My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 170

Vivienne’s POV

I stared at the screen, more confused than ever.

The two words, “Not me,” only deepened my suspicions.

Could it really be one of Frederick’s friends?

Why would one of his friends be answering his phone?

That friend of his who’s never even shown his face...

A figure flashed in my mind.

I gave a self-deprecating smile and shook my head. How did I end up thinking about him again?

“Vivienne, aren’t you tired? Why don’t you go back and rest?”

Sophie and Ariana had come upstairs and found me standing at the top of the stairs, staring at my phone.

“Oh, it’s just a little stuffy in my room. I came out for some fresh air.”

“If it’s too stuffy in your room, can’t you just open the window? You’d get a nice view of Aurora.”

Sophie eyed me suspiciously, then shot over to me like a bullet, quickly glancing at my phone.

I reacted instinctively and turned off the screen.

But I was a second too slow.

Sophie had caught a glimpse of Frederick’s name flashing across my WhatsApp contacts.

She smirked, clearly enjoying herself. “Oh, so you’re hiding out to chat with Frederick, huh? No wonder!”

I could practically hear her mind spinning with all sorts of ideas.

“It’s not what you think. I was just...”

My attempt to explain only seemed like an excuse to Sophie. “No need to explain. I get it. Frederick’s tall, handsome—maybe not as rich as Alexander, but he’s got a wealthy friend, so he’s probably not poor. You two should totally give it a shot. Plus, his place looks pretty big, you know...”

What is she even imagining?

“It’s really not like that. I just think he’s a little strange.”

At that, Sophie slapped her thigh. “I know what’s strange about him!”

“What?”

“You remember that guy who bumped into you at the airport back in China? If I’m not mistaken, that was Frederick. He must’ve fallen for you the moment he saw you, which is why you thought something was off!”

I froze. “Really?”

“Of course! You were so distracted with whatever was on your mind that you didn’t even notice what he looked like.”

Could it be?

Was it because Frederick had fallen for me at first sight and followed me all the way here?

Maybe that explains why he always watches me so closely?

It started to make sense.

Just then, Frederick sent me another message, explaining, “I just went to the bathroom. It was my friend earlier. He’s been heartbroken lately, and seeing how much attention I’ve been getting from girls, he got a little jealous and decided to mess with me. Sorry about that. I came here specially to keep him company. We’ll hang out next time.”

I felt a bit confused.

Had I really been overthinking this?

At that moment, Ariana spoke up. “What about Julian? I think Julian and Vivienne would make a better match.”

I sighed, feeling helpless. “What does Julian have to do with this?”

Ariana waved her phone. “He just texted me. He’s coming to meet us.”

Ariana had seen me with Julian the last time we ate together, and she’d been rooting for us. She could tell Julian liked me.

“Wait, what?” I was surprised. “Isn’t he filming a movie?”

“He’s done filming. He’s in France for a show promotion, with one day off tomorrow. He said he’d come see us. With such short notice, he must be coming for you.”

Sophie looked shocked. “Wait, so you’re still seeing Julian...?”

“Nothing’s going on!” I quickly denied it, my head starting to spin.

“Why are you so worked up about it?”

Ariana shrugged. “He’s probably too rushed to make it here, though. We’ve pretty much seen everything around here already. How about we head back to Tromsø, have dinner with him, and then go straight to Lingvas Island?”

“Sounds good!” Sophie nodded eagerly, a mischievous grin on her face. “Oh, Vivienne, the moment you get divorced, the handsome guys come running, huh? Three at once!”

“Stop joking around.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t say another word. You’re the one who gets to choose. Personally, I think both Frederick and Julian are great options!”

I just sighed.

Julian’s POV

I sent Ariana my flight details.

Ariana checked the time. There was still some time to spare. After resting at the hotel for a few hours, they were planning to leave Soma Roy Island.

They dropped off their luggage at the hotel and headed straight for the airport. They waited for about twenty minutes before finally seeing me walk out of the terminal.

I was wearing a baseball cap, a black mask, and a long black puffer coat. It was large, but not bulky.

Ariana waved at me.

I walked up to the car, glanced through the window at Vivienne in the back seat, and pulled down one side of my mask. "I didn’t hold you up, did I?"

My voice was soft, and the mist of my breath floated in the cold air.

"No," Ariana replied. "We’ve already seen everything on Soma Roy Island, so we were planning to leave anyway. Get in."

I opened the back door and sat next to Vivienne.

I wasn’t particularly close to Sophie, so I just nodded at her before turning to Vivienne. "Feeling better?"

"I’m much better now, or I wouldn’t have come on this trip. What about you? I heard your new movie wrapped up already. That was fast." Vivienne replied, her tone hinting at some concern.

"Yeah, not long ago. The lead actress got replaced, so they had to cut her scenes. The casting took a while, but they moved mine up, so I ended up with some free time."

Sophie couldn’t help but interrupt. "The mistress deserved to be replaced."

I shot her a glance and smiled. "But now, there’s talk that Alexander’s about to marry Isabella. They say he doesn’t want her in the spotlight anymore, so he pulled all her endorsements. She hasn’t made a public appearance in a while."

Vivienne lowered her gaze, her pale fingers tightening around her purse strap.

I noticed the shift in Vivienne’s expression. She seemed calm on the surface, but I could tell she was a little shaken. Had she really moved on? Does that mean I have a chance?

"That scumbag and that cheap woman—they’re perfect for each other," Sophie muttered under her breath.

We arrived at the restaurant and took our seats. We ordered a few dishes each. It was a place we’d been to before, and the food was always good.

I closed the menu and handed it to the waiter, casually asking, "Your trip was so short. When do you head back? We should hang out when you get back."

"Ariana’s heading back a little earlier, probably by the middle of this month. Sophie and I are planning to go somewhere else after," Vivienne replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Got a place in mind?"

"Not yet."

"How about Australia? I remember you saying when you were little that you wanted to visit there."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "You remember that? I’d forgotten all about it."

She was young back then and probably said it on a whim.

"I remember. You were at my house, and you saw a picture of the Sydney Opera House in a newspaper. You pointed at it and said you’d visit when you were older."

Sophie glanced back and forth between us, then smiled. "Alright, Vivienne, let’s go to Australia. It’s the perfect time to go now."

"Okay." Vivienne agreed.

I smiled. "I should have some free time then. I’ll come with you guys."