turning pitifully small. “Grandma, Grandpa’s being so mean to me! It’s terrifying!”
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