Ch. 41..50

Chapter 41

Nathan was clad in a custom-made black tuxedo. Not only did it bring out the outline of his lean figure, but it also made him look elegant and refined. He looked extremely handsome in it.

Suzanne could only stare into Nathan’s mesmerizing eyes. Whenever she saw him, her heart would start pounding wildly. She tended to freeze up as well.

Right now, she was so nervous that she didn’t know what to say.

Meanwhile, a small frown graced Nathan’s features as he studied Suzanne’s appearance. A hint of disappointment flickered across his

eyes.

He respected Suzanne’s decision. That was why he didn’t force her to wear the dress, nor did he question her why she didn’t wear it.

“Have you met Grandma yet?” Nathan asked coolly.

Suzanne shook her head wordlessly in response. She was afraid that the trembling in her voice might betray her feelings of sadness and aggrievance if she were to speak.

Nathan was the type whose presence could reassure Suzanne

greatly. She wanted nothing more than to rely on him and vent her feelings to him. More importantly, she wanted to ask him for help.

Unfortunately, she had no right to do this.

Nathan’s expression darkened instantly. He murmured, “Are you planning to leave without seeing Grandma?”

Suzanne hung her head silently in response. It was her way of saying ” yes”.

TA

1

Nathan let out a small, helpless sigh. He had no idea what Suzanne was thinking. So, he approached her and took her by the wrist.

His sudden action surprised Suzanne, prompting her to look up at him nervously. Confusion was written all over her face.

“You can leave once the banquet ends.”

The moment Nathan was done speaking, he led Suzanne toward the

crowd.

Even though they weren’t holding hands, Suzanne still felt anxious at the thought of being so intimate with Nathan. Her heart kept beating wildly the whole time. For some reason, she felt quite warm on the

inside.

Now that Nathan was with her, she no longer suffered from social anxiety. She felt a lot safer with him around.

Nathan took Suzanne to greet the guests. Whenever someone asked him who she was, he’d introduce her to the guest graciously.

“This is my wife, Suzanne York.”

It was just a simple sentence, yet Suzanne found herself feeling extremely touched. It filled her with so much happiness and warmth.

The thing was, Suzanne and Nathan would be getting a divorce after the banquet.

In that case, why was he still introducing her as his wife to everyone?

Meanwhile, all the guests were curious as to when Nathan had gotten married. They also wondered about the family that Suzanne had hailed from.

Whenever those questions arose, Nathan would change the subject smoothly.

24

A moment later, Vera walked slowly to the banquet hall with the help of two housekeepers. They helped her into a mahogany chair at the main seat of the hosts’ table.

Vera looked very elegant and distinguished. Her lips were already curled into a happy smile. The sight of the boisterous banquet made her feel as giddy as a child.

EEven though she no longer remembered the people before her, she sstill remembered that today was her birthday. Those who attended hher banquet were all friends and family who wished to celebrate the daey with her..

Oonce Vera made her appearance, all the other Morrisons crowded arcuund her instantly to wish her a happy birthday. After that, they stanced presenting her with the gifts they had spent so much time and effon preparing.

Naturality Vera was so happy that she kept giggling the whole time.

Everyone decicided to take turns giving Vera her gifts, going by the order of sscitiority in the family. When it was Nathan’s turn, he handed an intricate boxxdo/Vera and said a few nice words to her.

Finally, he addeed SSuzanne and I have prepared a gift for you.”

When Nathan incitiuced Suzanne into the equation, he was able to dispel her embarrasssinent of not bringing a gift along.

Vera was elated. After acccepting the gift, she caressed it lovingly while gazing at Nathanrannd Suzanne.

She smiled while saying. Thank you my dear grandson and granddaughter-in-law! Both looyyou have gone out of your way just to make me happy.”

Some of the guests gossiped aniongg themselves. Undoubtedly, they were wondering when Nathan had dootten married.

Most of the guests were shocked. At the same time, they were curious about Nathan’s mysterious wife.

After all, she must have come from a special background if she could get married to Nathan, whoowas known for possessing great power and authority in Norvania.

At that moment, Wendy deciticed to nock Suzanne in a teasing tone.” The rest of us have prepared gas or our own. Why is it that Suzanne. gets to merge her gift with yours, Nathan?”

Suzanne could only hang her headdnshame.

Nathan’s eyes darkened as he turned to shoot an icy glare in Wendy’s direction. “I’ve been too busy lately, co hhaven’t had time to prepare my gift. That’s why I decided to add my name to my wife’s gift. You got a problem with that, Wendy?”

Wendy looked embarrassed and awkward poon hearing Nathan’s response. She panicked instantly and tried too backpedal by forcing

out a stiff smile.

“I didn’t mean it that way, Nathan. Please don’t misunderstand me,” she said in an attempt to appease him.

Chapter 42

Feeling quite touched, Suzanne turned to look up at Nathan, who stood next to her. He was only six feet tall, yet he exhibited a powerful air that made him look reliable and dependable.

Sally approached Vera with a paper tube in hand. She flashed her a smile before saying, "Grandma, I'm Sally Hoffis. Do you still remember me?"

Vera's smile slowly faded away as she narrowed her eyes in response. Of course, she'd always remember that homewrecker's stupid face.

"Not really," Vera replied lightly.

Sally didn't mind that answer at all. It was completely normal for Vera to forget her, seeing as she had Alzheimer's.

She couldn't care less about what Vera thought. All she wanted to do was steal the thunder at the birthday banquet so that she could leave an even more flawless impression on Nathan and the Morrisons.

Sally wanted to amaze everyone in the banquet hall with both her beauty and her compassion for Vera.

"Bring them in!" she ordered loudly.

