"Ivan, can you wait for me here?" Lia Aiken asked as she tried to take her things back from Ivan Horne's hand.

Ivan Horne smiled at her, "I've accompanied you all the way here, and you still want to leave me at the door?"

His gaze wandered around her room and immediately fell upon the easel. He walked in on his own before Lia had a chance to stop him, and with what he said, she had no reason to keep him out.

"When you arrived, I remember you didn't bring an easel with you." Ivan walked up to the easel, where he saw a portrait that was only half-finished, but he could still recognize who it was meant to be.

Wasn't that him?

The painting of the back view that Jimmy purchased was his silhouette. He couldn't see his own back, so without someone telling him, he had no idea it was his. Now seeing a frontal portrait, he easily recognized it.

Lia knew there was no point in hiding, so she openly explained, "I'm not very confident in drawing portraits. After meeting you, I thought you'd make a perfect model. Facing you, I feel more inspired, so I painted you."

"Once I'm done, I'll give this painting to you." She no longer wanted to sell his portrait.

Ivan carefully appreciated her painting and commented, "I think you've done a great job. It really looks like me, even capturing the expressions vividly. To inspire your creativity, that's truly an honor for me. Lia, when you're done, you must give it to me."

He paused for a moment and added, "I also hope that whenever you paint men in the future, it's always me."

Don't paint anyone else.

Her work was excellent, and if she painted other men, Ivan always felt she might develop feelings for them.

Lia didn't delve into his words further. Mainly because she didn't fancy Ivan, and she felt there was a considerable distance between them. She smiled, "If you're willing to let me continue painting you, I'm already happy. However, I can't just paint you when it comes to men. I'll be drawing many other men of different backgrounds and ages. Someday, you should visit my gallery; I've painted so many."

She painted mostly those struggling for a living at the bottom of society. A figure like Ivan Horne, truly outstanding in demeanor, was the only one she had depicted.

"I'll definitely visit your gallery when I have the time," Ivan said.

Ivan didn't insist on her only painting him, understanding that she's a painter and works when inspiration strikes. At most, he'd just collect her best pieces in the future.

Lia took back her belongings from his hand, and then she went to get the finished landscape painting for Ivan to see.

Finding someone who appreciates her is rare, and Lia cherished Ivan's admiration, wanting him to critique her finished work.

Upon receiving and unfurling the landscape painting, Ivan exclaimed in surprise, "Lia, your landscape painting is genuinely better than your portraits." Her portraits were already vivid, and yet the landscapes surpassed even that.

Lia, slightly bashful from the compliment, replied, "You're flattering me."

Ivan admired her landscape painting for a while, then rolled it up and asked, "Could I buy this painting from you?"

"If you like it, just take it. You've taken such good care of me these days, and there's no way I can repay you. I'm lucky you like my painting; it's just right for me to give it to you, and this way, I won't feel like I owe you."

But Ivan insisted on purchasing it. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Because he knew her gallery wasn't doing well, due to her father's obstruction.

He realized he needed to bring some art-savvy friends to visit Lia's gallery soon, so that her father would stop undermining her efforts.

Setting aside his fondness for Lia and their sibling connection, Ivan genuinely appreciated her artwork and couldn't stand seeing it go unnoticed due to her father's pressure.

Finally, Lia could only sell the painting to Ivan for a low price, but when he paid her, he insisted on giving her a substantial amount. They ended up in a back-and-forth over the price, with one insisting on giving more, and the other firmly refusing to accept so much.

In their little push-and-pull, Lia almost lost her balance, and Ivan quickly caught her, resulting in Lia ending up in Ivan's embrace.

In that moment, they both felt as if time had stood still.

Lia only felt she had thrown herself into a broad and warm embrace. Though unfamiliar, she didn't dislike it; instead, she felt safe in his arms.

He had previously been close with Camila, but there was never such an impulsive feeling, perhaps because of the lack of such an impulse, he understood she had always been like a sister to him, which is why he never competed with Jimmy for Camila.'

He had known Grace Chandler for a few years too, and although he knew Grace liked him, he never felt a spark.

It turns out, he wasn't cold-hearted; he just hadn't met the right person yet.

Now, had he met the right person?

Being a decisive individual, Ivan also acted the same way in love. Once he realized he felt differently, he didn't care how long they had known each other and would boldly make his move.

However, now wasn't the time to act. Ivan gently pushed Lia away, looking down at her and kindly asked, "Lia, are you alright? Let's not bicker over this. If I only gave you a hundred dollars for your painting, Lena would flip the roof off my house, and she wouldn't be Lena Horne if she didn't."

Lia insisted on only accepting a hundred dollars.

The price was so low he had to push to pay more.

He had to bring up his sister again.

After all, it was his sister who pushed him into this situation, so he might as well use her influence wisely.

"Ivan, you don't have to consider Lena's sake. We're friends now, aren't we? Friends' price, you know. I'm not even a famous..." Before she could say "painter," Ivan's long fingers pressed against her lips, stopping her from continuing.

Lia couldn't continue speaking either.

She looked at Ivan with a bit of astonishment.

"I told you, let's not push back and forth. I don't lack the money, and in my eyes, your painting is worth that price." Ivan quickly withdrew his fingers, thinking to himself: Her lips are so soft!

After a moment of eye contact, Lia chuckled bitterly, "Alright, I won't hold out any longer."

She accepted his money, making light of it, "Since you're offering such a high price, I'll sell you my paintings whenever I need money, haha."

Ivan's eyes were deep and meaningful, his words carrying a subtle intention as he said, "You're welcome to sell me your paintings anytime, especially if they're portraits of me."