Chapter 285

Kress shook his head with regret. “I’m sorry. I like your work, but you’re not the one I’m looking for.”

Rowena’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she felt more relief or disappointment.

“Can I ask why I’m not the right person?” she asked.

“Your work lacks a certain spark, a soul. It’s empty,” Kress explained. “It’s clear you don’t genuinely love the art or the subjects you draw. I’m sorry to be blunt, but you have to do what you love. That’s where true motivation comes from, not misery.”

“I understand,” Rowena said. She walked out of the office, then turned back. “Is Winifred Hart the person you chose?”

Kress nodded.

An unexpected wave of relief washed over Rowena, the guilt she’d been carrying vanishing completely. But that relief was immediately replaced by the dread of facing her mother.

Rowena wandered aimlessly across the campus, her gaze fixed on the gloomy sky.

She reached out a hand, as if to catch the first drop of rain, when a black umbrella suddenly appeared in her vision.

Winifred stood before her, one hand in her pocket, the other holding the umbrella. Kress had already spoken to her and explained his purpose. She had also done her own digging and found out Kress had been sent by her sister, Sienna. The goal was to give her a respectable public identity, a master to study under, to supplement the less-than-savory one she kept hidden. She wouldn’t refuse her sister’s kindness, especially since she genuinely loved to draw. But seeing Rowena walking down the path, looking so defeated, she felt an unconscious urge to approach her.

“Thanks,” Rowena said, fighting back the urge to cry. There would be plenty of time for tears when she got home. Her mother was waiting. The net that bound her felt impossible to escape, no matter how much she struggled.

“You’ve been looking into the auditions for Fleeting Blossom,” Winifred stated. It hadn’t been hard to find out; a quick hack into Rowena’s computer revealed everything. The auditions started today.

Rowena looked up. “How did you know?”

“Come on, I’ll go with you,” Winifred said, grabbing her by the wrist.

Rowena let herself be pulled along. Winifred was a vision in oppressive black, the hood of her jacket perpetually up, casting her face in a play of light and shadow. A silver crescent moon necklace rested on her chest. Rowena’s white dress was getting damp from the drizzle, and her sneakers were stained with mud.

As they neared the gate, she saw her mother’s car parked by the curb and froze.

“It’s my mom,” Rowena said, her voice laced with anxiety.

Winifred glanced at the car, then steered her in another direction. The rain had softened to a light mist, and people were starting to put their umbrellas away.

“Got a tissue? To wipe this down,” Winifred said.

Rowena looked at Winifred’s black motorcycle and pulled a pack of tissues from her purse, carefully wiping the water from the seat. Seeing how meticulous she was, Winifred teased, “You’d be great at washing windows. You don’t miss a single corner. I’ll have to hire you to do mine. I’ll even pay you well.”

The unexpected joke made Rowena blush, a sudden warmth spreading through her. Biting her lip, she was surprised that Winifred could be playful.

“It’s clean,” Rowena said, finishing up.

“Hop on. You scared?” Winifred asked, putting on her own helmet and handing one to Rowena.

Rowena’s heart was pounding, not with fear, but with a thrilling, electrifying excitement, as if something new was breaking through the surface.

“Not at all!” Rowena replied.

The engine roared to life. As they sped off, Rowena felt the cool air against her skin, and she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her face. An exhilarating sense of freedom washed over her.

Winifred took Rowena straight to the audition venue and handed her a number.

“What’s wrong? Getting cold feet?” Winifred teased.

Rowena smiled, her fingers tracing the number 98 on the card. She liked it. “Winifred, thank you. I really mean it.”

Winifred just patted her on the shoulder. “Go on.”