"Can we exchange numbers?" Diana asked, her voice steady but carrying a hint of sothing lighter, almost playful. "I’d like to stay in touch."
Noah didn’t react with surprise or hesitation. His gaze remained steady, his tone as neutral as ever when he replied, "Okay."
Diana’s smile widened behind her scarf, her posture straightening slightly as though she were pleased with his answer. She reached into her bag, retrieving a sleek, gold-edged phone. Her movents were unhurried, deliberate, as if savoring the mont.
Noah pulled out his own phone—a device far more advanced than hers, sleek and futuristic in design, the kind of technology that hinted at its owner’s unique resources. With a single tap, he brought up his contact information and handed her the screen.
Diana took it gracefully, entering her number with a quiet focus. When she handed it back to him, she tilted her head slightly, her golden locks catching the light again. "I appreciate this," she said softly.
Her gaze lingered on the phone in Noah’s hand as he slipped it back into his pocket. She hesitated for a mont before speaking again, her curiosity clearly piqued. "Your phone," she said, her tone casual but inquisitive, "it looks… very futuristic. Unique, even. Where did you get it?"
Noah glanced at her briefly, his expression as calm as ever. "I made it," he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Diana blinked, tilting her head in genuine surprise. "Huh?" she said, a note of disbelief slipping into her voice. "You made it?"
He nodded, his tone unbothered. "Yeah. I made it."
For a mont, Diana stood there, processing what he had just said. Her sunglasses concealed her widened eyes, but the slight parting of her lips betrayed her astonishnt. She wasn’t soone easily caught off guard, but this… this wasn’t what she had expected.
"I see," she said finally, her voice asured but tinged with intrigue.
The exchange could have ended there, but sothing about his nonchalant tone and the sheer absurdity of his claim kept her curiosity alive. She wasn’t soone who was easily impressed—she’d t countless brilliant minds, seen groundbreaking technology, and walked among the world’s elite. Yet here was a man, no older than his late teens, casually claiming to have built a device that looked as advanced as anything she’d seen from the top tech firms.
She crossed her arms loosely, tilting her head slightly. "Does it… have any additional features compared to the phones on the market?"
Noah shrugged, his deanor entirely unbothered. "It has a few features," he replied, his tone casual, almost dismissive. "AI assistant, extre damage prevention, and so other stuff. It’s nothing extraordinary."
Diana’s lips twitched into a faint smile. "Nothing extraordinary?" she repeated, her voice carrying a hint of amusent. "AI assistant and extre damage prevention sound like more than just ’nothing extraordinary.’"
Her mind raced as she considered his words. Those features, particularly the AI assistant, were cutting-edge developnts that had only recently been integrated into the latest models from the most advanced tech companies. And even then, the technology was still being refined, with many devices plagued by bugs and inefficiencies.
For him to speak about it so casually, as though it were no more impressive than an ordinary phone, spoke volus about his capabilities. Even if his version wasn’t at the exact level of comrcial devices, the fact that he could achieve such a feat at all was… remarkable.
Behind her sunglasses, her eyes widened slightly as the realization settled in. "That’s… impressive," she said, her tone soft but genuine.
Noah didn’t respond imdiately, his gaze steady and unreadable. To him, it wasn’t sothing worth making a fuss over. It was just another project, another tool he had created to suit his needs. But Diana’s reaction—subtle yet telling—didn’t go unnoticed.
For a mont, she debated asking him more. The thought of owning a phone like his was tempting, not just because of its capabilities but because it was his creation. Yet, as she glanced at him, his composed deanor and lack of interest in boasting about his skills gave her pause.
If this isn’t sothing he’s offering to the public, she thought, then asking for one might co across as… too much. I might give him a very terrible first impression, since I already asked him for the portrait.
Diana wasn’t the type to overstep boundaries, especially with soone as intriguing as Noah. Instead, she decided to let the matter rest.
She gave him a small, appreciative nod.
The conversation settled into a comfortable silence, though the air between them felt charged with unspoken thoughts. Diana’s mind was a whirl of questions—Who exactly was this man? How did soone so young possess such an extraordinary range of talents? But she didn’t voice them.
There was always another ti to ask these questions, and right now wasn’t particularly a good ti.
Instead, she offered him a warm smile, the kind that carried both gratitude and intrigue. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson," she said, her voice soft but sincere. "For your generosity, your ti… and for surprising ."
Noah raised an eyebrow slightly, his smirk deepening. "It seems like I surprise you a lot."
"You do," Diana admitted, her tone light but honest. "And I have a feeling you’ll continue to."
She took a small step back, signaling the end of their conversation. As she turned to leave, her golden hair catching the light once more, she paused briefly and glanced over her shoulder. "By the way," she said, her tone playful, "I hope you don’t mind if I call you soti. I’d like to see what other surprises you’re hiding."
Noah gave her a small nod, his smirk never fading. "Go ahead. I’ll pick up."
Diana smiled faintly, though most of her expression was obscured by her scarf and sunglasses. The warmth in her voice, however, was unmistakable. She turned slightly, her golden hair brushing against her shoulders as she shifted her attention to William, who stood a step behind her, visibly stunned.
William’s face was a mixture of disbelief and lingering confusion, his usually composed deanor cracked by the whirlwind of events. His gaze darted between Diana, Noah’s retreating figure, and the painting being carefully handled by Jas’s team. For a man accustod to navigating the upper echelons of society, it was clear that the events of the past hour had completely thrown him off balance.
