The Paris apartment remains exquisitely beautiful after 70 years of abandonment.

In 1942, during World War II, a girl in Paris left her apartment in the glamorous capital to flee Nazi Germany to southern France and never returned, even though she regularly paid for it.

Nearly 70 years later, in 2010, the owner of the apartment passed away at the age of 91. Afterward, her heirs sent a team to investigate the apartment she left behind. They were stunned to discover a beautifully preserved apartment filled with antiques and works of art hidden beneath thick layers of dust after years of neglect.

One expert said he felt "like stepping into Sleeping Beauty's apartment, where time has stood still since 1900." Olivier Choppin-Janvry, who discovered the apartment, said it smelled like old dust.

Among the inherited assets, experts discovered a painting by the 19th-century Italian master Giovanni Boldini, depicting his muse, Marthe de Florian. In the painting, Florian is captivating and alluring in a delicate pink dress. Completed in 1894 when Florian was only 24 years old, the painting is now estimated to be worth $3.4 million.

And another surprising discovery was revealed: the late owner of this luxurious apartment was none other than the granddaughter of Marthe de Florian.

Huong Thao