On their way to their destination, Alyssa stared out the window. She didnât glance at Jasper.
Obviously, she was being hostile to him.
Jasper kept glancing at Alyssa from time to time. There were times when he wanted to ask her a question, but he found it difficult to speak up.
Newtonâs villa was located in Crescent Bay in Solana City. Stretches of mountains surrounded the area, making it tranquil and scenic. The neighborhood was like a paradise hidden from the rest of the city.
âGrandpa, Iâm here to visit you!â
Alyssa smiled brightly the moment she stepped into the villa. Her clear voice was akin to a nightingaleâs sweet call.
Truthfully speaking, she was a little worried because of what happened to the bracelet. She had to spend a long time mustering her courage. Then, she finally walked through the front door.
âYouâre here, Alice! I missed you so much!â Newton exclaimed from his wheelchair. Ben was wheeling him out.
The old man perked up instantly when he finally saw his granddaughterâinâlaw. The delight on his face was undeniable.
âWhere did you go, Alice? Are you planning to abandon me? Do you not love me anymore?â
Newton clutched Alyssaâs hand tightly while flooding her with questions.
Jasper just scowled in displeasure.
He wondered if his grandfather was a flirt at heart. Newton was almost 80, yet he was still hitting on Alice.
âGrandpa, Iâve been busy with work lately. I was out on a business trip. That was why I didnât call you on the phone. Itâs my fault for neglecting you. You can scold me if you want.â
Alyssa crouched down in front of Newton. She smiled sweetly at him.
âOh, I donât have the heart to scold you, my dear Alice! Iâm so happy that I get to see you again!â
Newton turned to glare at Jasper. He added, âIf it werenât for a certain ingrate whoâs a bad judge of character, you couldâve visited me every day. I wouldnât have to go through so much trouble just to see you again.â
Alyssaâs smile froze on her face. For a moment, she didnât know what to say.
Jasperâs expression darkened immediately. He knew that he shouldnât have gone to Newtonâs villa in the first place. Getting insulted by his grandfather was a tradition at this point.
âAlice, I received a new painting recently. I didnât want to show it to anyone else because I wanted you to be the first one to see it.â Newton took Alyssaâs hand and led her to his study.
âYou want me to appraise the painting for you, right, Grandpa?â Alyssa remarked with a small smile. She had light dimples decorating her cheeks whenever she smiled.
âHeh! You saw through my plan!â
Meanwhile, Jasper was surprised to hear the newfound information.
He was Alyssaâs husband for three years. Yet he had no idea she was such a sassy woman skilled at racing, painting, and sewing. Now, he found out that she was also good at appraising paintings.
How could one person be equipped with so many talents? Jasper refused to believe that Alyssa was that skilled.
That was why he wanted to see her in action.
Ben was already donning white gloves in the study. He carefully placed the painting on the mahogany desk so the others could look at it.
âAlice, this is my new painting. Can you help me appraise it?â Newton asked eagerly.
âOf course, Grandpa.â
Alyssa bent over the painting while studying it with a magnifying glass. Her left hand was folded behind her back as she appraised it carefully.
Jasper noticed how cold and stoic her expression was. It made him smile unconsciously.
He never thought that she looked like an elderly scholar despite her youthful and beautiful looks. It was an interesting contrast.
Newton noticed the emerald bracelet wrapped around Alyssaâs left wrist. A glint appeared in his but his smile was still affectionate.
eyes, âThis is Wivenhoe Park, a famous painting created by John Constable.â Alyssa smiled confidently as she spoke.
âThatâs right.â Newton nodded happily.
âConstable is known for his landscape paintings. He found inspiration in the countryside, which is why he usually included greenery in his paintings. Constableâs also known for using rich colors. and light in his paintings to convey how magical nature is â
Jasper enjoyed listening to her explanation. He kept staring at her side profile without realizing it.
âIâm sorry to tell you this, Grandpa, but this painting isnât the actual masterpiece. One of his descendants created this painting through imitation. Then again, this painterâs style in very similar to Constableâs â
The real pamting was displayed in Winstonâs private att studio, after all.
âHuh? Oh my, it seems that I got the wrong painting again!â Newton sighed in disappointment. Alyssa happened to look up at that moment. It was then she made eye contact with Jasper.