Chapter 56
Chloe's ears practically perked up.
She wanted to know too.
The woman speaking to Julian was one of Verve's senior regional marketing executives. She had a major say in how campaigns were run, which celebrities and creators the brand worked with, and where a substantial amount of advertising money went.
Plenty of people in the industry wanted to stay on her good side.
And judging by how warmly she'd treated Emma, Chloe had assumed it had something to do with Julian.
Julian tilted his head.
"You didn't know?"
The marketing executive's mouth twitched.
"Was I supposed to?"
Julian paused.
Then he looked at Emma.
For the first time, something occurred to him.
He actually knew almost nothing about her.
He knew she'd been one of his most devoted supporters from early in his career. He knew she lived somewhere in the area.
Beyond that, he knew almost nothing.
Julian smiled.
"She's been a fan of mine for years. Since pretty early on."
The marketing executive exchanged a look with the host.
Really?
Because from where they were standing, Julian looked a lot more interested in Emma than Emma looked in him.
Naturally, neither woman said that out loud.
Emma didn't correct him either. Why would she? She might still end up attending one of his fan events someday.
When Julian looked toward her, Emma gave him a small, polite smile.
His own smile faded slightly.
She had never been this calm around him before.
Something was definitely different.
Chloe, on the other hand, finally relaxed.
So that was all.
Emma was just a longtime fan.
Julian had millions of those. There was nothing special about it.
And Verve obviously hadn't invited Emma because of Julian. They'd probably contacted her because of the attention she'd gotten after Leo's university event.
So really, she was still benefiting from Leo Fontaine's name.
A faint chill entered Chloe's expression.
Leo was notoriously private. Chloe couldn't imagine he'd appreciate someone turning a viral moment involving him into a publicity opportunity.
Maybe Emma wouldn't feel quite so lucky once he found out.
The marketing executive checked the time.
"It's almost dinner. Is everyone free? We could all go somewhere together."
"I am," Chloe said immediately.
"Me too," Tessa added.
The executive looked toward Julian.
He was easily the biggest celebrity there and presumably the busiest. There was no professional reason for him to stay longer than necessary.
"Sure," Julian said.
The fact that the event happened to be in Emma's area had certainly made it easier to say yes. And now that she was actually here, dinner would give him a chance to find out what was going on with her today.
The executive smiled. "Perfect. Let's all go together."
Emma raised a hand slightly.
"Actually, I'm going to pass. I already have dinner plans with a friend."
The executive hadn't expected that.
"You could reschedule. Friends can always meet another day."
Emma smiled.
"It's okay. I'll keep my plans. You guys have fun."
She waved and headed for the exit.
Julian frowned.
Everything about Emma today felt unfamiliar.
"Emma!"
She stopped and turned.
Her long hair swept across one bare shoulder.
"Yes, Mr. Sterling?"
Julian froze.
Mr. Sterling?
She'd never been this formal with him before.
Something about it bothered him more than it should have.
He walked over and took out his phone.
"You have my number, right?"
Emma nodded. "Yeah."
"Then text me so I have yours."
Emma blinked.
"Right now?"
"Right now."
Everyone nearby stared.
Chloe's expression changed.
So did Tessa's.
A few minutes ago, they'd tried to get Julian's personal number and he'd politely turned them down.
Now Julian was personally asking Emma to text him.
So who exactly was supposed to be whose fan here?
Emma was confused too.
Didn't celebrities normally prefer some distance from fans?
Still, refusing him in front of everyone would only make things awkward.
She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and held it up.
Julian looked down.
Then looked at her.
"That's Venmo."
Emma looked at the screen.
"...Wrong app."
For one second, nobody said anything.
Apparently, somewhere deep in Emma Carter's subconscious, a man taking out his phone still meant there was a chance money was involved.
Across town, Leo Fontaine was on the set of his latest film.
His assistant was killing time on his phone between takes when Emma's name suddenly started appearing across entertainment accounts.
He frowned.
Emma Carter?
He immediately looked toward Leo, who was resting in a chair nearby.
"Leo, Emma's going viral again."
As far as the assistant knew, Emma's only real connection to the entertainment industry had started with Leo.
Had she posted something? Given an interview?
Leo hadn't been sleeping particularly well lately.
The film was physically demanding, with long shooting days and several elaborate action sequences. Still dressed in his dark period costume, he had been resting with his eyes closed when his assistant spoke.
They opened immediately.
So.
After all these days, she'd finally done something.
Leo tapped one finger against the arm of his chair.
"See what happened first. If it's connected to me, tell the PR team."
His assistant was already scrolling through the clips.
A few seconds later, his expression became strange.
"You don't need PR."
Leo opened his eyes fully.
"What?"
"It's not really about us."
Leo sat up.
His assistant scratched his head.
"There's nothing for our team to handle."
Leo held out his hand.
The assistant gave him the phone.
The posts barely mentioned Leo.
Instead, everyone seemed to be asking the same question.
What exactly was going on between Emma Carter and Julian Sterling?
Julian?
Leo's brows drew together.
He opened the clip that had triggered most of the speculation.
The host's voice played first.
"Julian, it looks like you already know Emma?"
Julian looked directly at Emma.
"Yeah."
No hesitation.
Leo's expression darkened.
He certainly didn't seem worried about people misunderstanding.
Then the camera cut to Emma.
She looked striking today.
The fitted black tank top left her shoulders bare and showed a narrow strip of waist above her red cargo pants. It was nothing like the elaborate Princess Vivienne costume Leo had last seen her wearing in public.
His gaze lingered for a second before he scrolled down.
There were already plenty of comments wondering whether Emma might be Julian's girlfriend.
Impossible.
Julian didn't have a girlfriend.
Leo was certain of that.
His assistant glanced at him and quietly decided not to say anything.
Leo handed the phone back, then took out his own.
Without another word, he called Julian.