Chapter 72 Venice

Chapter 72 Venice
The moment Adeline stepped out of the car, the first thing she noticed was the smell of the water mixed with the cool evening air. The city around her looked almost unreal with how beautiful it was. Warm lights reflected against the canals, small boats moved slowly through the water, and the old buildings standing around them looked like something taken out of a movie scene. People walked around casually nearby, some laughing loudly while others sat outside restaurants eating dinner like they did not have a care in the world.

Adeline slowly turned in a circle while taking everything in, her eyes moving from the water to the old buildings around her before finally landing back on Julian. “Why Italy?” she asked slowly, still sounding surprised. “I still can't believe you brought me to Italy of all places.”

Julian stepped out beside her and handed one of the hotel staff his car keys before looking back at her with amusement clear in his expression. “You say that like I brought you somewhere terrible,” he responded casually.

Adeline immediately shook her head. “That’s not what I meant,” she explained quickly before glancing around again. “I just honestly didn’t expect this place at all.”

The truth was that Italy had genuinely been the last country she expected him to pick. She had never even been here before despite traveling to plenty of other countries over the years. Most of her trips had always been business related anyway, so she rarely traveled simply for fun. Even when she did take breaks, she usually preferred quiet places where nobody knew her.

Italy had just never crossed her mind.

She slowly looked back at Julian again before narrowing her eyes slightly. “What exactly were you thinking bringing me here?” she asked carefully while trying not to make it obvious that she still remembered what he said earlier on the plane about wanting to bring her here for years.

That statement still felt strange to her.

As far as Adeline was concerned, she and Julian had spent most of their lives competing against each other, arguing with each other, and trying to outdo each other. They were rivals long before they became lovers, so hearing him casually say he had wanted to bring her here for years had honestly caught her off guard more than she wanted to admit.

Still, she did not want to dwell on it too much. Maybe he simply said it without thinking.

Julian suddenly looked genuinely surprised by her question. “Wait,” he said while staring at her strangely. “You really don’t know why I picked Italy?”

Adeline frowned immediately. “No?” she answered slowly. “And I would appreciate it if you just told me already instead of acting mysterious.”

Julian stared at her for another second before dramatically placing one hand over his chest like she had personally offended him. “Wow,” he muttered with fake hurt clear in his voice. “That actually hurts my feelings a little.”

Adeline rolled her eyes almost instantly. “Oh please,” she responded dryly.

Julian shook his head dramatically before pointing at her accusingly. “I genuinely thought that by the nature of our rivalry, you knew everything about me,” he complained. “At least something basic like this.”

Adeline looked even more confused now. “Julian,” she said slowly with visible impatience, “get to the point.”

Julian let out an exaggerated sigh before shaking his head in disappointment. “Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath before finally answering properly. “I’m Italian.”

Adeline blinked once. For a moment, she genuinely thought she heard him wrong.

“You’re what?” she asked blankly.

Julian stared at her in disbelief. “Italian,” he repeated slowly. “My mother was Italian. She was born here in Venice.”

Adeline’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as she processed the information. Suddenly several things about Julian started making a lot more sense to her at once. His features, his sharp face, his ridiculous bone structure, his stupidly attractive smile, and honestly his entire appearance in general suddenly clicked together in her head.

Now she understood why the man looked unfairly handsome all the time.

Julian crossed his arms while continuing to stare at her like he still could not believe she did not know. “I used to come here with my mother when I was younger,” he explained more calmly now. “And ever since I was a teenager, I always imagined bringing my wife here someday.”

Adeline froze slightly at those words before quickly realizing what he actually meant.

His wife, not her specifically. For some reason, that realization strangely relaxed her a little even though she could not fully explain why.

“Oh,” she murmured quietly.

Now what he said on the plane earlier finally made more sense. Julian had not meant that he specifically spent years dreaming about bringing her to Italy. He meant that he always imagined bringing his future wife here one day.

That sounded far more reasonable.

Adeline looked around the city again before slowly nodding to herself. “I honestly didn’t know you were Italian,” she admitted after a moment. “That’s actually a pleasant surprise.”

