Chapter 31
Gregory Thornton's face was set in hard lines as he signed sharply to Marcus Whitmore, bypassing the need for typed words. His gestures emphasized that Olivia Sinclair had proven her exceptional talent long before Marcus entered the field - impressive enough that he'd taken her as his apprentice immediately.
Marcus scoffed, tilting his chin upward with arrogant disbelief. His hands moved dismissively, arguing that no one present except Gregory had witnessed Olivia's supposed skills. Even if she'd shown promise years ago, that didn't guarantee her current abilities.
With a contemptuous glance at Olivia, Marcus added that her marital status would inevitably divide her attention between restoration work and domestic duties, compromising her professional performance.
Olivia stiffened. She hadn't anticipated Marcus knowing about her marriage to Liam Blackwood, let alone commenting on it. Studying Marcus's deceptively simple black coat - undoubtedly custom-tailored like Liam's - she realized he moved in the same elite circles. Yesterday's events must have spread through their social network, though she wondered how much Marcus truly knew.
Composing herself, Olivia gestured for Gregory to remain calm before turning to Marcus. Her hands moved decisively - she would accept any test, and leave if she failed.
"Perfect!" Marcus's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He strode to a nearby table, returning with a large tray filled with what appeared to be fine powder. Closer inspection revealed countless minuscule fragments of a shattered vase.
"Restore this. Twenty minutes. Completing any section counts as passing." Marcus thrust several photographs at her. "Original appearance and current progress."
Though contemporary, the vase had been artificially aged. The studio team had assembled about one-third within the time limit, each person working on different sections - some the body, others the base.
Olivia nodded without hesitation. She'd faced greater challenges during her first childhood meeting with Gregory. This didn't intimidate her.
As she took her designated seat and pulled on gloves, Marcus smirked. "Timer starts now." He pressed start without allowing her preparation time.
"Shouldn't she get observation time first?" A petite girl with bangs murmured from the corner, but Marcus ignored her completely.
Unfazed, Olivia picked up tweezers and began working methodically, showing no rush despite the unfair start.
"Humph! Youth today think they know everything!" Gregory's text-to-speech device blared, his irritation clear.
"Care to wager? She'll fail. Haven't you heard? She vanished from public life after marriage. Finished!" Marcus's voice dropped to a stage whisper still audible to Olivia.
Worse followed. "Her husband's cheating. And our precious Olivia? Too frightened to confront him, hiding at home. Think she has what it takes? She'll disgrace us all!"
Olivia's fingers froze. So this was her reputation - not Liam's devoted wife, but a washed-up coward. It hadn't always been this way. How had she let this happen?
"I don't deal in gossip. If Olivia's skilled, she belongs here!" Gregory's synthesized voice rang out as he typed furiously.
Olivia steadied herself, refusing to let their words affect her. She located the first needed fragment and began restoration with precise movements.
Silence fell. Every eye in the studio fixed on Olivia's steady hands as she worked with meticulous care.