The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 387

"Julian Croft."

Valerie raised an eyebrow at Nora's strange expression. "Don't tell me you actually know him."

Nora's gaze was complicated. "Is it possible that *you* know him too, but you just didn't connect the name?"

Valerie stared at her. "?"

She slapped her thigh and practically yelled, "Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

Nora laughed at her dramatic denial. "I'm not messing with you."

Valerie knew Nora wasn't exactly known for her sense of humor, so she definitely wasn't playing a prank.

Her absolute certainty wavered. "Are you saying we both know this guy? Was he an upperclassman from college or something?"

"No, that can't be right. If he was someone from our college, my parents would have totally used that as a selling point. But all they gave me was a name and said he was a professor returning from abroad."

Valerie was utterly baffled. "Who the hell is this guy? Stop playing games and tell me."

Nora hadn't actually been playing games.

Valerie was just so caught up in her own wild theories she hadn't taken a breath.

"Do you remember me telling you about that medical prodigy from our university? The guy who transferred out during his sophomore year?"

Valerie squinted, thinking hard. "Nope, drawing a blank..."

Nora stared at her.

"After he transferred, Aaron stepped into the spotlight. You literally said Aaron got lucky and was totally shameless. You even called the other guy a 'poor loser' for having his title stolen by Aaron!"

"Ohhh! That guy!"

Nora looked at Valerie in total silence for a solid minute.

She used to praise Valerie for having the razor-sharp instincts of a top news anchor.

Now, she realized Valerie's instincts were strictly intermittent.

She had dropped massive hints, and Valerie still hadn't put it together.

"Hold on, how do you know all this in such detail?"

"You even know his start dates. Do you have a crush on him? Does Nathan know? Aren't you worried he'll get insanely jealous?"

Nora rubbed her temples in exasperation.

"Is there any chance..."

Nora held up her phone and turned the screen toward Valerie. "...that I just Googled it?"

Valerie immediately saw the photograph of the man on the screen.

He was breathtakingly handsome.

Striking eyes, a strong jawline, and perfectly sculpted lips.

Just looking at his facial features, he exuded a powerful, icy aura.

His lips were pressed into a flat line without a trace of a smile.

Even through a standard headshot, the sheer 'stay-away-from-me' coldness radiated off him.