Chapter 122

The sudden question made Vivian blink in surprise. It took her a moment to realize Adrian was referring to her casual remark about his cooking skills earlier.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes internally. Was he really this petty?

The doorbell rang, interrupting their tense moment. Vivian moved to answer it, finding Ethan standing there with two overflowing shopping bags. They contained all of Adrian's preferred toiletries and sleepwear.

Ethan flashed an apologetic smile despite the pouring rain behind him. "The storm's causing leaks at Seabreeze Villa. Would you mind if Mr. Blackwood stayed here tonight? I'll come pick him up first thing tomorrow."

This was clearly another matchmaking attempt. Vivian wasn't naive enough to believe otherwise. With their divorce proceedings underway, any prolonged contact would only complicate matters.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," she said calmly. "I don't have a guest room available."

Adrian, who had been cautiously optimistic after their earlier tentative truce, felt his mood darken at her refusal.

"Besides," Vivian continued evenly, "my agent might drop by later for a business discussion. It would be inconvenient. But I can arrange a car to take him home if you're busy."

Adrian's expression turned glacial. He had humbled himself more than ever before - extending olive branches, cooking meals, seeking forgiveness. Yet she remained as distant as ever. Maybe Dominic's romantic notions about relationships were just naive fantasies.

The coffee cup slammed onto the counter with a sharp crack. Adrian strode forward, his voice cutting through the room. "If you can't properly manage your duties, perhaps I should find an assistant who can."

Ethan, caught off guard by the sudden hostility, wisely chose not to push further. He stepped aside politely. "Shall I drive you home now, Mr. Blackwood?"

Without so much as a backward glance at Vivian, Adrian stormed out, Ethan following closely. Vivian watched the elevator doors close behind them before shutting her own door softly. An unexpected emptiness settled in her chest.

Her phone chimed, pulling her from her thoughts. Two Twitter notifications appeared. The first was from Ivory Phoenix Productions: "Exciting new project coming soon! @SebastianHartwell @VivianHartley."

The second was Sebastian's enthusiastic retweet: "Can't wait to collaborate with @VivianHartley!"

Vivian frowned. Sebastian was notoriously unpredictable - his emotional outbursts and impulsive decisions were industry legend. Yet somehow he'd risen to the top. Whether through raw talent or sheer luck remained debatable.

As a superstar with a massive female fanbase, Sebastian rarely mentioned colleagues publicly. His sudden social media acknowledgment could spell trouble. If fans started speculating or if someone malicious twisted their professional relationship into something more, Vivian's reputation could suffer.