Thank you to all who have reached out to me to voice their love for these books. I can't wait to share the rewrites when this books finishes and I can't wait for you to read my other stories. Please enjoy this new chapter.
"Why do I need to go to Lily's art show? I know it's for charity but why must I be present for this auction?"
"She is auctioning off this painting that I stored something valuable in. I need you to get back to me. I will reimburse you whatever you need to pay to get it back."
"What did you hide in it?" Bart cleared his throat.
"Ella, get that painting." He hangs up and I direct Arthur to head to my place to change quickly for the charity art show. Chuck hasn't answered my phone calls or texts. He is too focused on catching Bart in a lie and needs to focus all his time on this.
Carter came home just as I was about to head out.
"Hey, where are you heading off to?" He tries for a kiss but I bend down to put on my heels.
"I have to go to Lily's art gala thing she is hosting for charity. Apparently, she's auctioning off this painting that Bart doesn't want to be sold."
"And what are you supposed to do about it?"
"He wants me to do whatever I need to get it back."
"And you trust him?" I told Carter what he needs to know about Bart. I know Chuck may not trust him but I do. Carter is not the same man who coned Nate out of money in a dirty poker game. He knows I've been stress trying to keep my family together. He doesn't want me to get hurt because of them and I understand that but for family, you'll do anything. If this painting is somehow tied to what Chuck and I think Bart is involved in then it's better I get it than Bart or someone else.
"Not in the slightest. But you have to keep your enemies closer so you can always be four steps ahead of them."
"Then let me change and I'll hold your hand as you buy this painting."
"I thought you had a business dinner?"
"I made it a lunch because I wanted to spend time with you."
"Even if it means dealing with my family drama?" Carter pulls me to him. He rests his hands on my waist as I drape my arms around his neck.
"If you're involved I will always be there."
"Okay, get dress quickly the auction is going to start soon." I kiss his lips as he runs into the closest.
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We make it into the auction late due to the horrific traffic and basically out of breath since we had to run to the event for four blocks. Carter even carried me the last two since it was getting hard to run in my heels and dress. We made it sweaty and tired but I hear the auctioneer's voice loud and clear. We make our way towards the front. I stop one of the girls with the auction paddles and see who I'm up against. It took me a little to understand why Ivy was here and why Lily was bidding against her. If Bart has Lily here why does he need me to ensure this painting?
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"560!"
"580!" Chuck runs past Carter and I not seeing us as he catches his breath.
"750,000!" He adds his bid and things only get worse from there.
"880,000. I have 880,000. Do I hear 900,000?" The auctioneers is cut off as Chuck offers 900,000.
"What do you think you are doing?" Lily is pissed and continues to argue with both Chuck and Ivy.
"920,000!" Ivy yells through the crowd not liking Lily's presence.
"940,000!" No one is backing down and I question why Ivy wants to buy Lily's painting so badly.
"980,000!" They get into a heated argument completely ignoring what's going on around them.
"Do I hear 1 million? 1 million going..." I hold my paddle up and the auctioneer's nods and asks if anyone if they want 1.1 and the three idiots are too busy arguing to even notice.
"Going once, going twice." He hits his gavel on the podium. "Sold for 1.1 million to the woman in front." I can tell they are all glaring at me.
"Make my offer 3 million."
"Three million it is. Thank you, Ms. Bass, for your charitable contribution." I turn and wave at the three bimbos. Chuck is the first to come to me followed by twiddle dee and dumb.
"Ella, I will pay you whatever for that..."
No, I will pay you double what you just paid for it." Ivy budges her way in.
"Ella, it's my painting and I would just like to buy it back. Money is no object and..."
"Here's a little piece of advice when you're biding at an auction don't get into dumb fights. You take your eyes off the prize for even a second and..." I snap my fingers in their faces. "Someone better and smarter comes along and takes what's theirs. Enjoy the event." I head over to the auctioneer to see what this painting is about.
"Ella!" Chuck runs to my side.
"Do you know what this painting contains?"
"I'm guessing you have an idea."
"I...I mean we need this if we want to take Bart down."
"So now you're including me in your plans?"
"What?"
"Chuck I called to check on you and you sent me to voicemail each time. I understand that you want to expose Bart for the lying piece of shit he is, but that doesn't mean you must do it alone. I am with you 100%. You need to trust me."
"Fine, I trust you, but I needed to be sure before I involved you in this. What we're dealing with is sensitive stuff and..."
"Chuck who out of the two of us knows more about international business deals? Me. My job in Bass Industries is closing these deals and to close them I must know about all by-laws and embargoes or federal issues that may come up during business. You need me."
"Fine, can we see this painting together?"
"I think that can be arranged as long as we're in this together?"
"Of course." We head to see the painting.
"Ms. Bass we were just about to package her up and have it delivered to the place of your choosing."
"Thank you, I would just like to admire it before we put her away."
"Of course, let us know when you are ready." Once we're alone Chuck and I turn the painting around and find nothing. There's absolutely nothing in this painting.
"What did you think was in this painting?"
"Bart had an envelope with him the other day and I believed he hid it in the back of this painting."
"But there's no back."
"What?"
"All Phillip paintings have backs to them." Chuck's face drops as something dawns on him.
"Then someone has the evidence."
"And that means someone else knows." Shit like this mess couldn't get any worse. I have the movers deliver the painting back to Lily and I dread the call to Bart. Chuck insisted I call and tell him the truth. When I bought the painting, there was nothing in the back.
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"Did you get it?" He answers on the first ring. I can hear the tension in his voice as he awaits my response.
"I did."
"Thank you, Ella, that..."
"There's nothing on the back."
"What?"
"If you hid something in the back of the painting it's gone."
"How could it be gone? What..."
"When I came to instruct them to deliver to your place I checked and there was no back to the painting. Bart someone has whatever you're looking for. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop it from happening." There's a long pause before he responds.
"There's nothing you could have done. I shouldn't' have hidden it there."
"If I'm going to drop everything and auction money to win a painting Lily sold for whatever reason you have to be honest with me. What was in that painting that you needed so badly?"
"I didn't want to concern you with this in case anything got messy, but seeing as things are taking the turn for the worse."
"You can tell me. Trust me, dad." I know that would win him over.
"I made some bad decisions earlier in life and they can possibly be used against me."
"What could you have done?"
"I needed to save my company and the only way I could do that was embarked in trade with Sudan for oil. I kept my company."
"What does this mean?"
"I could face federal charges, Ella. I've worked hard to keep this mistake from surfacing but it seems like I needed to take matters into my own hands."
"You hid some kind of evidence in that painting," I state understanding why he needed me to buy it back so badly.
"Yes, and now someone else has what they need to use against me. Whatever happens from here on Ella is going to be one hell of a ride. I need to know that I can trust you."
"Always whatever you need."
"Good."
Many of you have voiced your love for Nate and Ella to be together. I will not tell you who she choses to be with in the end but all I will say is you will love how I give Ella her happy ending.