Chapter 457

She got them herself, making sure there wouldn’t be any problems.
Anthony nodded, lowering his eyes to Charlotte. He leaned in close, his voice a soft whisper against her ear. “What else do you need, my fiancée? Just say the word.”
Charlotte’s eyes darkened. She didn’t hesitate. “Alright.”
There were only ten paintings by Halation in existence. Patricia owned eight. One, called Sunset, was here tonight. The last had been donated to a children’s charity for exhibition.
Melissa had no clue what Charlotte was up to. As the real paintings were brought into the hall, she started sweating, her nerves getting the best of her.
“Lottie, what are you planning?” Patricia asked, clearly confused.
“To prove that Sunset is mine, and that I am Halation.” Charlotte’s voice was calm and steady. She motioned for the staff to unroll all the paintings.
“People can copy Halation’s work, but the paper used for her originals is special. It’s made from a material you can’t buy anywhere. No way to get it on the market.” Charlotte’s expression didn’t change. “There’s also a rare gold dust mixed into the paper. At night, it glows softly, showing off the artwork in a completely different light.”
She looked around at everyone. “So, all we need to do is turn off the lights. Then we’ll see what’s real and what’s fake.”
Gold dust? Glowing paper? Melissa’s breath caught, her lashes trembling as she stared at the row of paintings. They all looked the same—just plain white paper.
“Turn off the lights? Easy.” Patricia glanced at Melissa, noticing how pale she’d gone, then turned away and gave the order. “Close the curtains and switch off the lights.”
Patricia already knew about the paintings’ glow. With Charlotte’s explanation, everything clicked. Lottie was Halation.
If Charlotte was Halation, then the Sunset she brought must be the real one. As for Melissa’s… well, the answer was obvious. Patricia couldn’t wait to see what would happen when the truth came out.
The curtains closed, the lights went out. The bright, bustling hall was swallowed by darkness.
It only took a couple of seconds for everyone’s attention to shift. Across the room, a row of paintings began to glow with a faint silvery light There were ten paintings, but only nine glowed. Melissa’s Sunset stayed dark.
No one needed to say a word. It was obvious which one was fake.
A murmur ran through the crowd as everyone turned to stare at Melissa. She stood there, frozen and pale.
Not only had Melissa given a fake
painting, she’d tried to blame
someone else for it. She thought she could embarrass Charlotte, but
1.n
Charlotte hadn’t just brought the reat painting she was the artist,
Halation herself.
Soon, the curtains opened and the lights came back on. Every eye in the room landed on Melissa.
She looked like she’d seen a ghost, her face drained of color. Panic was written all over her.
Impossible. How could this young woman be the famous Halation?
Melissa tried to fight back, her hands clenched tight. “Just because you know about the special paper doesn’t mean you couldn’t have gotten some and made a copy. This isn’t real proof you’re Halation. It’s just a trick.”
Charlotte’s lips curled into a faint, cold smile. “Alright. Let’s clear up any doubts you have.”
She pulled out her phone, tapped in a number, and put the call on speaker.
The call connected, and before Charlotte could speak, a warm, familiar voice came through. “Halation, it’s been a long time.”