Save Myself from Desperation by Cara Agnes

Chapter 273

Ashley carefully examined the damaged painting and then looked up.

Henry anxiously asked, “How is it? Can it still be salvaged?”

Paul, Charlie, and the other restorers in the room all looked at Ashley with nervous anticipation.

They prayed silently, ‘She can do it!”

If it couldn’t be restored even with Rita, Caleb’s granddaughter’s help, this painting would be ruined!

It would be a huge loss for the world of artifacts.

Ashley looked at the damaged Auburn Symphony. It was a painting that Caleb had loved during his

lifetime, and it was also going to be showcased at the state banquet next week.

Both personally and professionally, it held great significance.

Ashley looked up at Henry and said, “The restoration process will be a bit tricky and time-consuming.”

Upon hearing this, a look of unrestrained delight appeared on Henry’s dignified face. “So you can

restore this painting, right?”

Ashley nodded slightly.

Paul, relieved to receive Ashley’s confirmation, finally relaxed his t posture. “The damage to this

painting is severe, so it will definitel time. We are already grateful that you are willing to help restore

The other restorers were overjoyed. “Ms. Ramos, it’s no problem if takes time. We’ll wait here patiently,

and we can also learn from you techniques!”

“Yes, Ms. Ramos, if you need any assistance, just let us know!”

“That’s right, we are ready to help anytime!”

Ashley smiled, “Alright, I understand.”

Charlie looked at Ashley, lost in thought. He heard that she was willing to restore the painting and felt

like crying.

But he never arrogantly thought that Ashley did for him.

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Because Ashley didn’t even spare him a glance, maybe in Ashley’s eyes, he was nothing more than a

stranger.

As an art restorer, he couldn’t bear to see the artwork being destroyed under his care. It was the most

painful torment to endure.

Now that Ashley could save this painting from imminent destruction, he was filled with excitement.

‘Ashley…’ Charlie silently repeated her name in his heart, savoring each syllable.

He had never truly paid attention to Ashley before, but at this moment, his gaze uncontrollably followed

her every move.

The art restorers in the room, including Henry and Paul, were all eagerly anticipating how Ashley would

restore the painting.

Cara, on the other hand, stood alone in the corner, ignored by everyone.

Charlie and Cara had just uncovered the backing paper of the painting. Ashley picked up the tweezers

and continued to peel off the second layer of paper.

The onlookers held their breath, not making a sound.

Those who understood art restoration knew that removing the second layer of paper was much more

difficult than removing the backing paper. One wrong move could easily damage the painting!

To their surprise, Ashley’s technique was extremely skillful. From start to finish, there was not a single

mistake. She delicately peeled off the paper, showcasing her expertise.

The staff members admired her and whispered in awe.

“If

only we had asked Ashley to repair this painting from the beginning and not let Charlie and Cara touch

it. It wouldn’t have been so badly damaged.”

“Yeah, if we had asked Ms. Ramos to restore it from the start, maybe it would have already been fixed.”

“It’s too late to say anything now. Fortunately, Ashley knows how to repair it!”

Charlie felt a mix of anger and embarrassment as he listened to these critical comments. He stared at

Ashley without blinking.

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Cara gritted her teeth, feeling ridiculed and disdained by so many people. Never before had she been

so disregarded.

Restoring artwork requires intense concentration, and Ashley didn’t have the energy to pay attention to

her surroundings. She focused on observing the damaged areas on the paper. Luckily, the damage

was confined to the blank spaces of the painting, so no additional color was needed, only repairs.

It was best to use paper similar to the original artwork to repair these damaged areas, ensuring

flawless restoration.

Generally, museums have a collection of papers from different eras, so finding an old paper from the

same period was not difficult.

Ashley first cleaned up the debris from the damaged area and then used a sharp knife to gently scrape

a 0.05-inch slope along the edge of the hole. This process required patience and meticulousness. She

then applied a pre-mixed paste to the edges before gently applying the repair paper.

Henry watched Ashley perform the procedure. Her movements were calm, serene, and effortlessly

skillful. Henry admired her even more and wondered if Ashley had ever been in a romantic relationship.

If she hadn’t, he thought of introducing his friend’s grandson to her.

He thought they were a perfect match.

Two of the damaged holes were successfully repaired. But the most important task was fixing the

crack, which nobody knew whether Char or Cara caused.

Seeing this crack, everyone couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Who could have caused this? They don’t even dare to admit it, avoiding responsibility!”

“I have a feeling it might be Charlie.”

“Don’t worry. Mr. Walker said we’ll check the surveillance later, and the culprit won’t escape!”

Ashley switched to a different tool and began a series of complex operations.

Joseph had been beside her all this time, astonished by Ashley’s expertise. Each step she took

surprised him, opening his eyes to new possibilities.

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By the time the painting was almost fully restored, Joseph finally understood why Ashley had said it

would take time.

She had been working since ten in the morning, and now it was completely dark outside!

Ashley stood up, feeling soreness in her shoulders.

“It’s done. The restoration is complete.”

She let out a sigh of relief.

The restorers all watched Ashley’s every move. As they heard her say it was restored, they

immediately crowded around to see the painting.

“Ms. Ramos, you’re amazing! You managed to restore a severely damaged. painting and did it

perfectly!”

“This should be exactly how the Auburn Symphony looked like in its era. We are seeing the same

painting as the ancients.”

“Ms. Ramos, I’ve learned so much from you today. Will you consider taking me as your apprentice?”

Paul looked at the restored painting with joy on his face. He thought, “Thank goodness we invited

Ashley. Otherwise, this painting would have truly been ruined, and I would have been held accountable

by my superiors. Now that the painting is restored, we can successfully showcase it at the state

banquet next week.’

To everyone’s surprise, Henry saluted Ashley and loudly thanked h “Thank you very much!”

Ashley quickly replied, “You’re welcome.”

Joseph was stunned witnessing this scene. Henry, a person of high s and advanced age, actually

saluted Ashley, which showed how genui grateful he was!

Cara saw this scene and felt both astonished and resentful. If she had been the one to restore the

painting, she would be receiving all this honor.

Charlie, who was left on the sidelines, watched as Ashley was praised and appreciated by everyone.

He nervously hoped for her to look at him even for a moment.

But Ashley never once glanced at him.

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“Let’s settle down, everyone, please calm down!” Paul clapped his hands, speaking in a serious tone.

“With Ms. Ramos’ help, this painting has finally been restored, and we are truly grateful to her.

“But regarding whether Charlie or Cara caused the initial damage to the painting, we will now check the

surveillance!”