After the meal, they returned to Laura's gallery, the sunlight now softer, casting long golden beams across the polished wooden floors.
Ross moved through the space with deliberate steps, his gaze lingering on certain works as though weighing their secrets.
He was meticulous, taking his time to study each piece from different angles, occasionally stepping closer as if to feel the brushstrokes through the air itself.
What surprised Laura most was not his attention to detail, but the sharpness of his observations.
He asked her pointed, thoughtful questions—about color choices, thematic balance, and the emotional intent behind specific works.
His remarks were so precise that she found herself momentarily forgetting the rumors and warnings, drawn instead into a shared language only true art lovers spoke.
At one point, Ross stopped in front of a stormy seascape and said quietly,
