The man introduced himself as Adrian Hale, the developer who owned the building in my drawing. Trevor had recognized it because Seraphine occupied the top floor. Adrian studied the rest of my portfolio, then asked what I charged for the original. I admitted I had never sold one privately. He offered $10,000 for three pieces for his company’s new offices and insisted the purchase be documented properly. Trevor arranged the payment, I settled the restaurant bill, and I walked out carrying my father’s note instead of my portfolio. The humiliation my parents designed around my “little drawings” had ended with those drawings paying for everything.
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