《Love鈥檚 Cunning Ruse》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Chapter 1


    A bright sh of lightning lit up the dark sky in an instant, as if it wanted to split the sky wide open. The


    heavy rain outside the window came pouring down. Inside the window, illuminated by the sh of


    lightning, a hospital bed was being pushed into the delivery room.


    The woman on the bed had a belly all rounded up.


    It was unclear whether it was rainwater or sweat that had drenched the hair on her forehead, sticking


    them onto her skin. She was dressed in a white maternity gown, the blood between her legs was


    shocking.


    She was wheeled in with another pregnant woman.


    What was surprising was, among the two pregnant women, there was only one man standing.


    He was dressed in a dark gray suit, with an aura that made people dare not approach. His eyes were


    slightly squinted and his gaze was cold and icy. With such a cold gaze, his tension was hard to detect.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The doctors and nurses hurriedly pushed both pregnant women into the delivery room.


    Some time had passed.


    Suddenly, the delivery room door was pushed open from the inside, making a heavy sound.


    The hospital director nervously approached, looking at the man¡¯s back, and cautiously reported, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, we are running low on blood. Both Ms. Bertha and your wife have the same blood type and


    we can only save one of the two babies. Would you like us to save your wife¡¯s baby first, or¡­¡±


    The doctor felt a chill down his spine, scared to finish his sentence under the intimidating presence of


    the man, Kieran Hernandez.


    Inside the delivery room, Kieran¡¯s wife Joyce Abraham, who was doing her best to give birth, had


    already cried her strength out. However, the sound from outside the operating room was unusually


    clear.


    ¡°Save Bertha Stewart,¡± Kieran¡¯s icy voice rang out.


    At that moment, Joyce distinctly felt as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest by him, the pain.


    was numbing. She was Kieran¡¯s legitimate wife, but at this critical moment of life and death, she heard


    her husband say to save the child of his mistress.


    By the time the doctor took the baby out of her body, Joyce was exhausted andpletely lost


    consciousness, fainted.


    When Joyce woke up again, the sky had cleared up.


    The heavy rain fromst night had given the city, Whispering Pines, a fresh makeover.


    The sunshine outside the window poured sunshine through the thick leaves onto the hospital bed,


    making the white sheets ringly bright.


    Lying on the bed, Joyce had a pale face and opened her painful eyes. Although the sunlight outside


    was ring, she felt as cold as if she had fallen into an ice cer.


    The memories ofst night flooded into her mind like slides.


    She suddenly sat up, clutching her own severely painful abdomen.


    Her belly, which had been pregnant for seven months, had ttened overnight, as if it had never


    hurtured a life. The heart¨Cwrenching pain fromst night came back to Joyce.


    Joyce looked at the maid not far away and hoarsely murmured, ¡°Shannon, where¡¯s my baby?¡±


    Shannon was startled by the sound. Her eyes red, she came over, and held Joyce¡¯s hand tofort


    her, ¡°Madam, you had a miscarriagest night¡­¡±


    Before Shannon could finish her sentence, Joyce abruptly threw off the quilt.


    The wound that had just been stitched upst night, under her sudden violent movement, tore open


    again. Fresh blood stained the white bandage, seeping out from the inside of her nightgown, forming a


    shocking sight.


    The word ¡®miscarriage¡® from Shannon¡¯s mouth was like a handful of broken ss rubbed into her heart,


    causing extreme pain.


    Tears welled up in her eyes in an instant and she once again grabbed Shannon¡¯s hand frantically. With


    her pupils contracted, she looked like a lost soul as she shouted at Shannon, ¡°Shannon, I want to see


    Kieran. Tell him to give my baby back! I beg you to ask him to give my baby back! I don¡¯t want anything


    else, I just want my baby, I beg you¡­¡±


    C


    Her voice turned into a plea at the end. However, all that answered Joyce was Shannon¡¯s silent face.


    The hospital room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, a heavy sound came in.


    Joyce raised her head and looked towards the door.


    Kieran walked in, dressed in a deep ck suit. His steps were steady and his suit was smooth without


    a wrinkle. He stood in front of Joyce, looking down at her pathetic state.


    Seeing Kieran, Joyce grasped his sleeve tightly like a lifesaver, asking him, ¡°Kieran, where¡¯s our baby?


    Tell me, our baby is still alive, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Her voice had already be hoarse from crying, her sobbing voice was far from her normally


    pleasant


    tone.


    Looking at her pleading, a trace of slightly emotion finally crossed Kieran¡¯s handsome face.


    He was silent for a moment, looking at her expressionlessly, and said coldly, ¡°our baby is dead.¡±


    At that moment, Joyce¡¯s heart felt as if it had been ripped out. The pain was extreme.


    It was not until this moment that she realized that the child in her belly, her only rtive, had really died


    at the hands of the man she loved most. The love she had believed in for fourteen years, all her youth,


    was ruined on that stormy night.


    Chapter 2

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chapter 2


    Five yearster.


    At CozyBean Caf¨¦.


    A masculine voice broke the morning silence, ¡°Joyce! Come here! Deliver this order to Noblewood


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    Retreat.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Sabri, my name is Julie Abraham,¡± Julie, dressed in her delivery uniform, a half¨Cponytail, replied


    with a warm smile on her face, looking at the middle¨Caged man in front of her.


    The manager Sabri nced at her dismissively, shoved a few cups of freshly¨Cground coffee into her


    hands, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t give a hoot about your name, just get these to this address. Here are the


    motorbike keys, drive carefully. If you crash, no big deal, but don¡¯t wreck the bike.¡±


    Julie took the coffee and the motorbike keys, then turned and left the caf¨¦.


    She¡¯d been working at this caf¨¦ for almost five years. For the same time since she¡¯d changed her


    name, yet the manager still couldn¡¯t remember her new name correctly.


    Julie shook her head with a smile, skillfully ced the coffee into the delivery box on the motorcycle,


    took a deep breath, and started the motorbike.


    Noblewood Retreat!


    She was no stranger to this ce. Five years ago, she and Kieran had lived in a vi in Noblewood


    Retreat, living a carefree life of luxury.


    Now, she was returning to the Noblewood Retreat, dressed in a delivery outfit, riding on an old


    motorbike.


    Julie suddenly forgot which vi it was. She stopped the motorbike, looked down at the address, and


    surprisingly found that her bike was parked right in front of the vi where she and Kieran had lived.


    Ironically, the delivery address in her hand was for this very vi.


    Her messy hair, forelock damp with sweat, stood in stark contrast to the noble, beautiful pure white


    European¨Cstyle vi.


    She didn¡¯t even know what made her stand there. If she knew before that she would be delivering to


    this ce, she probably wouldn¡¯t havee.


    ording to the news, Bertha and Kieran¡¯s wedding was at the end of this month, about a week away.


    Had Bertha¡¯s six¨Cyear wait finally paid off? Were she and Kieran finally going to form a happy family


    with their child?


    Julie¡¯s fingers, clutching the delivery bag, slightly whitened from the force. She felt a chill run through


    her.


    Finally, she took a deep breath, turned around, and chucked all the coffees into the trash bin. She


    really wasn¡¯t in the mood to do this delivery.


    Silently, Julie walked towards her motorbike, just stepping on the pedal.


    Suddenly, a scream came from behind her.


    Startled, Julie slipped, falling over with the motorbike on top of her. The pain felt like her bones were


    crushed.


    Before she could react, she heard a heavy sound.


    The sound was a heavy object falling to the ground.


    The woman who had just jumped from the building was lying less than a meter away from her, thick.


    blood flowing from her nose.


    ¡°Bertha?¡± Julie¡¯s eyes widened, looking at the woman who had jumped in disbelief, uncertainly calling


    her name.


    The dark red liquid quickly stained the white tiles on the ground. Bertha opened her mouth, as if


    wanting to say something. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t speak and stopped breathing.


    Julie raised her head to look at where Bertha had jumped, but saw a shadow sh on the top floor of


    the


    vi.


    She didn¡¯t get a clear look at the shadow before everything went ck and she passed out.


    D


    Chapter 3

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Chapter 3


    When Julie woke up again, she found herself in a strange king¨Csize bed.


    The dark grey sheets in front of her eyes had a calming vibe. There was a faint smell of Cologne on the


    quilt, which gave Julie a familiar feeling, like something from the deep ce within her memory. The


    scent filled her nostrils instantly.-


    She stared nkly into space for a minute or two before the memories of what had happened earlier


    started flooding back in.


    The recollection filled her with fear. She became aware of her own body again, and her leg started to


    hurt.


    There was a male voice from outside the door. He was speaking in detail, ¡°Ms. Abraham¡¯s condition is


    not serious. It¡¯s just malnutrition. She¡¯s been anemic, which means she couldn¡¯t keep up with her


    nutritional needs. Besides, with the fact that she was worn out and not getting enough rest, she fainted


    from exhaustion. She just needs to recuperate and she¡¯ll be fine. Once her health stabilizes, she can


    start replenishing her body. As for the wound on her leg, it¡¯s nothing serious. She just needs to rest in


    bed for a few days and she¡¯ll be fine. Try to keep her movement to a minimum during these days.¡±


    This unfamiliar environment made Julie uneasy. Hearing the doctor¡¯s words, she hurriedly threw off the


    quilts and frowned at the bandages on her leg.


    Just as she was about to get out of bed, the bedroom door was gently pushed open from the outside.


    Julie immediately froze, just staring nkly towards the door.


    In the backlight at the doorway, a tall and familiar figure was slowly approaching.


    Who else could it be but Kieran?


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    He was dressed in a bespoke Italian suit. The dark grey fabric made him look even taller and more


    composed. He stood at the door emotionless, looking cold and distant. This was exactly the man who


    Julie remembered ¨C noble, charismatic, andpelling.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the doctor saying you need to rest in bed?¡± His calm voice echoed over Julie¡¯s head,


    devoid of any emotion, leaving Julie unsure whether he was worried about her.


    She frowned. Of course, she¡¯d heard. Not only had she heard the doctor saying that she needed to rest


    in bed, but she¡¯d also heard him saying that she had fainted from overwork. She was quite impressed


    with her own survival abilities.


    She looked around the room, and the quiet ambiance told her that this was Kieran¡¯s ce.


    Knowing this, Julie was even more determined to get out of bed and leave. Regardless of how much


    her leg hurt, she stubbornly stood up and limped towards the door, passing by the man standing by the


    bed without even giving him a nce.


    But the resentment in her eyes never faded.


    Her stubbornness finally pissed off Kieran. Before she had a chance to reach the door, her wrist was


    tightly gripped by Kieran.


    Julie turned her head, her eyes full of rage. She stared at the man in front of her, voice cold and hard,


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    She struggled, trying to shake off Kieran¡¯s hand, but was pinned against the door by him.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Chapter 4


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Julie raised her chin, staring firmly at the man in front of her, her eyes gleaming with a


    cold resolve.


    ¡°Bertha Stewart is dead,¡± the man¡¯s voice suddenly came from above.-


    Julie¡¯s entire body stiffened in an instant, her struggling came to a halt. A slight ripple appeared on her


    calm face.


    Bertha¡¯s death wasn¡¯t surprising to her, as she had witnessed the whole process herself. But when this


    fact came from the lips of Kieran Hernandez, her heart felt like it had been pricked.


    She remembered the day she decided to divorce him, asking him, ¡°Kieran, would you be sad if the


    person who died on the operating room that day was me?¡±


    She distinctly remembered the icy look in his eyes back then, as cold as falling into an ice cer.


    He sat elegantly on the sofa, legs crossed, his gaze seemingly veiled in mist. His faint lips uttered a


    weak voice, yet resolutely answered her, ¡°No.¡±


    Then he picked up the pen she had given him and elegantly signed his name on the divorce


    agreement.


    On the day of the divorce, she left him resolutely.


    Looking back now, she was the real fool back then!


    Gradually, her recently mournful expression returned to a wless mask.


    Julie lifted her head, a smirk tugging at her lips. ¡°She was your fianc¨¦e. Shouldn¡¯t you graciously


    apany her on her final journey? Shouldn¡¯t you hold a solemn funeral and continue ying the role


    of her devoted lover?¡±


    Julie coldly pushed the man in front of her and with a mocking smile, she said, ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t


    expose you.¡±


    She turned around, her hand already on the doorknob.


    Yet before she could open the door, the man suddenly hoisted her over his shoulder, and then


    unceremoniously tossed her onto the bed.


    Julie tightly grabbed the man¡¯s hand, causing both her and Kieran to fall onto the bed together. To


    avoid crushing her, Kieran supported himself with one hand on the mattress.


    Kieran looked down at Julie, his eyes veiled in mist, with a teasing tone in his voice as he whispered in


    her ear.


    ¡°Why are you so eager to escape? Are you afraid of me?¡±


    Even under him, even though her breathing had be somewhat difficult, Julie chuckled in derision,


    answering, ¡°Because I¡¯m a human. It¡¯s normal to be scared when facing a wild beast, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°After all these years, you¡¯ve be quite the master of sarcasm,¡± the man didn¡¯t mind her sarcasm,


    instead, he smiled.


    Julie looked at the man, her teeth gritted. ¡°Sometimes, people need to be a bit tough to protect


    themselves, right? Mr. Hernandez, do you really have to wait until I harm you before you let me go?¡±


    She looked like she could attack him at any moment.


    Kleran calmly gazed at Julie and started to speak, ¡°Considering you were the only witness present


    when. Bertha jumped, so¡­¡±


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    Before Kieran could finish his sentence, Julie coldly interrupted, ¡°You want me to give a statement,


    don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll go to the police station to cooperate with the investigation. Can you let me go now?¡±


    She looked at Kieran calmly, her tone icy.


    Kieran stood up, released her, elegantly adjusted the cuffs of his snow¨Cwhite shirt, and calmly told her,


    ¡°The police will be here shortly. Once you finish giving your statement, I¡¯ll naturally let you go.¡±


    Julie knew that if she didn¡¯t give a statement, this man might not allow her to leave. So, almost


    involuntarily, she hugged the nket and without hesitation, leaned against the edge of the bed.


    Suddenly, she thought about how many women might have slept in this bed, causing Julie to


    immediately drop the nket.


    ¡°No other woman has ever slept in this bed,¡± Kieran immediately noticed what Julie was thinking and


    exined.


    Only then did Julie relinquish her somewhat disgusted attitude, wrapping the nket around her and


    giving Kieran a nce.


    Kieran calmly looked at Julie, wrapped in the nket, and then casually said, ¡°Although no other


    woman has slept in this bed, the sheets are what I usedst night.¡±


    Kieran had the habit of sleeping naked, something Julie was aware of. She promptly looked at Kieran


    with a disgusted expression, then quickly threw off the sheet and got up from the bed.


    Kieran¡¯s lips curved into a mocking smile as he looked at Julie, then turned and left with a hint of


    arrogance.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Chapter 5


    Julie sighed with relief, looking towards the leather couch not far away. She dragged herself over and


    plopped down, bone¨Ctired.


    She thought Kieran wouldn¡¯te back, but he was back in a minute, with a tube of ointment in his


    hand.


    Being on guard, Julie watched him approach, his deep voice sounding above her, ¡°Rub in some


    ointment.¡±


    Once he finished, he set the ointment down by Julie¡¯s couch.


    The spot where the motorbike had hit hurt like hell, Julie didn¡¯t want to torture herself anymore. So, she


    picked up the ointment and headed for the bathroom.


    Kieran watched the bathroom door close, with a serious look on his face.


    Besides her upper thigh, Julie¡¯s back was also aching, probably from the motorbike falling on her lower.


    back.


    The pain on her leg wasn¡¯t as bad as her back, so Julie took off her dress, ready to apply the ointment


    to her back first. But she couldn¡¯t reach the wound, her brows furrowed in frustration. She picked up a


    cotton swab, dipped it in the ointment, and was about to apply it when the bathroom door was pushed


    open by Kieran¡­


    Julie froze, and before she could react, Kieran had snatched the cotton swab from her. Then he turned


    her around, forcing her to face the mirror. A momentter, a chilling sensation spread over her back.


    She knew it was the feeling of the ointment on her wound.


    Julie snapped back to reality, quickly turning around to seize Kieran¡¯s hand.


    Kieran held her shoulder, pushing her towards the mirror, ¡°Don¡¯t turn around, I don¡¯t want to see your


    chest.¡±


    Julie realized she was only wearing a ck bra.


    The next second, she quickly covered her chest. She saw herself in the mirror, her cheeks flushed.


    Though she hated him, her expression was incredibly genuine.


    Julie red at Kieran¡¯s reflection in the mirror, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he focused on applying the ointment to her back.


    Julie stood on the marble bathroom floor, looking incredibly sexy. Kieran was tall, and without her


    heels, she was only shoulder¨Cheight to him. She used to love hugging him from behind, feeling like he


    was her entire world.


    Julie stiffened her back, waiting in silence for him to finish applying the ointment.


    ¡°You hurt your leg too, right?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from behind her.


    ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Julie reached for the towel next to her, wrapping it around herself. She reached out


    to snatch the ointment from Kieran, her expression frosty.


    However, Kieran simply lifted his head, resisting her attempt.


    Julie knew she couldn¡¯t fight him, even if she jumped, she couldn¡¯t get the ointment back. So, she


    decided to stop arguing with him and turned to leave.


    However, she identally bumped into Kieran¡¯s leg, which he had stretched out at some point. Losing


    her bnce, she fell against the sink.


    ¡°What are you doing? Move your leg.¡± Kieran¡¯s cold voice came into Julie¡¯s ear.


    Anger surged in her heart, she turned around angrily, not expecting Kieran to suddenly lean over.


    As a result, her lips brushed against his cold ones.


    The sudden ident took Julie by surprise, her bright eyes reflecting Kieran¡¯s shocked expression. He


    obviously didn¡¯t expect this to happen either.


    Julie blinked quickly, and then quickly turned her head to avoid his warm breath.


    However, he suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him again under his strong power. But


    before she could say anything, she saw him suddenly lean over, blocking her breath.


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    His hands were on the sink, his arms holding her tightly in his narrow but secure embrace. His lips


    pressed onto hers, forcing her lips open, sucking on her soft and sweet lips.


    His hand casually covered hers, his thumb gently stroking her palm, causing her to shiver. In her


    blurred consciousness, she felt his other hand, warm, slowly moving to her waist.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Chapter 6


    He kissed her passionately and eagerly. Their teeth touched, breathing warmly with each other. The


    man reveled in her sweetness, as if trying to savor every breath of her.


    Julie pushed him away with all her might, her brows furrowing like she just woke up from a dream.


    She silently opened the bathroom door and darted out.


    She didn¡¯t expect to find Kieran¡¯s assistant Karl and a cop standing at the bedroom door.


    Karl sucked in a breath and quickly shut his eyes.


    Julie didn¡¯t have time to acknowledge her embarrassing state when a huge bed sheet suddenly


    covered


    her from behind.


    Next thing she knew, she was dizzy and Kieran scooped her up and tossed her back into the bathroom.


    When Julie removed the bed sheet, a brand new dress was thrown on the marble table in front of her.


    ¡°Put it on.¡± The man¡¯s gaze was cold and arrogant, his voice calm, devoid of any intonation.


    With that, Kieran turned and left.


    Julie nced at her wet dress andpared it with the new one Kieran threw in. She only needed one


    look to know it was her size. So she put it on.


    When Julie walked out in her new outfit, only Karl and the cop were left in the room.


    The cop asked Julie a few routine questions, Julie cooperated and gave her statement, and then Karl


    escorted the cop out.


    Without wasting a moment, Julie grabbed her wet clothes and left the vi as if she couldn¡¯t stand


    another second there.


    Just as she reached the vi gate, a ck Porsche suddenly pulled up in front of her.


    Inside the car, Kieran sat quietly in the back seat, his eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed a bit.


    His straight nose was like a work of art.


    His lips were pressed tightly together, giving off a cold and noble aura.


    ¡°Get in.¡± Kieran¡¯s deep voice echoed in the car.


    Julie hesitated, then opened the car door and got in.


    With her limping, it¡¯d be dark before she could walk home. Being coy would only make her feel worse.


    Julie wasn¡¯t stupid, and once in the car, she gave him her work address, ¡°CozyBean Caf¨¦.¡±


    True to his word, Kieran dropped her off at the caf¨¦ after her statement was recorded.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie got out of the car and was watching the Porsche drive away. She gazed at the car leaving, when


    the car suddenly reversed back. She quickly stepped back to avoid it, her eyes resolute.


    The car window rolled down again, just as she was about to pretend she saw nothing and leave, she


    saw the man throw out a bag from the window, then he drove off once more.


    She nced down at the bag, inside was a tube of ointment and some anti¨Cinmmatory pills.


    She hesitated, frustrated, and then finally picked up the ointment and waved it towards the departing.


    car. But in the end, she didn¡¯t throw it back. Instead she tossed it in the trash.


    Her phone suddenly rang. Pulling it out of her pocket, Julie looked at the calling number. The familiar


    string of numbers made her frown instantly.


    The phone call came from the hospital.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Chapter 7


    Once upon a time, the Abraham family was facing bankruptcy. Julie¡¯s sister, Sansa Abraham,


    intentionally set up Kieran Hernandez in order to help Julie find someone who could protect her.


    Kieran¡¯s grandmother discovered Julie and Kieran¡¯s one night stand. To ensure Julie could marry


    Kieran smoothly, Sansa deliberately leaked the news of Julie¡¯s pregnancy to the media.


    The impact of public opinion grew stronger and stronger. The Hernandez family also treated Julie¡¯s


    pregnancy news as real. Consequently, Kieran had to propose to Julie and inject arge sum of money


    into the Abraham Group. Julie thought the Abraham family could turn things around this way. So, even


    though she deceived Kieran about the pregnancy, she never regretted it.


    But she never anticipated her own mother would abscond with money and elope with her lover. Her


    father was infuriated, suffered a stroke, and passed away. Meanwhile, Sansa, intercepting her mother¡¯s


    elopement by a car, collided with her mother¡¯s vehicle. They had a car ident. Her mother¡¯s body


    was thrown off a cliff and never found. While Sansa miraculously survived, she ended up in a


    vegetative state after the surgery.


    Ultimately, the Abraham Group still went bankrupt and was eventually acquired by Kieran¡¯s brother,


    Lucian Hernandez.


    After her divorce, Julie¡¯s life was tough, but she never gave up on Sansa¡¯s treatment. Everything


    Sansal did back then, including framing Kieran, was to protect Julie. Now, Sansa was her sole family in


    this world, and Julie couldn¡¯t give up on her no matter what.


    However, the hospital bills were like an endless pit. No matter how much money she paid, it never


    seemed enough.


    Sansa¡¯s attending physician called Julie, saying, ¡°Ms. Abraham, the hospitalization fee for this month


    was due on the 12th. Now it¡¯s already the 25th, and you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Brice. I¡¯ll definitely clear the payment before the end of the month. Could you please help


    me with the application again? I appreciate it.¡±


    Julie¡¯s sincere attitude left Dr. Brice somewhat helpless on the other end of the line. He understood


    Julie¡¯s situation. So, he reluctantly agreed in the end, ¡°Alright, if you can¡¯t make the payment by the end


    of the month. I really can¡¯t help you further.¡±


    After hanging up, Julie immediately walked into the caf¨¦.


    Her intention was to apologize and go back to work, but she ended up getting fired by her boss.


    Julie was practically kicked out of the caf¨¦. The reason was her boss believed she brought bad luck.


    Not only did she crash a motorcycle, but she also witnessed someone jumping off a building.


    Now, things had taken a turn for the worse. The medical expenses were on due, and she also had to


    cover the motorcycle repair costs.


    Despite time passing, certain things never changed. For example, anything rted to Kieran never


    seemed to bring her any good.


    Clutching the wet clothes she got back from Kieran, Julie sat by the roadside. Just as she frowned in


    thought, her phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing the number, Julie immediately answered the call without hesitation.


    The worried voice of her friend, Daphne Flores, came from the other end, ¡°Julie, I saw the news/ Are


    your okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I am unemployed. I can¡¯t figure out how to cover Sansa¡¯s medical expenses.¡± Julie¡¯s tone


    was somewhat subdued. After a two¨Csecond pause, she slightly opened her mouth and asked Daphne,


    ¡°Daphne, is there any suitable job? I need money.¡±


    Daphne was a friend she met in college. They hit it off instantly.


    Perhaps it was their shared optimistic personalities that made them feel so close right from their first.


    meeting.


    When Julie was still the heiress of the Abraham family, she was surrounded by countless ¡°friends,¡± and


    there were countless people trying to please her. But when the Abraham family faced troubles, the only


    person who stayed by her side was Daphne.


    After graduating, Daphne joined a magazine and followed a supervisor named via. Now, via was


    married to Kenton Jenkins, the CEO of Apex Innovations, and Daphne had been promoted to an


    editor¡¯s


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    position.


    Despite being busy all day, as soon as she heard Julie needed help, Daphne immediately said, ¡°Hold


    on, let me check if there¡¯s a higher¨Cpaying part¨Ctime job avable.¡±


    Daphne, full of energy, called her back within minutes, ¡°Come to Majestic Peaks International Hotel. I¡¯ll


    be waiting at the entrance!¡±


    Daphne finished her sentence and practically didn¡¯t give Julie any time to react before hanging up.


    Chapter 8


    Ch

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8


    When Julie arrived, Daphne was already at the door, wearing sky¨Chigh heels, a neatly¨Cgroomed


    haircut, and a ck and white dress that showed business chic. A wave of modern fashion hit Julie as


    Daphne opened her mouth, ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯ve got a job for you, interested?¡±


    ¡°What job?¡± Julie was caught off guard and nced at Daphne, a little confused.


    It wasn¡¯t until Daphne handed her a box of fancy condoms and said, ¡°The patrons here are all loaded


    and won¡¯t blink an eye at the price. Sell them for a hundred dors, and give the hotel 10%


    commission, and then keep the rest. What do you say?¡±


    Julie held the box of condoms in her hand, slightly shocked.


    Daphne patted her shoulder, ¡°This job¡¯s a quick buck. If the manager wasn¡¯t my kin, I wouldn¡¯t have


    gotten this chance. Wanna give it a shot?¡±


    Julie knew she was in desperate need of cash so she pursed her lips and eventually nodded in


    agreement.


    The weather in June in Whispering Pines wasn¡¯t too hot, but Julie who had just rushed over, had a thin.


    layer of sweat on her face. Her fringes were damp with sweat, making her look a bit disheveled.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She took a deep breath, tightened the strap of her bag, and after negotiating with the hotel manager,


    she mustered up the courage to limp upstairs.


    In the years since her divorce from Kieran, Julie had done many jobs, but she had never felt as


    awkward as she did now. Even standing by the door, she didn¡¯t dare to knock.


    If it wasn¡¯t for her sister Sansa¡¯s urgent medical bills, if it wasn¡¯t for her suddenyoff, she probably


    wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this job at this business hotel.


    The beginning is always the hardest, but once she started, Julie realized that reality wasn¡¯t as cruel as


    she thought. She managed to sell quite a few boxes smoothly, which boosted her confidence.


    Julie identally took the elevator to the top floor.


    The manager had said that the penthouse suite on the top floor was off¨Climits, so Julie had no choice


    but to turn back.


    Just as she turned around, the door behind her was suddenly pushed open. A woman with delicate


    features and a curvaceous figure, wearing a sexy ckce negligee, gracefully waved at Julie, ¡°Hey,


    gimp, are you hotel service? Here is trash and there¡¯s hair all over the carpet, you know?¡±


    Julie thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t hair pretty normal? Who knows if it¡¯s this woman¡¯s hair? And who is she calling me


    a gimp!¡±


    Julie knew that those who could live on this floor were wealthy, so she didn¡¯t dare offend them. Instead


    she exined with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not housekeeping. If you need room service, you can call the front


    desk.¡±


    The woman raised her beautiful eyes slightly, and she looked at Julie with some disgust, ¡°Then what


    are you doing here?¡±


    Since the woman asked, Julie answered directly, ¡°I¡¯m selling condoms. Interested? They¡¯re ultra¨Cthin,


    textured, and fruity.¡±


    Before Julie finished speaking, the woman curiously asked, ¡°Do you know how to use this thing?¡±


    This question made Julie a little embarrassed. She looked down at the product in her hand, hesitated


    for a moment, and then replied somewhat uncertainly, ¡°I think I know¡­¡±


    ¡°If you can describe in detail how to use it, I¡¯ll buy ten boxes from you,¡± the woman raised an eyebrow


    at Julie.


    If she sold ten boxes, Julie could make a decent amount of money. After deducting the hotel¡¯s


    commission, the remaining money would be enough to cover the medical bills.


    Thinking of this, Julie hesitated. She understood that some wealthy people liked to tease others, so she


    figured describing the usage wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Worst¨Ccase scenario, she would just read the


    instructions. So, she swallowed her saliva, plucked up her courage, and nodded, ¡°OK.¡±


    So, Julie limped into the suite with the woman.


    As soon as she entered, a fuzzy and sexy voice came from the bathroom, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Although the voice was a bit fuzzy, Julie immediately recognized who it was.


    Julie, who was holding the condom box, suddenly shook, and her first reaction was to run.


    But her reaction was a bit too slow.


    By the time she turned around, the man had alreadye out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.


    ¡°Freeze!¡± the man¡¯s icy voice rang behind Julie.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9


    Julie stopped dead in her tracks, feeling almost disgusted with herself. She¡¯d always had this habit


    since she was a kid. Whenever Kieran told her to stop, she would. Even after seven years, she couldn¡¯t


    get rid of this deep¨Crooted habit.


    A woman with full makeup, dressed in a silk nightgown, her ample bosom peeking out alluringly, was


    showing her perfectly sculpted curves.


    A man and a woman were in the same room, fresh out of the shower, still in their pajamas. It wasn¡¯t


    rocket science to figure out what might have happened or what was about to happen.


    At that moment, Julie felt a pang of nausea. Bertha had just died, and he¡¯s already frolicking around


    with another woman in a hotel?


    ¡°Kieran, I found us some fun,¡± the woman coocd, sidling up to Kieran and pressing her chest against


    him, ¡°The girl selling condom looks like need some cash. I told her I¡¯d buy ten boxes if she shows us


    how to use them. Hey, she¡¯s pretty. Why¡¯s she selling condoms? Shouldn¡¯t she be selling herself


    instead? Right?¡±


    ¡°Out!¡± Kieran¡¯s icy lips uttered the harshmand.


    The woman might have some guts, but she had no wish to have trouble here.


    Her boss had sent her over to Mr. Hernandez for one night stand with a tantalizing offer, but she wasn¡¯t


    going to get punched over a quick buck. So, with a hint of regret, she grabbed her clothes and bag and


    made her exit.


    Julie chuckled bitterly, thinking of her past self, always so obedient in front of Kieran.


    She loved him, and the deeper she loved, the more subservient she became.


    With a faint smile, Julie turned to leave, but Kieran¡¯s gaze fell on the ck bag hanging on her chest.


    Calmly, he asked, ¡°How many boxes are in there?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is Mr. Hernandez nning to buy me out?¡± Julie shot back, a smirking smile on her face.


    Kieran sat elegantly on the couch, picking up a ss of red wine from the table. The wine was reflected


    in his profound eyes, his demeanor exuding elegance.


    He took a sip and raised an eyebrow, ¡°That depends on your performance.¡±


    Kieran was clearly challenging her pride, but Julie remained cool andposed, looking at Kieran


    nonchntly, ¡°Thedy just now said she¡¯d buy ten boxes if I performed. But Mr. Hernandez, business


    is also about picking your customers, and I¡¯m not selling to you!¡±


    Kieran¡¯s eyes were filled with provocation as he gently called her, ¡°Joyce, why would you miss such a


    good opportunity to make money?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Julieughed, her eyes curving upwards, longshes casting a shadow on her lower eyelids, she


    retorted, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, your money makes me sick.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take for me to get you fired, Ms. Abraham?¡± He set down his wine ss,


    watching her casually, as if engaging in a mundane discussion.


    Julie knew Kieran was threatening her. Perhaps due to she had told him to ¡®buzz off¡® disrespectfully in


    the hospital. That was probably a rare urrence in his life.


    Kieran was vindictive, and Julie knew it well.


    Her pale face tinged with a hint of blush, she bit her lip and looked at Kieran, suddenly breaking into a


    sarcastic smile. ¡°Probably three or four seconds, just like your performance in bed,¡± she retorted.


    Chapter

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10


    Julie admitted, she only said that to get him angry. After three years of marriage, she knew too well of


    his wild side on bed.


    She figured he¡¯d get mad because no man can stomach having his sexual prowess be questioned. But


    Kieran just coolly stood up and started slowly walking towards her.


    Julie was backing up, backing up, until finally her back was against the cold door. That was when he


    stopped. He¡¯s leaning against the door, looking down at her soft skin.


    With him trapping her in his arms, Julie¡¯s got nowhere to run. She just turned her face away, pretending


    not to see. But his scent, faint but familiar, was something Julie¡¯s known since she was a kid.


    He was pinching her skinny chin, forcing her to look at him. The pinch was hurt, a proof that he¡¯s not


    showing her any mercy.


    Julie was forced to stare back at him with a determined look. Kieran slowly leaned down, getting closer


    to her, their noses almost touching, close enough that you couldn¡¯t slide a piece of paper between


    them. His cold lips parted slightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t know you still remember my stamina on bed.¡±


    His breath was warm on her nose. Julie pretty much knew what he¡¯s about to say next, so she quickly


    retorted, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten. I¡¯ve got amnesia and can¡¯t remember a thing, so don¡¯t bother trying to jog my


    memory.¡±


    Kieran was looking down at her, smirking. When he smiled, his eyes seemed deep and full of charm,


    the corners of his eyes curving up, very attractive. That¡¯s how Julie fell for him in the first half of her life.


    Kieran was not surprised by Julie¡¯s rejection. He emotionlessly let her go, which was felt a bit off to


    Julie.


    She looked up, surprised, at the guy who was keeping his distance. Julie had no clue what her face


    looks like right now. She saw him turn around, took out a stack of cash from his wallet on the bedside


    table, and handed it to her: ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Was he pitying her? Or mocking her? Julie couldn¡¯t tell it anymore. Kieran¡¯s cold voice echoed in the


    room, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a topw student. Next time when we meet, don¡¯t let yourself be so pathetic.¡±


    Should she throw the money in his face and say something like, ¡°Just because you¡¯re rich doesn¡¯t


    mean you are cocky. You think you can trample over people¡¯s dignity just because you¡¯re rich?¡± But the


    truth was, being rich was something. At least it could save Sansa¡¯s life.


    Quietly and calmly, she held the stack of cash, neatly tucked it into her bag, and then dumped out all


    the condoms from her bag, a smile on her face, ¡°Here¡¯s your purchase, thanks for the generous tip,


    goodbye.¡±


    With that, Julie made a deep bow to Kieran.


    Goodbye?


    Kieran got a cunning smile on his face as he watched her leaving, ¡°Find a more dignified job! If you


    can¡¯t, I can help you out. A pathetic woman won¡¯t get a man¡¯s sympathy, or catch his eyes. It just


    makes me think you¡¯ve had hard time since you left me.¡±


    Julie got a sarcastic smile on her face. From what he was saying, it sounded like she had some good


    time when she was with him. Wasn¡¯t her life always full of difficulties and challenges?


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie stopped and turned around, with a big smile on her face, like she¡¯s wearing a perfect mask,


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m doing great. I don¡¯t need to deal with the pressure of being a rich man¡¯s wife, learning


    traditional moral codes, or getting ready to fend off those trying to ruin my marriage.¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for his reaction, just turned around and walked away. When she got to


    the door, she suddenly stopped, like she had remembered something. She smiled at the guy behind


    her, ¡°Oh, right! Mr. Hernandez, I might look a bit pathetic, but it didn¡¯t affect your dignity, so you don¡¯t


    need to worry.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11


    Even though she seemed to be cool as a cucumber on the surface, she couldn¡¯t hide the anger that


    bubbled within. Julie strutted out of Kieran¡¯s hotel room with her head held high, but her steps were as


    shaky as a newborn deer.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Kieran reminding her, she would¡¯ve forgotten that she was a topw school graduate,


    who had top grades of the ss. Actually Julie wasn¡¯t particrly brainy. From kindergarten to high


    school, she had always followed Kieran, attending the same school and ss. They were the kind of


    buddies who grew up together. Deep down, Julie knew that she had to study hard to get a chance to


    see Kieran every day.


    Later on, before going to college, Julie heard that Kieran was heading tow school. Without any clear


    life goals, she had always taken Kieran as her guiding star. So, she chosew as her major faster than


    a hot knife through butter.


    While waiting for the eptance letter, Julie asked Kieran about his college choices by herself. Only


    when the eptance letters arrived did she find out that he had chosen business school for corporate


    management studies.


    Julie was shocked. She wanted to retake the exams, saying, ¡°If I go tow school, how many years


    would it take before I see him again? And even after I start working, I won¡¯t be able to help him in his


    field. If I retake the exams, I¡¯ll miss him for one year at most, and then I¡¯ll be his college mate. How


    sweet would that be!¡±


    Even though Julie was as stubborn as a mule, she couldn¡¯t fulfill her wish to retake the exams. Her


    family was well¨Coff and her sister Sansa was awyer. Her parents nned to find her an easy job


    through Sansa after graduation.


    In the end, Julie had to eat humble pie, all because Kieran told her, ¡°Joyce, if you don¡¯t retake the


    exams, I promise I¡¯lle to see you every Saturday. If you retake, I¡¯ll study abroad.¡±


    Was Kieran threatening her? Of course, he was. But she was as soft as putty in his hands and gave in


    without a fight. So, to see him every week, Julie ended up going tow school.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Back then, Julie¡¯s ultimate goal in life was to be Kieran¡¯s wife. For her, studying was harder than


    rocket science. The only reason she got intow school was that she thought Kieran had applied there.


    Later, when she lost sight of her goal, Julie went from being top of her ss to nearly flunking out,


    making many professors question whether she had cheated on her entrance exam. Just when Julie


    was about to throw in the towel and switch majors, she heard that Kieran, the business school guy, had


    passed the bar exam. The fact was that the man who seemed to be good at everything had passed.


    Julie¡¯s fighting spirit was rekindled instantly. She stuck to Kieran like glue, begging him to tutor her.


    Eventually, under her relentless pursuit, Kieran gave in and agreed to help her.


    Under Kieran¡¯s help, Julie performed like she had superpowers, shocking those who thought she


    wouldn¡¯t even graduate. In the end, not only did she enterw school with top scores, but she also


    graduated as the valedictorian, bing a distinguishedw school graduate.


    If Kieran hadn¡¯t reminded her today, she would¡¯vepletely forgotten that she was once the top


    student inw school. Ironically, she now adamantly refused to work in anything rted tow, all


    because of him, the man who taught her everything aboutw.


    Julie took a deep breath with a smirking smile on her face. Her phone buzzed in her pocket for a while


    before she finally pulled it out.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12


    Julie picked up the phone. As soon as she answered, the voice of Daphne came through, ¡°Julie, I feel


    like I¡¯m falling apart¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Julie immediately suppressed her own emotions, sounding worried as she asked


    Daphne on the other end of the line.


    Daphne quickly responded, ¡°I felt unwell on my way back to thepany, and I was just diagnosed


    with acute appendicitis. I¡¯m about to have surgery¡­¡±


    Julie frowned, ¡°Which hospital are you in?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need toe, but sweetheart, you¡¯ve got to do me a favor,¡± Daphne weakly asked Julie, ¡°Do


    you know about Ray Group?¡±


    ¡°Had heard of it. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°The new CEO of Ray Group just took office, and with Raymon Sanches turning seventy, the chief


    editor wants me to take a few reporters over to cover this news. I didn¡¯t expect to suddenly get


    appendicitis. The two reporters I arranged are from different departments so there¡¯ll be issues for sure.


