A heavy silence swept across the room the moment eyes landed on Elliana’s painting.
Beside Luciano, Paige’s smile wavered. She pressed her lips tightly, barely holding the expression together.
Paige and Luciano had been faking their expertise from the start, but even they couldn’t deny the obvious—Elliana’s painting was stunning. Paige could feel jealousy creep in, tangled with disbelief. How could someone like Elliana—tucked away in a forgotten warehouse—paint this remarkably? She pushed these thoughts aside—there were more pressing matters. The last thing she needed was Elliana stealing the scene. When she spotted the photographer about to zoom in, she discreetly gestured toward Haley.
Haley picked up the cue right away, waving the photographer off. As a result, Elliana’s work appeared in nothing more than a distant, unfocused frame.
The people standing beside Luciano wore mixed expressions. Some of them clearly had a grasp of oil painting and could see that Elliana had real skill. But with Luciano’s clear disdain for her hanging in the air, none of them risked speaking up. Instead, they kept their thoughts to themselves, choosing silence over trouble.
Bitterness crept across Luciano’s face, weighed down by irritation. He had planned to tear Elliana down in front of everyone by picking apart her work, but her technique left him speechless. Cornered by the audience’s expectant silence, he found himself with nothing convincing to say.
Leaning in slightly, Paige lowered her voice and offered a way out. “Mr. Scott, go ahead and criticize her. I already told the crew to avoid zooming in on Elliana’s painting. The viewers won’t catch the details.” People in the room had their careers tied to Luciano’s reputation. Even if he blundered, none of them would dare call him out. So long as the livestream audience remained blind to the truth, he had room to maneuver.
That reassurance settled Luciano’s nerves. He tilted his head, eyes cold as they rested on Elliana. “You sounded so confident earlier. I half expected to see brilliance. But after all that talk, this is what you came up with?”
Predictably, no one stepped up to question Luciano.
The silence in the studio grew thick, almost stifling.
Freshly uploaded on gα?ησv?s?com
A flicker of smugness crossed Paige’s face. Talent meant nothing if she kept Elliana locked in the shadows. Without her approval, Elliana was going nowhere.
The camera lingered on Elliana, catching every shift in her expression.
Tension spilled into the comment section like a wave.
“Wait, is Elliana really that bad?”
“Mr. Scott wouldn’t say that unless her work was terrible, right?”
“She acted all high and mighty before. Honestly, it’s good someone finally humbled her!”
People waited for Elliana to crumble under the pressure, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, she stayed composed, meeting Luciano’s glare with a look that bordered on smug.
That expression struck a nerve. Luciano snapped, his voice rising, “Who do you think you are, acting like you’re better than everyone else?” The deeper his scowl etched into his face, the heavier the air grew. Tension tightened like a noose.
Hailee, standing close to Elliana, couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Mr. Scott, Elliana’s painting really isn’t bad. Honestly, I think it looks pretty good.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Who did this girl think she was, speaking out like that? Was she insane?
Judgment fell on Hailee like a wave, eyes narrowing with disdain. Though the attention made her shrink inward, Hailee stood her ground, her lip trembling but firm beside Elliana.
“Hailee, is it?” Luciano’s voice turned cold as he glanced at her name tag. “Since you’re such a connoisseur, why don’t we take a look at your masterpiece?”
With hesitation, Hailee slowly turned her painting around for him to see.
Luciano gave it the briefest look before exclaiming with clear irritation, “It’s complete trash!”
Color rushed to Hailee’s cheeks as she looked down, shrinking under the weight of humiliation.
Not done yet, Luciano sneered, “You can’t even paint properly, and you think you’re qualified to judge someone else? You’re just fishing for attention.”
Tears welled up in Hailee’s eyes as she stood there, humiliated and heartbroken under the weight of his words.
Elliana stepped forward, voice steady and sharp. “Mr. Scott, I’ll ask again—do you actually understand oil painting, or are you just pretending to?”
The question hit its mark. Deep down, it always made Luciano’s pulse falter. But after years of wearing the mask of a master, he had perfected the art of appearing unfazed, unease buried beneath layers of practiced arrogance.
Keeping his posture firm, Luciano let his gaze drift back to Elliana, sharp and calculating. “You’re still young, so let me offer a bit of guidance. Focus on growing your skills and building real talent. Chasing shortcuts, like marrying into money to get ahead, is a cheap tactic—and frankly, it’s disgraceful!”
The insult was aimed straight at Elliana’s marriage to Cole—and everyone knew it.
Elliana retorted instantly, “I’d also suggest, Mr. Scott, that when someone piles up too many shady deeds, the truth tends to surface—and when it does, you could fall harder than someone who never had a name to begin with.”
.
.
.