Because of how handsome he was, as well as because men aged slower, Cooper didnât actually need a lot of makeup as he looked young. He didnât have a lot of wrinkles on his face, so all he needed was to trim his eyebrows and style his hair.
âHere you go, Grandpa. Put on some baby cream.â Carmen presented him with some of her precious baby cream. Now, she was also dolled up, as not only would she be tagging along to experience the cultural scene, but Louis had even named her as one of the people that he wanted to meet. After putting on some baby cream, Cooper looked at himself in the mirror, feeling quite young.
Meanwhile, Sophia had put on a white tight fitting dress with blue embroideries. The tailor-made outfit hugged her figure tightly, all the while accentuating her fair features. After their skincare and makeup routine, both Sophia and Michael began taking selfies. They even tweaked the photos before posting them on social media.
âCome on, this is too much. Your brother is waiting.â Holding onto Carmen, Cooper looked rather impatient when Sophia and Michael were taking selfies. He was feeling indignant about the situation as it was equivalent to witnessing someone stealing his precious daughter away from him, but he couldnât even stop the thief from doing so.
When Sophia finally made her way out of the mansion, Linus was also coming out from Villa No. 2.
Apparently, they didnât go back after coming over last night. After Linus settled down in Villa No. 2, Cooper went to Sophiaâs home, as he was worried about his only daughter.
The exhibition was held in a convention center. Upon showing their invitation cards, they entered the venue, only to realize that not a lot of people were present for the occasion.
Louisâ personal collection was already on display. As they looked around, Sophia could only appreciate its beauty on the surface as she didnât know much about calligraphy, but both Cooper and Linus seemed to be absolutely enamored by them.
Amateurs could only appreciate something superficially, whereas experts would be equipped with the necessary knowledge to delve deeper into it. Calligraphic works were a direct reflection of the artistâs character, as evident in Cooperâs own calligraphic works, which showed his steadfast and meticulous personality. Although Linus had the appearance of a foreigner, he was in fact a merry man with a Cethosian vibe to him, so the works he produced had an elegant and carefree feel to them. Meanwhile, Michaelâs works seemed garish at first glance, but every stroke indicated his deep and thoughtful personality, whereas Sophiaâs showed strength of character under its grace and delicacy.
On the other hand, Louisâ works were carefree yet peculiarly grandiose, with heavy strokes that spanned across the paper, establishing a domineering presence that captured everybodyâs attention. His paintings were even more ingenious. With the use of only two colors, he was able to create a magnificent painting through his workmanship, which was an incredible feat. His works were a true demonstration of his profound character, and he did live up to his name as one of the top Cethosian artists in the world.
In the meantime, both Linus and Cooper were so engrossed in the works that they didnât notice the rest of the guests gossiping about them. It was their first time showing up together at an event. As Cooper never frequented such gatherings, it was somewhat of a sensational news.
Just a month ago, Linus publicly acknowledged his relationship with the Mitchells, which caused a fluctuation in Michel Groupâs shares. Everybody was observing from afar, assuming that Linus would be deemed as an outcast of the Michel Family and its company, but nothing happened even after a monthâs time.
They figured it might be because they needed time to ensure that tasks in the company were handed over smoothly. After all, Linus had been entrusted with the companyâs tasks since way back when he was younger. Now that more than ten years had passed, and that Linus had played an important part in a lot of the companyâs operations, if he were to quit his job, it would mean a shake up at the core foundations of the company that would play out across a certain period of time.
Rumors had it that Linus might cut ties with his biological father for the sake of power and wealth.
However, judging from his seemingly harmonious relationship with Cooper, it sure seemed that he had chosen to be a Mitchell instead of a Michel, which sounded like a foolish decision to many. In short, both of them were the center of attention due to the incident.
Meanwhile, Michael introduced both Sophia and Carmen to Louis, as well as mentioning Cooper in passing. Louis was Michaelâs fan, while Cooper was Louisâ fan, which made for a somewhat odd trio.
On the other hand, it was also Carmenâs first public appearance alongside her parents, so she also garnered quite some attention. âCarmen, are you scared?â Michael asked.
Carmen stood up straight while holding a firm gaze. âIâm not afraid!â
With a gentle smile on his face, Michael led her toward Louis while holding her hand. Meanwhile, there were quite a few acquaintances present for the occasion. Sophia spotted Lucy Edwards chatting amicably with the Yard twins soon after she entered the venue.
Why are the twins here though? Michael was curious about it, as it indicated that the Yards mustâve had some connections with Louis. Thus, he scanned his surroundings, but Anna Yard was nowhere to be seen. Although feeling relieved, he couldnât help but feel a little sorry when he turned around to look at Cooper, his young father-in-law who was still appreciating the works of art.
Because it was a private event, the host only invited a small group of people that consisted of either literati, art enthusiasts or people who were related to Louis, such as Michael. In a subdued voice, the guests were chatting or exchanging tips on calligraphy. The atmosphere in the venue was purely intellectual, and there was music playing in the background, which Sophia quickly identified as being produced by a harp that Anne Osborne was playing.
Anne was playing a melodious tune on another one of the few Phoenix Harps in the world. Upon noticing that Sophia was looking her way, she shot Sophia a glare in return, as she knew Sophia as the woman who ruined both of her blind dates. She could even remember when Stanley commented on how she wasnât as pretty as Sophia. That old woman! She is nothing but an old housewife! Anne thought to herself. She saw herself as a woman of status with a long line of suitors, so she didnât think Sophia could possibly be on her level.
Sophia quickly averted her gaze, as she didnât want to get into any trouble with Anne. Soon, she found Louis in a crowd. As the host of the exhibition, he was of course the center of attention. When she saw him, he was creating a new piece of work while a bunch of famous calligraphers cheered for him.
Upon noticing that Sophia was moving toward him, Anne immediately stopped playing to hurry toward Louis. She called out to him in a sweet voice before Sophia could even reach him. âGrandpa!â
Louis seemed delighted to see her, as he had a loving gaze in his eyes when he put his brush down.
âWhy did you stop playing? After all, I hosted this event just for you! Did you see anyone you like?â Truth be told, Louis was getting a little anxious after her two consecutive failed blind dates, but he was feeling better when he saw that there were some handsome young men among the crowd present at the exhibition.
As soon as he said so, Anne blushed while tugging on his sleeve. âGrandpa, how could I just do this in public?â
Having heard what she said, Louis scanned his surroundings to see an outstanding-looking young man in the crowd, who had a fair complexion and pretty sky-blue eyes. Although he seemed to be a foreigner, he looked like he was interested in Louisâ work, as he was engrossed in them. The serious expression he wore added an attractive quality to his already striking profile. âWhat about that young man? He seems nice.â Louis pointed at the foreigner who was examining a piece of work closely.