Chapter 116

After his mother's death, as an adolescent he was carrying around a feeling of emptiness. He sought solace and fulfillment in his passion for art. Immersing himself in his painting was the only thing he could do to fill the emptiness and forget his pain, until that day.

One fine morning, he was painting in his favorite place in the estate, a secluded garden behind a long, vine-covered wall. In the privacy of the garden every midmorning was the time he could savor a few peaceful hours of solitude. Suddenly a creaking sound from the old oak door claimed his attention, and he glanced up to see a red-haired woman standing at the doorway.

In an instant the sheer magnetism of her unusual beauty caught him completely off guard. He came to a standstill, like when he caught a glimpse of a majestic nature and felt its beauty take his breath away.

The woman wasn't classically beautif