A few housekeepers moved a few tables into the banquet hall upon receiving the order. After that, they joined the tables together.

Everyone was perplexed, to say the least.

Sally then unscrewed the lid of the paper tube and took a roll of thick paper out. She asked for Wendy's help in unfurling the paper and placing it on the row of tables, which was estimated to be six feet and five inches long.

Just like that, a breathtaking ink wash painting was revealed for all to see. Countless guests were astonished to see the painting.

Sally walked over to help Vera to her feet. 'Grandma, I know you love Sunterland's traditional culture. You also love collecting classical and vintage items. Also, you have a soft spot for ink wash paintings.

"I've put in so much effort just to bid for this painting at an auction. It's an actual painting named 'An Ole to Fall', and it happens to be a masterpiece created by a famous modern artist named Inkwell. I hope that you'll lead a long, blessed, and healthy life."

All of the guests attending the banquet were wealthy, to begin with. Therefore, it was only natural for them to know a thing or two about antique trading and painting collections.

When they heard that Inkwell was the painter of the masterpiece, they crowded around the painting to study it closely. Clearly, they were all interested in the painting.

Sally knew Vera very well. As expected, Vera's interest in the painting was piqued. The smile on her face began spreading as she studied the long painting seriously.

Inkwell was extremely skilled, that was for sure. Even though black ink was the only medium used in this painting, she was able to bring the painting depicting the essence of fall to life.

A blend of elements could be seen adorning the paper, including nature, the setting sun, a stretch of maple trees in the distance, a small boat, as well as a ferryman wearing a long coat.

The painting was so beautiful that one might think they were transported inside it.

At that moment, an elderly guest, who was passionate about collecting famous paintings as well, exclaimed in amazement, "Goodness gracious, this artwork really is one of Inkwell's actual paintings!"

He added, 'The value of her most expensive painting has increased to 50 million dollars! All of her artwork is worth collecting!"

The only artist I know is Van Gogh. Who's Inkwell?" someone asked curiously.

Excited by the prospect of showing off her knowledge, Sally gushed, 'Inkwell is the most famous young painter in Sunterland. The way she paints is very unique, as she only streams her painting process on the Internet.

"Whenever she finishes a painting, she'll conduct an online auction right away. The profits she's earned from her paintings will be donated to various charity organizations in full.

"No one has ever seen Inkwell's face before. All she reveals are just her hands and her paintbrush, yet she's able to rise as a legend of the new era.

Inkwell has never sought out fame nor fortune, not to mention the money she's eamed so far has been given away to charity. Hence, countless charity organizations constantly shower her with praise and admiration.

This is how Inkwell became world-famous overnight. People buy her paintings not just to collect them, but they also wish to make their own contributions to charity so that they can spread more love and warmth to the whole world as well."

Suzanne was an art lover as well, so she was fairly interested in the painting. After walking around the painting and studying it for some time, she returned to her original spot.

Just then, Vera approached her and murmured, "Chubs, do you think the painting is beautiful?'

Suzanne nodded seriously in response. "Yes. The essence is there, but..."

She was hesitant to continue speaking.

Vera prodded gently, "It's fine. Just speak your mind."

Suzanne mumbled into Vera's ear, "Grandma, I don't think this painting is authentic.

It must be an imitation."

Vera widened her eyes in shock. She exclaimed loudly on purpose, "What? It's an imitation?"

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Suzanne felt awkward because of Vera’s sudden shout. Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.

But Vera intended to humiliate Sally in public, so she pointed at the painting. “It’s fine if this is an imitation. Thank you for the gift, but please don’t tell anyone you meet that this painting is authentic.”

Everyone in the banquet hall was stunned.

Sally’s complexion paled for a moment before her cheeks turned crimson out of fury.

“What do you know about paintings?” she questioned Suzanne. “Do. you even know the art of ink painting? Have you ever seen an actual painting created by Inkwell? Who gave you the right to call my

painting an imitation?”

Suzanne was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she was proven to be wrong, then she’d end up humiliating herself in front of

everyone.

However, Vera didn’t think of it that way.

Only experts in art could tell authentic paintings from their fake. counterparts when it came to famous paintings. Since someone had claimed that Sally’s painting was an imitation, everyone would naturally assume that it really was one.

Even if Sally were to show her receipt or certificate of purchase, they’d all think that she got scammed.

The same guest, who was obsessed with collecting paintings, quickly put on his reading glasses. Then, he bent over and started studying the painting seriously.

Meanwhile, Sally rushed over to Nathan and hugged his arm while looking aggrieved.

“Nate, please judge the situation for me! Suzanne has no right to

claim that my painting is an imitation! What does she know, anyway? How could she humiliate me in front of everyone? She’s being outrageous!”

Nathan was unbothered by what was going on. In fact, he even pushed Sally’s hands away while looking slightly irritated.

“I don’t know what’s going on, either. But since the painting is your gift to Grandma, I’m sure that she’ll appreciate your gesture

regardless of its authenticity.”

Sally stomped her feet angrily. She felt that Nathan no longer sided with her like he had in the past, so she started whining in frustration.

“This is different! Suzanne wants to embarrass me on purpose!”

Wendy decided to defend Sally as well. “It’s true that Suzanne has gone too far this time. She knows nothing about art, yet she thinks she can judge it well.

“Heck, she thinks she can run her mouth and spout nonsense just because Grandma trusts her. Thanks to her, Sally’s gift for Grandma is now ruined.”

Cheryl agreed with Wendy right away. “Exactly! If you’re really that amazing, Suzanne, why don’t you show everyone one of Inkwell’s actual paintings, then?”