    Could you go over and supervise for me? The chief editor, said if we write this piece of news well, there


    will be a fifty¨Cthousand bonus. I¡¯ll give you sixty percent of it and you just need to supervise for me.¡±


    Daphne gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and finished her request.


    Even without the bonus, in this situation, Julie couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye. She agreed straight away.


    In fact, Julie wanted to thank Daphne. It was because of Daphne¡¯s situation that she could forget about


    the encounter


    with Kieran.


    The banquet was scheduled for tomorrow night, and Julie didn¡¯t have a suitable dress. Luckily, Daphne


    provided the funds for her to buy a decent cocktail dress.


    The dress was inspired by white magnolias. The magnolia flower symbolized an independent spirit and


    unwavering love. The dress design was unique, elegant, and confident. Julie preferred a natural look,


    so on the night of the event day, she put on the dress, wore light makeup, casually tied her hair up, and


    then, as directed by Daphne, found the two reporters, Manuel and Hasan, at the entrance of the event


    venue.


    Julie wasn¡¯t much of a talker, and Manuel and Hasan maintained their silence as well.


    Raymon held immense respect from people, and as he appeared, all the reporters and media rushed


    over. Manuel and Hasan were no exception. Julie hadn¡¯t forgotten her task so she just stood quietly in


    the background, supervising the


    two.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Due to the crowd¡¯s push and shove, someone forcefully bumped into Manuel, causing him to fall. Julie


    was startled and she put down her cup, rushing into the crowd to help Manuel up. Just as she did, an


    elegant yet deep voice sounded behind her.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Julie lightly shook her head and as she turned around, all the camera shes suddenly aimed at her,


    blinking. incessantly. She immediately shielded her face with her hand before she could clearly see the


    man before her.


    He was extremely handsome. Delicate and gentle featuresbined with a rugged, powerful jaw line.


    His eyes were amber, a tall nose below, face exuding warm feelings. His gaze was bright, like a sky full


    of stars.


    When Julie felt a hint of familiarity with the man before her, Manuel whispered softly to her ear, ¡°That¡¯s


    Elliot Sanches! He¡¯s the new boss of Ray Group and the youngest son of the Sanches family.¡°

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Chapter 13


    Elliot?


    Julie immediately shed a smile at the man, then quickly took a step to the side, seizing this rare


    opportunity. She gestured to Manuel, who was beside her, to snap a few clear front¨Cfacing pictures of


    Elliot.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she was imagining it, but the moment she moved to her new position, she noticed a


    slight tremor at the corner of Elliot¡¯s lips.


    The photo session went smoothly and concluded after the dinner. Julie carefully examined the photos


    in Manuel¡¯s and Hasan¡¯s cameras.


    Afraid that there might be issues, Julie made copies of the photos before parting ways with them. Then


    she smiled at Manuel and Hasan, saying, ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Tomorrow is Raymon¡¯s official birthday


    banquet, so I¡¯ll bring the invitations tomorrow. So, let¡¯s meet at the hotel entrance tomorrow, alright?¡±


    After seeing them nod, Julie smiled. Just as she turned around, a familiar voice came from behind,


    ¡°Satisfied with the photos?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Julie instinctively replied before realizing who it was.


    When she looked back, she saw Elliot standing under a streetlight in a white shirt with a light¨Ccolored


    zer casually draped over his wrist. His tall figure was elongated, his shirt sleeves were slightly rolled


    up, and his outfit was paired with a ck waistcoat. He looked effortlessly casual and gentlemanly.


    Julie smiled at Elliot, then seemingly ignored him and reached out to hail a cab.


    Elliot¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he briskly walked up to Julie, positioning his tall frame in front of


    her. With a hint of disappointment, he furrowed his brow, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    Julie naturally smiled, nodding, ¡°I do.¡±


    Elliot let out a sigh of relief, giving Julie¡¯s hair a yful ruffle and a satisfied smile. However, Julie, due


    to his odd behavior just now, took a cautious step back, furrowing her brows. She maintained her


    distance, looking at him as if he were a stranger, a bit like she was observing a lunatic.


    Elliot¡¯s hand froze in mid¨Cair, and he looked at Julie in displeasure, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I


    touch you?¡±


    A drop of sweat appeared on Julie¡¯s head.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Was this guy a little off? They just met tonight, and now they were already at the ¡®let¡¯s touch each other¡®


    stage?


    ¡°Mr. Sanches, do you have a peculiar habit of randomly patting people¡¯s heads? Juliebed through


    her hair, looking unamused.


    Mr. Sanches?


    Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and he took a step closer to Julie. He was about to say something when


    she instantly jumped back a couple of meters, like a rabbit.


    Elliot¡¯s expression grew darker, and he watched Julie, who was desperately trying to hail a taxi in the


    distance.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bad guy.¡±


    Yet there was a clear puzzlement in the woman¡¯s eyes. Julie thought, what bad guys admitted they


    were bad guys?


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Julie tried to halt Elliot. ¡°The incident with my colleagues falling earlier today


    was an ident, not intentional. They didn¡¯t mean to disrupt your event, Mr. Sanches. There must be a


    misunderstanding. Please forgive us. Can we talk?¡±


    Elliot furrowed his brow. Why did she keep addressing him as Mr. Sanches? Why was she being so


    formal? He took a step forward.


    Julie immediately, as if frightened, stepped back and then pointed to a spot in front of Elliot, looking at


    him seriously. ¡°Stop there, talk from there.¡±


    A touch of sadness filled Elliot after seeing Julie¡¯s guarded stance, but he went along with her request


    and stood on the


    ¡®spot. ¡°I¡¯m Elliot; have you forgotten me?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Didn¡¯t we just meet?¡± At this moment, in Julie¡¯s eyes, Elliot had turned into a


    random guy who invaded her personal space.


    Julie knew getting a taxi at this hour wasn¡¯t easy, so when a taxi pulled up in front of her, without


    hesitation, she got in.


    ¡°Driver, go, go!¡± Julie leaned back on the rear seat and urged the driver, then quickly nced at Elliot


    outside the car


    window.


    The driver immediately started the car, and as Elliot gradually disappeared from view, Julie finally let


    out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest gently and turned to look, only to find a very familiar man


    sitting right beside her.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter 14


    Kieran was right there, with a tablet in his hands, looking like he was checking out some important


    emails. He was always like this, not wasting a second, even on the road, he¡¯d either be catching some


    z¡¯s or handling other stuff. People always said a man was most attractive when he was serious, and


    Julie totally bought that idea. Just like Kieran right now, who was calmly gazing at theputer screen.


    His whole vibe was even more maic than when he was at a photo shoot.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Driver, stop the car!¡± Julie shouted the moment she saw Kieran.


    ¡°Miss, this is the inner ring expressway, where do you want me to pull over?¡±


    Julie nced outside, and her brows furrowed. When did they get on the expressway? She hadn¡¯t


    noticed.


    ¡°Scared of me?¡± Keiran¡¯s voice sounded a bit teasing, and a smirk appeared on his face. Even though


    he was focused on the tablet screen, his deep, sexy voice was like a knife to Julie¡¯s heart.


    Julie pursed her lips, trying to look expressionless. She turned to him, giving him a hollow smile. ¡°Not


    scared. Just annoyed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? You didn¡¯t seem to think so when you were asking me for money at the hotel


    yesterday.¡±


    Kieran gracefully put away his tablet, and his deep eyesnded on her petite face.


    Julie nced at the driver; he had obviously misunderstood their rtionship and was quietly gripping


    the steering wheel.


    Julie couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin; she just red at him, feeling utterly annoyed. ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    could you not act like we¡¯re close in public spaces?¡±


    ¡°So how should I treat you then?¡± Kieran said as his deep eyes twinkled with mischief.


    Julie deadpanned, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, if you see me, take a detour or pretend you don¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t do it.¡± He answered simply.


    He slightly opened his cool lips, squinting his deep eyes. He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me how to


    pretend not to know a woman. I¡¯ve shared a bed with for three years, five months, and twenty¨Cfour


    days?¡±


    Julie felt like she was struck by lightning after hearing the precise number.


    Sheposed herself and put on her emotionless mask, smiling at Kieran. ¡°Who knew Mr. Hernandez


    could be so shameless?¡±


    Kieran calmly asked her, ¡°Andpared to when you were chasing after me, who¡¯s the real winner


    now?¡±


    Julie¡¯s face turned a bit red.


    Daphne had once said, ¡°Ms. Abraham, you¡¯re the most shameless, outrageous, boastful, and


    unparalleled woman I¡¯ve ever met! You probably have never cared about anyone¡¯s opinion in your


    entire life!¡±


    You have to understand that in order to pursue Kieran, she not only didn¡¯t care about her own image


    but was even willing to give up all principles and moral standards.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze was like poison. Julie had spent a lot of time and energy removing the damage he had


    caused from her body, and she didn¡¯t want to fall into that trap again.


    So, when the driver exited the inner ring expressway, Julie practically jumped out of the car. However,


    when closing the door, her dress got ruthlessly caught.


    Just as Julie was about to open the door again, she heard Kieran¡¯s calm instruction from inside the car,


    ¡°Driver, lock the doors.¡±


    Julie quickly moved to the door, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough. She yanked the door twice, but it was


    locked. Julie took a deep breath and yelled at the man in the car, ¡°Open the door!¡±


    The window slowly rolled down. The handsome man in the backseat gave a slight smile and casually


    said, ¡°What door?¡±


    ¡°Obviously the car door, what else could it be?¡± Julie angrily kicked the car door.


    Kieran sat quietly in the backseat. His thick eyebrows, somewhat narrow eyes, and straight nose,


    which seemed like it was carved with a knife, were all perfect. Right now, he was biting his thin lips, and


    his tone had a distant and noble vibe. He said to her, ¡°Beg me.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    hapter 15


    His voice was ear candy. It was sexy as hell, but to Julie, it was like nails on a chalkboard. If this were


    the Julie from years ago, she would¡¯ve blown her top if someone dared take a jab at her pride like this.


    But now, she could calmly face the man in the car and quietly plead, ¡°Please.¡±


    Inside the car, Kieran¡¯s gaze darkened.


    She thought she had been quite amodating to his request and that he¡¯d be pleased, but judging


    by the sudden depth in his eyes, he wasn¡¯t too keen on her recent actions.


    Before he could even open his mouth, Julie repeated herself, practically groveling, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    could you please open the car door?¡±


    His face was stormy, and his gaze was as deep as the ocean as he stared at Julie, asking her, ¡°If I


    asked you to sleep with me right now, would you agree without hesitation?¡±


    Caught off guard, Julieughed nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re giving yourself too much credit.


    Men can pick their hookers, but hookers can refuse clients too! You make me sick.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s temples twitched, seemingly forgetting how quick¨Cwitted Julie used to be.


    Kieran ordered the driver to unlock the doors, and the moment Julie heard the sound, she swiftly


    opened the car door, pulled her skirt out, and turned to run.


    But she was pulled back before she could even take a step. Her wrist was gripped with incredible force,


    making Julie slip and fall backward into the car.


    Her head hit the car door hard as shended in the backseat. The familiar scent of the man filled her


    nostrils, permeating the air. As she fell, she felt Kieran catch her. Now, half her body was sprawled


    across hisp.


    His hand, which had originally caught her from behind, had now slipped to her front, resting


    unabashedly on her soft bosom. Julie quickly sat up and instinctively pped him.


    She thought he would dodge it. With Kieran¡¯s reflexes, there was no way he would¡¯ve taken her p.


    But the sound of the p echoed throughout the car, piercing the silence.


    The cab driver up front was startled, considering the man in the backseat had paid him three grand to


    rent the car. He swallowed hard, unbuckled his seat belt, and nervously muttered, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m going to step


    out for a smoke¡­¡± Before bolting out of the car like his life depended on it.


    Julie¡¯s right hand was trembling. Even when they were forced to divorce, she never hit him. She didn¡¯t


    dare meet his gaze, so she looked elsewhere. She hastily picked up her skirt and attempted to escape,


    but he deliberately stepped on it.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She thought this would end awkwardly, but a pair of strong, warm hands suddenly grabbed her waist,


    pulling her back into the car. His familiar scent mingled with his unique cologne, caused a sour prickling


    sensation in her nose. Memories from their younger. years flooded her mind.


    Just as she was about to burst into tears, the white wallet she brought tonight was suddenly tossed into


    herp by Kieran from


    behind.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Chapter 16


    Turned out that Kieran pulled her back just to return her wallet. Knowing this truth, Julie instantly felt


    like she had thrown her face into the sea. She held onto the white clutch in her hand tightly, almost


    sweating through it..


    Kieran removed his hand from around her waist and let her go, like he was letting go of something


    annoying, and looked at her with a disgusted expression, saying, ¡°Your way of speaking has improved,


    but your habit of being absent¨Cminded hasn¡¯t changed. How have you been these past few years?¡±


    Though his face showed a disdainful expression, his tone was as if he were asking after a lover.


    This time, Julie didn¡¯t retort. Instead, she hastily fled his gaze, clutching the wallet and making a quick


    exit.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie knew that Daphne had been worrying about the photo, so she changed clothes and went straight


    to the hospital. Luckily, Daphne was satisfied with the photo, which helped calm Julie¡¯s unsettled heart


    a bit.


    Daphne was holding herptop, looking at Elliot¡¯s photo, and saying, ¡°Other than Mr. Hernandez, Elliot


    is definitely the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean to say he¡¯s the weirdest man you¡¯ve ever seen?¡± Julie, who was pouring soup,


    muttered under her breath.


    Daphne looked puzzled, asking, ¡°What did you just say? I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Julie didn¡¯t tell Daphne about what happened tonight; instead, she walked over with the soup


    and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have other idols, like Mr. Watson and Lionel?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re different in nature. Mr. Watson and Lionel are fashion industry legends. Mr. Sanches and Mr.


    Hernandez are big shots in the business world!¡± Daphne said as she took a couple sips of soup.


    At that moment, Julie¡¯s phone rang. The caller ID showed Imanol, the Front Office Manager of Majestic


    Peaks International Hotel. Imanol¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line, ¡°Ms. Abraham, we¡¯ve


    checked over here. Yourst sales performance was quite impressive. Are you interested in


    continuing?¡±


    Julie had enough for the medical expenses, but the next round of medical bills was still pending. She


    promptly agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll report


    on time tomorrow.¡±


    Daphne caught wind of some of the conversation, putting down her spoon and looking at Julie, asking


    with concern, ¡°Are going to sell that thing? Didn¡¯t you run into Kieranst time?¡±


    you


    still


    ¡°He has his life, and I have mine. I can¡¯t change my life because of him.¡± Julie replied.


    Daphne knew that once Julie had made a decision, she would stick to it.


    Julie patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder with a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll only be there for two or three


    hours. I¡¯ll definitely make it to Raymon¡® birthday party tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you run into Kieran again, then quit.¡± Daphne said, but then she excitedly grabbed Julie¡¯s arm


    and said, ¡°Remember to take more photos of Elliot tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one taking them, and there¡¯s a clear frontal shot here, right? Why do you need so


    many?¡± Just thinking of Elliot gave Julie goosebumps, and she involuntarily rubbed her forehead¡¯s stray


    hair..


    Daphne smiled dreamily. ¡°I¡¯m going to erge the photos and hang them at home; they¡¯ll look so


    beautiful!¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes.


    The next morning, Julie received a call from the hotel, informing her that daytime sales were surely not


    as good as evening sales, so they changed her working hours to the night.


    Since Julie promised Daphne to attend the party tonight, she had to take a day off.


    Etiquette¨Cwise, the same outfit couldn¡¯t be worn twice on formal asions. To cope with tonight¡¯s


    event, Daphne took Julie to buy a rather shy dress and gave her a whole new look. The dress was a


    vibrant red and designed with a single shoulder strap, giving onlookers a glimpse of her fragrant


    shoulder. The dress was made of high¨Cquality silk with a delicate waist design, highlighting Julie¡¯s


    curves to the fullest. The hem of the skirt reached her ankles and was adorned with exquisite


    embroidery.


    Julie looked stunning in the dress, exuding a unique charm that was a bit seductive amid all the


    elegance.


    Originally nning to attend discreetly, the moment Julie entered, she headed for a dimly lit spot, trying


    to hide herself and focusing only on supervising Manuel and Hasan. However, this outstanding dress


    became her standout feature from the moment she stepped in.


    Not long after her arrival, she saw Elliot walking towards her in a ck tuxedo suit.


    Run for It!

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Chapter 17


    Julie¡¯s first instinct was to grab her bag and use it as a shield for her face..


    But with her eye¨Ccatching outfit today, she was a ma for attention. She couldn¡¯t hide from the


    prying eyes.


    Sure enough, Elliot headed her way. ¡°Ms. Abraham.¡± His deep, maic voice seemed to carry the


    anger from the night before. when she¡¯d brushed him off.


    Since she was busted, Julie had no choice but to brace herself, lower her bag from her face, and put


    on a somewhat fake smile as she nodded at Elliot. ¡°Mr. Sanches¡­¡±


    ¡°My grandpa is about to arrive.¡± Elliot told Julie.


    Julie nodded. ¡°Oh She wondered, why the hell did his grandpa¡¯s arrival have anything to do with her?


    Julie picked up a ss of champagne from the side and took a sip. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Sanches, sorry to rush


    off, but I have to¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Elliot suddenly asked her, ¡°When did you get divorced?¡±


    The champagne ss in her hand shook violently. Julie stared at Elliot in shock. Her marriage with


    Kieran had never been made public. How on earth did Elliot, a stranger to her, know about her past


    marriage and divorce?


    Julie looked at Elliot with a puzzled expression, feeling totally bamboozled. Elliot just gave her a casual


    smile. ¡°From the look on your face, I guess you did get divorced. How long ago?¡°Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Julie didn¡¯t know how Elliot had this information, she felt it wasn¡¯t right for him to expose her


    past this way. So Julie interrupted him. ¡°Mr. Sanches, I think¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Elliot suddenly leaned in, gave her a smirk, and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t call me that


    before.¡±


    ¡°Before?¡± Julie¡¯s brow furrowed even more. She couldn¡¯t even remember meeting Elliot before. The


    name Elliot just rang a bell.


    Elliot sighed a bit helplessly. Tailie Julie, you haven¡¯t changed a bit over the years. Your memory is as


    bad as ever, unless it¡¯s something to do with Kieran. How could I have given my first kiss to you?¡±


    First kiss?


    Julie took a closer look at Elliot. As she heard the name ¡®Tailie Julie¡® from his mouth, she suddenly had


    a light bulb moment.


    Back in the third grade of middle school, there was a transfer student in her ss who always followed


    her around, calling her


    ¡®Tailie Julie:


    Young Julie had a fiery temper and hated the nickname ¡®Tailie Julie. So after school, she cornered the


    boy at the school gate and asked him, ¡°Why do you call me Tailie Julie? Are we tight or something?¡±


    The boy had a big grin on his face, showing off his pearly whites. ¡°You¡¯re always tailing Kieran; that¡¯s


    why you¡¯re Tailie Julie.¡±


    Elliot expected her to get angry. But to his surprise, she justughed, gave him a pat on the shoulder,


    and said with satisfaction, ¡°You got a point! I¡¯m Kieran¡¯s Tailie Julie now, and I¡¯ll be his significant other


    in the future. He¡¯ll love me to bits.¡±


    Looking back, she was so reckless and naive. Those solemn promises now seemed like a big joke.


    She didn¡¯t be Kieran¡¯s beloved partner, but his easily discarded ex¨Cwife.


    If not for Elliot calling her Tailie Julie¡® again, she might not have remembered that the handsome man


    standing in front of her was the same boy who was shorter than her back then.


    Actually, the reason Julie didn¡¯t have any impression of Elliot was that she was all about Kieran back


    then. She had no time for anyone else. Plus, if she remembered correctly, Elliot only stayed for the first


    semester of the third year before he went abroad to study.


    To be exact, herst memory of Elliot was the first kiss he mentioned.


    Chapter 18

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Chapter 18


    Back then, Elliot was a real shrimp, he probably only reached up to her chin.


    Elliot only shared a ss with her for a semester, during which he didn¡¯t do much more than call her


    ¡®Tallie Julie.¡® It wasn¡¯t until the day before he was leaving for abroad that Elliot suddenly asked Julie,


    ¡°Tallie Julie, how about I treat you to ice cream tonight. and tell you how to win Kieran¡¯s heart? Are you


    in?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t give two shits about the ice cream, but winning Kieran¡¯s heart was her master n! Without


    thinking twice, she agreed and arranged to meet Elliot at the food street near their school gate.


    At that time, Julie, a junior high school student, was only about fifteen or sixteen. She hadn¡¯t expected


    Elliot to be a genuine scammer, the kind who tricked girls.


    She still remembered that night; it was drizzling and they were sitting at a roadside kebab stall.


    Julie eagerly asked Elliot, ¡°Quick, tell me, how can I win over someone as aloof as Kerry?¡±


    Elliot found Julie¡¯s worried and anxious look kind of cute. After quietly observing her for a whole


    semester, Elliot knew that if he didn¡¯t say certain things now, he might never get another chance. So,


    somehow, he ended up leaning in and gently kissing her lips. Then he seriously bullshitted her, ¡°Boys


    never forget the girl who stole their first kiss.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie, naive and innocent, was stunned for a moment. Before she could react, she saw Kieran, who just


    happened to be passing. by on his bike.


    Upon realizing what happened, Julie pped her forehead and looked at Kieran with an innocent and


    cute expression, ¡°Kerry, it¡¯s not what you think; let me exin¡­¡±


    Before Julie could even finish her exnation, Kieran had already coolly walked away with his bike.


    Julie turned back and red at Elliot, pointing at his nose, ¡°You¡¯re done for, you¡¯re done! Don¡¯t you


    dare walk away from school tomorrow!¡± After saying this, she chased after Kieran with her short legs


    and stubbornly sat on the back of his bike, insisting on exining to him. In the end, Kieran just ditched


    his bike altogether. So Julie hopped on Kieran¡¯s bike and chased after him.


    Looking back now, Kieran never really cared about the thing she desperately wanted to exin. She


    had spent half of her life in a one¨Csided love affair.


    Anyway, Julie never managed to exin herself. The next day, she stormed off to school, ready to


    confront Elliot, only to find out


    that Elliot had transferred schools.


    As time went by, Julie slowly forgot about the whole incident; even Elliot¡¯s face started to blur in her


    memory. Maybe it was just as Elliot had said, she probably didn¡¯t remember anything that wasn¡¯t about


    Kieran.


    Remembering the past made Elliot seem a lot more familiar to Julie. Julie found it somewhat amusing


    to think about how nervous she was around Elliotst night.


    She looked at Elliot naturally and said, ¡°Your behaviorst night was indeed a bit creepy. When we


    were in junior high, you were not even up to my chin, but now you¡¯re a head taller than me, your voice


    has changed, and your face has improved, so it¡¯s normal for me not to recognize you. By the way, I


    was nning to confront you at school back then. But then I found out you had already gone abroad.¡±


    Elliotughed because he had gone abroad; the affection he couldn¡¯t express at that time was buried in


    the past.


    As Julie spoke, she startedughing. Although her youthful sincerity was misced, looking back, it


    had a certain charm.


    Elliot looked at Julie somewhat gloomily.


    Julieughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to recognize me; I¡¯m quite ttered¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Elliot bent down and pushed Julie¡¯s loose hair behind her ear. His sculpted lips brushed past


    her earlobe, and from the side, it looked like he was kissing her.


    He said, ¡°Boys never forget the girl who stole their first kiss. When I said that back then, I meant it.¡±


    Julie was taken aback and hadn¡¯t thought of how to respond to Elliot. Out of the corner of her eye, she


    saw a man who was extremely familiar standing not far away.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter 19


    The scene was a st from the past. She and Elliot were chatting cozily while Kieran stood not too far


    away, looking at her like. she was a stranger. After just two seconds, he turned his head away, as if


    they were in two parallel worlds.


    Julie was always like that. Whenever Kieran was around, she spotted him instantly.


    When they were in college, Daphne once teased her, ¡°Honey, are you a radar or something? How


    come you always spot Kieran. first?


    Back then, Julie responded, ¡°Maybe because Kieran always shines bright, I can¡¯t ignore him.¡±


    ¡°Are you in love with a god or something?¡± Daphne chuckled at Julie, who didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Yearster, Julie realized that the only change was that she once believed her life would always


    intertwine with Kieran¡¯s, but now she understood they were just two lines that would never cross.


    Julie took a silent step back and greeted Elliot with a smile as if she were chatting with an old friend,


    ¡°You took advantage of me before, and I haven¡¯t settled the score yet. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll retaliate now


    that you¡¯re so close?¡±


    ¡°Do you still love him?¡± Elliot¡¯s sudden question caught Julie off guard.


    She had been divorced for years and never dared face this question.


    At some point, Kieran had moved closer amid the crowd. Elliot shot a nce at Kieran, hinting at Juli?.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze also drifted towards Julie. He obviously heard Elliot¡¯s question.


    Elliot¡¯s question put Julie in a dilemma.


    She silently asked herself, ¡°Do I still love him?¡±


    The answer was obvious, she still loved him.


    How could she easily let go of the man she had loved for half her life? But now it was a deep love that


    was covered by the scars buried deep in her heart.


    After a moment of silence, Julie didn¡¯t want to lie to Elliot.


    So she looked at Elliot and said sincerely. Those lingering feelings will fade with time. Maybe one day


    I¡¯ll even forget his face. People are meant to move on, right?¡±


    Whether this was meant for Elliot or deliberately for Kieran to hear, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Elliot didn¡¯t have high hopes, but Julie¡¯s answer gave him a glimmer of hope. He didn¡¯t hide his


    expression but smiled at Julie and said, ¡°I like your answer, just as I like you. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I¡¯ve


    liked you for many years.¡±


    Julie was taken aback. She looked at Elliot, unsure how to respond.


    She didn¡¯t really know Elliot, had never thought of knowing him before, and could not determine the


    authenticity of his words.


    Therefore, she chose to remain silent and deliberately misunderstood him,ughing. ¡°I also like


    handsome, wealthy, and humorous friends like you, Mr. Sanches.¡±


    Elliot understood Julie was dodging his question, but he just looked at her calmly and smiled without


    saying a word.


    Elliot¡¯s grandfather, Raymon Sanches, had just finished his speech on stage when the spotlight shone


    on Julie and Elliot.


    The host was calling Elliot on stage for his speech, but instead, under the spotlight, he took Julie¡¯s


    hand and led her towards the


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    stage.


    Julie instinctively tried to shake off Elliot¡¯s hand, but fearing a too vigorous reaction would embarrass


    him in front of the audience and the media, she was dragged onto the stage.


    Just as Julie was about to ask Elliot to let go, he suddenly knelt down on one knee. He had a beautiful


    deep blue ring box in his hand, and the diamond ring inside sparkled under the crystal lights.


    He knelt in front of her with a serious look, his gaze sincere as he asked, ¡°Will you marry me? I¡¯ve


    missed you for many years; I don¡¯t want to miss out anymore.¡±


    Julie, standing on the stage, was taken aback. Under the spotlight, her face was especially clear. But


    her first reaction was to look towards the dim crowd, subconsciously seeking Kieran¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20


    In the blink of an eye, while she was spacing out, Elliot had already slipped a massive diamond ring


    onto her ring finger for all to


    see.


    Julie came to her senses abruptly, turning to look at Elliot, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could even get a word out, Elliot had excitedly stood up, joyfully picking her up and spinning


    her around several times.


    Everything happened so fast that Julie could only wear a look of utter bewilderment. It wasn¡¯t until the


    cheers erupted from the crowd that she finally realized what had just happened. She looked at Elliot in


    disbelief, while Raymon, standing to the side, wore a somewhat gloomy expression, clearly having


    misunderstood the situation.


    Julie wanted to exin, but how could she do so in front of all these people?


    Raymon coughed a couple of times, shifting his gaze away from Julie to look at the host.


    The host hurriedly grabbed the microphone, announcing, ¡°Today, Raymon has invited everyone here


    for another announcement. Raymon of Ray Group has decided to form a strategic partnership with Mr.


    Hernandez, the CEO of Simpo Co. Their respective brands, SparkEra and Supernova, will be


    coborating. Please join me in weing Mr. Hernandez to the stage.¡±


    As the host¡¯s enthusiastic voice echoed around the room, followed by apuse, Julie felt like she had


    been struck by lightning.


    A spotlight shone on Kieran, making him stand out even more in the crowd.


    Dressed in a tailored suit, he casually ced his wine ss on a tray nearby before strolling onto the


    stage to stand between her and Raymon.


    As the host handed the microphone to Kieran, he made small talk with Raymon, asionally throwing


    in some business jargon as he interacted with the audience, captivating them with his charm. That was


    the Kieran she knew, always standing in the spotlight, thoughtful and confident.


    At some point, Julie had be afraid that this light and heat would burn her, so she instinctively


    wanted to run. However, she was tightly held in ce by Elliot¡¯s hand around her waist.


    She nced at Elliot, but he seemed oblivious to her warning. He even brought her over to Kieran, who


    had just finished his speech, and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, long time no see.¡±


    Kieran looked at Elliot¡¯s outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it, greeting him with a smile,


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Seeing this, Raymon couldn¡¯t help bute over and ask with augh, ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    ¡°We were ssmates.¡± Elliot replied.


    Julie scoffed.


    Right! The world¡¯s most awkward ssmates indeed!


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    With her back facing the media, Julie gave Elliot¡¯s arm a pinch, signaling him to let go..


    But the man acted as if he were possessed, holding her even tighter instead of letting go, and


    introduced her to Kieran with a smile, ¡°Julie, this is Mr. Hernandez, the founder of Simpo Co. Mr.


    Hernandez, this is my future wife, Julie.¡±


    After saying that, he added, ¡°I just sessfully proposed. It was really tough.¡±


    Julie pursed her lips, wanting to smack him as she looked at Elliot.


    Did he still expect her to smile at Kieran and say, ¡°Hi, ex¨Chusband, long time no see¡°?


    Julie looked coldly at Kieran standing in front of her, showing no intention of making conversation.


    She didn¡¯t expect Kieran to extend his hand toward her, his deep eyes fixed on her, before saying,


    ¡°What a coincidence, my ex¨Cwife¡¯s name is also Julie, nicknamed Joyce.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Chapter 21


    Kieran wasn¡¯t using a mic, but his voice rang loud and clear, especially for the reporters at the front of


    the stage. The journalists were all pumped up, snapping away with their cameras, capturing this special


    moment.


    After all, the love life of Kieran, the CEO of Simpo Co, had always been a mystery. Apart from his


    acknowledged rtionship with Bertha, no one had ever heard of him having an ex¨Cwife.


    During the years of their secret marriage, Julie imagined countless ways they would reveal their


    rtionship to the world. She even thought that they might keep it a secret forever. To Julie back then,


    being with Kieran was happiness enough.


    But none of her imagined scenarios included what was happening right now.


    Kieran just blurted out that he was divorced and casually called her ¡®Joyce¡® in front of everyone.


    Julie, who thought she was tough as nails, felt like she¡¯d been sucker¨Cpunched when Kieran spoke.


    And to top it all off, the guy even made small talk with her, smiling all the while. ¡°Ms. Abraham and


    Joyce do have some simrities in looks and height, just different personalities. Ms. Abraham is a bit


    more headstrong than Joyce.¡±


    Again with the ¡®Joyce¡°?


    From the moment she was on the operating table, she was no longer his ¡®Joyce.¡±


    Perhaps it was Elliot¡¯s presence that helped Julie find her voice.


    She lifted her head, and a graceful smile appeared on her lips, ¡°A woman without personality indeed


    isn¡¯t worthy of Mr. Hernandez, which exins why she¡¯s his ex, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the whole truth. I did love her very much. I just forgot to tell her. Maybe then we wouldn¡¯t


    have divorced.¡± Kieran said seriously after a moment¡¯s thought.


    His eyes, as deep as the ocean, were fixed on Julie, as if he were trying to see through her.


    He loved her? Julie felt like she¡¯d just heard the funniest joke in the world. That was utterly absurd.


    Suppressing the urge to p him, Julie forced a smile and said, ¡°Breakups happen because people


    aren¡¯t right for each other. And if they¡¯re not right, they should separate sooner rather thanter.¡±


    With that, she naturally hooked her arm through Elliot¡¯s and smiled at Kieran, ¡°Your ex might have


    found someone new. I heard you almost married Ms. Bertha not long ago; is that right?¡±


    The room fell into an awkward silence after Julie spoke.


    There was a gasp from the media below. Mentioning Bertha was like hitting Kieran¡¯s soft spot. Ever


    since Bertha¡¯s suicide, no media ever had the balls to report widely on it, careful not to rattle the


    Hernandez family. This woman, set to be a part of the Sanches family, was a force to be reckoned with.


    Kieran¡¯s silence made the crowd nervous for Julie.


    Raymon, who was already unimpressed with Julie, was even more annoyed now. He was worried that


    if Kieran stormed off in anger, it might spell the end of their business rtionship.


    So Raymon quickly stepped in, hoping to mediate. But before he could get a word out, he saw Kieran


    looking at him with a smile in his deep¨Cset eyes.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22


    Wait a minute, when did I say I was gonna marry Bertha?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice echoed coldly over Julie¡¯s


    head.


    Julie looked up at Kieran, unsure of the expression on her face.


    The whole world knew that Bertha and Kieran were supposed to tie the knotst month. But now, after


    her death, he was iming he didn¡¯t know about


    it?


    Julie said with a smile, ¡®Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re quite the joker, aren¡¯t you? Ever since you announced


    your engagement to Ms. Berthast month, you¡¯ve been the talk of Whispering Pines. There are


    different versions of the story every day, and now that Ms. Bertha has just passed away, you¡¯re here to


    clear up the wedding rumors. Isn¡¯t that a bit shady, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie¡¯s tone was nd, but her words were full of usations against Kieran¡¯s irresponsibility.


    Only this woman who appeared out of nowhere had the guts to do so, as if she had a score to settle


    with Mr. Hernandez.


    To Julie¡¯s usations, Kieran just chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve never admitted to any media that I was going to


    marry Bertha. How could you, Ms. Abraham, be swayed by rumors?¡±


    ¡°People aren¡¯t blind; the media wouldn¡¯t just make up stories, would they?¡± Julie raised her head as her


    gaze met Kieran¡¯s.


    Elliot was afraid that the confrontation would escte into a quarrel. Who knew how the media would


    spin this tomorrow?


    Raymon also signaled to Elliot that if they let Julie continue to create a scene, tomorrow¡¯s news might


    not even mention the name of the Ray Group.


    So Elliot just wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s shoulders, forcefully turning her head with a smile on his


    face, then nting a gentle kiss on her forehead, ¡°Hungry? Let¡¯s go grab a bite.¡±


    After that, he turned to Kieran and nodded politely, ¡°Please excuse us, Mr. Hernandez. Julie just has a


    way with words, but that¡¯s exactly why I find her so adorable, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    With that, Elliot, in front of Kieran, wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s waist and led her off the stage.


    Julie had no idea how the rest of the event went.


    As they left the venue together, Julie finally looked down at Elliot¡¯s hand on her waist, ¡°Are you going to


    let go now?¡±


    Elliot didn¡¯t let go; instead, he shamelessly looked at Julie and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be my woman


    sooner orter. I finally got to hold you, so why would I let go now?¡±


    ¡°Elliot!¡± Julie suddenly called out Elliot¡¯s name seriously.


    Elliot raised an eyebrow as a smile yed on his lips, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Julie took off the ring on her finger and handed it back to Elliot, ¡°What the hell are you thinking? Don¡¯t


    make such jokes in the future. As for the media, you can exin it yourself. Do whatever you think will


    minimize the impact on you. Even if it means tarnishing my reputation to clear up the facts.¡±


    After saying so, Julie turned to leave.


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Elliot called out from behind, his tone serious.


    Julie was waiting for a taxi, so she didn¡¯t turn around when Elliot spoke.


    Elliot walked up to Julie and stood in front of her, ¡°Every word I said tonight was sincere. I lost you for


    so many years, and I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡±


    ¡°Marrying a divorced woman doesn¡¯t do the Sanches family any favors. And more importantly, Elliot, I


    don¡¯t love you Julie blurted out the truth, no matter how harsh it might sound.


    Elliot didn¡¯t flinch at Julie¡¯s rejection. Instead, he looked into Julie¡¯s bright eyes and said with deep


    meaning, ¡°After everything you¡¯ve been through, are you still waiting for the man who doesn¡¯t love


    you?¡±


    Elliot¡¯s question left Julie speechless; it took her a long time to snap back to reality.


    She knew better than anyone what the result of her relentless pursuit of Kieran would be.


    The woman she was now was not the reckless girl she used to be. She no longer believed in


    unrequited love.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for a man love anymore; I¡¯m not even looking for a man. So¡­¡±


    Before Julie could finish her sentence, Elliot impatiently stuffed the ring back into Julie¡¯s palm, ¡°This is


    for you. Wear it if you want; throw it away if you


    don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before Elliot could finish his sentence, Julie turned around and ced the ring on the lid of the trash


    can next to them.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23


    Julie swiftly tossed the ring on the trash bin lid, hailed a taxi, and hopped right in.


    Elliot watched the taxi drive away. He picked up the ring, gently rubbing it with his slender fingers, then


    chuckled helplessly.


    Though she changed her name and despite her failed marriage, her coldness and stubbornness have


    never changed.


    Just like when she was head over heels for Kieran, she ignored everyone around her. Even when she


    met him for the first time a few days ago, she had no


    clue who he was.


    Suddenly, Elliot¡¯s phone rang in his pocket. He nced at the caller ID and saw that it was his dad.


    Elliot¡¯s sudden proposal to Julie at the party tonight. had thrown off his dad¡¯s ns, so there was no


    chance of his dad getting any peace tonight.


    Elliot squeezed the ring in his hand and turned to leave.


    Julie took a cab to the hospital, where Daphne was lying in a hospital bed. As soon as Daphne saw


    her, she asked eagerly. ¡°Julie, how did it go? Did you make the headlines for tomorrow?¡±


    Julie felt guilty looking at Daphne¡¯s hopeful face.


    She sat down next to Daphne and muttered, ¡°The headlines might be about me tomorrow¡­¡±


    Daphne froze, finally noticing something was off about Julie¡¯s expression.


    She didn¡¯t mention the headlines again; instead, she held Julie¡¯s hand and asked with a worried frown.


    ¡°What happened? Is something wrong?¡±


    Julie told Daphne everything that happened that evening.


    After hearing it all, Daphne¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at Julie and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°What do I think? Julie waspletely lost.


    +


    Daphne snapped, ¡°About Elliot! He¡¯s a great guy; he¡¯s been into you for years, and he proposed to you


    in public! It¡¯s clear he loves you. Can¡¯t you give him a chance?¡±


    ¡°No chance.¡± Julie¡¯s answer was straightforward.


    Daphne knew Julie was afraid of love because of her past. She wanted tofort Julie, but what came


    out was, ¡°You¡¯re not still hung up on that jerk. Kieran, are you? Do you want to find another guy to


    obsess over? Julie, let me tell you, women need to find someone who loves them, not someone they


    love. Kieran is the perfect example. One minute he¡¯s marrying Bertha, and the next there¡¯s no wedding.


    And who was the jerk that saved another woman over you when you were on the operating table?


