As they entered the gallery, directly in front of them was a white wall, serving as both a partition and a screen, presenting the facade of the entire exhibition and attracting the attention of passersby.
And hanging there was the familiar painting titled "City Night Shadow."
A few customers gathered near the entrance, curiously examining the space. Since this was a regular gallery and not a museum, there was no glass barrier, allowing visitors to admire the artwork up close and in detail—
Which is exactly what people were doing.
One after another, they leaned in as if inspecting the paint and canvas with magnifying glasses, then quietly exchanged opinions amongst themselves.
Anne Hathaway wasn't entirely sure, but she had a vague feeling that this might be Michael's work. However, the scene before her raised some doubts.
"Michael...?"
Anne called out softly.
Michael was completely stunned, staring at the painting in front of him, unable to speak.
Thomas stepped forward, glanced at the description in the lower right corner, then turned to Anne and nodded, "Sebastian Orsino. Yes, it's him—clearly a pseudonym."
Shakespeare was a literary giant particularly adored by the Hathaway family. Anne Hathaway, after all, was named after Shakespeare's wife—
Anne Hathaway. The exact same name.
So it wasn't surprising that Michael used characters from Shakespeare's works as pseudonyms.
Michael explained, "That's because Anne is no longer an ordinary person. I don't want people to judge me differently because of my surname."
Thomas muttered under his breath, "It's not like Anne is famous enough for that to matter."
Michael ignored Thomas and added, "But... it wasn't supposed to be here."
Anne asked, "What do you mean?"
Michael looked around, "It was originally supposed to be in the second part of the exhibition, as part of the second phase, displayed further inside. So why is it here?"
Clearly, there was no explanation for this, and Michael had many questions.
Thomas, however, noticed something else. "A red dot. It looks like the painting has been sold. Who knows? Maybe it's the only one they sold, so they're putting it on display. Let me take a closer look…"
Thomas squeezed back into the crowd.
Michael sighed helplessly. "Thomas."
They really shouldn't be drawing attention to themselves—especially with Anne still there. Michael also didn't want to be caught coming to the gallery just to confirm whether his painting had sold. But Thomas was already pushing deeper into the crowd.
"Anson Wood?" Thomas exclaimed in surprise.
Anne was startled and quickly scanned the surroundings. "Where?"
Thomas called back, "Over here. Look!"
Anne couldn't contain her curiosity and hurried forward.
Michael called after her, "Anne!"
But he didn't dare shout. Watching Anne and Thomas move through the crowd, he sighed in frustration and reluctantly followed, whispering, "Thomas, tone it down."
Thomas ignored him, busy chatting with those around him.
"…Didn't you know? I thought half of New York knew by now. Anson himself showed up here this afternoon and caused quite a stir."
"Yeah, that Anson Wood. There's a rumor he was spotted on a date, but no one knows for sure. He stayed here for quite some time, though, and bought a painting."
"And now everyone's just here trying to see what's going on."
"I think it was definitely a date. Anson came straight here from Europe—if it's not a date, then what is it?"
"Heh, how do you know? Maybe Anson's been in New York for days. If he didn't want to be seen, he wouldn't be. Showing up here is just for attention, to tie his name to art."
"Heh, and if you've figured out the game, why are you here?"
The chatter buzzed all around them, making it unnecessary for Thomas to even ask any questions.
By this time, both Anne and Michael had seen it too—
"Anson Wood."
His name, right there. It seemed that Anson had indeed purchased the painting.
The Hathaway siblings exchanged glances, their minds filled with numerous thoughts.
Thomas asked, "Is it possible someone used his name?"
Michael: ???
Someone nearby chimed in, "TMZ took pictures. No way it's a fake."
Thomas, unwilling to back down, replied, "TMZ can be wrong too. They're not the Times." But he knew the chances were slim. Then he turned to Michael and Anne, "So, what's going on?"
Michael had no idea that the curator of the exhibition was Nora Wood, missing a critical piece of information. He couldn't understand why Anson would be here—
Even if it was for a date, choosing this obscure little gallery didn't make sense.
Could it really just be a coincidence?
Michael instinctively looked at his sister. "Anne, could it be... you?"
Anne seemed a bit dazed, her mind crowded with countless thoughts. "No, I didn't…"
Thomas interjected, "Maybe he's pursuing you? Or you two are secretly dating?"
"Maybe he bought Michael's painting to impress you? Or maybe, because he couldn't attend the sequel's filming, he's making up for it by buying this painting?"
"Wait, Michael, your painting isn't going to end up at our house, is it? That'd be awkward. I wouldn't know where to hang it."
"Oh God, what if he's dating someone else while taking her to see Michael's art? What a jerk!"
The wild guesses dragged Anne back to reality.
"He's not... he wouldn't…"
Anne laughed.
"We're not dating, and he wouldn't do something that ridiculous."
"I've never discussed Michael's work with him, and besides, don't you remember? That painting isn't even signed by Michael."
Thomas realized, "Ah…"
A crucial detail, instantly cutting off any speculation.
Michael had calmed down by now, though still somewhat uncertain—
You couldn't blame him. After years of being overlooked and doubted, when success finally came, it was hard to believe. His instinct was to doubt, to feel uneasy.
Anne took a deep breath. "I didn't do it. I swear!"
"Michael, this is beyond my influence. Even if I were face-to-face with him, I wouldn't dare ask such a thing. I never mentioned it."
"In fact, I have just as many questions as you do."
The three siblings looked at one another, still unable to untangle their thoughts.
Thomas suddenly had an idea. "Anne, why don't you just ask him?"
"We're being silly. Why are we standing here guessing? Just ask him why he bought the painting. Does he even know it's Michael's?"
Anne looked at Michael.
Michael, in turn, looked at Anne. "I don't mind if my name is revealed. But do you? Does it matter to you?"
If the answer was yes, and Anson knew the painting was Michael's, what did that mean? And how would Anne handle it?
If the answer was no, and Anson had no idea about the connection, how should she respond? Should she thank him?
In what way?