Chapter 290

The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains as Vivian stood before the bathroom mirror, examining the faint marks on her neck. "Great," she muttered, pressing a finger to the sensitive skin. "Just slap on some concealer and pray the makeup holds through twelve hours of filming?"

Midway through brushing her teeth, a sudden realization struck her. She spat out the toothpaste, spun around, and nearly collided with Adrian's broad chest. Toothbrush still dangling from her lips, she took a hasty step back. "Did Dominic and Audrey come back last night?"

"I locked the door," Adrian replied casually, as if discussing the weather. He plucked the toothbrush from her hand, squeezed fresh toothpaste onto it, and began brushing with practiced ease. "They probably found other accommodations."

"You what?" Vivian's eyes widened. "Where exactly were they supposed to sleep?"

Adrian rinsed his mouth and shrugged. "They're grown adults, Vivian. With half the villas in Seabreeze vacant, I'm sure they managed." His infuriatingly calm logic left her speechless.

Dressed and ready, they descended the staircase. Vivian unlocked the front door while checking her phone, then froze at the sight of two familiar figures approaching. Audrey walked several paces behind Dominic, her usual confident stride replaced by something more hesitant.

As they drew closer, Vivian's sharp eyes caught the telltale mark on Audrey's neck - identical to the ones she'd been cursing in the mirror earlier. Her gaze flickered between Audrey's flushed cheeks and Dominic's unusually rumpled appearance. The pieces clicked together with almost audible finality.

"So that's how the cookie crumbles," Vivian thought. "One locked door, one long night, and Adrian's interference accidentally played matchmaker."

Some revelations, she decided, were best ignored. She schooled her features into careful neutrality.

Adrian's low voice broke the silence. "Let's pack up and get breakfast. I want to visit your mother's grave again before we leave."

Meanwhile, Audrey collapsed onto the living room sofa with dramatic flair. "The service here is absolutely atrocious! Last night I went for a spa treatment, and those incompetent staff dumped me at some deserted villa and vanished!"

She tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Thank heavens Julian showed up when he did. Who knows what might have happened otherwise?"

Adrian, who'd been adjusting his cufflinks, went perfectly still. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "You encountered Julian?" His voice could have frozen molten lava.

Audrey instinctively straightened, then deliberately exaggerated a sigh. "Oh yes, Julian was simply wonderful - so kind, so attentive. Though for some reason, he didn't seem thrilled to see me..." She trailed off with an artful pout, watching Adrian's reaction with barely concealed satisfaction.

But Adrian had already turned away, his fingers tightening imperceptibly around his cufflink. Clearly, Julian Montclair hadn't taken his warning seriously enough.

The morning air hummed with unspoken tensions as four very different people pretended everything was perfectly normal.