Chapter 247

Chapter 247:

The heated exchange between Sarai and Glenn rapidly captured the interest of everyone nearby.

“What on earth is happening? Did Mr. Marquez pick Madisyn or Courtney?”

“Hasn’t Madisyn been reunited with the Johns family only recently? I heard she’s never learned painting before.”

“Is it possible that Madisyn leveraged her connections to snatch Courtney’s place? That would be beyond outrageous.”

The low murmurs in the crowd didn’t go unnoticed by Hutton. He grew enraged as he overheard people doubting his choice of a student. From the moment they first met, he had been determined to make Madisyn his student. Sadly, she hadn’t accepted his offer at first. Now that she had finally agreed, how could these people dare to question her qualifications?

“Enough!” Hutton barked, silencing the hall immediately. He then announced, “From the very start, it has always been Madisyn that I intended to mentor. This lady is her cousin, right? Sure, she has some potential, but her skills are still lacking.”

Courtney was utterly shocked by what she heard. Could Madisyn actually paint? In an instant, her perception of Hutton crumbled. She had always believed him to be someone who pursued art with integrity, but it now seemed that even he could be swayed by money like anyone else. Why else would he choose Madisyn as his student if he hadn’t been bribed by her family?

Courtney, always full of pride, couldn’t bring herself to accept this harsh reality. Her gaze hardened as she realized that if they were bent on corrupting the art world, then she had no reason to show them respect either.

“Very well, Mr. Marquez. If you’re so determined to make Madisyn your student, then she must be an extraordinary artist. Why don’t we all have a look at her work?” Courtney proposed.

“Yes, we’d really like to see Madisyn’s work,” Sarai quickly added.

One of Courtney’s friends chimed in eagerly, “Exactly! If Madisyn is really going to be Mr. Marquez’s student, we deserve to see her artwork, right?”

Even though many in the hall stayed quiet, their curious eyes said it all. The entire new student introduction banquet was now clouded with doubt.

Hutton shook with rage. It had taken him so long to find the right student, and now she was facing so much skepticism. He glanced at Madisyn, worry etched on his face. “Madisyn…”

“It’s fine,” Madisyn cut in, her voice steady. “If everyone is that eager to see, I can paint. But…” She shifted her gaze to Courtney. “No one can question Mr. Marquez’s decisions at will. Courtney, since you’ve raised your doubt, are you ready to face what comes next?”

Courtney sneered. Did Madisyn really think she could scare her?

“Alright, let’s make a bet,” Courtney suggested. “If your painting is better than mine, I’ll quit painting. But if it’s not, you owe me a public apology.”

Courtney shot a look at Hutton but held back from saying more about him. After all, if Madisyn failed to prove her talent, Hutton’s reputation would be on the line. Everyone would soon realize that her talent was miles ahead of Madisyn’s and that Hutton only took Madisyn as a student because of a bribe.

“Fine,” Madisyn said. “But there’s no need for you to stop painting. Instead, if you lose, you’ll publicly apologize and donate five million dollars to charity.” Madisyn wasn’t trying to be overly generous. She simply understood that Courtney would never really quit painting. If Courtney lost, she’d definitely keep bothering her until she could paint again.

“No problem,” Courtney agreed without a second thought, convinced that there was no way Madisyn could paint better than her. Actually, Madisyn’s agreement made her feel relieved. Courtney glanced at her with a hint of contempt. “What do you need to get started?”

“Just a pencil and paper,” Madisyn responded calmly.

“That’s it?” Courtney arched an eyebrow.

“Exactly.”

“Fine.”

Courtney swiftly had someone prepare the pencil and paper, her disdain growing stronger. If all Madisyn needed were these basic tools, she probably had no clue how to handle more advanced art materials. The result would likely look like something a child would draw—completely embarrassing.

The pencil and paper were quickly brought over, and Madisyn started sketching right there on the stage. The audience below began to murmur, their whispers filling the air.

Courtney took a seat next to Sarai, who squeezed her hand and whispered, “If Mr. Marquez can be bought off that easily, we’ll just find a different mentor for you.” Sarai didn’t bother lowering her voice, making sure Elaine and her family could hear every word. Elaine’s expression immediately darkened. Did they seriously believe that Hutton had been bribed?

“Agreed,” Courtney responded, her eyes shining with a confident smirk.

Throughout the whole drawing process, Courtney kept a close watch on Madisyn, making sure there was no chance of any foul play. Every so often, she stole a glance at Andrew. He stayed seated, composed and graceful. Though his posture seemed casual, every move he made radiated a noble air—he was a true gentleman of the highest social standing.

Once again, Courtney felt her heart begin to race uncontrollably. Everyone waited patiently, assuming Madisyn’s drawing would take a minimum of two hours. But to their surprise, she straightened up after only half an hour.

“It’s finished,” she declared.

That quickly? The audience was caught off guard. Everyone knew that creating a quality drawing took time, yet here was Madisyn, done in just thirty minutes. What could they expect in terms of quality?

Courtney’s disdain grew even stronger. Just as she thought—Madisyn obviously had no real talent for painting. She got up and walked to the stage to examine Madisyn’s work.

As soon as her eyes fell upon the drawing, Courtney was immobilized, unable to move. Her gaze grew unsteady, and her pupils started to quiver uncontrollably.

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