Chapter 18: There Will Be a Next Time
Julian Faulkner’s sudden departure left Vivian Lowell somewhat surprised and stunned.
Given his usually unflappable nature—someone who wouldn’t bat an eye even if a mountain collapsed in front of him—it was truly rare for anything to ruffle his feathers.
Besides, his sister had rarely returned to the country. As siblings, they ought to exchange a few polite pleasantries. At the very least, Julian had that exact mindset when he came downstairs just moments ago.
Yet now, the mere mention of his father had made him leave so abruptly.
Vivian’s heart sank as she came to the conclusion that Julian seemed deeply averse to his father.
Blinking, Vivian turned to look at Rachel Faulkner in confusion. She swallowed her questions. Still well aware of her own position, she stood up as well.
"Rachel, I’m going to head upstairs too. It’s getting late, so you should get some rest."
With that said, Vivian ignored Rachel’s complicated expression—whatever the woman was thinking—and followed Julian up to the second floor.
Pushing the door open, Vivian immediately noticed the oppressive atmosphere in the room. Julian was sitting on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He was clearly in a terrible mood.
Vivian had heard Grandma Faulkner mention a few things about Julian’s father before. She only knew that the Faulkner Group was originally founded by his father. However, after encountering some sort of incident later on, Julian had taken over.
Now, his father was living out his twilight years in an overseas manor. He was essentially retired, though he still held a portion of the Faulkner Group’s shares. It was said that those shares wouldn’t be fully transferred to Julian until he turned thirty.
Beyond that, Vivian knew nothing.
Come to think of it, Julian had taken over the Faulkner Group a little over three years ago, which was also when Rachel had gotten married. Coincidentally, that was the exact time the Faulkner Family faced a major crisis.
Could it be that something happened with Julian’s father back then, which prompted Julian to step up and take over the family business?
Vivian was full of doubts. However, these were the Faulkner Family’s private affairs, and perhaps they were matters Julian kept buried deep in his heart, unwilling to bring up easily. She didn’t want to pry.
Sighing silently, Vivian walked over to a nearby table. Spotting an aromatherapy burner, she lit some essential oils.
Soon, a faint scent of rosemary permeated the room.
Rosemary had a sweet, refreshing aroma with a soothing effect. Vivian sat on a sofa slightly further away from Julian. Pulling out her phone, she pretended to scroll through it while discreetly sneaking a peek at him.
His expression had softened somewhat, though she wasn’t sure if it was the aromatherapy taking effect.
He sat up straight, leaned back against the sofa, and suddenly turned to look right at her.
Vivian had merely been stealing glances. When Julian abruptly locked eyes with her, it startled her so much that she dropped her phone onto her lap. Their gazes collided.
"Um..." Vivian felt a bit awkward. Her mind momentarily short-circuited, and she hastily blurted out the first excuse she could find. "You looked like you were in a bad mood, so I lit some incense to help you relax!
"Are you tired? Do you want to take a bath? Should I draw a hot bath for you?"
Having said that, she didn’t want to remain under the scrutiny of a gloomy Julian. She quickly stood up and headed straight for the bathroom.
"Wait." She had only taken two steps before Julian’s voice rang out behind her. Vivian instinctively turned back, and he continued, "If Rachel approaches you regarding the matters concerning my father, just ignore her.
"If she puts you in a difficult position over this, remember to come to me."
So he was worried that Rachel, having hit a brick wall with him, would turn her sights on Vivian! Catching his drift, Vivian offered Julian a sweet smile before disappearing into the bathroom.
SPLASH, SPLASH. The sound of running water drifted out from the bathroom.
Julian, still seated on the sofa, kept his eyes fixed on the direction she had gone. His expression had completely softened. The only thing echoing in his mind was Vivian’s sweet smile.
He didn’t know why, but after Vivian smiled at him, the intense irritation and restlessness in his heart completely settled down. Her smile lingered in his thoughts.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, nor did he even realize that a faint, almost imperceptible smile had tugged at the corners of his own mouth. Suddenly, Vivian’s voice rang out from the bathroom.
"The bath is ready!"
Her voice was like a ray of sunshine in the dead of winter—cheerful and deeply comforting.
"Coming," Julian replied, making his way toward the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, Vivian was sitting on a small stool by the bathtub. After testing the water temperature with her hand, she absentmindedly played with the water, scooping up a handful and tossing it up.
SPLASH. As luck would have it, that handful of water splashed right onto Julian, who had just stepped into the room.
He was wearing a fitted short-sleeved T-shirt. Thanks to Vivian’s splash, the damp fabric now clung tightly to his skin.
Instantly, just like that previous night, the faint contours of Julian’s abdomen and chest were revealed, perfectly tracing the sharp lines of his abs and pectoral muscles.
Vivian’s eyes went wide, staring blankly. She really hadn’t done it on purpose!
"Um, Julian..." She stood up, trying to explain herself. But before she could get another word out, Julian took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
He was incredibly close. He lowered his head, pressing near her ear! Vivian’s ears instantly burned hot. She could feel his breath grazing her skin!
"This is the second time," Julian murmured. His voice was pitched low, sounding almost as if he were gritting his teeth, yet he didn’t give off an aura of genuine anger.
"Julian, I..." Vivian wanted to say that she truly didn’t mean to do it.
But Julian didn’t give her the chance. He paused before adding, "If there’s a next time, I wouldn’t mind..."
He let the sentence trail off abruptly. Slowly standing back up straight, Julian stared at Vivian with deep, profound eyes that held an inexplicable meaning. He looked exactly like a seasoned hunter gazing at a piece of prey completely at his mercy, pondering exactly how he was going to savor it.
Vivian completely chickened out. Like a frightened little kitten, she hastily slipped past him and fled the bathroom in a panic.
"Phew!" Vivian let out a long sigh of relief. Behind her, the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut echoed. She curled up on the sofa, her mind still reeling from what Julian had just said.
She wondered frantically what he wouldn’t mind doing if there was a next time. Did he not mind dragging her into the water with him? Or having someone throw her out? Or perhaps, just like a hunter with his prey, did he not mind devouring her completely? It left far too much to the imagination!
There was no way there would ever be a next time! She wouldn’t dare!
Hugging a throw pillow on the sofa, Vivian buried her face in it, suddenly feeling like she wanted to cry but lacked the tears to do so. Julian Faulkner, that man, was truly something else!