“I can’t wait for the mentorship ceremony. I’ve heard Mr. Scott holds a deep respect for traditional rituals, so I’m sure the entire event will be full of surprises-and maybe even a few jaw-dropping moments.”
At this point, Paige looked like a rising star. The comments were full of praise, and even the guests in the room-who didn’t know any better-couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.
From his painting station, Raylan watched her bask in applause. A soft, proud grin tugged at his lips, as though her triumph were his own.
But off to the side, Elliana’s lips twisted into a smirk. She wasn’t buying any of it. To her, the entire show put on by Luciano and Paige was nothing short of cheap. Earlier, when the class began, she had actually assumed Luciano would give a live demonstration. Instead, he just gave speeches full of flair while using his students’ work as props. Not once did he pick up a brush.
No one at the scene had the nerve to speak up, while the live chat buzzed with curiosity, wondering why Luciano wasn’t stepping up to paint something himself. For a long while, no one offered an answer to the question, until someone eventually interjected with an explanation-Luciano held such a prestigious position in the art world that his paintings were considered rare treasures, not something he could simply create or reveal without careful consideration. As a true master, he was expected to uphold his own standards and artistic principles. Eventually, that opinion caught on. The more people repeated it, the more it started to sound reasonable. No one questioned it again.
Others might have bought into Luciano’s performance-both the viewers online and the guests standing nearby-but Elliana wasn’t one of them. She could see…
Straight through the act, Luciano hadn’t painted a thing, and every word he taught in class was just a script he’d memorized. It was almost too absurd to believe. The highly regarded president of the Ublento Calligraphers and Painters Association-a so-called master whose pieces had earned accolades at home and abroad-was, in the end, someone who couldn’t even produce a proper painting.
That raised the obvious question-where did all those winning works come from? And how did someone like him con his way into the top seat of the Calligraphers and Painters Association? Since Luciano had been a fraud, there was no way the painting he gave Paige for the competition was actually his creation. That raised the real question-who was the true artist working in the shadows?
When it came to devious tricks, Paige could hold her own right alongside Luciano.
The cameras zoomed in to capture every detail of Paige’s so-called masterpiece, and the audience didn’t hold back their praise. What they didn’t know was that Paige hadn’t laid a finger on that canvas. Not once did the camera catch her brush in action, and her easel was angled just enough to keep things hidden. Still, Elliana watched closely-Paige’s every move gave her away. She was putting on a show, not painting a picture.
The artwork Paige unveiled had been created in advance by an anonymous artist. Whoever painted it had undeniable talent-the technique alone spoke volumes.
Elliana didn’t need long to connect the dots. The strokes, the style-it matched the piece Luciano had provided for Paige to enter the competition.
What baffled Elliana most was why someone so gifted would bury themselves in anonymity, letting Luciano take credit instead of stepping into the spotlight and earning recognition of their own.
From the next station over, Hailee noticed the distant 100k in Elliana’s eyes. She leaned in, her voice gentle and curious as she asked, “What’s on your mind, Elliana?”
After spending the morning side by side, the two had warmed to each other, discovering a natural ease in their personalities, and had started calling each other by their first names.
Hailee knew full well that Elliana was in the producers’ crosshairs, yet she never backed away. While the rest kept their distance, she stayed close-and that simple kindness meant more to Elliana than she could express.
Ever since her mother left, the world had treated Elliana like an outcast. Genuine people were rare, and Hailee was one of the few who came without an agenda.
“Just thinking,” Elliana replied, keeping it vague.
Hailee saw the world with a clear heart, always assuming the best in others, blind to the twisted and messy games people played. Elliana couldn’t bring herself to ruin that innocence by revealing a darker world to Hailee. Very few people still carried the kind of quiet sincerity that Hailee did.
Hailee didn’t give it another thought. Her eyes landed on Elliana’s painting, and with genuine admiration, she said, “Elliana, your work is incredible. Honestly, I…”
“I think it’s even more impressive than Paige’s.” With a soft smile, Elliana looked over at Hailee’s piece. “Yours turned out wonderfully as well.”
That wasn’t just a polite reply-it was genuine. Elliana wasn’t the type to hand out compliments without meaning every word.
Hailee chuckled and gave a shy scratch to the back of her head. “I really just doodled. My family couldn’t afford art lessons, so I picked up whatever I could from online tutorials.”
The artists behind the online tutorials weren’t especially remarkable in their craft. They were everyday painters, and their videos offered only a foundation, nothing beyond the basics.
Still, there was no denying that Hailee’s artwork was truly impressive. It was clear she hadn’t stopped at the basics. She’d gone beyond, experimenting, interpreting, and gradually crafting a voice of her own. That kind of instinct-raw, unpolished, but undeniably present-was what people call talent. Hailee had it, just like Elliana did.
“I’m kind of nervous about what Mr. Scott will say, though. What if he laughs at it?” Hailee said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elliana didn’t hesitate. “It’s honestly excellent. You should consider entering it in the Starry Oil Painting Competition tonight. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned a few heads.”
In Elliana’s opinion, Hailee still had room to grow with her raw skill. She needed proper training to refine her technique. Right now, Hailee couldn’t quite match the finesse of the mysterious painter behind the work Paige claimed as her own creation-but she had the potential.
Elliana had a strong feeling that Hailee’s piece could earn her a solid spot in the rankings of the Starry Oil Painting Competition-and maybe even some prize money to go with it. She understood that Hailee was in a tough spot financially and desperately needed the money.
But Hailee shook her head, her voice laced with hesitation. “I don’t belong in a competition like that. I’m just a hobbyist. If I submit anything, I’ll embarrass myself.”
“You won’t know unless you try,” Elliana responded, her tone light but firm. “And if you do place, the prize money’s no joke.”
The mention of prize money lit a spark in Hailee’s eyes.
Elliana smiled and added, “I heard there’s prize money for the top ten. First place gets three million, and even tenth place earns a hundred thousand. If you land in the top ten, you’re guaranteed at least that much.”
Excitement crept into Hailee’s voice. “But this is the final round. Isn’t it too late to enter?”
“There’s still a way,” Elliana said. “They reserve slots for special entries. If a piece is strong enough, it can bypass the earlier rounds and go straight into the finals.”
“You really think I should submit it?”
“Absolutely.” Elliana nodded. “Worst case, you don’t place. But what do you have to lose?”
“You’re right, Elliana. If there’s even a chance at that prize, I’ve got to at least try.”
While the two of them talked, Luciano had already started giving feedback on the others’ paintings.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.