CHAPTER 11

Dylan was finishing up his assignment on a Saturday when he received an email from the company, he had been assigned to investigate Rita and his mother a few days before.

He was supposed to meet the boss at Heritage Club in two hours because there was an emergency, according to the email. When he went there for his case, he was surprised that they didn't bill him but instead told him that they would get back to him after making a few inquiries.

He was about to meet the boss. Was all of this to imply that his case was a little complicated, or what? He planned to find out later when he went there. He finished his assignment and began preparing for his appointment.

Knowing where Rita and his mother were was far more important than his current assignment.

When he arrived at the club one and a half hours later, he gave the valet his Lamborghini Aventador S keys and a tip on the top. He went to the reception desk, checked his name, and was led to one of the club's private galleries. Who was he meeting with?

He was full of questions that vanished the moment he stepped into that gallery. He'd never seen such exquisite and one-of-a-kind paintings before. It was like seeing a modern version of one of Pablo Picasso's paintings. He could never understand how this artist or artist portrayed nature.

He kept walking around the gallery, admiring the paintings and looking for his appointment. When he got to the back of the gallery, he noticed her sitting on a bench, staring at the wall.

A painting of peach blossoms hung on the wall. The drawing reminded him of a tattoo he'd seen on her face. He approached her and took a seat beside her.

"What a coincidence," he exclaimed.

“This isn't a coincidence, Dylan; please take a seat.”

“What does this mean?” he questioned as he took a seat next to her.

“You'll figure it out after a while.”

“Please don't tell me you're the boss I'm supposed to meet with.”

“I'm afraid so.”

“Wow. I had no idea you worked for that company as well.”

"I don't work there; I own the business."

“You are deserving of my respect, Violet.”

“I appreciate it.”

“What do you notice when you look at that painting?”

“Do you want me to be truthful?”

“Lies, I don't like them, to be truthful.”

“The first thing that came to mind when I saw the painting was you.”

“Why me?”

“That tattoo on your face looks the same. I'll never forget how lovely it is, so when
I saw it, you came to mind.”

“It's the first time I've heard anything like that.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Violet, what do you see?”

“I see how lovely nature is and how much we should cherish it. Everything we have should be treasured because it may be difficult to recover if it is lost. Sometimes it's difficult to recover it, but we can still recover it even if it's only a small piece, but for some of them, it's impossible.”

“Have you ever lost something?”

“You can say whatever you want. Some I recovered from, some I never recovered from, but I realized that whatever it was had to not drag me down. I should keep living and looking forward because if I look back, I might never be able to go forward again,” Violet said, looking at him, “let's leave that story aside, shall we,
and you tell me why you want to investigate these two.”

“Aren't those supposed to be my problems?”

“It doesn't matter if it's personal or not. What I'm interested in is how you intend to use the information once you have it,” with a solemn expression, she stated. He could tell she was serious and a little agitated, and he didn't want that.

“All right, I'll tell you.”

Dylan told her that he suspected Rita was hiding something and that he believes there were other motives behind his arrangement and Rita.

In terms of his mother, he wanted to know if she was still alive, and if she was, he wanted to know everything he could about her. He simply wanted to see his mother and ask her why she had done what she had done.

“If I had answers to all of my questions, I would be the happiest woman on the planet,” Violet stated after she had finished listening to him.

“Are you going to accept my case?”

“I've already taken it, which is why we're here.”

“How should I compensate you?”

“I want that painting; bring it to my mansion in two days and I'll give you
everything you want.”

“Can you tell me where it is?”

“Come to the club, and someone will take you there,” she said as she stood up to leave.

“Is that it?”

“I do have another appointment. Be at ease, and you will have your answers,” she said as she walked away.

He sighed as he watched her walk away. She was unique in every way. She summoned him for this purpose. He had a lot of work to do. He tracked down the curator and inquired about the painting.

It had an interesting backstory; the artist was still new at the time, and it was one of her first pieces. He paid for it and left his address because the price was reasonable. The painting was supposed to be delivered to his apartment the next day, giving him another day to get it to Violet's mansion.

It didn't take long for his car to arrive at the entrance, and after thanking the valet, he climbed into his car and drove away. He still had homework to finish at home, as well as a dinner date with Rita.

Violet kept looking at her crystal ball; things were much more interesting when it came to the Dark's family. It was going to be a long day after all. She was sitting in her gazebo, enjoying the sunshine and the cool breeze.

All she could do now was sit there and wait for Dylan, drinking orange juice and playing with her crystal ball.

“Mr. Dark has come to see you, Ma'am.”

“Really? Please send him in.”

“All right, I'll get to it right away.”

“Where has Anne gone?”

“Miss Anne went out and said she would return soon.”

“All right, send the guest in.”

What had she been up to? It was encouraging to hear that she had gone all out without telling her; she was now acting like a child rather than a subordinate. It was refreshing to see her not acting like a robot.

She only hoped that she would not live a life like hers and that she would be pleased to see her introduce a man to her. She had never dated anyone her age. She was a terrible role model for her child.

She recognized her guest when she heard her maid's voice directing someone. She turned around to see him holding a bouquet of roses; what a romantic!

Violet smiled politely at Dylan as she said, “I thought you weren't going to make it."

“How can I pass up such a fantastic opportunity to see the rumored Lucid Dreams mansion?”

“So, you pay attention to those gossips?”

“It's all over the place in the club. Everyone is curious about what lies beyond that gate.”

“I guess you know what's there now.”

“I am honored, to say the least, it's stunning and incredible. Everything about it is far superior to my family's mansion.”

“Are you currently attempting to flatter me?”

“I'm just being truthful.”

“You'd better not be telling the truth. Where have my manners gone? Please take a seat.”

“Thank you,” he said as he took the seat across from her.

She smiled as he handed her the flowers.