Chapter 92: Chaos at the Art Exhibition (Part 2).
Ava and Lola found a quiet corner in the gallery.
"Thank goodness you came at the right time," Ava said, squeezing Lola’s hands, gratitude swelling her heart. "But didn’t you say you were visiting your parents? Why did you change your plans?"
Lola laughed softly. "I didn’t cancel, you silly thing! I just figured I’d pop by and give you a hand before I head over. Last night, I realized something—if Dylan found you alone with Nicholas, things would definitely get messy. So, here I am to play the protective friend."
Ava rolled her eyes, her lips quirking with a hint of amusement. "Honestly, I didn’t think he’d even show up, but thank you. You’re a lifesaver."
"Always got your back. Besides," Lola added, leaning in with a playful glint in her eye, "I heard Nicholas is the main artist of the event. Who knew he had such a talent? Let’s focus on his art and forget about all that other drama."
Ava stifled a laugher. "Let’s go." With light hearts, they began exploring the gallery, marveling at Nicholas’s work and losing themselves in the world of art, momentarily forgetting everything else.
Meanwhile, outside the gallery, Dylan paced furiously, his phone pressed against his ear as he scolded Justin. "Why am I just now finding out about this?" he barked. "If I’d known Nicholas was the main artist, I wouldn’t have let her step foot in there—let alone have come here myself."
"I’m sorry, sir." Justin’s apologetic voice crackled through the phone. "It will never happen again."
Dylan clenched his jaw, his voice low and threatening. "One more missed detail, and I’ll replace you with someone who is on top of things. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. I’ll be more vigilant," Justin replied, sounding thoroughly remorseful.
The sudden blare of the fire alarm shattered the relative calm of the street, echoing through the air with an ominous urgency. Dylan spun around, his gaze snapping to the gallery.