After speaking, Master Springsteen then turned his wise and experienced eyes to Sylvia.He was intrigued by Sylvia, or more precisely, Sunflower. Sylvia’s lips curved up in a smile as she said, “Master Springsteen.” Master Springsteen smiled back. “You’re Sunflower?” “Yes, I am.” “You’re so young.” “You flatter me.” “Oh, you are the one who is too kind to an old man. You are a mother-to-be yet you’re attending my event,” he said as he shifted his gaze to her belly. Before Sylvia could answer, a sharp voice came from behind him. “Of course, she would not miss this great opportunity to climb the social ladder to meet you in person, Master Springsteen.” Sylvia froze. Master Springsteen, Christopher and the others immediately turned to the owner of the voice. At the entrance, Ramona, dressed glamorously and covered in dazzling jewelry, came over with Lily and Madam Springsteen, who were similarly dressed. As soon as Ramona’s voice subsided, Madam Springsteen furrowed
Master Springsteen looked at Sylvia and then said to Christopher, “There’s no need for you to explain this to me. I only see the famous artist Sunflower at my event tonight, not someone’s ex-wife.” Christopher’s eyes gleamed. He smiled and said, “I understand, Master Springsteen.” Sylvia’s cold, clenched hands relaxed slightly. In relief, she smiled at Simon and gestured at him not to worry. The remaining guests who were still standing around to watch the scene, now withdrew their scrutinizing gazes from Sylvia and resumed what they were doing before.Only Ramona was left looking unhappy, as if she had suddenly been slapped in the face.Madam Springsteen was also displeased but she was in no position to lecture her husband, hence the silence. As for Lily, she maintained an elegant smile on her face. After Christopher and Master Springsteen finished talking, Lily stepped forward and hooked an arm through one of the elderly man’s. She then said with a smile, “Grandfather, d
It was too late to regret her earlier decision now and it would be inappropriate for her to leave at this stage. It would also be a terrible idea for her to meet Odell face to face. “Sylvia, I saw Master Carter looking at you,” whispered Simon to her. Sylvia was slightly surprised. “Are you sure you weren’t seeing things?” “My eyesight is very good, so I’m sure of it.” Sylvia remained silent. Even if Odell had been looking at her, there was no way he would have come running over to her.“However, it looks like he’s going over to Master Springsteen with Lily, so I think he’s going to greet the old man,” Simon said. Sylvia pursed her lips. ‘See, I knew he had not come here for me.’ Sylvia lifted her head up and looked in that direction. She was roughly a dozen meters away but due to Odell’s towering figure, she was able to spot him at one glance. However, all she could see was his back. He was standing beside Lily as he talked to Master Springsteen. The two of th
Mr. Carmine turned to the voice, as did Sylvia. Lily was standing about a meter away from the crowd with Odell beside her. The man’s upright figure and handsome looks stood out from the others. When Sylvia turned around, she found him looking at her with his deep gaze. The cold look on his face shielded his thoughts from her. Sylvia locked eyes with him for a second before she looked away. Mr. Carmine smiled and asked, “Lily, are you trying to flatter me?” “Of course not. I’m telling the truth,” Lily said with a smile. Mr. Carmine was over the moon because of the praise. He then shot a displeased gaze at Sylvia, expressing his annoyance. Sylvia frowned. Simon wanted to step up to defend her. He disliked the man’s attitude and wanted to comment on his painting as well but Sylvia stopped him. She then said to Mr. Carmine, “Ms. Springsteen is right. Your painting is impressive, it’s me who is short-sighted.” Only then did Mr. Carmine give her a slight smile. “You’re
“It’s not necessary. I know what level she’s at,” Master Springsteen said. Odell’s entrance into the rest area caught Master Springsteen’s attention. With a polite nod to Master Springsteen, Odell then sat down on the other side of the couch. Master Springsteen glanced at him a few times before continuing to sip on his tea. …As soon as Lily started painting, the hall quieted down. Sylvia, Simon and Christopher left the crowd and sat down, but Christopher’s extroverted side soon drew him back to the crowd. Sylvia continued to sit with Simon.“Sylvia, are you alright?” Simon asked. Earlier, Ramona had been mocking Sylvia about her status as an ex-wife. Then, Mr. Carmine had given her a hard time. Even as a bystander, Simon had not been able to stand the insults, let alone the victim herself. Sylvia pursed her lips and said, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.” She had been able to put up with the insults so far. Simon felt relieved after seeing her relaxed expression. It was
Sylvia pursed her lips. To be honest, anyone from the Westchester Art Association could do better than her. But if Sylvia chose to be honest, she would definitely make Lily unhappy. As Sylvia was pondering how to resolve this dilemma, Christopher stepped in with a smile, “Ah, naturally Ms. Springsteen’s skills are on par with the professionals.” Lily looked at Sylvia excitedly, “Really?” “Yeah, really,” was Sylvia’s stilted reply.Lily smiled brightly. Before Sylvia could breathe a sigh of relief, Lily added, “Ms. Ross, I heard that your paintings are hard to find. Why don’t you do a demonstration for us and enlighten us with your skills?” The hall quieted down once again as everyone turned their attention to Sylvia. Sylvia was stunned. She choked on her words for a few seconds before she successfully uttered a full sentence. “Ms. Springsteen is too kind, but I don’t have any inspiration now. Perhaps another time?” “It’s you who’s being humble, Ms. Ross. You are the fa
The hall went quiet for a while. Shortly after Sylvia had started painting, some people in the crowd gasped.Several people started to grumble and some started to whisper. “What is this?” “It’s a blob of black. Even my dog can paint better than her.” “Isn’t she a famous artist? Is that all she’s got?” “God knows. Ms. Springsteen is a lot better than her, yet she calls herself a master artist.” Surrounded by the crowd, Sylvia was standing stiffly in front of the table with the brush in her hand. She had only painted a black blob on the paper before her. There was no pattern and no shapes to it whatsoever. She had no idea what to paint and while she was struggling with her thoughts, she had heard the crowd commenting on her skills. Everyone mocked her and belittled her for her poor performance. Their words woke her up from her trance. Then, when she saw what she had drawn on the paper, the brush fell from her hand. Her limbs went cold and her body stiffened. The
Master Springsteen came over with the help of his assistant. He shot a fierce glance at Ramona and Madam Springsteen before he scanned the crowd coldly. “Sylvia and Simon are my guests and you people insulted them in front of me? Are any of you unhappy with me?” The few of them from the crowd who insulted Sylvia and Simon immediately looked down in shame. The others shut their mouths and put on a serious look. Then, Master Springsteen looked at Sylvia and Simon. He said with a sigh, “I’m sorry about this.” Simon answered, “Master Springsteen, it’s not you who insulted us, it’s them. You don’t need to apologize on behalf of them.” Christopher then stepped in and said, “Master Springsteen, Simon had always been a straightforward person. Please excuse his frankness.” “It’s fine. He’s right.” Master Springsteen then looked at Sylvia. As the harsh criticism faded, Sylvia’s emotion returned to normal for a bit and when she sensed Master Springsteen’s gaze, she regrouped her