My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 186
Vivienne’s POV
By noon the next day, Sophie and I were completely wiped out from shopping, so we decided to take a break and grab lunch at a restaurant.
While we waited for our food, I checked my phone and asked, "Has Julian arrived yet? No messages from him?"
According to the flight info Julian had given me, he should’ve been in Sydney by this morning.
Sophie glanced over my shoulder and smiled slightly. "Maybe his flight was delayed. Just give it a little more time."
"Alright, I’ll wait."
Suddenly, everything went dark.
A large pair of hands covered my eyes!
I instinctively reached up and grabbed the hands in front of me.
The voice behind me dropped low, "Guess who I am?! If you guess right, there’s a surprise!"
As soon as I heard his voice, I knew exactly who it was. I laughed and said, "Julian, seriously?"
He pulled his hands away, looking a little frustrated. "Was it that obvious?"
"Of course!" I chuckled. "Where are you sitting?"
There were still empty chairs next to both Sophie and me.
"Here." Julian pointed to the seat next to mine. He wasn’t very familiar with Sophie, so it made sense he’d choose this spot.
I moved a little to the side, placing my bag on the empty chair across from me, and glanced at him. "When did you get here? Why didn’t you let me know?"
Julian started organizing the utensils in front of him. "I wanted to surprise you."
"How did you even find this place?"
Julian shot a quick look at Sophie. "I guessed. I recommended this place to her."
"Pretty clever," I said. "Are you finished with work?"
"Yeah, everything’s wrapped up before the New Year. Anything left will have to wait until next year."
Hearing "next year" made me sigh. "Time really flies, doesn’t it? Another year gone already!"
I reached into my bag and pulled out a small, elegant square box, placing it on the table. "By the way, I got you a gift."
Julian smiled, glancing at me twice, but didn’t open it right away. "I got you something too."
He pulled out a small box from his pocket.
It was so small that it could only fit a ring or a pair of earrings.
I was both surprised and a little confused. "Why did you bring me a gift? It’s not a holiday or anything special!"
Sophie’s gaze flicked between us, clearly enjoying the moment. "Vivienne, Julian brought you a gift. Just accept it."
Julian nodded. "I told you, didn’t I? If you guess right, there’s a gift. This is your reward!"
I grinned. "If I’d known, I would’ve guessed wrong."
Julian laughed. "If you’d guessed wrong, I would’ve just given it to you some other time."
As I was thinking of a polite way to refuse, Julian pulled out another small square box from his pocket and pushed it toward Sophie. "This one’s for you too, Sophie. It’s my first time traveling with two girls, so if I missed anything, bear with me."
Sophie opened the box and, seeing the delicate earrings inside, smiled. "Of course, no problem. Vivienne, aren’t you going to open yours?"
Since we were both getting gifts, I couldn’t refuse anymore. I took the box and, just as I was about to set it aside, Julian said, "Aren’t you going to open it?"
I opened the box to find a pair of earrings, the same style as Sophie’s.
"Do you like them?" Julian asked, looking a little unsure. "I’m not great at picking gifts, so it took me a while to choose."
"They’re beautiful," I said with a smile.
Honestly, they were just... okay in my eyes, but I could tell it was either a sincere gesture or his personal choice.
I had to admit, his taste in gifts needed some work.
I suddenly remembered all the jewelry Alexander had given me over the years. It was always exquisitely crafted, but none of it was his choice.
It was always Jane picking the best-sellers at the jewelry store—safe, but impersonal.
I never wore any of it.
"Well, as long as you like them, that’s what matters."
Sophie smiled and packed the box away. "Perfect. We’ll wear them tomorrow as our best-friend set. Oh, by the way, you haven’t seen the gift Vivienne got for you, have you? Yesterday, we ran into a crazy person while shopping, but thankfully the store manager was sensible."
Julian picked up the box from the table and inspected it carefully. "Looks like a watch. Just what I need, actually."
"I’d love to, but he’s just not interested in me."
"What if you’re wrong?"
"Impossible. He treats us both the same, but every time he talks, his eyes are fixed on you."
I fell silent.
"By the way, have you been in touch with Nathaniel?"
"Not really."
Nathaniel often tried to chat with me, but I barely responded. If he weren’t from Virellia City, and there was a chance we might run into each other again, I’d probably just delete him from my contacts.
"Look, there’s a helicopter!" A tourist suddenly pointed at the sky in awe.
Everyone turned to the window, and sure enough, there was a helicopter not too far away, flying at just the right distance—neither too close nor too far.
The tour guide smiled and turned back to us. "Don’t be jealous. Once we reach the Princeton Peterborough section, you’ll have the option to take a helicopter ride to see the Twelve Apostles."
The Twelve Apostles are the most iconic landmark along the Great Ocean Road and in all of Victoria. The site offers helicopter tours, which is one of the unique features of the Great Ocean Road.
By the time the sun began to set, we had arrived at Apollo Bay.
We were camping here for the night.
The tour guide handed out tents and showed us how to set them up.
Sophie and I shared a tent, and Dylan came over to offer help, but I declined. "It’s fine. You go ahead and set up yours. We’ve got it covered."
Dylan stood there awkwardly for a moment, giving a forced smile. It seemed like he could sense the distance I was keeping from him.
Once the tents were set up, the tour guide gave us some free time.
Sophie and I took a walk through a nearby forest and then visited the Otway Lighthouse.
Perched on the mountaintop by the deep blue sea, the white lighthouse stood tall. A neat, white-railed path led up to it, clean and pristine, almost as if it were a gateway to heaven.
We climbed to the top of the tower and gazed at the vast, rolling ocean stretching out to the horizon, the Victorian coastline in full view.
We lingered there for a while, watching the breathtaking sunset.
The sun slowly sank, turning the sea into a golden mirror, and the seagulls flying overhead seemed to glow with a golden hue.
This scene was beyond words—impossible to describe with mere language. We could only capture its beauty with our cameras.
As I was taking a photo, I suddenly heard a click.
I turned around and saw Dylan lowering his phone, walking over to me, and handing me a picture. "You look so beautiful. Even a random shot of you looks amazing."
I glanced at the photo, feeling uneasy. "Could you please delete it?"
Dylan hesitated for a moment, his voice slightly embarrassed. "Sister, how about adding me on WhatsApp? I can send you the photo."
"No need, thanks."
At this point, I really didn’t want to waste any more energy dealing with other people.
Dylan’s POV
I glanced at Vivienne’s retreating figure, a flicker of annoyance in my eyes.
If I can’t get Vivienne’s contact info, after this trip, it’ll be nearly impossible to see her again.
Unless, of course, in the next two days, I manage to make Vivienne mine.
Then I’ll have no choice but to take more drastic measures.
Tomorrow’s itinerary is either on the bus or a group tour—no real chance to get close.
So tonight is the only opportunity.
Tonight, the tour guide’s organizing a bonfire party on the beach. I spotted a case of beer near the front of the bus.
The impulse that comes with alcohol... it’s something no one can predict.
As for Alexander’s infidelity, Vivienne probably hasn’t had a fulfilling relationship in a long time. If I put in a little extra effort, as long as I satisfy her...
A cold gleam flashed in my eyes.
Leo’s a bit neurotic, but he’s got sleeping pills in his bag. Funny, after coming on this trip, his sleep has actually improved. I used to joke that his sleeping pills were useless.
Well, looks like they’ll come in handy now.
