Chapter 34: Obsidian Award
Enrico stayed at Rose Estate for several days.
Under the sunlight, the two of them, one lying and one sitting on the steps at the door, with rose petals scattered at their feet, exuded a sense of peaceful tranquility.
But Paige was coerced into this. Enrico had forcibly pressed her head onto his lap.
He sat on one side of the carpet, wearing a dark shirt with two buttons casually undone, revealing his fair skin. His long legs stretched out, one hand holding a tablet as he reviewed documents, the other resting on the person beside him.
Paige lay on the long steps, her head resting on his lap, holding a newspaper upside down in her hands as she read. His hand occasionally stroked her face.
That arrogant, shameless bastard. Paige cursed inwardly.
During these days, Paige was trapped at Rose Estate and couldn’t leave. Fortunately, Enrico’s attitude towards her now was akin to treating a little pet; he wouldn’t really harm her.
Now, she needed to continue plotting for herself.
Revenge and establishing herself were her top priorities.
For revenge, she had Kevin’s people keeping an eye on the Clarkes’ every move, giving her the upper hand in information. As for establishing herself, it all boiled down to money. Kevin wanted to give her money, but she refused. Making money on her own terms was more satisfying.
How to make quick money? That was the question.
Paige looked at the newspaper, with the headline upside down in her hands:
“Obsidian Award Returns, International Art Association Invites Painters Worldwide for Online Exhibition Competition.”
She glanced at the prize money. It was indeed from the top association, with the first prize offering a hefty $3 million.
Paige immediately had an idea.
“Little lunatic, tired of staying at Rose Estate and now thinking of escaping?” Enrico’s deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded above her head.
Paige startled but resisted the urge to look at his expression, continuing to stare blankly at the newspaper.
Enrico didn’t expect her to say anything, so he set down the tablet and called out, “Jaden.”
“Boss?”
“When is the Obsidian Award holding the final?” Enrico asked.
Paige suspected there was a bug planted in her body by Enrico. Otherwise, how did he bring up what she had just thought about?
“In two weeks, Boss. It’s on Wednesday. The organizers have rented Destiny Art Museum under our group for the finals,” Jaden replied immediately. “I’ve already received the invitation. Will you be attending?”
The boss never liked these boring events. So Jaden was planning to decline.
“I’ll take this little lunatic out for a spin, show her the world, so she doesn’t go running wild when I’m not around,” Enrico said, reaching out to pinch Paige’s delicate face.
“Yes, I’ll arrange it right away. The organizers also invited you to be a award presenter…”
“I’ll only accompany my little lunatic. I have no interest in anything else,”
“Understood,” Jaden nodded and then withdrew.
Paige lay on Enrico’s lap, looking at the newspaper once again. The finals were two weeks away, and the deadline for submissions was this weekend…
…
The Clarke family’s villa.
Molly hadn’t left her room in a week, not even to go to school.
The incident at Heaven Hotel left a deep psychological shadow on her. Now, everyone who was supposed to attend her birthday party knew she had offended the Lautner family’s savior. They all avoided her like she was a virus.
“Knock knock.”
Kathy stood outside Molly’s door. “Molly, staying in your room like this without eating or drinking will ruin your health. Come out and have something to eat, okay?”
There was no response from inside the room.
“Your counselor has called home several times already. You’re a top student at school, the school’s hope. You can’t just not go to school like this,” Kathy continued, carrying a tray of food.
Molly buried herself entirely under the covers. Listening to Kathy’s chatter outside, she grabbed a pillow and threw it on the floor, shouting loudly, “I’m not going! Everyone now knows I knelt down and apologized. Why should I go to school and embarrass myself? I’m not going, I’d rather die here!”
“Alright, I’ll handle this,” Malik approached Kathy, knocking on the door. “Molly, come out. I need to talk to you about something.”
“I’m not leaving my room! Let me die in here!” Molly yelled. From childhood to adulthood, she had never endured such humiliation. And to top it off, she knew Joss was Paige, but she couldn’t find any evidence.
“Molly, I have a way to help you. Would you like to hear it?” Malik said.
Upon hearing this, Molly threw off the covers, got out of bed in her slippers, and ran to the door, pulling it open to face Malik. “Dad, are you going to send someone to Wind Island to see if that little bastard Paige is still alive? Or have you already killed her?”
Molly had been home for several days, not washing her face or combing her hair. At this moment, her hair was in disarray like that of a madman, startling Kathy.
Malik frowned. “I’ve said it before, Wind Island is a place that’s easy to get into but hard to get out of. I can’t send people to check. Besides, I can’t go myself. I can’t afford to give my competitors any leverage.”
Upon hearing this, Molly drooped her head in frustration. “Then how are you going to help me?”
“Enrico.”
At Malik’s words, Molly immediately widened her eyes, looking at him in astonishment. “Dad, what do you mean? What does Enrico have to do with this?”
“You need to clean yourself up first before coming out. You’ve let a little setback turn you into this. How can you be my daughter?” Malik glared coldly at her, then turned and left.
Molly stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly turned and ran into the bathroom to freshen up.
After tidying herself up, Molly hurried into the living room and sat down anxiously next to Malik, grabbing his hand and asking, “Dad, what about Enrico? What do you mean?”
“The best way to deal with enemies is to elevate oneself. After this incident, I’ve realized that no matter if Joss is Paige or not, she relies on the Lautners’ influence to cause trouble. So, as long as we find a more powerful ally, why should we still fear the Lautners?”
“I understand that reasoning, but at my birthday party, with so many influential wealthy present, who stood up to help me? Even Bryan, though willing, lacks the means.”
“That’s why I decided to help you achieve your dreams. You want to marry Enrico, right?” Malik looked at her.
“Dad, do you have a plan?”
“I’ve received word that Enrico has already accepted an invitation to attend the Obsidian Award finals. He never attends non-financial events like this. What does that tell us? It means he has some interest in art and painting. If you can pique his interest, with your talent, it’s only a matter of time before Enrico takes notice of you.”
Molly listened, puzzled. “But Dad, I only know how to draw fashion designs. The Obsidian Award is for oil painting, it’s not the same type of art.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’ve already thought of a plan for you,” Malik said, clapping his hands twice.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
Two servants carried in a framed oil painting with a gold border, depicting sunflowers engulfed in flames, with simple yet masterful strokes that exuded vibrant life.
Taking one look at it, Molly was immediately captivated. Despite her lack of expertise in oil paintings, she found the piece exceptionally beautiful. “Dad, this painting is stunning,” she remarked.
“I bought it at great cost from the previous winner of the Obsidian Award. I had him adjust the style a bit and now it’s signed under your name,” Malik explained, walking over to her. “I’ve had it assessed by top art masters in the field. This painting, ‘Flaming Sunflower,’ is practically guaranteed to win the Obsidian Award. None of the other entries can compare. At the finals, you’ll have a chance to meet Enrico as the newly crowned Obsidian Award winner.”