Chapter 53 She's Hiding Something Big

Chapter 53 She's Hiding Something Big

Sunny City, Lakeview Apartments

Tyler emerged from the downstairs boxing gym, drenched in sweat.

Patrick approached, holding a painting.

"Should I hang up the painting?" Patrick asked.

Tyler frowned at it. "It's hideous. Take off the frame, fold it, put it away."

Patrick did as he was told.

Tyler turned his head to look out the window.

Has she ever missed me?

Probably not.

She'd never text me first.

So we're really broken up, huh?

Damn, that's infuriating.

"Those families in Sunny City are coming after you. They've found that lounge," Patrick reported.

"Lounge? Oh, the Wetlands Lounge."

"That lounge won't matter. Why not change cities? West City's wrapped up. Jerry keeps nagging me. Let's bring him and take a tour?" Patrick smiled.

Tyler fell silent, lost in thought as emotions flickered across his face—uncertainty, regret, the tight ache of nostalgia.

Patrick studied his expression and continued, "Miss Ward isn't in Sunny City, so we're pretty bored here. We can always look for her once she gets back from abroad."

"Let's return to West City. I missed the victory banquet," Tyler said.

"Should we take the painting back to West City?" Patrick asked.

"Mm-hmm," Tyler replied faintly.

Patrick blinked. "Huh?"

From the back of the dismantled picture frame, a piece of paper drifted out.

Patrick reached out to catch it, but the moment he saw what was on the paper, his hand froze in midair.

Tyler reached out and caught it.

It was an oil painting.

A beast, part bird and leopard, leaped from the dark sea.

Its maw revealed gleaming, terrifying fangs.

It roared, and the sea churned with waves.

Behind it, fiery wings seemed ready to burst out.

Patrick couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap! This painting is amazing!"

Tyler stared at the painting with awe.

"What is this animal? It's so cool—awesome!" Patrick said.

"A Thunderbird. It's a legendary beast," Tyler said.

"A Thunderbird? Incredible! We made the right move. You’d never see this in Bluewater Cove," Patrick said, eyes wide.

Tyler continued to stare at the painting, silent for a long while.

Patrick gasped. "Ellie painted this? Unreal!"

After shouting this, Patrick turned back to look at the original marshmallow-like painting that had been taken down, feeling a bit dazed.

Could these two paintings really have been painted by the same person? Tyler lifted the painting and began closely searching for the signature, curiosity and disbelief mixing inside him.

"CG." A spark of recognition flashed in Tyler's eyes. Carly Grace? He felt a surge of emotion—amazement, longing, and admiration tangled together. How could such a girl exist in this world? he marveled, realizing, She had completely rejected her past self, charging forward with a brand-new face. She truly had courage and resolve. Overwhelmed, he closed his eyes and murmured, "I'm going crazy..."

The silence fell until a cell phone's vibration broke it.

Patrick glanced at the screen and quietly slipped out of the room.

A few minutes later, he returned, holding the phone.

"Adams’s younger sister is looking for you, Mr. Torres. See her?"

"Who?" Tyler asked, calm.

"Addison—Ellie’s only friend here. Are you seeing her?" Patrick whispered.

Tyler grabbed his jacket. "I'll see her!"

The Wetlands Lounge.

Addison glanced at her phone. "I should've known that Moments post wasn't Ellie. She barely uses her secondary account and would never post that."

Tyler turned his head. "A secondary account?"

"Yeah."

Tyler remained silent.

Addison placed a large package on the table. "This is for Ellie."

"She's not here." He frowned.

"I know—she went back to school. Aren't you going to check on her?"

Patrick looked stunned. "What? School?"

Addison blinked. "You didn't know? She's still in grad school!"

Tyler closed his eyes, trying to process what he'd just learned. Thoughts raced through his mind—had he missed all the signs? Was there something about Ellie that he still didn't understand?

So she was in a rush to register for school.

Addison looked over at him. "You're her boyfriend, aren't you? "

Tyler's expression darkened instantly.

Addison continued, "You snatched her away at the engagement party—cool move. Thanks to you, she made it back to school."

"Which country? What school? Her major?" Patrick asked.

"London, England. RCA. Fine art."

Patrick looked completely baffled. "What's the RCA?"

"The Royal College of Art," Tyler said.

Patrick checked his phone. "It's the world's top art school? Amazing! Ellie's incredible!"

"Don't call her Miss Ward." Addison frowned.

"Why?"

Addison wrote an address and slid it over. "Her biological parents are buried here."

"Wait! Biological parents? Isn't Ellie the Ward family's second daughter? Was she adopted?" Patrick exclaimed.

Addison shook her head, her voice gentle. "Yes. Her father wasn't Dennis, but the Ward family's second son. For love, he gave up his inheritance, left behind everything he knew in Sunny City, and started over in Willow Creek with her mom."

"Huh?" Patrick was baffled.

"Ellie grew up in Willow Creek. When her parents died at twelve, she was brought back to Sunny City."

"Tyler, we've missed the key all along!" Patrick said.

Tyler stared out the window, his features tight with unspoken worry.

Suddenly, he asked, "Did the Wards treat her badly?"

"Terribly. Worse than you'd imagine—it was almost abuse."

Patrick asked, "What kind of abuse? Taking away her phone?"

"Taking her phone? That's nothing! She was constantly grounded, forced to copy the Family Code, punished, and even forced into marriage. They wouldn't let her draw or study. It never ended!"

"What?!" Patrick widened his eyes.

"Is there more?" Tyler's brow furrowed.

Addison shook her head.

"There's more," he insisted.

"Aren't these things serious enough?!"

"Not enough," Tyler replied coldly.

There must be something I don't know.

She was hiding something.