“Liv! I’m glad to meet you. I searched everywhere for you. Can you imagine how surprised I was to hear that you had suddenly moved?”

Brad’s face, which she hadn’t seen for quite a while, looked haggard. Looking at him with indescribable eyes, asked calmly.

“How did you find out about this place?”

“That’s not the point, Liv. We need to talk. It’s very urgent. It’s about our work.”

At the mention of work, Liv flinched and stiffened. She realized that at some point, she had completely put her work with Brad out of her mind.

Technically, Brad’s nude painting contract was still in effect. It was just being suspended.

“Let’s move things around first.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Even as he nodded with a cheerful face, Brad couldn’t hide his anxious glances from time to time.

Had he somehow become involved badly with the con artist?

A grim feeling of unease crept into Liv’s mind as well. She couldn’t tell if it was for Brad’s sake or for her own, as she was his nude model.

The two decided to walk to a nearby coffee house but quickly turned back. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, they realized that discussing it in public would be risky. After much deliberation, they concluded that Brad’s studio was the best place to talk.

Brad’s studio, which she visited after a long time, was still cold and musty.

Liv, who had grown accustomed to the Marquis’ immaculate mansion, frowned as she entered his studio. The foul odor of cheap paints hit her at once and made her head pound.

“Oh, I should have prepared you tea…”

“It’s fine.What do you want to discuss about our work?”

“It’s obvious! We need to get back on the nude painting for the Marquis!”

Brad glared and immediately raised his voice. But when Liv gave him no answer, he quickly grew uneasy.

“I-I was feeling unwell, so I haven’t been able to work. But now that I’m better, I’m going to start again.”

“… Brad, do you truly believe the Marquis would have bought that excuse?”

“Excuse? What are you talking about, Liv?”

“Weren’t you about to hold an exhibition in the capital?”

Upon hearing Liv’s composed words, Brad’s face turned pale and rigid.

“Did you have a successful visit to the venue?”

Brad’s face slowly contorted as he stared at Liv’s face.

While he had mentioned it briefly to Liv, he had never informed her about his trip to the capital to inspect the venue. He seemed to realize whom Liv had been talking to.

“… Don’t tell me you were the one who informed my wife about the venus rental fee?”

“Is that important?”

“It is! Because of that, do you know what that woman… How could you do this to me? You’ve just destroyed a family!”

Growing increasingly agitated, Brad stumbled through a string of disparaging words. Listening to him, Liv could easily comprehend the turmoil he must have been undergoing.

Liv rested her forehead on her hand, took a deep breath, and spoke in a composed tone.

“Your wife didn’t know anything about the venue rental fee. Were you planning on revealing to her that you hadn’t foreseen the problems it would cause?”

“Liv!”

“I clearly told you back then. It is weird. I clearly told you to take care of it before it got out of hand.”

“Ha! How clever of you!”

Brad, seething with frustration, ran his hands over his face. Losing control of his temper, he mumbled a stream of profanities under his breath. Soon after, he began to ramble.

“Fine, Liv. I was foolish. I guess I was momentarily blinded by the hope of opening an exhibition. I admit it, I should have taken your advice.”

Brad, his face flushed, looked even more withered. He slumped his shoulders and paced the room restlessly.

“And that’s why I came to you. Because you gave me true advice! You’re the only one who can help me now. Please, help me.”

“I don’t know what I can do to help.”

Liv shook her head, and Brad lurched forward, his eyes flashing. His hands gripped Liv’s arms tightly, full of strength.

“No, you can help me! You’re the woman that Marquis Dietrion suddenly showed up with, right? Auburn hair, green eyes, that’s you, isn’t it?”

Brad’s voice trembled with excitement as he mentioned having heard the rumor, firmly convinced that it was her.