<b>Chapter </b>72


    Maddox


    Only a few seconds after we stepped inside, Harper forgot all about me. Her wide eyes roamed the walls<b>, </b><b>her </b>jaw dropping with every new piece of art sheid her eyes on. She wasn’t trying to hide her genuine reaction.


    “Honestly, everything is more beautiful in person,” she whispered, almost to herself, but it was loud enough for me to hear.


    I shoved my hands in my pockets, watching her move from painting to painting like a kid that had been unleashed in a candy store. It all made me smile even when I didn’t mean to.


    She stopped in front of one particr painting, leaning closer to take in the details. A few strands of her perfectly styled hair slid forward to cover one eye and she blew at it a few times but it refused to cooperate. It stubbornly fell over her eye again. I caught myself staring at her the entire time and she must have felt it because she suddenly turned her head towards me.


    Quickly, I changed my expression to bored and nonchnt, like I hadn’t just been staring at her. Why the hell did I even need topose myself? I had nothing to hide.


    She walked towards me, lowering her voice until I felt the warmth of her breath against my ear.


    “This is the best art exhibition ever!”


    I tilted my head down at her. “Of course it is and it’s about to get even better.”


    She scoffed, raising her eyebrows. “Better than seeing all this up close?”


    “Yup. It’ll be a million times better.” Her curiosity was adorable, but I didn’t leave her waiting too long. “That’s because you’re about to meet the artist himself.”


    She gasped so loudly that a few heads turned quickly. She pped both hands over her mouth, her eyes darting around the room like she had justmitted a crime.


    I held in myugh, savoring every second of her reaction. She could cover her mouth all she wanted, but she couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes. It was the kind of excitement I’d been hoping to see.


    There was a sudden round of apuse that broke out behind us and Harper turned with wide eyes. I already knew who it was before I even saw him.


    “There he is,” I said, leaning closer to her. “Dante Moretti, in the flesh.”


    Her reaction was priceless. She froze with lips parted as the sight of him left her at a loss for words.


    He walked towards the crowd, lifting a hand to greet everyone with the kind of effortless charm that made his name legendary.


    Then, his speech began, thanking everyone foring and the inspiration behind each piece.


    <b>7:02 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    200


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    The whole time, Harper’s hand rested on my arm and she unconsciously squeezed it lightly every now and then, her attention fixed on him, not me. I didn’t even mind. Her excitement showed through every small gesture, especially when Dante spoke about the painting she loved the most.


    When he finally wrapped up and the crowd began to break up, I leaned towards her ear. “Come on. It’s time to meet him.”


    “What?” She blinked rapidly, like she was stunned. “You mean-”


    I didn’t even give her time to finish as I pulled her along, heading straight to him.


    He noticed me approaching him and instantly smiled at me.


    “Maddox Aldridge!” He greeted me warmly, cing his hand on my shoulder. “Such an honor to have you here. It’s been a while.”


    “Too long actually.” I smiled back.


    I hadn’t been to his exhibitions in a long time.


    Then, I pulled Harper closer. “There’s someone you need to meet. This is Harper Moore.”


    “It’s such an honor. I’m a huge fan of your work.” Her voice trembled lightly and it was so cute that I held in myugh.


    “Thank you. That means more than you know.” He gave her a genuine smile. “Would you like a picture together?”


    Her eyes grew so wide that I thought they might pop out. The look on her face had me holding back anotherugh.


    “Y–Yes please.”


    <b>I </b>stood back, watching her glow as he posed with her, her phone clutched in her shaky hand. She looked like she’d just been handed the universe.


    When he excused himself to mingle with the others, she just stood frozen and stared at him like she couldn’t believe it had just happened. She still hadn’t even put her phone away.


    Then, she looked at me with genuine happiness and that did something inside of me. Tiffany had put her through hell the previous week. I’d wanted to give her something like that to erase even a fraction of that pain and by the look on her face at that moment, I knew I did it.


    The two of us had dinner at one of my restaurants and I chose a corner table with the best view.


    She hadn’t stopped talking since we sat down. She reyed every detail of the exhibit and still hadn’t stopped checking the picture on her phone. I didn’t even interrupt her. There was a constant sparkle in her eyes with every word she said and it all traced back to me because of my decision to bring her to the Valmont House. It <b>all </b>boosted my ego in ways I hadn’t expected.


    <b>7:02 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    Then, she stopped talking, her gaze turning into something curious.


    “What’s up?” she asked.


    I blinked as I looked to the side. Shit. I’d been staring at her a bit too long without blinking.


    12.55 vouchats


    I leaned back in my seat, slipping into my usual self. “Nothing.” I pulled my phone from my pocket, looking down at the screen like that had been the n all along. “Just a second.”


    She raised her eyebrows in curiosity but it all made sense to her when I held up the phone in front of me with the camera facing her. She posed, even tilting her head a little. Her lips curved into a natural smile that didn’t even need effort. She then went crazy with the poses, doing whatever came to mind and I loved seeing that side of her.


    Even though I took a few pictures, I only meant to pick one but as I scrolled, I realized every picture hit differently. One was with herughing, one with her pretending to re at me and one with her caught off guard mid–blink, but it somehow still looked wless.


    I couldn’t choose. I wanted to post all of them. I was too caught up in the thought of it when someone called my name.


    “Maddox?<b>” </b>


    That feminine voice sounded familiar and I raised my head from my phone, my heart skipping a beat <i>at </i>the sight of her. She approached our table from behind Harper, dressed to kill in her short dress that showed off her long legs. I wasn’t expecting to see her and she looked at me like she wasn’t expecting to see me either.


    Juliet.