CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

After a small crisis over nothing, they finally walked into the cafe. The organiser spotted them immediately but first finished a short exchange not to look too hurried.

She was a woman in her thirties, and the party was a way to advertise the paintings she would sell at her gallery. She had received confirmation in the afternoon, but she hadn't believed it just yet.

Nate Woods at a meaningless cocktail party? Her name wasn't soundly enough to attract his attention. Most likely, she had been lucky with the timing.

The real reason he was there was the woman next to him, surely.

«Excuse me for a moment,» she said and left her guests to chat among themselves.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

She smiled politely when the couple met her gaze, and she spread her arms in a gesture of welcome. Her long gown danced with her movements, and the pitch-black hair leaned on the shoulder would waver when she moved her arms too much.

«It's an honour to have you here,» she said.

«You're Mary Dixon, aren't you?» Lara said.

«We... Have we met before?» the woman stuttered, taken back. She would have remembered meeting Nate Woods's woman for sure.

«No, but I know you have a gallery in the centre. I've been tempted to walk in and see the paintings, but I have always been in a hurry when I visited the city, lately.»

«Oh, please, don't skip my place next time! I'd like to show you my paintings,» she said. «Some of the artists whose artworks are hanging in my gallery aren't too famous. Some are almost unknown, but their works are outstanding.»

«I thought you would only host paintings from famous artists,» Lara said.

«Not at all! I like looking for hidden talents. I'll show you, Miss Clayton!»

Lara smiled back at that over-excited woman. She was curious about the art, sure, but what reason did the other have to be so pressing? It was not like anything would change if Lara saw anything, would it?

Mary Dixon, on the other hand, was looking forward to the moment when she would sell a painting to Lara Clayton. She could boast about it, and the thought of Nate Woods having one of those artworks in his house would have increased the sales.

She was doing well, economically. She would sell one painting every two or three months but at such a price that her finances would be stable even while taking just part of the whole amount as commission. However, none of the artists she sponsored could become famous just yet. She needed someone to trail the trend.

And Nathaniel Woods's woman would be the perfect example. She couldn't wait to tell everyone! Her gallery would be crowded soon after. She knew how women acted: when one got something exclusive, the others would move to great lengths to find something similar or better.

Their competitiveness was what made stylists, hairdressers, and people working in other sectors rich.

As for Lara, she couldn't understand all that joy.

«Are the paintings in here from your gallery?» she asked, trying to look for any topic. She had the chance to carry on a conversation; it would be lazy to break it just because she couldn't find a topic.

That woman sold paintings. She would like to talk about them for sure.

«Let's check them out,» Nate said, offering his arm to Lara. «Maybe there's something you like?»

«Oh, sure,» she said. She then turned to Mary Dixon with a polite smile, silently waiting for her guidance.

They wouldn't be as impolite as to monopolise her for the whole evening, but she could show them a few pieces now that she had started talking about it.

«Unfortunately, I mostly brought famous pieces with me,» Mary said, showing them the way towards the bar. She had placed the pearls there: those works she could see any moment at any price from how much they were worth. Most people would pass by there, so she used those spots for famous artists.

For her hidden talents, she reserved the corners. Those were far from the centre of attention, but someone would eventually take a look. It wasn't as bad, especially for new names: people would stand and talk way longer than they'd ask for a new drink. And new artists needed more time to be appreciated.

«This is my most precious painting. It was made a month ago by the famous artist Pike. He used all his wits to come up with this idea,» she said, showing the work.

It was scenery with the sea crashing against stones under a full moon. The moon was especially big, ruling over the dark sky. There was no star to be seen, for the light from the satellite would overshadow them.

«Beautiful,» Lara commented.

Nate also observed the scenery, more focused on the moon than any other detail. It was nice to look at, almost warming him. He had never felt like that in front of a picture of the moon - neither a photo nor a drawing.

Was that Pike also a wolf? He couldn't know because he was an anonymous artist.

«He's the best when it's about painting the moon,» Mary commented, sighing after the scene.

«Is he?» Lara murmured, surprised. «How odd. And can we meet him? I'd like to chat with the artist when it's possible...»

«Unfortunately, we can't. He's anonymous. He doesn't let anyone see his face or any personal information. We don't even know where he lives, even if most of his paintings end up in Norwich - so it's safe to assume he's somewhere nearby. I got this through a delivery service. All he sent was the documents we need to sell the painting, regarding the quality, and the instructions about how to pay him.»

«A mystery man,» Nate said, and his suspicion grew stronger.

Artists had always been weird people, so it shouldn't be too surprising Pike would hide his identity. However, together with the warmth of the moon, it gave away that he had something to hide.

Was he one of them? In that case, if he lived in Norwich, he was a rogue leeching in Nate's territory.