Chapter 287
Carter and Nate had been completely absorbed in the performance. Only Julliard sat with that faint, ever-present smile on his face, his eyes clear and untouched.
Afterward, Nate looked over proudly. “Julliard, how was Kelly’s violin?”
Julliard’s smile was warm and courteous. “It sounded beautiful.”
They had been friends since childhood, so Nate knew him well.
“But… you don’t look that impressed.”
Julliard gave a wistful smile. “Maybe it’s because… I’ve seen something even more beautiful.”
“Something more beautiful? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Nate’s curiosity was instantly piqued. “Come on, Julliard, all those heiresses in the industry like you, but you haven’t picked a single one. Just tell me, do you already have someone you like?”
Julliard didn’t dodge the question. He answered calmly, with no hesitation. “I do.”
Nate lit up like he’d discovered buried treasure. “Who? Seriously, who is it? Bring her around sometime. Anyone who’s caught your eye has got to be something else.”
Like Carter, Julliard had been raised under strict, elite education. The difference was, his family had been more harmonious and his nature gentler, not like Carter-cold, distant, impossible to charm.
Julliard smiled again. “She is. She’s more extraordinary than any girl I’ve ever met.”
Even Carter, who rarely engaged in small talk, looked up, intrigued. “Which family is she from?”
Julliard shook his head. “She’s not from any prominent family. Just… an ordinary person.”
“If you like her, go for it. Background doesn’t matter,” Carter said, his voice even. He liked Kelly too, and she had no background. To him, status was hardly an obstacle.
But Julliard let out a quiet sigh. “I can’t. She’s already married. She has a child.”
“What?” Nate was stunned. “You’re into married women now? Damn, Julliard, that’s a bit much.”
Carter turned to him, his eyes darkening. “Boy or girl?”
Julliard met his gaze without flinching. “A boy. He’s five this year.”
Nate didn’t catch the subtle tension in the room. He kept joking as usual, completely unaware.
“What a coincidence. Carter’s kid is five too. Julliard, don’t tell me the one you like is Sharon. Hah!”
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted.
Carter’s eyes locked onto Julliard’s. There was not a flicker of emotion on his face, but the air between them cooled noticeably.
Nate’s heart skipped.
No way… Could it really be?
But how was that even possible?
Julliard suddenly chuckled. “Nate, no matter what you think of Sharon, she’s still Carter’s wife. Joking like that isn’t very respectful. The girl I like-I met her eight years ago, in Marcentine. She was studying at university then and hadn’t gotten
1/2
Carter looked away, his expression neutral again.
Sharon had never gone to university. Maybe she’d never even been abroad.
Nate perked up again. “Hey, does she play the violin too?”
Julliard nodded. “She does. And more than that—she plays several instruments, but she’s best at the violin. She also paints,
dances…. She was the star of her university. And her singing voice-” He paused. “It’s beautiful.”
Chapter 288
