Chapter 406 Grace Seduces Martin
Patricia Patricia's felt anxious, and her breath caught in her throat with anxiety, almost instinctively looking. She looked around the sparsely furnished room, searching for a hiding place to hide in the room.
. The room's furnishings were sparse.
A room only contained a bed, a wardrobe, and a couch.
Hiding under the bed was out of the question.
Tootoo obvious at a glance.
Her gaze settled on, so she considered the wardrobe instead.
Just as she was about to urge Martin into the closet, she heard Jeremy's voice from the other side of the door;. "Tricia, it's me. I need to talk to you. Can you open the door?"
As the final word echoed, an instanta chill swept through the room, plunging the temperature several degrees lower.
Martin's handsome face was a mask of fury.
"Tricia, huh? That's pretty cozy!."
"I... I don't know why he suddenly called me that."
"Heh..."
It was clear Martin wasn't buying her explanation.
""Would he bother to give you a nickname if you weren't close?"
A dull pain throbbed at Patricia's temples.
"Believe me, there's nothing is going on between us!. Jeremy is just blunt and simple-minded. Maybe he just casually switched how he addresses me; it's not as complicated as you're making it out to be."
The anger in Martin's face intensified.
"So, what you're saying is, I'm being petty? I'm judging a gentleman by the standards of a scoundrel?"
Patricia didn't understand how her words had been twisted like this. Typical; jealousy was fearsome in anyone, especially Martin. She couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
Typical.
Jealousy was fearsome in anyone.
Especially in Martin.
"Is this really the time for that kind of talk?"
Patricia couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, not in the mood to argue with Martin.
Just then, she heard Jeremy from outside,. "PatriciaTricia, if you don't answer, I'm coming in..."
Patricia gasped, a surge of panic spurring her to rush over and press against the door,. her voice tense, "I'm... I'm fine,. jJust wait a minute,. I need to change my clothes."
Hearing her at last, Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief and obediently withdrew his hand.
Patricia glared fiercely at Martin, quickly put on ther clothes off the floor, then squeezed through a crack she opened, slipping out the door.
From outside, Jeremy's voice carried through,. "Patricia, I brought some fruit. Let's eat and talk."
'Fruit...
Oh, the irony!.'
Martin gave a laugh that heldlaughed with more anger than amusement,. tThough he knew Patricia wouldn't betray cheat on him, he couldn't help the the jealousy that roiled within him.
Yet Martin didn't immediately leave.
He dressed and sat in the room, waiting for Patricia to return.
UnfortunatelyHowever, after a long wait with no sign of her, his face turned an ashen shade of greenchanged color as he pulled out his phone and texted Patricia.
"Martin: [Where are you? How much longer?"?]
He'd nabbed the number on the sly, a secret maneuver for his own purposes.
It took a good ten minutes before Patricia's text pinged back.
"Patricia: [Still there, huh? Head on back, will you? Jeremy's got something heJeremy needs my help with, something, and it could take a while.".]
"...??"
Martin's grip onhand tightened around his phone tightened abruptly, his hand , nearly crushing the device.
She wants him to leave.
He stubbornly refused to budge.
Let'sleave; he would wait and see when she gets backhow long it took before she returned.
A childish thought crossed through Martin's mind.
It was aAs if Patricia could see right through himread his mind, her fingers psychically tapping the keys that , she sent another message his way soon after.
"Patricia: [We've come too far to slip up now. If we get caught, it's all for nothing. Head back, and we'll talk next time."again when we get a chance.]
The veins on Martin's forehead bulged, his chest heaving with each angry breath.
After a moment, he took a deep breath and , with agile moves, climbed out through the window.
Meanwhile, Back in her room, Grace waited impatiently in her room.
The moment When she heard rustling outside the door, she tugged open her nightgown's neckline, grabbed an empty cup from the nightstand, and stepped out, ‘'accidentally' bumping into Martin as he returned.
Feigning surprise, she asked, "Martin, where what on earth have were you been up to this late?"
