Chapter 126: Weighing the Options

The studio was silent except for the soft swish of the brush against the canvas and the measured rise and fall of Olivia's chest. Two easels stood side by side, each supporting a work in progress. To any outsider, the paintings might have seemed abstract, mere swirls of color and light. But to Olivia, they were the physical manifestation of the choice that had been consuming her thoughts for weeks. The canvas on the left, vibrant reds and golds, splattered with bold strokes of midnight blue, burst under the powerful lighting, filling the room with a glow—a painting of passion, of adventure, of the unknown. Nathan's canvas. Olivia took a step back. Her paintbrush and fingers, stained by paint, hung limply at her side. Studying her two works, this very female's heart raced as she tried to imagine the life each represented. The Nathan painting called to her artistic soul, promising a life full of constant inspiration and new things to experience. She felt her cells almost dance with th