Chapter 125

Confusion rippled through the crowd. Kayla, shy but reverent, faced a strangely dressed man. “You’re my life mentor,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Your work… it’s the home of my soul.”

Phones flashed, capturing the shocking scene. A murmur rose. "Is she confessing?" someone gasped. Speculation swirled. The Vanderbilt heiress? Did she buy a painting to express her love? Who is that bizarrely dressed man?

Eyes fell on the man's nameplate. A collective gasp. Niort? Unbelievable. Could such an eccentric create such stunning art? Admiration turned to Kayla.

"Ms. Vanderbilt values artistic soul above all else," someone commented.

The man, equally stunned, had mistaken Kayla's earlier smile for politeness. He grinned, his voice as unusual as his appearance. "Ms. Vanderbilt, you… you actually like me?"

Tears glistened in Kayla's eyes. "I like you," she nodded earnestly. "And I love your work even more."

"My work?" he frowned. "Then why didn't you bid on it? It went unsold."

Kayla stared, clutching the painting. "But… isn't your work this?" she asked, indicating the painting. "I wanted your signature."

He looked awkward. "Ms. Vanderbilt, are you mistaken?"

"Impossible!" Kayla insisted. "Mr. Vaire, this isn't a joke!" She turned to Marissa. "Marissa, come here."

Marissa, reluctantly drawn into the spotlight, approached, curtseying stiffly.

"Mr. Vaire," Kayla stated, "this is Ms. Prescott. She contacted your assistant and invited you."

Marissa's face paled. She hadn't anticipated Kayla's bluntness.

The air thickened. Marissa managed a strained smile. "Yes, Mr. Vaire," she said to the man. "I contacted your assistant, through a friend… a relative of hers."

The man blinked, utterly confused. "What are you talking about? I'm not Mr. Vaire."

Kayla and Marissa gasped.

The man smirked. "But since you adore me, my dear 'life mentor,' why didn't you bid on my work?"

"Which work?" Kayla's smile vanished.

He beamed, oblivious. "The first item – the sculpture."

Kayla's blood ran cold. The hideously ugly sculpture. She felt a wave of nausea.

Chapter 126