    Haven¡¯t you had enough of being hurt by him?¡±


    Julie knew Daphne was just worried. But the way Daphne was digging into her wounds made her feel


    hurt.


    She reached out, gripping Daphne¡¯s hand tightly, looking at her with heartfelt eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t go looking


    for another man to love deeply again.¡±


    She could never find another man to love deeply again. The man she loved with all her heart was


    buried in the ruins of her youth, and she could never go


    back.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation, so she smiled at Daphne, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re


    getting old worrying about me, and I don¡¯t even have


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    a boyfriend!¡±


    Daphne blushed, ¡°What are you talking about? You don¡¯t understand. My ultimate goal is to be a


    rich and beautiful woman, win Mr. Watson¡¯s heart. and reach the peak of my life!¡±


    Julie burst intoughter, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Mr. Watson is gay?¡±


    ¡°People can change. Straight guys can be gay, and gay guys can be straight; what do you


    know?¡± Daphne gave Julie a scornful look.


    Julie sighed lightly, ¡°Daphne, I didn¡¯t get anything today, and the magazine¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can take care of it. What¡¯s your n?¡± What Daphne really wanted to say was that


    Sansa¡¯s medical bills this month were barely covered; where were they going to get the money for next


    month?


    Daphne had tried to convince Julie to stop treating Sansa, whom the doctors had given up on. But Julie


    said Sansa was the only blood rtive she had left in the world, so she couldn¡¯t give up on her.


    Daphne would never forget the look of despair in Julie¡¯s eyes when she said that, so she never dared


    to bring up the idea of giving up on Sansa again.


    Julie looked at Daphne with a faint smile, and she took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for a job tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24


    Thankfully, possibly due to Raymon¡¯s influence, today¡¯s front page news in Whispering Pines didn¡¯t


    include any of her and Elliot¡¯s engagement news but was all about Kieran clearing up the rumors about


    his own marriage.


    On the flip side, Simpo Co.¡¯s PR department immediately got on the ball, ppingwsuits on those


    entertainment magazines that first reported his marriage news with Bertha.


    The news that Kieran had a previous wife named Joyce was also thrown into the limelight.


    The whole thing suddenly got way moreplicated and messy.


    Julie switched off her phone, tossing aside all the trivial news, and made her way to the job interview


    location.


    She thought finding a job in Whispering Pines would be a piece of cake, given the influx of people


    moving to the city for work. She couldn¡¯t possibly struggle to find even an ordinary job, right? But the


    big city reality¨Cchecked her. She was way too naive.


    She tried everything, from high¨Cpaying to low¨Cpaying jobs. But all she got was a string of polite


    rejections.


    Elliot somehow got her number and called her just when she was feeling a bit blue and sitting by the


    roadside.


    After seeing the unknown number, Julie thought she hadnded a job and got all excited, until she


    heard Elliot¡¯s familiar voice on the other end. Turn


    around*


    Surprised, Julie turned and saw Elliot in a casual suit, standing on the other side of the street right


    behind her.


    They both held their phones, looking at each other across the street.


    Not until the green light lit up and the cars stopped, did Julie, still clutching her phone, snap out of it.


    Meanwhile, Elliot crossed the street towards her. His pristine white shoes looked particrly good on


    the zebra crossing. Julie slowly put down her phone as her eyes fixed on the man walking towards


    her.


    Just as she was about to turn around, to her surprise, Elliot embraced her in front of everyone.


    Suddenly, there was a symphony of honking.


    The traffic lights had changed, but a silver Porsche didn¡¯t move an inch, causing a long line of cars


    behind it to start honking.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Inside the car, Karl, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Kieran in the backseat through the rear¨C


    view mirror but didn¡¯t say a word.


    Without Kieran¡¯s order, the driver didn¡¯t dare take any action.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze was on the scene outside the window, his eyes seemingly unfocused. But in reality, his


    gaze was all on the embracing couple.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect Elliot to be so forward. The moment he embraced her, she pushed him away without


    hesitation.


    Finally, Kieran¡¯s calm voice rang out in the car. ¡°Drive.¡±


    With the Porsche starting, the honking finally stopped.


    ¡°Is everything arranged? Kieran¡¯s handsome and profound face looked very serious.


    Karl nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, rest assured.¡±


    The Porsche drove past Julie.


    Julie, who had just pushed Elliot away, looked at him calmly as if he were a stranger and said, ¡°Mr.


    Sanches, don¡¯t be so friendly. Our way of greeting is saying hello, not embracing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like we¡¯re strangers; after all, I¡¯m your future partner.¡± Elliot¡¯s mouth curled up, revealing a


    naughty smile.


    ¡°Mr Sanches, you¡¯re from a good background and well¨Ceducated; do you really have to choose me?¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh at all this, so she turned


    and left


    Elliot quickly followed, noticed the job application in her hand, and asked, ¡°Looking for a job?¡±


    ¡°Yep Julie answered politely.


    ¡°Mypany is hiring; want to give it a go?¡± Elliot took the job application from Julie¡¯s hand and said so


    with a joyful smile.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25


    Julie was pretty much desperate for a job, so when Elliot popped the question, she automatically asked


    back, Really?¡±


    Elliot nodded seriously, ¡°Absolutely. The working hours here are flexible, the sry is decent, and the


    tasks are pretty chill. Plus, the boss is a cool guy. This position has been vacant for a while, and I think


    you¡¯d enjoy working here*


    ¡°Really?¡± Julie was skeptical ¡°What kind of job is this? Does it pay that well?¡±


    What Julie really wanted to ask was, if the pay was so good, why was the position still empty?


    Elliot just smiled mysteriously, then gave a slight smirk, ¡°Mrs. Sanches. This position has been vacant


    for almost thirty years. I think you¡¯d fit perfectly, why don¡¯t you


    ¡°No!¡± Julie didn¡¯t expect that Elliot was just pulling her leg. She gave him a polite smile, ¡°Thanks for the


    offer, Mr. Sanches.¡±


    Just then, Elliot caught up with Julie, who was about to leave. He paced himself with her and looked at


    her stern face. He chuckled as he said, ¡°I mean, why don¡¯t we give it a whirl? You never know until you


    try, right? If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can just reconsider.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie stopped in her tracks and looked at Elliot¡¯s sincere gaze, ¡°Elliot, we are not a good match. Can


    you tell me why you are so persistent about this?¡±


    Elliotughed. There was a hint of self¨Cmockery and helplessness in hisughter. He seemed to be


    talking to himself, ¡°I also want to know why I can be so persistent in liking a woman for so many years


    who can¡¯t even remember my name. Maybe you can tell me, what¡¯s so good about you? What¡¯s worth


    my longing? Or ept my proposal and let me try to dislike you. Maybe after we spend more time


    together, I won¡¯t like you so much.¡±


    Julie looked at Elliot with a deadly serious face, ¡°Elliot, I once loved someone deeply for a long time. I


    know what it¡¯s like to be obsessed with someone every day. I have tasted it, been hurt, and had my


    heart broken. Growing up is about experiencing pain and understanding life. If you think you love


    someone to the point where you can say that you can¡¯t live without her, it only shows that you are not


    mature enough.¡±


    After saying that, Julie got on the bus without any hesitation.


    Once again, Julie left Elliot standing on the street.


    This time, he didn¡¯t just let Julie leave. He hailed a taxi to follow her but eventually lost her at a traffic


    light.


    Julie bought lunch and was on her way to the hospital to eat with Daphne.


    Daphne could tell from Julie¡¯s downcast look that she had failed to find a job, so she didn¡¯t mention it.


    Edda Flores came in with some washed fruit and immediately saw Julie. She rushed over and lovingly


    pulled Julie aside, ¡°Julie, I heard from Daphne that you don¡¯t have a boyfriend, right?¡±


    Julie smiled back, ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not in a rush.¡±


    ¡°You should be worried about yourself! Marriage is a big deal! Let me tell you, once a woman passes


    the ideal age for marriage, she might never find a man again. You can¡¯t be like Daphne, who is


    immature. How about I introduce you to a boyfriend?¡± Edda¡¯s beautiful eyes stared at Julie, looking


    exactly like a matchmaker. This left Daphne feeling helpless too.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26


    ¡°Mom, Julie said it¡¯s not a big deal, why are you so worried?¡± Daphne rolled her eyes, grabbed an


    apple, and was ready to take a bite.


    Edda quickly snatched the apple from her hand and shoved it into Julie¡¯s, turning back to Daphne, ¡°All


    you think about is food! As a staff member of a fashion magazine, don¡¯t you need to keep your figure?


    If you get fat, you could lose your job after you leave the hospital.


    ¡°Got it! Mom, you¡¯re so annoying¡°¡± Daphne pouted, giving Edda an unhappy stare.


    But Eddapletely ignored Daphne¡¯s dissatisfaction, instead, she turned to Julie enthusiastically.


    ¡°Julie, being divorced is not a big deal, you¡¯re still a catch. Remember Mrs. Graham, who lives across


    from us? Her ssmate¡¯s son is 34 this year, a decent age. The important thing is that he¡¯s reliable and


    co¨Cowns a techpany with his buddy. He may not be drop¨Cdead gorgeous, but he¡¯s not bad¨C


    looking either. When ites to boyfriends, looks aren¡¯t everything.¡±


    As Edda went on and on, Julie was at a loss for words.


    Edda continued to hold Julie¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°The guy¡¯s never been married. He had a girlfriend once,


    but they split after seven years. He¡¯s been single for a while now. I¡¯ve mentioned you to him, and he


    doesn¡¯t mind that you¡¯ve been divorced. I think he¡¯s pretty honest. Why don¡¯t you guys meet and have


    a chat? If you don¡¯t like him, you can just make a new friend; the more the merrier.¡±


    ¡°Mom, can you stop acting like a matchmaker? Our Julie¡¯s not gonna die an old maid¡± Daphne came to


    Julie¡¯s defense again.


    Edda turned to re at Daphne, ¡°Are you jealous? If Julie doesn¡¯t want to go, you can!¡±


    Daphne pointed to her nose, her eyes wide open as she looked at her mother, ¡°Me?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie smiled and nodded at Edda, ¡°Thank you, Edda; I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Daphne looked at Julie, shocked.


    It wasn¡¯t until Edda cheerfully turned around to arrange the blind date that Julie turned to Daphne and


    grinned, ¡°Do you want to thank me?¡±


    Daphne patted the side of her bed, ¡°Wanna sit down?¡±


    Only then did Daphne realize that Julie¡¯s intention was not to go on the blind date but to help her dodge


    this bullet. After all, if her mom didn¡¯t find someone to go on this date, neither she nor Julie would have


    a minute of peace.


    Daphne nced at Edda, who was on the phone by the window arranging the blind date, and sighed,


    ¡°That¡¯s just how my mom is. She¡¯s always obsessing over marriage stuff.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean obsessing? I¡¯m doing all this for your future happiness.¡± Edda hung up the phone


    and turned to look at Daphne as her eyes narrowed dangerously.


    Daphne turned her head, pretending everything was normal, then said to Julie Julie, I¡¯m telling you,


    don¡¯t worry too much about your appearance when going on blind dates. Try to dress down a bit, so


    people won¡¯t only value you for your looks. Nine out of ten of the guys my mom used to set me up with


    were total duds¡±


    Julie smiled.


    Edda walked over and tugged at Daphne¡¯s arm. ¡°The biggest failure of my life is giving birth to an


    ungrateful child like you!¡±


    ¡°Mom, even though I¡¯m ungrateful, you¡¯ve still raised me all these years, so I guess you must like me.¡±


    Daphne grinned.


    Edda shot back, ¡°You¡¯re my daughter; of course I have to raise you.¡±


    Then she turned to Julie, ¡°Julie, I¡¯ve arranged your blind date. It¡¯s set for tomorrow at noon. Tomorrow


    morning, I¡¯ll take you to buy some surtable clothes. Don¡¯t always listen to Daphne; I had a difficultbor


    when I gave birth to her, so her brain might be a little off.¡±


    Daphne was speechless.


    Their mother¨Cdaughter rtionship was truly inexplicable; they were always at each other¡¯s throats.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27


    Edda said she was gonna set Julie up on a blind date, and she wasn¡¯t just blowing smoke Bright and


    early the next day, Edda took Julie to the mall. After a rigorous selection process by Edda, Julie was


    dolled up in new clothes and makeup before Edda drove her to the arranged hotel.


    ¡°Julie, I¡¯m gonna hang back. You go ahead and give it a whirl. If you really aren¡¯t feeling it, let me know


    I won¡¯t force you¡±


    Julie chuckled and nodded. ¡°Thanks, Edda¡±


    In the end, she mustered up the courage to step into the Sunset Serenity Hotel.


    She was a bit early, so she took a seat at the designated spot. She ordered some lime juice and began


    quietly sipping it.


    Dressed in a light green dress that showed off her beautiful shoulders, she looked so elegant while


    holding her drink that she caught the attention of those around her.


    Daphne often said that Julie¡¯s beauty was like a hidden gem. Once it was revealed, it had a unique


    charm. Today was no different, even with light makeup, her delicate features oozed irresistible beauty.


    Especially her lips. They were painted with lipstick that made them glow like a burning me under the


    bright lights, lighting up the entire room.


    A man was about toe over and chat her up, but he saw Julie look up towards the entrance.


    A waiter led a man in a suit towards her and seated him across from her.


    When she saw the man, Julie wasn¡¯t surprised. He was about 1.7 meters tall, just like Edda had said.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly a hunk, but he wasn¡¯t ugly either, and his manners were decent.


    The man seemed taken aback by Julie¡¯s beauty. His eyes lit up, and he enthusiastically reached out his


    hand to introduce himself, ¡°Hello, Ms. Abraham. I¡¯m Jeremy Ford. I¡¯m here for a blind date, hoping to


    find a wife. I¡¯m quite pleased with you, and if you have no objections, we can set a date to register our


    marriage at city hall.¡±


    Julie was stunned as she looked at Jeremy¡¯s outstretched hand..


    Edda didn¡¯t tell her that Jeremy was this forward.


    After noticing Julie¡¯s silence, Jeremy didn¡¯t seem embarrassed. He withdrew his hand and gave a


    sincere smile, ¡°By the way, do you have any material needs for your future partner? I co¨Cown a tech


    company with a friend. I have a car, a house, and lots of savings. If you have any other requests, feel


    free to voice them. If I can meet them, I will.¡±


    His straightforward nature left Julie quiet for a moment. She picked up her lime juice and took a small


    sip. Sitting elegantly, her smile was gentle as she looked at the man and said, ¡°I want a son. Can you


    give me that?¡±


    Jeremy was obviously shocked by Julie¡¯s request and didn¡¯t respond for a while.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie chuckled, looking at the stunned man, and added, ¡°I must have a son. Can you do that?¡±


    Jeremy finally snapped back to reality, his face lighting up with an over¨Cthe¨Ctop smile, ¡°Just one son?


    Once we¡¯re married, you can have as many sons as you want. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you, Ms.


    Abraham, to be so straightforward. In that case, let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡±


    With that, Jeremy suddenly grabbed Julie¡¯s hand that was holding the ss, cing it in his own. With


    a slightly unsettling smile on his face, he looked at Julie, ¡°Ms. Abraham, if you¡¯re willing, we can get


    married right away, but before we do, we need to sign a prenuptial agreement. You understand, right?


    Once the agreement is signed, if you want a son, I¡¯ll definitely give you one!¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    Before she could respond, she heard a familiar deep voice from behind, ¡°Does Mr. Ford have some


    secret to choosing whether it¡¯s a boy o or a girl?¡±


    After hearing the voice, Julie saw Jeremy suddenly stand up, his eyes filled with excitement and a hint


    of surprise. He eximed towards the direction behind Julie, ¡°Mr. Hernandez?¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28


    Kieran¡¯s sudden appearance was like a bright light thrown into a dimly lit restaurant. No matter where


    he was, his unique charm had a way of alerting Julie to his presence. Today was no different.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremy¡¯s voice,ced with a hint of ttery, reached Julie¡¯s ears


    Julie knew who the man behind her was, but she never turned around.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze had a hint of displeasure as it fell on Jeremy¡¯s hand that was holding Julie¡¯s.


    Perhaps it was because Kieran¡¯s gaze was so intense that Jeremy followed it, realized he was still


    holding Julie¡¯s hand, and instinctively wanted to let go.


    To his surprise, Julie, who was sitting opposite him, took the initiative to hold his hand back and said


    with a slight smile, ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s the matter? Let¡¯s keep going¡±


    Julie was determined topletely ignore Kieran behind her. Even when she heard his familiar voice,


    she stayed cool and never turned around


    Love was a small matter; business was the big deal. Jeremy thought to himself, after all, the man


    standing behind Julie was Kieran. So, Jeremy quickly let go of Julie¡¯s hand and pointed to Kieran


    behind him, saying to Julie, ¡°Ms. Abrahamn, this is the CEO of Simpo Co., Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    Kieran had somehow moved to Julie¡¯s side and stood there.


    His face showed no excess emotion, he was just casually ncing at Julie, who was sitting in the chair.


    She was wearing an off¨Cshoulder dress today, which perfectly highlighted her delicate skin. Her


    exquisite corbone was particrly sexy. Even her casual posture exuded elegance.


    She had light makeup on, apparently for today¡¯s blind date.


    Thinking about this made Kieran¡¯s gaze even more profound.


    He casually asked Jeremy, ¡°Mr. Ford, aren¡¯t you going to introduce thisdy?¡±


    When it came to Julie, Jeremy seemed a bit proud. After all, the beautiful Julie sitting opposite him was


    hard to ignore.


    So heughed heartily as the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes all squeezed out. He waspletely


    oblivious to Kieran¡¯s expression and instead introduced Julie to Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, this is my


    fianc¨¦e, Julie.¡±


    Julie was taken aback, lifting her head to nce at an excited Jeremy. The matter hadn¡¯t been decided


    yet, and she was already being called his fianc¨¦e?


    She initially wanted to object but then decided it was unnecessary, so she didn¡¯t admit it. She continued


    to hold her drink and took another sip.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze towards Jeremy was slightly cold.


    Jeremy, unaware, excitedly boasted to Kieran, ¡°Julie loves sons. I think boys and girls are the same;


    don¡¯t you agree, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Kieran gave Jeremy a cold nce, his slender fingers elegantly adjusting his cufflink.


    Just when Jeremy thought Kieran wouldn¡¯t answer his question and was feeling a bit awkward, Kieran


    surprisingly turned around and said to Julie, ¡°Yes, she has always loved boys¡±


    Julie, who had been ignoring Kieran, suddenly lifted her head upon hearing this, and their eyes met.


    Kieran lowered his head, and his gaze fell on Julie.


    He stood next to Julie with his arm casually draped over the back of her chair, a gesture that seemed


    perfectly natural.


    Jeremy looked incredibly awkward standing opposite them.


    At that moment, he felt like an outsider as he watched the two of them lock eyes. The mere exchange


    of nces was enough to make him feel uneasy.


    Even if Jeremy was a bit slow, he could tell something was up from Kieran¡¯s demeanor.


    He cautiously nced at Julie, then at Kieran, finally asking tentatively, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, do you know


    Ms. Abraham?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my ex¨Cwife.¡±


    Two voices rang out at the same time, one from Julie and one from Kieran.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29


    After about half a minute of eye contact, Julie finally smiled at Kieran, and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, your


    eyes are ying tricks on you. You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡±


    With that, Julie turned away, no longer looking at Kieran.


    However, she did not expect Kieran to suddenly lean forward, his hands bracing on either side of the


    chair, trapping Julie inside. His incredibly handsome face suddenly erged in front of Julie.


    ¡°Really? Weren¡¯t you the one who just epted a proposalst night from Elliot, the new CEO of Ray


    Group? We just saw each otherst night, how could I have mistaken you for someone else?¡±


    Kieran was here to stir up trouble. Julie was sure of it now.


    Across the table, Jeremy¡¯s face was looking a little unsightly


    Julie knew that, in Jeremy¡¯s eyes, she was now the maniptive woman who yed with men¡¯s


    feelings for a living.


    But Julie didn¡¯t bother to exin.


    Instead, she red at the man who was closing in on her, gritting her teeth and hissing out through


    clenched teeth, ¡°Let go!¡±


    Kieran very obligingly let go, then hooked the corner of his mouth, looking at Julie, and concluded,


    ¡°After all, you¡¯re the woman who¡¯s slept with me for three years; I wouldn¡¯t mistake you for someone


    else.¡±


    This was too much. Julie stood up abruptly and threw a cup of lime juice in Kieran¡¯s direction.


    But she didn¡¯t expect Kieran to suddenly step forward and pat Jeremy on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Good


    luck, Mr. Ford; you might have a tiny chance against Elliot.¡±


    Jeremy fell silent.


    What chance? He was hoping for further cooperation with Elliot from Ray Group, but instead, he came


    to steal Elliot¡¯s woman. He might as well wish for hispany to go bankrupt sooner.


    Julie watched as Kieran stepped forward, and the whole cup of lime juice, without a single drop


    missing, sshed all over Karl¡¯s stoic face.


    Kieran turned his head to see Karl¡¯s tight face, his hair still dripping.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Kieran said to Karl with a calm gaze, pulled a table napkin from the side


    and gave it to Karl, then took Karl and left the


    restaurant.


    Without thinking, Julie grabbed her bag and followed.


    Before Kieran¡¯s car started, Julie pulled open the door and hopped in.


    A bag hit the man¡¯s head, and she started using Kieran, ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡±


    Back then, when she silently left his world, she never mentioned his name. But now he was telling the


    whole world that he was her ex¨Chusband.


    Julie didn¡¯t want her peaceful life to be disrupted again. All she wanted now was to live a quiet life, so


    why did he keep bothering her?


    After watching Julie re at him with her beautiful eyes, Kieran suddenly asked, ¡°Is blind dating your


    job now?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    He always had such a low opinion of her.


    Caught off guard, Julie retorted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with blind dates? What does it have to do with you? I


    hope you can pretend not to know me in the future, even if I sleep with someone else, it has nothing to


    do with you!¡±


    ¡°How can it have nothing to do with me?¡± Kieran suddenly turned his head, closing in on Julie..


    Julie backed up, pressing her back against the car door.


    Kieran¡¯s deep eyes locked onto her panicked face. His long fingers forcefully gripped her chin, and his


    low, cello¨Clike voice calmly sounded, ¡°You¡¯re using the positions I taught you to serve other men;


    shouldn¡¯t I charge you for that?¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30


    Kieran was being a total jerk, just as expected.


    Julie tried to pull away from Kieran¡¯s grip on her chin but couldn¡¯t fight against his strength. So she


    gave up.


    She, instead, stared at him with bright eyes and a sarcastic smile, ¡°So, tell me, how much is all this


    stuff you taught me worth?¡±


    He released her chin, sat down, and stared right into Julie¡¯s eyes, ¡°How much do you have?¡±


    ¡°I lost my only job and have no ie. Aren¡¯t I looking for a new beau? If I find one, it depends on how


    much he¡¯s willing to spend on me. Right now, it¡¯s your fault I can¡¯t get my hands on any money because


    you¡¯ve messed up my ns¡±


    Julie was like a little wildcat with ws, who used to be docile towards Kieran, but now she was more


    like a prickly hedgehog, ready to spike at anyone


    who came near


    Kieran followed her gaze, then suddenly turned to look at Julie. ¡°Need help finding a job?¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe he would be that kind.


    In Kieran¡¯s mind, the proud Julie would refuse him arrogantly.


    But, to his surprise, a small smile spread across her face. She looked at him gently and said, ¡°Sure! If


    Mr. Hernandez wants to do a good deed, find me a high¨Cpaying job that doesn¡¯t require much work. I¡¯d


    be so very grateful!¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Pride was something Julie used to have. But after all the years of hardship, she realized that only those


    who were alive had the privilege to talk about pride.


    So, when she said this, there was little hesitation in her voice.


    Kieran turned back, ring at Julie, slowly echoing her words, ¡°High pay, minimal work¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you like to be my bedmate?¡± He asked.


    Julie looked at Kieran,ughed, and gave him a sound p on the face.


    The crisp sound sent chills down Karl¡¯s spine, who was sitting in the passenger seat.


    ¡°I thought you were just cold¨Chearted, but you¡¯re also a jerk.¡± Julie stared at Kieran, ¡°This p is


    overdue; I should have given you this five years ago.¡±


    With that, Julie opened the car door and mmed it shut.


    But as she turned around, her eyes reddened.


    She thought that pping Kieran would make her feel better. But why did it feel like there was a hole in


    her heart that was causing all sorts of


    difort?


    Inside the car, Kieran, who just got pped, suddenlyughed.


    Karl was at a loss for words


    Ms. Abraham¡¯s p was so powerful that it seemed to have knocked Mr. Hernandez silly.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Karl coughed and gathered his courage to tell Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    the young master¡¯s teacher called; they asked you toe to school.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Kieran replied indifferently.


    In the principals office at Ocean Breeze International Kindergarten, a little boy, about five or six, was


    sitting in the principal¡¯s seat, looking all important. He was wearing a white shirt paired with a ck


    vest, his feet were crossed, and he was humming an unknown nursery rhyme.


    The boy¡¯s uniform made him look quite dashing.


    As soon as Kieran pushed open the door to the principal¡¯s office, he saw the little boy clumsily spinning


    around in the office chair. Then the boy turned to Kieran with a smile, showing off his cute little canines,


    saying, ¡°Kerry, you¡¯re finally here!¡±

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    Chapter 31


    In the car, the little boy, who had just been picked up from school, sat rather ungracefully on the child


    safety seat in the back.


    Kieran, beside him, looked at the boy¡¯s test paper, took a deep breath, and turned to ask, ¡°Ivan


    Hernandez, spill it, how did you do on your test?¡±


    ¡°I got an ¡°E.¡± Ivan, seated proudly in his car seat, announced his test score.


    Karl, riding shotgun, struggled to contain hisughter.


    One thing Karl had learned from the little boy was that there was always someone out there who could


    do better.


    Kieran¡¯s serious gaze was fixed on Ivan, this little boy looked just like him except for his mouth and his


    attitude.


    You came inst in the ss; have you got any self¨Crespect left? Tell me, how did you manage to get


    an ¡®E¡®?¡± Kieran asked, resisting the urge to chuck the little boy out of the car.


    Ivan pouted and then broke into a grin, saying, ¡°I got one multiple¨Cchoice question right; that¡¯s how I


    got an ¡®E.¡±


    After hearing Ivan¡¯s answer, Kieran opened the test paper again and saw the answer spaces, all of


    them were empty but crisscrossed with the words, ¡®Kerry is not a human.


    The only answer written on the whole test paper was the one multiple¨Cchoice question he got right..


    Kieran looked at the test paper, and although he was pissed, his anger faded after a moment. After all,


    it was not the first time the little one had pulled


    this stunt.


    While looking at the little boy beside him, he pointed to the words ¡®not a human¡® on the paper and


    asked, ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±


    Ivan rolled his eyes at his father, ¡°You¡¯re always hiring nannies, don¡¯t you ever look at what they look


    like?¡±


    The little boy gave Kieran a contemptuous look with his old soul eyes.


    Kieran, intrigued, turned to the little boy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the nannies? Don¡¯t they meet your


    aesthetic standards?¡±


    With that, Kieran shot a meaningful look at Karl.


    Karl gestured that he had tried hiring nannies, from teenagers to women in their fifties, for the little boy,


    but none were suitable. How was that his fault? Suddenly, Ivan unbuckled his seat belt, looked


    seriously at Kieran, and said, ¡°Kerry, I¡¯m only five! You should be finding me a stepmother, not a nanny!


    My teacher said children with mothers are treasures, and children without mothers are grass. Are you


    nning to feed me to the pigs when I grow up?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran was speechless.


    Noticing that his dad was not looking pleased, Ivan licked his lips nervously and quickly buckled up


    again.


    Kieran habitually pulled out a cigarette and thought of lighting it.


    But after looking at the little boy next to him, he decided to put it away.


    Now that his dad was silent, Ivan tried to appease him, ¡°Kerry, smoke! I¡¯m afraid if you don¡¯t smoke,


    you might start hitting me. So, please smoke!¡± Kieran tossed the cigarette into the bin, then looked at


    his son, ¡°No need; I¡¯m afraid a spark might set the ¡®grass¡® idiot in the car on fire.¡±


    It seemed like Kerry was insinuating he was an idiot. That was a derogatory term, right? He decided to


    pretend he didn¡¯t catch that.


    The car went quiet for a while before Ivan worked up the courage to look back at his father, ¡°Dad, you


    don¡¯t have to find me a nanny anymore; can you find me a decent stepmother?¡±


    Ivan¡¯s request made Kieran turn his head, gently pinch his chin and say, ¡°It¡¯s hard to find your


    stepmother, but I can find you a decent nanny when the time. is right.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, I heard only stepfathers are this strict with their sons.¡± Ivan¡¯s face puffed up in displeasure.


    Kieran reached out to ruffle the little guy¡¯s soft hair, a rare smile ying on his lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re


    my own flesh and blood.¡±


    Ivan fell silent.


    At the Hospital.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32


    Daphne noticed that Julie¡¯s eyes were a bit red when she came back.


    Ignoring her own wounds, she propped herself up and looked at Julie, feeling concerned. ¡°Julie, what


    happened? Did the guy my mom introduced to you treat you badly?¡±


    With that, Daphne started to get up.


    Julie quickly grabbed Daphne¡¯s hand with a smile, shaking her head. ¡°No, the guy was just a bit odd¡±


    Daphne pulled Julie to sit beside her on the bed. ¡°Then why are your eyes red? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got


    sand in them.¡±


    ¡°My eyes are red because of the wind, you believe that?¡±


    ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez show up again?¡± Daphne thought for a moment, figuring that was the only


    exnation for Julie¡¯s red eyes.


    Julie didn¡¯t deny it, instead, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Daphne, I still haven¡¯t found a job.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I asked about that for you.¡± Daphne suddenly said seriously, ¡°Ourpany¡¯s HR department


    is hiring. The sry isn¡¯t high, but the benefits are decent. Why don¡¯t you give it a shot? I can put in a


    good word for you. No biggie. You¡¯re not doing anything right now anyway, you might as well work. If a


    better jobes along, you can always jump ship.


    Julie thought Daphne made sense, so the very next morning she put on her professional attire and


    went to apply at the HR departmentProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The head of HR, Jordyn, was a man in his forties with a big belly. He wore a white shirt with a ck tie


    that looked like it might strangle him at any moment. His oily smile made Julie feel slightly sick.


    The same white shirt and tie suddenly reminded Julie of Kieran.


    It was true that forgetting did require effort.


    Jordyn on the other side asked some questions, but Julie¡¯s mind was full of Kieran. So much so that


    she didn¡¯t even pay attention to Jordyn¡¯s questions.


    So, Julie had to awkwardly look at Jordyn, ¡°Sorry, what were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I was saying that with your qualifications, applying for a receptionist position seems like a waste.¡±


    Jordyn said.


    After looking at Jordyn¡¯s greasy smile, Julie understood what he meant. She politely asked Jordyn,


    ¡°Then do you have a position that would suit me?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡¯re short of an HR assistant. The new


    hire will work directly under me. I¡¯m offering you this special opportunity because you know Ms.


    Daphne, so think about it¡­¡±


    Before Jordyn could finish, Julie smiled at Jordyn and asked, ¡°Can you tell me about the job?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jordyn¡¯s hand slowly reached for Julie¡¯s hand on the table, eventuallynding on the back of


    Julie¡¯s hand and gently caressing it.


    Julie took a deep breath. After all, this was a job opportunity that Daphne had given her. If she stood up


    and pped Jordyn, it would be extremely disrespectful.


    *Sorry, your


    hand is a bit rough; it makes me ufortable.¡±


    After saying that, she quietly pulled back her hand, took a tissue from her bag, and carefully wiped her


    fingers. Then she stood up, turned around, and walked out with her head held high.


    She needed money, and she needed a job. For money and work, she could swallow her pride, but that


    didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t respect herself. Just as Julie walked out of the magazine office, a low¨Ckey


    white Jaguar suddenly stopped in front of her.

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    Chapter 33


    ¡°Just won¡¯t take a hint, would he?¡± That was the perfect description for Elliot.


    Every time Julie saw Elliot, her first instinct was to cover her face and bolt.


    But with Elliot¡¯s long legs, he easily caught up to Julie and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from


    running off.


    ¡°Elliot¡­¡±


    ¡°Julie,e home with me for a bit. Elliot insisted, holding onto Julie as if she¡¯d vanish into thin air like


    thest few times if he let go.


    So he didn¡¯t beat around the bush and got straight to the point with Julie.


    Julie looked at Elliot for a few seconds before asking. ¡°Why should I go home with you?¡±


    ¡°My family thinks you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. Although it¡¯s not official, the rumor is out. At least have dinner with


    me?¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was gentle, with a hint of pleading and appeasement.


    Julie replied coolly, ¡°No.¡±


    Elliot knew Julie was hard to pursue, but her stubbornness still surprised him. ¡°Is being my girlfriend


    that bad?¡± He asked, feeling somewhat helpless.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know; I¡¯ve never been your girlfriend. Julie looked at the arm Elliot was holding onto, her


    voice soft as she said. ¡°Let go¡±


    Elliot, feeling desperate, pulled out hisst resort. ¡°Come home with me for dinner. Even if it¡¯s just to


    exin to my grandfather that we¡¯re not dating. Or I could pay you?¡±


    Julie¡¯s face turned cold after he said that, her gaze clear and defiant. ¡°Elliot, has your life always been


    smooth sailing? You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and you got everything you ever


    wanted. Do you think money can do everything? That it can buy people¡¯s lives, their dignity, and their


    love?¡±


    Julie forcefully shook off Elliot¡¯s grip and walked away without a word.


    Two hourster at the Sanches Mansion.


    Julie stepped out of Elliot¡¯s white Jaguar with a calm expression.


    Money couldn¡¯t do everything. It couldn¡¯t necessarily buy people¡¯s lives, their dignity, or their love. But it


    could buy time. Time for Sansa.


    Nearly all the Sanches family was present tonight..


    Elliot had a twin sister named Adeline Sanches, whom Julie was meeting for the first time. Adeline was


    currently lounging on a couch, painting her nails. She looked nothing like Elliot, appearing much softer


    inparison.


    Due to the incident at thest dance, Elliot¡¯s grandfather, Raymon, already had a negative impression


    of Julie. Naturally, Elliot¡¯s parents also had reservations about her.


    Raymon sat in the middle of the couch, with Elliot¡¯s father, Walker Sanches, on his left. Walker¡¯s wife,


    Victoria, was next to him, and Adeline sat beside Victoria, still painting her nails.


    Victoria looked at Julie, who was sitting across from them, and asked in a cold, straightforward tone,


    ¡°Ms. Abraham, you are aware of Elliot¡¯s status, aren¡¯t you? Forgive my bluntness, but do you think


    you¡¯re suitable for Elliot?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Elliot¡¯s face hardened immediately.


    Julie, however, just smirked and said, ¡°Actually, I think Mr. Sanches and I are quite suitable.¡±


    ¡°Julie?¡± Elliot admitted that he was shocked by Julie¡¯s words. He thought she was here to make a


    scene, but he didn¡¯t expect her to say something like


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    that.

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    Chapter 34


    I¡¯m just after the dough, and Mr. Sanches happens to be rolling in it. Sounds like a match made in


    heaven to me¡± Julie quipped, her voice dripping with elegance and poise.


    Elliot had seriously overestimated her. She was definitely there to stir up trouble.


    Adeline, who was painting her nails, looked up with a mischievous smile. She pointed at Julie with her


    nail polish brush, then at her brother. ¡°She and my brother make a great pair Rx, mom They¡¯re into


    each other. Why are you trying to stick your nose in? Right, Elliot? I support you. So what if she¡¯s been


    married before? That just means she¡¯s got experience¡±


    Victoria shot Adeline a re, ¡°Shut your trap!*


    Before Victoria¡¯s words had even faded, Raymon¡¯s booming voice filled the room. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the


    chase. I¡¯m not endorsing this marriage. If you have any conditions, Ms. Abraham, spit them out¡±


    Julie turned towards Raymon with a grin, ¡°That depends on how much you think Elliot is worth¡±


    Raymon rapped his cane on the floor, his gaze was icy as he said. ¡°Ms. Abraham; know your limits.


    You can¡¯t push your luck too far!¡±


    Elliot, realizing Julie was there to make waves, retorted, ¡°And how much am I worth to you?¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Raymon threatening to stop Julie from finding a job, he wouldn¡¯t have brought her here


    so rashly


    Victoria snorted at Julie, ¡°Ms. Abraham, we¡¯ll wire you 20K. I guess that¡¯s what you are worth. Please


    stop hounding Elliot.¡±


    Julie wanted to ept but stuck to her guns. She gave Victoria a sarcastic look, ¡°Didn¡¯t know your


    family inherited the habit of throwing money at problems. But you undervalue your son. In my eyes,


    he¡¯s worth more than 20 grand. Who I bother is my business. If you¡¯re so capable, keep Elliot tied up


    at home.¡±


    With that, Julie stood up, straightened her outfit, and walked out with grace.


    Elliot tried to follow but was stopped by Raymon¡¯s sharp rebuke. Bodyguards immediately surrounded


    Elliot, preventing him from chasing after Julie.


    This was Julie¡¯s real goal She knew Elliot was thick¨Cskinned and wouldn¡¯t give up no matter what she


    said. So, why not infuriate Raymon and get Elliot grounded once and for all.


    As Julie stepped out of the Sanches Mansion, she realized a problem. The mansion was in the middle


    of nowhere, and there was not a cab in sight, let alone a soul. How was she supposed to leave?


    Just as she was at her wit¡¯s end, Adeline appeared out of nowhere.


    Before Julie could react, Adeline tossed her a set of car keys.


    Adeline pointed at a red Ferrari. ¡°Take it. Consider it a gift for my future sister¨Cinw. If you¡¯re not


    nning to be one, give me your address. I¡¯ll pick it up when I have time. You seem smart. You


    wouldn¡¯t really n to hoof it, would you?¡±


    Julie looked at Adeline, shook the keys in resignation, gave her home address, and drove off in the red


    Ferrari.


    Julie hadn¡¯t driven in a while, and her driving skills weren¡¯t the best. But after a bumpy ride, she was


    almost home.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that just a few hundred meters from home, she would crash someone¡¯s


    car.


    Chapter 35Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter 35


    The hard impact sent Julie¡¯s head smashing into the steering wheel, her forehead hit the horn hard,


    causing a piercing sound.


    Ignoring the wound on her forehead, Julie quickly lifted her head. This was Adeline¡¯s Ferrari!


    Julie unbuckled her seat belt, opened the car door, and hastily checked the damage to both vehicles.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that the car she had hit was a ck Rolls Royce Phantom Pinnacle Travel


    Collector¡¯s Edition.


    Talk about bad luck!


    Julie¡¯s heart dropped like a stone.


    She took a deep breath. The car in front had already rolled down the window; now she could only rely


    on her sincerity to win sympathy.


    With that thought, a bitter smile squeezed onto Julie¡¯s face as she approached cautiously and went


    around to the driver¡¯s side.


    However, when she saw that the driver was Karl, Julie fell apart.


    Her first instinct was to run.


    However, Karl had already recognized her and politely called out. ¡°Ms. Abraham?¡±


    If Karl was in the car, then who was in the back seat? She didn¡¯t even need to guess.


    This wasn¡¯t the route Kieran would take home. The reason she had chosen to rent a house here was to


    avoid bumping into him, since even seeing his car reminded her of their past that she desperately


    wanted to forget.


    But even if it was out of the way, today, she inevitably bumped into him, or rather, his car.