Julian still looked deeply offended though. He dramatically turned his head away from her and stared out toward the canal instead like he was throwing an actual tantrum. “I still can’t believe you didn’t know,” he grumbled.

Adeline stared at him for a second before laughing softly in disbelief. “Julian,” he said while shaking her head, “you cannot seriously expect me to know every basic detail about you.”

Julian immediately looked back at her. “Why not?” he asked defensively.

“Because I don’t sit around stalking you just because we’re rivals,” Adeline responded flatly.

Julian scoffed immediately at her answer while the hotel staff quietly carried their luggage toward the entrance behind them.

Adeline folded her arms before continuing calmly, “Besides, I highly doubt you know everything about me either.”

Julian looked at her for a few seconds after she said that. Then slowly, a strange little smile appeared on his face. “You’d be surprised,” he responded simply.

Adeline narrowed her eyes immediately. “That sounds concerning,” Adeline replied slowly.

Julian only chuckled softly in response before starting to walk toward the hotel entrance. Adeline followed beside him while still glancing around at the city every few seconds. The deeper they walked into Venice, the prettier everything somehow became. The streets were calmer here compared to most places she had visited before. There was something peaceful about the city despite how alive it still felt.

The hotel itself looked beautiful too. The building had clearly been restored carefully without losing its old charm. Warm lights filled the inside, expensive decorations lined the walls, and soft music played quietly in the background as staff greeted them respectfully the moment they entered.

Still, Adeline’s mind kept returning to what Julian said earlier about being Italian. For some reason, she genuinely could not stop thinking about it.

Once they entered the elevator together, Adeline finally looked toward him again. “So you seriously grew up coming here?” she asked curiously.

Julian nodded once. “Every summer when I was younger,” he answered. “My mother loved Venice.”

Adeline studied his face carefully while he spoke. Usually whenever Julian talked about his mother, there was a softness in his expression that rarely appeared otherwise. It was honestly one of the few times he looked completely genuine without trying to joke around or tease her.

“She must have really loved this place,” Adeline said quietly.

Julian smiled faintly before nodding again. “She did,” he admitted.

The elevator doors finally opened a few moments later, and the two of them walked down the hallway together toward their suite. Adeline remained unusually quiet beside him while she processed everything she had learned today.

When Julian finally opened the suite door and stepped aside to let her in first, Adeline walked inside before immediately pausing slightly.

The room was massive, with large windows overlooking the canal outside and soft lights that filled the space warmly, and the entire suite somehow managed to feel luxurious without feeling cold or overly formal. The distant sound of water outside made the entire place feel calm.

Adeline slowly walked toward the window before looking outside again.

Venice at night honestly looked beautiful.

Julian quietly watched her from behind for a moment before speaking again. “So,” he began casually, “what do you think?”

Adeline stayed silent briefly before finally answering honestly. “I think,” she said slowly while still staring outside, “this is probably the last place I expected you to bring me.”

Julian laughed softly behind her. “Still that bad?”

Adeline finally turned toward him before shaking her head slightly. “Not bad,” she corrected. “Just surprising, and I mean that in a good way.”

Julian nodded once like he understood exactly what she meant. Then after a second, he smirked slightly. “You know,” he began casually, “I’m still offended you didn’t know I was Italian.”

Adeline groaned immediately. “Oh my God,” she muttered.

Julian pointed accusingly at her again. “That’s basic information.”

"No, it isn’t.”

“It absolutely is.”

Adeline rolled her eyes before walking toward the couch and sitting down tiredly. “I know plenty of things about you,” she argued.

Julian looked unconvinced. “Clearly not enough.”

Adeline stared at him flatly before crossing her legs. “Fine then,” she challenged calmly. “Tell me something you know about me that proves your point.”

Julian looked entirely too confident suddenly, and honestly, that confidence alone immediately made Adeline suspicious.

He slowly walked closer before stopping in front of her with amusement dancing in his eyes. “You really want to test me?” Julian asked.

Adeline narrowed her eyes immediately. “Why are you smiling like that?”

Julian chuckled softly before leaning down slightly toward her. “Because,” he responded calmly, “you seriously underestimate how much attention I’ve paid to you over the years.”

Something about the way he said those words made Adeline’s stomach flip strangely, and she hated that feeling immediately.