CHAPTER 6: The Special Man
“I heard from Dorek that you helped me just now. I wanted to express my gratitude.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow, seeming intrigued. “How does Miss Eleanor intend to thank me?”
This stumped Eleanor. As a powerful figure at the top of the food chain, Eleanor truly didn’t know what kind of thanks would be appropriate. After all, she had just donated all her auction earnings and was now penniless.
As Eleanor agonized, Alexander’s deep voice drifted down. “A painting.”
“What?” Eleanor was confused for a moment.
“Paint a picture for me.”
Eleanor thought about it. That was indeed the only thing she had to offer. “Then later on…”
Before she could finish, Alexander turned and strode out of the auction house.
Eleanor stared at his retreating back, speechless. She wanted to ask where to send the finished painting, but Alexander didn’t seem to want to give her the chance. She sighed. Perhaps asking for a painting was just a polite way to dismiss her. After all, a single word from him could solve her problems. Why would he need a mere painting?
Eleanor sighed, feeling a mix of gratitude and confusion.
The sight of Eleanor and Alexander talking was seen by Claudia, who was lurking nearby.
...
In the afternoon, outside the courthouse.
Eleanor called Sebastian for the tenth time, but no one answered. On the fifteenth call, it finally connected.
“If you’re calling to apologize, then…”
“Sebastian, I hope you remember that this is the time we agreed to meet for the divorce.”
He paused, then snapped angrily, “Don’t think you can boss me around just because you got some attention at the auction. Try this reverse psychology on me again, and don’t blame me for really divorcing you!” He hung up.
Eleanor was furious. She regretted loving Sebastian so much in the past and being so afraid of losing him. That was why Sebastian now had the mistaken idea that she was proposing divorce just to get his attention.
Sebastian didn’t answer any more calls. Eleanor eventually took a cab back to her studio.
On the other end, Sebastian angrily threw his phone.
Claudia walked into the room and saw this. “What’s wrong? Isn’t it two o’clock? Why aren’t you divorcing Eleanor?”
“Do you think she really wants a divorce? It’s just a trick to get my attention. If I went, I’d fall right into her trap!” Sebastian felt inexplicably guilty, yet he still believed Eleanor loved him too much to truly divorce him.
Claudia frowned, sensing Sebastian might be the one dragging his feet. “I was so embarrassed at the auction today. If word gets out about those two paintings, how can I show my face?” she said, squeezing out a few tears. “Even if Breaking the Cocoon was hers, she didn’t object when I published it years ago. She only brought it up after proposing divorce. She’s clearly trying to sabotage you.”
Looking at the pouting woman in front of him, Sebastian’s mood improved. The mention of the auction reminded Sebastian of the money, and he silently added that debt to Eleanor's account.
“Don’t worry. I’ll buy two paintings, sign your name on them, and get reporters to announce that you’ve been working in seclusion. Once you have new work, no one will talk about this anymore.”
Claudia was ecstatic. She threw her arms around Sebastian’s neck and kissed him. They embraced and kissed for a long time before pulling apart.
“Sebastian, I love you so much. I wish I had met you before Sis did.” Sebastian looked at her with gentle eyes.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—something Eleanor had said at the auction. He paused. “Did Eleanor say Ivy passed away today?”
Claudia froze, then laughed. “How could that be? She probably just made that up to get more attention from you.”
“You’re right.” Sebastian nodded and dismissed the thought.
...
In the days following the auction, Eleanor locked herself in her studio, pouring all her energy into painting. It seemed the only way to distract herself from the profound grief of losing her daughter.
On the fourth morning, the first rays of dawn filtered through the window, bathing Eleanor's face in light. She stared at her painting: a wedding dress, torn to shreds, with delicate buds and flowers growing out of the rents, their stems entwining the shredded fabric, reaching upward.
The sound of the doorbell snapped Eleanor out of her thoughts. She opened the door to see Daphne. “Daphne! What a surprise. My place is a mess.”
“You weren’t answering calls or messages, so I had to come find you,” Daphne said.
“Sorry, I’ve been busy with a new project.”
Daphne’s eyes lit up. “Do I have the honor of being the first to see it?”
“Welcome.”
Daphne stood before Eleanor’s new work, utterly amazed. “Letting go of the old marriage, allowing the broken self to sprout new life. Eleanor, only your paintings can make me feel this way.”
Eleanor smiled and handed Daphne a glass of water.
“You know, the news of your return has spread through the art world, shocking everyone. They’re all eagerly anticipating your new work. I want to hold a small solo exhibition for you as a prelude to your comeback.”
Eleanor was grateful. “Thank you, Daphne. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Just paint a few more new works for my gallery. That’s thanks enough for me.”
That day, the news of Eleanor’s upcoming solo exhibition spread throughout the city’s art circles. Naturally, it reached Claudia.
She rushed to Sebastian. “Did you hear? Eleanor is holding a solo exhibition!”
Sebastian was dismissive. “It’s just an exhibition. She’s been a housewife for so long; I’ve turned her into a useless woman. She’s just jealous of how good Teddy and I are to you, and she's desperate for attention. Trust me, she’ll be back begging me within a day of the exhibition ending.”
Claudia was still worried. “Daphne, the owner of Core Gallery, is organizing this. She’s Alexander’s cousin. Alexander was defending Eleanor at the auction. Do you think…”
Sebastian burst out laughing. He hooked his finger under Claudia’s chin. “Are you suggesting Eleanor hooked up with Alexander? A woman like her—who would want her besides me?”
Despite Sebastian’s words, Claudia remained suspicious. Remembering the auction, she decided to probe the nature of their relationship.
...
After finishing her new work, Eleanor left her studio for the first time in days. She went to Core Gallery to sign the exhibition contract with Daphne.
As she was leaving, she ran into Alexander, who was examining a painting. His tall figure commanded attention. His innate aristocratic aura kept people at a distance. He simply stood there, and everything around him became his backdrop.
Remembering the auction, Eleanor walked over. “Mr. Prescott, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
