True Heiress Returns to Her Unemployed Rich Family (Arabella) novel Chapter 579

Arabella's hand paused for just a second before she resumed painting, her brush moving in quick, deliberate strokes.

Tiny flecks of oil paint gradually settled onto the canvas, slowly forming a breathtaking landscape—so vivid it felt as if you could step right into it.

"Your technique has improved since the last piece I saw," Matthew remarked quietly. "Do you paint often?"

"Not really. Mostly just some desig—" Arabella caught herself mid-sentence. She'd almost slipped up.

But Matthew had clearly heard her.

"Design what?" he pressed.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "I just meant... little things here and there. Just messing around."

"Ah. For a moment I thought you might have said design drafts, Dr. Hamilton," Matthew said, his tone layered with implication.

Arabella offered an awkward laugh. "No, definitely not. I'm no designer."

"Speaking of designers," Matthew went on, "Horizon Corp recently entered a collaboration with Tylin Design Studio. Heard of it?"

"I have. It's a small private custom brand," Arabella replied.

She wasn't sure why Matthew was suddenly bringing up Tylin. His expression was hard to read.

"Small, yes—but the designer behind Tylin is quite a rising name in the industry," Matthew noted as he pulled out a design sheet.

Looking down at her own work, Arabella felt her pupils tighten slightly.

"Mr. Stewart, what is this...?" she asked, feigning curiosity.

"Tylin's new collection. It's the co-branded line for the Horizon Corp collaboration," Matthew explained.

Arabella nodded appreciatively. "It's beautiful. I'm sure it'll do well."

"That's all?" Matthew raised a brow.

"What else should there be?" She looked genuinely puzzled.

"Doesn't this design look familiar to you?" Matthew continued probing.

Arabella frowned slightly before realizing what he was getting at.

The pearl hairpiece she'd worn at Naomi's birthday party shared clear design cues with this series. Matthew had noticed.

Most people might not have caught it, but Matthew was observant.

Still, at this point, admitting anything was out of the question.

"I've seen plenty of pearl accessories, but I don't recall this particular design," Arabella said, meeting his gaze. "Do you think it looks familiar because you've seen something like it before?"

"Yes—it speaks to purity, authenticity, staying true to one's essence. It's a perfect match," she said, genuinely admiring the name. Colton has good taste.

"You seem to understand the name and the designs quite intuitively, Dr. Hamilton. Even Tylin herself only said it 'sounded nice'," Matthew observed, his deep gaze lingering on her as though trying to see straight through her.

Arabella's stomach dropped. So the name wasn't Colton's idea—it was Matthew's.

She let out a light, uneasy laugh. "It just came to mind. But of course, Tylin would understand her own work better than I ever could."

"Mhm." Matthew nodded ambiguously.

Arabella frowned faintly, her guard fully up around him now.

She'd nearly walked right into his trap earlier. It wasn't just suspicion anymore—he was almost certain.

She needed to be careful. One wrong move and Matthew would uncover her identity.

"Arabella, how's it coming along?" Alfred's voice approached, and Arabella breathed an inward sigh of relief.

Within moments, Alfred was at her side. Noticing Matthew, he nodded politely. "Mr. Stewart."

Having already run into Robert earlier, he wasn't entirely surprised to see Matthew here—though he did wonder what the man was doing talking to Arabella.

"Alfred, I'm just finishing up. What do you think?" Arabella said, smoothly steering the conversation away from Matthew.