Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Having arrived a few minutes before Saskia and Clay, who’d called for the meeting, Gareth Tate was already seated in a chair. “How the hell did Hugo Lewis even know San Holo was here in San Francisco?”
“The latest mural,” Clay said.
But Gareth shook his head. The man was gorgeous, his clothing impeccable, his body toned to a fine edge. Under other circumstances, Adrian might drool.
“I get that,” he said. “But how did he know Saskia was San Holo?”
Adrian took responsibility. “There was a photo of you two in the gossip columns.” She fluttered a hand at Clay and Saskia. “I tried to have it quashed. But not everyone took it down.”
Saskia gasped just as Adrian knew she would. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Adrian could have said that Saskia was so obsessed with Clay that she hadn’t answered Adrian’s texts or calls, especially since Hugo’s press conference. But she couldn’t blame Saskia. After all, she was the agent. She hired the publicists. “Honestly, I had no idea Hugo would put two and two together. That you were here. And so was San Holo. Ergo, you must be the same person.”
Clay came to her rescue. “It’s spilled milk. Let’s clean it up before it turns sour.”
Adrian pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat, and we’ll plan our strategy.”
Saskia and Clay sat together, hands linked, while Gareth dragged his chair to the opposite side of the coffee table. Rolling her desk chair closer, Adrian sat next to him. He smelled delicious.
With Gareth already briefed on Hugo’s machinations, Clay jumped in. “I intend to neutralize Lewis and get Saskia’s art back.”
The lawyer asked, “First of all—Saskia, why didn’t you go up against him before? Especially right after he claimed your name?”
Even as Saskia opened her mouth, Adrian stepped in, speaking mainly to her friend. “When Hugo stole your art and you had to start over, your name wasn’t as well known in the art world. You were good, and you were growing, but you weren’t quite there yet.” She turned to Gareth. “Neither of us thought we could win if we went up against Hugo.”
Saskia held tight to Clay’s hand. “I have to admit I felt beaten. I didn’t want anything more to do with him, especially not a long legal fight.”
Gareth nodded briefly. Clay put his arm around Saskia’s shoulders, giving her comfort. But her friend had her own strength now.
Adrian looked at Saskia. “As San Holo, you have a lot more clout than you did five years ago.” She took a deep breath, hoping Saskia was ready to hear this. “If you embrace that he outed you, you could come out publicly and say that his art prior to five years ago is yours.”
Saskia swallowed hard, as if it hurt.
Clay stared Adrian down. “He’ll just call Saskia a liar.”
Gareth stepped in. “We have to look at the legal ramifications of taking him on that way. Hugo could sue her for defamation.”
But Adrian was already shaking her head. “It’s not defamation if it’s true.”
Clay leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “But how do we prove it?”
Adrian felt like doing a happy dance. Her idea was brilliant. “The fleur-de-lis.”
They all looked at Saskia. Clay asked, “Were you hiding the fleur-de-lis in your work even then?”
Saskia had signed Lynx on every mural and canvas. Just as she put a small SH on her San Holo work once that name became known. Those initials and the fleur-de-lis were hidden in the artwork itself, which made it a great boon for anyone finding them.
Adrian smiled at Saskia. “Why don’t you tell them, friend?”
“In addition to signing Lynx on each piece, I also hid a small lynx somewhere, like I do now with the fleur-de-lis. The Eurasian lynx had become extinct in England, and they were talking about reintroducing it. I felt it was a fitting image.”
Adrian detected the gleam in Clay’s gaze. More than admiration for Saskia’s intelligence and her art, it was pure love.
For a moment, Adrian ached for what she didn’t have. But she couldn’t think about that now. Especially not with handsome Gareth Tate sitting next to her.
Clay said, “Hugo doesn’t know about the lynx?”
Saskia shook her head, her smile growing. “I never told anyone.” She turned that smile on Adrian. “Except my best friend.”
Adrian grinned. “Who was forever sworn to secrecy.”
“With San Holo, I used the fleur-de-lis as a gimmick, hiding it along with my initials, but letting people know it was there somewhere. It got them to really look at each piece.”
Clay gazed at the woman Adrian was absolutely sure he loved. “Smart move. Can you remember where the lynxes are in the existing murals and canvases that he claimed from you?”
Saskia rolled her eyes. “Of course.”
Adrian could almost see the elation jumping out of Clay. “Then we’ll challenge him. If he were the true artist, he’d be able to find them all. When he can’t, you’ll show that you can. Which makes you the artist and not him.”