Ignoring her, Martin didn't spare a glance for the hint of skin she was showing; he just eyed the cup in her hand. "Going downstairs for some coffeewater?"
Grace nodded, deliberately tousling her hair to open her neckline further.
"Well, I'm heading to my bedroom,." Martin said, brushing past her.
Martin, unfazed, brushed past her towards his bedroom.
Grace stood there, puzzled and frustrated.
Hearing the turn of the door lock, she couldn't help but walked over. "Martin..."
He paused and turned to look at her.
Grace, notNot wanting to seem too forward yet unable to contain her vexation, Grace patted his shoulder with feigned nonchalance. "You've got dust... There, all good. Go get some rest. Goodnight!"."
"Goodnight."
He did not give herWithout a second glance, just he walked straight into his room.
Grace's face flushed with anger, then drained of color as she clutched the cup, the fury within her burning. Instead of heading to get water, she stormed back into her room, pressing down her anger.
...
Ever sinceSince Shane and Riley recognized Patricia's design talent in designing, their attitude towards her had subtly shifted.
Adhering to his belief in nurturing talent, Riley took it upon himself to cultivate her gifts.
Patricia and Martin had been laying low, avoiding each other for days, afraid their secret meetings would be uncovered.
Before long, Bernice, the instructor e tutor Shane had arranged for, arrived.
She was a woman in her forties that wore black-rimmed glasses and dressed in a tailored suit, named Bernice.
. Bernice's Her hair was arranged in gorgeous curls twisted . She had twisted them into a bun and fastened it with a clip. She wore black-rimmed glasses that suggested she had an astute eye, and she dressed nicely in a tailored suit.
Grace, Jeremy, and Patricia were sent to study under her guidance. Their lessons were set for 9 AM to 11 AM and then from 2 PM to 4 PM.
Their lessons were set for 9 AM to 11 AM, and then from 2 PM to 4 PM.
When it comes to the art of jewelry design, raw talent often outshines mere skill. For the naturally gifted, excessive interference can quash that talent, trapping them within a maze of rules and restrictions. Thus, Bernice didn't overstep. She started with the basics, an overview of what to watch for, and the principles of composition.
Thus, Bernice didn't overstep. She started with the basics, an overview of what to watch for and the principles of composition.
After several days of instruction, Bernice had a feelingfelt she was getting a good measure of their abilities.
But However, when Shane came to inquire, she held her cards close to her chest, saying only that she needed more time to observe.
Seeing Bernice wouldn't divulge, Shane decided not to pry further. A few days later, Bernice gave them a two-hour preliminary examination themed on affection.
A few days later, Bernice put them to the test with a preliminary examination.
They had two hours.
The theme: "Affection."
Patricia tilted her head, gazing out the window in deep thought, and then, with a decisive motion, she picked up her pencil and began to draw.
Grace, confident from the moment the theme was announced, didn't pause to reflect. She just grabbed her pencil and started to work on her sketch.
Jeremy, head cocked to one side, was at a loss for a long while, unsure where to begin.
Bernice sat calmly in her chair for the first half-hour, then began making her rounds.
She first stopped by Patricia, where, upon seeing her draft, a subtle change flickered across her face. Then she moved on to Grace for a while before her gaze finally settled on Jeremy.
Seeing he washad yet to make an impression, she sighed inwardly, shaking her head, and was about to retreat to her seat when Shane made his appearanceappeared.
"Mr. Shane!"
," Bernice offered a polite greetingsaid.
Leaning on his cane and assisted by Ariel, Shane strolled in, eyes crinkling with a smile. "I heard there's a pop quiz today, so I thought I'd check on the progress.," he said cheerfully.
Bernice understood Mr. Langley'shis eagerness and didn't bar his entry.
Shane first approached Grace, his eyes glittering with anticipation as he leaned over her drawing.
Deep down, he harbored the hopehoped that his granddaughter, Graceshe would surpass Patricia.
Grace had always been Elise's spitting image.
He wished she could stride down the path her mother hadn't finished.
Yet, his smile tensed ever so slightly Aat the sight of Grace's designs, his smile tensed ever so slightly.
Chapter407
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