How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue novel Chapter 495

But Selma wasn’t a fool. She had milked the rewards long enough; only then did she start weaving her own style into her work.

Her early paintings were the real key.

If the missing lower half of that painting ever turned up—and if it could be linked to the rest of the series—Selma’s career as an artist would be over. Just like that.

That afternoon, after making sure Rosemary had calmed down, Elodie returned to the office.

Esmeralda, already in the loop about Selma’s invitation to Elodie’s family, was so angry she cursed under her breath before asking, “So, what’s the plan? Are we going or not?”

By then, Elodie had regained her composure. “We’re going. I skipped it last time, but this time… well, I’ll give her some ‘face,’ at least.”

She’d made up her mind.

No more holding back.

As luck—or fate—would have it, she’d recently gained some notoriety in academia thanks to her thesis at Verdant University.

Her classmates there paid close attention to everything she did.

Elodie figured: worst-case scenario, she could stir things up and let the spectacle play out.

Given her rising profile in the academic world and how closely people were watching her, if she confronted Selma and exposed her fake persona in public, there would be plenty of doubt cast in the art world. That would mean questions, investigations, and maybe even the truth finally coming out.

Sooner or later, you can’t keep the truth under wraps forever.

Selma had been able to profit for so long because she’d gone abroad. Now that she was back, if the scandal broke and the Royal Atelier of Fine Arts got involved, the art community would have no choice but to start verifying things.

Of course, it would get ugly. Especially since she didn’t have hard evidence in hand.

But this was her chance.

Even if it was a gamble, she wasn’t about to let Selma pull off this high-profile exhibition without a hitch.

If Selma succeeded, it would cement her status in the local art scene for good.

Esmeralda understood exactly how Elodie felt. She nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you. If there’s any drama, leave it to me. No need for your reputation to take a hit because of this crowd.”

She couldn’t bear the thought of Elodie getting dragged through the mud.

Elodie knew Esmeralda was just looking out for her. She pinched Esmeralda’s cheek and smiled. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Later that evening, Elodie got a message from Watts.

He kept it short: