Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 169

Chapter 169

“There will be an auction of paintings, and all proceeds will be donated to an HIV and AIDS charity,” the attendant announced, his voice carrying smoothly through the ballroom. A soft murmur of approval rippled through the crowd as attention turned toward the stage, where an easel stood with a covered canvas.

With a practiced motion, the usherette removed the cloth, revealing the first piece.

“This painting, titled The Silent Requiem, was created by the renowned artist Valeria DuPont. The strokes of deep crimson and soft gold reflect the duality of human struggle–pain and hope, despair and resilience.” The attendant gestured toward the canvas, the dim lighting highlighting the intricate layers of oil paint. “DuPont’s work is known for evoking emotion, and this particular piece is said to have been inspired by letters written by patients fighting the disease.”

A few murmurs spread through the attendees, some already eyeing the painting with interest. The usherette moved to the next easel, leading the small group of guests with her. Most of the women followed while the men remained nearby, engaged in quiet discussions over champagne.

Izzy who standing near the front, glanced at the next painting just as a familiar voice spoke beside her.

“I quite like this one,” Natalia Petrova mused, studying the brushwork on the new piece.

Izzy turned and immediately recognized her. One of Cecil’s friends. They had met before when Cecil had casually. introduced them at a past event. In fact, there were many women in the Gala who were Cecil’s friends and had been Izzy’s acquaintance.

“What do you think?” Natalia asked, tilting her head slightly as she examined the painting.

Izzy’s gaze swept over it briefly. The abstract strokes of dark blue and silver gave it a modern, chaotic feel–not something she’d personally choose.

“Contemporary paintings aren’t really my thing,” Izzy admitted, offering a polite smile.

Then a light laugh sounded from behind them.

smoothly inserting itself into the conversation. “You spend so much time in the corporate world–I

were pleasant enough, almost complimentary–but the meaning behind them was

nearby women exchanged glances, sensing

react immediately. Instead, she turned toward Pamella,

her champagne as if she had said nothing

would know a few things about this painting, then?” Izzy asked.

she said smoothly. “This piece is an example of gestural abstraction–you can see how the brushwork emphasizes movement rather than precision. The artist, I believe, was influenced by post–war expressionism, which often conveys a sense of unrest and transition.” She

returning to

“It’s reminiscent of Luminism, though with a

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Chapter 169

the use

slightly,

developed to mimic natural lighting, but here, the artist applies it to an abstract setting rather than a landscape. The result?” She gestured toward the painting, her gaze sharp. “A piece that

those who had merely glanced at the painting before now

champagne and glanced briefly at

challenge her. Instead, she simply smiled and gestured toward another painting at

asked, tilting her head

“That,” she said smoothly, “is a prime example of Surrealist Minimalism. Unlike traditional surrealism, which thrives on elaborate,

toward the painting, which depicted a lone figure with elongated limbs, half–fading into a monochrome background. “The absence of excessive detail forces the observer to