Chapter 2 2

Oh my goodness..." Carden froze, the breath caught in his throat as his eyes traced the portrait. There she was- the woman whose beauty seemed too ethereal to belong to the mortal world. Skin pale and delicate like freshly fallen snow. Grey curls cascading over her shoulders in perfect, soft waves, framing the kind of face painters could spend lifetimes trying to capture. She looked like a snow queen sculpted from winter itself- elegant, untouchable, devastatingly flawless. Her long, silky night-lingerie clung to her curves in a way that made her seem both innocent and sinful.

Her eyes-icy blue and impossibly clear-held the depth of a sea goddess, calling, tempting, pulling anyone who dared to look too long. And her face... God, her face. It shimmered with the gentle glow of moonlight dancing on the surface of a quiet ocean-soft, haunting, and heartbreakingly pure. One look at her, and the world around him simply stopped. silent. "Wow, this is beautiful," Carlos said, cutting the silence. "How could an artist be this good? I'm amazed by the motivation behind this piece. I'm not gonna lie-I would sell it for a million dollars. It looks so real and captivating." "Yes, you're right. But there's something interesting about this piece," the gallery man added. "Rumor says she's real." "She's real...?" Carden muttered, still in awe. "Yes, she is. Rumor has it she stays kilometers away in a mansion. She isn't an imaginary painting. She lives. That's why people love buying this piece." "Wow... she's damn gorgeous. No, no, I don't believe she's real. Such a goddess can't be real," Carlos said in amazement, still staring at the portrait. "I know, right?" the gallery man continued. "They said she's a virgin-she hasn't been touched by a man. Her owner restricts her from seeing or getting close to any man. And if a man mistakenly holds her hand, the owner demands an arrest with a high charge of defamation, then sends for a priest to pray for her. He believes the girl's innocence is the reason her portraits sell so much. Only priests are allowed near her." "The portrait is beautiful, and the story behind it is mind-blowing," Carlos added, then noticed his friend looking lost, staring at the portrait like he had seen a ghost. "Carden... Carden!" he called. "Are you okay?" Carden jolted out of his thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine." "How much did you say this piece is again?" he asked the man. "One hundred thousand dollars," the man replied. Carden hesitated for a moment, like something was calculating in his mind. "It's the last piece of this portrait I have for now," the man continued. "And I don't know how long it will take to get another. It's rare in the market." "I'll buy this one," Carden said. Carlos stared at him, shocked, unable to imagine why his friend would buy a portrait for a hundred thousand dollars. "You are crazy, man! Don't tell me you want to buy it. I know it's beautiful and captivating, but that's not enough reason to spend that much on a painting!" Carlos said angrily. "You won't understand, Carlos. I'll explain later," Carden replied, bringing out his phone to make the transfer. "Which method of payment do you accept, sir? I really need this painting." The gallery man smiled happily at the success of his sale. "Let's go to the front desk. I'll give you the details there." "Okay," Carden said. "Please come with the painting." He urged Carlos-already upset-to walk out of the dusty room. The man nodded, carrying the painting behind them as they walked out. At the front desk, he gave Carden the company account. Carden made the transfer with a big smile on his face, which made Carlos grow even angrier. He still couldn't understand why his friend would spend so much on a painting. "I've seen it. Thank you a lot, gentlemen," the man said, handing the portrait to Carden-who refused home delivery and chose to take it himself. He smiled as the portrait was placed in his hands. He looked at it closely, smiling with satisfaction. As they were about to leave, he turned back to the man. "Do you know the location of the mansion?" he asked. The man replied, "I heard it's in the heart of Sicily. It's heavily armed and owned by a powerful and dreadful man. The whole of Sicily fears him because of the men he controls. He has many people doing dirty work for him. He doesn't tolerate mistakes. One wrong move, and he pulls the trigger. He doesn't give second chances to anyone who betrays him. I also heard he once killed a man who took a flower from his garden." "He killed a man because of a flower?" Carden asked. "Yes, he did. He's very possessive of his property. The only person he fears is a priest. He believes their prayers bring redemption to him. Even if he decides to kill the whole city, he believes that once he goes for confession, his sins are forgiven." "Wow... that's crazy for him to believe," Carden said. "Yes, it's crazy. Sins can't be forgiven just because of confession," the man replied. "C'mon, man... let's go," Carlos said sharply, standing near the exit, trying hard not to lose his temper over the price Carden paid. Carden looked at him, then turned to thank the gallery man once more for the information and even tipped him generously. He walked up to the angry Carlos, smiling like someone who just won a lottery. "Let's go, man," he said, boarding a taxi. ⸻ In the Taxi Carlos finally broke the silence. "Why the hell did you buy this portrait for a hundred thousand bucks? Seems you don't know what to do with your money. Why don't you give me some?!" Carden stayed silent, holding the portrait and smiling happily. "I'm talking to you, man!" Carlos said again. Carden finally spoke. "You think I'd do something this insane without a proper reason?" He kept smiling, eyes still on the portrait. Then he turned slowly to Carlos. "I'm going to have a peaceful night's sleep from now on... because I found her." His eyes went back to the portrait. "She's the lady in my dream." Carlos shifted backward in shock. "You said what?!"