Yet, upon a second look, she confirmed that the man beside her was indeed Winston. The woman playfully placed the cap on his head and murmured, “I got scared there. You're too famous. We might encounter your avid fans on the street."
"Ha-ha! My little princess, anything you say," Winston said softly.
His voice carried a tenderness as if he were speaking to a lover.
Lilah scanned the area, searching for any sign of filming equipment but found none.
Puzzled, she reached for her phone to call Effie.
However, Effie didn't pick up. Lilah figured she might be busy with a shoot, so she decided to wander through the market.
The market was filled with shops selling paintings. Lilah stepped into a shop that seemed unremarkable.
The shop assistant glanced at Lilah. Although Lilah was beautiful, she didn't wear much jewelry. The assistant assumed Lilah was just browsing for fun and didn't bother to introduce the artworks. While engrossed in his phone, the shop assistant said, "Feel free to look around, but please don't touch anything. These pieces are quite pricey, each costing at least a hundred thousand dollars."
After a careful look around, Lilah's eyes settled on a landscape painting. "How much for this one?" she asked.
The assistant looked at Lilah, visibly surprised. He hadn't expected Lilah to pick the most expensive painting in the shop. "That's one million and five hundred thousand dollars. The price is firm," the assistant informed her.
"Okay, I'll pay with my card," Lilah said, pulling out her bank card.
The assistant's jaw dropped in astonishment, not expecting Lilah to be so affluent.
Suddenly, the assistant's demeanor shifted. Smiling obsequiously, he offered, “Gorgeous, would you like to see more of our collection? ALL our pieces are authentic and great investments. I can offer a discount on additional purchases."
"No, just this one," Lilah replied firmly.
The assistant processed the payment.
While Lilah browsed other artworks, laughter echoed from outside.
Then, an irritated voice called out, "Lilah, what are you doing here?"
Marlene, Laura, and the woman Lilah had seen earlier approached.
Surprisingly, Lilah noticed a resemblance between Marlene and the woman she had seen earlier.
When Marlene saw the landscape painting, she inquired, “Are you buying this for Richard's birthday party?"
Her tone implied that Lilah didn't belong at Richard's party.
Lilah responded nonchalantly, “I'm going to be Richard's daughter-in-law. Shouldn't I attend instead of an outsider like you?"
"Shame on you! Do you think you're worthy? Laura is the one meant to join the Harris family, not you. Pack this painting for me, I want it," Marlene demanded.
The shop assistant bristled at Marlene's rude attitude but didn't dare to offend her. “I'm sorry, miss, but this lady already purchased.