    Seeing Julie standing nkly outside the window, Karl kindly reminded her. ¡°I¡¯ll call the insurance


    company.¡±


    Julie stood there dumbfounded, only when Karl dialed the number did she suddenly remember. ¡°This


    car isn¡¯t mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Using someone else¡¯s car to hit me, Joyce, you¡¯ve really done it this time.¡± Kieran took the opportunity


    while Julie and Karl were talking and opened the car door.


    His maic voice in the dark night was like a fine, aged red wine and was soothing to the ear.


    Julie nced at Kieran. He was wearing her favorite white shirt, and his handcrafted Italian shoes


    shined brightly; only his usually meticulous hair looked a bit messy.


    He reached out, tugged at the tie around his neck, then casually closed the car door and leaned


    against it.


    A strong smell of alcohol overwhelmed her.


    Kieran was drunk, and this was the first time Julie had ever seen him like this..


    Because the man she knew was a man with astonishing self¨Ccontrol and tolerance for alcohol. Julie


    had known him for many years and had never seen


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    him drunk.


    After getting drunk, he softly called her by her nickname, Joyce.


    Sorrow was greater than heartbreak, and fading love was most afraid of rekindling.


    Julie didn¡¯t know how long she could stand looking at Kieran like this, so she turned to look at Karl and


    said, ¡°This car isn¡¯t mine; I¡¯ll call the owner to


    She knew she could only trouble Adeline with this. Whatever she owed Adeline in the future, she would


    repay with everything she had.


    Julie took out her phone and found Adeline¡¯s number, which she had just saved before leaving.


    Just as she was about to make the call, a slender hand suddenly snatched the phone from her hand


    and urately handed it to Karl.


    Adeline¡¯s happy voice came from the phone. ¡°Has Ms. Abraham safely arrived home?¡±


    Karl responded, ¡°Not very safe¡±


    Looking at Julie standing still, Kieran suddenly grabbed her hand and asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    Julie subconsciously nced in the direction of her home, then immediately realized she shouldn¡¯t


    have and quickly looked away.


    However, Kieran still caught this small movement.


    He grabbed her hand and walked towards her home.

 Chapter 36

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    Chapter 36


    ¡°Kieran, hold your horses! What are you up to?¡± Julie turned her bead to nce at Karl, then went back


    to the hand Kieran was gripping tightly, speaking


    angrily.


    Even though Kieran was tipsy and his steps wobbly, he was steering her steadily towards her home.


    She thought he would remain aloof and ignore her, but it wasn¡¯t until they reached her front door that


    he said, ¡°I need a shower, open up.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to your own ce for a shower? What on earth brings you here?¡± Julie snapped,


    giving Kieran a kick, and then headed towards Karl.


    She¡¯d never seen Kieran drunk before! He was a real handful when he was!


    No sooner had Julie turned around to leave than Kieran yanked her back.


    She was forced to lean against the iron gate, and the pain made her wince.


    She looked up at the man pressing against her with a steely gaze, only to have Kieran rudely snatch


    her bag away.


    ¡°Kieran, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Give it back!¡± Julie reached for her bag, but Kieran easily


    swung it over his head.


    Kieran was just too tall. Julie, even on her tiptoes, couldn¡¯t get her bag back and ended up giving up.


    It was only after Kieran couldn¡¯t find the key that he disdainfully tossed the bag back to Julie.


    Just when Julie thought Kieran was giving up, he suddenly pressed her against the wall.


    He bent slightly, making a nice arc.


    The man, full of masculine allure, was suddenly close to Julie.


    Julie instinctively turned her face away as Kieran¡¯s cool lips brushed against her soft skin, then paused


    at her ear.


    ¡°Joyce, where¡¯s the key?¡± His deep voice resounded next to Julie¡¯s ear, sending shivers down her


    spine..


    As he spoke, his lips brushed against her earlobe, turning her ears a shade of crimson.


    Julie put her hands between them, frowned, and said, ¡°Let go. The key¡¯s not in my bag!¡±


    ¡°Then where is it?¡± Kieran¡¯s hand somehow found its way to her waist, then slipped under her top.


    His rough fingertips traced her stomach, making her tremble.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her skin had goosebumps. Julie grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand and finally relented, ¡°Let go; I¡¯ll open the door


    for you; isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    After Julie finally agreed, a satisfied smirk appeared on Kieran¡¯s face. He took his hand off her waist


    and even took the time to straighten her top, looking anything but drunk.


    Julie had to lift her carpet to retrieve the key.


    She wasn¡¯t going to make it easy; she was ready to make a run for it the moment she got the key, but


    Kieran wrapped his long arm around her waist, hoisted her up, and spun her around, forcing her to face


    the front door.


    Kieran, from behind her, took her hand with the key and shoved it in the keyhole.


    The door clicked open..


    Kieran released Julie¡¯s hand and was about to step inside when Julie sprang into action, blocking the


    doorway with both arms outstretched, making ast¨Cditch effort.


    He looked down at her, gave her a nce, and then he slipped his hands under her arms, hoisted her


    up like a barbell, carried her inside, kicked the door shut with his long leg, and then headed straight


    towards Julie¡¯s bathroom.

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    Chapter 37


    Julie felt a bit on edge as she listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom. She wanted to


    bolt from the house, leaving him alone, but was worried that if she returned, her small room might¡¯ve


    been torn apart by Kieran¡¯s singlemand.


    So, Julie had no choice but to spend her time contemting strategies on her tiny bed, which felt like


    ages.


    She wanted to whip out her phone and call Karl, begging him toe and fix this hot mess. But then


    she remembered her phone had been snatched by the man in the bathroom and handed over to Karl,


    who was to contact Adeline aboutpensation.


    Julie took a deep breath and nced around her home.


    Finally, her gaze settled on an empty vase on the table.


    After all these years of knowing Kieran, she had never seen him drunk. If he started to lose control, she


    could knock him out with the vase. Maybe that was a good idea.


    With this thought, Julie¡¯s hand had already touched the vase.


    She carefully picked up the vase, examining it..


    This fragile little vase wouldn¡¯t kill someone, right?


    Julie thought she must¡¯ve gone mad to even consider such an absurd idea.


    Like a deted ball, she turned to put the vase back.


    Just then, Kieran suddenly pushed open the bathroom door from the inside.


    Julie, holding the vase, looked up at the sound and then¡­


    She saw a stark¨Cnaked man.


    She got so startled that she fumbled and dropped the vase.


    Luckily, the thick carpet saved the vase from shattering.


    Julie was stunned for a moment before she came back to her senses, asking, ¡°What the hell are you


    doing?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Kieran shed a weird smile, and the corner of his mouth lifted, ¡°I¡¯ve finished showering.


    What¡¯s next?¡±


    This was the first time Julie felt like she couldn¡¯t vent her anger.


    Although they had been married for three years and knew each other quite well, when she saw him


    naked again after so many years, Julie had to admit that he had be more mature and more


    attractive.


    Even though her heart had gone cold, those deep feelings for Kieran that were etched in her memory


    seemed ready to burst out at this very moment.


    Julie turned around, grabbed a pink towel from the wardrobe, tossed it at the man, and said coldly.


    ¡°Wrap up.¡±


    Julie¡¯s voice was icy and filled with finality.


    After saying that, she turned her back on Kieran, maintaining her silence in anger.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Surprisingly, Kieran was unusually obedient.


    Before long, Kieran¡¯s voice came from behind her, ¡°Wrapped up.¡±


    The tone of his voice left Julie stunned.


    She turned around and waspletely shocked!


    Was this really being wrapped up? This was her first time seeing a man wrap a towel around his upper


    body!


    The towel was perfect for her figure; even if she wrapped it around her chest, it barely covered her butt.


    However, when this petite towel was wrapped around Kieran¡¯s muscr chest, the lower part just


    covered the man¡¯s abdominal muscles.


    ¡°Wrap it around your lower body! Kieran, are you looking for trouble?¡± Julie really wanted to toss this


    man out like garbage, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t lift him; otherwise, she would¡¯ve surely thrown him


    out.


    She angrily yelled at the jnmobile man again, ¡°I said wrap it around your lower body!¡±


    Kieran calmly walked towards her, looking down at her from above, then said, ¡°You help me.¡±

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    Chapter 38


    Julie was a no¨Cnonsense gal. Faced with Kieran¡¯s naked body and the option to help him put on a


    towel, she didn¡¯t hesitate to take thetter. Without any shyness, she yanked the towel off of Kieran¡¯s


    body and then wrapped it around his waist.


    Just as she had the towel secured around his waist, he suddenly fell back onto the bed, clutching her


    waist as he went down. Caught off guard, Julie found herself sprawled on top of Kieran,


    With her hands pinned under him, she felt like her fingers were about to break. They were too close for


    comfort, Julie¡¯s face pressed against his chest. His solid muscles warmed her cheeks, making her feel


    like her face was on fire.


    She squirmed, trying to get up, but she couldn¡¯t move with her hands still pinned under him.


    Taking a deep breath, she sternly told Kieran, ¡°Lift your hip!!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Julie was quite a bit shorter than Kieran, barely reaching his chin, even with heels on.


    In her current position, all she could hear was his voiceing from above her. She jabbed him in the


    side with her fingernail, coldly saying. ¡°You¡¯re pinning my hand, so lift your hip so I can get my hand


    out!!¡±


    Surprisingly, drunk Kieran was quite cooperative, immediately lifting his hip. His movement, however,


    was a bit too vigorous.


    The sudden motion of an already naked man made Julie flush in a thin dress. The satin cloth seemed


    to heat up instantly.


    Julie, being so close, instantly felt the heat radiating off him. She only asked him to lift his hip, not to


    ram into her.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Finally freeing her hands, Julie turned to leave. But unexpectedly, Kieran suddenly grabbed her waist


    and twirled her around on the bed. Just when she finally freed her hands, now her whole body was


    trapped.


    ¡°Kieran, are you drunk?¡± Julie had seen Kieran¡¯s charming eyes countless times. His gaze was too


    clear, not at all like someone who was drunk. If it wasn¡¯t for the smell of wine on his breath, Julie would


    have thought he was pretending to be drunk.


    But Kieran ignored Julie¡¯s question, instead intentionally moving his hands that she was pinning down.


    Then, mimicking Julie¡¯s earlier tone, he said, ¡°Lift your hip!!¡±


    Julie was speechless. After chasing this man for half her life, it was the first time she saw him drunk,


    She didn¡¯t expect drunk Kieran to be so shameless.


    Kieran¡¯s request was hard to refuse. She couldn¡¯t keep pinning his hands down, could she?


    Julie looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t stand so close. How can I..


    Before she could finish her sentence, Kieran suddenly grabbed her waist and forcefully lifted her up.


    He was obviously much stronger than Julie. With her weight, he easily lifted her. The distance between


    them, due to Kieran¡¯s action, instantly became dangerously close.

 Chapter 39

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    Chapter 39


    Feeling the change in the man¡¯s body, Julie took a deep breath and, without thinking, bumped her head


    hard against Kieran¡¯s. He was clearly drunk, yet for some reason, he reacted extremely quickly,


    dodging and then spinning her around.


    The nket tightly wrapped the two of them, and Kieran¡¯s weight once again pressed against her,


    making it impossible for her to turn over. Finally, Julie was pissed. She raised her hand, which she had


    finally managed to pull out, and pped it across the man¡¯s handsome face.


    This time, Kieran didn¡¯t dodge The crisp sound of the p echoed in the quiet room, and the hand that


    Julie had used to hit the man instantly stiffened.


    However, Kieran, who was lying on top of her, didn¡¯t seem to be angry. Only when their silence spread


    throughout the room did Julie take the initiative to speak to Kieran, ¡°I know you¡¯re drunk, but Mr.


    Hernandez, we¡¯re divorced. What you¡¯re doing now is breaking into my private property, and to make it.


    worse, it¡¯s rape¡±


    Kieran¡¯s eyes were very deep, and his pupils in the dim light looked even deeper, like an unfathomable


    ocean. Perhaps due to the alcohol, Kieran¡¯s gaze looked somewhat dazed.


    After staring at Kieran for who knows how long, Julie eventually surrendered. She took a deep breath,


    stared at Kieran, and said, ¡°Let me go, and I¡¯ll give you the bed.¡±


    The man finally spoke, his maic voiceing from above her head. He affectionately called her,


    ¡°Joyce, stop messing around. Let¡¯s sleep together.¡±


    Julie thought. This man runs to his ex¨Cwife¡¯s house in the middle of the night, and now he¡¯s


    reprimanding me?¡±


    Just as Julie was thinking this, Kieran suddenly reached out and unhooked the sp of her bra.


    ¡°Kieran!! Julie shouted in rage, grabbing Kieran¡¯s slightly rough hand.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± When Kieran spoke, a sweet scent of red wine seemed to seep from his


    throat.


    With great effort, Julie finally managed to pull his hand from her back, and without a word, she bit down


    hard on his arm. There was a taste of blood in Julie¡¯s mouth, but Kieran seemed to be oblivious to it.


    Looking at her with a gentle gaze, saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sleep with me, let¡¯s do some


    sit¨Cups.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s words instantly opened up all of Julie¡¯s memories. Those words represented those


    unforgettable good times, but those so¨Ccalled good times now seemed like the biggest shame.


    Seeing Julie suddenly fall silent, Kieran smirked. His rough fingers gentlybed her messy hair to the


    sides.


    Kieran looked at Julie with affectionate eyes. ¡°You forgot? Let me help you remember¡­¡± As he spoke,


    Kieran was ready to lean down and kiss her..


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie quickly surrendered. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. No sit¨Cups. Can we just sleep?¡±


    After a long struggle, Julie finally understood one thing, never try to reason with a drunk person.


    Rather than opposing him, it was better to go along with him and satisfy some of his demands.


    Thinking of this, Julie rubbed the man¡¯s head, then gently wrapped her arms around his strong waist,


    and softly said, ¡°You¡¯re hurting me, let me go. Can we just sleep nicely? Hmm? Kieran.¡±


    Julie tentatively tried to gain Kieran¡¯s trust. But to her surprise, he kissed her lips lightly, then looked at


    her with clear eyes and said, ¡°Call me Bro Kieran.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Chapter 40


    How on earth did Julie suddenly forget how sneaky Kieran was?


    Rewinding back to her sophomore year in high school when they were in the same ss. The school


    organized a spring outing, and everyone had to join. The school arranged a bus, but there were two


    extra students. The school was nning to rent another bus, but Kieran suggested that his family¡¯s


    driver could take him. Hearing this, Julie got excited and begged the teacher to let Kieran take her


    along.


    Since Julie and Kieran lived close by, she managed to snag a spot in his car by being shamelessly


    persistent.


    The day before the outing, Julie excitedly found Kieran to buy snacks. Despite his annoyance, Kieran


    was somehow dragged along by Julie¡¯s insistence.


    At that time. Julie¡¯s sister, Sansa, was already a somewhat famouswyer. Julie never expected to


    bump into Sansa at the supermarket after she had managed to drag Kieran there.


    Sansa was with her fianc¨¦, Kyle, and saw Julie being clingy with Kieran. With a raised eyebrow, Sansa


    asked, ¡°Joyce, who¡¯s this?¡±


    Julie, who was holding on to Kieran¡¯s sleeve, faltered when she saw Sansa and Kyle. Although Julie¡¯s


    crush on Kieran was no secret at school, her family strictly forbade dating.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If Sansa and Kyle found out about her secret crush, it would probably be crushed before it even


    started.


    So, Julie had let go of Kieran¡¯s sleeve and gave Sansa a goofy smile. She patted Kieran¡¯s shoulder and


    said, ¡°This guy here is my buddy. We¡¯re in the same study group. He¡¯s the best student, and I¡¯m the


    worst. We¡¯re like siblings, and he¡¯s been so good to me.¡±


    To convince Sansa, Julie poked Kieran¡¯s arm and gently asked for confirmation, ¡°Right, Bro Kieran?¡±


    In hindsight, she had no idea why she called Kieran ¡°Bro Kieran in front of Sansa. She still remembers


    Kieran¡¯s expression then. He furrowed his brows slightly, gave her a deep look, then looked down on


    her, and only after a few seconds, he nodded at Sansa, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re as close as siblings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sansa smiled at Kieran. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be counting on you to help Joyce with her studies.


    She¡¯s never been serious about it.¡±


    Kyle looked at Julie affectionately, then turned to Kieran. ¡°Joyce never puts her mind to study. Sansa


    worries she might start dating at school.¡±


    Kieran, as cold as ever, responded without mincing words, ¡°Joyce is too busy trying to make a


    contribution to the country to date.¡±


    After saying that, Kieran gave a curt nod to Kyle and Sansa and left.


    Julie, panicking, chased after him, tugging at his sleeve. ¡°When did I say I wanted to devote myself to


    the country? I just want to win your heart. Can¡¯t you see that I want to date you?¡±


    Her impassioned questioning made Kieran stop in his tracks. Clumsy Julie bumped into Kieran¡¯s sturdy


    back. She rubbed her nose, looked at his handsome face, and said, ¡°Kerry, why don¡¯t you ept me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do hical sibling love.¡±


    Julie¡¯s enthusiasm was instantly doused by Kieran¡¯s cold response. Since then, Julie vowed never to


    call him Bro Kieran again, only Kerry. But he didn¡¯t acknowledge her until she called him Bro Kieran in


    anger.


    From then on, everyone at school knew that Julie¡¯s confession was rejected, and she was regarded as


    Kieran¡¯s sister. Suddenly, Kieran¡¯s fangirls saw Julie as their chance to get close to him. They stuffed


    her desk with love letters, choctes, and flowers, asking her to pass them on. Those were probably


    the most speechless days of Julie¡¯s life.


    Just when she was about to forget all those memories, he appeared in front of her again, forcing her to


    think back.

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    Chapter 41


    Kieran pressed himself against Julie, his deep eyes filled with a dreamy charm. The dim light blurred


    his silhouette, and the past mernories flooded in like an unstoppable burst of water.


    Despite her reluctance, Julie couldn¡¯t resist Kieran¡¯s entanglement. In the end, she lightly tugged at his


    sleeve and whispered, ¡°Bro Kieran¡± She gave in to


    him.


    When he finally moved off her, his hands clung to her, like a tight hoop spell, showing no sign of letting


    go. After a whole day of being dragged around, Julie was really tired. She struggled a bit, but seeing no


    reaction from Kieran, she gave up and quickly drifted off to dreand.


    Karl, who had just dealt with the car crash, wanted to call and ask if Kieran needed a lift, but didn¡¯t want


    to interrupt his good time, so he just sent a text instead. In the end, he got no reply from Kieran.


    Looking at the bottle of red wine in the back seat of the car, Karl chuckled. He had to admit, Kieran¡¯s


    cunning and calcting personality might¡¯ve just been in his blood.


    After Kieran got off work today, Karl was supposed to drive him home, but Kieran suddenly asked to be


    dropped off at Julie¡¯s building.


    He would never tell Julie that Kieran actually didn¡¯t have a drop of alcohol that night. When the shy


    red Ferrari hit their car, Kieran was holding a freshly opened ss of red wine, not having had a sip yet.


    Karl¡¯s sudden brake caused some of the wine to spill out and stain Kieran¡¯s clothes. At that moment,


    Kieran¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Through the rearview mirror, Karl saw Julie getting out of the car behind them and muttered in surprise,


    ¡°Ms. Abraham?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Julie came up and spoke to him that he confirmed that the person who hit their car was


    indeed Julie.


    Kieran, who had been frowning in the back seat, suddenly lifted his ss and downed the remaining


    wine when he found out the person who hit their car was Julie, then got out of the car without hesitation


    and took Julie home.


    Considering how meticulously Kieran had nned to get into Julie¡¯s room, Karl decided not to disturb


    his good fortune lightly. After the insurancepany towed the car away, he hailed a cab and went


    home.


    That night was exceptionally quiet. A few unknown insects flew by under the streetlight outside the


    window, and a breeze gently lifted the curtains. Kieran turned around and looked at Julie, who was


    peacefully sleeping in his arms. He gently touched her long hair, and then slowly withdrew his hand. In


    the past, Julie was always cold in autumn and winter, always curling up into a ball in Kieran¡¯s arms,


    drawing warmth from him, which made her sleep exceptionally soundly.


    Because of her previous dependence, she had gotten used to Kieran¡¯s unique scent. Now, having not


    cuddled with him for a long time, she found herself sleeping incredibly soundly again.


    Julie¡¯s rm, usually set for 6:30, didn¡¯t go off. When she woke up, the sky was already bright. Tiny


    rays of sunshine fell on the curtains, casting beautiful shadows. The hollowed¨Cout shadows on the pure


    white sheets were exceptionally beautiful.


    Forgetting the other person¡¯s body next to hers, Julie nced at the time and suddenly sat up. Her


    brain was still in a state of confusion, and a pair ofrge hands suddenly encircled her waist and pulled


    her back under the covers. With a stretch of his long arm, he held her tightly in his embrace.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move, sleep a little longer.¡± Kieran¡¯s maic voice, as pleasing as a cello, echoed in Julie¡¯s ear,


    constantly stimting her sensitive nerves¡­.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chapter 42


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Julie asked

 Chapter 42

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    Chapter 42


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Julie asked calmly.


    But the man behind her did not respond. Kieran¡¯s arm was draped over her waist, Julie gently lifted his


    arm and bit down hard on it, jolting him awake.


    Releasing Kieran¡¯s arm, Julie got up and slipped a robe over her nightgown.


    Kieran sat up groggily, looking at Julie. She asked him expressionlessly. ¡°Are you leaving on your own,


    or should I call Karl to pick you up?¡±


    Kieran nced at Julie, then looked down at his wounded arm. She didn¡¯t hold back. His arm was now


    marked with a row of bloody imprints. Without waiting for his answer, Julie simply pulled out her phone


    and dialed Karl. ¡°Your guy¡¯s here, need me to find someone for you?¡±


    On the road, Karl¡¯s hand tightened on the steering wheel. Julie was the first to talk to Kieran like that.


    Before Karl could finish talking, Julie hung up. Then she red at Kieran. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting up yet?¡±


    This time the man obliged, got out of bed, and stood up.


    Julie nced at him, finding the sight of his naked body a bit too much. She casually tossed him a


    towel. Kieran must have really woken up this time. He wrapped the towel around himself and then,


    completely ignoring Julie, turned, and walked into the bathroom.


    Just as Julie was about to speak, the bathroom door was mmed shut from the inside. Considering


    her phone was ringing again, Julie decided not to bother with him.


    Answering Karl¡¯s call, she heard him ask, ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez have breakfast yet?¡±


    Annoyed, Julie replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have dog food to feed him.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Karl weakly responded, ¡°Then would you mind opening the door for meter?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Julie hung up. To avoid Karl ringing the doorbellter, Julie simply left the door ajar.


    Kieran came out of the bathroom after washing his face. His wet forehead and stubbly chin made him


    look rather sexy.


    Julie turned a blind eye and went into the bathroom. As she reached for the toothbrush, she noticed it


    was wet and not in its usual ce. Clearly, someone had used it. Without showing any anger, Julie


    came out of the bathroom with the toothbrush and, in front of Kieran, threw it in the trash.


    Kieran was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through emails on his phone. He made himself at


    home as if this was his workspace.


    ¡°Up.¡± Julie ordered Kieran.


    He obliged and stood up. To his surprise, Julie stripped the bed of its sheets, pillowcases, and


    everything else, and tossed them in the washing machine. Was she not happy with him?


    Kieran watched Julie¡¯s back until she hit the start button on the washing machine. He then stretched


    out on the sofa, casually flipping through emails on his phone, and asked, ¡°Does your sofa need to be


    cleaned?¡±


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    Julie rolled her eyes. Before she could answer, Kieran suddenly dropped his phone and quickly pulled


    her into his arms.


    Caught off guard, Juliended in Kieran¡¯sp, and he was only wrapped in a towel.


    He forcefully turned her face towards him. His eyes were deep like the ocean, his fingers slender as


    they gently brushed her cheek. He leaned in, whispering in her ear, ¡°What did we dost night?¡±


    Julie hated his sudden insinuations. It felt like a thousand ants were crawling in the pit of her stomach,


    and she didn¡¯t know how to make it stop.


    Just as she was about to wriggle out of his grip, a familiar voice came from the doorway, ¡°Are you


    there? I saw the door was open, so ¡­¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Chapter 43


    Elliot was standing at the door, car keys in his left hand, and coffee and a sandwich in his right. His


    eyes were glued to the scene on the couch.


    Julie was in Kieran¡¯s arms, his hand on her waist, and their poses screamed intimacy.


    It was as if time froze at that moment. A few secondster, the silence in the room was broken by the


    appearance of Karl.


    Karl hadn¡¯t expected to see such a juicy scene this early in the morning, and he momentarily forgot to


    come in.


    It was only when Julie suddenly reacted, pushing away Kieran¡¯s hand from her waist and standing up


    abruptly, that Karl snapped out of his daze.


    Kieran, on the other hand, acted like it was no big deal and asked Karl, ¡°Where are my clothes?¡±


    Karl quickly handed a bag with clothes to Kieran. Then, he stood awkwardly next to Julie, waiting for


    Kieran to change. Elliot was still holding breakfast in his hand. Kieran returned from the bathroom,


    dressed in a suit, looking as suave as ever.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Karl then handed the breakfast to Kieran, who gave Karl a cold look. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how to


    read the room. Ms. Abraham¡¯s fianc¨¦ rarely visits. Let¡¯s not bother them and eat breakfast in the car.¡±


    After he finished speaking. Kieran nodded to Elliot and walked out with Karl as if nothing had


    happened. He left just as boldly as he had arrived yesterday. For the first time, Julie truly appreciated


    Kieran¡¯s shamelessness.


    Elliot was standing right in front of her, still holding the breakfast, his eyes glued to her as if waiting for


    her to exin.


    ¡°Have a seat, Julie said, pointing to the couch, maintaining a polite hostess demeanor,


    Eventually, Elliot sat down on the couch, ced the breakfast on the small coffee table, and turned to


    Julie, asking, ¡°Are you and Kieran¡­. still in touch?¡±


    He thought for a while and then asked this.


    Julie smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Sanches, that¡¯s my private matter.¡±


    She thought Elliot would continue to probe, but he simply pointed at the breakfast on the coffee table


    and said, ¡°I bought this just for you.¡±


    Then, looking at his expensive wristwatch, Elliot shed a gentle smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for


    work. I better get going.¡±


    So, Elliot was just here to bring breakfast?


    Julie had to admit that she was somewhat puzzled by Elliot¡¯s intentions. His family was strongly


    opposed to their rtionship, so he should¡¯ve been confined at home now. How was he here?


    She didn¡¯t think too much about it and brushed off Elliot¡¯s actions.


    No sooner had Elliot left than Karl came back.


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Julie asked, feeling somewhat drained at the sight of Karl at the door.


    Karl respectfully looked at Julie. ¡°Mrs. Hernandez¡­


    ¡°Karl, if you call me Mrs. Hernandez again, I¡¯ll tell your wife we¡¯re having an illicit affair,¡± Julie


    threatened effectively.


    In the end, Karl changed his address, ¡°Ex Mrs. Hernandez, here¡¯s the repair bill for the car you hitst


    night. Mr. Hernandez said he would like to discuss thepensation with you face¨Cto¨Cface at lunch


    today.¡±

 Chapter 44

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    Chapter 44


    The first time Julieid eyes on Adeline, she was lounging around in the old Sanches family mansion,


    lookingzy and casual.


    Their second encounter? A restaurant. After all, Julie had scratched Adeline¡¯s car and owed her a


    pretty penny. She couldn¡¯t just skip town.


    So, she met Adeline at the restaurant, totally ditching the task Karl gave her and leaving Kieran


    hanging without a care in the world.


    Adeline was a knockout. Her long, curly hair was draped around her waist, parted on the side, looking


    both soft and business¨Clike. Her beautiful red lips. were slightly upturned, her eyeliner flicking up at the


    edges, and her eyshes long and lush. She was wearing a tight ck dress that made her look


    alluring and sexy. her allure radiating off her even from fifty meters away.


    As soon as Adeline sat down, she ordered a couple of expensive dishes. Julie felt a pinch in her heart


    thinking about the price.


    ¡°Ms. Sanches ¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be formal. You can call me by my name since you¡¯re a looker,¡± Adeline¡¯s lips slightly curved


    as she looked at Julie. ¡°You¡¯re here about the car identst night, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Julie nodded. That morning, she had seen the repair bill Karl sent over. The cost was astronomical.


    Adeline, seeing Julie¡¯s troubled expression,ughed carefree. ¡°I got a callst night. It was Karl, the


    secretary of Kieran, Simpo Co.¡¯s CEO¡­¡±


    When she mentioned that name, a deep interest shed in Adeline¡¯s eyes. Judging from her tone, she


    seemed to be more interested in Kieran than thepensation.


    ¡°You hit Kieran¡¯s car, didn¡¯t you? What did he say, asked you to pay in full?¡± Adeline asked curiously


    Julie didn¡¯t want to talk about it and got straight to the point. ¡°Ms. Sanches, I don¡¯t know how much it


    costs to repair your car, but I know I can¡¯t afford it all at once. I asked you here today because¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I ever say you had to pay?¡± Adeline looked at Julie curiously ¡°You¡¯re such a bore.¡±


    A bore? Really? That was right! If she wasn¡¯t boring, why would Kieran have had an affair with Bertha?


    Seeing Julie spacing out, Adeline said, ¡°I was going topliment you! You hit Kieran¡¯s car! I won¡¯t ask


    you to pay, just help me get Kieran¡¯s phone number using this ident as an excuse. I¡¯ll cover the


    repair costs of Kieran¡¯s car, deal?¡±


    Adeline, a glint in her eye, reminded Julie of her younger self. That passion for Kieran was just as


    bright in someone else¡¯s eyes.


    After a while, Julie looked at Adeline and asked, ¡°Do you like him?*


    I¡¯ll be his wife in the future,¡± Adeline said confidently.


    Seeing Adeline¡¯s beauty and knowing her background, Julie believed she had every reason to be


    confident.


    But¡­


    ¡°For some people loving someone is the start of their own misfortune. So, even if it¡¯s for Kieran, are you


    willing to love him wholeheartedly, even if it means your own misfortune?¡± Julie asked Adeline.


    Julie had asked herself the same question before. If she knew loving Kieran meant misfortune, would


    she have loved him wholeheartedly? However, after much thought, she couldn¡¯t find an answer.


    But Adeline, without any hesitation, said to her, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of flowers wilting, so you never nt


    them. But by being afraid of the wilt, you miss out on the blossom. Do you think that¡¯s worth it? You¡¯re


    so insecure, you¡¯ll miss out on true love sooner orter.¡±


    True love? Julieughed. She looked at Adeline and said, ¡°I¡¯ve loved before, I¡¯m just not sure if the


    person in front of me is still my true love.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re harboring a secret crush?¡± Adeline seemed very interested.


    Julie didn¡¯t feel the need to hide anything and nodded, saying, ¡°I guess! After many years of


    persistence, I came to understand that unrequited love is like a y, where I¡¯m both the director and


    the actress. I bear all the emotions until I set myself a tragic ending. So, if you still have the choice,


    don¡¯t love a man who doesn¡¯t love you back.¡±


    ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, you¡¯ve given up on your crush and are ready to spend the rest of your life


    with someone who loves you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re considering Elliot as a good option?¡± Adeline propped


    her cheek on her hand, leaning on the table, her gaze fixed on Julie.


    Did she really give up on Kieran? Not quite. Even when one of Kieran¡¯sments led to the death of


    their child, she forgave him afterward. That¡¯s why she had looked him straight in the eye, holding the


    divorce papers, and asked Kieran, ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been our child that died in surgery that day, but me,


    would you have been upset?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    It was only after he answered ¡®no¡® that she was truly disappointed. So, the one who really pushed her


    away was Kieran.


    Julie was silent for a few seconds before looking at Adeline and saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t give up on him. He


    gave up on me. I just epted fate.¡±


    Just as Julie finished speaking, the chair next to her was suddenly pulled back. She looked up to see


    Kieran pulling back the chair and sitting next to her.


    He raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep as he looked at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Abraham to be a believer


    in fate.¡±


    Caught off guard by Kieran¡¯s sudden appearance, Adeline instantly lit up, her eyes glued to Kieran¡¯s


    face. She asked excitedly, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, don¡¯t you


    believe in fate?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s voice reached Julie¡¯s ears. He simply said, ¡°No.¡±


    Julie chuckled sarcastically, asking, ¡°Then what do you believe in?¡±


    ¡°I believe in you¡± Kieran¡¯s deep gaze, as if he could see through Julie¡¯s heart, locked tightly with Julie¡¯s


    eyes¡­

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter 45


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Kieran said to Julie with deep affection, ¡°I believe in you,¡± Julie felt a pang in her heart.


    Adeline gave Julie and Kieran a puzzled look as if questioning what was going on between them.


    Shifting the topic, Kieran said to Julie, ¡°I was expecting you to discusspensation with me at lunch


    today, but you didn¡¯t show up¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stand you up. I never agreed to meet with you,¡± Julie cut in, rifying her position.


    Adeline nodded, realizing that Kieran had scheduled the meeting with Julie to discusspensation.


    The restaurant was close to Simpo Co, so it didn¡¯t seem odd for Kieran to be dining there. But Adeline


    was suspicious. Was a car identpensation really something that required Kieran to show up in


    person?


    ¡°The car is mine, Mr. Hernandez. If you want to discusspensation, talk to me,¡± Adeline interjected,


    grinning at Kieran.


    But he barely nced at Adeline before asking, ¡°Were you the one driving?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± Adeline shook her head, then excitedly said to Kieran, ¡°But I can take full responsibility. Give


    me your number, and about the rest¡­


    ¡°Julie,¡± Kieran suddenly called out Julie¡¯s name, his voice clear and maic.


    Julie, who thought she was off the hook and was drinking water, choked when Kieranpletely


    ignored Adeline across the table and called her name.


    Startled, she choked Kieran patted her back. ¡°Still as clumsy as ever, huh?¡±


    Such an affectionate tone¡­.


    Adeline looked at Kieran and Julie, ¡°You two¡­¡±


    Before Kieran could open his mouth to answer, Julie beat him to it, ¡°I¡¯m his ex¨Cwife. We¡¯re no longer


    involved.¡±


    Julie knew it was better to clearly define their rtionship than to let Kieran be vague about it.


    Atst, Adeline understood. ¡°So not all the rumors were false.¡±


    She picked up her expensive Herm¨¨s handbag, a devilish smile ying across her lips as she looked


    at Julie. ¡°Ms. Abraham, since this is your mess, you should take care of the repair costs yourself.¡±


    Adeline¡¯s change of attitude was swift, but she had a point.


    Once the haughty Adeline turned and left, Julie moved her chair closer to Kieran, looking at him.


    After a pause, she finally said, ¡°I¡¯m broke¡±


    The fact that Julie could say this with such confidence didn¡¯t surprise Kieran. He propped his chin on


    his hand, thought for a moment, then looked up at Julie seriously. ¡°Then you can pay with your body.¡±


    Julie looked up, meeting Kieran¡¯s gaze. He must¡¯ve really despised her for saying such a horrible thing.


    Julie was silent for a few seconds, then slowly pulled out her phone and dialed Daphne. ¡°Hey, do you


    know any insurance agents? I mean ones that handle ident insurance.¡±


    ¡°You want to buy ident insurance?¡± Daphne¡¯s voice came over the phone.


    Julie gave Kieran a cold stare, then told Daphne, ¡°Yes, ident insurance. Put Kieran¡¯s name as the


    beneficiary. I n tomit suicide and leave all my insurance money to him so that he can take care


    of himself in the future.¡±


    Kieran was speechless.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Chapter 46


    Julie was quite good at taking a jab, but Kieran just smiled it off every time. In a blink, when Kieran was


    off guard, Julie snatched his phone and hung up


    his call.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran didn¡¯t take it easy. Julie wanted to snatch back the phone, but she knew she was no match for


    him. So, she just quietly resumed her meal.


    In their marital life, Julie had learned to put up with him and adapt.


    Kieran casually unlocked Julie¡¯s phone without a passcode, then dialed her number with his phone.


    Hearing the busy tone, he knew he¡¯d been blocked by Julie. No surprise there.


    Kieran removed his number from Julie¡¯s blocklist,beled his contact as ¡®Ex¨Chusband, and handed


    back the phone.


    Seeing Ex¨Chusband on her screen, Julie turned green with infuriation. ¡°What the hell, Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Just like this, you won¡¯t be able to scam anyone anymore,¡± Kieran said nonchntly.


    Scam? He was giving her too much credit! Was he implying that she deliberately crashed his car


    yesterday, trying to get close to him?


    Julie tosses her phone on the table, staring at Kieran. ¡°I¡¯m broke, you can only wait for my idental


    compensation


    ¡°You mean, you¡¯d rather die than give in?¡± Kieran chuckled, picking up his cup for a sip of water.


    Julie wanted to tell him she had just drank from that cup, but she held back. If he wanted to drink, why


    should she care?


    ¡°Give me some time, I¡¯ll pay for the car repair, she said.


    ¡°How long is ¡®some time? A lifetime?¡± he retorted.


    Julie snorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Mr. Hernandez to be this naive, believing in ¡®a lifetime¡°.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Julie looked at Kieran. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back, even if I have to sell my blood, or


    myself. Give me your bank ount, I¡¯ll transfer the money when I have it. I¡¯m broke now, there¡¯s no


    point pushing me.¡±


    Julie was usually mild¨Cmannered, but when pushed to the edge, she could go to the extreme. Kieran


    knew it. So he didn¡¯t make things harder for her, but he didn¡¯t leave his bank ount with her either.


    Instead he pulled out a bank card from his wallet and handed it to Julie. ¡°Deposit the money into this


    card when you have it.¡±


    It was Kieran¡¯s secondary card, with his name engraved on it, and no limit. He left the card and


    prepared to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Julie suddenly stopped Kieran, asking. ¡°What¡¯s the password of the card?¡±


    ¡°The date of our divorce¡± After saying that, Kieran left Julie with his handsome back facing her.


    Julie was dumbfounded for a while. Her phone had been ringing for quite some time, vibrating on the


    table.


    After Daphne¡¯s call was abruptly hung up, she grew worried and decided to call again. Julie pocketed


    the card and answered the call.


    *Julie, are you okay?¡± Daphne¡¯s concerned voice was heartwarming.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I was just fooling around.¡±


    ¡°Oh good, d you¡¯re okay¡± Daphne didn¡¯t criticize her for the joke, instead, she said, ¡°There¡¯s an


    anniversary celebration at our alma mater tomorrow


    Would you


    like toe with me? There will be lots of outstanding alumni, some will even give speeches. The


    news always makes a big fuss about our alumni. I¡¯m nning to go too. You know I just recovered from


    my illness, and I need someone to help me carry the camera. You¡¯re free now, right? I¡¯ll pay you with


    the magazine¡¯s budget, ok?¡±


    ¡°Sure but pay me a little extra, Julie agreed with augh.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter 47


    Daphne was a Law School alum from Pinnacle University, same as Julie. Even though Daphne didn¡¯t


    pursue a career inw, she¡¯d been making quite a ssh in the magazine industry.


    Years after leaving the campus, standing at the university¡¯s gate, Julie and Daphne found themselves


    lost in memories of their time there. She remembered how every year, when the kapok trees bloomed,


    you could smell a faint sweet scent as you passed through the main gate.


    The roads on both sides of the gate were lined with kapok trees. The scent of the flowers was light, but


    for some reason, Julie had a soft spot for them. They painted the whole campus red.


