Chapter 427

Vivian gave the cab a quick glance before asking casually, "Mr. Blackwood didn't come with you?"

Julian maintained his easy smile as he shook his head. "No, he's in Silverpine." She knew Adrian and Julian weren't exactly best friends, but the details of their tension remained unclear to her.

"Let's go inside," Julian suggested smoothly. "The officers are waiting for us."

As she followed him, Vivian noticed a cigarette pack protruding slightly from his jacket pocket. She vaguely remembered Julian being anti-smoking - he'd even scolded strangers for lighting up near him in restaurants once.

Curiosity got the better of her. "Julian, when did you start smoking?"

He paused mid-step before retrieving the pack. "Work's been brutal lately," he admitted with a shrug. "Just taking the edge off occasionally. These are mild though - practically herbal." He flipped open the case and held one toward her.

She inhaled lightly, catching an unexpected floral note. "Gardenias?"

A sudden thought struck her. "Wait - aren't you the owner of Crystalpeak Hot Springs? Adrian mentioned it could be a goldmine with proper management. Why work elsewhere when you could focus there? You could even invite influencers for promotion."

Julian's laugh was soft. "Not mine actually. A friend's passion project. He's... in a delicate position and needed my name for anonymity." His expression turned thoughtful. "Profit isn't the goal - he's searching for someone."

Vivian's eyes widened. "Someone? They built an entire resort just to find one person? Is this some witness protection situation? Or..." Her mind raced with cinematic possibilities.

Julian chuckled at her expression. "Always the storyteller. Nothing that dramatic - just reconnecting with an old friend. A resort attracts visitors, increases the chances they'll walk in naturally."

She hesitated. "How did you know I'm a screenwriter?"

"Connections at Ivory Phoenix," he answered smoothly. Given his ties to the Blackwoods, industry contacts weren't surprising. Especially with Damien Vaughn making her credentials public recently.

Vivian decided she was being paranoid.

"You wrote shorts in college," Julian continued conversationally. "Career progression makes sense."

Memories of university flickered through her mind. She rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Those barely counted - just patching together online templates."

Julian's voice warmed. "Every master was once a beginner. You were just a student, but I remember your national award-winning short."