Chapter 93 The Value of Her Hands
Lauren stood there, dazed, utterly unable to comprehend how he knew.
Felix tilted his chin at her, a subtle gesture, yet one filled with unmistakable meaning.
Lauren hesitated, then slowly lowered her head. Her gaze landed on the chest of the jacket draped over her shoulders. There bloomed a single peony, embroidered with meticulous craftsmanship.
Its petals overlapped in layer upon delicate layer, the staches so fine, the shading so vivid, it seemed almost alive.
Wasn’t this my work?
Lauren’s head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Felix.
Their gazes locked. Neither spoke, but in that silence, everything was understood.
“The peony is well done.” As Felix spoke, he retrieved his phone, opened his photo album, and handed it to
her.
“This piece is exquisite,” he continued. “A masterpiece of Swish embroidery. Pity the embroiderer never finished it. If you can complete it, we’ll call it your gratitude to me.”
On the screen was a photo of an unfinished embroidery titled Queen of Blooms. The peonies in the design were breathtakingly vivid, each petal painstakingly stitched with delicate precision. The silk threads gleamed subtly, their colors expertly blended. Every stitch seemed to breathe life into the fabric.
The blossoms overlapped gracefully, petals saturated with color that faded gently from the center, each stitch at the edges nearly invisible, seamless in transition. Even the veins of the leaves were embroidered with such intricate realism they seemed ready to tremble in a passing breeze.
The entire piece radiated an air of elegance and majesty, the perfect representation of a peony’s noble beauty. Every part of it was flawless, except that it was unfinished.
Lauren’s pupils shrank.
Wasn’t this the embroidery I had worked on in prison?
She had never finished it because she had been released before she could complete those final stitches.
But how had something I left behind ended up in his hands?
“Sir, where did you get this piece?” Lauren asked.
Felix glanced at her. “I bought it at an auction.”
An auction? My embroidery had been sold at auction?
Back in prison, the guards often praised Lauren’s needlework. But she never thought it was particularly exceptional. She thought she was just better than the others around her. She never imagined her work was good enough to be auctioned.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around Felix’s phone, and her voice quivered. “Forgive me for asking.
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Chapter 93 The Value of Her Hands
Finished
Felix noticed the faint tremor in her voice. He studied her for a moment, then answered, “2.8 million
dollars.
In fact, Queen of Blooms was worth more than that. Far more than Pine and Crane, which had fetched 4.2 million at auction. But Queen of Blooms was incomplete. Even if only a few stitches were missing, its value had been greatly diminished. After all, if another embroiderer were to finish it, it would no longer be a singular creation, and even the smallest difference in echnique could be detected by discerning eyes.
The peony on Felix’s coat shared an almost identical needlework technique to the unfinished masterpiece. If Lauren completed the piece herself, the difference would be imperceptible. That was what Felix believed.
2.8 million dollars? My embroidery had sold for 2.8 million dollars?
A tidal wave of shock crashed over Lauren again and again until she could hardly breathe. Her eyes widened, the figure of 2.8 million dollars echoing in her mind like a thunderclap, shattering everything she thought she knew about her skill.
Her hand trembled. Without meaning to, her finger swiped across the phone screen. The photo changed. Another piece appeared. It was Pines and Cranes.
The cranes in the embroidery were exquisitely lifelike, their feathers soft and light, as if they might take flight with the faintest breeze. The pine branches were detailed and textured, their trunks gnarled and strong. Every line, every shade, spoke of the embroiderer’s unmatched mastery.
Lauren felt another jolt of shock. This piece was hers as well!
Felix spoke again calmly, “I purchased Pines and Cranes last year for 4.2 million dollars as a birthday gift for my grandmother. She loved it. That’s why I made sure to acquire another piece by the same embroiderer this year.
4.2 million dollars. The number hit Lauren like a hammer. She stood frozen, her eyes so wide they seemed about to fall from their sockets. Her mouth parted, as if to speak, but no words came out. The shock had wedged itself in her throat.
2.8 million.
4.2 million.
These were numbers she had never dared to imagine. Yet they were the prices her embroidery had sold for.
No wonder back in prison, no matter how badly the other inmates beat her, they never laid a hand on her fingers. No wonder the guards always stood watch when she worked on her embroidery, protecting her like she was some priceless treasure. Her hands were worth more than she ever realized.
After the shock–faded, an overwhelming sadness rose up in Lauren’s chest.
If she had only known how valuable her work was, why had she allowed herself to endure so much humiliation at the Bennett family just for a mere 1.4 million dollars?
The grievances of her past surged within her like a tide the could no longer hold back. Her eyes reddened, glistening with unshed tears. She bit her lip hard, struggling to suppress the storm of emotions crashing through her.
