Chapter 76
The room fell into a sudden and eerie silence. lan’s hand, which was resting on his temple, froze, and
he looked up at Maja.
Having said her peace, Maja seemed to realize that a man and a woman alone in a room could lead to
some pretty nasty rumors. She chuckled and said, “I was just shooting the breeze.” lan watched her,
curious about whether her husband knew how forward she was with other men
He dropped his gaze, his tone icy cold.
“Out.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it… Mr. Raymond, have a good rest.”
She really didn’t mean anything. She just wanted to help her drunk client.
lan still hadn’t given her any feedback on her draft design.
Though she had enough confidence in her work, his silence had her getting antsy.
Maja returned to her room, changed her clothes, scrubbed her paint-stained shirt, rinsed it twice with
clean water, and hung it to dry by the window once she confirmed it was stain-free After that, she
returned to her previous spot, cleaned her brushes and palette, and began mixing colors again.
Then she returned to the blank wall and continued her painting.
She needed to seize the inspiration immediately, otherwise, she couldn’t guarantee she’d still have it
when she woke up the following day.
Maja was totally absorbed in her painting.
By three in the morning, she felt tired, rubbed her eyes, and decided to freshen up.
As she approached the sink, she spotted a tall figure leaning against a pillar in the courtyard. lan was
standing there, perhaps suffering from insomnia, with a cigarette in hand. He looked both languid and
sloppy but exuded an awe-inspiring aura.
She couldn’t recall seeing him smoke before, but under the moonlight, this scene, coupled with the
surrounding architecture, was too picturesque to disturb.
Ian flicked the ash off his cigarette, casually taking in the courtyard.
A
He had been leading a very regular life all these years, but tonight, he was suffering from insomnia. Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
He looked up at the sound of footsteps, only to see a figure disappear around a corner.
lan raised an eyebrow, put out the cigarette, and followed.
Maja had returned to the blank wall. She didn’t want the sound of the faucet to bother him. She had
only planned to splash some cold water on her face to wake up, but now, she didn’t feel sleepy
anymore.
She chuckled and started painting faster.
Half an hour later, just as she was about to put her brush back in the palette, a voice suddenly rang out
next to her ear.
“Did they hire you?”
Maja jumped, her heart pounding. She turned around and immediately saw lan less than a meter
away.
“Mr. Raymond, you know you can scare people like that, right?”
He had a faint smell of tobacco mixed with the scent of pine, which felt somewhat chilly at night.
The scent seemed to stick to her skin with the breeze, and she couldn’t shake it off.
lan didn’t move closer, but looked at the painting on the white wall, his eyes showing a hint of
admiration.
He had never seen her paint before. He had only seen her designs, and he was surprised by her
talent.
“You paint so well. Why didn’t you continue painting after graduation?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Maja slightly lowered her head, her movement of mixing the paint paused, “Mr. Raymond, didn’t you
hear it yourself last time?”
*Just because of that?”
Just because of that?
The words floated by lightly, but they stung like a needle in her heart.
From birth, he had been the center of attention, high and mighty. Of course, he would not understand
how terrifying it was for an ordinary person to be slandered, subjected to vicious words, and given the
cold shoulder.
“Yes, just because of that.”
She turned back to her work, a hint of despair in her voice.
lan stood behind her, his gaze involuntarily falling on her waist.