Page 94 of Secret Heir For The Billionaire Twin

I wait until Alessandra is called away by one of her team members before looking at Julian.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yes.”

The answer comes immediately.

I watch him. His expression is composed again, but there is tension around his mouth that wasn’t there before the message arrived.

“That looked like a very serious yes.”

Julian slips his phone into his pocket. “Vivian found something she wants reviewed.”

“What kind of something?”

His eyes meet mine.

“Something that can wait until I have more information.”

The boundary in his voice is quiet but unmistakable.

I nod. “All right.”

He studies me as though expecting another question. I don’t give him one.

A moment later, Matteo appears at the end of the corridor to collect Julian for the next meeting, and the day moves forward again. Still, as I return to my notes, the image stays with me, and the look on his face before he remembered anyone else was watching.

Dinner runs later than planned, but the conversation stays easy enough that I barely notice the time. I am seated between Carlo and Alessandra, with Matteo across from us and Julian farther down the table beside Giulia and two regional executives I met earlier in the day.

Julian is quieter than he was at lunch. Every few minutes, I catch him looking down at his phone, reading something, typing a short response, then setting it beside his plate before picking it up again. The change is subtle, but I have watched him closely enough over the last few weeks to recognize when his attention is divided.

Carlo turns toward me as the second course is cleared.

“So,” he says, “I hope they’re giving you at least a little time to enjoy Italy.”

“I think so,” I reply.

“I’m heading to the estate tomorrow.”

Carlo’s eyebrows rise. “The estate?”

I nod. He looks past me toward Julian.

“Full access, then.”

Julian lifts his gaze from his phone and looks directly at me before answering.

“Yes,” he says. “That’s the idea.”

Matteo gives a low laugh from across the table.

“Now I’m offended. We’ve been asking Julian to bring us back there for years.”

“You have offices,” Julian replies.

“We also have excellent taste.”

Alessandra smiles. “When was the last time you were there?”