Chapter 154
Gabriel Sterling’s lips twisted into a bitter smile, his eyes shadowed with years of unfulfilled dreams.
He had spent countless nights hunched over his sketchbook, pouring his soul into every stroke, yet recognition remained just out of reach. Fame? That ship had sailed long ago—if it had ever been within his grasp at all.
Isabella Sinclair, however, sliced through his hesitation like a blade.
“I can mentor you,” she said, her voice steady. “I’ll make your work eclipse Xavier Delmar’s.”
Gabriel blinked, stunned.
Was she serious? Xavier wasn’t just another artist—he was a global phenomenon, a name that dominated the comic world with an almost fanatical following. The idea of surpassing him was laughable.
But the unwavering certainty in Isabella’s gaze made him pause.
His mind flashed back to the times she had critiqued his sketches, her observations always sharper, her technique flawless in ways he couldn’t replicate.
Was she… some kind of hidden prodigy? His throat tightened.
“You—you don’t have to do this for me,” he stammered.
Isabella didn’t mince words. “I have my reasons. There’s something I need from you.”
Her tone left no room for debate as she pulled a sleek pair of earbuds from her purse and held them out.
“Help me, and I’ll connect you with the top publishers in the industry. Your work will reach heights you’ve only imagined.”
Gabriel hesitated, skepticism warring with temptation. It sounded too good to be true—and in his experience, nothing came without strings.
Besides, compromising his morals for personal gain? That wasn’t him.
“Even if I want my art to be seen… I can’t do something unethical.”
“It’s not unethical,” Isabella countered smoothly. “I just need you to expose a fraud.”
With the media circling like sharks, she could have handled this quietly. As the manager of Charisma Company, she had the power to manipulate things behind the scenes.
But confronting Xavier publicly was a gamble—one that could tarnish her company’s reputation irreparably.
That’s why she needed Gabriel.
Seeing his reluctant curiosity, she laid out the truth.
“You’ve seen Xavier’s comics, haven’t you?” she pressed, her gaze unyielding. “In the later volumes, the details are rushed, the style inconsistent—almost like a poor imitation.”
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Because they are imitations. He stole my discarded drafts and claimed them as his own.”
Gabriel’s breath hitched.
“That’s impossible,” he muttered, shaking his head.
Xavier was a legend, his name synonymous with mastery. But the more he thought about it, the more the pieces fit. The decline in quality, the sudden shift in technique…
And then there was Isabella.
Her skill was undeniable—every stroke deliberate, every line alive with precision. The more he compared her work to Xavier’s, the more obvious it became.
Her style, though distinct, carried an edge that Xavier’s later works lacked.
Then it hit him.
That’s why her art feels so familiar.
Some of Xavier’s most iconic scenes bore her unmistakable touch—something he had never been able to replicate consistently.
Gabriel exhaled slowly. “If that’s true… I’ll help. But do you have proof?”
“Nothing tangible. He kept my drafts and passed them off as his.”
Isabella’s expression hardened as she pressed the earbuds into his palm. “But I have a plan. I know his weaknesses. He’s not as untouchable as people think.”
She held his gaze. “You help me, and I’ll make sure you’re rewarded. Fame, money—it’s yours. But I’m not forcing you. The choice is yours.”
Gabriel’s pulse raced.
The risks were enormous. If this backfired, he’d be blacklisted, humiliated.
But as he remembered the brilliance of Isabella’s art—the truth was undeniable.
No imitation could match the original.
After a tense silence, he made his decision.
“I’ll do it.”
He took the earbuds, his grip steadying as resolve settled over him.
“I don’t have much to lose anyway. Even if this fails, at least I’ll know I did the right thing.”
No regrets.
For the first time in years, he felt a strange sense of clarity.
He was stepping into the unknown—but it felt like the only path forward.
