Chapter 468
Chapter 468:
“Here, on the mountain—this stroke hides his initials. And here, on the pine tree, the color was layered in afterward—he always paints it that way. Lastly, the signature—his always ends with a downward hook. This one doesn’t.”
She pointed them out clearly and confidently. The kind of details only someone who knew the artist well would spot.
William stood to the side, watching her, his expression unreadable.
Dexter leaned in with a magnifying glass and carefully examined every spot she mentioned. After a beat, he nodded. “This one really doesn’t have any of it. And the signature’s wrong.”
Isabella’s face paled. “Grandpa, maybe he just didn’t include those things this time. You can’t prove anything based on one missing stroke.”
Stella looked at her and shook her head. “I can say with one hundred percent certainty—it’s fake.”
Isabella gave a short snort. “And how exactly can you be so sure? Got anything else to back that up?”
Stella let out a quiet breath. “I know where the real one is.” Dexter straightened. Even William turned to look at her.
“You’re serious? You know where it is?” Dexter asked.
Stella met his eyes. “I mean every word. I know where the real one is. I’d be happy to give it to you as a gift.”
Dexter brightened up instantly. “Really? What’s your name?”
“Sylvia Gilbert. This is my first visit to your home, and I didn’t bring anything. Consider the painting my gift.”
Dexter looked at her, clearly impressed. Then he glanced at William, as if asking where he found her.
William raised a brow. “She works at Nebula. She’s the CEO.” Dexter’s gaze shifted slightly, his tone more thoughtful now.
He’d heard of Nebula. Who hadn’t, in Choria’s business scene? They’d been making waves lately, pulling off tough projects one after the other. And this young woman in front of him… she was the one steering the ship?
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“Ms. Gilbert,” he said with a warm smile, “since you’re already here, why not stay for dinner? William can take you home after. It’s the least we can do after everything you’ve done today.”
Stella couldn’t ignore how warm Dexter was with her. The way he welcomed her made it pretty much impossible to turn down his dinner invite. After that, Dexter didn’t even spare Stephanie or Isabella a glance.
Stephanie, clearly pissed, grabbed Isabella and stormed upstairs in a huff. Stella stayed behind, chatting with Dexter. To her surprise, the conversation flowed easily. They both seemed to have a lot in common.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken a real interest in collecting art. Rare paintings, mostly,” Dexter said, his tone relaxed.
Stella smiled. “That’s a classy hobby. Any favorite artists?”
Dexter thought for a moment. “Hard to say. But lately, I’ve been really into this up-and-coming artist—goes by Stellarion. Her style’s got something special.”
Stella blinked. Wait—Stellarion? That was her. She hadn’t seen that coming. And for a second, the compliment actually got to her.
Dexter went on, unaware, “Funny enough, William once gave me a landscape painting by Stellarion. It’s stunning. But I hear her stuff’s tough to get these days.”
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