Chapter 72: What to Do When Someone’s Angry
Five o’clock.
Escorted by the Faulkner Group’s security, Vivian Lowell and Julian Faulkner left the building and sped away.
A crowd of reporters followed behind them, chasing after the car with microphones in hand, eager to ask some questions.
"Miss Lowell, is everything you posted online true? You’re also a Lowell. After doing this, will you still have any contact with the Lowell Family?"
"Miss Lowell, we heard you chose a location for your new company right below the Faulkner Group. May I ask what your relationship is with President Faulkner?"
The reporters’ questions all circled around the same topics.
They were either probing the relationship between the Lowell Family and Vivian Lowell, or trying to find out if Vivian and Julian Faulkner were having an "affair" as the rumors claimed.
Inside the car, Vivian Lowell frowned as she watched the reporters trailing behind them.
Sharon Galahad hadn’t actually mentioned a single word about her and Julian Faulkner.
’They didn’t know about it, so why were those reporters asking just now?’
Vivian could think of one person who knew, had always been suspicious, and was deeply resentful about it.
Mason Grant.
’Did he lash out in shame, thinking I only dumped him because I’d latched onto Julian Faulkner? Is that why he decided to expose this and sling mud at me?’
’Given that man’s ridiculous pride, it was entirely possible.’
Perhaps Vivian was too lost in thought.
She had crumpled a corner of the invitation in her hand.
Beside her, Julian Faulkner saw this and frowned deeply. He cleared his throat and gave Vivian a questioning look.
"..."
Vivian sensed the awkward shift in the atmosphere. Seeing Julian staring at the invitation in her hand, she felt a little embarrassed.
"Oh, sorry. I was just spacing out."
Vivian pushed the invitation back to Julian, then leaned against the seat and looked out the window.
Julian glanced down at the invitation, then followed Vivian’s gaze out the window.
They happened to be passing through an old district.
The street was lined with food carts selling roasted sweet potatoes, candied hawthorn berries, brown sugar pancakes, and all sorts of other snacks.
’?’
’Is she hungry?’
’She’d rather stare outside than give me a single glance?’
’And she crumpled the invitation like that!’
Julian was a little displeased. He thought back to their run-in with a disguised reporter who had snuck in while they were heading down the stairs.
Security at the Faulkner Group was always extremely tight.
Non-employees needed an appointment to get in. The reporter who had snuck in must have used some trick to get to the elevators and wait.
As it happened, the reporter saw Julian Faulkner and Vivian Lowell coming out together.
"I saw everything online," Julian had said. "As for those nasty rumors about you, I had Vance Wyatt suppress them. You don’t need to worry."
"Mm-hm, thank you."
Vivian offered a standard smile. Though it looked a bit forced, she was genuinely grateful to Julian.
"..."
Julian had clearly noticed something "off" about her smile as well. Sensing her strain, he didn’t say anything more.
The moment they stepped out of the elevator, the reporter was right there, checking his camera.
Seeing Julian Faulkner and Vivian Lowell, the reporter’s face lit up with glee. He probably hadn’t expected his stakeout to actually pay off with the key players.
"President Faulkner, Miss Lowell! You really are together!"
He rushed forward, hoisting his camera onto his shoulder. "President Faulkner," he asked, "I heard the reason you let Miss Lowell open a design firm below your own company is that the two of you are now lovers."
"Is this true?"
The reporter had a gossipy look on his face, but he phrased his question quite elegantly.
The actual rumors circulating online were much uglier.
They claimed Vivian was a schemer who only dared to challenge the Lowell Group because she had Julian Faulkner’s backing. The rumors implied she had struck some kind of deal with him to get his resources, which was the source of her confidence.
It was a very clear insinuation.
The meaning was the same as the slander directed at Shelly Lowell with those photos from before.
Julian was already in a bad mood that day.
Hearing the reporter’s question, his expression darkened. He turned to Vance Wyatt beside him and said coolly, "Throw him out."
"Yes, sir!"
Vance snapped to attention like a little soldier and, following Julian’s command, went to grab the reporter.
The reporter tried to dodge. Seeing Vance’s slender build, he thought they might be evenly matched for a moment, but before he knew it, Vance had hoisted him clean off the ground.
"Let me go! Put me down..."
The reporter struggled relentlessly, but unfortunately for him, Vance, though slim, was the type who worked out year-round and had an eight-pack.
The young reporter was carried off and unceremoniously dumped outside the parking garage.
Vivian blinked as she watched the reporter retreat. She turned to Julian beside her and said, "Wow, I didn’t realize Vance was so strong!"
’?’
Hearing Vivian praise Vance Wyatt, Julian’s expression immediately turned cold.
"Hm? Isn’t he?"
When Julian didn’t agree with her, Vivian found it strange. "Vance is so capable," she added. "I had no idea he was so physically fit, too!"
"Right. I’ll have him report to you tomorrow."
Julian dropped this line and turned to get in the car.
’Huh?’
Vivian stared at Julian’s back, confused for a moment.
’Did I say something wrong?’
’Vance works for Julian. Him being capable should be a credit to Julian, shouldn’t it? So why did he seem... unhappy!?’
"Julian, wait for me!"
Vivian caught up to the car, and once inside, she glanced at Julian beside her. "Julian," she asked, "are you upset? What’s wrong with you today?"
’Is he on his man-period or something?’
’That can’t be it!’
’He was perfectly fine when we had duck blood and vermicelli soup for lunch!’
Julian closed his eyes as if trying to compose himself, but his words betrayed his feelings. "I’m fine," he said.
"Oh, okay. Good."
Vivian didn’t press the issue.
’Damn it!’
’I have absolutely no experience dealing with guys like this!’
’When he gets angry, I have no idea how to cheer him up!’
’If only he were Tanya, I’d just throw myself into his arms for hugs and kisses!’
’With Tanya, that would be enough to make her stop being angry.’
’But with Julian...’
Vivian looked at Julian’s frosty expression and didn’t have the courage to try.
’I feel like that reporter who interviewed Julian just now is a cautionary tale for me.’
’If I make him any angrier, he’ll definitely throw me out, right?’
The two of them sat in the back seat, Julian staring straight ahead and Vivian blinking as she watched him. The stalemate lasted for a while before Vance Wyatt returned.
Having completed his task, Vance was in a pretty good mood.
But the moment he got into the driver’s seat, Julian’s gloomy voice drifted from the back. "Tomorrow, you’ll report to her."
"She seems to... appreciate you a great deal!"