Chapter 32

Victoria replied softly, "Our gallery has always been keen on Mr. Thomas's work. I want to give it a shot."

After hearing her request, Samuel thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll help you get in touch, but the final outcome will be up to you."

"Thank you, Professor Brown!" Victoria said sincerely.

Two days later, Samuel sent her an address, saying it was Joshua's studio and that she should go there in person to discuss.

After packing her things, Victoria immediately headed to the studio.

The studio was in a private villa area in the southern part of Silvermist City. As the car drove in, Victoria saw a standalone villa nestled in a tree-surrounded courtyard from a distance.

After the car stopped, Victoria got out with her bag.

As soon as she entered the studio, Victoria was greeted by the rich scent of ink.

She looked around and saw that the spacious studio was filled with paintings of various styles. Some were vibrant and bold, seemingly telling passionate stories; others had delicate brushstrokes, depicting a serene and beautiful world.

Yet Victoria's gaze unintentionally fell on an unfinished painting.

In the painting, the outline of a girl was faintly visible.

In front of red walls and gray tiles, she slightly tilted her head, with a few strands of hair gently falling on her cheeks, as if lightly swaying in the breeze.

Although the girl's features were only roughly sketched, one could feel the fresh and delicate beauty within.

She wore a light blue long dress, the hem gently swaying with her movements. Although the colors were not fully rendered, one could already sense the lightness and grace.

The more Victoria looked at the painting, the more familiar it became, and a strange sense of intimacy arose within her.

She tried to search her memory, attempting to find the source of this familiarity.

Was it someone she had seen before?

Her brows furrowed slightly as she fell into deep thought.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Victoria turned around and saw Samuel, dressed in casual attire, walking in.

"You're here." Samuel smiled at her and gestured for her to come in, then asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Victoria replied, "Water will be fine."

Samuel then turned and walked out.

A few minutes later, Samuel came back with a glass of water.

"Have a seat. Joshua will be here soon," he said as he sat down next to her.

"Okay." Victoria nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the unfinished painting on the easel.

Following her gaze, Samuel smiled and asked, "Do you like that painting?"

Victoria pursed her lips and softly said, "Mr. Thomas must really like this girl."

Samuel raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Victoria slightly tilted her head, her gaze still on the painting, and slowly said, "You can feel his delicacy and tenderness from the brushstrokes. The girl's expression is depicted so vividly, as if he knows her every move intimately. Even though the painting is unfinished, I can already feel the endless affection he put into it."

Samuel's eyes lit up with appreciation when he heard this. He then said, "Joshua has a quirky temper. What if he refuses to sell the paintings to you?"

Victoria chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I knew there was a chance of failure when I took this job. I'll figure something out."

Samuel nodded and smiled, "That's the spirit."

As they were chatting, the studio door opened again, and a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a black suit walked in.

The man was tall, young, and handsome, dressed in a sports outfit. He looked more like an athlete than an artist.

Seeing this, Victoria immediately stood up and respectfully said, "Hello, are you Mr. Thomas?"

Joshua glanced at her, nodded, and smiled. "You must be Victoria?" he asked.

Victoria quickly said, "Yes, I'm Victoria from Starry Studio Gallery."

Joshua looked at her and suddenly said, "I heard you want to buy my paintings?"

Victoria was taken aback, not expecting him to directly mention the real reason for her visit.

Feeling a bit awkward, she still honestly replied, "Yes, I want to purchase your paintings..."

"Sorry, I refuse." Joshua interrupted her without hesitation before she could finish.

"Why?" Victoria asked in astonishment.

She hadn't expected Joshua to reject her outright. A bit anxious, she continued, "May I ask why? If you have any conditions, please let me know. I'll do my best to meet them."

Seeing her somewhat pale face, Samuel felt a bit sorry for her. He quietly pinched Joshua's back and whispered, "Ryan, that's enough."

Victoria thought Samuel was speaking up for her and gratefully smiled at him.

However, Joshua glanced back at Samuel, snorted, and ignored him.

Samuel was left speechless and could only warn Joshua with his eyes.

But Joshua seemed to ignore his warning and continued, "It's not that I don't want to sell the painting to you. It's just that I already have a lot of orders and don't have the energy to take on more. However, if you and Samuel are willing to come by every week to help me with some basic tasks, like mixing colors or sketching, I might consider it."

Hearing this, Victoria looked at Samuel and hesitantly said, "Mr. Thomas, I don't mind, but Professor Brown is quite busy, and I can't..."

Before she could finish, Samuel interrupted, "I can! I have time! It's a great opportunity for me to learn from Mr. Thomas."

Joshua glanced at Samuel with a hint of amusement and said, "Good to see you know your place. In that case, I'll sell you two paintings first. As long as you both keep helping in the studio, I can sell you one painting a month!"

Victoria was so surprised by this sudden turn of events that she didn't know what to say.

She didn't expect Joshua to agree so readily.

Overjoyed, she kept nodding and said, "Thank you, Mr. Thomas!"

"You're welcome," Joshua said with a wave of his hand. "But the price will still be market rate. I won't give you a discount."

"Don't worry," Victoria earnestly promised. "I'll take photos and have our evaluation department assess the price. We won't let you suffer any loss."

"Alright." Joshua nodded in satisfaction.

After taking photos, Victoria chatted with Joshua for a bit, said goodbye to Samuel, and left the studio.

Watching her leave, Ryan Thomas patted Samuel's shoulder and teased in a low voice, "Is she your muse?"