?<strong>Chapter 423:</strong>


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    The fact that thement came from a young woman only fueled Louis’s irritation further.


    Allison met his gaze evenly, unfazed by his anger. “I’m just offering advice.”


    Before Louis could snap back, Mny quickly seized the opportunity.


    “Allison, if you don’t fully understand the process, it’s probably best not to interfere. We wouldn’t want to disrupt Mr. Sugden’s careful work, would we? After all, there’s no one more qualified than him.”


    Colton, who had been silently observing, let out a small sigh, his brow furrowing. “Allison, I know you’re skilled at painting, but this is a different field. The restoration process is crucial — especially since it means so much to Grandfather.”


    Allison cast a sideways nce at him and nudged him gently with her elbow.


    Sure enough, Colton’s face went ghostly white, a sheen of sweat suddenly forming on his brow.


    He still couldn’t figure out why Gordon had beaten him and Mny so hard that night in the Underground. Had the auction been the real reason for his anger? Colton’s thoughts scattered as he shifted ufortably, while Allison returned her attention to the painting.


    “Art restoration isn’t just a skill,” she said, her eyes tracing the contours of the damaged artwork. “It’s a craft. One that requires patience, sensitivity, and an understanding of history itself.


    For works damaged by natural erosion or human interference, the restoration must honor the original’s authenticity. You can’t just change it at will.”


    Her voice was smooth, but her gaze pierced through Louis like ice. His face, pale as ash, crumbled under her final, unrelenting blow.


    “And what did you do just now? You were moments away from destroying the painting’s very soul.”


    Keanu blinked, his disbelief giving way to the slightest spark of hope. “My girl, do you really have restoration skills like that?”


    His earlier disappointment faded, reced by a glimmer of something brighter. For the first time in a long while, he saw potential.


    Colton, standing off to the side, was harder to read. His face tightened, emotions swirling beneath the surface. “Impossible…” he muttered, squinting his eyes as if trying to solve a riddle.


    The woman before him wasn’t who he thought she was.


    He’d believed he had her figured out, but now it hit him—he barely knew her at all.


    Her true self remained hidden, just out of reach, like a painting veiled behindyers of time.


    Mny caught the subtle shift in Colton’s expression, and her lips curled, resentment burning in her eyes.


    “Allison, your knowledge is so vast, isn’t it? I bet you’re an expert, too,” Mny muttered under her breath, bitterness coating every syble.


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