"Mr. William," Diana said gently, her voice cutting through his daze.
William blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "Y-Yes, my lady?" he stamred, straightening his posture instinctively.
Diana’s tone was calm but carried a subtle authority as she gestured toward Jas, who was overseeing the careful packing of the portrait. "Could you handle the transportation procedure with Mr. Jas? Ensure that everything is done properly and that the painting arrives safely."
For a mont, William hesitated, still visibly processing everything that had transpired. His lips parted slightly as if to protest or question her request, but the look in Diana’s eyes stopped him.
It wasn’t a harsh look—Diana rarely needed to resort to overt displays of power—but it was firm, a silent reminder of her position and her trust in him.
"Of course," William said quickly, nodding. His voice was steadier now, though there was still an edge of bewildernt in his tone. "I’ll make sure everything is handled perfectly."
"Good," Diana said with a small, approving nod. Her calm gaze lingered on him for a mont longer before she turned her attention back to Jas.
Find more chapters on Freewebnovel
Jas, who had been quietly observing the exchange, offered a polite bow of acknowledgnt. "I’ll coordinate with Mr. William to ensure the painting is transported with the utmost care," he said smoothly, his professionalism unwavering.
Diana smiled faintly, her voice soft but carrying a subtle weight. "Thank you, Mr. Jas. I know I can rely on you."
Jas inclined his head, his tone warm but respectful. "It is my pleasure, my lady. The piece will be treated with the respect it deserves."
As Jas and William moved to finalize the logistics, Diana took a step back, her gaze briefly flicking toward Noah, who was nearing the gallery’s exit. Her expression softened slightly, though it remained hidden behind her scarf and sunglasses.
"Noah Thompson," she murmured under her breath, the words ant only for herself, "A prodigy, huh?"
With that, she turned on her heel, her steps graceful and deliberate as she walked away, leaving William and Jas to manage the rest.
Behind her, William muttered under his breath as he followed Jas toward the painting. "Who is this Noah Thompson? How does soone like him even exist?"
Jas shook his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Don’t ask ," he said, his voice low but carrying a note of disbelief. "All I know is that soone bought this gallery—cash, in one single go—and that soone was… him."
William froze mid-step, his head snapping toward Jas. "Wait," he said, his tone sharp with shock. "You’re telling Noah Thompson owns this gallery?"
Jas nodded, his expression calm but thoughtful as his eyes briefly flicked to the portrait being carefully packed. "That’s right," he said. "He bought it outright. No negotiations, no paynt plans. Just one clean transaction, all in cash."
William’s jaw dropped slightly, his earlier composure unraveling once again. "That’s absurd," he muttered, almost to himself. "Do you have any idea how much this place is worth?"
"Of course, I do," Jas replied with a wry smile. "And so does he. But apparently, for him, it wasn’t a big deal."
William ran a hand through his hair, his mind struggling to process the information. The idea of soone so young not only having the resources to purchase a gallery of this caliber but doing so without batting an eye was… staggering.
Jas continued, his voice dropping slightly as though sharing a personal confession. "To be honest, when he called earlier asking for the portrait setup, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know he was this talented in art. In fact," he added with a faint chuckle, "I was a little worried. I thought he might embarrass himself."
William raised an eyebrow, his curiosity montarily overriding his shock. "You were worried?"
Jas nodded, glancing at William with a rueful smile. "Wouldn’t you be? I’ve worked at this gallery for years—dedicated my life to it, really. When he told he needed canvas and paints to draw sothing here, in the middle of the gallery, I was… skeptical, to say the least."
William frowned slightly, understanding Jas’s position. "You thought he might make a ss of things?"
"Exactly," Jas said with a sigh. "I an, think about it. A gallery owner decides to paint sothing on the spot, with no warning, and no one knows whether he’s even any good at it. If he’d drawn sothing terrible, it wouldn’t just reflect badly on him—it would’ve reflected badly on the gallery. And ."
He paused, a faint chuckle escaping him. "But what could I do? He’s the boss. If I’d shown even the slightest hint of rejection or hesitation, I’d be risking the job I’ve been at for so many years. So I complied. Quietly."
William’s gaze drifted to the carefully packed portrait, the mory of the masterpiece still fresh in his mind. "And then… he created that," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
Jas nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "Exactly. Five minutes. That’s all it took for him to silence every doubt I had. It wasn’t just good—it was extraordinary. I’ve seen the work of legends in this field, William, and I’m telling you… what he did today was on that level. Maybe even beyond it."
The two n stood in silence for a mont, the weight of everything they had witnessed settling over them. Then, with a faint shake of his head, Jas turned back to the task at hand.
"Co on," he said, motioning toward the painting. "Let’s finish this up."
As they began organizing the final steps of the transportation procedure, Jas glanced at William, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. "By the way," he asked casually, though his tone betrayed his interest, "who was that lady?"
William paused for a brief second, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He leaned slightly closer to Jas, lowering his voice to a whisper as though sharing a state secret. "That was… Princess Diana."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Jas froze mid-motion, the clipboard in his hand nearly slipping from his grasp. His eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks, and his jaw dropped slightly, leaving his mouth gaping open like a fish gasping for air. "I’m sorry—what?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible.
"Princess Diana," William repeated, his faint smile deepening as he watched Jas’s stunned reaction. "Yes, that Diana. One of the most influential royals in Europe. You know, the woman whose every move gets reported on like it’s an international event?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)