Just as everyone started complaining about Suzanne’s nonsensical claims, the guest who had been studying the painting suddenly

slammed his palm onto the table.

The sound startled everyone.

“This is an imitation! It’s not authentic at all!” he exclaimed angrily.

Panic flooded Sally’s system the moment she heard the guest’s words. She couldn’t say anything in response.

The guest took off his reading glasses while continuing, “The core essence of Inkwell’s ‘An Ole to Fall is basically a beautiful autumn day where the southern wind blows across the landscape.

“The ferryman can be seen sailing along the river currents toward the north. There, he witnesses a beautiful sunset.

“The wind is supposed to come from the south, but the ferryman’s coat is flapping in the wrong direction. Inkwell would never make

such a basic mistake.”

The ones who defended Sally earlier were extremely embarrassed. Meanwhile, everyone else gasped and started gossiping. They were more or less mocking the ones who had sided with Sally.

Vera had planned to gloss over the matter, seeing as she just wanted to embarrass Sally in public. She didn’t expect the painting to actually be an imitation.

It was a delightful surprise. She was a lot happier when she fou that “An Ole to Fall” wasn’t the real deal at all.

Vera chuckled. “I know, right? My youngest granddaughter-in-law an eye for appraisal!”

Another elderly guest asked curiously, “Wait, your granddaughter-in law knows how to appraise paintings?”

Now that Suzanne had become the topic of the conversation, Vera couldn’t help but feel smug. “Of course! She was the one who informed me that the painting was an imitation!”

“Wow, how amazing!”

3,0

Vera wanted nothing more than to show how amazing Suzanne was in front of everyone. “My granddaughter-in-law even knows how to paint! She can easily work with mediums such as watercolor and oil paints. Not only that, but she’s also excellent at it! You should see how beautiful her art is…”

Suzanne couldn’t bear to listen to Vera’s compliments any longer. She was so nervous that she could only grab Vera’s hand tightly.

“Grandma, I don’t know any of those things…” she mumbled in an attempt to stop Vera from rambling. “Please don’t boast about me in front of everyone. I’m nothing but an amateur.”

When one over-exaggerated their skills, that meant they were just boasting at this point. It’d also mean they were just running their

mouth for the sake of it.

Sally was furious because of the incident. She absolutely refused to endure the fact that Suzanne had ruined her plan in front of everyone.

The sight of Suzanne looking so panicked and alarmed made Sally think that she was definitely a talentless hack. Maybe Vera didn’t know how to appreciate good art.

An idea popped into Sally’s mind at that moment. She couldn’t be only one getting embarrassed in public. In any case, Suzanne had go through the same treatment as well.

Sally squeezed out a polite smile. “Suzanne, since you’re such a skilled painter who knows how to appraise famous paintings, why don’t you demonstrate your skills to everyone here? Think of it as a gift to Grandma.”

Someone from the crowd shouted immediately, “What a brilliant suggestion! We’d like to witness your skills, Mrs. Morrison!”

That suggestion was what Vera wanted to hear the most. She went

along with the flow as well.

“Alright. I’ll have the butler prepare some paint and paper.”

Watercolor and oil painting were quite simple, not to mention the paints were vibrant and colorful. Anyone could’ve easily produced stellar art, no matter how they painted on the paper.

If Suzanne were to draw random patterns on the paper with those paints, she could easily call it abstract art.

Naturally, Sally didn’t want Suzanne to rely on such an easy method. She said hastily, “Grandma, I’ve prepared some paper and ink. Perhaps Suzanne can create an ink wash painting on the spot.”

Suzanne shook her head at Vera nervously. Panic and alarm were undoubtedly written all over her face.

But Vera outright ignored Suzanne’s silent protests. She thought Suzanne just lacked confidence.

Suzanne was so anxious that she didn’t know what to do. She could only turn to look at Nathan pleadingly, seeing as she didn’t want to humiliate herself in front of everyone. The way she stared at him. made her look so pitiful.

Nathan’s heart softened when he noticed Suzanne’s look. “Do you really not know how to paint?”

Suzanne shook her head. “No.”

“Just paint it like how you often did when you were with Grandma.”

Suzanne hung her head before replying softly, “I can’t. Those are just doodles. I can’t show anyone that. At most, I can only trick elementary school children into thinking that I’m good at painting.”

Her voice was too soft, so Nathan couldn’t exactly catch what she just said. He leaned closer to her and dipped his head low so that he

could hear her better.

Both of them whispered to each other in front of everyone. They resembled a pair of newlyweds who were in their honeymoon stage. The thing was, they had no idea they were acting so intimately in public.

Nathan asked, “Do you need my help to put an end to this madness?”

“Yes, please.” Suzanne nodded.

“You really don’t want to paint, huh?”

“Yes, I don’t.”.

Nathan finally straightened up and said to the butler, who had just reappeared with ink and paper, “We don’t need those things anymore. Please take them away.”

“Don’t you dare cause trouble for me! Move!”

Vera pushed Nathan away angrily before taking Suzanne’s hand and leading her toward the center. Then, she spoke to the butler, “Bring those things over and set everything up. I want Suzanne to show off her skills in front of everyone.”

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Suzanne could only look at Nathan helplessly. Confusion and uneasiness filled her beautiful eyes.

Nathan felt as though his heart had melted into a puddle. Never did he realize that Suzanne’s helpless and vulnerable gaze would leave such a huge impact on him.

He walked over to Suzanne and leaned in to murmur into her ear.”

Suzanne, all the guests here are our friends and family. To tell you the truth, no one cares about the authenticity of famous paintings or your skill level.

“This is just an event that’s thrown in to please Grandma. It’s fine as long as you show her how much you care for her. Everything else doesn’t matter, so you don’t have to care about it. Just paint whatever

you want.”

