11%
Thad slept for a long time on the plane. Probably the longest rest I’d taken since learning that Dexter and Heidi had registered their marriage.
1 knew deep down I had already let go of that chapter.”
Once the plane touched down, I would become a brand–new Blythe.”
The moment the plane landed in Sweden, the sharp change in temperature made me instinctively hug myself as I scanned the arrivals for Assistant Imogen.”
Suddenly, a thick coat was draped around my shoulders, making me step back in surprise.”
A bright, friendly face of a white man appeared before me.”
“Hey, Blythe! The professor sent me to pick you up. Imogen’s tied up today arranging our mountain trip. I’m Noah Tanner.“%
Noah eagerly grabbed my luggage and chatted nonstop as we walked out.”
He was warm and outgoing, the perfect contrast to my quiet nature.
“Blythe, I’ve been waiting to meet you, I volunteered to pick you up! That piece you won the award for. It’s incredible!“%
“Before seeing it, I thought I was the professor’s top student. Now? Damn, you’re my fiercest rival!“%
“That woman who plagiarized you was so shameless!”
I hadn’t expected him to know about that whole mess. A flicker of unease crept in as I wondered if Matilda had been put off by it.”
“What are you worried about? That woman who plagiarized you. We all know her! Her family’s got some money and tried every trick to worm her way into the professor’s favor. But the professor found her utterly distasteful. Now she’s completely blacklisted.”
“Everyone in the field knows that plagiarist named Heidi. From now on, it’s going to be nearly impossible for her to continue her
studies.“W
It seemed Heidi had counted on Matilda picking an assistant this time.”
She hadn’t copied my painting just to flaunt it but to snatch Matilda’s invitation letter./
Unfortunately for her, a fake would never make it to the stage.
Jet lag didn’t stand a chance. The very next day, under Imogen’s careful planning, we headed into the mountains for plein–air painting.
Because of Matilda’s working style, she brought only Noah and me as her two students, and we doubled as her assistants.”
Imogen stayed behind at the studio, managing the bigger picture.”
There was no signal in the mountains. We were completely cut off from the outside world.”
But this return to a simpler life sharpened my brushstrokes and ignited my creative spark./
Noah and I grew more in sync with each passing day.”
We handled all of Matilda’s daily affairs quickly and efficiently and still found time to paint alongside her.”
It had been so long since I had fully immersed myself in my work.”
Before, I had worked tirelessly, almost around the clock, for Dexter’s career.”
But that was driven by love, not passion, so I never felt truly fulfilled.
Now, the more I worked, the deeper my passion grew.”
I had completely forgotten about Dexter.”
I didn’t even spare a thought for his wedding.”
It was as if he had never existed in my life, as if I had never fallen in love at all, just the same Blythe who focused solely on painting.!!
Noah was a wonderful partner.”
Whenever Matilda drifted away into her artistic world, Noah would sharply point out flaws in my work.”
Motivated by him, I began acting like a child craving attention, crafting outstanding pieces to catch Professor Matilda’s eye.
We knew nothing of the outside world, nor did we ask.
Assistant Imogen would occasionally bring supplies and carry our finished works out of the mountains.”
Had I not come down to rest for two days, I probably wouldn’t have even remembered Dexter, much less known he was desperately searching for me across the globe.
