Page 188 of Heartless Beloved

“Thank you,” I smile tightly as she hands me a glass of champagne. My stomach is twisted, my skin damp from the anxiety of seeing the man that left a hole the size of the universe in my heart.

What a crazy feeling to have found myself and learned to love the person I am, yet still know something is missing. Especially when I know exactly what that somethingis. Or rather,whohe is.

“Let me show you around.” There are already people here sipping champagne and eating fancy canapés. Not many, though. My mother’s gallery is highly selective, and very few people get invited to opening nights. Only individuals who truly know about art. Specialists who can take an artist to the next level, collectors who would pay hefty prices for an exceptional piece of art.

My mouth falls open when I see the first canvas. It’s beautifully abstract, and yet something about it feels familiar. I can’t place it, though. The background is a midnight blue with specks of silver gray. A black figure mixes with so much pink paint it has a 3D effect on the canvas. XI is signed at the bottom right, engraved in the paint. The piece is titledThe first time.

My eyes almost bulge out of my head. Not because of the price of $15,000—this is nothing for my mother’s gallery—but for the small note on the side that sayssold.

“I…am I late?” I ask out loud.

“Only by half an hour,” my mom replies casually.

“This is sold,” I say, pointing at the painting.

“Oh, half of them are sold.”

“What?” I gasp. I look around, searching for Xi, but I can’t find him.

“He’s at the back.” Mom puts a hand on my shoulder. “Opening night nerves and all. Let me show you the rest.”

The backgrounds change, but the main colors stay the same, a black shadow and a flooding of so much pink it’s thick and hard on the canvas. The titles take my breath away.

The party.

The night she fell in love.

The breakup.

The punishment.

The mastermind.

The heartbreak.

Seven canvases all depicting an undeniable bond between the shadow and its lover.

I’m sweating by the time my mom and I finish our walk. My dress feels tight, and I need some fresh air, but what I need the most is to see Xi.

The air is sucked out of the room the moment he walks in. Everyone rushes to him, crowding in as they congratulate him. He looks handsome, wearing a midnight blue suit that goes so perfectly with his bronze skin tone.

I smile, filled with a pride I can’t describe. His hair is a bit longer than the last time I saw him, practically reaching his ears. It’s thick and silky as it’s always been. His five o’clock shadow is perfectly trimmed, and his eyes shine with pride.

My smile falters when I see Harper next to him and drops completely when I notice his hand at the small of her back. My ears start ringing as I fear I might pass out in this constricting bodice.

I should have never come.

What the hell am I doing here?

The flute in my hand crashes to the floor, startling me and making me jump back.

“I’m so sorry,” I mutter. A waiter hurries my way, but I insist on helping him pick up the shards. I go with him to the kitchen as I feel my skin splitting from the broken glass I’m holding—the perfect excuse to disappear.

The second the double doors to the kitchen close, I release a painful sob.

“Oh my god,” the waiter panics. “Miss Delacroix, your hands.”

I drop the glass in the trash and rinse my hands. It’s only a few cuts. The kind waiter passes me a cloth, and I press it against my wounds.

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