Nathan’s words reassured Suzanne greatly.

He continued, “Do you know how to imitate paintings?”

Suzanne replied, albeit in an uncertain manner, “Yeah, I guess. It’s easy to imitate other paintings.”

Nathan said reassuringly, “Then, you can imitate one of Inkwell’s paintings. The painting before us is an imitation, anyway.”

Suzanne knew that she had to do it no matter what. Left without a choice, she picked up a paintbrush and dipped it in the ink pot.

Her other hand slowly glided across the paper, moving to and fro three times in a row. She caressed the paper gently and carefully.

At that moment, someone piped up, “She even imitated Inkwell’s habit during the preparation stage. It seems that she’s planning on

imitating Inkwell’s artwork.”

Some of the guests watched Suzanne’s every move intently. There were people who looked forward to seeing a wonderful performance. Others giddily waited for her to make a fool of herself.

Of course, there were some guests who weren’t interested in the performance at all. They continued mingling amongst themselves in the banquet hall.

The beautiful piano music continued interweaving with the ambiance in the banquet hall.

Suzanne took a good, long look at “An Ole to Fall”. Then, she put her paintbrush on paper without hesitation.

The moment she painted her first stroke, those who had experience in painting were instantly astonished by her technique. They could tell that Suzanne possessed extraordinary talent.

Her strokes were firm and controlled. She knew exactly where to paint, so her brush strokes didn’t come out sloppy.

Suzanne never raised her head anymore after her first initial study of the painting. It was as though she had developed muscle memory on how to paint.

She didn’t need to think about the force needed in every stroke n length and width of the strokes she should paint.

She gradually immersed herself in the process, leading to her increasing her speed.

All the onlookers were flabbergasted as they watched Suzanne paint. They were shocked by the emergence of a masterpiece. Some of them even rubbed their eyes as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Some people even found Suzanne’s performance incredible. They

pulled out their phones and tapped into Inkwell’s account on a streaming platform she frequented. Then, they played some of her videos and compared them to Suzanne.

By then, Suzanne had already gone into a self-induced trance. She had no idea that everyone around her was starting to talk about her.

Nathan stood at the side silently, his gaze fixed on Suzanne’s

beautiful face. She looked even more dazzling when she was focused

on painting.

Right now, she resembled an incredibly talented young woman who had a unique flair in her charm. Those who laid their eyes on her could never avert their gazes, for she was too beautiful and eye- catching.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed in surprise, “Holy shit! She’s Inkwell!”

“Right? I just made the connection as well! No one can fully replicate every detail of this masterpiece save for Inkwell herself! This is shocking!”

“Just look at this video! Both Inkwell and Mrs. Horrison have a small mole on the back of their right hands!”

“Even their habits and their painting styles are the same!”

“Inkwell went missing three years ago. Rumors claim that she’s no longer alive. That’s why the value of her paintings keeps increasing.”

“I never thought I’d be able to meet Inkwell in person. What’s more shocking is the fact that she’s such a young and beautiful woman.”

Meanwhile, Sally and the Morrisons were so shocked that they could barely utter a word. They decided to do the same and look up Inkwell’s videos on their phones in order to make their own comparisons.

The more they compared, the more ridiculous they felt. None of them

could batielieve that Suzanne was actually Inkwell.

Suzanne kekept her focus on the painting until she painted her last stroke. Spipurred by her habitual memory, she left a poetic quote and signed hermaname on it.

After putting dedown her brush, Suzanne took a deep breath. Only after she raised herdrehead did she realize that everyone was studying her in a mixture of shock and awe.

Panic washed overéicher in an instant. She turned to look at Nathan

helplessly.

At that moment, Natharan’s brow was knitted into a deep frown. Shock was reflected in his eyeses as well.

Suzanne felt incredibly unabeasy. Could it be that her painting was too ugly and that she ended up s embarrassing Nathan?

Before she could recomposererself, a few middle-aged men rushed to crowd around her all of a succeden

They took turns in shaking her hand and introducing themselves with admiration and excitement dancing in their eyes.

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

“I’m so lucky to be able to meet you while I’m still alive, Inkwell! You’re my favorite artist!”

“It turns out that you really are a young woman, Inkwell! I used to watch your painting videos. When I saw your dainty hands, I figured that you must be a woman.

“But your artwork depicts the determination and grit commonly found in ambitious, men. All of your paintings are so majestic that I can’t help but marvel in awe.”

“Your ink wash paintings are extremely poetic and breathtaking.

There are so many elements and hidden meanings in your artwork. really, really like them.”

Suzanne was disoriented from the things she had just heard. She could only stay rooted to the spot, shell-shocked, as she was unable to register what was going on.

Vera, on the other hand, had already teared up from how emotional she was. She knew from the start that Suzanne was extremely

talented.

However, she didn’t realize that Suzanne was actually a famous painter who had never revealed her identity before.

Meanwhile, Sally was so pissed that her expression had gone thunderous. She initially wanted to embarrass Suzanne in public, but she never expected Suzanne to possess such a wondrous identity.

Her actions had inadvertently helped Suzanne in showing off and shocking everyone with her talent.

The Morrisons were also astonished by what had just happened.

None of them could barely think straight.

At that moment, Cole approached Nathan and handed him a phone respectfully. Nathan accepted it before playing the video that was displayed on the screen.

A pair of fair and dainty hands could be seen in the video. The background consisted of a piece of white paper, a paintbrush, and an inkpot.

Inkwell caressed the paper three times out of habit. After that, she started painting. There was a faint mole dotted on the back of her right hand.

Cole reported, “Mr. Morrison, Mrs. Morrison is most definitely Inkwell.”

