Chapter 135

After sending the message, Cordelia returned her gaze to the painting before her, marveling at theartistry that filled the room.

The image of Lorna’s latest plece lingered in her mind, and after comparing it to the previous one,she reached conclusion: She couldn’t discern the deeper meaning in the paintings, but in terms oftechnique and style, Lorna hadn’t lost her touch one bit!

Fanny’s remarks were nothing but an attempt to knock her down!

Thinking back on Lorna’s forlorn and heartbroken expression, and the whispers that were circulatingin the community. Cordelia felt a surge of anger.

She wanted to clear her mother’s name fair and square.

But how? She couldn’t exactly invite all the high society ladies over and announce that Lorna was,in fact, the renowned artist Lorn, could she?

Lacking basic street smarts, Cordelia sat at her desk, deep in thought, but failed to conjure up asolid plan. Finally, she picked up her phone, and decided to seek advice from her teacher.

She texted Mr. All–Round, spilling the beans from start to finish before asking, “What should I do?”

The problem that seemed insurmountable to her was met with a breezy reply from Mr. All–Round,“Easy peasy, just do as I say.”

At dinner that evening, Lorna appeared almost normal, but her vacant expression and forced smilebetrayed her true state.

When Sanderson served her a portion of the roast, she offered a weak smile and asked,“Everything’s okay at work, right?”

Mrs. Collins had a point; a wife accused of deception could tarnish the company’s reputation.

Sanderson’s eyes flickered upon hearing this, but he managed to say, “What could possibly gowrong?”

His acting was impeccable, and Lorna, unsuspecting, failed to see through it.

Had Cordelia not been keeping a close eye on him, she would have missed the brief moment ofdistraction; it seemed he too was affected by the rumor.

As they neared the end of their meal, Cordelia casually inquired, “When is that charity gala Mrs.Collins mentioned happening?”

“Tomorrow night,” Lorna replied automatically.

“Are you going?” Cordelia pressed, Lorna was taken aback, not expecting Cordelia to show interest in such matters. Before she couldanswer, Sanderson chimed in, “No need to go to these things, they’re pretty dull.”

Lorna was never good at socializing, and since their marriage, Sanderson had never pushed her toparticipate in the elite gatherings that Rachel had typically managed.

Now that they had branched out on their own, Lorna had considered stepping up to supportSanderson.

But with the recent art scandal, she was reluctant to face the inevitable gossip at such an event.Sanderson didn’t want to expose her to that, preferring to spare her the whispers and discontent.

Yet, as Lorna gripped her fork tightly, she finally spoke up. “I’ll go.”

Before Sanderson could object, Cordelia nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I’d like to go too.”

Both Lorna and Sanderson were stunned, turning their gazes towards Cordelia.

i was rame for Cordelia to express wishes of her own, and they couldn’t bear to deny her. Lomaagreed. Alright fil pick you up after school tomorrow, and we’ll head to the gala together.

Cordelia then asked, “What should we bring as a contribution?”

The charity gala was essentially an auction hosted by the elite ladies of the community. Eachinvited quest was expected to contribute something valuable from their home, like jewelry, withproceeds going to charitable causes.

The event had always been under Mrs. Collins‘ purview, a testament to her significant influencesociety women among the This question left Lorna worried. With the recent split, funds were tight, and unlike other socialitewives with lavish dowries, all of Lorna’s jewelry were gifts from Sanderson.

As Lorna furrowed her brow in thought, Cordella suggested, “Let’s take the painting you finished inthe studio today.”

Lorna froze, wanting to object, but Sanderson firmly interjected, “Yes, that’s a good idea.”

He planned to have someone secretly bid a hefty sum for the painting. Even if it meant inflating theprice, it was a small price to pay to restore Lorna’s honor.

They might accuse the Delaney family of buying her an art exhibit, but he would show them byliterally spending to defend his wife’s reputation.

Lorna tried to protest, but Sanderson didn’t give her the chance. Having finished dinner, he rosefrom the table and headed upstairs, “We’ll need it for tomorrow, I’ll go prepare the painting and finda box for it.”

Hearing this, Lorna stood and followed him, “Sanderson, I don’t need you to prop me up, you…

Their conversation continued as they ascended the stairs.

With Sanderson’s approval, the plan seemed set in stone.

Cordelia leisurely stood up and made her way upstairs. Once in her room, she checked hermessages and saw one from Painter, “Whatcha doing? Do you have news about her?”

Seeing that she hadn’t responded, Painter sent another message.

Painter asked, “Lia?”

Only then did Cordelia pick up her phone and leisurely replied, “She’ll be at the charity galatomorrow. You can find her there.”

Painter replied, “Thank you so much!”

After Ballaster sent his message of gratitude, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Naylor, standing beside him, coughed and asked, “Dad, can we trust what this girl says?”

Ballaster, a gentleman nearing fifty with a scholarly demeanor, said, “Whether we can trust her ornot, we’ll find out tomorrow, won’t we?”

Naylor seemed puzzled, “But do we really need to find Lorn?”

Ballaster let out a heavy sigh. “Watercolor art is far from mainstream these days. Youngsters likeyou are all diving into oil painting. The number of folks who truly appreciate the subtleties ofwatercolor is dwindling. Fanny’s landscapes are top–notch, but they’re always missing a touch. Thebest landscape artist I’ve seen in years has to be Lorn.”

After a brief pause, Ballaster continued, “Our new game is tailored to the current trends of theyouth, but at its heart, it’s a celebration of watercolor art. I want nothing but the best for it.”

He glanced over the contract beside him and after a brief moment of silence, he made up his mind,“If we can’t find Lorn by tomorrow, we’ll go ahead and sign Fanny.”

The next day, while dining at Midnight Scent, Everard was fishing for information, “Got planstonight?”

Cordelia responded indifferently, I’m attending a charity ball.”

Everard stared at her for a while before volunteering, “I’m free this evening.”

Cordelia glanced at him while nibbling on her sandwich, “Oh.”

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever.

Why wouldn’t the kid just hint at bringing him along?

Clearing his throat, he took the initiative, “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No need.” Cordelia finished her sandwich, took his hand for a moment, and then stood up, “I’m offto class.”

As she walked out of Midnight Scent, Everard let out a deep sigh.

Relying on a kid was even less reliable than hoping for favors from a father–in–law. He picked uphis phone and shot a text to Sanderson, “Sir, I heard there’s a charity auction tonight?”

The reply came swiftly, “Yes, interested? I’ll take you with me.”