Page 3 of Unresolved

I had no doubt our gallery would be packed later today.He was becoming an obsession, an icon.

That could have been me.

I pushed the envious thought away.I wasn’t that type of person.I’d made peace with my circumstances, accepted I couldn’t have what or who I wanted.

I’d moved on.

Or so I’d thought.

Gregory shrugged awkwardly, bringing me back to the present, one he seemed to want to feature in.Fat chance.I had zero chemistry with the man, and therefore, zero interest in him.He cleared his throat.“I don’t know, you just seemed...edgy.”He flushed.“I think I know you well enough now to sense when you’re not yourself.”His flush deepened.“I-I care about you, Fi.”

I inhaled sharply even as our work colleagues hurried past and headed to their respective jobs.Shit.Had they overheard?The last thing I wanted was work gossip to ruin my fledgling career.I’d already become aware of the rumors circulating about us, insinuating I’d gotten my managerial position by sleeping with Gregory, the owner of the gallery.

In reality, I’d gotten it thanks to my hard work and knowledge of art, not to mention my eye for detail.I had a knack for knowing where single pieces and groupings would look best and be most appreciated.

Still, I had to tread carefully.I didn’t want to lose everything I’d built since my world had crumbled apart.I looked up at Gregory, at his dull blue eyes that scrutinized me like I was one of his cherished pieces of art.“You’re a wonderful man, Gregory, and a good friend.I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

He pushed a hand through his thinning, dirty blond hair, his suit jacket flopping open to reveal his scrawny body.“I was hoping you might think of me as more than a friend by now.”

My stomach dropped.“I’m not planning on being anything but single anytime soon.”I reached out and touched his arm, the sleeve of his suit coarse under my palm, so unlike Evander’s luxurious designer suits.I shook off the comparison.I had to stop thinking about Evander and finding other men lacking!“I hope you understand,” I added.

His face tightened.“What’s to understand?I’m offering you a good life.”He put his hand over mind, and I tried not to notice his clammy touch.“I’d do anything for you, Fi.Anything.”

I resisted taking a step back, though nothing could stop a distasteful shiver rolling through me.I didn’t want a good life, not after experiencing an incomparably perfect life.Evander really would have done anything for me—killed for me, even—had I asked.Gregory would equate putting the dishes away for me ashisanything.

His hand tightened on mine.“What aren’t you understanding, Fi?I want—“

His voice broke off even as we turned simultaneously, sensing someone behind us.A figure in a black suit stood framed in the wide doorway, the sun behind him making him blurry and indistinguishable.

So why did I suddenly feel faint, my heart pumping hard and my insides rolling?Then the figure stepped away and the momentary lapse of fear that froze me in place as quickly faded.

I pulled my hand free, Gregory’s clasp falling away.

He cleared his throat, his voice thready.“We’ll talk more about this...later.”

I barely nodded.Though I was no longer distressed, I was still unsettled.My senses stayed in hyper-drive as a thousand emotions churned through me.Was it seriously possible the man who’d appeared so briefly in the doorway had been Evander?

No.I was being paranoid.Gregory’s revelation had unnerved me, pushed me into fight or flight mode, triggering my past traumas along with my overactive imagination.

Except, Gregory had seen the man too and had seemed just as anxious.I turned to him, only to realize he’d gone, leaving me standing alone in the gallery’s space.

I glanced at the wall to my left, at the portrait of an old man.He stared down at me with cynical boredom, though his dark eyes showcased a keen intelligence that was offset by shadowy darkness.A cigar was perched between his lips, its tip glowing and creating a waft of smoke that gave the entire painting an eerie quality, like the man was half-hidden behind a murky fog that embodied his mind.

My arms prickled.The man had the look of a mafia kingpin.Not just because of his quality suit, but his air of arrogance and self-importance, his soulless eyes that seemed to look right through me.

I snorted.I’d really allowed my mind to run rampant.Add in Gregory’s infatuation and I’d let myself be disturbed on a level I’d thought had been buried from the moment I’d started my new life.

A shiver slithered down my spine, my eyes prickling with sudden tears.I sucked in a steadying breath.I refused to allow myself to think about anything else I’d had to bury.

Ming, our security guard, approached me.His brow was furrowed under his cap, his wide shoulders stiff under his navy-colored shirt.“Is everything okay, Fiona?”

I nodded before I managed a weak smile.“Never better, Ming.”

A crowd was already gathering at the front of the gallery when the last painting was brought in.It was a huge canvas, which had been covered to protect it.I guessed this was the pièce de résistance of the artist’s collection.I had no doubt it was also the artist’s drawcard, the special piece that would get the art enthusiasts and critics talking.

It’d been my biggest accomplishment to date enticing the reclusive artist to Gregory’s boutique gallery.That he’d declined major gallery offers hadn’t escaped me.Though I’d done all my sweet talking to Chase via emails, it’d been enough to secure his latest works for public viewing.

A pity I didn’t have time to view it or appreciate his biggest painting.I needed to help manage the crowd.After directing the two men to a far wall, which was hidden behind some temporary partitions that showcased Chase’s other portraits, I hurried to the front of the gallery.

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