On Hannah, especially. Don’t make any mistakes.”
“There is one more thing, Mr. Compton. Miss Moore is also accompanied by two other people. I tailed them and found that they have been residents of Newfort for most of their lives, but I have no idea who they are.”
“Don’t worry about it. As long as they don’t cause any trouble and keep you from watching Hannah, there is no need to look into them.”
“Understood, Mr. Compton.”
Hannah stepped into the studio and looked around. The exterior of the building looked the same as any other around Newport, but the interiors adopted traditional Hoijery design.
Paintings, both finished and unfinished, were stacked against each other in the main hall, with a decorative fireplace sitting in front of the room.
Jalen took them to a sitting area on one side of the hall.
“Sorry, the place is a little messy at the moment. I’ve held an exhibit recently, and I haven’t gotten around to putting the paintings away just yet.
Sit and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go get you some water.”
Hannah plopped down on the sofa and said, “You don’t have to trouble yourself, Jalen. They won’t die, even if they don’t drink water for the rest of the day.”
“Boss! We worked really hard, following you all the way here. The least we can have is a glass of water!”
No sooner had Dotson spoken than Dilan began bobbing his head in earnest.
“That’s right, that’s right. We came out today to ensure your safety and uphold our duty as your bodyguards! How can you be so cruel to us when we protect you for free?”
Jalen returned with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of water. He came just in time to hear the las
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t bit of their conversation. His gaze immediately sharpened. “What are you doing in Newport, anyway? Didn’t you say that these men are your friends? What do you need bodyguards for?”
“Ignore them, Jalen. They’re spouting nonsense. Even as she said that, Hannah turned sideways and glared at Dotson and Dilan.
They promptly shut their mouths. Dotson took the initiative and picked up a glass of water from the tray. “Yes, yes, we were just kidding around. The two of us are still in school, how can we possibly be bodyguards? It’s just that, we haven’t seen Boss in a long time. We couldn’t help but mess with her a bit.”
“Then why do you keep calling her ‘Boss’?”
Hannah, who was in the middle of sipping from her own glass of water, choked at Jalen’s words.
She wiped her mouth and changed the topic. Picking up one of the canvases from the floor, she asked, “Are these the paintings that weren’t bought during the exhibit?”
“Ah, no. The finished paintings here were not displayed at all.”
Hannah glanced toward the pile of paintings and frowned slightly. “That makes at least thirty finished paintings. Are you holding another exhibit soon?”
A hint of unease flickered in Jalen’s eyes. “Well… Have you had lunch yet?
I’m about to cook something, why don’t we have a meal together?”
Sensing the shift in his mood, Hannah decided not to pursue the matter.