Love or Die CEO’s Daily Dose of Swoon

Chapter 147

At 7:40 AM, Everard finally showed up at the entrance. Before he could utter a word, the others rushed over, “Are you here to deliver the painting?”

With a nod from Everard, they hastily grabbed the artwork and scurried off to the exhibition area.

Everard didn’t seem bothered and turned to Cordelia. Noticing Cordelia had no intention of approaching, and even started to walk away, Everard could only approach her and ask in a low voice, “Had dinner yet?”

Cordelia nodded, “Yes, I did.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion nearby.

Cordelia, taken aback, moved closer just in tto hear Fanny’s taunting voice. “Con, let’s see just how good this knockoff is. Ha! As far as I know, there are only five decent knockoffs out there. Apart from the one that got damaged yesterday, the rest are in private collections! And I bet this one here is a cheap imitation. Oh look, they’re unveiling it…”

But her words abruptly stopped.

Silence fell over the crowd.

Cordelia pushed through to get a better look. As the painting was slowly unfurled, a majestic and overwhelming presence swept over everyone, silencing the room.

Even Fanny was speechless.

Everyone stared at the painting for a long while before someone finally exclaimed, This is incredibly lifelike; the aura is strikingly similar to the original.”

Heads nodded in agreement.

Only Ballaster stood aside, his expression one of utter shock, He pushed his way through the crowd, scrutinizing the painting through his glasses.

As tran short, he reluctantly commanded, “Quick, hang it up.”

The painting was gingerly mounted with someone murmuring. “Be careful, even though we know it’s a copy, it feels like we’re handling an antique! Could it really be as good as the original?”

From a distance, Fanny cried out in disbelief, “How can this be? How could there be a sixth copy so similar?”

Only Ballaster kept to himself, suppressing a smirk.

This was no imitation. Mr. Watkins had brought the real deal! That original, after being in the Ontoky Museum, was never loaned out again. It had fetched billions at auction!

Mr. Watkins had apparently moved mountains to woo his girlfriend!

Unfortunately, the girl in question seemed utterly unaware of Mr. Watkins‘ grand gesture. Such a high and mighty figure, yet here he was, showing such humble moments.

Ballaster couldn’t help feeling a bit of amusement.

He fought to keep his grin in check and turned to Fanny, barking orders, “Who let this outsider in? Security, take her down! She damaged a national treasure yesterday, and here she is again–I suspect she’s up to no good. Call the cops!”

“Right!”

As Fanny was restrained and the police informed, Ballaster detailed her suspected vandalism, and she was

taken away.

As the gallery opened, the high society ladies arrived for the viewing, witnessing the entire scene, tarnishing Fanny’s reputation completely

After the successful exhibition, the members of the Greenmeadow Art Association gathered in the back office for a meeting.

Ballaster announced, “With Fanny arrested and the chairmanship vacant, it’s tfor you to choose a new

chairman.”

No sooner had he finished than someone raised a hand, 1 nominate Lornal”

too!”

too!”

The room echoed with endorsements for Lorna, who tried to decline, “I’m not even a member yet.”

Ballaster smiled, “Special times call for special measures. The Greenmeadow Art Association is now in your hands.”

All this was of no consequence to Cordelia.

She was currently wandering the exhibition with Everard, lacking the eloquence of Lorna and not understanding the art. She simply accompanied Everard in silence.

Cordelia broke the quiet, “Do you understand these paintings?”

Everard replied, “I do.”

Cordelia probed, “…but you’ve been looking atthe whole time. How can you understand?”

Everard chuckled softly, then said, “I understand paintings, but none of these paintings are as captivating as you, girl.”

Cordelia was speechless.

Everard maintained a respectful distance before sighing.

Cordelia asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Everard’s voice held a hint of hurt, “We’ve been dating for over two months, and this is our first real date.”

This wasn’t exactly a date, was it?

Cordelia rolled her eyes, feeling like she was dealing with a whining little girl.

What was she thinking?

She kept silent, and Everard continued, “What’s on your mind?”

“Thinking of you,” she replied curtly, making Everard pause.

But then Cordelia’s eyes, clouded with thoughts, met his as she continued, “…thinking if you left now, I could go home, do spractices, and read a couple of pages on elemental chemistry.”

Everard fell silent, then laughed, realizing his girl was as straightforward as ever.

He reached out and affectionately ruffled Cordelia’s hair.

In the evening, as the exhibition closed, the staff carefully removed the painting, packed it away, and handed it to Everard with reverence.

Lorna made a point to ask, “Everard, where did you get this painting?”

Everard paused, then responded, “Borrowed it from a friend’s place.”

Lorna cautioned, “…then be extra careful. This copy is too similar to the original; it must be worth a fortune. You better return it quickly and don’t damage it.”

Everard nodded, “Will do.”

Inside the Midnight Scent

Chapter 147

When Everard returned, Skyler had already whipped up a hearty dinner. The aroma filled the kitchen, and the dishes were steaming hot, a symphony of colors and flavors. Everard tossed a painting across the room, causing Skyler to scramble to catch it. “Dude, be careful! That piece is worth a fortune!”

After Everard cleaned his hands, he sat down to dig into the meal. Skyler, resting his chin on his hands, eyed him from across the table. “So, boss, how’s it going with Lia? You guys hitting it off?”

Everard shot him a cool glance. “Got a lot of free ton your hands lately?”

Skyler clutched at his chest, feigning distress. “Hey, don’t givethat killer look, it scares the hell out of me

Then, leaning in with a mischievous grin, he prodded, “So, have you guys kissed yet?”

Everard’s silence was all the answer needed.

But Skyler wasn’t done. “Rare, huh? What about hugs? Do you get one of those every day?”

Everard remained silent, his expression unchanging.

“Not even daily “I love you’s?”

Skyler’s face was a picture of confusion. “Really? None of that? Calvert, the jerk, toldyou were skind of love quru. Boss, you’re moving at a snail’s pace!”

Everard remained seated, a forkful of food poised midway to his mouth, rendered utterly speechless.

Chapter 148