After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms Chapter 81

"I wasn't planning anything," Louisa replied. "Don't you think beautiful people make a nice view? They'd make a great wallpaper."

Though she despised players, she had to admit she appreciated Julian and Teresa's good looks. Seeing his expression grow increasingly cold, her voice trailed off.

She'd complimented his appearance—why wasn't he pleased?

Julian was too irritated to continue. He deleted both photos right in front of her and handed the phone back. Louisa didn't dare say another word, just took a large bite of her sandwich.

Julian had intended to leave, but noticing her sandwich and water, he frowned. "Why are you eating that? Didn't go to the cafeteria?"

She blinked. "It's actually quite good. Mr. Tudor, you should try it sometime—experience how regular people live." 

After all, being high and mighty all the time must be exhausting.

Julian ignored her rambling and fixed her with a steady gaze. "Is someone at the company isolating you?"

"Couldn't I be isolating them?" she countered, her tone indifferent.

She'd seen workplace bullying before in her years of professional experience. She could handle it—she just chose not to engage.

To her surprise, Julian's eyebrows furrowed. "So it's true? Who's isolating you? Teresa?"

Louisa had never seen him like this. He was always so composed. Seeing him upset made her nervous. But she wasn't in the habit of complaining to management, especially about someone who clearly had a complicated relationship with him.

"No, not at all," she quickly denied. "I just wasn't interested in the cafeteria food, so I came out for something different."

Julian didn't buy it. The Tudor Group's chefs were highly paid professionals—surely better than convenience store food. He pulled out his phone and called Teddy, "Replace all the chefs in the cafeteria."

Louisa was stunned. Was Julian really this responsive to employee feedback? She couldn't let an entire kitchen staff lose their jobs because of her.

Without thinking, she grabbed his arm. "Mr. Tudor, please! I was just joking. Please don't do that!" She didn't want to become a target for everyone's resentment.

Julian looked down at her hand on his arm, then at her pleading smile. It was rare to see such a bright expression on her face. Her beautiful eyes sparkled without their usual wariness and sadness. She looked like a carefree girl who knew nothing of life's hardships.

His heart softened. With a dismissive sound, he took the water bottle from her hands, loosened the cap, and handed it back. "Just eat. Stop overthinking things."

Another criticism—she hadn't been overthinking, had she? Besides, who he was with and what he did was none of her business. She wouldn't gossip about it. Why should her thoughts matter to him anyway?

---

Meanwhile, in a restaurant below the Capulet Group Building.

George and Caden sat across from each other. After hearing Caden's request, George immediately refused, "That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Why is it impossible?" Caden irritably tugged at his tie. "George, don't forget, Vivian is in detention because of you. If she didn't love you so much, would she have done something like this? She's been locked up all this time without implicating you. Don't you feel even a little guilty?"

George, who had been angry, now laughed. "What do you mean 'she's in this situation because of me'? Did I ask her to kidnap my wife? She didn't implicate me because I didn't do anything wrong. I have nothing to feel guilty about. And furthermore..."

His eyes turned ice-cold. "I haven't even settled the score with her for setting up my wife. Now you expect me to help get her released? 

"Caden, I'm telling you this once and only once: if you mention Vivian to me again, our partnership is over, and so is our friendship."

George stood to leave.

Caden, seeing his unyielding attitude, angrily called after him, "You keep saying 'my wife, my wife,' but don't forget, Louisa already wants to divorce you! And who's keeping Vivian locked up? Julian! 

"Think about it—Julian has no grudge against either of our families. Why does he keep coming after us? First blocking our loan, now preventing Vivian's release. He's doing all this for your so-called wife. Your wife is already cheating on you!"

After his final words, the private room fell silent. George didn't turn around. If Caden had been standing in front of him, he would have seen George's terrifyingly cold expression.

After a long silence, George spoke icily, "Don't try to provoke me. Whatever is happening with my wife is between us. It doesn't erase what Vivian did."

Without another word, he strode out.

---

Instead of returning to the office, he went straight home. Thinking about what Sadie had told him earlier, he opened the home security footage.

Of course, there were no cameras in the bedroom or other private areas—he'd only installed them in the living room and garden as a precaution.

His affair with Vivian had begun six months ago. He wasn't sure when Louisa had found out, so he went back through the footage from three months ago.

Despite mentally preparing himself, what he saw in the recordings shocked him deeply.