    Some said that when the kapok flowers bloom, it was the most beautiful time of the year. The dazzling


    red flowers stood proudly on the branches, before quietly falling to the ground. They said that the way a


    kapok flower fell from a branch was quite brave, because it maintained its shape, spinning as it fell.


    Julie didn¡¯t believe this at first, so she once dragged Kieran under a kapok tree, waiting for a flower to


    fall.


    Looking back, it stung a little.


    Walking along the campus road with Daphne, she saw someone had arranged the fallen flowers into a


    heart shape on the ground.


    She was reminded of Kieran¡¯s words. He had said, ¡°Joyce, the kapok flower symbolizes cherishing the


    people around you, and cherishing the happiness you have¡±


    Back then, Julie had nodded in a daze, joyfully responding. ¡°You are my happiness.¡±


    Back then, he was her happiness. Happiness, just like the scent of the kapok flowers. As Julie gazed at


    the flowers on the ground, her expression was a


    bit distant.


    Suddenly. Daphne pulled on Julie¡¯s arm sharply. ¡°Julie, look! Is that Mr. Hernandez? Am I seeing


    things? Did I just spot Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Daphne¡¯s words finally pulled Julie back from her memories.


    Julie looked where Daphne was pointing, but where was Kieran?


    Crowds of people were gathering at the gate for the campus celebration. Julie scanned the crowd but


    couldn¡¯t find Kieran.


    She turned to Daphne with a smile. ¡°He was not a student here, why would he be at our school


    celebration?¡±


    Daphne agreed with Julie¡¯s logic and rxed. ¡°True, Mr. Hernandez was a top student at Futuro


    Business College. Why would he attend our Law School celebration?¡±


    With that, Daphne grabbed Julie¡¯s camera and aimed it at her. ¡°We¡¯re back at our alma mater, we have


    to capture the moment.¡± Her finger was quick on the shutter, and Julie couldn¡¯t dodge in time and


    resigned herself to being captured in the frame.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie and Daphne headed towards the Law School building. Just as they reached the entrance,


    someone suddenly pped Daphne¡¯s shoulder.


    They both turned to see a man in a suit, with a neat hairstyle, excitedly saying, ¡°Daphne? I¡¯m not


    mistaken, am I? I¡¯m Porter, that guy who always sat behind you!¡±


    Daphne instantly recognized him and gave Porter a solid p on the shoulder. ¡°Porcupine? You smelly


    guy, dressing all fancy like this, I didn¡¯t even recognize you!¡±


    ¡°Man, it¡¯s been a long time since I heard that nickname. Feels kinda nice.¡± Porterughed it off, then


    turned to Julie. ¡°Julie, didn¡¯t expect you here. Are you following your idol?¡±


    ¡°What idol?¡± Daphne frowned at Porter.


    Porter gave Julie a meaningful look. ¡°Kieran! Heard he donated five million to the school on behalf of


    Simpo Co., and he¡¯s giving a speech in the auditorium right now. But you guys arete, it¡¯s probably


    almost over.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Chapter 48


    her gut reaction was to skedaddle.


    Nowadays, the moment Julie heard Kieran¡¯s name,


    ¡°Sorry, Porter, Daphne and I have something to attend to, we¡¯re gonna bounce¡± Julie forced a smile,


    grabbed Daphne, and was ready to split the scene. But just then, behind her came the confident voice


    of Raul, thew school professor, ¡°Julie? Running away as soon as you see me? Are you afraid I might


    eat you?¡±


    Raul, in his sixties, looked at Julie with kindly eyes. She had no choice but to turn around and face the


    music. But what she didn¡¯t expect was that standing next to Raul was the dean, and¡­ Kieran.


    He was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt paired with a blue¨Cgrey striped tie, formal and elegant.


    He stood amongst a group of leaders, radiating brilliance, calmly chatting with the dean.


    Seemed like she was not getting off the hook today. Because Raul was already pointing at her,


    laughing as he said to Kieran, ¡°Kieran, this is Joyce, who was head over heels for you, remember?¡±


    Back then, Julie¡¯s pursuit of Kieran was indeed crazy, like she would do anything for Kieran, just


    unstoppable.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Raul brought this up. Porter immediately chimed in, ¡°Yeah, at that time Kieran said, if Julie could


    jump off the top of the school building, he would be her boyfriend. Julie was really determined back


    then, she even hired a professional parachuting team to perform a stunt at our school during summer


    break, which was way higher than the school building.¡±


    Back then, her family hadn¡¯t gone bankrupt yet, Julie was the pampered princess of the family, and


    didn¡¯t worry about any life issues. Her biggest goal in life was to chase after Kieran


    Bringing up such past memories, Julie now felt that she was really bold back then. How did she


    manage to not care about her image?


    Even the dean enjoyed reminiscing about the past. ¡°Thanks to Julie¡¯s leap, it made social media news


    and gave ourw school a big shout¨Cout!¡± Many students gathered around, originally drawn by Kieran¡¯s


    poprity and good looks, but ended up being attracted by Julie¡¯s glorious deeds. All of them threw


    admiring nces at Julie.


    Daphne knitted her brows,ughed at the dean, and as if to protect Julie, said, ¡°That¡¯s water under the


    bridge! Please don¡¯t bring it up again, Julie will be embarrassed. She was just a naive kid back then!¡±


    While saying this, Daphne gave Kieran a meaningful nce.


    The dean and Raul both burst intoughter. Many old ssmates gathered around after the scene, all


    starting tough and reminisce about the past.


    Porter stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s chow time, I¡¯ve already booked a table at a restaurant, my treat. We can


    chat while we eat, sound good?¡±


    Everyone agreed to his suggestion.


    Viviana, a long¨Clost ssmate, walked up to Porter, smiled at Julie, and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each


    other for years, I haven¡¯t heard from you since we graduated. We have to catch up on what you¡¯ve


    been doing these years!¡±


    Viviana, Daphne, and Julie used to share a dorm. But during school, Julie rarely went back to the dorm.


    She didn¡¯t spend much time with Viviana, but Julie knew Viviana and Porter often bickered with each


    other. But surprisingly, Viviana ended up marrying her least favorite, Porter, and they seemed quite


    happy


    Julie thought Kieran would be too busy to attend the lunch gathering, so she agreed. The dean and


    Raul had other things to deal with, so they declined Porter¡¯s invitation and left.


    Julie thought Kieran would do the same. But to her surprise, Porter enthusiastically said to Kieran, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, could you join us for lunch? Although you¡¯re not a graduate of ourw school, you are an


    outstanding student of Futuro Business College, and you aced your degree at our university, everyone


    knows about this!¡±


    Julie instinctively looked at Porter and chuckled. ¡°Mr. Hernandez is so busy, he probably doesn¡¯t have


    the time¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, how about this, I¡¯ll pick up the tab for this meal, how does that sound?¡±


    Kieran softlyughed.


    Porter was taken aback for a moment, then immediately responded with a smile, ¡°No problem, it¡¯s all


    the same, Mr. Hernandez, right this way.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter 49


    In the private room of the hotel.


    It seemed like everyone was conspiring, despite so many avable seats, they¡¯d left the one next to


    Julie for Kieran. By the time Kieran came back from his call, the only spot left was next to Julie,


    Daphne, worried, whispered to Julie, Julie, should we swap seats?¡±


    Julie shook her head. Swapping seats now would only make things more awkward, wouldn¡¯t it?


    She tried to keep things lowkey. The first half of the dinner went smoothly until Porter, having had too


    much to drink, suddenly became mncholic and started reminiscing about the past. He even blurted


    out to Julie, Julie, you have no idea, I used to admire you so much, you were so head over heels in


    love! Why didn¡¯t you end up with Mr. Hernandez? Here, Julie, I toast to you, for love, for youth!¡±


    With that, Porter handed Julie a full ss of hard liquor


    They were old ssmates, and it had been long since theyst saw each other. They always had so


    much to catch up on when they gathered. After a few drinks, everyone was a bit tipsy. They all stood up


    and egged Julie on, ¡°Come on, Porcupine¡¯s right, for love, for youth¡® Julie, you gotta drink this one.¡±


    Julie knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave without downing the drink.


    Daphne, who just had an appendectomy, could not drink, otherwise, she would have stepped in and


    drunk it for Julie.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Knowing that she had to drink the liquor, Julie bravely picked up the ss and downed it in one go.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Julie to be so gutsy! Viviana, you should toast to Julie, weren¡¯t you guys roommates?¡±


    Porter suggested.


    Viviana, always up for a good time, raised her ss and smiled at Julie. ¡°Julie, here¡¯s to you.¡±


    Julie, already blushing from the drinks she¡¯d been sipping, shook her head andughed. ¡°I can¡¯t hold


    my liquor well, I¡¯ll make a fool of myself if I get drunk. How about I stick to juice?¡±


    That¡¯s no fun. How about we y Quarters? If you win, I drink. If you lose, you drink two?¡± Viviana was


    always up for a challenge.


    Julie quickly waved her off. ¡°No way, I don¡¯t know how to y¡±


    ¡°How about Rock, Paper, Scissors then?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the side, suggesting it


    casually.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but nce at Kieran, mentally chewing him out.


    Vivianaughed. ¡°Alright then, if you win, I drink, and you can pick the next challenger. If you lose, you


    keep challenging until you win. After we go around the table, we pick a new champion. Sound good?¡±


    Everyone agreed to Viviana¡¯s proposal. If Julie refused, she¡¯d seem like a party pooper.


    Porter said, ¡°It¡¯s a reunion, we¡¯re here to have fun, Julie, don¡¯t hesitate!¡±


    With nowhere left to go, Julie was forced to y along. Surprisingly, she breezed through all the


    challenges andnded in front of Kieran without any


    issues.


    As she looked up at Kieran, their eyes met, and Julie froze. The room, which was bustling just a


    moment ago, suddenly fell quiet. You could hear a pin drop.


    Chapter 50

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Chapter 50


    Julie nced at Kieran, and Kieran suddenly lowered his headzily, looking at Julie standing in front


    of him, asking. ¡°Julie, what are you nning?¡± Julie looked at Kieran¡¯s cunning face and smirked. I go


    with rock, Mr. Hernandez, are you going with scissors?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Kieran stretched out his hand, his expensive watch adding elegance to his wrist


    After one look at Kieran, Julie knew she couldn¡¯t trust this sneaky man. If she went with rock, Kieran


    would definitely go paper, so she should go scissors. But considering Kieran¡¯s intelligence, he could


    definitely guess her move. So, Julie, originally nning to go with rock, switched to paper.


    However, the man across from her, true to her words, honestly went scissors. Julie was instantly


    devastated. Porter, who enjoyed the drama, burst intoughter Julie, you out of luck?¡±


    Kieran smirked, revealing a mischievous smile. ¡°Julie, not keeping your word, huh?¡±


    Then he picked up the red wine next to him and poured a full ss for Julie.


    Julie took the ss and downed it. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t keep her word, but she didn¡¯t expect Kieran


    to be so honest!!


    She drank two sses in session, feeling a little dizzy. ording to the rules, Julie lost and had to


    continue challenging Kieran. However, the man across from her calmly asked again, ¡°Julie, what are


    you going with this time?¡±


    This was a mind game. Julie directly told Kieran, Tm going rock, you go scissors!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kieran agreed clearly


    Julie, already a bit tipsy, went rock, but the man across opened his hand, enclosing her fist.


    Julie, feeling the effects of the alcohol, said to Kieran, ¡°Why are you not keeping your word? Didn¡¯t we


    agree you¡¯d go scissors?¡±


    ¡°Julie, it¡¯s a game, not a promise.¡± Kieran was shameless to the core.


    Julie stood up, ready to protest against Kieran. However, she slipped, her fist was grabbed by Kieran,


    and she rushed straight into Kieran due to the


    momentum.


    Kieran quickly caught Julie by the waist, who was obviously drunk. Her face flushed, looking at Kieran


    with a confused expression.


    Seeing this, Daphne, who was standing aside, immediately stood up and held onto Julie. ¡°Julie!¡±


    Julie hadn¡¯t gotten up from Kieran¡¯sp yet. She saw Daphne, then suddenly did something shocking.


    She reached out, pinched Kieran¡¯s face, thenughed like a fool, telling Daphne. ¡°Daphne, let me tell


    you, this man who¡¯s always bullying me, is actually¡­ my husband!¡±


    After that, she touched her flushed cheeks, looking at Kieran with a face full of infatuation.


    Oh no, Daphne saw Julie acting like a fool. She must¡¯ve been drunk again! Daphne had drunk with


    Julie before. Alcohol could solve many worries, but when Julie got drunk, she always mistook people


    around her for Kieran. Therefore, Julie hardly ever drank outside, and getting drunk today was all


    Kieran¡¯s fault.


    When Julie got drunk, she was as crazy as when she was chasing Kieran


    Daphne was worried things would get out of hand, so she tried to pull Julie from Kieran¡¯s arms while


    awkwardly saying to everyone, ¡°Julie¡¯s like this when she¡¯s drunk, you guys¡­


    ¡°Who¡¯s drunk? I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Julie interrupted Daphne before she could finish.


    Daphne was helpless, so she pulled the drunk Julie out of Kieran¡¯sp.


    In the room, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Kieran, and Kieran¡¯s gaze was following the direction Julie left,


    staring nkly. After a while, he tidied his suit. Then slowly, he stood up.


    Just as he was about to take a step out, Julie, who was pulled out, suddenly came back. Everyone¡¯s


    eyes fell on her, and Kieran, who had stood up, locked his deep gaze on Julie.


    She suddenly fell on the ground, grabbing his suit pants, clutching tightly, crying desperately, ¡°Honey,


    can we not divorce?¡±


    Daphne was standing at the door; seeing the scene in front of her, she was stunned, even forgetting to


    pull Julie back.


    Kieran frowned, bent down, pulled the woman holding his pants up, then held her up and walked


    towards the door.


    Daphne reacted and was about to follow Kieran to the door but was stopped by Karl¡¯s assistant.


    Karl respectfully stood by the car door, opening it for Kieran. Daphne could only watch as Kieran put


    Julie in the car, and then watched the car drive away. As soon as Keran got in the car, he raised the


    partition in the car,pletely separating the driver¡¯s seat and the back seats. Julie was wearing a


    white dress, but because of therge movements she was just making, two buttons on the front had


    come undone, revealing her beautiful curves.


    Kieran¡¯s throat tightened, he squinted and reached out towards Julie, but before he could button up her


    dress, she pushed him away


    The sudden force caught Kieran off guard, and he fell back onto the seat Before he could catch his


    breath, Julie suddenly pounced on him. She pinned him down with her hands on either side of his ears,


    her small body sprawled on his chest like a little bear, even arching her buttocks up


    This position made Kieran somewhat irritated. He held onto Julie¡¯s waist, his voice a bit hoarse ¡°Get a


    grip, do you even know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    At this moment, Julie was practically glued to him. She was wearing only a chiffon dress, and the thin


    layer of fabric pressed tightly against his body, letting him clearly feel her body heat.


    Kieran¡¯s temperature was also steadily rising.


    He tried to move her off him. But the harder he tried, the tighter she clung to him, even wriggling on


    him, causing the buttons of his shirt toe undone. The entire carriage was filled with an ambivalent


    atmosphere


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and turned over to pin her under him. He looked down at the


    woman beneath him, her face flush, her full red lips slightly pouted, exuding an enticing allure. While he


    was entranced, she instinctively reached out to grab his shirt, like clutching at a lifebuoy.


    Her face was flushed and hot, her breathing intermingling with his. The drunken Julie was hot all over,


    with a thinyer of sweat seeping out of her


    forehead


    Julie began to fumble with the buttons of his shirt irritably. Kieran frowned, grabbing her hand, and


    pinning her arm to his side. Suddenly, she lifted her chin and captured his lips, then lightly licked his


    lips.


    His breath hitched, he used all his strength to hold her chan, pushing her face away Julie¡¯s hands were


    free, and a smug smile tugged at the corner of her


    mouth


    Before he could react to what her smile meant, he suddenly felt a chill! His pants had somehow slipped


    down, and her soft hand was on his cock¡­.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51


    Julie, snap out of it!¡± Kieran helplessly tried to calm down the woman who was acting crazy drunk. He


    didn¡¯t anticipate that his loud shout would suddenly quieten Julie down


    Her clear eyes, with an innocent look, stared at him. Her hair was a bit messed up, but there was a


    laziness to it.


    After a while, just when Kieran thought it was safe to let her go, she softly bit her lip and whispered.


    ¡°Bro Kieran, Fim Joyce.¡±


    Kieran intensely stared at the woman beneath him, her soft voice was like poison, slowly corroding his


    heart.


    A whileter, the car finally stopped. When Kieran looked at her again, he found that she had fallen


    asleep.


    Kieran opened the car door, and with a faint smile, he looked at Julie¡¯s carefree sleeping posture. He


    bent over to enter the car, gently picked her up, and headed towards the vi


    Julie smelled a bit of alcohol Kieran knew she liked to be clean, so he first gently ced her on the bed


    and then went to run a bath.


    A drunk Julie was really hard to handle. When Kieran finally managed to get her into the bathtub and


    turned around to get a towel, she suddenly slid down into the tub. With water flooding her mouth and


    nose, Julie who was just asleep a moment ago, suddenly jumped out of the tub, coughing violently.


    Kieran wiped her face and patted her on the back. Just as he was about tofort her, Julie suddenly


    pped his face.


    ¡°Do you want to kill me?¡± Julie red at Kieran


    Her long nails actually scratched Kieran¡¯s face. Kieran¡¯s face started to sting, and he frowned. The only


    person who would dare to p him like this was probably Julie


    He knew Julie was drunk, and couldn¡¯t do anything to her. But just as she had pped him a moment


    ago, she reached out to p him again. Kieran quickly grabbed Julie¡¯s wrist. ¡°Are you nning to p


    me again, so my face can be bnced?¡±


    Julie shook her head, looking at Kieran with a cry in her voice, then suddenly burst into tears, crying


    loudly ¡°You don¡¯t want me anymore, and you want to kill me. Do you hate me that much? Bro Kieran,


    how can you hate me like this? I don¡¯t mind your rtionship with Bertha, I don¡¯t mind that she¡¯s


    carrying your child, I even don¡¯t mind if you let her give birth to the child. I don¡¯t mind anything, I¡¯m


    loving you so humbly, I don¡¯t ask you to love me, but why, why did you want to kill our baby, why!!¡±


    Kieran released Julie¡¯s hand, and Julie¡¯s outstretched hand fell down, punching Kieran¡¯s chest over and


    over again. Once she got drunk, she revealed her most vulnerable side. The words that she dared not


    say deep inside, at this moment, seem justified. Her crying was so heartbreaking that it seemed to


    shake the entire vi


    Kieran gently stroked her back, over, and over. When her crying calmed down a bit, he helped her dry


    her body and then carried her out of the bathroom. Her petite body was wrapped in a soft white towel.


    She had lost a lot of weight than before. Her once slightly plump chin now looked even more slender.


    On her small face, her long eyshes were particrly attractive.


    Kieran gently tucked her in with a soft quilt, intending to turn around and find a shirt for her. However,


    he didn¡¯t expect Julie, who had just calmed down to suddenly reach out and grab his sleeve. Her


    expectant gaze fell on his eyes as if gently holding him back.


    Kieran still turned and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank, signaling Kieran¡¯s approach.


    Julie suddenly grabbed his neck, pushed him down, and then, wrapped in a bath towel, straddled him.


    ¡°You tell me, what¡¯s so special about you? Why can you do this to me? Why do you make me upset?¡±


    Julie said, while pulling at his tie, her actions a bit wild ¡°I¡¯m going to conquer you today, see if you still


    dare to keep appearing in my mind over and over!¡±


    In Kieran¡¯s memory, he had seen Julie¡¯s rogue side, and seen her pretending to be good to please him,


    seen her fighting like a hooligan with others, and even seen her making variouspromises for him.


    But he had never seen Julie lose control like this when she was drunk. Right now, Kieran felt like he


    was Julie¡¯s favorite food, ready to be devoured at any moment.


    Based on Julie¡¯s current state, he might¡¯ve ended up beingpletely consumed.


    His tie had already been pulled open by her, and now Julie was battling with his shirt buttons. Her


    slender fingers kept pulling, trying to take his shirt off. She was still so naive. Who said that in order to


    conquer him, she had to start by taking off his clothes?


    Kieran supported Julie¡¯s waist to prevent her from identally falling off the bed. With her making such


    a fuss, Kieran was afraid that if things continued. he would end up losing control.


    He held her waist, turned her over, and pressed her under him, her hands still stubbornly unbuttoning


    his shirt. Only those clear eyes were now looking at him with a bit of lear


    ¡°Have you had enough fun?¡± The man¡¯s voice echoed softly in the silent room.


    His tone made Julie suddenly feel very hurt. Julie pouted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get a divorce¡­


    ¡°I know,¡± Kieran replied softly


    Julie tightly held his hand, her eyes full of grievance. ¡°Divorce really hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°I know¡± He looked at her softly, his eyes full of affection.


    Julie¡¯s eyes reddened, and she bit her lip lightly I hate you¡­ Kieran, I hate you!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He patiently responded to her,forting her.


    Not until her eyes gradually closed and she fell asleep peacefully, did Kieran gently release her hand


    that he had been holding tightly. He got up from her side, then gently took her into his arms


    Their fingers tightly intertwined, and he held her tightly from behind. Her soft long hair, with the


    fragrance of shampoo, gave him a great sense of peace.


    The night in the vi was very quiet as if one could hear the rustling of the leaves outside the window


    That night, Julie had a dream, in which she was still Kieran¡¯s wife. She dreamt she was at a vi in


    Noblewood Retreat in the yard, there was a beautiful wicker chair, right next to a white swing. The


    swing was intertwined with vines, golden ginkgo leaves gently falling onto it, then drifting onto the green


    On thewn, there was a pile of building blocks. A cute little boy was sitting there, building a castle with


    Kieran. She sat on the wicker chair, carefully peeling fruit Kieran watched her, his lips curled into a


    small smile.


    He wore a white shirt, just like she remembered him, and even when he was just sitting quietly, he


    looked like a beautiful painting


    The dream was too beautiful, so beautiful that Julie didn¡¯t want to wake up. If it wasn¡¯t for the harsh


    sunlight outside, maybe she could have stayed in the dream a little longer.


    The sunlight from the window shone on Julie¡¯s face, she frowned and then opened her eyes. She was


    stunned for about half a minute before she came to


    her senses.


    She realized that the reason she had such a dream was because she was actually at the vi in


    Noblewood Retreat.


    Julie couldn¡¯t remember what happenedst night, her memory stopped before she got drunk. The


    sound of water from the bathroom brought her back to reality.


    Kieran! The name shed through Julie¡¯s mind. She knew, the person taking a shower in the bathroom


    in the morning was definitely Kieran.


    Julie started to panic, she had never been this panicked before. She immediately sobered up, threw off


    the nket, and started looking for her clothes from yesterday, but she couldn¡¯t find them. Julie


    carefully walked to the wardrobe.


    Bertha had just passed away, and there must¡¯ve been some clothes left. She cautiously opened the


    wardrobe door but was surprised to find that the wardrobe was filled with brand¨Cnew clothes. From


    underwear to shoes and bags, everything was there.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Different seasons, different styles, different colors, different types¡­ But all in one size, her size.


    Julie didn¡¯t have time to think, she grabbed a set of clothes and put them on. Then she nervously


    nced at the bathroom door to make sure Kieran hadn¡¯te out yet, and ran barefoot downstairs.


    As she went downstairs, heart pounding, Julie opened the shoe closet, wanting to confirm if her shoes


    were still there. Instead of her own shoes, she found seven or eight pairs of delicate ts. Julie grabbed


    a pair, they were just her size.


    She knew Bertha wore a size 6, but she was a 5.5.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Kieran would prepare so many pairs of size 5.5 ts. Julie randomly


    grabbed a pair and put them on. Then, she ran out of the vi like she was escaping.


    At the entrance, a ck Bentley pulled up, right in front of Noblewood Retreat. The car door opened,


    and a little boy wearing ck overalls and a cute t¨Cbrimmed cap came out.


    A woman in her forties followed him, anxiously calling out, ¡°Ivan, you can¡¯te here today¡­¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52


    Julie actually adored kids and had daydreamed about what she and Kieran¡¯s child would look like.


    Although she figured it would be better if their child Inherited more of Kieran¡¯s traits, the thought still


    filled her with excitement.


    However, with the copse of her failed marriage, her once soft heart shattered into pieces. So when a


    cute little boy with a baseball cap popped up in front of her, her heart almost skipped a beat.


    The kid was wearing a baseball cap, and all she could see were his feet in ts.


    At that moment, Julie was standing at the entrance of the Noblewood Retreat vi, blocking the path of


    Ivan


    He looked up along Julie¡¯s legs, and finally had to remove his cap to see who was standing in front of


    him. She was wearing an off¨Cshoulder white dress withce embroidered on it. The dress was


    designed fabulously, and dazzling rhinestones were on her pure white ts.


    To Ivan, the makeup¨Cfree Julie looked stunningly beautiful.


    She look a second look at the little boy and was about to leave, when Ivan suddenly let go of his


    intention to find his dad and grabbed Julie¡¯s dress.


    Julie stopped, looked down at the child, frowned, then squatted down and touched his head. ¡°Do you


    want to get in this vi?¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Even though Ivan was young, he could tell that the beauty in front of him didn¡¯t seem to like this ce


    much. So, he decisively shook his head, saying, ¡°My home is next door.¡±


    ¡°Ivan¡­¡± A nanny in her forties behind him tried to talk but was cut off by Ivan. ¡°Shush or I¡¯ll get your


    boss to fire you! Always nagging!¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t know whether to continue talking or not. The kid sure had a temper.


    Ivan extended his little chubby hand, and touched Julie¡¯s hand. A cute little smile emerged showing his


    tiny canine teeth. ¡°Hey, beauty, I bet you don¡¯t have a boyfriend. Wannae home with me and be


    my girl?¡±


    This was the first time Julie was hit on by a kid. Totally forgetting that she was at the entrance of


    Kieran¡¯s vi, she smiled at the child and said, ¡°You think we are a good match?¡±


    ¡°Sure we are! I can do anything! If not, you can be with my dad, and I can be with you!¡± The child


    winked at Julie, so cute that she couldn¡¯t help but want to pinch him.


    The nanny behind didn¡¯t dare to step forward, not because she was scared by Ivan¡¯s words, but


    because this was the first time the whimsical little master was being so friendly to a woman.


    All the previous nannies, regardless of their appearance or body shape, were all scared away by Ivan


    without exception.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but touch the little boy¡¯s face and said, ¡°If I was with your dad, your mom might not


    agree.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s not good¨Clooking and not skilled. He couldn¡¯t find me a mom.¡± Ivan liked the smell of Julie,


    light and faint. Although he was too young to describe it, in his heart, he had already decided that his


    encounter with Julie was love at first sight, just like on TV!


    He looked at Julie carefully and asked, ¡°Are you married?¡±


    Julie met such a lively and cute child for the first time. She felt a bit sad, but managed to squeeze out a


    smile and said, ¡°I am married.¡±


    ¡°Did you marry the man who lives here?¡± Ivan pointed to the vi behind Julie, where Kieran was.


    Julie figured, since Ivan lives next door, it made sense that he knew Kieran. She shook her head, then


    looked at Ivan with meaning and said, ¡°The man here doesn¡¯t like children, you better note here


    too often.¡±


    In Julie¡¯s memory, Kieran didn¡¯t like children.


    Hearing this, Ivan felt a chill in his heart. He held Julie¡¯s hand, acting mature. ¡°Babe, let me tell you, I


    come here often. The guy here is great, handsome, rich, and super smart! He¡¯s raising a kid, but that


    kid and I get along really well. He¡¯s as tall as me, as handsome as me, and even more sensible than


    me! He won¡¯t drag you down! If you get divorced, you should marry this guy!¡±


    Ivan praised Kieran and himself to the skies, fearing that he might¡¯ve left a bad impression on Julie.


    Through Ivan¡¯s description, Julie remembered that Kieran was still inside. She couldn¡¯t imagine how


    awkward she would feel when she saw Kieranter. so it would be better to run away. Julie touched


    Ivan¡¯s face and quickly stood up. ¡°See you, kiddo!¡±


    She just left. Did he say something wrong? Ivan looked sad and ran after Julie, shouting as he ran.


    ¡°Beautifuldy, you haven¡¯t told me your name yet!¡±


    *Julie ¡°Somehow, Julie stopped and told the little boy her name.


    Ivan was satisfied, held Julie¡¯s hand, puckered his tender little mouth, and kissed the back of Julie¡¯s


    hand, then said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Mama Julie!¡±


    Julie smiled helplessly and denied, ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Ivan quickly took out a small business card from his pocket and handed it to Julie, his tender voice


    saying, ¡°Mama Julie, you must call me, you must!¡± Julie looked down at the card. On it was written


    ¡®Ivan in a mboyant font, along with a phone number. He was so bossy at such a young age, yet Julie


    couldn¡¯t dislike him


    The little boy looked at her seriously and said, ¡®Marna Julie, you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve given my card


    to!¡±


    ¡°Ivan, your father is looking for you!¡± The forty¨Csomething woman behind him, holding a phone in her


    hand, apparently had received instructions. Julie didn¡¯t waste any more time, she nodded at Ivan and


    vanished at the entrance of Noblewood Retreat.


    Ivan was humming a tune, twirling his hat in his hand, and looking at the maid with excitement,


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kerry?¡±


    ¡°Kerry¡­ Mr. Hernandez is expecting you¡± The maid spoke too quickly and nearly called her boss by his


    name like Ivan did.


    Ivan jauntily walked into the mansion. Kieran was standing by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, holding a


    cup of coffee, his gaze intense. If it wasn¡¯t for this


    little guy showing up, Julie wouldn¡¯t have left so easily.


    Excited, Ivan ran over and hugged Kieran¡¯s leg so suddenly that Kieran almost spilled his coffee.


    ¡°Kerry, can you gel me a nanny?¡± Ivan looked up at Kieran excitedly


    What the hell?


    ¡°Who was it that said if I got you a nanny, I¡¯d be out of line?¡± Kieran handed his coffee to the butler next


    to him, then bent down to pick up the little guy. He plopped him on the couch, looked down at him, and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s your game now?¡±


    The little guy took out his phone like it was a treasure, showing off a picture he had just taken of Julie¡¯s


    back. He handed the phone to Kieran and said. ¡°Kerry, get her to be my nanny! I promise I won¡¯t make


    trouble! I swear!¡±


    He understood that the previous nannies had been scared off by him. Ivan had earned his reputation.


    Kieran looked at the picture that Ivan treated like a treasure, and suddenly smiled, a dark smile.


    After leaving Noblewood Retreat, Julie dialed Daphne¡¯s number on the side of the road. Luckily, she


    was smart and had taken a few tens of dors from Kieran¡¯s wallet before leaving.


    Daphne picked up the phone quickly. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Daphne, where are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re still alive?¡® Daphne¡¯s surprised voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Julie frowned and then heard Daphne say, ¡°Hurry up and rescue me, I¡¯m at the restaurant we ate atst


    night, room 23 on the 23rd floor. Kieran¡¯s people locked me up all night. You¡¯re out there enjoying your


    freedom, but I almost died, you know?¡±


    Julie braced herself, took a taxi to the hotel and got Daphne out.


    Only then did she ask, ¡°What happened after I got drunkst night¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. You¡¯ll cry if you knew the truth, really.¡± Daphne looked at Julie. ¡°After Kieran took you


    awayst night, I went out to find you, but Kieran¡¯s men took me straight to the hotel. They didn¡¯t let me


    out all night. I called you but you didn¡¯t pick up. Seeing how forward you were with himst night, I was


    really afraid Kieran would call me to identify your body today¡±


    She almost got it on with Kieranst night? Julie couldn¡¯t remember anything. She rubbed her head,


    frustrated, and started banging her head against the


    wall


    To distract Julie, Daphne put her hand on Julie¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have some good


    news for you. Porter has opened aw firm and is hiring. I¡¯ve already inquired about their situation. You


    may not have much practical experience, but you¡¯ve kept yourwyer¡¯s license all these years. Porter


    said if you don¡¯t mind, you can start as an intern. The sry is a bit low, but the benefits are great. Do


    you want to give it a shot¡­¡±


    ¡°Daphne¡­¡± Julie looked at Daphne a little ufortably.


    Even if Julie didn¡¯t say anything, Daphne could guess what she wanted to say. Daphne looked at her


    with some disappointment. ¡°You can¡¯t give up on your career inw because of Kieran, right? Some


    grudges, a few years is enough. Why make yourself miserable? Lawyers make good money, and you


    can help Sansa too, you¡­


    ¡°Daphne, thank you. I just wanted to say thank you.¡± Julie suddenly interrupted Daphne.


    Daphne¡¯s gaze froze, then after a few seconds, she finally smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact Porter now!¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53


    Daphne was a real go¨Cgetter, always quick on her feet and never one to dilly dally. She said she would


    call Porter and boom, she was already dialing. Porter agreed to let Julie start working the very next day


    Daphne left Julie¡¯s number with him and hung up, only to find Julie pacing nervously on the spot.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡® Daphne asked.


    ¡°I lost my phone, did I leave it at the restaurantst night?¡± Julie frowned. Even though the phone was


    old, it was still important to her.


    Daphne shook her head ¡°When you leftst night, Mr. Hernandez took your phone with him. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know where I can get a simple, cheap phone? Just for making calls¡± Julie had no intention of


    asking for her phone back, or rather, she didn¡¯t want to see Kieran in the near future


    Daphne rolled her eyes at Julie You¡¯re being a total wimp!¡±


    She took out a spare phone from her bag and handed it to Julie. ¡°Just use this for now. Judging by the


    way you were actingst night, I guess you don¡¯t want to see Mr. Hernandez ever again¡±


    ¡°How crazy was Ist night?¡± Julie asked Daphne incredulously.


    ¡°Crazy as a mad cow¡±


    Julie decided to put thoughts ofst night on hold for now. Since her phone was in Kieran¡¯s hands, she


    didn¡¯t have to worry about him calling to ask questions


    However, she was being too naiv


    When Julie took the bus home, she stopped by the market to pick up a couple of veggies to cook, then


    headed home.


    As she reached the entrance of her apartmentplex, Ada, her next¨Cdoor neighbor, gave her a


    knowing look and said, ¡°Julie, I was going to introduce you to my cousin¡¯s son! But it seems you


    already have a boyfriend!¡±


    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Julie frowned in confusion.


    Ada chuckled. ¡°That young man is very handsome, you know. You¡¯re not getting any younger, better


    hurry up. Oh, I can¡¯t chat now, my grandson is waiting for me to cook dinner!¡±


    Ada walked off, leaving Julie standing there with two bags of groceries. After a few seconds of silence,


    she realized that the only men who knew where she lived and hade to see her were Elliot and


    Kieran.


    At this thought, Julie nced at the door just a few steps away. Whether it was Kieran or Elliot, she


    didn¡¯t want to see either of them. So, Julie quickly turned around, only to bump into a solid figure. Her


    nose throbbed with pain. Julie rubbed her small nose and then saw a pair of shiny ck shoes


    She looked up and Kieran¡¯s handsome face immediately filled her view.


    Finally realizing who it was, she quickly stepped back.


    ¡°What exactly is it about me that makes you so eager to avoid me?¡± Kieran asked, a clear smirk on his


    face. He was likely amused by Julie¡¯s clumsy


    attempt to escape.


    Without responding, Julie just picked up her groceries and headed for her apartment.


    Kieran calmly followed behind, matching her pace.


    Suddenly, Julie stopped and turned to face him. ¡°What do you want?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Kieran countered.


    In the end, Julie gave in. She left her groceries at her doorstep, then turned to face the man behind her.


    He was standing at the entrance of the staircase. The old, worn¨Cout stairs of the apartmentplex


    were overgrown with vines. He was wearing her favorite white shirt, standing quietly in front of her. The


    fading sunlight of the sunset filtered through the gaps in the trees in front of the stairs, casting a dim


    glow on Kieran¡¯s white shirt.


    The scene was as beautiful as any of Julie¡¯s daydreams over the years.


    She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk!¡±


    ¡°I just want to date you. There¡¯s nothing else to discuss¡±


    Julie was taken aback for a moment, then found her voice, looking at Kieran firmly. Then let¡¯s not talk.


    Just leave. Don¡¯te to my house, or show up in front of me I¡¯ll repay the money I owe you.¡±


    He sauntered towards her, one hand in his pocket. With every step he took towards her, he seemed to


    get closer. Each footstep sounded like it was echoing in Julie¡¯s heart. Finally, he stood right in front of


    Julie.


    As Julie tried to step back, she was held in ce by his warm, strong hand around her waist. His arm


    tightened, forcing Julie to close the gap between them. He looked down, meeting her defiant gaze. His


    deep voice resonated in her ears. ¡°What about what I owe you? Don¡¯t you want it back?¡±


    What did he owe her? A child? Or a love? Either way, she didn¡¯t want it back.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    In Kieran¡¯s arms, Julie¡¯s gaze was calm and steady. All she said was, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    At that moment, Julie was oddly looking forward to seeing Kieran¡¯s reaction. Would he be angry? Or


    would he remain expressionless? But in the end, he just took out the phone she¡¯d left behind the night


    before, waved it in front of her, and said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d care. But since you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    And with that, Kieran made a gesture to throw her phone away. Who would¡¯ve thought that what Kieran


    owed her was just a phone. Women did have a wild imagination!


    Julie quickly reached out, grabbing onto his wrist as if afraid he¡¯d actually throw the phone away. Even


    standing on tiptoes, she barely reached hin shoulders. Kieran towered over her, his shadow engulfing


    her


    Looking down at Julie, who was standing on tiptoes trying to snatch her phone from him, Kieran was


    reminded of a child.


    Kieran suddenly fell silent, and Julie froze, realizing how intimate her actions were. She quickly let go of


    his hand But Kieran bent down, took her wrist, and ced the phone in her hand


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever lose your phone again, he said, then turned and walked away


    Suddenly, a clear memory popped into her head, from back when they were still in high school. One


    Christmas, Julie insisted on dragging Kieran to the supermarket to buy ingredients, then insisted on


    dragging him to the pedestrian street for dinner.


    She wanted grilled skewers, but the line was too long. She told Kieran to wait for her, but when he


    turned around with a bottle of water, Julle was no longer in the queue.


    Julie was short and easily got lost in the crowd. She managed to buy the skewers, but when she got


    back, Kieran was nowhere to be seen. So she started looking for him. As expected, with poor sense of


    direction, Julie got lost at pedestrian street.


    Kieran searched several blocks for her, only to find her squatting at his front door like a stray cat, her


    eyes red from crying, clutching cold skewers in her hand.


    Seeing Kieran, Julie stood up and threw herself into his arms, clenching his shirt. You can¡¯t leave me


    behind. There¡¯s only one of me in this world, the only one who loves you like this. What if you lose me?


    I like you, only you. Even if there are millions of people in the world, none of them canpare to you.


    So you can¡¯t lose me, you can¡¯t lose me¡­¡±


    The skewers smelled kind of nasty, and the all stains smeared all over Kieran¡¯s white t¨Cshirt. Despite


    being a bit of a clean freak, he finally touched her hair gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get lost again.¡±


    Julie¡¯s eyes welled up. Those old memories were awoken by a few words. It was not the same scene,


    yet Kieran¡¯s simple sentence opened the floodgates of her memory, making it uncontroble.


    Some people, some things, were unforgettable. Although in the end, people didn¡¯t always remember


    them.


    As Kieran left, the setting sun once again illuminated Julie¡¯s face.


