Chapter 48 Dawn

Chapter 48 Dawn
"Why did you sleep with me?" Tyler asked, head down.

Was it a moment of recklessness?

Or love at first sight?

Neither is possible.

"Because my first time had to be my own choice," Ellie said calmly.

He snorted derisively. "Fucking great choice. You just had to pick a Torres."

"What's your status in the Torres family?" she asked.

Tyler stared into her eyes. "Heir to the Dark Vein."

Ellie's breath caught. Shock flickered across her face.

So he wasn't a nobody.

But a big-shot.

He could still stir up the winds of change easily, even in his absence.

Oh-no!

Her eyes darkened as she asked softly, "Do you have another name?"

"Mason Torres," Tyler smirked. "I was actually planning to use that name to propose to you."

Ellie fell silent, her eyes searching the man before her with wounded disbelief.

"How many people have you taken down?" she asked.

"I've lost count," he chuckled.

"Then what happens to those who cross you?"

"Death," he said coldly, releasing her hand.

"What's the matter? Scared?"

Ellie lowered her gaze, uncertainty mingling with fear as she weighed his words.

He studied her closely and let out a soft sigh.

He reached out and gently rubbed her wrist through the fabric.

A tremor ran through Ellie, betraying her uncertainty.

But he didn't continue.

He just withdrew his hand, stepped back to the window, and took a cigarette from the pack on the table, letting the silence stretch between them.

"May I ask…what will happen to me?" she murmured.

"Huh?"

"How will you get back at me?" she asked, raising her head.

"Why would I? That's ridiculous," he laughed.

Ellie was momentarily speechless, searching his expression for sincerity while doubt lingered.

In the darkness, he lit a cigarette.

A moment later, he asked, "What are your plans now?"

"Leaving the country. Right away."

He stubbed out the cigarette. "Want a ride to the airport?"

"Thanks."

"Go abroad?"

"Yeah."

He picked up her passport from the floor and handed it to her.

Before she could take it, he casually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Do you have enough money?"

"Enough."

She pulled out her phone and started searching for flights, determined to escape before her resolve wavered.

As he watched her skillfully filter through the cheapest connecting flights, he muttered under his breath.

Ellie's hand faltered, her pulse racing in her ears.

"Send me your card number." His tone left no room for refusal.

He turned on the light and walked over to the coffee table to grab his phone.

The light suddenly illuminated the living room wall.

All color drained from Ellie's face as she froze.

There was a large oil painting on the wall.

It depicted a dark, murky sea where giant beasts and monsters seemed to lurk beneath the surface, trying to attack a small boat.

The signature is hidden on the hull: "CG."

The name is split apart, with "C" written on the bow and "G" on the stern. Both are written in gold paint that echoes the light of dawn.

"Is it Dawn?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said casually.

"Where did you get this?"

"I bought it at a gallery in Willow Creek," he replied.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Ellie hesitated, emotion thickening her voice. "This painting evokes something raw in me, but..."

"But what?"

"The artist's mindset seems narrow. The brushwork lacks boldness, and the thinking feels constrained."

"What do you mean?"

"The small boat's posture of yearning to be saved reveals a mindset of weakness. It has placed itself in a position of passive waiting."

"Your argument is somewhat contradictory," Tyler pointed out. "Don't the characters encourage 'self-rescue'?"

"Then it should be drawn the other way around!" Ellie retorted firmly. "Let the words radiate from the boat itself rather than falling from the sky!"

Tyler's eyes flickered. "Go on."

"There are too many elements in the composition. The waves, the sea monster, the text, the dark clouds, and the light—they all surround that little boat. The boat is small and old, knowing only how to flee. It looks passive, lonely, and on the verge of capsizing..."

He stared at her, his gaze sharp. "Go ahead."

"Why not have the boat lead the sea monsters to fight each other? Or harness the power of the waves to ride the wind and cut through the sea? Command the dark clouds and the light, and break out!"

"Anything else?"

"Or completely shift your perspective..."

As she spoke, a flash of sharpness crossed her eyes.

"Why must we be that boat? Why can't we become the sea monster or the raging waves themselves?"