Old Mr. Foley said that Kelvin had never painted for anyone else before. This portrait of her was his first and last work of art. Not even Abbie had that privilege.
When he was caught, the stubborn teenager had insisted that it was just practice and had prepared to discard it. He had actually thrown it in the downstairs trash bin.
'Cheyenne, do you know? At the time, I really wanted to laugh. He clearly had a crush on you, but he was just being stubborn and wouldn't admit it.'
'Later, I saw him go back to the trash pile specifically to search for this painting.'
'When he couldn't find it, he even had a big argument with the management company. That's when I knew that arranging your engagement was the right thing to do.'
'Because I've never seen any emotion other than aloofness on Kelvin's face. Try to forgive him. He was so cold and stern because he was deeply scarred by Gracie.'
'He's afraid to trust others, afraid to let anyone get close to him. He's built a protective shell around himself, using indifference to hide his true feelings.'
The conversation downstairs grew quieter and eventually returned to a calm tone.
When Iker came out of his room again, old Mr. Foley and the butler had already left. He saw Cheyenne had taken the oil painting she had thrown in a corner and placed it back on the table.
She was sitting on the couch, her legs curled up, hugging her knees, and burying her head in them. Her eyes stared blankly at the painting.
Her posture made her look like a scared little chick hiding in its eggshell, extremely lacking in a sense of security, igniting a desire to protect her.
Cheyenne rarely appeared this way. She was always confident, her smile vibrant, and occasionally a bit absent-minded. But in this moment, Iker deeply realized one fact:
Cheyenne was just a vulnerable girl.
She was so focused that she didn't even notice when he arrived. Feeling the room darken slightly, Cheyenne raised her head, meeting a pair of sharp, deep-set eyes.
Her red lips parted, and she called him, 'Master Iker.'
Iker sat down beside her, and his large and heavy frame caused the couch to sink deeper. That was the difference in weight between a man and a woman.
'What are you thinking?' he asked.
His gaze also landed on the oil painting, the one Kelvin had painted. She had known the truth, and she had even disliked it...
A hint of turmoil passed through her eyes, but she shook her head to dispel those unsettling thoughts.
'Nothing.'
'Really? What did old Mr. Foley say to you that left you in a daze? Cheyenne, I'm not used to seeing you like this.'
She couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Master Iker, you're being too concerned. Don't worry; I'm perfectly clear-headed.'
Yes, Kelvin was very pitiful...
But she wasn't doing any better.
His paranoid personality wasn't a reason to harm her...
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: She Became Rich After Divorce (Cheyenne and Kelvin)
Nice story...