Chapter 21
In the evening, all of Havenport was ablaze with fireworks, their brilliant hues illuminating the vast expanse of the sky. Winona stood at the very center of the balcony of the Chapman residence while surrounded by her party’s guests.
In the meantime, Joseph, in his car some distance away, could only faintly discern the smile gracing her features. That particular smile remained so captivating that it drew a smile from him as well. He then murmured, “Happy birthday, my beloved Winnie.”
Then, following the last burst of fireworks, the guests began to leave the Chapman residence in droves, with luxury cars gradually driving off into the distance.
In the end, the Chapman residence fell silent and empty once more, save for a few household staff tidying up the grand hall.
Yet, Joseph’s car sat unmoving in the distance. It wasn’t until the last light in the Chapman residence was extinguished that Joseph finally instructed Kevin to get the car moving.
Just then, someone gently rapped on the car window beside Joseph. It was Niles, the butler of the Chapman residence.
Upon seeing Joseph lower the window and look his way, Niles presented the gift he had delivered earlier that morning.
They exchanged no words, simply gazing at each other in silence.
In the end, Joseph was the first to concede. He took the gift from Niles. There was a slight tremor in his hand as he took it, betraying his somewhat unsettled emotions.
Then, following the birthday party, Winona immediately launched into preparations for her inaugural art exhibition after the divorce. She had been apprehensive about its reception, considering her five–year absence from the art scene. In addition, with countless fresh artists emerging annually and churning out exceptional pieces, she feared that interest might have waned for someone who had been absent for so long.
Yet, to her astonishment, on the very day pre–sale tickets went on sale, they were completely sold out in three seconds. She stared at the now–empty ticketing site in disbelief for a long moment before suddenly letting out a shriek of pure excitement. Her family, equally overcome with emotion, tearfully enveloped her in embraces.
That day marked Winona’s return to the art world after a five–year hiatus, drawing crowds to her exhibition. The usually quiet area saw its first traffic jam, but the excitement of the visitors remained undeterred.
Joseph, of course, was among the attendees.
The previous incident hadn’t deterred him in any way, but Isaac’s deadline was rapidly approaching. He knew he had to accelerate his efforts.
He had intended to seek Winona out immediately after stepping into the art gallery, but his brisk pace faltered the moment his gaze inadvertently landed on one of her pieces.
He was well aware of Winona’s talent. After all, many of the paintings in their home were her creations, which she had brought as part of her wedding gifts before they married. She had ceased painting entirely after getting into the Lowe family, dedicating herself to being his dutiful wife.
It was commonly believed that inspiration would run dry if one abandoned painting for an extended period. Winona, evidently, proved that notion completely wrong.
Joseph found himself unwittingly brought to a standstill as he was completely captivated by the artworks. He pored over every single painting and its accompanying blurb, going so far as to quietly discuss them with other attendees nearby.
Just then, a voice he knew well drifted to him. “The name of this painting is…”
He quickly snapped out of his reverie and turned to the source of the voice, where he saw Winona standing a few feet away, explaining her artwork to a blonde–haired, blue–eyed young man.
The striking pair seemed like a well–matched pair, and the sight of them caused Joseph to feel a sharp pang. He knew full well that he had no business feeling jealous of Winona now, but he still found himself itching to go up to them.
The rest of the crowd grew visibly thrilled when they spotted Winona. They pushed forward to snap pictures with her. Winona patiently accommodated each request, taking pictures with her visitors. Throughout it all, she never once cast a glance toward Joseph, who stood some distance away.