Nathan closed the video before returning the phone to Cole. He instructed in a low tone, “I want you to investigate this account, including the company managing this account as well as the user who registered for this account. Also, I want you to investigate the channels she used to auction her paintings and donate her profits.”

“Yes, sir,” Cole replied before leaving the banquet hall.

After piecing together the clues hidden in the enthusiastic guests’ words, Suzanne finally found out about the truth. She dared not admit nor deny her alias as Inkwell simply because she couldn’t remember her past at all.

That was until she watched a video played on a phone that was handed to her by a random guest.

Others might mistake Inkwell’s hands for someone else’s, but

Suzanne could always recognize her own hands. She looked at them every day, after all. There was no way she’d mistake them for another person’s hands.

That meant she was most likely the painter in the video. Furthermore,

the painter’s habits and movements mirrored hers whenever she

painted.

Suzanne was shocked. She turned to gaze at Vera in confusion, noting the excitement dancing in Vera’s eyes. In fact, Vera looked extremely proud of her.

Helpless, Suzanne could only turn back to face Nathan. He still wore

a cold and impassive expression. He looked like he was deep in thought.

Meanwhile, a few people murmured among themselves, clearly displeased at Suzanne.

Cheryl muttered crossly, “Isn’t she supposed to be a sex worker? How could she be an artist? If her paintings can be sold for at least tens of millions of dollars, that means her net worth is extremely high.”

Wendy replied, “Hmph! Her paintings are just by-products of her fame. A company must have made her famous by branding her as a charitable person. This must be her method of earning so much. money in one go.”

“Still, Suzanne’s an extremely famous painter,” Cheryl retorted. “A person that talented won’t need to resort to selling her body for money, right?”

Wendy was rendered speechless.

Meanwhile, Florence had yet to recover from her shock. “Darling, could this be a mistake? How could our daughter-in-law be a prestigious artist?”

Gary replied, “I don’t think it’s a mistake. Just look at the ink wash painting Suzanne had just created. Someone’s already offering to buy it at a high price.”

Stunned, Florence finally squeezed out, “I heard the offer. He’s

offering a few million dollars for it. To think that she didn’t sell it to him in the end. What a fool.”

Gary chuckled in response. “Of course. If it turns out that Suzanne isn’t Inkwell, that transaction will be more than enough to prove her identity as a scammer.”

Florence fell silent at that.

Suzanne felt as if she was stuck in an emotional rollercoaster that kept going up and down. She spent the rest of the banquet looking dazed and disoriented. Once the banquet was over, Nathan’s

subordinate drove her back to her apartment.

On the way home, Suzanne kept racking her brain for any memories of her past. Unfortunately, she failed to remember anything. Of course, she dared not think about the possibility of her being an actual artist in the past.

Inkwell was a talented and kind artist with noble intentions. No.

matter how much Suzanne looked at it, she’d never be able to connect the dots between her and that particular alias.

She was very sure that something must be wrong.

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

A few days later, Cole was in Nathan’s office, reporting on his investigation.

“Mr. Morrison, the account Inkwell has used to upload her videos was created by a public account under an orphanage in Sunterland.

“The donations and subs she earns from her streams are directed into the bank account of this particular orphanage as well. But the director of the orphanage told me that she had never seen Inkwell in

person.

“The channel Inkwell uses to sell her artwork is quite special, too. She auctions her paintings away on the Internet.

“The account numbers used to accept the payment are all linked to orphanages and charity organizations of various regions in the country. She’s never touched any of the money.

“Also, Inkwell doesn’t have a company or a team running things on her behalf. Whenever she streams, she remains silent the whole time. All she does is paint.

“Her account was last active three years ago. Since then, Inkwell has completely vanished from the face of the earth.”

Nathan reclined against his chair with his eyes closed. As he quietly listened to Cole’s report, he couldn’t help but think about Suzanne.

He didn’t expect that a regular woman like her would have such a mysterious and intriguing background.

A moment later, Nathan said in a deep and rich voice, “Prepare the car, Cole.”

Cole asked, “Where are you going, Mr. Morrison?”

Nathan paused for a few seconds. His voice took on a tender edge as he said, “I’m going to visit Suzanne.”

The dusk colors had completely receded from the sky looming over Varia Avenue. All the streetlights were turned on, casting a bright

glow on their surroundings. The crowd bustling down the sidewalk sstarted growing exponentially as well.

SSuzanne had already set up her flower stall at her regular spot.

Thanks to her efforts in redecorating it, her stall looked cozy and racinantic. The aesthetic certainly fit the flowers that she was trying to seall

Doccasionally, she was able to make a sale or two.

“It’s bbean a while, Suzanne.”

Suzannae was in the midst of dealing with her work when she heard a grating male voice drifting into her ears.

The moment she raised her head, her eyes darkened with anger. She slowly put down the roses in her hands and moved to grab a pair of scissors insteadd.

Samuel gulped nervously when he noticed what Suzanne was planning to do.Heedook a step backward while looking alert, th he made sure to plassier a shit-eating grin on his face just to b

Suzanne up.

“Suzanne, are you still add at me? You broke my leg last time, remember? Thanks to you it’m still limping whenever I walk.”

Suzanne never returned the santile. She demanded harshly, “What are you doing here?”

Samuel answered, “Mom fell illCcanyou-”

Was he here to ask for money again?

“She already called me and asked me for money,” Suzanne cut him. off. “I know that she’s pretending to be sick the whole time. I can give her the money because she’s my mom, but I will never give you a single cent.”

Samuel gritted his teeth while mentally cursing at Suzanne. He continued grinning at her as he said, “Come on, Suzanne. We’re siblings, aren’t we?”