    His fading figure distracted Julie for a while. It took her a while toe back to her senses, then she


    looked down at her phone. She didn¡¯t lock up when she got home and went into her room with her


    groceries.


    She swiped her phone screen to call Daphne back, but as soon as she did, a scream came out of her


    phone. ¡°You don¡¯t want me anymore, you want to kill me. Do you hate me that much? Bro Kieran, how


    can you hate me like this? I don¡¯t mind about you and Bertha, I don¡¯t mind she¡¯s carrying your baby, I


    don¡¯t even mind if you let her have the baby. I don¡¯t mind anything, I love you so much, I don¡¯t ask for


    your love, but why, why do you want to kill our baby, why!!¡±


    ¡°You tell me, what makes you so great? Why are you treating me like this? Why do you want to make


    me sad?¡±


    ¡°Today, I will make you surrender! Let¡¯s see if you dare to keep appearing in my mind!¡±


    Julie was instantly not okay, her phone dropped onto the carpet. She was extremely agitated, lying on


    the couch, her head buried under the pillow, holding the pillow, starting to feel desperate¡­ She knew


    Kieran definitely wouldn¡¯t be so nice to just give her the phone back for nothing!!


    After a night of depression, Julie woke up with dark circles under her eyes the next day. She had to


    cover them up with foundation, then hurriedly took her resume to Porter¡¯sw firm.


    Porter had already arranged everything, and told Julie to report directly to the HR department. The HR


    manager Jacob took Julie to the office, then said to her, ¡°Find a seat for now, we¡¯ll give you work to do


    after the morning meeting.¡±


    She chose a seat nearby. There was about ten more minutes before the meeting started.


    Julie, who always kept a low profile, didn¡¯t attract much attention, as everyone was gathered around


    theputer, passionately discussing. She was a


    bit far from them, only catching bits and pieces of their conversation, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is such a decisive


    man, really assertive! I like it.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, totally Kieran¡¯s style! Creative Nexus Media is probably in big trouble now!¡±


    Julie frowned, not quite understanding what they were discussing.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54


    As soon as Porter walked into the office, he saw Julie sitting right at the entrance. He nced at the


    circle of employees engaged in conversation, pped his hands, and said, ¡°Alright guys, chill out for a


    sec, I want to introduce y¡¯all to our new colleague, Julie. She¡¯s a top¨Cnotch student from Pinnacle


    University, graduated as the cream of the crop.¡±


    The employees finally noticed Julie and started apuding.


    Julie gave a slight smile. ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Julie. Thanks for having me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Porter, you bring such a pretty new face to our firm. Aren¡¯t you afraid your folks at home will have a


    problem with that?¡± Grant joked, which made Julie feelfortable with thepany¡¯s atmosphere.


    Porter shot Grant a look and said, Julie¡¯s a brainiac. She wouldn¡¯t give me the time of day. We¡¯re all


    free birds at my ce.¡±


    After saying that, Porter turned to Grant and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving Julie in your hands. Since she


    graduated, she hasn¡¯t worked in the field, so she¡¯s still new to this. Make sure you show her the ropes.¡±


    Turning back to Julie, Porter said, ¡°Grant is one of our top dogs here at the firm. Stick by his side, you¡¯ll


    learn a ton. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t get, just


    holler.¡±


    Grant walked over to Julie and joked, ¡°I¡¯m not really the best at our firm. Porter¡¯s just pulling your leg.


    He¡¯s the real deal.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Quit fooling around¡± Porter called out to everyone. ¡°I want everyone in the conference room in five


    minutes.¡±


    Grant handed Julie a notebook and a pen, then led her into the office, following behind Porter. Porter


    was already sitting in the boss¡® chair, not paying too much attention to Julie, to avoid any unnecessary


    chit¨Cchat.


    He switched on hisputer and asked everyone, ¡°Did y¡¯all catch the headlines today?¡±


    Everyone promptly nodded and started sharing their opinions, ¡°Creative Nexus Media is pretty much


    done for. I always thought Bertha was really Mr. Hernandez¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and they were about to tie the


    knot. Who would¡¯ve thought it was all smoke and mirrors by Creative Nexus Media¡±


    Listening to the firstment, Julie was a bit lost.


    Grant, sitting next to her, also chimed in, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is personally suing Creative Nexus Media for


    spreading false rumors and tarnishing his reputation. This is definitely going to court.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Porter nodded, starting his analysis, ¡°Simpo Co¡¯sw firm is Sterling & Associates. Unlike our


    de Law Firm, they¡¯re big shots when ites to business disputes. We, on the other hand, are


    pros at personal disputes. From what I¡¯ve heard, Mr. Hernandez is currently looking for awyer for the


    Creative Nexus Media case. You catch my drift?¡±


    Grant nodded. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ we should try to bag this case?¡±


    Porter nodded at Grant. ¡°You¡¯ve handled cases for Simpo Co.¡¯s PR department before, so you¡¯ll be


    leading the charge on this. If Mr. Hernandez has other ns, I won¡¯t hold you responsible. But if we can


    land this case, you¡¯ll be in for a big payday. All other attorneys will be backing you up.¡±


    Julie was still in a daze when Porter suddenly mentioned her ¡°Grant, take Julie with you. Let her get a


    taste of the job, learn a few things.¡±


    The meeting ended and Julie was still trying to figure out what had just happened. All she knew was


    she had to go all out to persuade Kieran to choose de Law Firm.


    Grant walked over to the dazed Julie, lightly patted her shoulder, and handed her two files. This one¡¯s


    about Mr. Hernandez, and this one¡¯s about his secretary, Karl Get to know them first, we gotta know


    our opponents to have the upper hand. Get ready, we¡¯re going to Simpo Co. this afternoon.¡± Julie took


    the files, and Grant reminded her, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to check out the news rted to this that was


    posted online this morning¡±


    Julie went back to her seat with the files and started checking the news about Kieran on her phone.


    After going through a few of the most recent articles, she finally figured out what was going on.


    The night Elliot proposed to her, Kieran had rified that Bertha was not his fianc¨¦e. The next day, the


    news made the headlines. Although people were surprised, they didn¡¯t think much of it.


    A few dayster, Sterling & Associatesw firm suddenly posted a statement on the Simpo Co. official


    website on behalf of Kieran, iming that Creative Nexus Media had not verified the news of Kieran¡¯s


    engagement to Bertha. The audio and video files were edited, which had damaged Kieran¡¯s


    reputation.


    Then, the official ount posted a live broadcast of Kieran¡¯s interview,pletely exposing Creative


    Nexus Media¡¯s lies. This caused a great stir, and Julie was probably thest to know.


    After understanding the whole story, Julie knocked on Porter¡¯s office door. ¡°Mr. Porter¡­¡±


    Upon seeing Julie, Porter quickly stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mr. Porter, it sounds too formal. What can I


    do for you?¡±


    ¡°I want to start from the basics¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling embarrassed aboutst night?¡± Porter chuckled. ¡°With Grant, you can learn a lot of


    useful stuff. Let¡¯s pretendst night didn¡¯t happen. Daphne already told me, you and Kieran don¡¯t have


    anything special going on. Since there¡¯s nothing special, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. Also, if we


    can win this case, the bonus will definitely include your share.


    Bonus. This meant there was money to be made, and money was the driving force for survival, the


    lifeline for Julie!


    In the end, Juliepromised, but only for the money. The only solution she coulde up with was


    to hide behind Grant as much as possible and


    avoid Kieran


    In the afternoon, Grant drove Julie to Simpo Co.. During her marriage with Kieran, Julie had never


    been to this ce. She had seen this magnificent building on TV countless times, but it was only when


    she first stepped into this building that she began to marvel at the scale of Simpo Co-


    All the front desk staff were dressed in neat uniforms, their demeanor pleasing to the eye.


    Julie originally thought that the de Law Firm had scheduled a meeting with Kieran, but she did


    not expect that after Grant took her into the lobby, he left a business card at the front desk and then


    took her to sit on the couch in the lobby


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here, I asked my cousin. Mr. Hernandez¡¯s driver will drive straight to the entrance before he


    gets off work, Mr. Hernandez will definitely pass by here, if we wait here, we¡¯ll definitely have a chance


    to meet Mr. Hernandez¡±


    Julie looked at Grant in surprise. ¡°We didn¡¯t make an appointment?¡±


    Do you think anyone can get an appointment with the busy Mr. Hernandez? If everyone could, wouldn¡¯t


    Mr. Hernandez be run ragged? Grant nced at Julie and grinned


    So, Julie had no choice but to sit on the couch with Grant and wait for Kieran to get off work,


    In the CEO¡¯s office on the 23rd floor, Karl knocked on Mr. Hernandez¡¯s office door and walked in to tell


    Kieran, ¡°Mr. Kieran, your wife is downstairs.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s hand, which was in the middle of signing documents, suddenly stopped, and he looked up at


    Karl. He was certain that Julie would absolutely not take the initiative toe to him.


    Karl exined, ¡°Your wife is now an intern at the de Law Firm, she came with the people from


    the firm, probably wanting to take over the case between you and Creative Nexus Media¡±


    Kieran was slightly surprised that Julie would intern at de Law Firm.


    Karl stood in ce waiting for Kieran¡¯s instructions. After a while, Kieran said, ¡°What are you standing


    there for? Are you waiting for me to invite you for


    dinner?¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡± Karl was at a loss for words, unsure whether his boss wanted his wife toe up or


    wanted her to leave.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not waiting for a dinner invitation, then have the driver stay in the parking garage and don¡¯t


    bother driving to the main entrance¡± Kieran said.


    Hearing this, Karl turned around and instructed the driver to stay in the garage, ording to Kieran¡¯s


    wishes.


    Maybe it was from the fatigue of the past two days, but Julie, who was initially waiting for Kieran at the


    door with Grant, identally fell asleep. When she woke up again, it was already dark.


    Only a few people were left in the lobby, Julie nced at her watch and realized that Kieran should


    have already gotten off work by now. She frowned and asked Grant, ¡°Attorney Grant, it¡¯s already dark,


    should we continue waiting?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez hasn¡¯te down yet, let¡¯s wait a bit more! He might be working overtime.¡± Grant was


    a very determined person, his perseverance exceeded Julie¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t do overtime.¡± Julie blurted out.


    Grant suddenly looked at Julie. ¡°How do you know Mr. Hernandez doesn¡¯t do overtime?¡±


    She knew very well that Kieran was an extremely efficient person, and he would never spend more


    than 45 minutes on a task that could bepleted in an hour. Therefore, he never worked overtime,


    always finishing work early If it was past his off¨Cwork time and he still hadn¡¯t appeared, it meant he had


    already left.


    But Julie couldn¡¯t just tell Grant these things directly. So, she could only give an awkward smile and


    answer, ¡°I¡¯m just guessing.¡±


    Grant gave Julie a nce and didn¡¯t bother her anymore. But he might have thought her words made


    sense, so in the end, he let Julie go home and rest.


    Julie thought Grant had given up, but who would have known that early the next morning, before dawn,


    she received a call from Grant. ¡°Julie, I¡¯m outside your house, hurry up ande out, we¡¯re going to


    find someone early today.¡±


    ¡°Find who?¡± Julie was still groggy from sleep,pletely clueless.


    Then, the doorbell rang

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55


    Even when Grant led her to the front door of Simpo Co. Julie was still in a state of surreal disbelief


    She nced at her watch, and it was only 6:40 am.


    Unlike other workaholic leaders, Kieran had a very regr schedule and usually wouldn¡¯t show up at


    thepany before 7:30 am


    Julie looked at Grant helplessly and asked, ¡°Grant, have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    *?


    Grant handed Julie two pieces of bread, saying, ¡°I got these especially for you. After this contract is


    signed, I¡¯ll treat you to a feast.


    Seeing Grant¡¯s work ethic, Julie finally understood why Porter wanted her to follow Grant. What boss


    wouldn¡¯t want to cultivate more enthusiastic employees like him?


    After eating the two pieces of bread, Julie waited a bit more with Grant.


    Employees started to trickle in, and the lobby of Simpo Co gradually got busier.


    The receptionist from yesterday had already recognized Julie and Grant and greeted them with a polite


    smile.


    Kieran didn¡¯t expect Grant to bring Julie so early, so he had his driver park right in front of Simpo Co.


    As soon as he entered the lobby with Karl, Grant pulled Julie towards him.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, hello. I am the Chief Lawyer from de Law Firm, Grant,¡± Grant respectfully


    handed Kieran a business card.


    However, Kieran didn¡¯t take the card, his attention entirely on Julie, who was hiding behind Grant.


    Julie knew the encounter was awkward.


    Unable to bear Kieran¡¯s gaze, Julie guiltily looked away.


    Karl took the business card from Grant


    When Grant looked at Kieran, he noticed his gaze was not on him, but intensely focused on Julie.


    Grant timely pulled Julie from behind him, and with a beaming smile, said to Kieran, ¡°This is our intern


    lawyer from de Law Firm, Julie We hope Mr. Hernandez could give us a few minutes¡­


    ¡°Julie¡­¡± Kieran suddenly interrupted Grant, calling Julie¡¯s name.


    The maic sound of her name from his lips stirred strong desires within her.


    Grant dared not speak further, overpowered by Kieran¡¯s aura.


    Julie knew that Kieran was waiting for her to speak, for her to ask him for a chance.


    Sometimes, she felt that Kieran was sadistically enjoying the process of deriving his pleasure from her


    misery


    After a few seconds of mental struggle, Julie finally mustered the courage to look up at Kieran: ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, the reason we came here is¡­¡±


    Before Julie could finish, Kieran suddenly reached out and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.


    His slightly rough fingertips tenderly brushed her delicate red lips.


    The sudden gesture left Julie petrified, unsure of how to react.


    The employees in the lobby of Simpo Co. stopped in their tracks, watching as Kieran treated a strange


    woman with such tenderness. It felt like an inappropriate disy of intimacy that could make


    tomorrow¡¯spany internalwork headlines.


    Kieran deliberately brushed Julie¡¯s red lips with his fingertips, finally pinching a breadcrumb from the


    corner of her mouth.


    Then he gently looked at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys pay attention to your appearance when doing


    business?¡±


    With that, Kieran turned and walked into the elevator.


    Only when the elevator doors closed did Juliee to her senses.


    Kieran wasn¡¯t just mocking her, he was mocking herpany too!


    She angrily wiped her lips, ring at the elevator door as if she could bore a hole through it with her


    gaze.


    After ncing at Julie a few times, Grant finally said, ¡°This is a good start!¡±


    ¡°What is?¡± Julie¡¯thought she heard wrong.


    Kieran was clearly mocking her just now, and in a broader sense, she might be damaging her


    company¡¯s image.


    But Grant didn¡¯t seem to think so. Instead, he smiled at Julie and said, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve made a deep


    impression on Mr. Hernandez. Now we exist in his eyes, which should smooth out the following


    process. So yes, this is a good start.¡±


    A deep impression?


    Julie scoffed inwardly. The impression she left on Kieran was probably more than just ¡®deep¡®


    While Julie was lost in thought, Grant suddenly started taking a closer look of her appearance.


    Julie felt ufortable being looked over from head to toe, saying, ¡°Do I still have breadcrumbs on my


    face?¡±


    Grant shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I suddenly understand why the boss wanted you to join me on


    this project


    Julie looked at Grant, puzzled, ¡°And why is that?¡±


    Because of your beauty. I didn¡¯t think you were especially beautiful when I saw you alone, but when


    you stood next to Mr. Hernandez, you were particrly alluring. You exude a certain indomitable spirit!


    How should I put it, peopleplement each other. Now that I see it, your features are really delicate


    and you have a good figure. No wonder you caught Mr. Hernandez¡¯s attention Mainly because you are


    different from other women around Mr. Hernandez, you have a graceful demeanor. Maybe Mr.


    Hernandez is tired of his luxurious lifestyle and finds your simple way of life refreshing!¡±


    Julie lost in her thoughts


    Grant was right, considering Kieran¡¯s weird behaviortely. Julie reckoned it¡¯s probably because


    Kieran¡¯s grown tired of his posh lifestyle and finds her simple life kinda appealing


    And so, he waltzed back into her life with his hot nning to settle down¡® attitude.


    And he used their past memories to break down her defenses again and again.


    After convincing herself of this, Julie found her lips, where Kieran had just kissed, increasingly


    ufortable.


    She rubbed her lips with her hand.


    Grant¡¯s getting all hyped up on the sidelines. You need to be confident, Julie. If you put your back into


    it, you might just win Mr. Hernandez¡¯s heart, change your fate, and be the Mrs. Hernandez!¡±


    If this was said many years ago, Julie might have been thrilled for days. But now, she just gave a faint


    smile and asked Grant, ¡°So are we still waiting for him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course we are waiting for him!¡± Grant insisted.


    Julie didn¡¯t argue, just quietly headed to the lounge area like she did yesterday.


    Grant, sitting on the couch, was surprised as he touched the cushion, They changed the couch? It was


    a hard and low quality one yesterday, now it¡¯s a full down¨Cfilled one? But yeah, it¡¯s definitely more


    comfy than the hard one.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t pay this any mind and pulled out her phone to check the news.


    Noon.


    Finally, lunchtime. Even though Julie¡¯s skinny, her appetite is not small at all. She only had two pieces


    of bread all morning and she could clearly feel herself on the verge of passing out


    Luckily, Grant¡¯s thoughtful. As soon as it hit noon he offered, ¡°You wait here for Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯ll go


    grab something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Grant, I want carbs, get me pasta.¡± Julie said straight up.


    Grant gave Julie a surprised look and then headed out the door.


    However, not long after Grant left, Karl walked up to her and said, ¡°Ms. Abraham, Mr. Hernandez can


    spare you twenty minutes. He asks you to go upstairs to see him now¡±


    Julie was actually prepared for a long wait, she even thought Kieran would definitely make her suffer


    and keep her waiting downstairs for a few days.


    But unexpectedly, he generously let her go upstairs to see him. Ignoring the fact that Grant went out to


    buy lunch, she quickly grabbed the relevant documents and followed Karl upstairs.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She thought to herself: even if Kieran tortures herter, she¡¯ll take it. It¡¯s better than him avoiding her all


    the time.


    Actually, Julie hoped Kieran would straight up reject de Law Firm, so she wouldn¡¯t feel torn.


    Because she was certain, Kieran would absolutely not cooperate with de Law Firm.


    Karlled Julie straight to the conference room and knocked on the door.


    A cold voice came from inside, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Julie had seen Kieran countless times, but she had never been as nervous as she was now. Holding


    the documents Grant prepared, she stood at the door, like a student waiting for the teacher to check


    her homework.


    After Karl knocked on the door, he turned and left, leaving Julie alone.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Julie finally pushed open the conference room door.


    Kieran was sitting in the CEO¡¯s chair, looking at Julie indifferently.


    It was not until Julie walked up to the conference table that he calmly said to Julie, ¡®Please sit.¡±


    Julie pulled out the chair closest to Kieran and sat down.


    ¡°Are you ready to ask me for help?¡± Kieranzily propped up his leg, his eyes sharply looking at Julie.


    To think this was Kieran¡¯s opening line, Julie felt like thest bit of her dignity was shattered.


    Julie put the documents on the table, didn¡¯t hand them to Kieran, just maintained herst bit of pride


    and said to Kieran, ¡°I won¡¯t beg you.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat first then Saying this, Kieran pulled out the lunch Karl had prepared from under the


    conference table, neatly cing each dish in front of


    Julie


    Julie was speechless.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56


    The table was filled with dishes that Julie loved


    Juhe was starving, but she couldn¡¯t touch the delicious meals in front of her it was pure torture What


    pissed her off even more was Kieran handing her a


    fork and a knife


    He was tempting her!


    Julie held back her hunger and made no move to use the cutlery


    Kieran picked up a piece of steak and ced it in Julie¡¯s bowl.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He said curth. Tat¡¯


    Sorry. Mr. Hernandez I¡¯m on a diet. They had be strangers, and calling him ¡®Mr. Hernandez felt


    oddly natural.


    Kieran put down his utensils and looked up.


    She was very skinny, but kept iming she was dieting.


    Kieran frowned, 1 don¡¯t like skinny women.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting, as my life goal is to lose weight.¡± Julie replied, her smile not betraying any ws.


    She was a pro at this


    Kieran suddenly closed the distance between them, ¡°Isn¡¯t your life goal me?¡±


    ¡°I was young and naive then. I didn¡¯t know what to pursue, but now I¡¯ve found the right goal and I¡¯m


    ready for the fight. Mr. Hernandez, you and Creative Nexus Media¡­¡±


    ¡°Eat or leave. Your choice.¡± Kieran cut off Julie¡¯s unfinished sentence harshly


    Julie stared at Kieran for a few seconds in silence, then she gathered her documents and prepared to


    leave


    ¡°Wait! Kieran called from behind


    Instinctively. Julie stopped, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, anything else?¡±


    ¡°Dine with me, and I¡¯ll give you time to talk about the merits of de Law Firm. Or you can leave


    now. I¡¯m sure youll find another job when you lose


    this one


    Kieran was threatening her again


    All he had to do was make a call to make her unemployed. If Kieran ordered Porter to fire her, Porter


    would certainly obey


    Kieran¡¯s threat was credible Julie really reeded this job. No otherpany would offer an intern such a


    high sry.


    So, Juliepromised and picked up a piece of steak with her fork and ate it


    Seeing her back down, Kieran was satisfied.


    Julie was focusing on her lunch, not daring to look up at Kieran across the table.


    But Kieran continued to serve her food.


    He even peeled her favorite shrimp and ced it in front of her neatly


    Finally, Julie couldn¡¯t help but stop.


    She looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°I¡¯m full,¡±


    ¡°Leave the documents and you can go. Kieran picked up the de Law Firms documents from the


    table, adjusted his suit cor elegantly, and then


    left


    Julie sat alone in the conference room


    Karl came over and knocked on the door, ¡°Ms. Abraham¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he just leave?¡± Julie pointed at Kieran¡¯s retreating figure, ready to chase after him.


    But Karl stopped her at the door, ¡°Ms. Abraham, the president asked me to apany you


    downstairs.¡±


    Then Karl led Julie to the elevator.


    In Simpo Co¡¯s lobby, Grant was still holding two meals. Seeing Julie and Karling out of the


    elevator, Grant immediately went up to greet them.


    ¡°Karl ¡°Before Grant could finish, Karl just smiled at him and turned back to the elevator.


    Grant had to pull Julie over and urgently asked, ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez call you upstairs?¡±


    Julie came to her senses and casually said, ¡°I found an opportunity to go up by myself. I snuck the


    documents onto Mr. Hernandez¡¯s desk. Whether Mr. Hernandez will read them, I don¡¯t know¡±


    She couldn¡¯t exactly say that Kieran invited her up for lunch, could she?


    Grant clearly didn¡¯t believe Julie¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t expose her lie Instead, he said, ¡®Let¡¯s eat first!¡±


    Julie shook her head, clutching her stomach and furrowing her eyebrows in difort, ¡°My stomach


    hurts, I really can¡¯t eat anymore, thanks though, Grant


    ¡°Do you need me to get some medicine from the pharmacy?¡± Grant asked.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°A little rest will do


    In the end, Grant helped Julie rest on the couch and then they both idled away the afternoon together


    Just before they were about to leave work, Grant suddenly said to Julie, ¡®Simpo Co only has two exits,


    either the underground parking lot or the main entrance We¡¯ll split up and wait for Mr. Hernandez. Do


    you want to go to the parking lot, or the entrance?¡±


    Julie was speechless Grants perseverance was beyond her expectations.


    Julie gave a bitter smile. Yesterday Kieran left from the parking garage. Today, knowing they were still


    waiting at the main entrance, he would surely leave from the garage again


    With that in mind, Julie said to Grant, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll wait in the lobby!¡±


    Grant patted Julie on the shoulder, ¡°Good luck! I¡¯m going to the garage¡±


    After saying that, Grant turned and left.


    On the twenty-third floor.


    Kieran stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the bustling scene below. He calmly asked, ¡°She


    hasn¡¯t left yet?¡±


    Karl nodded, ¡°They split up. Grant went to the garage, and Ms. Julie is in the lobby¡±


    Tell Austin to bring the car to the front entrance¡±


    After finishing his sentence, Kieran picked up his jacket, casually slung it over his arm and walked into


    the elevator


    Julie had predicted Kieran wouldn¡¯t leave from the front entrance, so she was currently reading a


    Simpo Co. magazine on the couch.


    She was focused on her reading, her profile showing off her delicate features.


    Kieran had just entered the lobby when he saw this.


    Just as Julie was focusing in reading, a sexy voice suddenly came from behind, ¡°Waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°Ahr


    Taken aback by the unexpected voice, Julie spun around instantly.


    Her red lips nearly brushed against the mans cheek. She rever imagined that Kieran would be


    sneaking up behind her.


    Startled, she fell back onto the couch, dropping the magazine she was holding. Her hands braced


    against the back of the downy sofa, her eyes wide with fear.


    Kieran stood behind the couch, leaning over with his hands casually resting on the back of the sofa,


    looking down at Julie.


    He was in a charcoal grey suit, a matching tie over his white shirt, and a silver tie clip that brought out


    his elegant charm.


    Julie¡¯s scream had drawn the attention of everyone in the lobby


    Who would have thought that Kieran would suddenly appear behind her? Julie picked up her magazine


    to hide her face, frowning at Kieran.


    Kieran seemed to be enjoying this little prank. He straightened up, a smile ying at the corners of his


    mouth, and reached out to Karl


    Karl handed over the documents Julie left to Kieran


    Kieran nced at the documents and asked Julie. ¡°What¡¯s the scope of awyer¡¯s work?¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden question, Julie paused. Then she instinctively replied. ¡°ording to


    Article 25 of the domestic Lawyer¡¯s Law, the legal services provided bywyers include


    Halfway through her sentence, Julie stopped, looking up at Kieran with confusion, ¡°Why do I need to


    answer this question?¡±


    ¡°Because Article 25 of the Lawyer¡¯s Law states that awyer¡¯s job is to protect the rights and interests


    of their clients, and to uphold the implementation of thew Ms. Abraham, you¡¯ve been hanging out


    downstairs of mypany for two days, can i count on you to protect my interests fully?¡±


    Protect him?


    She¡¯d rather take the chance to give him a hard time.


    Even if he hadn¡¯t publicly announced his engagement to Bertha, even if he could dere to the world


    that he and Bertha were just friends, Julie knew better than anyone that five years ago, Bertha had


    given birth to his child


    His behavior was so cold. Bertha was still around and he was already trying to distance himself from


    her.


    In the end, Julie didn¡¯t directly answer Kieran¡¯s question, but smiled and said, ¡°Attorney Grant is a top


    lawyer in the firm, known for his meticulous work ethic and excellent abilities. He will ensure that the


    rights of our clients are not vited. You can rest assured, Mr. Hernandez


    Julie had matured, no longer the little girl who used to cling to him, nor the naive girl who would endure


    tears silently


    Kieran chuckled, then handed the document to Julie, and said to Karl, ¡®Get her in the car¡±


    Karl said to Julie, ¡°This way please, and pointed to the entrance.


    At that moment, all eyes in the lobby were on Julie. She kept her face hidden behind the magazine and


    finally had no choice but to follow Karl out


    Grant heard people talking about what just happened in the parking lot and rushed into the lobby, only


    to see Julie getting into the car with Kieran


    In the car, Kieran calmly recited Julie¡¯s home address.


    Jule didnt refute, but after a moment of silence, she said to Kieran, ¡°You never intended to give


    de Law Firm a chance from the start, did you?


    The silence in the car made Julie have no expectation of Kieran.


    However, just when she thought Kieran wouldn¡¯t answer her question, he suddenly turned to her and


    said, ¡°Whether de Law Firm gets a chance depends on how much you¡¯re willing to sacrifice for


    them.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter 57


    Sacrifice? Julie fell that she had nothing left to lose.


    She reached out and gently moved away Kieran¡¯s hand that was pinching her chin, her voice steady as


    she asked, ¡°What value do you think I have, Mr. Hernandez¡±


    After asking this question, Julie thought of many possible replies from Kieran, but she didn¡¯t expect him


    to remain silent, plunging the car into an eerie quiet. Given the silence in the car and her understanding


    of Kieran, if she didn¡¯t initiate a conversation, the rest of the journey would likely be spent in this


    eerie quietness.


    So, Julie finally took the initiative to say to Kieran, ¡°If you never intended to give de Law Firm a


    chance. I think you should have told me straight up even if it¡¯s just out of courtesy.¡±


    ¡°How long can you hold on?¡± Kieran suddenly asked, looking at Julie.


    Julie frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Standing at the gate of Simpo Co, how long do you think you can hold on? Kieran¡¯s deep gaze was


    locked on Julie


    Inside the car was warm, but Julie felt a chill. She looked at Kieran andughed sarcastically, ¡°So,


    wating downstairs forever won¡¯t make a difference, will


    As the scenery outside the window whizzed by, the lights of countless homes were bright, and traffic


    was heavy Julie¡¯s gaze rested in Kieran¡¯s eyes In his eyes, there was only her figure. Then he suddenly


    said, ¡°kiss me


    Upon hearing Kieran¡¯s words, all of Julie¡¯s fantasies were shattered. And in her eyes, Kieran became


    an outright weirdo.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Julie suddenly ordered the driver up front.


    Naturally, the driver didn¡¯t listen to Julie¡¯smand. The car continued to move slowly in the traffic,


    and Kieran¡¯sughter came from the side, Porter hired you to win me over as a client. But it seems that


    Porter¡¯s n has failed. For de Law Firm, you¡¯re not even willing to sacrifice a kiss Joyce, to get


    something, you have to pay a price.¡±


    ¡°There are two kinds of people in this world who are not worth paying a price for One is the ungrateful


    people, and the other is perverts Congrattions, Mr. Hernandez, you fit both categories¡±


    ¡°Ha ¡°up front, Karl and the driver Austin couldn¡¯t help butugh at thisment.


    Mr. Hernandez wasnt happy, so he raised the car¡¯s partition


    However, the car came to a smooth stop Unknowingly, they had arrived at Julies house


    Julie got out of the car, and Kieran followed closely behind. Kieran followed Julie all the way up to her


    apartment, and only when they reached the door did Julie turn around and say to Kieran, ¡°Sorry. Mr.


    Hernandez but I dont entertain strange men here¡±


    ¡°Not too bad, we¡¯re notplete strangers, at least you know my surname Kieran replied with a smile


    Julie answered with a straight face, Mr. Hernandez, don¡¯t you know that exes can be considered


    familiar strangers in this world?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t argue with Julie, instead, he bent down to pick up the spare key that Julie had hidden


    under the mat, then walked past Julie and opened her apartment door


    Julie had thought that Kieran wouldn¡¯t remember where the key was because he was drunk thest


    time, but Kieran¡¯s precise action made Julie feel


    naive.


    He had already seated himself on Julie¡¯s small two-seater sofa, and then patted the seat next to him,


    looking at Julie and saying ¡°Sit down¡± How rude!


    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Julie simply crossed her arms, her expression questioning as she looked


    at Kieran.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what happened the past two nights,¡± Kieran said.


    Julie understood that he was referring to the night he got drunk and the night she got drunk.


    Even now, Julie couldn¡¯t remember what crazy things she had done after getting drunk, but looking at


    the video in Kieran¡¯s hand, Julie felt that she definitely didn¡¯t want to recover her memory.


    ¡°You got drunk once, and I got drunk once. No matter what happened, let¡¯s just pretend it never did,


    okay? Julie said generously.


    She originally thought her proposal would get a positive response, but this man had the nerve to say, it


    might be a bit difficult for me to just forget it, considering what you did to me that night could be


    considered sexual harassment.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sexual harassment? This man has some nervel


    ¡°So what do you want,pensation for mental anguish? I won¡¯t be able to pay off the money I owe


    you anytime soon, so I don¡¯t mind if you add another bill on top, Julie said generously


    Kieran replied with augh, ¡°I don¡¯t really need money, but I am a bit hungry. Especially since you ate


    all my lunch


    It was him who forced her to eat at noon. How could someone be so shameless?


    Julie looked straight at Kieran and asked. ¡°If I treat you to a meal, will you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Ifyou make it yourself, I might consider it¡±


    Julia didn¡¯t say anything, she just turned around and went to the kitchen.


    She made a te of pasta. Seeing the chili, she knew Kieran couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, but she couldn¡¯t


    resist adding a few spoonfuls of chill to the pasta,


    waiting to see Kieran¡¯s reaction when he took his first bite!


    Julie ced the pasta in front of Kieran, ¡°Eat it, and then get the hell out¡±


    Two tes of the same pasta were ced on the table, and Kieran casually picked up a te. Julie


    watched Kieran expectantly, waiting for his reaction


    to the chili


    She still remembered the first time she took Kieran for spicy food, the guy almost spat out his food from


    the spiciness, and Julie was too busy feeling guilty and wronged to pay attention to Kieran¡¯s


    expression. Now, she couldn¡¯t wait to see it again,


    Well, Julie didn¡¯t get to see the awkward face she was hoping for from Kieran. Instead, he elegantly


    picked up his fork and calmly devoured the pasta


    from his bowl


    The scene Julie had been hoping for never yed out. Instead, she watched as Kieran seemed to


    enjoy the meal, which nearly drove her crazy


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hate spicy food?¡± Julie finally couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Kieran put down his fork, smiled slightly, and looked at Julie, Did you purposely add chili because you


    knew I can¡¯t handle spicy?¡±


    Julie responded with a soft smile. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you didn¡¯t seriously think I¡¯d be nice to someone


    who just barged into my home, did you? Sorry, that¡¯s not my style.¡±


    Kieran looked up at Julie. A few secondster, he nodded, saying, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Then, he got up, lightly touched Julie¡¯s head, and calmly walked towards the door.


    Julie felt like she had a lump in her throat, she grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at Kieran, but


    it hit the door that Kieran had just closed.


    Downstairs in the car, Karl and Austin were chatting


    Do you think Julie will kick out Kieran since she hates him so much?¡±


    Karl was silent for two seconds, then shook his head decisively. ¡°Nah, Kieran¡¯s too shameless for that.¡±


    As Kart finished his sentence, a head suddenly appeared outside the car window, ¡°Give me a bottle of


    water,¡±


    Karl was startled and quickly handed Kieran a bottle of water,


    Kieran opened the cap and drank more than half of the water in one gulp before he finally recovered.


    He got into the car, looking coldly at Karl in the passenger seat, ¡°Who did you just call shameless?¡±


    ¡°Austin is shameless. He wants you to raise his sry. I was just saying that you treat us so well, and


    we shouldn¡¯t be too greedy,¡± Karl replied seriously


    Austin turned to look at Kieran with an aggrieved expression. ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about the sry I pay you, Karl?¡± Kieran interrupted Austin and turned his attention to


    Karl.


    Karl immediately took a stand, Tm always happy with whatever you pay me


    ¡°Good,¡± Kieran opened the cap of the water bottle again, took another couple of sips, and then said. ¡°In


    that case, Karl, your sry will be cut by two percent each month and added to Austins sry Let¡¯s go,


    back to Noblewood Retreat.¡±


    Kieran was not only shameless but also cunning Julie was doomed to lose in a fight with him.


    The next day


    Grant was as persistent as ever, but this time he didn¡¯t drag her out of bed at half-past six. Instead, he


    took her to Simpo Co. before half-past seven, and thoughtfully brought her two slices of whole wheat


    toasts on the way


    They walked into the Simpo Co lobby as usual and headed to the couch.


    On the way there, Grant had been hesitating, wondering whether he should ask about seeing Julie


    getting into Mr. Hernandez¡¯s car the previous afternoon. After a while, he finally couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Yesterday afternoon¡­¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, I need to go to the bathroom, Julie suddenly clutched her stomach and ran towards the


    restroom


    Grant was left alone. He noticed that Julie did look a bit pale and couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    About ten minutester, an even paler Julie appeared in Grant¡¯s line of sight, with beads of sweat on


    her forehead. ¡°Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell Grant rushed to support the shaky Julie.


    Julie tried to smile and shook her head. Grant let go of Julie and tried to touch her forehead, but she


    suddenly stumbled and fell backward¡­.


    *Julie! Just as Grant reached out to catch her,


    Julie fell into a familiar andforting embrace¡­

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter 58


    Grant never saw iting, Kieran popping up out of nowhere at a moment like this. Least of all, Kieran


    unexpectedly carried Julie in his arms right in front of everyone


    Julie was as white as a sheet, her face glistening with sweat, making it particrly noticeable.


    Kieran calmly told Karl who stood behind him, ¡°Go start the car After saying this, he took off his coal,


    draped it over Julie¡¯s head, and with all eyes on him, carried her out


    Many staff members pulled out their phones to snap photos, leaving Grant stunned. It took him a while


    to snap out of it. By the time he reacted and managed to chase after them, Kieran had already put Julie


    into the car.


    When Julie woke up again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed Groggily, she opened her eyes and


    saw the IV drip hanging overhead. Her memory stopped at the moment she fainted and fell into Grant¡¯s


    arms after leaving the restroom,


    However, when she opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Karl. Seeing Julie awake, Karl


    immediately stood up from the couch. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jube didn¡¯t have the strength to argue with Karl¡¯s question, she just asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She tried to sit up a bit


    Karl exined, ¡°Julie, you¡¯ve got gastroenteritis from load poisoning Kieran brought you to the hospital¡±


    ¡°Where is he now Julie intended to ask about Kierans whereabouts but stopped midway She assumed


    he must have rushed her to the hospital out of urgency, there was no reason for him to stick around.


    However, Kari told her. ¡°Kieran stepped out for a bit, he should be back soon. He was the one who


    carried you here.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± In Julie¡¯s mind, Karl wasn¡¯t a man of many words. Yet he was emphasizing the word


    personally so much, was he trying to hint at something? That she held some kind of significant ce in


    Kieran¡¯s heart?


    Karl felt that Julie had changed. He looked at Julie and said, ¡°Before you woke up, Kieran was here


    with you. If you want to know how Kieran brought you to the hospital, you can check out the trending


    topics on twitter


    With that said, Karl turned around and walked out the door.


    After Karl left, Julie pulled out her phone. She hadn¡¯t expected that what had just happened in the


    Simpo Co. lobby had already been captured in full by someone. Luckily, Kieran had covered her face


    with his coat, which had saved her from being exposed. Otherwise, it would be her thatizens were


    searching for, given that the situation with Kieran and Creative Nexus Media was currently trending


    Julie frustratingly ran her fingers through her hair. A nurse who just entered the room was startled by


    her behavior and forgot to even close the door. The nurse pushed her cart towards Julie


    Julie quickly fixed her hair and smiled at the nurse. After the nurse removed Julie¡¯s IV, she quickly


    turned around and left.


    Outside the hospital room.


    Ivan quickly passed by Julie¡¯s hospital room, followed by a group of bodyguards and nannies.


    Originally, he was intending to run away, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks, quickly looking back at


    the nanny, Was that my mom in the room just now?¡±


    ¡°Dont start this again. The nanny hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when Ivan darted towards Julie¡¯s room.


    Ivan burst into Julie¡¯s room, yelling excitedly. ¡®Mom, it¡¯s really you, it¡¯s me, Ivan!¡±


    Julie had just finished getting her IV removed and was about to be discharged when a kid suddenly ran


    to her side, hugging her thigh Julie nced down at Ivan who was clinging to her and was initially


    startled, then overwhelmingly surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected to run into this kid under such


    circumstances.


    The nannies and bodyguards outside were also taken aback by ivan¡¯s behavior.


    Julie squatted down, patting Ivan¡¯s head, patiently saying. Ivan, I¡¯m not your morn


    ¡°Yes you are!¡± Ivan looked at Julie resolutely, seemingly refusing to change his address for her


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Well, if you say so.


