Chapter 72

"Relax, I really don't have any other intention. I already like someone else." Thomas quickly clarified, afraid she might take it the wrong way. "Sorry, Mr. Owen. It's just hard for me to believe someone would be this nice to me because of my talent." Stella gave a wry smile—after everything she'd gone through, trusting anyone didn't come easy. "But my hand... it might take a while before I can create again." He appreciated her skills, but now she couldn't even use them. That pretty much made her a liability as a partner. "No worries, Ms. Johnson. It's not your fault. Let's just focus on the upcoming auction." "He's really into impressionist art. There's a Monet going up for auction—if you manage to win that for him, it'll mean a lot, you might get that connection. Don't worry about the cost—I'll take care of it." It was a smart plan. They'd pissed off Robert earlier by keeping things from him, but this would flip the narrative and smooth things over. "Thanks, but I can pay for it myse