Chapter 55 Is She Jealous of Him?
Chapter 55 Is She Jealous of Him?
The next day——
Inside the RCA Fine Arts Studio building,
"How about having fried chicken tonight?" Hazel asked, resting her chin in her hand.
"No, it's too greasy." Ellie frowned.
"No way! We have to try it!"
"No, I don't like it."
"How about going out for drinks tonight?"
"No, I have homework today." Ellie shook her head.
"All right then. I'll have a drink by myself first. I'll come find you at 11 p.m., and then we can drink together, okay?"
Ellie sighed and said, "Hazel, what's wrong with your ears?"
"They're fine!"
"You're totally deaf."
Hazel slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm heading out!"
"Go ahead."
The studio fell silent, every breath held—only paper rustling remained.
——
By the afternoon, a different scene unfolded.
An elderly professor led Tyler into the Fine Arts Studio building.
"Thank you again for your sponsorship!" the professor said with a smile.
Tyler nodded. "I'll just look around on my own."
The professor gave more instructions and left.
Tyler wandered from floor to floor.
He spotted a familiar figure in one of the studio cubicles.
He stopped in the hallway, leaned against the wall, his heart pounding as he watched her.
She focused intently on her work, shutting out distractions as she immersed herself in the task.
After a long while, her hand trembling slightly, she dipped her brush in blue paint.
She then wrote the name "Tyler."
Tyler raised an eyebrow, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Is she thinking of me?
Then his smile faded.
She dipped her brush in vermilion paint and wrote: [Become him].
She covered up all traces of his name.
Her brushstrokes turned sharp, hands trembling with suppressed anger.
"This world is a joke!" "I won't let them win!" "I can do this!" Slap!
She suddenly threw down her brush and grabbed the inkstone beside her.
Splash!
The ink covered part of the writing.
Using splashed ink as the base and cursive script as the framework, she layered text in different pigments until the characters blurred, creating a unique textural effect.
Ultimately, it became a splashed-color painting.
Tyler's eyes sparkled with admiration.
What a genius.
After finishing the painting, Ellie began cleaning up the mess scattered across the floor. The creative frenzy faded, replaced by the quiet routine of tidying up.
She then began titling the piece.
Jealousy
Is she jealous of me?
She really is crazy.
Tyler chuckled, preparing to leave.
THUD!
A sudden, dull thud echoed through the studio, interrupting the calm as Tyler prepared to leave.
He turned and saw her collide with a shelf.
He sprang forward, scooped her up, and hurried out.
As they hurried out of the studio and into the hallway, they bumped into a woman wearing a red dress.
Tyler frowned, clutching Ellie tighter.
The woman blocked his path.
"Wait!" Hazel demanded, "Who are you? Where are you taking her?"
"To the hospital."
Hazel narrowed her eyes. "What's the name of the person in your arms?"
"Ellie."
"Wrong! Let go of her!" Hazel lunged to grab Ellie.
"Carly Grace. Willow Creek. Satisfied?" Tyler said, dodging her.
Hazel froze. "What are you to her?"
"No idea," he muttered, striding off.
In a private ward——
Ellie remained unconscious.
During the examination, the doctor rolled up her sleeve.
Tyler, standing nearby, felt his pupils suddenly contract.
Even the doctor was startled, staring at the scars on her wrist.
The wounds had scabbed over.
They looked as if they had been bound in chains or shackles for a long time.
"Please step out for a moment," Tyler said in a deep voice.
The doctor left the room.
Tyler undid her clothes to check her wounds.
When it turned to her back, he froze.
They were unmistakable marks of restraint and flogging.
He looked at the unconscious figure on the bed, his eyes churning with emotion.
What on earth did the Wards do to her?
Even in her sleep, her brows were furrowed, and her eyelashes fluttered rapidly with anxiety.
Is she having a nightmare?
He pulled the blanket up around her and walked out of the ward.
At the end of the hallway, Tyler dialed Patrick's number.
"Look into the wards."
In the ward——
Ellie jolted awake, gasping for breath.
Her body was drenched in cold sweat.
She looked around, tense.
What’s that?
What are they giving me?
She tried to sit up.
A pair of hands gently held her shoulders.
"It's just a nutrient solution," a familiar voice reassured her.
Ellie looked over, surprised.
Tyler was sitting by the bedside, smiling. "It's okay."
She slowly lay back down, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next time she opened her eyes, it was already noon the following day.
The ward was empty.
Food sat on the small table beside her, still warm.
She sat up and ate as she tried to piece together her memories.
Was it a hallucination?
Did Tyler come?
After finishing her meal, she got out of bed, tidied up, and rushed off to school.
Later, at RCA, which has several campuses, her afternoon classes were spread across two locations.
After the first class ended, she hurried out of the building and ran toward the bus stop.
Before she could take a few steps—snap!
A sharp snap sounded beside her.
Ellie stopped in her tracks, frozen.