He added, “I screwed up big time, Suzanne. That’s why I sought you. out shamelessly. Business is quite decent for you, right? Can you help me out one more time?”

Suzanne took a deep breath, suppressing her annoyance. She slowly approached Samuel with her scissors in hand, causing him to back away from her in fear.

She said firmly, “Samuel, even though we’re legal siblings, that doesn’t mean I’m obligated to take on the responsibility to resolve your financial troubles for you time and time again.

“If you really want to remain as my brother and ask for my forgiveness, then go ahead and turn yourself in right now. I want to atone for your sins of hurting me back then. Only then will I forg you.”

Samuel harrumphed coldly in response. He jeered, “I’m not an idiot! Why should I willingly go to jail?”

Suzanne mimicked the cold huff as well. “I’m not an idiot too. Why should I help a man who’s hurt me in the past?”

For a moment, Samuel didn’t know what to say. Since he couldn’t ask for money from Suzanne, he decided to take the underhanded route.

“Fine. If you don’t want to give me money, then you can forget about

34

selling your damn flowers! I’ll stand right here and chase all of your customers away! Let’s see who dares to buy flowers from you!”

Suzanne felt that her family consisted of lunatics and weirdos. Her mother often asked her for money under the pretense of being sick. Her father, on the other hand, tended to call her and insult her over the phone whenever he got drunk. In a way, he had been abusing her mentally for so long.

Samuel was the worst out of the bunch. After his attempt to abduct her just to sell her to a human trafficking ring, he still had the audacity to show up right in front of her and demand money from her.

Suzanne no longer wished to waste her breath on her useless brother. She dug out her phone and punched in a phone number right away.

Upon witnessing that, Samuel chuckled arrogantly. “There’s no use in calling the cops. They don’t have time to deal with trivial reports.”

Suzanne couldn’t care less about Samuel’s hooligan-like behavior. She said, “Hi there. You’re Mr. Lodge, right? Samuel York owes you a lot of money, doesn’t he? He’s at Varia Avenue right now. I’ll send you

the location.”

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Samuel was so frightened that his face went pale. He gritted his teeth while glaring at Suzanne angrily, though he soon backed away from

her out of fear.

“You really are something else, huh, Suzanne! Just you wait! I’ll definitely get my revenge!” he yelled.

After that, he turned and fled from the scene with his tail tucked between his legs.

Suzanne put her phone away while huffing in disdain. Clearly, she didn’t take Samuel’s warning to heart.

A tall and lean man, exuding dominance, could be seen standing amidst the crowd some distance away from the stall. It was safe to say that he was the most attractive man in the crowd based on his extraordinary charm and the way he carried himself.

Cole, who stood next to the man, remarked in a low tone, “Mr. Morrison, it seems that Mrs. Morrison has her own’principles.”

Nathan made no response to the remark. Instead, he headed over to the stall in huge strides. Cole quickly trailed after him.

Suzanne had just sat back down on the stool. She was about to work on trimming the roses’ thorns and leaves when she noticed a pair of long and slender legs before her.

Thinking that it was a new customer, she rose to her feet with a

smile. “Hello. Is there anything you ne-”

Suzanne swallowed the rest of her words, too shocked to see the

newcomer. At the same time, her heart started pounding

uncontrollably.

What was Nathan doing at Varia Avenue?

Suzanne scanned her surroundings curiously to see if there were any other military vehicles that were deployed on a mission.

Meanwhile, Nathan thought Suzanne looked cute whenever she was curious or shocked. He asked stoically, “What’s the prettiest flower you have for sale?”

Only then did Suzanne regain her senses and put down her roses. She asked, albeit nervously, “Are you planning to surprise a woman with the flowers? Or are you giving a bouquet to an elderly family member?

Η

Nathan didn’t hesitate to reply, “The flowers are meant for a woman.”

Jealousy tore through Suzanne’s heart instantly. Her expression crumbled slightly as well without her realizing it.

There were so many flower shops in the city. Why must Nathan travel all the way here just to buy flowers for Sally?

Was he doing this on purpose?

Suzanne grabbed a bouquet of white zinnias. “This flower bouqu suits your needs.”

Nathan accepted the white zinnias.

Even though they were husband and wife, Suzanne still intended to charge Nathan for the flowers. She stated openly, “That’ll be 20 dollars.”

Nathan didn’t hesitate to fork out a 20-dollar bill.

“Thank you,’ Suzanne said politely with a nod.

The distance between them was even greater than that between two strangers.

Nathan remained where he was after paying for the flowers. Upon noticing that, Suzanne asked curiously, “Is there anything else?”

He looked around him to see crowds everywhere on the avenue. Numerous people kept glancing at him.

“Let’s have a chat,” he said.

“Right here?” Suzanne asked.

“Pack up your things and close your stall.”

Nathan had always been domineering. He wasn’t the type to make a

request.

Suzanne hesitated for a moment. But I haven’t finished selling all

these flowers. They won’t look as good and fresh tomorrow.”

Nathan stuck his hands into his pockets, now shifting into a lazier/ stance. “I’ll buy all of them.”

His tone reminded Suzanne of something she had seen in the past. She tried to hold back her amused giggles as she gazed at Nathan with bright eyes.

“Are you imitating those domineering CEOS in romance dramas?” A hint of cheekiness laced the melodic tone of her sweet voice.

Nathan’s eyes darkened immediately. He had such an overbearing presence that he could easily send chills down everyone’s spines if he were to glare at them.

Suzanne felt that she had gone too far with the joke, so she quickly wiped her smile off her face and became serious.

“I’ll only sell these flowers to people who need them. There’s no need for you to waste your money on me just because you want to discuss something with me.”

