Chapter 606: Painted for a Long Time

Chapter 606: Painted for a Long Time

The camera lens lingered on Jerry and the two veteran artists for just a moment before returning to Flora.

The judges had been painting for an hour now, and in that time, the camera hadn't focused on Grace even once.

Jeffrey quickly noticed something was off, his expression shifting slightly as he glanced at Charles.

Charles wasn't even looking at the big screen on stage; he was fixated on Grace, who was positioned at the far edge of the stage.

Aside from Yosef, who was dozing off in his arms, the other two kids mirrored his intense focus on Grace.

Due to the earlier incident, the two kids looked rather upset, their expressions cold and distant.

Jeffrey pressed his lips together slightly, not seeing any coldness in Charles's face.

But having navigated the social world for so many years, Jeffrey could guess what Charles was thinking.

He was probably planning to confront the relevant people after the painting session ended.

Jeffrey took a deep breath and slowly looked away.

As time passed, the judges on stage gradually finished their paintings.

Flora was the first to finish. She stamped her signature in the bottom right corner of her painting, then sat up straight, looking poised and dignified.

The camera zoomed in on her completed painting, and the students in the audience stared at the big screen, exclaiming in admiration and praising Flora's work. Their gazes turned to one of reverence.

Flora caught every expression of admiration from the audience, her face full of pride.

She straightened her back even more, her posture becoming more elegant, and her smile deepened unconsciously.

She was in great form, and her painting reflected that. She was very pleased with her work, thinking it was the best she had done in a long time.

With that thought, she looked down at Jeffrey.

Jeffrey smiled back at her, nodding slightly in silent encouragement when their eyes met.

Seeing her grandfather's approval, Flora's eyes lit up, and her smile became even brighter.

Her gaze shifted to Charles, who was sitting next to Jeffrey.

Charles sat upright, with the child in his arms dozing off.

He kept his head turned, staring at Grace on the far right of the stage, not even glancing at Flora, despite her looking at him for a while.

Charles acted as if he didn't see her, not even sparing a glance at her painting on the big screen.

Flora's expression cooled a bit, and she had to look away.

A little while later, Jerry and the two veteran artists also put down their brushes.

The camera finally moved away from Flora's painting, focusing on Jerry's and the two veteran artists' works in turn.

Their paintings appeared on the big screen, and the students in the audience couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Grace was the only one still painting on stage, and the students' attention shifted to her.

After waiting for a long time, she was still busy at her easel, not showing any signs of stopping.

Some people couldn't wait and started whispering, "She's the only one who hasn't finished yet. What could she be painting?"

"No idea. All the other judges have put down their brushes, but she's still not done! And the camera hasn't shown her even once. Could it be that her painting is so bad that the crew is too embarrassed to show it?"

"Probably. Otherwise, why wouldn't they show her even once?"

Besides those just watching for fun, some were genuinely interested in Grace, whispering, "Maybe her painting is really complex, and that's why it's taking so long?"

This comment was immediately shot down by those waiting to see Grace fail. "Complex? Give me a break. We don't even know if she can match her previous level! There's no way she could paint something complex!"

"Exactly. It's been so long! All the other judges have finished, and she's still dragging it out. Maybe she knows her painting is terrible and is just stalling for time?"

"You might be right!"

Asher stood at the edge of the stage, clearly hearing their comments. His expression turned cold, and he shot them a frosty warning look. The ones mocking Grace quickly shut up, shrinking back.

Meanwhile, Willie, sitting in the audience, suddenly looked at Asher. "President Brown, all the other judges have finished. Why hasn't Ms. Sun? I'm getting old, and sitting for too long makes my back hurt. Could you check if she's having any trouble and help her out?"

As soon as he said this, others chimed in, "Yeah, President Brown, please go check."

Asher wasn't naive; he caught the underlying meaning in Willie's words. His expression shifted slightly, and he replied calmly, "Alright, please be patient."

With that, he gripped the microphone and walked towards Grace. All eyes in the audience followed Asher, also watching Grace, who was still painting.

Flora, of course, was in high spirits, her smile ever-present. The two veteran artists looked a bit tired but said nothing. Only Jerry kept watching Grace at her easel, a hint of worry on his face.

Charles in the audience also kept his eyes on Grace, his brows slightly furrowed, though his expression remained unchanged. But the chubby face of Bianca, sitting next to him, was full of concern. She muttered, "Why hasn't Mom finished yet? Could something be wrong?"

Jasper, like Charles, kept his eyes on Grace, answering firmly, "No way! We have to believe in Mom!"

Though his voice was still childlike, it was filled with unwavering conviction. Hearing this, Bianca nodded, her tone equally firm, "That's right! I believe in Mom too!"

Their words reached Charles's ears, and he smiled slightly, still watching Grace.

Meanwhile, Asher had reached Grace's side. Seeing her painting, he froze. He stood there like a statue, eyes wide, as if he'd seen something incredibly shocking.

Asher's reaction was noticed by those in the audience waiting to see Grace fail. They assumed her painting was terrible, causing Asher's stunned reaction. They laughed openly, convinced Grace's work was so bad that even Asher was speechless.

Those supporting Flora, who had been worried Grace might outshine her, now felt their concerns were unfounded.

Miguel, controlling the camera backstage, hadn't seen Grace's painting either, as the camera never focused on it. But seeing Asher and the audience's reactions, he grew curious and moved to the front of the stage. He joined the students who had been mocking Grace, ready to laugh at her.

Grace was in the final stages of her painting, completely absorbed and unaware of Asher standing behind her. She carefully added the finishing touches, and after a minute or two, she finally put down her brush and stamped her signature, "Sun," in the bottom right corner.

Finished at last, she came back to reality, exhaling in relief as she looked at the audience. Only then did she realize everyone was watching her. Noticing someone behind her, she quickly turned and saw Asher.

She was surprised and softly called out, "President Brown, when did you get here?"

She hadn't noticed him at all.

Asher was deeply engrossed in her painting, not hearing her at first. Grace raised her voice, "President Brown?"

Asher snapped out of it, smiling broadly at her. "Grace, are you finished?"

Grace smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm done."

Asher took a deep breath, containing his excitement, and grabbed the microphone, announcing loudly, "Alright, all the judges have finished their paintings. Now, let's have the staff display the judges' works on the big screen!"