Chapter 74: Two Security Guards
JULIA
I turned to him with wide eyes, unable to hide my expression. My cheeks reddened, and I quickly looked away.
Mr. Miyagi observed my body language and smirked.
“It seems that my assumption is right. You are the artist of this piece. Did you leave it here deliberately for me to
see?” he asked.
I quickly shook my head. “I didn’t even think you would be staying in this room. I just left it here so I can freely look around. In fact, this is my second attempt at a school project. My professor is here, and I needed to pass it to him tonight.”
“I see,” he muttered, his gaze focused on the artwork once more, making me bite my lip.
I was getting ready for criticism, so his next words felt surreal.
“Do you know when my last piece was released?” he asked,
“Two years ago,” I answered, knowing his piece, the ’32 hz, was his latest.
“Do you know why that is?”
1 paused for a moment before shaking my head.
“I won’t hold it against you,” he smiled. “Nobody knows except for me.”
“You could say I went on an undisclosed hiatus. It was a dark time–those two years. I have never really put it into words. I am good at art, but not the art of writing,” he continued.
“Yet, you summarized those feelings really well. I didn’t feel unhappy. I was just… incomplete,” he said, gazing off into the distance. “The fact that I was in the spotlight and I had brought my family out of poverty was something I was very proud of. However, in that period, I realized that I didn’t have enough time for them.”
“So, I used those two years to reflect on everything, and now, I finally feel complete. My daughter had given birth, and I have a cute little granddaughter,” he chuckled, and I, too, couldn’t help but smile along with him.
“Yet, I still haven’t found the inspiration to create new work. I started venturing out to other platforms. I even tried digital art, but it just wasn’t for me. I guess this old man is getting really old. So, I started talking to brands Astoria Apparel was one of them.”
My eyes slowly widened at the thought. “Is that the reason for this party?” I asked.
“I would presume so,” he said with a small smile. “I do appreciate the effort. The CEO has been trying to convince me since the start of the year, but I just find myself unable to answer… until I saw your work.”
My breath hitched as Mr. Miyagi’s smile widened.
“What does that mean?” I softly asked.
“It means that I am greatly inspired by your art, young woman,” he said. “And somehow, I want to share this with the rest of the world. An incomplete piece of art for people wanting to feel complete but don’t know where to start.
1 pinched myself to check if I was dreaming. However, my forearm hurt–it was definitely real.
“Now, what do you say? I’ve been holding off this collaboration because I didn’t have any inspiration. You’ve given me one, and I am willing to pay the price.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 74 Two Security Guards
Everything was all too overwhelming. Before I could even respond, the door opened, revealing a person I dreaded
to see.
“Mr. Miyagi-”
Garyn Astor came into the room with a wide smile. However, it quickly dropped when he saw me. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “You were not on the quest list. Security!” he exclaimed in such a loud voice that I was sure the guests outside would be able to hear.
Just then, my phone started ringing. I glanced at it for a second and saw Sarah’s number. I also saw the time. It was already 10 PM.
“Crap,” I cursed under my breath.
“What is happening?” Mr. Miyagi asked, confused by the situation.
I could hear heavy footsteps coming nearer to the room, so I knew I had to escape. Without even grabbing my artwork, I bolted out of the room.
“Hey, come back here!” Garyn exclaimed, grabbing onto my hair. He tugged on it, making me wince, but I quickly kicked him in the balls, making him kneel to the ground.
For a second, I felt apologetic, but then I remembered how awful of a man he was. Besides, it wasn’t like he needed to reproduce more children!
“Young woman, wait! Answer my question,” Mr. Miyagi also said before I could step out of the room. I glanced back at him for a second.
If this was any other normal circumstance, I would have discussed the matter with him further. However, with the security personnel coming after my ass, all I could do was leave.
I ran through the hall, and people’s attention turned toward me as I getting chased.
“Julia?”
I swore I heard Evan’s voice, but I didn’t dare look back.
Fortunately, luck was on my side because the grand hall was on the first floor. No need for elevators or stairs!
I exited the large hotel and sighed in relief when I saw Sarah’s beat–up car up front. Her car window was rolled down, and she waved at me with a smile. However, when she saw how disheveled I was, a frown made its way to her face.
With that, I hastened my steps to get to her car. But, I suddenly felt two pairs of rough hands grab onto both sides of my arms.
My eyes widened. How did the security get here so quickly?
I started thrashing around but stopped when I realized that these security guards weren’t exactly pulling me away. I looked at the two men, but I quickly regretted the action.
“Let me take you home,” the two of them said at the same time.
Evan and the blonde guy gazed at each other, and I swear I saw fire coming from both of their eyes. What the heck were they doing?
It seemed like getting taken away by the security guards was actually the better option.
