Then came the sound of shattering glass–something fragile breaking against the wall or the floor.
Before he could roar again, I hung up.
I turned off my phone, slept soundly for the first time in a long while, and by the time I
woke
up, I was already across the
ocean.
Valmonde. A country full of romance, art… and thieves.
Almost the second I stepped out of the airport, a tall man snatched my bag from my hand.
The force of it dragged me to the ground, my forearm scraping hard against the rough pavement, the sharp sting of it
bringing tears to my eyes.
Then a warm, gentle voice came from above. “Miss Fowler, are you alright?”
I looked up, meeting the worried gaze of a Valmondais man.
I shook my head as he pulled me to my feet. “I’m fine.”
Irecognized him.
This was the teacher my agent had found for me–a well–known artist here.
I forced a smile, trying to hide my disheveled state. “Hello, I’m Diana Fowler.”
He extended a hand, lightly holding my fingertips. “Hi. I’m Charles Bernard.”
I smiled and nodded
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Chapter 4
+25 BONUS
He handed me his phone. “Your agent has been calling me nonstop. I think you’re going to need a new phone.”
Only then did I remember my stolen bag.
Luckily, it had been empty–just my phone inside.
I took Charles’s phone and dialed my agent.
His voice was tense on the other end. “Diana, is Callum out of his mind? He’s been standing outside our studio for five hours! He somehow got hold of your flight info, and now he’s pressing me for answers! He asked me if you’re pregnant with my child–what is wrong with him? Were you pregnant? Whose was it?”
His thoughts jumped around so wildly that it took him a second to circle back. “Anyway, just… focus on painting. Charles is a good teacher.”
I let out a tired breath. “Samuel, don’t worry about Callum. I’ve done everything I could for him and his brother. I’ve already gone above and beyond.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then, softly, he said, “Alright. As long as you’re not hurting too much.”
I paused, caught off guard.
Then I laughed.
“So… you knew, didn’t you?” My voice quieted. “That whatever we had, Callum and I… it had already turned into something else.”
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