Chapter 24 The Price of Worth
Sarah turned and glanced at Grayson.
+8 Pearls
His phoenix eyes were calm and still, indifferent in their gaze–but somehow, it gave her a strange sense of
peace.
He looked down at her the moment their eyes met, catching her expression with quiet attention.
Their gazes touched–then parted just as quickly.
Sarah smiled.
She had worried he might be bothered by all this, but of course, someone like Grayson–poised and composed–wouldn’t take such petty drama to heart.
Nora’s soft voice rang out again. “Sarah, I just think….. girls shouldn’t be tempted by small gains. It’s just a painting, after all. And who knows what kind of intentions someone has when they give gifts like that…”
Just a painting?
Sarah almost laughed.
Good thing the piece hadn’t ended up in Nora’s hands–wasted.
“A gallery exhibit, elevated to this level of drama?” she said plainly. “At this rate, the gallery should hire you for PR.”
Her tone was cool as her eyes swept over Shane, who frowned slightly, clearly displeased with how sharp she was being.
“And besides,” she continued, “maybe someone who gives a painting has ulterior motives… but someone who never bothers to care about me at all? That’s even more worthless, don’t you think?”
Nora blinked, but didn’t give up. “The painting is still a very expensive gift. It’s not appropriate for a girl to accept something like that–it gives people the wrong idea…”
Grayson let out a quiet scoff, lips curling with amusement as he wrapped his hand lightly around Sarah’s wrist. “In my eyes, Ms. Sarah deserves every kind of gift, no matter the price.”
Then he looked at Nora, gaze sharp. “And asking a question like that—isn’t that just revealing how you think?”
Nora’s face paled instantly.
Without waiting for a reply, Grayson took Sarah by the wrist and began to lead her away.
Sarah froze for half a second but didn’t pull away–she followed him without hesitation.
Behind them, Shane watched their backs.
His hands clenched tightly at his sides.
Fury crept up his face, painting his normally calm expression with a shade of storm.
His once–gentle eyes were now laced with frost.
He stared at Sarah’s back for a long time before finally laughing–cold and angry.
3:53 PM
Chapter 24 The Price of Worth
“Sarah, you’re misbehaving again.”
Beside him, Nora took note of every nuance in his face, her own eyes flashing coldly.
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With a guilty tone, she said, her voice laced with tears, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me. I should’ve thought about how Sarah would feel. I should’ve known seeing you with me at the gallery would upset her…”
Her self–blame, layered with gentle sorrow, only made Shane’s expression darker.
“It’s not your fault. Sarah’s just throwing a childish tantrum again. Once she calms down, she’ll understand. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t take her words to heart.”
He looked down, gave a faint laugh–his tone soft, but his eyes entirely humorless.
After leaving the gallery, Grayson drove Sarah home.
As he glanced at her through the rearview mirror, he asked, “Ms. Sarah… are you alright?”
Sarah lowered her head and didn’t answer. Instead, she quietly changed the subject.
“Mr. Grayson, thank you for the painting.”
That painting meant a lot to her.
She would treasure it.
Grayson noticed the way she was gently brushing the surface of the wrapped canvas and felt his mood lift ever so slightly.
“If you’re truly grateful,” he said, “come with me somewhere on Sunday.”
“Alright.”
Sarah agreed without hesitation.
A favor owed–she would pay it back.
Back at home, she carefully hung the painting on the wall.
Looking at the lone rose blooming in the gray ruin, her heart felt light for the first time in a long while.
And when she left Astrovia, she would take it with her.
Like a warning–a reminder of the years she’d foolishly given away.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated non–stop.
It was her coworkers chatting in the group thread.
“Told you Nora was all fluff and no substance.”
“Seriously. Such a small thing and she still managed to mess it up. What a joke.”
“If this project tanks, there goes our year–end bonus.”
3:53 PM
Chapter 24 The Price of Worth
Sarah scrolled through the messages.
es
0
So the partnership she’d originally secured… had fallen apart.
And the root of the issue?
Nora.
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After taking over the project from Sarah, she had somehow approved the wrong funding, putting the project into a deficit before it even launched.
A hundred percent her fault.
But instead of firing her, Shane had covered the losses himself.
Now they were back to square one–trying to renegotiate with the original partner.
Just then, Shane’s name flashed across her screen.
He was calling.
Sarah picked up.