    Ivan smiled satisfactorily revealing two adorable dimples, ¡°Mom, are you sick?¡±


    Seeing Ivan¡¯s concerned expression, Julie felt a soft spot in her heart. She ruffled Ivan¡¯s hair, smiling as


    she replied, Tm fine.¡±


    Julie looked up at the nannies and bodyguards outside the room, then looked back down at Ivan, ¡°Why


    are you at the hospital?¡±


    At this Ivan seemed unhappy. He red at the nanny, ¡°I¡¯m so old now, and they still want to give me


    shots¡±


    Despite feeling bad, the nanny told the truth, ¡°You¡¯re only five and a half, you¡¯re supposed to get shots


    Seeing Ivan¡¯s speechless expression, Julie couldnt help butugh.


    Ivan turned to look at Julie, ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡±


    Facing Ivan¡¯s serious question, Julie didn¡¯t know how to respond Although she had thought about this


    adorable kid these past few days, she didn¡¯t take the kid¡¯s words to heart. She hadn¡¯t realized that a


    casual promise she made would be taken so seriously by the kid


    This little boy didn¡¯t seem to mind it, rather he boldly looked at Julie and asked, ¡°Can you apany


    me to get my shots? The nurse isn¡¯t as pretty as you, if you¡¯re there, it will hurt less¡±


    After he finished speaking, Ivan tugged at Julie, pulling her towards the door Julie was a little surprised


    that a kid so young already knew how to court girls,


    In the end, Julie was dragged by Ivan to the door. Inside the room, the head nurse was waiting


    anxiously Seeing Ivan, she immediately approached,


    pier JO


    ¡°Getting a shot is just like a mosquito bite, it won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Ivan red at the head nurse, puffing up his chest, ¡°Who said I was scared of pain?¡±


    At this point, the head nurse noticed Julie and said, ¡°You must be his new nanny¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, she¡¯s my mom!¡± Ivan¡¯s little hand forcefully grabbed Julie¡¯s, and he proudly dered


    Seeing the head nurse¡¯s expression, Julie knew that she must have gotten the wrong idea, and was


    about to exin. But Ivan, impatient, said to the head nurse, ¡°Come on, give me a shot already! I ain¡¯t


    scared of pain!¡±


    Finishing his sentence, Ivan rolled up his sleeves and extended his slender arm to the head nurse.


    Finally, Ivan agreed to get his vination. The head nurse immediately grabbed the vial and the


    syringe. Upon seeing the needle, Ivan was clearly terrified. He turned to look at Julie, his face unwilling


    His disgust and fear were inly visible to Julie, but he braced himself, refusing to show his fear.


    Seeing him, Julie¡¯s heart softened. She stepped forward and let the little guy bury his face in her chest,


    softly saying, ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re so brave.¡±


    The cold needle pierced his skin. Julie could clearly feel Ivan shiver in her arms


    She stretched out her hand, gently, repeatedly patting the little boy¡¯s back. After the shot was done, the


    nurse pulled out the needle. Julie helped the little guy press a cotton swab on the wound. Ivan finally


    lifted his head, his clear eyes full of expectation as he looked at Julie, ¡°Mommy, am I brave?¡±


    Knowing the little guy wanted praise, Julie smiled and said, ¡°Ivan is the bravest child I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    Upon hearing thepliment, Ivan immediately waved at Julie happily Thinking he had something to


    say, Julie bent down to him. Unexpectedly, Ivan gave her a peck on the cheek, then blushed shyly and


    said, ¡°That¡¯s how I show I like you.¡±


    Julie was taken aback. Did she just get kissed by a little boy?


    Julie looked helplessly at the blushing little guy and asked, ¡°Ivan, where are your parents?


    How did they raise their child? He¡¯s so adorable.


    Hearing Julie mention his parents, Ivan was stunned at first, then said, ¡°My dad, he¡¯s been in the news.


    He¡¯s apanying a beautifuldy to the hospital, leaving poor me, a child with no one to care for or


    love, all alone in the hospital. Julie, I¡¯m pitiful, right?¡±


    Ivan propped up his face with his hands, looking at Julie with sad eyes.


    Julie had heard from Ivan before that he didn¡¯t have a mother. Her heart softened, she reached out to


    stroke Ivan¡¯s soft hair, then squatted in front of him. Ivan suddenly asked her, ¡°Do you have a job?¡±


    Julie nodded.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you change jobs? My family needs a nanny as pretty as you,¡± Ivan said, then nced


    unhappily at the group of nannies and bodyguards behind him.


    Outside the door, Karl stood behind Kieran, unable to hold back hisughter.


    Kieran turned around to see Karl trying to suppress hisughter, and gave him a cold look.


    Karl immediately stifled hisughter, ¡°I¡¯m going to go get this beautifuldy¡­Julie¡¯s hospital paperwork


    sorted out!¡±


    With that, Karl quickly turned and left.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter 59


    Ivan confessed that he was asking someone to be his nanny for the first time in his life. Seeing Julie¡¯s


    reluctant face, he quickly added. If you don¡¯t want to be my nanm be my mam! I can tell you bedtime


    stories¡±


    Looking at his lively and interesting manner. Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh. Before she could respond,


    Ivan¡¯s phone rang. The ringtone echoed in the quiet ward, Hush, little baby, dont say a word, Mamas


    gonna buy you a mockingbird¡±


    Upon hearing the ringtone, Julie felt a pang in her heart. But he calmly answered the phone. His


    father¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Did you get the


    Yep ¡®He nodded affirmatively


    ¡°Go home now¡± Kieranmanded.


    Instantly, Ivan put on a long face, turning his back to Julie, he told Kieran on the phone, I¡¯m not going


    home. I met my mom,e pick her up


    Outside the door, the corners of Kieran¡¯s mouth raised slightly. Hearing Ivan¡¯s nonsense, Julie quickly


    spoke up. ¡°Can I have a word with your dad?¡±


    After looking at Julie and then his phone, he whispered to Kieran on the other end of the phone. ¡°Dad,


    my mom wants to talk to you, be nice!¡±


    After that, he handed the phone to Julie


    ¡°Hello, my name is Julie


    ¡°Uh-huh¡± A deep voice came from the other end of the phone Julie didn¡¯t mind. She told Kieran on the


    other end of the phone. Although we don¡¯t know each other, I think Ivan is a very cute kid. I hope you


    can spend more time with him if possible¡±


    Who needs hispany? Ivan proudly interjected.


    After waiting for a while without a response, Julie felt that she was meddling too much in other people¡¯s


    family affairs. From the way Ivan left, she could tell that he came from a wealthy family with a long line


    of nannies and bodyguards.


    It¡¯smon for parents to neglect their children due to work.


    In the end, Julie handed the phone back to Ivan. After hearing Kieran¡¯s words on the other end of the


    phone, Ivan turned to Julie and said, ¡°My dad told me to go home. Julie, can you give me your phone


    number? I promise not to bother you every day


    He reached out, tugging at Julie¡¯s sleeve, his chubby little hand stretched out cutely She couldn¡¯t bear


    to refuse him, so she gave him her number.


    Only then did Ivan smile satisfyingly at Julie, revealing two cute dimples, ¡°Can I have a kiss before I


    leave?¡±


    With a bit of helplessness, Julie bent down and lightly kissed the little guy¡¯s cute face, ¡°Good boy, go


    home and rest well¡±


    The little guy was clearly surprised. He took out his phone, pointed to the other side of his face, ¡°Mom,


    one more kiss¡±


    Julie never thought one day she would be so tender and loving towards someone else¡¯s child. She


    looked at the little guys expectant eyes and for some reason, she kissed his face again. The little guy


    immediately snapped a picture and said joyfully. ¡°Thanks, mom, I¡¯m leaving, don¡¯t forget to miss mel


    Julie watched as the little guy walked out with the nanny, he excitedly pointed at the picture and locked


    up at the nanny. Isn¡¯t my mom beautiful?¡±


    With a wry smile, Julie shook her head. Ivan got in the car and sent the picture to Kieran, even leaving


    a message on WhatsApp saying, What do you think of my pick?¡±


    Just as Kieran was leaning against the door of Julie¡¯s ward, he saw the little guy¡¯s message. Kieran


    replied with a smile.


    In the car, Ivan, being too young to read, turned his head and handed the phone to Shawna, ¡°Shawna,


    what did he say?¡±


    Shawna read it out, ¡°Kieran said he¡¯s going to take your phone when you get home¡±


    What? No way, the picture he just took is still on the phone!


    Ivan immediately called his dad, the first thing he said was, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous! You¡¯re jealous that the


    woman I kissed is prettier than yours, hmph!¡±


    Shawna, hearing this, gasped.


    Kieran looked at the picture of Julie and Ivan, the corners of his mouth curled up in a smile, then he


    calmly said to Ivan on the other end of the phone, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m jealous So, I¡¯m punishing you with two


    hours of handwriting practice, to be checked tonight.¡±


    Ivan yelled out long, about toin about Kieran¡¯s strictness, but the call was abruptly ended by


    Kieran.


    When Julie returned to the ward, she found Kieran leaning against the wall by the door. Seeing her


    come back, Kieran put away his phone. Kieran helped Julie open the door of the ward, and Julie


    politely said, ¡°Thank you¡±


    Kieran and Julie walked into the ward together. Just as Kieran was wondering why Julie hadnt kicked


    him out. Julle took out an envelope and handed it to him


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Medical bills. I just picked up the cash. Thanks for bringing me to the hospital, Julie said, though she


    was thanking him, her aloofness did not diminish After that, Julie picked up her coat from the bed and


    prepared to leave, but Kieran at the door had no intention of moving.


    ¡®Mr. Hernandez, please move aside, Julie stepped back and looked at Kieran


    Kieran spoke, ¡®Karl has already taken care of your hospitalization procedures, you should stay


    overnight for observation


    ¡°Please convey my thanks to Karl, Mr. Hernandez, but I don¡¯t need to be hospitalized,¡± Julie replied


    politely.


    ¡°You live alone, don¡¯t you? What if your condition worsens during the night? Kieran asked


    It was none of his business, yet he had the guts to ask. Julie just nced at him nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s my


    business, Mr. Hernandez. You don¡¯t need to trouble


    yourself.¡±


    Kieran stared at Julie, then walked straight up to her, took her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡±


    Julie immediately pulled her hand away, stepped back, and red at him, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re


    doing?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you about to be discharged? Ill take you home.¡±


    1 can go by myself!¡±


    ¡°Julie, here are your options. One, I take you home and stick around in case you need to call an


    ambnce at night. After all, you did faint in front of mypany building. Plus, there are reporters


    everywhere. You¡¯re not going anywhere in those clothes. Two, stay here for the night and I¡¯ll arrange


    for someone to take you home tomorrow morning.¡±


    Kieran looked down at Julie, his voice cold, ¡°Made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to arrange for someone tomorrow morning. I can handle it myself. Julie knew she


    couldn¡¯t fight Kieran, so she quickly chose thetter.


    Kieran didn¡¯t argue with her, he just turned and left


    Julie sat back down on the bed, let out a sigh of relief, only to see Kieraning back. Before she


    could react, Kieran threw an envelope onto the bed next to her, This is for the medical expenses when


    you fainted in the lobby. No need to pay me back.¡±


    With that, Kieran left again.


    Julie looked down at the envelope next to her, picked it up after a while and dialed Dr. Brice¡¯s number,


    ¡®Dr. Brice, it¡¯s Julie. Are you in your office?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Abraham, I was just about to call you!¡± Dr. Brice¡¯s excited voice came from the other end.


    ¡°Can Ie over now?¡± Julie asked.


    Dr. Brice quickly agreed.


    Julie, clutching the envelope, went to Dr. Brice¡¯s office. She knocked on the door and heard Dr. Brice¡¯s


    voice, ¡°Come in


    Julie sat down across from Dr. Brice, tightened her grip on the envelope, and handed it to him, ¡°Dr.


    Brice, about this month¡¯s medical bills for Sansa..


    ¡°I was just about to call you about that.¡± Dr. Brice looked at Julie, a smile creeping up on his face. The


    hospital received an anonymous donation specifically for your sister. It¡¯s arge sum and since its


    anonymous, we don¡¯t know who it¡¯s from. I wanted to ask if you knew who it might be?¡±


    Who could the anonymous donor be? Julie was confused. The only person she could think of with the


    means to do that was Kieran. But why would he remain anonymous?


    Seeing Julie¡¯s dazed expression, Dr. Brice asked, ¡®Ms. Abraham, do you have any idea who it might


    be?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Dr. Brice, I¡¯ll be paying this month¡¯s medical bills myself. Please tell the hospital


    director not to use the donation for now. Thank you


    She quickly stood up and left, leaving Dr. Brice puzzled.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie didn¡¯t believe that Kieran would donate anonymously to Sansa, especially since Sansa was the


    one who had trapped Kieran into marrying her. But actions always beat thoughts for Julie. She already


    had her phone out, dialing Kieran¡¯s number.


    After a few rings, Kieran picked up. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, there¡¯s something I need to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°OK, go ahead¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter 60


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure if Kieran was involved in the matter and it wasn¡¯t easy to ask him directly. So, after


    hesitating for a few seconds, she finally said. ¡°I just want to confirm if you actually don¡¯t know which


    hospital Sansa is in


    She didn¡¯t know why she was so certain, but she believed that Kieran would understand her meaning.


    After a while, Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t use the donation money in


    Sansa¡¯s name, because I didn¡¯t donate anything¡±


    It seemed that Kieran already knew about this.


    1 see¡± With that, Julie hung up the phone.


    Kieran, on the other side of the phone, turned his gaze to Karl¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Have you figured out


    who made the donation?¡±


    Karl shook his head. ¡°The other party was very secretive, and we haven¡¯t found any clues yet.¡±


    ¡°Call Ivan over, and you can leave now,¡± Kieran told Karl.


    A few minutester, Ivan appeared in Kieran¡¯s study, Karl said you wanted to see me?¡±


    ¡°Wheres your handwriting practice?¡±


    Ivan presented his practice book to Kieran like a treasured item, ¡°I practiced for an extra half an hourl


    Can I have my phone back now, dad¡±¡±


    So now he remembers to call him dad? Kieran expressionlessly opened the practice book, took a look,


    and then sternly said, ¡°Hand over your phone to me now!!¡±


    The practice book, filled with Ivan¡¯s handwriting from the past two and a half hours, was indeed


    impressive. But whats with these messy scribbles of Kieran is single?


    Upon hearing that his phone was going to be confiscated, Ivan quickly cowered his pocket, then looked


    at Kieran with an innocent face. The teacher taught us to be honest!¡±


    ¡°And so!¡± Kieran looked at Ivan, ¡°Saying that I¡¯m single is being honest?¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t wrong. But Ivan didn¡¯t dare to defy Kieran¡¯s authority. So he could only pout,


    Kieran, you¡¯re just jealous that the woman who kissed me is prettier than the nanny you hired for me,


    so you¡¯re confiscating my phone!!


    Hmm,¡± Kieran nodded. ¡°There is that reason¡±


    Kierans frank admission left Ivan speechless for a moment. After stuttering for a while, Ivan finally said


    to Kieran, ¡°Karl said that you have symptoms of being single. I don¡¯t know what that means, but being


    single is something Shawna taught me! Can you not take my phone considering I¡¯ve learned a new


    word?¡±


    Ivan tried to please Kieran by tugging at his sleeve. From the time he was born until now, he had never


    tried so hard to please Kieran.


    ¡°Give me your phone, I¡¯ll give it back to you tomorrow morning,¡± Kieran said to Ivan,


    Upon hearing this, Ivan knew that this was the biggest concession Kieran was going to make.


    So he could only reluctantly take his phone out of his pocket and say, ¡°You cant delete my photos!¡±


    ¡°Well, go to bed now!


    After getting Kieran¡¯s assurance, Ivan finally left reluctantly.


    Kieran nced at the phone handed over to him and casually ced it on the table. Just as he was


    about to start working on hisputer, his phone suddenly vibrated Kieran nced at the phone and


    then picked it up.


    There was an unread message on WhatsApp. Kieran curiously opened the message. Someone had


    sent a smiley face emoji.


    Without a profile picture on WhatsApp, Kieran casually clicked on that person¡¯s status, which only had


    two updates, one from five years ago and the most


    recent one


    The status from five years ago read. Waiting for the flowers to bloom and fall, the song ends, the


    people scatter, the heart cools.


    The most recent one read. Flowers bloom endlessly, old acquaintances meet but do not recognize


    each other.


    The date of the status from five years ago was the day Julie formally proposed a divorce to him and the


    day they signed the divorce agreement.


    ¡°Waiting for the flowers to bloom and fall¡¯, in Julie¡¯s world, she was the leaf and Kieran was the flower


    This was something Julie had once said.


    In their second year of high school, they went camping in the wild. There was a field of wildflowers near


    the camp. Just as it was getting dark in the afternoon, Julie secretly picked a bunch of flowers.


    Although the arrangement was not very beautiful, it looked pretty decent when wrapped in stic


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    wrap


    With the fiery wild roses on the outside wrapped in ayer of grass and then anotheryer of lotus


    leaves


    She presented the flowers to Kieran like a treasure, shyly yet assertively saying to him, ¡°This is for you,


    ept it!¡±


    Julie was very bold at the time, which caused some ssmates to tease her, ¡°Isn¡¯t it usually flowers for


    a beauty? Howe when ites to Julie, it¡¯s the beauty giving flowers?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I call this flowers for a handsome guy in my heart, Kieran is the flower, he¡¯s the flower and


    I¡¯m the leaf. That¡¯s why I¡¯m pursuing him. I¡¯m the leaf waiting for the flower to bloom! If he blooms, I¡¯ll


    be the first to see it. If he withers, as the leaf, I¡¯ll catch his petals. How romanticr


    The silly things Julie did back then are still fresh in Kieran¡¯s memory. It turns out that she had already


    decided in her heart at that time: Waiting for the flowers to bloom and fall.


    Kieran felt a twinge in his heart.


    Looking at the post date of the status flowers bloom endlessly, old acquaintances meet but do not


    recognize each other, Kieran immediately remembered that it was posted on the night of Bertha¡¯s


    suicide by jumping off a building. That day also happened to be the day he and Julie reunited after a


    long separation,


    In Kieran¡¯s memory. Julie was not a literary person, but rather noisy, Julie, who was once referred to as


    Kieran¡¯s shadow by Elliot, was best at pestering him with various strange and shameless excuses. She


    always managed to present the most boring things in a lively and exaggerated way.


    He rejected her countless times because he really didn¡¯t like noisy women. But she was like a warrior,


    the more failures she faced, the more courageous she got Later, he didnt know when, but he gradually


    got used to this silly girl¡¯s carefree and enthusiastic presence in front of him.


    Kieran went back to the chat screen and responded with a smiley face.


    As Julie was leaving today, she shamelessly added Ivan on WhatsApp. She promised Ivan she¡¯d keep


    in touch. After dinner, she found herself bored, lying in her hospital bed, and the thought of the


    adorable little boy crossed her mind.


    ¡°Are you still up, little guy?¡± a yful and affectionate voice note came from the other end of the line.


    Kieran had typed Not yet¡¯ on his phone and was about to send it, but suddenly paused.


    Since Ivan can¡¯t read much, wouldn¡¯t he give himself away if he replied in text? But if he used a voice


    note..


    ¡°I¡¯m Ivan¡¯s father¡± Kieran sent this message straight away.


    Julie was drinking water when she saw the message and almost choked. As she hesitated, a message


    came from the other end of WhatsApp. Who are you?¡±


    After considering how to introduce herself, Julie sent a text message ¡°My name is Julie Abraham, I¡¯ve


    met Ivan a few times, we became friends. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a bad person.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kieran sent back a single, indifferent word, which made Julie a bit nervous.


    She suddenly remembered Ivan¡¯s evaluation of his father. She thought it was incredible how mature the


    little guy seemed for his age, and knew it must have to do with his parents¡¯ upbringing and


    environment. As Julie was contemting whether she should do something for Ivan, another message


    came through Are you the woman Ivan keeps asking me to marry and bring home?


    Marry? Well, that¡¯s awkward..


    Julie felt she needed to rify something: ¡°You don¡¯t have to take a kids words seriously, sir.¡±


    ¡°Are you married? Kieran, holding his phone, let a smile touch his lips.


    Julie was taken aback by the message and weakly replied, ¡°I was¡±


    ¡°Are you divorced then? Kieran asked further.


    Julie honestly replied, ¡°Yeah¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯ve been divorced once too. Kieran quickly shot back.


    Julie was taken aback by the response.


    Then another message came through: ¡°Did you divorce due to ipatibility?¡±


    Ipatibility? Julie gave a self-mocking simile and didn¡¯t answer the question. Instead, she shot


    back, ¡®So, sir, did you get divorced because you and your ex were ipatible?¡±


    For Julie, because she didn¡¯t know who was on the other end of the line, the stranger Kieran felt like


    someone she could open up to. People are like that, often finding it easier to pour out thoughts that are


    hard to express in front of friends and family to strangers. So on WhatsApp, Julie felt no need to hide


    anything


    Reading Julie¡¯s message, Kieran pondered and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s because my wife didn¡¯t need me


    anymore.¡±


    Feeling that this wasn¡¯t expressive enough, he sent a sad face emoji. Kieran swore, this was the most


    shameless thing he¡¯d ever done.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect this response, so it took her a while to reply, ¡°Oh.


    Kieran imagined Julie on the other end, probably wearing an awkward expression. The thought made


    himugh. He quickly typed, ¡°So what¡¯s the reason for your divorce?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t really want to talk about this, so she simply replied, ¡°Because we realized there was no


    future together¡±


    Kieran held his phone, typed a few sentences, then deleted them all. Finally, he sent another question:


    ¡°So, Ms. Abraham, have you considered remarrying?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Remarry?


    Chapter 61


    Ever since Julie popped the divorce question to Kieran, she never gave a second thought to the idea of


    them patching things up.


    She had no clue Kieran was on the other end of the phone, so her response was candid, ¡°If there was


    any chance of us remarrying, we wouldn¡¯t have split up like that in the first ce.¡±


    Kieran frowned at her reply


    Feeling like she¡¯s oversharing to a stranger, Julie decided to drop her phone.


    Daphne, freshly done with doing the dishes, plopped down next to Julie, ¡°To be honest, other than Mr.


    Hernandez, I can¡¯t think of anyone else who¡¯d suddenly offer to cover Sansa¡¯s medical bilis¡±


    Daphne originally nned to pick up Julie from de Law Firm after work, but with Julie fainted


    during work, she rushed to the hospital.


    Stubborn Daphne insisted on staying the night at the hospital with Julie. Julie couldn¡¯t stop her, so she


    just went with it.


    At that moment, Julie¡¯s phone buzzed.


    She looked down and saw a new message from Ivan¡¯s dad.


    He wrote, ¡°I beg to differ¡±


    Julie replied, ¡°Why so?¡±


    Seeing Julie glued to her phone, Daphne leaned in to take a peek.


    But Julie flipped her phone over instinctively, dodging Daphne¡¯s sudden attack.


    Daphne immediately gave Julie a look, ¡°What are you up to? You got some juicy secret?¡±


    ¡°You just startled me!¡± Julie showed her phone to prove her innocence, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about a cute


    kid I met named Ivan? I ran into him again at the hospital today.¡±


    Julie filled Daphne in on what happened with Ivan today, then Daphne fixed her gaze on the phone


    screen, ¡°So this guy is the deadbeat dad that cute kid was talking about?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t deny it.


    Daphne frowned and looked at the phone screen seriously. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it! He¡¯s contemting


    whether to remarry his ex¨Cwife.¡±


    ¡°Remarry?¡± Julie snatched her phone back from Daphne, then saw a new message from the guy.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He wrote, ¡°Our differences lie in the fact that you divorced because you saw no chance of remarrying,


    while I separated from my wife because I believe we¡¯ll get back together in the future.¡±


    Daphne chimed in, ¡°Sounds like this guy still has feelings for his ex¨Cwife? He can¡¯t be as bad as the kid


    said! After all, loyal men are hard toe by these days¡±


    At that, Daphne suddenly turned to Julie and said seriously, ¡°Speaking of which, it just hit me.¡±


    Julie replied on her phone, ¡°So, are you considering remarriage?¡±


    Then she turned to Daphne, ¡°What just hit you?¡±


    ¡°I just remembered a loyal man!¡± Daphne grabbed Julie¡¯s arm excitedly.


    Daphne¡¯s grip hurt Julie a bit.


    Julie asked casually, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Elliot! Hasn¡¯t he been head over heels for you since college? And he even wanted to be with you


    despite the Sanches family¡¯s objection. Could he have been the one who silently handled Sansa¡¯s


    issue?¡± Daphne asked.


    Julie was taken aback, then sheughed and shook her head, dismissing the guess, ¡°Elliot hasn¡¯t


    shown up since he saw Kieran staying over at my ce when he brought me breakfastst time. It¡¯s


    unlikely that he¡¯s involved this time.¡±


    ¡°Who knows if he¡¯s beenying low to gather strength? After all, you rejected him so harshly. He needs


    time to recover.¡± Daphne shrugged it off.


    Julie chuckled, not knowing how to respond to Daphne¡¯s wild conjecture.


    Luckily, Daphne didn¡¯t expect a response from Julie. She got up and headed to therge sofa nearby,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep first. You know, Mr. Hernandez may be a jerk, but he sure is generous! The facilities


    in this VIP ward are great. The sofa here is even softer than my bed. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡± Julie turned off the light, smiling.


    Her phone buzzed again. Julie buried her head in the nket and checked the message.


    Julie had asked him if he was considering remarriage, and now he gave Julie a definite answer, ¡°I¡¯m


    willing to pay any price to remarry my wife?¡±


    Willing to pay any price to remarry¡­


    What does that prove? That he truly loves Ivan¡¯s mother?


    After hesitating for a few seconds, all she could reply was, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    She thought the topic would end there, but to her surprise, he quickly sent another message. ¡°But she¡¯s


    ignoring me now.¡±


    Julie was speechless

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Chapter 62


    Is this man trying to show his vulnerability?


    Feeling obligated for humanitarian reasons, especially because Ivan was adorable, Julie thought she


    should give him some advice, so¡­


    ¡°Stick to her like glue! If your ex¨Cwife still has feelings for you, she won¡¯t be able to resist your


    persistence.¡±


    However, if his ex¨Cwife didn¡¯t have any feelings for him, no matter how persistent the man was, it would


    be useless when a woman decided to be ruthless


    So alter sending that message, Julie added, ¡°But this method only works if she still loves you.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is the most effective way to persist?¡± Gripping his phone, a rare smile appeared on


    Kieran¡¯s face.


    Julie pondered for a while, finally recalling what Daphne had said: ¡°The way men and women keep


    rtionships is different. Some girls usually use crying. throwing tantrums, or even threatening suicide


    to keep a man. However, for men, the most effective ways to keep a woman might include buying


    presents, showing off charm, hugging, or even a sudden kiss. Going further, ruling a woman in bed


    would work even better. After all, any problem that can be solved in bed isn¡¯t a problem at all¡±


    After thinking about it, Julie typed into her phone: ¡°Buying gifts, showing off charisma, hugging often,


    even a sudden kiss, are said to work wonders.¡±


    Kieran, who was drinking coffee, couldn¡¯t help butugh, spewing coffee out of his mouth.


    He wiped the coffee off his phone with a tissue, thinking to himself. Joyce, didn¡¯t expect you to have


    such tastes.


    His grin widened.


    Julie waited for quite a while without getting a reply, realizing she might have chatted too much with a


    stranger.


    So, she added, ¡°Just for reference¡±


    Kieran looked at the screen, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile, responding. ¡°Thanks for the


    advice. I¡¯ll definitely consider it.¡±


    Julie put down her phone, holding her face, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed.


    She looked at the advice she sent out¡­


    While Julie was a little regretful, Kieran sent her an online store gift card.


    Julie asked confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your advice, Kieran responded.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect to receive a gift. Her mood improved significantly.


    She thought there wouldn¡¯t be much money in the gift card, but when she casually clicked it open, it


    was fifty bucks.


    Julie hastily sent a message saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t really help you with anything I can¡¯t ept this gift.¡±


    Kieran would have preferred to transfer the money directly to Julie, but he was worried it would be too


    abrupt and she wouldn¡¯t ept it.


    Kieran responded, ¡°I have money. Besides, if I can win back my wife, you¡¯re the hero.¡±


    So, pies really do fall from the sky


    This time, Julie believed¡­


    She thought for a moment, jokingly saying. ¡°Then I won¡¯t mind giving you more help in this area in the


    future.¡±


    Julie needed money. This wasn¡¯t a secret to Kieran


    He happily agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Then, they said goodnight


    The next day. Julie got up early.


    Daphne brought her a new set of clothes, telling her to change out of yesterday¡¯s clothes.


    Her clothes from yesterday were too conspicuous


    Fortunately, Kieran¡¯s coat had covered her face, so she wasn¡¯t caught by the camera.


    After changing, she confidently walked out of the hospital with Daphne.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home first. I think you should turn down Kieran¡¯s case. Don¡¯t force yourself, Daphne was


    very worried about Julie.


    Julie gave a small smile, shaking her head, I¡¯m fine. Take me to the office!¡±


    In the end, Daphne agreed to Julie¡¯s request. After making sure Julie finished her breakfast, she drove


    her to the front of de Law Firm.


    As soon as Julie walked into the doors of de Law Firm, Grant noticed her immediately. He hastily


    stood up, looking at Julie, ¡°I was nning to visit you at the hospital after lunch. How are you feeling?¡±


    Julie smiled, shaking her head, ¡°Much better, thank you¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thanking him? If it weren¡¯t for him feeding you expired bread, would you have ended up in the


    hospital?¡± Porter opened the office door, looking at Julie while teasing Grant.


    Grant looked a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head, then said to Julie, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t


    know that the bread was expired¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grant. Just pay for my medical bills¡±


    Julie was joking when she said this


    However, she didn¡¯t expect Porter to seriously tell her, ¡°Thepany will cover your medical expenses.


    In fact, you can say that your hospitalization was


    a blessing in disguise, as it made Mr. Hernandez see the tenacity of de Law Firm. Sost


    night, I received a call from Mr. Hernandez¡¯s chief secretary, Karl. He told me that Mr. Hernandez and


    Creative Nexus Media¡¯s case will be handled by us, de Law Firm!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie waspletely dumbfounded.


    Porter started pping. ¡°Next, let¡¯s congratte Julie for sessfully winning over Mr. Hernandez and


    being personally chosen by Mr. Hernandez as the chiefwyer to handle this case!¡±


    In the office, a steady stream of apuse rang in Julie¡¯s ears.


    Julie looked at Porter in surprise, ¡°Mr. Porter, are you saying that Mr. Hernandez specifically asked for


    me as his chief counsel?¡±


    Porter patted Julie on the shoulder with a smile. Yep! If you¡¯re fine with that, we¡¯re heading over to


    Simpo Co with the relevant info in a bit. Grant¡¯sing with me, and we¡¯ll get that contract signed


    while we¡¯re at it. If you¡¯ve got any questions about working with Simpo Co, just hit up Grant¡±


    Porter pped his hands. ¡°Alright, everybody, break it up!¡±


    Julie sat in her seat, feeling like she was in a dream.


    There werew firms way better than de Law Firm all over Whispering Pines, and she definitely


    wasn¡¯t the hottestwyer in town. So why would Kieran specifically want her as his chief counsel?


    By making her meet him every day, Kieran was not only making trouble for himself, but also for her!


    Grant handed Julie the relevant documents, ¡°Congrats.¡±


    ¡°Congratting me now, but you¡¯ll be mourning for me soon enough Julie took the documents and


    muttered under her breath.


    Grant didn¡¯t catch what she said and leaned in, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Just as Julie was about to answer¡­


    ¡°Is Ms. Abraham here?¡± At the door, a delivery guy with a massive bunch of fiery red roses asked.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards Julie.


    Grant raised his hand for Julie, ¡°She¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°Could Ms. Abraham sign for this? The delivery guy handed over the flowers.


    Julie was puzzled¡­


    She signed in confusion.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the secret guy?¡± The office was filled with envious chatter, with a hint of jealousy peppered in.


    Julie took a look but didn¡¯t find any card in the bouquet.


    Just as she was feeling puzzled, her phone suddenly rang.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze once again turned towards Julie.


    The number on the phone screen was andline number.


    Julie answered the call, then softly said, ¡°Hello?¡±


    A deep voice came from the other end of the line, ¡°Do you like them?¡±


    This voice was all too familiar to Julie¡­


    Julie nced at the roses on her desk, then at the number disyed on her phone screen, and directly


    asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Here¡¯s to a pleasant cooperation ahead¡±


    Grant chimed in cheekily. Those roses sure are gorgeous! But Julie, you¡¯re even more gorgeous than


    them!¡±


    Julie gave Grant a look, reprimanding, ¡°Grant!¡±


    Grantughed and turned to leave.


    However, Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Roses?¡±


    Julie replied, ¡°Thanks for the thought, but it¡¯s de Law Firm that¡¯s cooperating with Simpo Co., not


    me, so¡­¡±


    Kieran interrupted Julie, ¡°You received roses?¡±


    Julie was confused, staring at the beautiful bouquet of roses, These roses aren¡¯t from you?¡±


    There was a two¨Csecond silence on the other end of the line, then Kieran said, ¡°They¡¯re from me. If you


    don¡¯t like them, just throw them away!¡±


    With that, he hung up


    Julie was fumung, staring at the abruptly disconnected call


    She turned around and tossed the roses into the trash can.


    Just throw them away!


    She didn¡¯t care!


    Everyone watched as Julie made this haughty move. The heated discussion was instantly stifled by


    Julie¡¯s aura. Nobody dared to say another word.


    Just as Julie sat down, she heard a courier¡¯s voice, ¡°Is Ms. Abraham here?¡±


    This time, without Grant, no one dared to point to Julie.


    But everyone still looked in Julie¡¯s direction.


    The observant courier walked up to Julie with a box, ¡°Ms. Abraham, please sign for this.¡±


    Julie reluctantly signed for it, and everyone eagerly waited for Julie to open the box.


    hapter


    Jube was also curious about what was in the box.


    Upon opening, there were two pots of cacti and some cute sulents.


    Someone tentatively asked Julie. ¡°Attorney Abraham, is it from your boyfriend? He¡¯s so romantic,


    sending both flowers and nts¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Flowers to cheer you up, and nts that are both cute and for you to keep. He¡¯s really


    considerate¡±


    ¡°Only beauties like you deserve good men¡±


    The chatter was endless. Julie could only respond with an awkward smile.


    At that moment, Porter and Grant came out of Porter¡¯s office. Unaware of what had happened, Porter


    walked up to Julie and knocked on her desk, ¡°Let¡¯s go*


    Julie nced at the box, picked up her documents, and walked away.


    Porter had said that he wouldn¡¯t mention in front of her colleagues that Julie had once pursued Kieran.


    He kept his promise.


    He looked at Julie and then at Grant, 1 heard Mr. Hernandez was initially nning to give this case to


    Attorney Gino from Sterling & Associates. What did you guys do to make Mr. Hernandez change his


    mind?¡±


    ¡°All thanks to Julie When she fainted in the lobby yesterday, Mr. Hernandez popped up out of nowhere


    and scooped her up. If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think she and Mr. Hernandez have something


    special¡± Grant¡¯s words seemed a little pointed, as if he was fishing for something.


    Porter gave Grant a look, ¡°Watch your mouth¡±


    Julie smiled at Grant, ¡°I don¡¯t have a special rtionship with him, but we are alumni


    Julie wasn¡¯t wrong Before Kieran got hiswyer¡¯s license, he was also a graduate of Pinnacle


    University.


    Upon hearing Julie¡¯s words, Grant was instantly taken aback, ¡°Mr. Hernandez was a graduate of Futuro


    Business College before he went abroad for study.


    wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Porter, with a smile. gently patted Grant on the shoulder, ¡°You might not know this, but Mr. Hernandez


    is actually a certifiedwyer too. He¡¯s no less. capable than any of us. Funny enough, he and I are


    actually from same school.¡±


    With Porters exnation, Grant instantly got the picture.


    Porter knew that Juliending this case must have ruffled Grant¡¯s feathers, so he said to Grant, ¡°We¡¯re


    old schoolmates after all, so sometimes we give each other a hand. You catch my drift?¡±


    Grant nodded, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. People in thepany started chattering this morning about some


    special behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes rtionship between Julie and Mr. Hernandez. Seems like it¡¯s all just hot


    air¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Considering you got Julie hospitalized with that old bread of yours, I suggest you help Julie


    quell these rumors ASAP to avoid any misunderstanding. Don¡¯t worry, you yed a part in our


    coboration with Mr. Hernandez too. I¡¯ll make sure you get a bonus.¡± Porter said to Grant.


    Grinning, Grant nodded, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll clear the air with everyone¡±


    Julie smiled at Grant, ¡°Thanks¡±


    The car smoothly pulled up to the Simpo Co. building


    Karl came to greet them and led them to the conference room.


    Before signing the contract, Karl said to Porter, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is extremely busy. He can¡¯t constantly


    liaise with Attorney Abraham specifically about Creative Nexus Media, so we hope Attorney Abraham


    can be proactive in amodating Mr. Hernandez¡¯s schedule.¡±


    ¡°Of course ¡°Porter replied on behalf of Julie.


    Karl nodded, ¡°Then during thiswsuit between Mr. Hernandez and Creative Nexus Media, we ask


    Attorney Abraham to fully cooperate with us, prioritizing the client¡¯s interests. We need you to stay put


    at Simpo Co. for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem¡­¡±


    Before Porter could finish, Julie interjected, ¡°Hold on! What do you mean stay put at Simpo Co.? Does


    Mr. Hernandez expect me to be on call 24/7 and to clock in at Simpo Co. every day?¡±


    Karl chuckled and nodded, ¡°Exactly¡±


    Julie sinctly replied, ¡°de Law Firm has plenty ofwyers better than me, like Attorney Grant.


    Please ask Mr. Hernandez to consider a recement¡±


    Karl handed the contract to Porter, ¡°Mr. Porter, this contract is already finalized and won¡¯t be changed.


    Every use is specifically tailored for you, Attorney Abraham, so¡­¡±


    Karl¡¯s implication was clear


    Julie got the message. This contract tailor¨Cmade for her was a bait to reel her in.


    Porter awkwardly looked at Karl, ¡°Sorry, Karl, but there¡¯s something I need to discuss with Attorney


    Abraham.¡±


    With that, Porter pulled Julie along and headed out


    ¡°Julie, what¡¯s gotten into you? We agreed on this, it¡¯s work!¡± Porter said to Julie.


    Even though feeling guilty, Julie could only helplessly respond, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr Porter. You know what


    happened between Kieran and me. I¡¯m trying my best to keep my distance from him. You also know I


    used all my wits and skills trying to get close to him. Now that I¡¯ve finally pushed him out of my life, I


    don¡¯t have the energy to go another round with him. Mr. Porter, I know the only reason you took me in


    was to get your hands on Kieran¡¯s case I really need this job, but I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She feared she would give in.


    She feared spending too much time with Kieran.


    She feared even more he might suddenly have unpredictable thoughts.


    What she feared the most was the rekindling of her feelings for him


    Suddenly, Porter knelt before Julie, ¡°Julie, can you do an old friend a favor?¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter 63


    Porter suddenly dropped down on his knees, a move that was totally out of the blue.


