Old Mr. Collins glanced at Janet before turning his attention back to the painting. Then, he nodded seriously and replied, “Yes!”
Everyone immediately looked up at Janet with dumbfounded expressions, as if they couldn’t comprehend the series of changes. “Are you saying Janet is Master Nato? That can’t be. Isn’t Master Nato really old and around her grandmother’s age?”
“She’s probably impersonating her. Anyway, I don’t believe it.”
“I don’t believe that a young girl like her will have such great talent in the art industry either.”
In the distance, Henry looked at the man in front of him and asked, “Miss Janet can’t be Master Nato, can she?” A few seconds later, he denied his own thoughts and said, “No, wait. Is Miss Janet a doctor and a painter?”
Everyone stepped forward curiously to see Master Nato’s painting. However, Jade quickly hid the painting behind her back and yelled, “My granddaughter gave this to me. I’m not letting any of you take it!” Seeing Jade fangirling over Janet, Emily was mad with jealousy. All of a sudden, she had a thought and a cold look appeared on her face as she said, “Janet, how did you get this painting? I wonder what means you used to get it. There isn’t a seal at the bottom of the painting after all… I’m afraid the origin of this painting is unknown!”
Janet smirked before she sneered, “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m not trying to accuse you. I’m just afraid that you were cheated by a reseller. Grandma Jade, you don’t want to get a gift from an unknown source, do you? It’s fine if it was an ordinary painting but this painting style is really similar to Master Nato’s. I fear that the way she got it isn’t as simple as we think!”
“She’s right. Is it meaningful to receive something from an unknown origin?” Shirley said bitterly.
When Emily and Shirley finished speaking, the crowd couldn’t help but glance at each other in shock.
“I didn’t steal or snatch it from anyone so why can’t I have this painting? I’ve done things rightfully so there’s no need for me to fear being slandered. Unlike somebody who stole my painting, showed it to Old Mr. Collins as her own, and asked him to accept her as an apprentice.”
Hearing this, Emily’s expression drastically changed and she pointed at Janet, ready to curse and swear at her. Seeing this, Megan hurriedly held onto Janet nervously. “Janet, just let this matter go. Everyone’s here at the party so you shouldn’t embarrass Emily!”
However, Shirley couldn’t stand Janet and mockingly said, “So what if your gift is great? You didn’t paint it yourself. My daughter can easily paint a hundred paintings like this one in a day. Even though Emily took your painting before, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know how to paint! I remember my daughter, Chloe’s painting skills were the same as her when they were young. If you think you have the ability, why don’t you, Emily and my daughter have a live competition? We’ll let Old Mr. Collins be the judge! Otherwise, how would we know whether you copied this painting?”
Old Mr. Collins stomped his feet and excitedly yelled, “Well then, why don’t we choose a day for the live competition? I’ll accept whoever wins first place in the competition as my apprentice! As for Emily… If she really does have the skills, I will forget about her mistake!”
Hearing this, Emily looked at Megan in shock. “Mom, did I hear him right? Do I still have a chance?” Megan nodded in shock, truly admiring Old Mr. Collins’s character!
However, Janet’s red lips curled into a grin and she glared at Emily with her sharp phoenix eyes. “If you want to compete with me, you must first ask yourself whether you are worthy!”
A solemn expression instantly appeared on Megan’s face and she didn’t know what to say so she hurriedly turned to look at Jade for help. Jade cleared her throat awkwardly and said, “Well, this is the end of the gift-giving session. It’s a good day so let’s not ruin the harmonious atmosphere. As for the competition Old Mr. Collins mentioned, let the children go home and think about it!” Then, she picked up a glass of warm water and took a sip with a smile.
When the crowd saw Jade’s attitude, they knew they should stop talking about it. However, Old Mr. Collins had already made a plan, as if he was determined to witness Janet paint by herself. As the party came to an end, the two tall and slender men that were standing in a distance also left.
