Chapter 238: Stumbling Upon
Vivian’s strange reaction drew Eleanor Rhodes’s attention.
Eleanor looked at Vivian curiously and asked, "Vivian, what’s wrong? Did you almost drop your phone? You didn’t hit yourself, did you? Be careful!"
"I’m okay," Vivian answered distractedly. She turned off her phone screen, but her mind was still fixed on the picture message she had just seen.
The message contained a photo, and the background was the very same duty-free shop Vivian was in right now.
But the photo wasn’t of some product promotion, nor was it of Vivian herself. It was a picture of Julian Faulkner and a foreign woman.
Julian Faulkner was holding up the foreign woman. Vivian couldn’t tell if she had fallen or twisted her ankle, but either way, she looked like she was about to stumble, and Julian had caught her.
The two of them were very close, and it looked intimate.
Vivian pressed her lips together, her mind a complete mess.
’I trust Julian, but... that was a moment ago. Now...’
Vivian didn’t know what to do. She took a deep breath, hesitating.
’What should I do now?’
’Who is that foreign woman?’
As she was thinking, Vivian’s phone vibrated. Another message had come in from the same unknown number.
"Vivian Lowell. Who would’ve thought Julian Faulkner was so close with this foreign woman? Tsk tsk, look at them. So intimate."
"Doesn’t everyone always say how deeply in love you and Julian Faulkner are? If this photo got out, I bet they’d all be shocked, wouldn’t they?"
The message was incredibly provocative, like it was from one of Vivian’s enemies—someone who wanted her to be miserable and was saying this on purpose.
On top of that, this person seemed to know a lot about her and Julian Faulkner.
’Who could it be?’
Several names immediately popped into Vivian’s head. Her first thought was of Rachel Faulkner and Wendy Wynn, but they had already been sentenced.
They couldn’t leave the detention center before their second trial, so it was impossible for them to have taken the picture.
’Who else could it be?’
Vivian thought of a few other people and then let out a wry laugh. She realized that since her "rebirth," she had made quite a few "enemies."
"Vivian?"
Vivian was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice Eleanor Rhodes and Finn had already stood up and were gathering their things to head back to the hotel. It was Eleanor who had called her name.
"I’m fine."
Vivian replied, grabbed her things, and followed Eleanor toward the duty-free shop’s exit.
"The car will be here soon. Vivian, I wonder what Julian Faulkner has planned for you tonight?"
Eleanor looked excited, obviously unaware of the picture message Vivian had just received.
Vivian gave an awkward smile and said evasively, "He’s busy with work today. I doubt he’ll have time to prepare anything, right?"
"You never know." Eleanor tilted her head and mumbled, "Julian Faulkner is always so thoughtful..."
"Exactly!"
Finn, who was listening nearby, chimed in, "President Faulkner is so good to you, Boss. He used to send flowers all the time, and Vance Wyatt always had me put them in your vase."
"Those flowers were gorgeous! I was dying of envy!"
After Finn spoke, she and Eleanor started laughing. Vivian could only manage a wry smile, her mind still on that photo.
’Actually,’ she thought, ’that photo doesn’t prove anything. It could even be a trick of the camera angle.’
’The image quality is terrible. The photographer was clearly far away from Julian and had to zoom in, which is why it’s not sharp.’
’There are a lot of people in the shot, several of them surrounding Julian and the foreign woman. If a bodyguard was also helping her up, the angle could have made it look like Julian was the one supporting her.’
’It’s the same principle as how many kissing scenes in movies are faked with camera angles.’
’The actors aren’t really kissing; the angle just makes it look that way to the audience!’
Vivian kept walking toward the exit, lost in thought. Just as she was about to leave the duty-free shop, someone dressed as an employee hurried up from behind and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Faulkner?"
Vivian turned around and saw the other person was wearing a staff uniform and had a standard, practiced smile on her face.
"Yes, that’s me."
Vivian was confused. "What is it?" she asked.
"Mr. Faulkner has selected an item for you and was hoping you could come take a look. Is now a convenient time for you, Mrs. Faulkner?"
’Julian bought something for me?’
’He knew I was in the duty-free shop too?’
Vivian was surprised, but then she remembered telling Julian about her plans last night. It seemed he knew she would be here when he came to the shop today.
’But did he see me?’
’And does he know that I saw him with that foreign woman, and how intimate they looked?’
Vivian was feeling a whirlwind of complicated emotions, but the oblivious Eleanor and Finn had already said to the employee, "Where is it? Please lead the way!"
"Of course."
The employee agreed with a polite smile and turned to lead them back.
With Eleanor and Finn linking an arm through each of hers, Vivian had no choice but to be led along.
The duty-free shop was still packed with people. The employee led Vivian and her friends past the crowds and through several stores, finally arriving at a section selling jewelry.
Vivian stood at the entrance to the jewelry store and, with a single glance at the brand name, recognized it instantly.
’Come to think of it,’ she mused, ’I’m the one who designed this brand’s most famous jewelry collection.’
𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"Here we are." The employee led Vivian to the spot, then turned and left.
Eleanor pulled Vivian inside. The moment she stepped through the door, Eleanor shouted, "Julian Faulkner, you... Who is she? What are you two doing?"
Eleanor’s loud outburst drew the eyes of many people passing by.
This was an expensive shop, a true luxury brand. Even in a duty-free setting, its prices were steep, so there weren’t many customers inside.
That’s why as soon as Eleanor entered, she immediately saw Julian Faulkner. He had just selected a piece of jewelry and was walking up to the foreign woman, looking as if he was about to put it on for her.
Vivian saw it too, of course. And not only did she see it—at that moment, Julian finally turned and glanced at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Vivian?"