Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Kaelor has become Mia Redgrave’s psychological shadow, can’t even mention him in front of her. Just the sound of his name makes her feel uncomfortable, like thousands of ants crawling on her bones.

Her eyes brimming with anger: "Does your hypocrisy have any meaning? Do you think I can’t recognize you as Seraphina Redgrave? What Sylvia Shaw, watch me expose your true face sooner or later."

"Oh?" Seraphina Redgrave smirked at Mia Redgrave, "I’m quite looking forward to it indeed."

Jonathan Redgrave spoke up from the other side of Seraphina Redgrave, looking at her displeased: "Seraphina, you’ve been away from home for three years, and now you don’t know how to call your father?"

"Father?" Seraphina Redgrave’s face was full of confusion, "Who do you think you are?"

How could a father send his daughter to a forbidden zone?

Jonathan Redgrave was momentarily embarrassed, but quickly recovered: "Seraphina, after all, I’ve cared well for you until adulthood, the father-daughter relationship we’ve shared all these years should still matter to you. You should find time to visit your mom, dad, and sister too."

Mia Redgrave was a bit angry, why give Seraphina Redgrave such a good face.

Seraphina Redgrave chuckled faintly, her voice devoid of any emotion: "Councilman Redgrave wants to lure me into your home, and then repeat the old trick to throw me into the forbidden zone again?"

"Seraphina, how can you say that, don’t you know in our hearts you’re just like our own daughter?"

Jonathan Redgrave’s voice was kind, his smile affable.

Really had the nerve to say that.

"Councilman Redgrave, what goes around comes around, karma is tough, your mind is so malicious, aren’t you afraid..." Seraphina Redgrave said slowly, never giving Jonathan Redgrave a glance.

Jonathan Redgrave’s expression turned worse.

Two guards then approached, addressing Mia Redgrave and Jonathan Redgrave: "Councilman Redgrave, Miss Redgrave, your seats are not here."

They are not worthy of sitting in the front row.

Mia Redgrave looked very embarrassed, but still glared at Seraphina Redgrave: "Why don’t you say something about her, just talking about us, isn’t that biased?"

How does Seraphina Redgrave deserve to sit here?

The guards remained expressionless: "This lady’s seat is here by default."

Mia Redgrave simply couldn’t believe it, her gaze sharp as knives toward Seraphina Redgrave.

How could Seraphina Redgrave deserve to sit here! What is she, how can she sit in the front row!

Seraphina Redgrave remained seated, without the slightest acknowledgment.

"Seraphina." Jonathan Redgrave’s expression barely changed, turned to Seraphina Redgrave: "After this ends, come home with dad and take a look, okay? Mom and I both miss you."

Seraphina Redgrave won’t escape this time, he must find out what exactly happened. Orıginal content can be found at novel⟡fire.net

He dragged the speechless-in-anger Mia Redgrave along, following the guards to sit at their designated seats.

Mia Redgrave was flushed with rage: "That bitch Seraphina Redgrave how does she deserve..."

Before finishing her sentence, Mia Redgrave suddenly paused, only then notice that Seraphina Redgrave was wearing a black dress today.

Could it be that the woman who just got out of Ethan Sterling’s car was Seraphina Redgrave?

Mia Redgrave quickly dismissed this idea, how could Seraphina Redgrave, that lowly woman, even in Redgrave Family, at most be her Mia Redgrave’s dog, possibly be connected to Ethan Sterling.

Comforted by this thought, Mia Redgrave relaxed.

The bell for the finals officially rang.

The lights suddenly went out, the audience plunged into almost pitch darkness.

Unlike those entertainment-style competitions, the Star Burning Cup had no miscellaneous events, just simple presentations of each artwork.

The host briefly explained the judging criteria and rules, then the competition began, with only six paintings in the final.

The lights on the stage gradually brightened, at some point the first artwork had been pushed up by staff, and the large screen behind the stage began showcasing the painting’s details.

Whenever a painting was displayed, the audience below would quietly praise.

Until the "Rose under the setting sun" was showcased, the entire hall thundered with applause, long and endless.

Mia Redgrave curved her lips into a confident smile. Her peripheral vision suddenly glimpsed a figure walk past her, straight toward the front row, seemingly Ethan Sterling.

Mia Redgrave’s gaze followed closely, if there weren’t spectators behind her, she would almost stand to see, but unfortunately, the audience seating had no lighting, Mia Redgrave ultimately couldn’t see clearly where Ethan Sterling sat.

She begrudgingly withdrew her gaze.

Seraphina Redgrave examined the "Rose under the setting sun" displayed on stage, the painting nearly flawless, its strokes mature and pleasing.

As she carefully surveyed the details, her hand was unexpectedly grasped by someone.

Ethan Sterling returned, sat beside her, uninterestedly gazing at the "Rose under the setting sun" on stage.

"The last painting is competitor number 20652’s ’Snow Woman’."

The audience quieted down, as the final painting was placed on stage, with the large screen also beginning to exhibit its details.

At the instant "Snow Woman" appeared, Seraphina Redgrave keenly sensed the firm grip on her hand turn rigid, she turned to glance at Ethan Sterling, in the light from the screen, Ethan Sterling had no expression, eyes fixed solely on the artwork on stage.

The large screen meticulously scanned over the painting’s details, then magnified them directly onto the screen.

Snow Woman, covered entirely with snow, devoid of any hint of a "Woman", the high mountain snow-covered, ancient pine bent by the snow, river buried under the snow.

Yet at the center of the scene, a piercing red starkly clashed with the entire image, oddly harmonious nonetheless.

The hall fell silent, everyone concentrating breathlessly on the painting on stage.

The earlier "Rose under the setting sun" gave a sense of romantic decay, yet "Snow Woman" visually delivered an unparalleled impact, an indescribable hopelessness.

International murmurs of voices began rising in the audience.

"Wow, it’s my first time seeing snow depicted so realistically, yet uniquely." A spectator couldn’t help but praise.

"But why name it Snow Woman?" Some spectators didn’t quite grasp the naming’s intent, couldn’t help but ask.

"Look at that central red spot, probably hinting at the fate of the woman within the snow." Some guessed, offering explanations.

"Oh, it really is deeply thought-provoking, it’s nice but the despair within the painting overshadows its shallow beauty."

The snow within the painting was incredibly authentic, which is why the central red spot even more suffocates, like someone indeed buried their life within the snow.

Seraphina Redgrave sat expressionless in her seat, suddenly aware the man’s grip tightened.

She turned to see the man’s bloodshot eyes staring intently at the stage painting, suppressing rage almost becoming tangible, ready to destroy the work.

What illness was he succumbing to now?

Suddenly, Ethan Sterling turned, his eyes bore an indecipherable expression, as if seeing someone undeserving to exist.

Seraphina Redgrave grew more perplexed, what had happened to Ethan Sterling?

He suddenly clenched, grasping Seraphina Redgrave’s hand tighter, gazing at her with eyes thrice restrained of fierce anger: "You..."

Ethan Sterling exerted great force.

Seraphina Redgrave felt her joints almost dislocating, considering whether to truly fight back, Ethan Sterling however released his grasp.

Ethan Sterling no longer looked at her, his gaze shifted back to the stage, yet his expression exceptionally grim, visible even in the stage’s scant light within his eyes’ crimson hue.