Chapter 4 — The Velvet Encounters

Hannah Sinclair

The Velvet Canvas Gallery stood like a beacon of understated charm on the cobblestone street, its unassuming façade a contrast to the opulence of St. Martin’s Auction House. Morning light filtered through the large front windows, casting soft, diffused patterns on the freshly scrubbed pavement. Hannah lingered outside the door, her fingers nervously clutching the strap of her messenger bag. Inside that bag lay a carefully curated selection of her work—pieces she’d chosen after an agonizing night of deliberation. Each choice represented a fragment of her identity, yet she wondered if the omissions might betray other, equally essential parts of herself.