Chapter 122: The Scandal

The morning sun streamed through the windows of my gallery, casting a warm glow on the vibrant artworks that adorned the walls. It should have been a typical day, filled with the usual hum of visitors and the occasional clinking of coffee cups in the small café area. Instead, I stood in my office, staring at my phone in disbelief. “Lily, you need to see this,” Rachel’s urgent voice crackled through the speaker. “Check the news.” “What’s going on?” I asked, my heart beginning to race. “It’s about the new exhibit. There’s been an accusation of plagiarism against one of the featured artists,” she said, her tone filled with concern. “It’s all over social media and the news.” I quickly pulled up the news on my laptop, my stomach knotting as I read the headlines. There it was, plastered across every major outlet: “Renowned Artist Accused of Plagiarism; Gallery Exhibition in Question.” The artist in question was Michael Donovan, one of the most celebrated figures in the contemporary art w