Nathan turned to look at Cole. “Stay here and sell the flowers for her.”

“Yes, sir,” Cole responded politely.

Suzanne was stunned.

Nathan turned to look at her seriously. “Are you willing to leave with

me now?”

Noticing his serious demeanor, Suzanne felt inexplicably nervous. It must be something extremely important.

Nathan always looked cold and stoic. His visage was still frightening, even if he were to do nothing but stand there silently.

“Okay,” Suzanne replied meekly.

After packing up her personal belongings, she briefed Cole on the flower types and their respective prices. Finally, she left with Nathan.

Now that Vera’s birthday banquet was over, it was time for the couple to deal with their loveless marriage once and for all.

Nathan must have personally sought Suzanne out just to discuss the details of their divorce.

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

On the way back, Nathan asked, “Do you want to return to Sudvilla or the place you’ve been living in?”

Suzanne’s apartment was closer to the place where she set up her flower stall. Besides, Sudvilla was now considered Sally’s home, so

she didn’t want to return to that place.

“Let’s go to my place.”

15 minutes later, Nathan stopped the car outside an old and rundown apartment block. Suzanne got out of the car and led him inside.

It was already nighttime. The corridors were incredibly narrow and dark. Suzanne pulled out her phone and toggled on her flashlight so that she could light the way ahead.

ts tend to go out once in a while,” she explained

“The corridor lights tend to

awkwardly.

Nathan felt that the apartment was a pretty bad place to live in.

Once Suzanne unlocked her apartment door, she walked in and flicked on the lights. Then, she stood by the door so that she could

invite Nathan inside.

Nathan strode into the apartment, which seemed to be around 300 square feet at first glance. Still, he felt that it looked clean and cozy.

After Suzanne closed the door behind her and turned to look at him,

she noticed Nathan giving her the bouquet of white zinnias.

“This is for you.”

His voice was devoid of any emotions. No one knew why he decided to give Suzanne the flowers in the first place.

Surprised by Nathan’s sudden gesture, Suzanna could only stare at the zinnias dumbfoundedly. Her heart began to race, and her mind had gone blank.

She thought Nathan had bought those flowers for Sally. The sudden surprise shocked her so much that she could barely react.

Nathan frowned slightly in response “Do you not like them?”

Suzanne snapped out of her reverie and accepted the flowers hurriedly, feeling her cheeks heating up at his question. A similar spread of warmth surged from her heart as well.

Joy was written all over her eyes as she replied happily, “I love them! Thank you so much!”

She had no idea what sort of flower she liked in the past. But from now on, her favorite flower was definitely zinnias.

Suzanne put down her bag before rushing into the kitchen hurriedly. There, she dug out a vase and placed the zinnias in it.

Meanwhile, Nathan spent a moment scanning the apartment before moving to sit on the couch.

The books scattered across the coffee table piqued his attention in an instant. So, he picked up a random book and flipped through it. The words printed on the pages were foreign to him.

He knew for a fact that Suzanne knew Norvanese and Sunterlish. Was she really able to read a book written in a third foreign language?

Suzanne exited the kitchen a moment later. First, she placed the vase of zinnias on the nightstand next to her bed. Then, she poured Nathan a glass of water.

When Nathan noticed her walking over to him with the filled glass, he asked curiously, “What’s this book’s country of origin?”

24

Suzanne shot a glance at the book. It’s a book that’s published in Xyperia.”

Her answer surprised Nathan. “You understand their language?”

“I was browsing for books at the library when I came across this book. Its title intrigued me. I was also confused as to why I could understand the language, so I borrowed it,” Suzanne explained while walking toward Nathan.

Since she was already close to Nathan, she didn’t pay attention to the coffee table in front of him. It was then that her knee bumped into one of the coffee table’s edges, causing pain to shoot up her nerves.

“Ah!” Suzanne scrunched up her face in pain while tumbling forward. with the glass of water.

None of them could have expected the accident to occur. As a result, Suzanne plopped onto Nathan’s crotch. She ended up spilling water all over his inner thighs. Coincidentally, she was also nestled between Nathan’s legs in a suggestive yet wretched manner.

When Suzanne finally realized what happened, she felt extremely embarrassed. She quickly clambered up to her feet, her che now Scrimson from the embarrassment. Waves of nervousness a

nanxiety swept her off her feet so fast that she felt like cryin

pcpot.

Nevever in a million years would she think that such an embarra hitung would happen to her.

Hence rationality now flushed down the drain, Suzanne quickly grabbe a few busue papers from the tissue box on the coffee table. She precoceeded to dab them all over Nathan’s drenched thighs hastily.

I’m sonyhytipso sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!” she apologized frantically Wylwhite dabbing on the wet patches.

Nathan’s cool voice boomed from above her head. “You don’t have to

clean up for me. It’s alright.”

“I’m really sorry! Seriously, I didn’t mean for that to happen!” Suzanne’s panicked voice was filled with guilt and uneasiness.

“That’s enough.” Nathan sounded slightly impatient.

But Suzanne was so distressed that she barely registered what she

was doing.

Nathan was unable to tolerate it anymore. He snatched her wrists just so he could stop her.

“I said, that’s enough,” he echoed coldly.

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Suzanne gazed at the man before her. An amorous energy sparked between them as their eyes met.

Nathan appeared calm and collected. There was only a hint of passion in his eyes.

In comparison, Suzanne was like a restless child. A strange thought flashed in her mind.

These were the kinds of tactics those conniving women in TV dramas use to seduce men, right?

Nathan was so calm right now.

Did he think Suzanne intentionally created this accident because she was trying to seduce him? Hence, the reason for the calmness and a hint of impatience reflecting in his eyes?

