My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 173

Vivienne’s POV

“While you were busy taking photos on Lingvas Island, a thief stole your wallet. I happened to see it happen.”

I glanced at him. “You guys went to Lingvas Island too?”

For a brief moment, I even wondered if Frederick was the one who took my wallet. It wasn’t just me being overly suspicious—it was too much of a coincidence.

“Yeah, we went yesterday.”

“I see. Well, thanks for that.”

I only went today.

Maybe it really was just a coincidence?

“No need to thank me. It’s nice to run into a fellow countryman here. If I can help, I will.” Frederick handed me my wallet.

I took it from him, holding it in my hand as I looked up at him. “If you hadn’t shown up just in time, I probably would’ve already booked a flight to Oslo. How about this: I’ll take you out to dinner tomorrow, okay? If your friend doesn’t mind, they can come too. It’s on me.”

Frederick raised an eyebrow. “Let me check with my friend first.”

“Your friend’s a bit strict, isn’t he? Doesn’t seem like your friend at all—more like your wife, worried you’ll be out mingling with other people. Hahaha.” I said, half-joking.

At my words, a shadow crossed Frederick’s face. He raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. “He? He’s way harder to deal with than a girlfriend. You’ll see when you meet him.”

My gaze flickered for a moment before I smiled lightly. “Just kidding. Anyway, you really helped me out, so I definitely owe you dinner. If your friend doesn’t agree, I’ll talk to him myself.”

Frederick nodded, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. “Alright. I’ll head back now and let you know soon.”

“Okay.”

I closed the door behind him, leaning against it as I stared at the wallet in my hand, lost in thought.

Could it really just be a coincidence?

Alexander’s POV

Frederick entered my room and flopped down on the sofa.

"The wallet’s been delivered."

"Mm."

I gave a quiet grunt in response, elbows resting on my knees as I held the cigarette box and lighter in my hands.

"You already saw her yesterday, didn’t you? Why not just deliver it yourself?"

Frederick lit his cigarette off mine, and I couldn’t help but flash back to the moment we caught that thief. Without a word, I stepped up and landed a few solid punches.

I swear I could hear the sickening crack of his ribs breaking.

I set the lighter down on the table, took a slow drag, holding the cigarette between my index and middle fingers, pulling it away. My lips parted slightly as the smoke spiraled upward, slowly disappearing into the air.

I thought back to yesterday, to the words Vivienne had said, “...I don’t plan to marry you anymore.”

That sentence hit colder than a December night in Norway, sending sharp pangs through my chest.

A few seconds passed before I spoke again, my voice steady, yet low. "What did she say?"

"She said she wants to take me out to dinner tomorrow," Frederick replied, clearly expecting the question. "She insisted I helped her a lot and that she owes me. If you don’t agree, she said she’ll come talk to you herself."

I held back from responding immediately, instead taking another slow drag from the cigarette.

Frederick watched me with a knowing grin. "So, what do you think? You going to agree this time?"

My expression darkened as I flicked the ash from my cigarette. "Tell her you’ll pick the restaurant. She won’t turn you down."

"Got it." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

They were planning to go whale watching tomorrow, and Sophie had already booked the boat for around 8 AM. The whole trip would take about six to nine hours.

So, Vivienne had scheduled the dinner with Frederick for the evening.

When he mentioned picking the restaurant, I could tell Vivienne might get suspicious.

But she didn’t refuse. After Frederick picked the place, she agreed to let him choose where they’d go.

Vivienne’s POV

At 7:30 AM the next morning, Sophie, Ariana, and I arrived at the designated dock for our whale-watching tour.

There were already quite a few people waiting, most of whom, like us, were set to board the boat for the whale-watching trip. Among them, I noticed a number of Asian faces.

We had booked a catamaran, and our tour guide was a young woman with deeply tanned skin.

Boarding began at 7:40 AM, and by 8:00 AM, when we set off, there were more than thirty people aboard.

The boat sliced through the water, leaving white waves on either side as it slowly pulled away from the dock.

I stood on the deck, feeling the sea breeze hit my face, mingled with a distinct salty tang.

I turned back and watched the dock grow increasingly distant, gradually fading away until it was out of sight.

Looking around, all I could see was the vast expanse of the sea, and in the far distance, snow-capped mountains faintly appeared, nearly blending into the sky.

It would still be a while before we reached the whale-watching area, and I couldn’t stand the cold, so I headed inside to the lounge.

The small lounge was already occupied by about ten people, while another ten or so were still outside, clearly enjoying the wind and the view.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when we neared the area where the whales were supposed to appear, the tour guide came over and reminded us. I made my way back to the deck.

By now, the dock was completely out of sight, and our boat drifted alone on the endless sea, with no land in sight in any direction.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the vastness of the world and how small we humans are in comparison.

Whale-watching, much like Aurora, was something that relied on luck.

Tourists eagerly scanned the horizon, eyes wide and focused, hoping to spot any movement on the water’s surface.

But as the minutes passed, not a single whale appeared.

The boat had been drifting for hours, and before we knew it, it was nearly noon.

The lunch provided was generous, but most of the tourists couldn’t shake the sense of disappointment.

Just then, the tour guide shouted through the megaphone, “Look! Southeast!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the catamaran veered in that direction.

I followed his gesture and, just in time, saw a massive shape leap from the water, arcing gracefully through the air before crashing back into the sea with a spray of white foam.

"Wow—"

A chorus of exclamations erupted around me.

I stood there stunned, completely forgetting to take out my phone to snap a photo, until Sophie nudged me, reminding me to catch the moment.

Until then, I’d only seen pictures of whales in books, and I knew they were the largest animals on Earth.

But it had always been an abstract concept to me.

Now, seeing one with my own eyes, the sheer scale of the creature was overwhelming—nothing a photo could capture could compare to the real thing.

The tour guide gasped in awe. “You’re so lucky! There are even baby whales nearby! Did you see them?!”

He went on to explain the different species of whales to us, but the tourists barely had time to respond. Everyone was too busy snapping pictures.

The catamaran slowly approached the group of whales.

The whales seemed used to human presence and showed no immediate signs of retreating. The last baby whale, trailing behind, came closest to our boat. When it leapt from the water, I could even feel droplets of water splash onto my face.

The boat lingered near the whales for a while, and by the time we headed back to shore, it was already 5:00 PM.

Sophie, Ariana, and I disembarked one by one.

I turned to Sophie and Ariana and said, “You two head back first. I have a date with Frederick.”