Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 27

Feeling intensely like she was trespassing, Hazel cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm here to pick up the painting."

Zachary gave her a withering look before rising to his feet with agonizing slowness. Unfolding from the chair, his tall, imposing frame completely dominated the small space.

He disappeared into the back room for a moment before returning with a rolled-up canvas and handing it to her.

Hazel took it and carefully unrolled the painting. Her breath caught in her throat.

The restoration was absolutely flawless.

The torn and damaged sections had been filled in with matching brushstrokes and perfectly blended ink. It looked completely original. If she didn't know the painting had been shredded, she never would have guessed it had been repaired.

"This..." She looked up, raw disbelief shining in her eyes. "This is perfect."

Zachary shot her a deeply unimpressed look, then sank back into his rocking chair and closed his eyes.

Staring at his face—a face that was practically a carbon copy of Marcus Thornton's—Hazel couldn't shake her astonishment.

How could two completely unrelated people look so identical?

The brow bone, the sharp jawline, even the innate aura of aggressive nobility—they looked like they were cast from the exact same mold.

But she was almost certain they were two completely different people.

Marcus Thornton was ruthless, but he maintained a polished, corporate charm. This guy, on the other hand, was a block of solid ice who spoke strictly in sarcastic insults.

Perhaps her brain short-circuited, but she found herself asking an entirely bizarre question.

"Zachary, do you believe that two people in this world can look exactly alike?"

Zachary cracked one eye open and glared at her. "The psychiatric ward is fifty feet down the street. Make sure you bring your ID."

Hazel's mouth twitched. Sure enough, this bastard was calling her a lunatic again.

Without another word, she rolled the painting back up and turned to leave.

If Julian found it, who knew what kind of chaos he would rain down on her?

No, she had to get it back while he wasn't home.

Hazel spun around and flagged a cab straight to Julian's villa.

At the same exact moment, Julian had just finished a court hearing and was driving back to his law firm.

Suddenly, he realized he had left the case files for Evelyn's lawsuit at home. He remembered tossing the folder in one of the master bedroom drawers, but he couldn't remember which one.

Frowning, he spun the steering wheel and sped back toward the villa.

Parking the car in the driveway, he stepped out and marched quickly up the stairs.

Pushing open the master bedroom door, he tossed his coat onto the sofa and reached for the nightstand drawer.