Chapter 486 This Is My First Time
Winona said, "Yeah, last time you got Caleb to talk me out of giving up on my passion. Even though I ended up sticking with the Bailey Group, I still appreciate your support."
She grabbed her car keys and paused as she walked past him. "I'll seriously think about it. Thanks, Matthew."
Matthew watched her leave, feeling a bit conflicted. He wasn't sure who had actually asked Caleb to persuade Winona, but he had his guesses.
Now, it seemed like Winona thought it was him.
What if he just went with it?
Winona's hand was already on the door handle, about to leave.
"Winona!" Matthew called out, a gentle smile on his face. "This is my first time."
Winona turned her head so fast she almost hurt her neck. She looked at Matthew, surprised, and he smiled warmly, like he didn't think he said anything weird.
"You..." Winona stuttered, flustered. What was Matthew even talking about?
Seeing her startled expression, Matthew couldn't help but laugh. "It wasn't me who asked Caleb to talk to you before."
Winona let out a sigh of relief, calming down like she just dodged a bullet. "Don't pause like that when you're talking; you almost gave me a heart attack!"
She looked at the patterns on the door, lost in thought.
If it wasn't Matthew last time, was it because Caleb couldn't stand to see her give up on her dreams so easily, or...
She thought of Zachary but quickly pushed the thought aside.
At that time, he had just taken over the Ramsey Group and was probably in a worse situation than now. How would he have had the time to deal with such matters?
Matthew noticed her distraction, and his smile became a bit strained. "You've seemed really worried lately. I just wanted to make you smile."
Winona replied, "Don't ever joke like that again. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Matthew nodded. "Alright."
Winona thought about it for several days and finally decided to join the appraisal show. Caleb was right: it's not easy to find a passion in life, and you shouldn't let it go because of temporary challenges.
Artifact restoration needed a calm mind and a lot of time, which she didn't have right now. If she couldn't stay focused, it would have been counterproductive and could have led to mistakes.
These were irreplaceable cultural treasures, and she didn't want to risk damaging them. In contrast, appraising was more manageable, and there were other experts and professors to share the responsibility.
Winona searched for the show online and found out it had already aired several episodes. Recently, though, an expert had to drop out midway for personal reasons, creating this open spot.The show was recorded and broadcast live, no rehearsals or do-overs. The appraisers hadn't seen the artifacts beforehand, so it was all about their on-the-spot reactions and expertise. If they messed up, it could be pretty embarrassing.
The recording was set for Tuesday at the TV station.
Winona got there early, and the other experts hadn't shown up yet. She sat in the waiting area, listening to the staff explain the process and camera positions. "Miss Sullivan, we record and broadcast live, no filters or retouching. The camera can add a few extra pounds, so be sure to angle your face a bit."
As he spoke, he looked up at Winona and met her gaze, blushing instantly. He quickly looked down and whispered, "But Miss Sullivan, you're so beautiful that you'll look good no matter what."
Winona smiled, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," the staff said quickly. "You have a sign on your left and another on your right, for true and false. After the appraisal, just raise the right sign."
As they talked, the others arrived.
There were four appraisers, including Winona. After the three of them gave their results, the most esteemed expert would deliver the final verdict.
This setup maximized the show's drama. If everyone gave the same answer, it would be pretty boring.
Although artifact appraisal and restoration weren't the same job, they were in the same field. While the experts didn't interact much, they knew of each other.
Winona, being the youngest and from a different specialty, was very humble but didn't come off as a suck-up.
After greeting each other, they chatted briefly before the show officially started.
The host introduced Winona as the new addition, saying, "I've seen Miss Sullivan's documentary on artifact restoration. Her exquisite and skilled techniques left me in awe, making me reluctant to even blink. I never expected someone so young to have such remarkable skills."
After the usual praise, the show officially began.
The first item was a sculpture.
After the owner introduced its background, they carefully placed the figurine in front of the appraisers, holding it with both hands.
In a villa somewhere in Dreamopolis, Zachary lay on the couch.
He had had a few drinks during an evening engagement. Although he wasn't drunk, the alcohol was making him feel weak, and he didn't want to move.
The living room lights were off, with only a faint light seeping through the curtains, dimly lighting the room.
At that moment, a slight sound came from the door as it was opened.
Zachary, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, suddenly became alert. His gaze turned to the ceiling, showing no trace of drunkenness.
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