Cheyenne stood there, stunned for a moment. Her mind was filled with a deafening buzz, and the words around her seemed distant and indistinct.
"You... you said what? Ten million?"
The old man nodded slowly and looked at her with difficulty. "Yes, and if you think it's not enough, I can add more."
The crowd couldn't help but gasp in shock. Some even pinched themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming. This plainly-dressed old man was actually a hidden billionaire.
But then again, who could afford to attend this exhibition other than the top dogs of Akloit? Cheyenne hesitated whether or not to accept the offer and instinctively turned to look at her grandfather.
Layne touched her soft hair and smiled softly as he spoke in a gentle tone, "If you want it, take it; if not, forget about it. I can still support you!" It was this last sentence that truly put Cheyenne's mind at ease.
Her pinkish-white face became even more radiant under his smile. Despite wearing plain clothes without any makeup on, she still managed to stun everyone present with just her natural beauty alone.
Nora and Danielle were envious beyond words when they realized that eight million of their own contribution went into Cheyenne's pocket instead of theirs! Why didn't this little bitch use her abilities earlier on when she could have repaired the painting scroll herself?
Cheyenne had been hesitant before because she wasn't short on money but when she noticed the intense hostility burning in the eyes of Nora and Danielle, her alluring, sensual lips curled into a seductive smile.
"I'll give it a try."
"Great! Thank you so much Miss Lawrence."
Cheyenne quickly drafted a list for the manager, instructing him to purchase the necessary tools for restoring the ancient painting. Fortunately, most of the tools were readily available.
Once the tools were gathered, Cheyenne began her work.
This was her first time restoring a painting in front of so many people, but her strong presence and calm, focused demeanor didn't betray a hint of nervousness. Those nearby couldn't help but believe in her ability to get the job done though she looked young.
Layne assisted alongside her, occasionally passing her tools and offering verbal guidance.
A growing crowd had gathered around, and countless eyes were fixed on the young woman in her early twenties, whose beauty was truly remarkable.
Her fair skin was flawless, and as she lowered her head, her long and elegant neck resembled a carved piece of jade. Her hair was styled in a bun that perfectly framed her profile.
Her long and thick lashes fluttered slightly above a small nose that sat proudly on her face. Her lips were soft and luscious like flower petals.
With a swift motion, she pulled out an X-Acto knife from between two pretty fingers of her delicate hand. She quickly cut out a small square from the blank part of the ancient scroll to be used for repairing the main body of the painting later on. The texture of this paper matched perfectly with that used in the original painting, so there would be no noticeable difference after coloring it.
Cheyenne glanced at the broken scenery on the scroll - it was supposed to depict flowing water with ripples caused by wind gusts - so she mixed pine smoke color with some bluish-gray tones to match it up with what remained intact. As sunset approached, half of the river turned red while its other half shivered under cool breezes blowing across its surface.
She added some orange hues into this blue-green mix before using another brush dipped in water to blend them together seamlessly. Everyone watched as Cheyenne worked wonders with just those tiny hands!
Finally, satisfied with how everything looked, Cheyenne picked up another brush and made one last stroke across less than three inches wide paper where new colors merged smoothly into old ones without any visible seams or marks left behind.
"Not bad," Layne complimented his granddaughter while stroking his beard approvingly. "I thought you'd been slacking off these past three years."
The elderly man standing behind him nodded repeatedly. "Miss Lawrence, you're truly amazing! I can barely see any flaws at all!"
The painting was saved, and the elderly man breathed a sigh of relief, folding his hands in a thankful gesture, bowing all around.
In the hall, a thunderous applause erupted, deafening and resounding.
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