Chapter 172 James's Doubt
"Emily, take care of yourself!"
James shot Emily a complicated look before trailing behind Bianca.
Daniel's warning yesterday had forced his hand. He had to leave the country this week.
Emily, just wait!
When he finally takes down Daniel, he'll make her see how wrong she was to choose him.
"Still feeling sick? What, you got a little baby in there or something? Looks like a guilty conscience to me."
Sophia rolled her eyes and scoffed at Bianca's retreating figure.
"Maybe there is a baby in there!"
Emily chuckled, playing along.
"What?"
Sophia, still young and naive, didn't catch on immediately. She had just blurted it out without thinking.
"Nothing, let's go."
Emily didn't elaborate. Though she disliked Bianca, she didn't harbor any ill will toward the child she might be carrying.
When Emily and Sophia entered, Allan was busy.
But as soon as he saw Emily, he came over to greet her.
"Don't worry about me, keep doing your thing! Just a heads-up, there might be a little drama later. Hope it doesn't mess up your art show. If it does, I'm sorry!"
Emily apologized, but her face showed no remorse.
Allan, well-acquainted with Emily's personality, indulged her, "If you're really sorry, just paint a few more pieces for me. I'll have another exhibition."
He expected Emily to refuse, but to his surprise, she nodded, "No problem. Once things settle down, I'll paint a few for you!"
Not just one or two, but a few.
This made Allan so happy he couldn't stop smiling. "Today's your day. Do whatever you want. I've arranged everything you asked for. Oh, and I let the reporters in without any security hassles."
Emily gave Allan a thumbs-up in approval.
Allan, rarely praised by Emily, blushed with embarrassment. Luckily, someone came to find him, giving him an excuse to leave.
Bianca's painting, at her request, was placed in the most prominent, eye-catching spot. Its unique and spirited style immediately drew a crowd.
When Bianca and James arrived, they headed straight for the painting.
James stared intently at it.
For some reason, a memory surfaced in his mind.
He remembered once running with Emily from some bad guys, stumbling into a sea of flowers. They had shared a moment of joy and relief, something pure and childlike.
This scene was eerily similar.
James recalled Emily telling him that Bianca had taken her painting. He hadn't believed it then.
Now, he felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
So, all this time, was Bianca really passing off Emily's work as her own?
With this realization, James grabbed Bianca's hand, squeezing tightly as he demanded, "Tell me, did you really paint this?"
Bianca felt a moment of panic.
But she quickly composed herself, tears welling up from James' tight grip, making her look pitiful.
"James, what are you talking about? Even if you're upset because of your sister, you shouldn't be saying such things here, of all places."
Bianca was fuming inside.
What was wrong with James? If it weren't for the crowd, his loud questioning would draw everyone's attention.
If Emily and Sophia heard, with Emily's relentless pursuit, they wouldn't miss the chance to humiliate her.
James, used to softening at her tears, immediately apologized, "Sorry, I just saw the painting and remembered some childhood memories. That's why I questioned it. You probably don't know, but when I was a kid, Emily and I once ran from some bad guys into a flower field, just like in this painting."
Bianca almost lost her composure.
How could she have chosen this painting?
And Emily, who supposedly didn't like to recall hardships, chose to use this to make James remember and soften towards her?
She was really greedy.
"James, you never told me, but Emily sometimes mentions it to me."
Bianca met James' gaze calmly.
James was still suspicious, "She'd tell you? I thought she always bullied you."
To him, such memories should belong only to him and Emily. She wouldn't share them lightly.
Bianca's tears flowed, "So you still doubt me. You weren't like this before. I wanted to be close to Emily, so I asked about her past. She mentioned it once.
That night, I dreamt of the scene you described, so I painted it. I didn't expect such a realistic painting to cause doubt."
James, unable to stand her tears, clumsily wiped them away, "I'm sorry, okay? Don't cry. I was wrong. I won't doubt you again."
It was this gullibility that let Bianca deceive him over and over.
Just then, more people squeezed in.
Bianca nearly stumbled, but James caught her.
She quickly noticed the newcomers were the gossip reporters she had invited, snapping photos of the painting.
James saw them too and was about to get angry for almost bumping Bianca, especially since she was pregnant.
But then he saw them taking pictures.
He knew cameras weren't allowed here without permission. Those inside had to be authorized.
"What are you doing?"
James moved to grab the reporters.
Bianca wished she hadn't brought James. It would have been better to come alone and let him see the news later, showcasing her talent.
"We just really like this painting and wanted to take some photos to appreciate later. We hope we're not disturbing you."
One reporter quickly responded.
James' loud questioning had drawn the crowd's attention, making them scrutinize the painting more closely.
Bianca seized the moment, "This is my painting. Even if you like it, you can't take photos. That's against the rules, right?"
The reporters, confused, thought: Didn't you invite us to take pictures?
But they weren't fools. Bianca's wink made them catch on quickly, "You're the artist, Emily? Amazing! With such a beautiful painting, could you share your inspiration with us?"
The crowd, curious, echoed the sentiment.
The painting's style was different from the others, exuding a sense of cleanliness, warmth, freedom, joy, and childlike wonder.