The Kiss that Sparked it All

Amold was still fuming about Sheila’s scandal making the trending list, his brows furmwed in frustration.
Ellinor quickly stepped in and gently reminded him, “Dad, don’t sweat it. This whole drama won’t be the talk of the town forever
Once the dust settles, it’ll be forgotten”
“Mmm”
His youngest daughter was always the sensible one, saving him a lot of headaches
Arnold, with a gloomy look on his face due to recent hitches, let out a sigh, “Ellinor, you needed something?”
Nodding. Ellinor placed a painting on the table, “Dad, have a look at this painting”
As she spoke, she carefully peeled off the brown paper covering it, revealing an incredibly stunning piece
What she had brought was the painting “Whispers in the Wind,” one of her mother’s masterpieces, given to her by a certain
gentleman.
Amold froze for a moment upon seeing the painting, then asked excitedly. “Ellinor, this is Lady Lotus’s masterpiece, Whispers in
the Wind! I heard it was auctioned off for a whopping five million by some mysterious buyer! Where did you get this? Is it
authentic?”
Ellinor replied calmly, “Yes, Dad, it’s authentic. The man who bought this painting is my employer. He gifted it to me as a thank
you for saving his grandmother’s life”
Arnold was flabbergasted, “He just gave you a painting he spent five million on?”
Nonchalantly, Ellinor nodded, “Yes, he’s loaded and incredibly devoted to his granny. To him, five million isn’t a big deal.”
“What a stroke of luck!” Arnold exclaimed, his hand tenderly tracing the lines of Whispers in the Wind, his gaze filled with
fascination and a touch of melancholy as if the painting triggered some distant memory.
Noticing her father’s changing emotions, Ellinor asked, “Dad, Lady Lotus, that was mom’s pseudonymn, right?”
Arnold stiffened, looking at her in shock, “How... how did you know?”

His daughter explained, “I remembered bits and pieces from when I was little. I found an old photo of Mom in the house and the
name Lady Lotus was written on the back. The handwriting matched the signature on Lady Lotus’s paintings.”
So, that’s how she found out...
Knowing the cat was out of the bag. Arnold admitted, “Yes, Lady Lotus was your mother.”
Ellinor, already knowing the truth, probed further, “Dad, I noticed some of Lady Lotus’s supposed posthumous works seem fresh,
not like they’ve aged. Could mom still be alive?”
“Enough!”
Arnold cut her off sharply. “Your mother passed away when you were very young! The new–looking paintings you’re talking about
are probably fakes; someone is trying to cash in on Lady Lotus’s style. And, Ellinor, never mention that your mother was Lady
Lotus in public. Understood?”
Ellinor frowned, “Why? Why can’t I mention her?”
Arnold was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he finally said impatiently. “Your mother wasn’t my official wife. If you
bring her up, people will start calling you an illegitimate child”
He always dodged questions about her mother and always changed the subject.
There must be some secret he’s hiding.
Although her memories of her mother were hazy, Ellinor remembered her as a proud, aloof woman who would never settle for
being the other woman!
She never believed the rumors about her mother being a mistress. Even if her mom had passed away, she was determined to
uncover the truth and clear her mother’s name. Leaving Whispers in the Wind with Arnold for safekeeping, Ellinor bid her father
goodbye
She knew Arnold would take good care of her mother’s masterpiece. She could tell that he still cared deeply for his deceased
wife,