Suzanne swallowed nervously. She stood up and took a few steps. back. She then bowed her head down like a child who’d just made a mistake and said, “I’m really sorry.”

Nathan sighed lightly and got up.

and bathroom.”

need to borrow your blow dryer

“Okay.” Suzanne pointed out the bathroom for him. Her cheeks were burning hot. “The blow dryer is in the drawer.”

Nathan calmly walked into the bathroom.

The moment he closed the door behind him, he leaned weakly against

the basin. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, his

Adam’s apple trembling.

Dammit!

When did his willpower become so weak?

The sound of the blow dryer rang out from the washroom for some

time.

Nathan soon walked out.

Suzanne remained standing stiffly by the coffee table. There was another glass of water on it now. A waterproof mat had been draped on the couch beside it.

Nathan sat down again and pointed at the wooden chair. “Have a

seat.”

“Okay.” Suzanne obediently dragged the chair over to sit opposite Nathan. She sat properly, like someone who was being interviewed.

Nathan was so domineering and fierce. It felt like he could take control of any situation he was in. Right now, he felt more like this apartment’s owner.

Suzanne didn’t dare meet his eyes after sitting down. She

immediately said, “I’m prepared now You can start whenever you like.

Nathan had been ready to speak when he heard Suzanne’s words. He asked in surprise, “What did you prepare?”

Suzanne gazed at him with wide, surprised eyes. “My documents. Aren’t you here to talk about the divorce?”

“No.” Nathan’s tone was stern and decisive. He didn’t seem interested in getting divorced at all. “Don’t worry about the divorce. Let’s focus on clearing things up about you first”

“What about me?”

“Your identity.”

Suzanne said in exasperation, “I’m just Suzanne York.”

“Then how do you explain Inkwell?”

“How should I know? I can’t remember.”

Suzanne got up to retrieve a report from the bedside table. She handed it to Nathan. “This is my DNA report.”

Nathan flipped through the documents. It was a DNA report from Goodwill Hospital for Suzanne and her family members.

Suzanne explained, “I had already lost all my memories when I woke up in the hospital. The doctor said my features have long changed. due to several bouts of plastic surgery.

“He was able to locate my family based on my ID, but they couldn’t ascertain whether I was actually their daughter or not, given how I look now. Hence why we did the DNA test.”

Nathan furrowed his brow as he looked at the report in his hands. He asked again, “Was it done under the police’s supervision?”

Suzanne said confidently, “Of course. No one else came into contact with the report. They took my blood away right after extracting it. I was the one who retrieved the report too. There’s no way it’s false.”

“You could’ve earned tons of money with your artistic talent alone. Why did you sell yourself out and marry an old man for money?”

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Suzanne felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing those words coming from Nathan. She retorted, “What if I wasn’t Inkwell? What if I was

just a hobbyist who liked learning from others?”

Nathan set the DNA report down and said with a slightly teasing tone, “Then you have quite a number of hobbies.”

He continued, “You’re able to mimic the work of great artists. You don’t like reading, yet you never forget anything you read. You’re knowledgeable in science. It’s not even difficult for you to comprehend foreign literature.”

Suzanne’s heart thumped heavily in her chest. “So you’re still suspecting I might be a spy from Nightshade Clan?”

Nathan grew silent. He had always been a cautious man.

Suzanne’s identity was in stark contrast to her skills and demeanor. She moved with grace and showed a sturdiness that not many others

had.

This was either the result of training since young by her family or being trained vigorously later on in life.

Suzanne thought about it for a moment before suggesting, “Why don’t. you put a wire on me and send me to Nightshade Clan’s headquarters? That way, the truth will be revealed.”

Her idea was too naive, Nathan thought.

He smiled lightly and leaned in. “Do you know what kind of organization Nightshade is? Everyone who doesn’t pass, their tests ends up dying.

“If you were one of them and you went back before completing a

mission, you’d die too. You’ll only die sooner if you’re not one of them.

Suzanne huffed, “Then lock me up and kill me. Better to kill the wrong person than let a potential spy go.”

Nathan frowned. He could feel a headache setting in.

“Why are you always so negative?” he asked gently.

Nathan was usually so stern and silent. Yet, he was speaking to her in such a gentle manner. Suzanne was dazed for a moment.

It was during that moment that a ray of lightning suddenly flashed in the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder.

The sudden piercing noise made Suzanne scream. She covered her ears and crouched down on the floor. Cold sweat drenched her body

as she trembled.

Nathan wasn’t scared by the lightning, but he was shocked by

Suzanne’s sudden response.

Without hesitation, he crouched in front of her and covered her hands

with his over her ears.

“You’re scared of thunder?” Nathan asked quietly.

Suzanne was still shivering. She hadn’t heard him at all.

The sound of thunder continued on after the lightning, follow strong wind blowing in from the balcony.

The weather seemed to change so unexpectedly.

Raindrops scattered on the balcony along with the wind.

Nathan saw how a thunderstorm was raging outside and went to close all the windows right away.

When the sound of thunder stopped, Suzanne shakily got up to go to

the bedside table.

“W-Where’s my earphones? W-Where are they?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Nathan saw how frantic she was and wanted to help her. Yet when he neared Suzanne, lightning struck again.

The noise was so loud it felt like a crater had split open on the surface of the Earth.

All the lights in the room went out in an instant, making the place pitch black.

“Ahh!” Suzanne screamed in fright, covering her ears.

When she turned, she bumped right into a sturdy, warm body.

Suzanne reacted as if she’d bumped into a piece of driftwood while struggling in the ocean. She used all her might to cling onto Nathan’s waist.