Shaking with fury, Luciano looked ready to explode-Elliana’s demeanor was salt in his wounds. Before he could unleash another outburst, Paige reached out and tugged at his sleeve.
“Please, Mr. Scott,” she whispered urgently. “Let’s not ruin the ceremony.”
Though equally furious, Paige recognized that there wasn’t much time left, and any further delay threatened to unravel the whole event. With a sharp inhale and a final, venomous glare in Elliana’s direction, Luciano forced himself back into his seat.
Luciano had started off calm and content, carrying the air of a true master. But after Elliana provoked him, his face tightened with fury, and the entire mood of the apprenticeship ceremony had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Inside, Paige seethed. But with cameras rolling and guests watching, she swallowed the humiliation and pushed through the final motions of the ceremony.
When it finally ended, polite applause filled the room, accompanied by the usual string of well-wishes.
“Congratulations, Mr. Scott, on gaining another excellent protege.”
“And Miss Jones, what an opportunity! With a master like Mr. Scott, you’re destined for greatness.”
Some color returned to Luciano’s face. Once he declared Paige his official protege, he turned to her and said, “Now, Paige, show your respect to Rosa.”
“Of course,” Paige said, nodding with poise.
Elliana’s brows lifted in surprise. Wait-was Paige actually about to bow to her statue?
No one caught Elliana’s reaction. The spotlight was fixed squarely on Paige as she glided toward the wax statue, lowered her head, and bowed with exaggerated grace.
Haley, always alert, signaled for a close-up. The cameras zoomed in, capturing every angle of Paige’s performance. Her face took on an exaggerated seriousness-more grave than even Luciano’s-clearly meant to impress the audience watching from their screens.
Across the room, Elliana bit the inside of her cheek, doing everything she could not to burst out laughing. She had promised herself she wouldn’t stir the pot again-but the moment Paige bowed to the statue, that promise flew out the window. A sharp, irrepressible laugh escaped her lips. “Ha-ha!”
Elliana’s laughter reverberated through the quiet room, sending ripples of tension across the gathering.
Paige froze mid-bow, while Luciano’s smile vanished instantly. All eyes in the room swiveled toward Elliana in perfect unison. Why did she laugh just now, of all times?
Paige’s enthusiasm in maintaining her charade evaporated like morning dew under the harsh sun. Her elegant demeanor crumbled as she jerked upright, her eyes hardening into ice as she glared at Elliana. “Elliana, what are you laughing at this time?”
Paige was genuinely angry. Why couldn’t Elliana simply allow her to complete the ceremony without disruption? How infuriating! Absolutely maddening! This wretched Elliana must be consumed with jealousy-that explained all her troublemaking!
Luciano’s features contorted with anger, his piercing gaze drilling into Elliana. “Elliana, how much further will you push your appalling lack of manners?”
Fury boiled through his veins. To so brazenly disregard his esteemed position in the art world-he would certainly teach her a lesson!
Elliana’s eyes still danced with amusement as she replied with unsettling calm, “Chill out. I’m merely curious. You all worship Rosa so devoutly, but has anyone bothered to ask Rosa herself how she feels about it? What if she disagrees with this whole ceremony? Wouldn’t that put you all in an awkward position?”
Her question struck Luciano and Paige speechless. Naturally, they had never consulted Rosa-they hadn’t even met her. They merely exploited her name for publicity.
Luciano’s expression darkened further as he glowered at Elliana. “What right do you have to speak here? Merely witnessing Rosa’s wax statue at today’s ceremony should be considered a tremendous honor for someone like you!”
Paige chimed in, “Elliana, disrespecting me or Mr. Scott is one thing, but how dare you disrespect Rosa? She’s a legendary figure in the art world!”
Elliana chuckled. “Forgive me, I’m simply so familiar with Rosa that such words came naturally.”
Her remark triggered waves of laughter from the audience, while the live chat erupted with mockery and disbelief.
“Has this Elliana lost her mind? Claiming intimacy with Rosa? Preposterous!”
“Rosa stands as a legend in the art world. How could she possibly associate with someone like Elliana? Pure fabrication!”
“Elliana is attempting to elevate herself using Rosa’s name, just like Mr. Scott does.”
“People exploiting Rosa’s name for publicity isn’t uncommon, but Elliana’s excuse is laughable. Of all possible lies, she claims friendship with Rosa. How utterly ridiculous!”
Elliana’s casual demeanor inflamed both Luciano and Paige, yet despite their simmering rage, they dared not act against her before the millions of viewers watching the livestream.
Paige, having lost all desire to continue the performance, signaled Haley to pause the broadcast, fearing she might fumble before the massive audience.
Haley grasped the situation immediately and announced to the camera that the livestream would pause for an hour, allowing guests to dine and rest. The grand finale of the Starry Oil Painting Competition would commence afterward, with broadcasting resuming at seven o’clock sharp.
With the livestream terminated, everyone exhaled in collective relief.
Luciano’s face darkened like gathering thunderclouds. No longer concerned with maintaining his facade as a distinguished master, he unleashed a torrent of abuse at Elliana. “You shameless woman! Do you believe your prestigious title as Mrs. Evans shields you from consequences?”
Paige glared venomously at Elliana, eagerly awaiting Luciano’s harsh retribution that would satisfy her own thirst for vengeance.
Everyone expected Elliana to cower before Luciano’s wrath. Hailee, trembling with anxiety, tugged at Elliana’s sleeve, whispering urgently, “Elliana, Luciano’s bodyguards surround us. Don’t challenge him directly, or you’ll suffer terribly.”
Elliana gently patted Hailee’s hand before facing Luciano with a subtle smile. “Oh? I’m quite curious to see how you plan to deal with me.”
“You…” Malice flooded Luciano’s eyes, his carefully cultivated artistic persona completely shattered by naked hostility. He smirked, gesturing sharply to the bodyguards looming behind him. “Teach this insolent woman a proper lesson!”
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.