Chapter 11 Kylie stepped into the antique shop , her gaze darting around the place .
The owner Liam Parker , a seasoned guy whod seen it all , gave her a quick once over and went back to his newspaper .
He could tell at a glance that Kylie wasnt there to buy .
Hey , you Liam looked up from his paper , a spark of curiosity in his eyes .
The Renaissance era , huh ? into ancient art from the Renaissance era ? Kylie asked , her voice bouncing off the old bookshelves .
Kylie nodded , reaching into her bag and pulling out a painting .
She unwrapped it smoothly , revealing a piece that looked like it had just left the artists studio .
Liams jaw practically hit the floor .
Hed heard about some bigwig in Jardora who was on the hunt for the Renaissance era pieces .
But this one … it was something else .
The restoration was top notch , the kind of work that was hard to find .
u His excitement was palpable .
How much for this masterpiece ? But first , you gotta tell me , who fixed it up so nice ? He had a couple of paintings in the back that were in rough shape , bought cheaply .
Hed been looking for someone to fix them but no one had been up to the challenge .
The damage was too much for most .
up .
Liam wasnt just worried about the money ; he felt bad for the art .
But today , Kylie might just be his lucky charm .
I did the restoration , Kylie said , grinning , Liams eyebrows shot up .
Kylie didnt look like the type to mess with ancient art .
He was skeptical .
You did this ? Kylie nodded , her confidence shining through .
Yup , all me .
Liam gave Kylie a once over , thinking how the kids these days were all about the hype .
But Kylie was cool as a cucumber , no sign of nerves .
He knew he had to have that painting .
Listen , Ive got a couple of paintings that are in rough shape , Liam said , his voice smooth as silk .
If they can be fixed up , Im talking a sweet deal 150 thousand for each .
If youve got any family whos into art , it might be worth a mention .
The offer was more than generous , especially since the paintings werent by any bigwigs , Kylie was strapped for cash , and the mention of money had her biting .
Lets see what youve got , she said , her interest piqued .
Liam , with a bit of a gamblers spirit , showed Kylie the paintings that needed some serious love .
They were in a bad state , just like the one she had brought in .
But this time it wouldnt take that long since she wasnt that busy .
Tm in , Kylie said , her voice firm Liam saw the resolve in her eyes and figured , why not ? No one else was stepping up to the plate , so he might as well give her a shot .

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They shook hands , and the deal was done .
Liam bought Kylies painting for a solid 150 grand .
She didnt try to negotiate ; the price was fair for a piece that was old but not by a famous hand .
Kylie left the Vintage Market at three in the afternoon .
She had a new gig lined up .
Starting tomorrow , shed be at the store from nine to three , working her magic on the old paintings .
She knew Liam was skeptical , but she had the chops to prove him wrong.
After all , shed been learning from Felicia for years she knew her stuff .
Arriving at the airport , Trevor slid into the backseat of the car that was waiting to take him to the Walters Groups branch office .
Zach was already on the job , his fingers dancing across his laptop keyboard .
He was filtering through a stack of documents and contracts , keeping Trevor in the loop with what was what .
Chapter II The quiet hum of the car was sliced through by the catchy tune of Trevors phone .
He hit the answer button .
Hey , Grandma .
Noreens voice came at him like a freight train .
Whats this about you jetting off again ? I thought you were going to have a nice dinner with Kylie , and get to know her better .
Whats so all fired important that it cant wait until youre back on your feet ? Dont we pay those guys at Walters Group for something ? The car was gliding down the road , but it was as silent as a library inside .
Zach could hear every word , but he was quick to look out the window , pretending he was a million miles away Trevor gave Zach a look and then massaged his temple .
Grandma , Ms.
Thompsons got her own stuff going on too .
And I said to call her Kylie , Noreen shot back .
You two are hitched now .
Dont be so formal .
She was worried that Trevors cool attitude might push Kylie away Noreen had seen her fair share of reality TV to know that playing it too cool could end up with Trevor regretting it when Kylie was gone .
You wrap things up and get back as soon as you can , Noreen said with a sigh .
Ive got a feeling Kylies carrying too much , and its breaking my heart to see her doing it all alone .
Trevor said , Fine , Ill be back soon .
Trevors mind kept replaying the scene at city hall .
Kylie had been pretty clear about what she wanted before she signed anything .
He had a feeling it was all tied up with the Lampard family .
After hanging up , Trevor shot a glance at Zach .
In your scoop on Kylie , did you find anything about how shes linked to the Lampard family ? Zach gave a quick shake of his head .
The Lampard family dont seem to be her biggest cheerleaders .
None of their usual crowd knows shes in the picture .
Trevor thought about it .
Kylies demands were probably just her way of giving the Lampard family a hard time a little girls way of showing she was not to be messed with .
But hed said hed do it , and he meant it .
Kylie breezed through the shopping mall with a mission : stock up on the basics and maybe score a new ride .
Her place at the Starlit Villa was a bit of a haul from the citys action , and she was in the market for a set of wheels .
She had her eye on one of those zippy electric numbers , something that wouldnt cost her an arm and a leg like , around thirty grand .
As she was checking out the cars , she spotted a couple through the dealership window .
It was Craig and Melanie , looking like they were straight out of a magazine spread .
Craig was trying to smooth things over with Melanie , who was clearly still ticked off about something .
Kylies heart clenched .
Seeing them together was like déjà vu , but not the good kind .
Memories of her and Craig flashed through her mind , but she quickly shut that door .
Her hand , almost on autopilot , grabbed her phone .
With a quick click , she captured the moment .
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