Chapter 214

214 Damaged Reputation

After Lucien went back to Infinite Eclipse Pack House, he was fairly busy. He dedicated his time and focus to learning the ropes to become a proper Luna for the pack.

Every day the studious, future Luna went to the pack library to read about the past Lunas or discuss with Jake, Quinn, and their mates to find out everything that he needed to know as a Luna.

The happiest person to guide Lucien was Jake. For him, it was a cooperative relationship. By keeping a close eye on Lucien, he managed to catch Ronan off guard a few times to get him to do his work.

In front of Lucien, Ronan was naturally very obedient. He did not dare to slack off and always played the role of a responsible, earnest Alpha.

After the New Year arrived, the hardworking Lucien received an invitation from the art gallery curator, Mr. Boyd, to join the judging panel.

“It is just befitting to have Mr. Clearwater around to help determine the first three artworks to be displayed in the art gallery,” Mr. Boyd explained through the phone. “Is it convenient for you to come over to South Bedford City for a few days?”

“Hmm.”

Lucien was flipping through a thick leather-bound book in the library when he took the call.

“Can I vote for the artworks by looking at the pictures only?”

.....

“Oh. Sure.”

The elder man’s disappointment was barely concealable from his voice. On the other side, the curator understood Lucien’s position inside the Infinite Eclipse Pack. In fact, he had been at the receiving end of Ronan’s wrath when he loaded Lucien with all kinds of works and made him unable to leave South Bedford City in time.

Never mind that the request originally came from Ronan himself.

“I am sorry for the sudden request, Mr. Clearwater. I will send you the highest resolution pictures through mail.”

“Wait,” Lucien quickly spoke before the curator hung up the phone.

“Yes, Mr. Clearwater?”

Lucien bit into his lower lip.

“Never mind,” he then said hastily. “Please take pictures of each artwork from different angles. I would also love to hear feedback from the others because I can’t be there personally.”

“Of course, Mr. Clearwater.”

Lucien put down his phone with a sigh.

Thanks to the scandalized picture on Christmas Day, both the Silverback Corporation and the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery sustained some reputational damage.

Lillian Woodland’s fans, whether or not they were backed up by the Woodland Enterprise, were very persistent in defending their idol. They caused a lot of ruckus on their social media, re-posting the picture again and again and tagging any business or cause that bore the Silverback and the Clearwater name.

Even Clearwater Finance suffered from this one scandal greatly. Under immense pressure from the board of directors, Lucien handed over his position to his father, Gordon Clearwater.

The elder man thus left his recuperation home and moved back into the Silent Walkers Pack. It was a happy family moment, but Lucien was unable to celebrate with his family. He did not want the whole pack to suffer from his tarnished reputation.

Lucien leaned back in his seat and stared out of the open window. For the time being, he had no other choice but to hide from the public eye.

That was the only thing he could do to protect the people that he loved.

Hopefully, the hateful comments would disappear soon and he could resume a normal life outside of the pack house.

As per Lucien’s request, he got to vote for the three best artworks by looking at pictures that Mr. Boyd sent almost two hours later.

Despite having high-resolution pictures to stare at and personal feedback from the gallery staff to go through, Lucien was still dissatisfied.

It was a different experience to admire the masterpieces using one’s own five senses instead of relying on man-made devices to capture the beauty of said masterpieces.

Nevertheless, Lucien did not wish to disappoint Mr. Boyd’s expectations. He spent the remaining of the day checking one creation after another, admiring the works of those who were brimming with potential and yet to be recognized.

“Hidden Treasures Under The Sea” was sure to generate a huge impact across the art community, Lucien was pretty sure about it. All artists thirsted to have their talent acknowledged and their works appraised.

Ronan Silverback came back in time for dinner, but his mate was not at home. Confused, he made a call to Lucien who promptly answered, albeit with a slight gasp.

“Sorry,” he said. “I am coming back right away.”

Ronan chuckled.

“Where are you?”

“In the library. Ahh!!!”

Ronan could hear the sound of a few books falling to the floor in the background, followed by Lucien’s curses in a low voice.

“Don’t move, let me go and pick you up.”

Ronan ended the call and headed to the pack library.

When he spotted Lucien, the man was heading toward the shelves with a bunch of heavy books.

“Hey,” he said breathlessly when he caught sight of the Alpha.

“Hello, my Luna,” Ronan took the books from Lucien’s hands and leaned in to kiss the latter on the lips.

“Busy day?” Ronan helped Lucien returned the books to the top shelves.

“No, it’s just... Do you remember the new section at the art gallery I told you about?”

“Yeah, the treasure chest under the sand something.”

Lucien pursed his lips.

“You mean ‘Hidden Treasures Under The Sea’.”

“Yes, that one,” Ronan grinned. “What about it?”

“It is going to be launched next Monday. The team is in the middle of deciding the first artworks to display.”

Lucien picked up his tablet from the desk and showed Ronan the pictures that he received from Mr. Boyd.

“Look, aren’t they just precious?” He asked while flipping from image to image.

“Oh, absolutely.”

Lucien turned to look at the philistine next to him with a dead-panned expression.

“Which one do you like the most?”

“Oh, the uh... The bunch of dogs over there. So cute.”

“... Those are reindeers.”

What dog had a shiny nose?

The Alpha cleared his throat. “Oh.”

“Forget it,” Lucien grumbled. Ronan was never able to appreciate the beauty of paintings and sculptures alike.

Grinning from ear to ear, Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and inhaled his mate’s refreshing scent.

“Sorry, Lulu. I don’t know what to say.”

“Meh, it’s okay.”

Lucien put the tablet back on the desk.

“Do you want to go to the art gallery next Monday to see the artworks for yourself?” The Alpha asked softly while planting a kiss on Lucien’s neck.