Ann slowed down and suddenly stopped, her hazel eyes flitting about, then furrowing in concern.
“What’s wrong, Ann?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, Miss,” Ann stammered.
“But, Miss…”
Turning back, Ann suddenly grabbed Olivia’s hands, “Let’s come here another time.”
Surprised by Ann’s abrupt behavior, Olivia looked towards the museum again. Below a painted portrait on a red cloth, the name “Andreiya Nikolai” was written in white letters.
“Next time, Miss,” Ann insisted, gripping Olivia’s wrist more tightly.
Olivia slowly sifted through her memories.
Ah…
She faintly recalled the name from her hazy past.
“Please, be my muse.”
The painter, commissioned to create a portrait of the Duchess of Leopold, had knelt before her, pleading. That was all.
A mere inspiration for the artist.
The painter, recommended by the Crown Prince and commissioned to paint the duke and duchess at Greathill, was thrilled upon seeing the duchess. It wasn’t about romantic feelings. To him, Olivia Blanchett was purely a muse of art.
An affair.
People whispered that Andreiya Nikolai was the duchess’s lover. An absurd notion, but when people believe a lie, it soon becomes their truth.
“Let’s do that,” Olivia agreed, linking arms with Ann and walking away without looking back.
Olivia Blanchett’s reputation was not good.
Given her origin, any action she took was distorted by biased attention and misconceptions, painting her as a woman of questionable character.
There was no need to add fuel to the peaceful days in Brit.
“Let’s see how delicious the pancakes are,” Olivia said cheerfully to Ann.
The pancake topped with soft whipped cream, succulent strawberries, and blueberries did not disappoint Olivia.
The heavenly sweetness was irresistible, and they ended up polishing off two plates.
After leaving the garden café, Olivia and Ann strolled leisurely across the bridge over the Vichen River, basking in the lazy sunshine. The slow current of the river made the afternoon feel peacefully slow-paced.
While chatting with Ann, Olivia sensed a strange gaze. Abruptly, she stopped.
“Does your leg hurt, Miss?”
“No, no, it doesn’t.”
Olivia resumed walking slowly, looking ahead. Then, suddenly, around the midpoint of the bridge, she abruptly turned around.
Among the crowd walking naturally, only one man, startled, froze for a moment before pretending to gaze at the opposite bank of the river.
“Ann, let’s go back. My leg feels sore.”
“I’ll get a carriage for you. Just wait here.”
“No, Ann. I can walk to the lift station. Let’s go.”
Linking arms with Ann, Olivia turned and walked back the way they came, passing by the man wearing a beret and sporting a mustache.
“…”
A journalist, perhaps.
Olivia recalled Elaine’s words: ‘You don’t know how big a deal your divorce was. They even published the brand of the bag you carried when you left Greathill. Haven’t you read the papers?’
Lost in thought, Olivia sat by the carriage window, looking out at the golden-lit bridge. The man was nowhere to be seen.
Diane Brook carefully chose her attire, then began to dress meticulously in front of a full-length mirror.
The sensation of the silk lace slip gliding over her skin reminded her of Johan’s intimate touches. She closed her eyes momentarily to savor the sensation, then picked up the dress she had selected.
The dress belonged to Olivia Blanchett, but without its owner, it was now hers. Johan was hers alone too.
The black dress that covered her entirely, without revealing anything, accentuated her full bust, slim waist, and firm hips, igniting hidden fantasies.
Her hair was loosely gathered and twisted low, highlighting her long neck. She wore small pearl earrings that clung to her earlobes.
Diane looked at herself in the mirror.
She was perfect. Demure yet sensual, exactly how she wanted to appear.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
