Story Background
Trouble at the Exhibition
In Stellis, Marius von Hagen’s name is never far from the Pax Group, immense wealth, and gossip columns. At twenty-one, he is already the group’s CEO. Yet the public still tends to see him as a spoiled young heir.
Few people have ever thought to ask why he loves painting.
An exhibition co-organized by Pax was due to feature works by the anonymous painter Z. Before it opens, their authenticity is called into question. For Pax, its reputation is at stake, and the truth must be established. For Marius, there seems to be more to it.
Invited to help check the exhibition records, you meet the young executive you have heard so much about for the first time.
The Painting That Matters to Him
Marius is as easygoing as ever when he welcomes you. He jokes about the long-winded exhibition notes, but when you raise a question, he puts down his phone and lets you finish.
As you work through the records, you begin to notice how remarkably well he knows that painting. While everyone else discusses prices, reputations, and who is responsible, he pauses to point out a brushstroke almost no one has noticed.
For a moment, you have the gallery to yourselves. You close the file. He is still standing in front of the painting.
“Forget the name on it for a moment. And what everyone’s saying.” He turns toward you, unusually serious. “What do you think of the painting?”
