Chapter 220
220:
He knew Linsey dabbled in design, but this was the first time he had seen her creations firsthand.
No wonder Anthea had sung Linsey’s praises. The sketches were impressive; Linsey clearly possessed a natural talent for design. Lost in thought, Collin was startled when Linsey suddenly stirred.
Sensing a presence, she abruptly opened her eyes.
“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
Seeing her alarm, Collin quickly soothed, “It’s just me, Linsey. It’s alright.”
Linsey, initially tense, relaxed visibly upon recognizing Collin. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Oh, it’s you. I thought…”
Collin’s gaze softened. The memory of her recent kidnapping flashed through his mind. “There’s no need to be frightened, Linsey. We’re safe here at home. The villa’s security…”
“Is top-notch; no one can get in.”
Linsey blinked, surprised by Collin’s perceptiveness. “I know,” she replied softly, nodding slightly.
Collin’s usually sharp eyes held a rare gentleness. He reached out, gently smoothing her slightly messy hair. “Why did you fall asleep here?” he asked softly. “You’ll catch a cold. If you’re tired, go back to the bedroom and rest.”
Linsey’s thoughts snapped back to the present. She had been so engrossed in her designs that she had completely lost track of time. “Right,” she said, quickly gathering the drafts scattered across the desk. “I’ll go to bed now.”
Collin chuckled, amused by her flustered movements. “Why the rush to leave? Do you think I’m going to do something to you?” he teased.
“No!” Linsey blurted out, her cheeks flaming red.
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She snuck a quick glance at him, noticing the playful smirk on his lips, which only intensified her blush.
“I was just worried you might be upset with me for getting so caught up in my work,” she explained, trying to regain her composure.
Collin raised an eyebrow. “Not at all,” he assured her. “I know how passionate you are about your work.”
He glanced at the design drafts again. “Besides,” he added sincerely, “your designs are excellent. Better than many experienced designers I’ve seen.”
Linsey blushed at the compliment. “Oh, come on,” she said, flustered.
“I’m not that good. You’re exaggerating.”
Linsey stared at the design drafts spread across her desk, frustration tightening her brow. “I’ve been stalling because something about these feels off, but I can’t figure out what’s missing.”
Collin reached over, pulling the pages toward him. “Let me see.”
She blinked, surprised. “You know about design?”
His lips curled into a faint smirk. “Not exactly. But I can give you a layman’s perspective.”
With that, he studied the drafts, his expression sharp with focus.
A moment later, he picked up a pencil and circled a few subtle details. Collin tapped the marked areas with his pencil. “Here and here. Try adjusting these.”
Linsey hadn’t expected much, but when she took a closer look, her eyes widened.
She turned to him, stunned. “Wait… you’re right!”
Without hesitation, she grabbed an eraser, quickly fixing the areas he pointed out. Her pencil moved with confident strokes, refining the design with each adjustment.
Minutes later, she leaned back, studying the final result. A bright smile spread across her face.
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