, a triumphant smile on her face. She presented the purchase agreement to

ound him, and walked out of the ballroom. He needed air.

leaning against the cold stone wall

nd grabbed him before he could even react. A hand clamped over his mouth, stifling his shout. They were stron

ar, cold and familiar, gripped him.

agged out and thrown onto a dusty concrete floor. It was a warehouse, empty and vast, smelli

vernous space. Two figures

a. An

sked, his voice hoarse

same cold, resolute eyes from his nightmare. Mark stoo

of emotion. "He says the painting, 'Three Days,' was born from a place of immense pain

arring with a rising tide of hor

uel smirk playing on his lips, "tha

grabbed Ethan, forcing his hands onto a sturdy w

nd-numbing terror. This wasn't jus

against their grip. "Olivia, no, y

f the woman he married. There was none. She was a st

discussing a business strategy. "He needs to see wh

the pipe ra

of pain. He heard a sickening crunch, a sound he remembered fr

sh. It was a symphony of brutality, a meticulous, cold-blooded destruction. Through the r

ere unrecognizable masses of blood and broken bone. Then, Oli

d, holding the 'Three Days' painting. She took

ft and encouraging. "Look at it. R

leaving Ethan alone on the cold floor, drowning i

s feet, and dumped him on the sidewalk a block from the penthouse. He stumbled h

hrough the rooms, a ghost haunting his own life. Ev

, the grief, the love-it all burned aw

mento of their shared past. He piled it all in the center of the room. He didn't set it on fire. That was too passionate. Instead, he methodicall

d at the caller ID: a number from the National Art

o congratulate you. You've been awarded the 'Vanguard Art

f something, maybe pride,

e pre-competition gala tomorrow night. Ms. Sterling's office confirmed he wo

rse. She had given his h

he penthouse guest room, adjusting the lapels of a new tuxedo. The Va

ut heavy. His hands were wrapped in thick ba

is slimy, confident smile. "Olivia said

. It's my award.

crystal trophy. "You want it?" He h

his expensive Italian shoe and brought his heel down on it. The crystal

How clumsy of me." He then looked at Ethan wit

cked award on the floor, Mark's feigned look of shock,

ened?" she

emanding the award. He said I didn't deserve it. When I refused

t Ethan for his side of the story. She walke

venomous. "You can't create anything of value, so you destroy i