Chapter 50: Yanis, Tell Me How Could I Be Happy

Ivan pulled up in front of Bonnie's studio and stepped out of the car to help Yanis open the door.

Glancing back at the still-lit studio, he asked, "Is Bonnie going to work tirelessly for the next two days?"

Yanis stepped out of the car and looked in the direction of the studio, "The wedding season is approaching, so she's definitely going to be swamped."

Ivan leaned against the car door, "I haven't seen her this driven before."

Yanis chuckled, "Well, she loves it. Every time Travis asks her to draw, she sits in front of the drawing board like she's burning the midnight oil, completely engrossed."

Ivan laughed at the image, "It's a good thing you've taken over Travis's skills. Otherwise, he would've driven Bonnie crazy trying to find a suitable and satisfactory student."

"Bonnie mentioned that too."

As they stood by the car, they chatted for a while before saying their goodbyes.

Yanis watched Ivan's car drive away before turning to walk towards Bonnie's studio.

Just as she took a step forward, her phone in her bag started ringing.

Yanis paused at the door, took out her cellphone, and saw the caller ID, but she decided not to answer it.

She silenced the phone and let it continue vibrating in her bag.

As she pushed the door open and looked at Bonnie, who was hunched over the computer desk working diligently, Yanis put down her bag and picked up a glass of warm water to offer to Bonnie, "Are you done?"

Bonnie heard Yanis' voice and placed the final stroke before turning to face Yanis, "When did you get back?"

Yanis handed her the water, "Just got back."

Bonnie took a few sips, "How was it? Did you meet my idol?"

Yanis nodded and placed the glass of water on the table, "Yes, and we had dinner together."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Zane and Neve were there too."

Bonnie frowned upon hearing that, "How do you keep running into those two pests? Can't they leave you alone?"

Yanis shook her head, "They didn't bother me this time."

"No?" Bonnie gave her a suspicious look, "Is the Scumbag finally behaving himself?"

Yanis laughed, but didn't give a definite answer.

"What about the mistress? Did she cause trouble for you?"

Yanis shook her head, "No."

Yanis then turned her attention to the computer screen, "How much do you have left to do?"

Bonnie leaned back in her chair, "Don't worry about me. If that mistress bothers you, let me know, and I'll give her a taste of her own medicine."

Yanis looked at her helplessly, "Bonnie, don't worry about me. Get back to work."

Bonnie closed her computer, "Alright, alright. Let's talk about something else."

She then grabbed a chair and sat down, "So, tell me everything about meeting my idol. Did you get a chance to be his student? Was he impressed with your work?"

Yanis took a seat as well, "Mr. Walsh looked at my previous drawings, and he seemed pleased. But we didn't have much time to discuss the apprenticeship. We'll talk about it later."

"So, there's still hope, right?"

Yanis nodded, "Yes, I believe there is."

Bonnie clapped her hands excitedly, "I knew it! My idol has excellent taste."

She gave Yanis a thumbs up, "And, of course, our Yanis is amazing too."

Yanis laughed, but before she could say anything, her phone started ringing again.

She glanced at the screen and decided to ignore the call.

"Yanis, your phone is ringing again. Answer it while I go to the bathroom."

Bonnie hurried to the bathroom.

The phone continued to ring, and Yanis hesitated for a moment before finally answering it in the final seconds.

As she picked up the call, she remained silent, waiting for the caller to speak first.

The person on the other end also remained silent, creating a tense standoff.

Time passed, but the man on the other end didn't speak.

Just as Yanis was about to say something, Bonnie rushed back from the bathroom, "Yanis, why don't you wash up and get some rest? I suddenly got inspired, and I plan to work until tomorrow!"

Yanis glanced at Bonnie and decided to handle the call later, "Alright, I'll hang up now."

"Are you with Ivan?" The man on the other end finally spoke too.

Yanis didn't answer and was about to hang up, but the man's threatening tone stopped her, "You wouldn't want me to pay a visit to Bonnie's studio right now, would you?"

Yanis hesitated and then responded, "What do you want?"

"Either you come to D-king Castle in half an hour, or I'll send Albi to pick you up."

Yanis paused, glancing at Bonnie, and whispered, "Bonnie, I'm going back to my room."

Bonnie, busy with her drawing, replied casually, "Good night, hon."

Yanis left the studio with her phone still in hand, "Zane, what do you want? Can't you just get straight to the point? Do you find it fun to torment me like this?"

Zane's low laughter sounded on the other end, "Torment you? Yanis, who's the one being tormented here?"

"Yes, I admit I made mistakes in the past. I shouldn't have plotted against you, I shouldn't have slept with you. It's all my fault. But I've apologized to you over the years. Now, Neve is back, and we're divorced. Can't we just lead separate happy lives? Wouldn't that be better?"

"Yanis, tell me, how can I have a happy life?"

"You..."

"I'll have Albi pick you up."

Before Yanis could finish her sentence, Zane abruptly hung up the phone.

Yanis stood in the doorway with her cellphone tightly gripped in her hand. A heavy feeling weighed upon her heart. She couldn't fathom why they were still bothering each other when everything was supposed to be over. She felt more exhausted now than she had in the five years they were together.