    Even though they were at the staircase entrance, it didn¡¯t guarantee that no one would pass by


    Julie immediately helped Porter up, ¡°Mr. Porter, what the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re right. I hired you into thepany initially because I wanted topete with otherw firms for


    Mr. Hernandez¡¯s case. From the moment Mr. Hernandez walked out of that room with you that night, I


    knew, as long as you were involved in this case, we had a fifty¨Cfifty shot. Porter didn¡¯t shy away from


    admitting it


    Julie wasn¡¯t surprised, considering she had a pretty good read on Porter.


    So, she looked at Porter and said, ¡°As you can see, Kieran and I have aplicated history. That¡¯s


    why I can¡¯t ept the terms Simpo Co. has proposed¡­¡±


    ¡°Viviana is pregnant. Porter suddenly cut Julie off.


    Julie was taken aback for a moment. Viviana was pregnant, why was Porter telling her this?


    Then she smiled at Porter, ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Julie, can you help me out this one time? I need tond the Simpo Co. case¡­¡± Porter¡¯s voice choked


    up, his eyes welling up with tears.


    Seeing a grown man cry in front of her left Julie a bit stunned, ¡°Mr. Porter, it¡¯s just a case. You really


    don¡¯t need to stress so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Last month I went to Las Vegas and racked up a huge gambling debt. I was nning to tell Viviana


    when I got back, but then I found out she was pregnant Now I have to use the money from the Simpo


    Co. case to pay off the debt, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you use thepany¡¯s funds?¡± Julie asked, her suspicion almost confirmed.


    de Law Firm was a joint venture between Porter and two other friends. Julie knew that the other


    two investors were overseas, hence her question. Porter grabbed Julie¡¯s hand desperately, ¡°I know I


    messed up. If I can get the Simpo Co. case, I can use their fee to cover the funds I misappropriated. If


    you don¡¯t agree to Simpo Co¡¯s terms, they¡¯ll never sign with us. I¡¯m begging you, please¡­ If Viviana


    finds out about my debt, she¡¯ll surely choose to abort the baby.¡±


    ¡°Even if we were schoolmates¡±


    ¡°Viviana and I have been married for almost six years. We¡¯ve always wanted a child. It was hard


    enough for Viviana to get pregnant. I want to give our child a home, I want to give Viviana a good life. I


    know I messed up. I swear I won¡¯t do anything like this again. I can¡¯t lose this baby. I can¡¯t let Viviana


    give up on our child.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Julie suddenly raised her voice at Porter.


    People passing by the staircase were startled and stopped in their tracks.


    Porter looked at Julie with hopeful eyes, ¡°Julie¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Julie took a deep breath.


    She understood that the child she lost would always be a source of pain. Even when the pain subsides,


    it leaves a noticeable scar.


    So, when Porter brought up the child, Julie realized she couldn¡¯t refuse him anymore.


    In the end, she signed her name on the contract.


    Karl, holding the contract, said satisfactorily to Julie, ¡°Mr. Hernandez said, once Attorney Abraham has


    signed the contract, go straight to his office¡±


    After saying that, Karl gestured towards the door, looking at Porter and Grant, ¡°Mr. Porter, this way


    please.¡±


    Porter gave Julie a guilt¨Cridden and grateful look, then turned and left with Grant. Before leaving, he


    said to Julie, ¡°Attorney Abraham, don¡¯t worry. All your office supplies will be delivered by Grant.¡±


    Watching Porter¡¯s retreating back, Julie felt like she had been sold out.


    Karl pressed the elevator button for Julie and smiled politely. ¡°Attorney Abraham, after you¡±


    Julie felt relieved. At least Karl no longer addressed her as Mrs. Hernandez.


    Julie was led to the president¡¯s office by Karl, under the watchful eyes of many


    However, Kieran was in a meeting.


    Karl pointed to the sofa and said to Julie, ¡°Attorney Abraham, please take a seat. Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    meeting should end in about half an hour.¡±


    After that, Karl turned and left.


    This was the first time Julie had been to Kieran¡¯s office in all the years she had known him. She thought


    his conference room was already luxurious enough, but upon arriving at his office, she realized this


    was Kieran¡¯s true style.


    A cold, minimalist style. Under the dark grey and light grey sofas was a huge pure white rug. On the


    rug was a beautifully designed coffee table.


    A transparent crystal namete with Kieran¡¯s name was on the ck marble office desk.


    The pure whiteputer contrasted with the ck marble. On the desk was also a white hourss


    and a picture frame.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the contents of the picture frame. When she got closer, she


    saw a photo of Kieran and his brother, Lucian Hemandez, in the frame.


    Chapter 63


    Both brothers were exceptional, it was just a pity that Lucian was in a wheelchair. Kieran stood behind


    the wheelchair. They were both dressed in ck suits, wearing bow ties, but from the photo, Kieran still


    had a boyish look at the time.


    She only nced at the photo in the frame, then turned her head to look elsewhere.


    On the wall behind the ck armchair, on the in wall cloth, hung two abstract paintings.


    After a quick scan of the room, Julie walked over to the couch and sat down.


    She grabbed a magazine that was lying nearby. Surprisingly, Kieran had some tabloids lying around in


    his office.


    Julie stared at the magazine cover, which detailed the extravagant French vacation of Apex Innovations


    CEO Kenton Jenkins with his wife and kids.


    A bitter smile appeared on Julie¡¯s face as she read. via was living the dream that every woman


    craves. A loving husband, adorable twins, and even a sel of triplets. She was the envy of all, the girl


    who had it all.


    Back in the day, Julie would hear legendary stories about via from Daphne, and how today¡¯s happy


    via also went through unimaginable hardships with Kenton Jenkins.


    But it all turned out pretty good for her, didn¡¯t it?


    And yet, after all her tribtions, Julie felt doomed to be stuck in her current predicament.


    Taking a deep breath, she clutched the magazine to her chest.


    When Kieran returned to his office after his meeting, he found Julie was asleep on the couch, hugging


    a magazine.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, the three o¡¯clock meeting¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Before Karl could finish his sentence, Kieran abruptly covered his mouth and gestured for him


    to leave.


    Karl obediently exited the office, gently closing the door behind him.


    In his mind, he pictured Mr. Hernandez removing his suit jacket and gently draping it over Julie.


    However, as he closed the door, he saw Kieran sit down next to Julie on the couch and gently pull her


    head onto hisp.


    Karl¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Kieran


    Kieran nced back at him, so he quickly closed the door.


    Who knew Mr. Hernandez had a soft side!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Guess every man has a breaking point!


    Kieran knew Julie well. She was the kind of woman who, once asleep, was impossible to wake.


    So, despite Kieran shifting Julie¡¯s head onto hisp, she didn¡¯t move. Instead, she used his legs as a


    cushion and slumbered even deeper.


    The couch was more than three meters long, plenty of room for Julie to stretch out.


    Her tight skirt revealed her long legs. As shey on her side, her legs entwined, showing off her alluring


    curves.


    As she shifted in her sleep, her skirt rode up slightly.


    Kieran frowned, removed his jacket, and draped it over her waist. Then he picked up the contract that


    Karl had given him earlier. It bore the signatures of Porter and Julie


    Her handwriting was not the elegant script typical of girls but rather had a bold ir. This was probably


    because Julie learned to write under Kieran¡¯s tutge.


    From her signature, Kieran could tell that Julie was angry when she signed the contract. He couldn¡¯t


    help but look down at the woman in his arms, thinking of her pouty lips when she was upset.


    He originally intended to let her sleep morefortably on hisp, but he forgot that this woman had a


    rather annoying habit when she was sleeping soundly¡­


    Kieran smiled and dialed the front desk from his cell phone, ¡°Please bring in two meals. Ask Karl for the


    menu.¡±


    Twenty minutester, there was a knock on the office door.


    The knock was not loud, but it somehow magically stirred the deeply sleeping woman. She jolted


    upright in surprise.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Kieran responded coldly


    Karl¡¯s assistant, Tina, walked in, carrying two lunch meals.


    Upon entering, she saw Julie, who had just woken up and was half¨Clying on the couch. Her beautiful


    legs were mostly hidden under Kieran¡¯s jacket. Her hair was a bit messy, and there was a confused


    expression on her face.


    Kieran casually brushed a stray hair off her eyshes, then calmly told Tina, ¡°Please put the meals on


    the coffee table.¡±


    Tina set down the meals, but her gaze lingered on Julie¡¯s face, seemingly in shock.


    Kieran naturally ced Julie¡¯s contract on hisp and then looked at Tina with displeasure, ¡°Are you


    waiting for me to invite you to lunch?¡±


    Tina quickly shook her head


    Julie also snapped back to reality and quickly got up from the couch.


    However, as she had been sleeping for a long time, her legs were numb. She lost her bnce and fell


    towards Kieran.


    As Tina was closing the door, she saw Julie falling straight into Kieran¡¯s arms¡­

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chapter 64


    When the door shut, Julie waspletely awake from her drowsy state


    Her hands propped on the couch, clinging to Kieran.


    She was practically glued to him. This suggestive pose must have given Tina, who was just at the


    scene, the wrong idea.


    Julie didn¡¯t show any signs of embarrassment, instead, she straightened up and told Kieran directly,


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    Kieran gave a slight smile, ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect a counter¨Cquestion from Kieran. Her upfront attitude instantly turned awkward


    I¡¯m sorry for using you as a cushion when I fell over,¡± she said.


    Her words were dripping with sarcasm. No matter how charming Kieran might be, at that moment, in


    her heart, he was nothing more than a lifeless cushion.


    To her surprise, Kieran responded, ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m a sponge?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie looked at Kieran puzzled. She simply considered him as a cushion, nothing more


    Suddenly, Kieran pulled her closer, and then¡­.


    His slightly rough fingers found their way to her chest, over her clothes.


    Julie got the hint immediately. The ¡®sponge she mentioned referred to his body, while the ¡®sponge¡® he


    mentioned referred to her bra.


    Unfortunately, Julie was wearing a bra with no padding today


    She quickly grabbed his hand nervously, ¡°Kieran!¡±


    ¡°Still no progress after all these years?¡± He emotionlessly pulled his hand away. Only God knows the


    self¨Ccontrol it took.


    Knowing he was implying her chest size, Julie bit his wrist in retaliation.


    However, Kieran calmly said, ¡°Ouch¡­¡­.¡±


    His tone sounded like he was being cute.


    Acting cute was shameful! A grown man, acting cute?


    Julie pushed his hand away, trying to stand up, but he held her waist, immobilizing her.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, let go of me!¡± Julie returned to her cold demeanor.


    ¡°Attorney Abraham, you should apologize to me.¡± He rested his head on her shoulder, his deep voice


    resonating in her ear. His lips brushed against her earlobe as he spoke. The warm touch made Julie


    feel like she was electrified


    Instinctively, she tried to push Kieran away, but he held her waist tightly, pinning her hands against his


    body.


    Helpless, Julie turned her back to him and asked righteously, ¡°What makes you think I should apologize


    to you? You touched my chest, so I bit you.


    Doesn¡¯t that make us even?¡±


    Heid his head on her frail shoulder, nodding in agreement, ¡°I admit that. I was referring to¡­


    Suddenly, Kieran let go.


    Julie quickly pushed him away and moved to the other side of the couch.


    He casually put one hand on the couch, the other hand revealing the magazine on hisp, pointing at


    his crotch.


    He raised an eyebrow, giving Julie a meaningful look, andughed, ¡°What about this?¡±


    Julie noticed his wet crotch, clearly from drooling on his legs when she used them as a pillow earlier.


    Unconsciously, her eye twitched as she said, ¡°I already owe you a lot. If you don¡¯t mind, add the cost of


    these pants to my debt. Of course, if you do mind. you can take me to court over these expensive


    pants¡±


    Kieranughed helplessly Julie¡¯s rogue attitude was truly a mix of hrity and exasperation.


    But Julie was Julie, the same Julie who chased after Kieran for years. He had plenty of ways to tame


    her.


    For instance


    Kieran stood up, elegantly unbuckling his belt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Julie stood up immediately, frowning at the scene before her.


    His slender fingers on the ck belt buckle looked noble and elegant. He told Julie confidently, ¡°I¡¯m


    changing pants. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯lle backter.¡± Julie turned around, heading towards the door with her back to Kieran.


    Suddenly, a melodiousughter came from behind, ¡°You didn¡¯t know what modesty was before


    marriage, didn¡¯t know what shyness was after marriage. Why are you shy now?¡±


    Julie was easily provoked. She took a deep breath, turned around, frowning, I¡¯m avoiding making you


    ufortable.¡±


    ¡°In the dressing room, the third pair of dark grey pants in the second row. Get them for me,¡± said


    Kieran.


    Julie wanted to refuse, but she thought fetching his pants was better than watching him take his pants


    off.


    When she reached the door of the dressing room, she realized it was password protected.


    She turned to look at Kieran, ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡±


    ¡°Our divorce anniversary,¡± Kieran said, unbuckling his belt while looking at Julie.


    In their moment of eye contact, Julie¡¯s bright eyes were filled with doubt, questioning the truth of


    Kieran¡¯s words.


    However, his eyes were sincere. At least on the surface, she saw no signs of deception.


    Why would he use such a shameful date as his password?


    Julie turned around and entered the date.


    The machine¡¯s cold voice said, ¡°Incorrect entry¡±


    Julie tried once more, frowning, but it failed again.


    At this point, Julie was convinced she was being yed.


    She turned around, her sharp gazending on the man.


    ¡°I genuinely forgot. The bank card¡¯s password is our divorce anniversary. The dressing room¡¯s


    password should be your birthday. I really got them mixed up.¡± Kieran said innocently.


    ¡°Do you find lying to me amusing? You used business tactics to force me back into your life, just to


    deceive me? Are you that bored? After leaving you, I¡¯m just an ordinary person. Do you really¡­¡±


    As Julie was speaking, Kieran was already walking towards her.


    As he drew closer, Julie¡¯s back was pressed against the dressing room door.


    He suddenly reached out, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her a full 180 degrees. Julie was left with


    her back to Kieran.


    Just when she was about to resist, he suddenly grasped Julie¡¯s index finger from behind, and without


    warning, pressed it onto the keypad of the password lock.


    Julie kept her eyes glued on Kieran as he entered the password.


    0627, indeed, it was her birthday.


    ¡°Password correct, a mechanical female voice echoed in Julie¡¯s ears.


    Kieran let go of Julie¡¯s hand.


    She looked up at Kieran, perplexed, trying to search for any mischief in his gaze.


    But he just looked down at her from above, casually saying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind being naked for a while.¡±


    Julie turned around and walked into the lounge, mming the lounge door behind her.


    Kieran was left standing outside. He nced down at his pants, back at his belt thrown on the sofa,


    and chuckled.


    Julie leaned against the closed lounge door, her heart beating faster.


    Despite her best efforts to control her thoughts, warning herself not to overthink, Julie still couldn¡¯t


    understand why Kieran would set his password as her birthday.


    She was supposed to be the unpredictable one, not him.


    She stared at the ceiling, thinking. Suddenly, sheughed mockingly at herself. Perhaps, Kieran had


    deliberately changed the password recently just to see her make a fool of herself.


    And here she was, overthinking!


    She turned around, opening the wardrobe.


    Inside the wardrobe, apart from Kieran¡¯s clothes, half of it was filled with women¡¯s clothing. The


    wardrobe was divided into two parts. Kieran¡¯s side radiated a certain steadiness, while the women¡¯s


    side was full of bright colors and varying styles, including both skirts and trousers.


    Looking at the wardrobe, Julie¡¯s smirk grew deeper. She had seen the same scene at Noblewood


    Retreatst time


    Just how many women had Kieran been involved with to need such a variety of clothes? Or were all


    these clothes prepared for the now deceased Bertha Stewart?


    Whichever the case, it had nothing to do with Julie.


    Following Kieran¡¯s instructions, Julie picked up the third pair of dark grey trousers from the second row


    and left the dressing room.


    Kieran was leaning against the door. His long legs were elegantly crossed, with a phone in his hand,


    looking down and fiddling with it.


    Julie tossed the trousers onto Kieran, her tone icy, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, fetching trousers for you should be


    the job of your partner or your secretary. I am just yourwyer. Please don¡¯t ask me to do this kind of


    thing again¡±


    After saying that, she gave a quick nce at the thing between his legs, scoffed, and then sat down on


    the sofa.


    Kieran frowned, holding the trousers in his hand but not putting them on immediately Instead, he


    walked over to Julie, looking down at the haughty woman, ¡°What did that scoff mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because your size is too small, not up to my standards. So, Mr. Hernandez, please don¡¯t do this


    kind of thing in front of me. I¡¯m very d we go! divorced¡±

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Chapter 65


    Julie felt the sofa beside her sink, and when she turned her head, there was Kieran, sitting right next to


    her.


    The man had a smirk hanging at the corner of his mouth, saying, ¡°Repeat what you just said¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any hint of displeasure in his tone, rather a touch of teasing.


    Julie turned to face him, losing her earlier shyness and blush. She looked straight at him, her voice


    slightly rising, ¡°Which part? The part where I said I¡¯m d we¡¯re divorced? Or the part where I said


    you¡¯re too small for me?¡±


    ¡°Thetter,¡± he answered.


    Julie repeated. ¡°Too small for me.¡±


    This woman really had the guts to say it!


    Suddenly, Kieran moved closer to Julie. Julie stiffened her neck, managing not to flinch.


    His lips brushed against her cheek, then he whispered in her ear as if he was kissing it, ¡°If I¡¯m too


    small, that¡¯s because of you, if I¡¯m too big, that¡¯s also because of you. Whatever you say, I¡¯ll ept it.¡±


    Julie pushed him away and leaned back, ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit. It has nothing to do with


    me!¡±


    This was something Julie would only say under pressure. She never thought this man could be so


    shameless!


    She was already mad enough to explode, yet he could still respond calmly, ¡°My thoughts are controlled


    by me, while my size is controlled by you. If you want to continue discussing this, I don¡¯t mind putting


    down my work to discuss it in¨Cdepth with you. But if you feel shy about the topic, you can eat


    something first¡±


    No matter what Julie chose, she would fall into his trap.


    But if she had to choose between discussing size issues with Kieran or eating, of course, she¡¯d choose


    to eat. She only had a slice of bread and a cup of milk in the morning Right now, she was hungry


    enough to eat a meal for two.


    The lunch on the table was plentiful, and most of it were dishes Julie liked.


    In a way, she was now his employee, so eating his food wasn¡¯t inappropriate, plus it would save her a


    meal¡¯s worth of money. Why not?


    But just as she picked up her fork, Kieran¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Let¡¯s continue our previous conversation


    while we eat.¡±


    Julie immediately lost her appetite. She put down her fork and looked at Kieran, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had


    a weird habit of discussing filthy topics while eating!¡±


    Couldn¡¯t this man put his pants on first?


    No matter how you looked at it, this situation wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Are you feeling shy?¡± Kieran was originally nning to put on his pants, but hearing Julie say that, he


    seemed to have taken an interest. He provocatively raised an eyebrow


    Julie felt extremely embarrassed, but still forced herself to remain calm, managing a weak smile, ¡°This


    is yourpany. I have no right to oppose your decisions, right? I¡¯m just suggesting, being a reputable


    person, you probably shouldn¡¯t let others know about this strange habit, especially women like me who


    bear ill will towards you.¡±


    Julie tried to provoke Kieran, but she didn¡¯t seed.


    He was actually going to put his pants on normally, but seeing Julie¡¯s shy and embarrassed expression,


    he suddenly changed his mind


    He wasn¡¯t embarrassed or ufortable under Julie¡¯s gaze. Instead, Kieran just smiled at her, ¡°Could


    you get me some soup? I¡¯m treating you to a meal, so you should help me out a bit¡±


    Julie had no reason to refuse, so she poured a bowl of soup for Kieran. She didn¡¯t expect Kieran to


    suddenly reach out to take it.


    The moment Kieran¡¯s hand touched the bowl, the soup immediately spilled out.


    Unfortunately, it spilled right onto his crotch. Kieran immediately stood up.


    A few drops of soup dripped down his Calvin Klein ck boxer, flowing down his muscr thighs.


    Even though the soup had been sitting on the table for a while, it was still quite hot.


    Julie knew she made a big mistake. Without any hesitation, she reached out to wipe it off for Kieran,


    then looked at him with a worried face, full of self¨Cme. She looked at him like a poor little deer, I¡¯m


    sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­


    Before she could finish, he caught her hand.


    He didn¡¯t push her hand away, instead¡­ he let her hand stay there.


    The thing in her hand gradually changed.


    She felt it gradually growing Julie¡¯s senses were instantly activated. It was as if a bomb had been


    ced in her head, making her restless


    He was such a jerk!


    When Julie realized what was happening, her first instinct was to pull her hand back.


    But he held onto her hand tightly, not allowing her to pull away


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    This friction made the thing in Julie¡¯s hand even more obvious.


    He even let out a moan, even though his face remained serious.


    Chapter 65


    This is the office! This is the workce!


    Julie didn¡¯t dare to move, she just looked at him with a bit of grievance, ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± He stood in front of her, trapping her in the small s area, his voice raspy. ¡°I¡¯m proving


    my point¡±


    What point? All Julie knew was the thing in her hand had awakened, as if it was about to take some


    action at any moment


    ¡°I said, my thoughts I can control, but this is controlled by you. Do you believe me now?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how he could say such rational words while doing such disgusting things.


    Julie turned her head away. Then why isn¡¯t it getting smaller when I want it to?¡±


    ¡°Try struggling a bit more,¡± he suggested.


    Julie was silent.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± Julie was truly angry now, and also felt humiliated.


    Actually, this situation had gone beyond Kieran¡¯s expectations. He originally just wanted to tease her,


    but he didn¡¯t expect to end up suffering himself.


    Kieran stood there, looking down from above, he could see Julie¡¯s chest under her white shirt. Her skin


    was smooth and delicate, andpared to five years ago, she was even more charming now.


    Heined inwardly, a white shirt was truly a lethal temptation.


    Julie didn¡¯t dare to move, and Kieran didn¡¯t let go of her.


    In the end, Julie asked Kieran, ¡°Do you often do things like this in the office?¡±


    He kept so many spare clothes for women in the dressing room, just for the convenience of having sex


    with women in the office, right?


    Disgusting!


    Kieran looked at Julie, his eyes suddenly deepening.


    Julie didn¡¯t see anything wrong with what she just said.


    They had a deadlock for a few seconds.


    Then, Karl¡¯s familiar voice came from outside the door, ¡°Ms. Annalise, Mr. Hernandez is resting right


    now. Please wait for a moment.¡±


    Ms. Annalise?


    Just as Julie was puzzled, Kieran suddenly let go of her wrist, bent down to pick her up from the sofa,


    and headed straight for the bed in the lounge.


    Julie was a little panic, wanted to scream, but before her call could get out of her throat, her lips were


    sealed by Kieran¡¯s sudden kiss. All the sounds were stuck in her throat.


    Just as the door of the lounge was closed, Ms. Annalise pushed the door and came in despite Karl¡¯s


    stop.


    The office was tidy, except for the messy sofa¡­


    Kieran¡¯s dark grey trousers were still on the sofa. Ms. Annalise recognized them at a nce.


    Karl was relieved Fortunately, when Ms. Annalise pushed the door, she didn¡¯t see Mr. Hernandez and


    Ms. Abraham on the sofa¡­.


    ¡°Ms. Annalise, Mr. Hernandez is resting¡± Karl looked at Annalise Hansen seriously.


    Annalise frowned, then looked at the pants on the sofa and joked, Is he resting alone or with someone


    else?¡±


    Karl didn¡¯t know how to respond


    In the lounge, as soon as Julie heard this voice, she knew who the woman outside the door was.


    Annalise. Julie knew about her back in school.


    She came from a wealthy family, her every move exuded elegance, but she was a bit domineering. In


    school, she had turned down many girls¡® pursuits on behalf of Kieran. Kieran knew Annalise before he


    met Julie.


    In Kieran¡¯s life, Annalise was a special existence.


    In Julie¡¯s memory, Kieran¡¯s tolerance and generosity towards Annalise were almost unconditional


    Although Kieran never openly said he loved Annalise, his attitude towards Annalise was significantly


    different from other women.


    The year she married Kieran, she heard that Annalise went abroad to study and then became a top


    ceramic artist. She is now very famous in the country. Almost every piece of Annalise¡¯s ceramic works


    can be sold at a high price. She truly matches Kieran in every aspect.


    She did not know when Annalise returned to the country, but the fact that Annalise could freely enter


    and exit Kieran¡¯s office proved Kieran¡¯s special attitude towards her.


    At the beginning, Julie once thought that her marriage to Kieran was a mistake. If Kieran¡¯s wife was


    Annalise instead of her, perhaps there would be no Bertha around Kieran, and the subsequent series of


    tragedies would not happen.


    Julie tried to push away Kieran¡¯s hand on her waist


    Their current position on the bed seemed inappropriate no matter how you looked at it, but she didn¡¯t


    expect Kieran to suddenly pounce directly onto hey


    His cool lips met hers.


    Just as Julie¡¯s eyes widened, the lounge door was suddenly pushed open by Annalise from outside¡­.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Chapter 66


    After all these years, Julie didn¡¯t expect to meet Annalise again, and certainly not in this kind of


    situation.


    Kieran was still on top of her, lips locked with hers.


    Annalise was dressed in a delicate Chanel dress and a pair of champagne¨Ccolored high heels, her face


    beautiful and makeup exquisite. Time had left no traces on her face. Even standing there, she exuded


    an air of elegance.


    ¡°Out!¡± Kieran grabbed a nket from the side, covering Julie, and frowned at Annalise in annoyance.


    However, before Annalise left the room and closed the door, Julie quickly threw off the nket. She


    was fully dressed, why hide?


    By the time Annalise had just pushed open the room door, she must have seen her already. The one


    without pants was clearly Kieran


    The ambiguous atmosphere just now had dissipated. Julie regained her senses. She straightened her


    clothes and then looked at Kieran from the edge of the bed. ¡°Should I leave now or wait a bit?¡±


    Let¡¯s grab some food.¡± Kieran opened his wardrobe, casually picked up a pair of long pants to put on,


    and then pulled Julie and walked out.


    Julie freed herself from his grip and walked out of the room on her own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± Kieran asked Annalise, then gave Karl a meaningful look.


    Then, he pulled Julie back to his side in case she tried to make a run for it.


    Karl was speechless.


    He never expected Annalise would know the passcode to the lounge!


    Annalise looked at Julie andughed, ¡°So, have you two rekindled an old me? Or was it just an


    ident?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Annalise, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. I barely know Mr. Hernandez, let alone have any old feelings for


    him.¡±


    Julie calmly removed Kieran¡¯s hand from her shoulder, her expression collected. There was no hint of


    ambiguity in her gaze.


    After Julie shook off his hand, Kieran once again held her hand and led her to sit on the sofa. He


    pushed all the food in front of her, saying, ¡°Eat first¡±


    He knew Julie had a serious gastritis.


    Even though she was hungry now, with Annalise staring at her, she really couldn¡¯t eat.


    Julie simply picked up the lunch box, then nodded at Kieran in thanks, ¡°Thanks for the lunch.¡±


    This time, Kieran didn¡¯t stop her.


    The sound of Julie closing the door was light and polite.


    Kieran turned his head and told Karl, ¡°Make sure she finishes her meal.¡±


    Karl left with a guilty conscience.


    Annalise took off her high heels, sat cross¨Clegged on the sofa,zily looking at Kieran, and said with a


    teasing smile, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, a smart man wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. Do you want to


    make the same mistake again?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me know you wereing back?¡± Kieran asked, sitting on the sofa.


    The lunch that was originally set for two was all taken away by Julie. Now the table looked a bit empty.


    Annalise said, ¡°I heard that Bertha passed away, so I came back to see if I could help. But as soon as I


    got back, I heard that you¡¯ve moved heaven and earth to get Joyce back. You¡¯re shameless.¡±


    *So?¡±


    Used to Kieran¡¯s indifference, Annalise said casually, ¡°Joyce took me as a thorn in her side when she


    was in school. She¡¯ll definitely mind my being back, won¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Even if she saw you and me in bed, she wouldn¡¯t care now.¡± Kieran said helplessly.


    Annalise suddenly sat down on the sofa next to Kieran, and then held Kieran¡¯s arm, ¡°Did Bertha really


    commit suicide?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise?¡± Kieran asked back.


    Frowning a little, Annalise said, ¡°I feel like it¡¯s not that simple. Let¡¯s not talk about this. Have you heard


    anything about Hayden?¡±


    ¡°No.¡°Kieran¡¯s concise answerpletely dashed Annalise¡¯s hopes.


    She really came back for Hayden Simson.


    ¡°Really, you haven¡¯t heard anything about Hayden?¡± Annalise asked in disbelief.


    She still got a negative answer from KieranN?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Reluctantly looking at Kieran, Annalise said, ¡°Isn¡¯t he your best friend? How could you not know where


    he is?¡±


    ¡°What about you? I didn¡¯t know you wereing back today either¡±


    Annalise was speechless at Kieran¡¯s retort


    She simply got up, said somewhat helplessly, ¡°When you have news about him, let me know!


    OK His response sounded insincere Annalise knew he was just brushing her off.


    Annalise walked to the door, then looked back at Kieran, ¡°By the way, do I need to exin to Joyce that


    you and I have no romantic rtionship?¡±


    10.10


    ¡°No need.¡± Kieran said.


    Annalise nodded, ¡°I thought so. Joyce must hate you very much now. Even if I exined, she would


    think I was in cahoots with you. You always used me


    as an excuse to reject other girls when we were in school. This is the result of your actions!¡±


    Annalise left the office.


    Outside, Julie was by the water dispenser


    As Annalise passed her, she gave Julie a provocative look.


    Julie had just stuffed a biscuit in her mouth and was startled by Annalise¡¯s gaze, almost choked.


    At this moment, a clear ss cup suddenly appeared in front of Julie.


    Without thinking, Julie took the cup and took a sip of water.


    When she came back to her senses, she looked up.


    She saw a handsome young man standing next to her.


    Julie looked at the cup in her hand, then at the man. ¡°Uh¡­ thank you¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s a new cup, I haven¡¯t used it. My name is Dn.¡± Dn¡¯s voice was as refreshing as


    his appearance


    Julie stood up, smiled at Dn, ¡°My name is Julie


    ¡°Are you the new secretary in the president¡¯s office?¡± Dn asked.


    Julie shook her head Tm thewyer in charge of the Creative Nexus Media case. You are¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just a nobody.¡± Dn shed Julie a smile, then took off his suit jacket and draped it over Julie,


    saying, ¡°You got some blood on your skirt.¡±


    This was hands down the most awkward moment in Julie¡¯s life.


    Was her period here?


    Her period was here!!


    Her cycle was always irregr and there were no warning signs before it came, so Julie always carried


    pads with her. She¡¯d felt a bit of warmth down there just now, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    She left it out of consideration. Julie handed her cup to Dn, ¡°Thanks. Could you wait here for a


    bit?¡±


    As she dashed off to the restroom with her bag, Julie looked back at Dn and said, ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    Annalise, who was waiting for the elevator, happened to see Julie, draped in a light blue men¡¯s suit


    jacket, heading for the restroom.


    Near the water dispenser, a young man in a white shirt and white trousers was watching Julie with a


    smile.


    He was kind of good¨Clooking, probably in his early twenties, and about 1.86 meters tall.


    Dressed all in white, he looked fresh and noble yet mysterious.


    This was big news!


    Annalise whipped out her phone and snapped a couple of photos.


    The elevator doors opened. Annalise looked at her photos with satisfaction and then sent them to


    Kieran.


    Karl had prepared a lunch for Kieran. Before Kieran had a chance to eat, his phone rang.


    The photos Annalise sent instantly stung Kieran¡¯s eyes.


    The man¡¯s suit jacket was draped over Julie¡¯s body, covering her hips and entuating the length of


    her legs. And the man leaning against the door¡­


    Kieran hit a button on his desk, dialing Karl¡¯s extension, ¡°Do I have an appointment with Dn today?¡±


    Karl said, ¡°At 1:30 this afternoon, Mr. Dn and Mr. Hernandez have an appointment. Mr. Dn has


    been waiting for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Then let him wait another half an hour¡± With that, Kieran hung up.


    He put down his lunch, then turned around and grabbed a suit jacket before heading out the door of his


    office.


    When Julie came out of the restroom, she still had Dn¡¯s jacket on her shoulders.


    Dn really was still waiting by the water dispenser for Julie toe back.


    Seeing Dn holding the cup and waiting for her, Julie smiled at him from a distance.


    She walked towards Dn. In this secretary¡¯s office, there were a dozen or so secretaries and


    assistants of different ranks. They were all drawn to Julie¡¯s unusual attire, giving her more than a few


    nces. Since they hadn¡¯t seen Julie before, she was the center of attention.


    Julie ignored the stares and walked straight towards Dn.


    ¡°Problem solved?¡± Dn stood up as he saw Julie approach.


    Julie nodded, ¡°Thanks for the cup and the jacket, but I might not be able to return this jacket to you for


    the time being. If it¡¯s okay, could you give me your phone number


    Before Julie could finish her sentence, she felt a tall figure behind her.


    She turned around in surprise,ing face to face with Kieran


    He grabbed the light blue jacket from Julie¡¯s shoulder and threw it to Dn, then draped his own jacket


    over Julie


    T treat you to dinner tonight.¡± This was what Kieran said to Dn.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand and headed for his office.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Chapter 67


    Kieran walked Julle into the office lounge, only letting go of her hand then.


    He then swung open the cloakroom door, gesturing at the women¡¯s clothes. ¡°Pick one.¡±


    1 feel dirty¡± Julie said, expressionless. Her responses to him had be more and more terse, the


    previous questioning and defiance now absent.


    Kieran hesitated for a moment, then replied, ¡°They¡¯re all brand new¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too expensive,¡± she said.


    ¡°You can just owe me more money.¡± He hoped she would be in debt to him for the rest of her life.


    Julie took a deep breath, then looked up at Kieran. ¡°Let¡¯s get things straight today. What are you trying


    to do? Why are you being nice to me out of the blue and then putting me in awkward situations? What


    are you trying to do? Just spit it out, so I don¡¯t have to waste time trying to decipher your cryptic bullshit


    with my dumb brain.¡±


    ¡°What do I want to do?¡± Kieran looked at Julie and suddenly smiled.


    Julie narrowed her eyes, ¡°Yes, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep with you, is that okay?¡± Kieran leaned against the cloakroom door, looking at Julie


    standing in front of him. There was a touch of frivolity in his words.


    He expected anger, but she just let out a cold chuckle.


    She shrugged off her zer, casually tossed it onto the couch, then asked, ¡°How do you want to


    sleep?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking about the ce or the position?¡± Kieran crossed his arms, his voice sultry


    Julie turned her back to him.


    Without the zer to cover her, the bloodstain on her dress was ringly obvious


    Julie didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all, instead, she looked at Kieran boldly. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not in a


    position to do anything today.¡±


    She pulled out a pair of ck trousers from the wardrobe. ¡°Since you verbally insulted me earlier,


    consider these trousers as yourpensation. Don¡¯t put this on my tab.¡±


    With that, she headed to the office restroom to change.


    Julie thought she was being pretty shameless.


    But Kieran, leaning against the door, found her shamelessness amusing and chuckled.


    Julie came out of the restroom with the dirty dress in hand. Kieran snatched it from her and tossed it


    into the garbage bin.


    This time, Julie was genuinely angry. ¡°Why did you throw away my dress? If you¡¯re so capable, why


    don¡¯t you throw me into the bin too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not capable.¡± Kieran¡¯s response was straightforward.


    That ended the conversation abruptly.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to argue with Kieran, so she bent down to retrieve her dress, but Kieran grabbed her


    wrist and pinned her against the wall. ¡°Try picking it up again, and see if I don¡¯t take you right here!¡±


    Julie burst intoughter. She asked him scornfully, ¡°You want to take me here? Or deal with my period?


    I didn¡¯t know you became such a freak after the divorce!¡±


    ¡°I have indeed be a freak. Joyce, it¡¯s been a hard few years for me, not sleeping with any other


    women.¡±


    Kieran bent over, pinning Julie against the wall. He, in his ck shirt, leaned over her, like a poppy


    flower, fatally attractive. Julie could see Kieran¡¯s long legs when she looked down, and his lips were


    just inches away when she looked up.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Once upon a time, she loved it when he called her Joyce¡± and had sworn to spend her life with him.


    And now, he was telling her that he had been celibate for the past five years¡­.


    How could she possibly believe him?


    Julie gave him a charming smile. She boldly lifted Kieran¡¯s chin,ughing, ¡°Five years without sleeping


    with another woman, you¡¯re such a good man! After you criticized my skills in bed, I¡¯ve put a lot of effort


    into learning from various experts!¡±


    Only she knew that Kieran was her first man, and he was the only one ever.


    She said this to provoke Kieran.


    But she forgot that Kieran was like a cotton ball, impervious to needles or thorns.


    So when Julie said she had learned from other men, Kieran ambiguously gripped her fingers. ¡°Joyce,


    there¡¯s a difference between videos and reality Experiencees from actual practice. I¡¯ll teach you


    when I have time.¡±


    With that, Kieran let go of Julie¡¯s hand.


    Was he insinuating that she could only gain experience from watching porn?


    Julie was flustered.


    In terms of words, Julie admitted that she was no match for Kieran.


    Kieran seemed pretty pleased with his victory.


    Let¡¯s not talk about this. I hope you can stay professional at work. Don¡¯t just drag me into your office.


    You may not care about gossip, but that¡¯s because nobody dares to discuss it in front of you.¡± Julie


    could already imagine how people in the office would talk about her after she left.


    However, Kieran didn¡¯t seem to care. He just smiled at Julie, asking. ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll say?¡±


    In general, they won¡¯t say you¡¯re a domineering man, they¡¯ll just say I¡¯m a shameless woman.¡± Julie


    rolled her eyes, her voice and expression filled with dissatisfaction.


    Kieran reached out and smoothed her messy hair, ¡°If they do say that, they¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    With that, he looked down at her chest, ¡°Isn¡¯t this tempting me?¡±


    Julie had only taken a pair of trousers from Kieran¡¯s wardrobe to change into. She was still wearing her


    own white shirt on top.


    In the struggle with Kieran, a few buttons on Julie¡¯s shirt had been ripped open.


    Her ck bra was visible through the shirt¡¯s opening.


    Normally, she should¡¯ve been shocked and covered her chest with her hands, but Julie just smirked


    and said, ¡°I like wearing revealing clothes. Whether you want to look or not, is your decision. If you


    think I¡¯m trying to seduce you just because of this, then you reallyck self¨Ccontrol. If I go out dressed


    like this, does it mean every male employee has to say I¡¯m trying to seduce them¡­ Hey! Kieran, what


    are you doing? Let go of me!¡±


    Julie said this to defend herself, but she didn¡¯t expect that man to suddenly lean down and leave a


    deep red mark on her chest with his lips.


    Julie gripped the man¡¯s hair tightly, pushing him away before she covered her chest in shock, her


    eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Kieran! Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Kieran, who had taken a step back, looked at Julie with a smirk on his face. ¡°Maybe. If you think this


    isn¡¯t sexy enough, you can unbutton a little more and see how long I can resist touching you. Need help


    with the buttons?¡±


    His flippant attitude pissed Julie off, but she was too flustered to retort. All she could do was shove


    Kieran aside and head for the door.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice followed her.


    Without turning her head, Julie replied, I¡¯m calling the cops! I¡¯m reporting you for sexual harassment!¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking than Kieran was already in front of her.


    ¡°What are you up to now?¡± Julie asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll testify for you,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I sexually harassed you. I¡¯ll apologize to you in front of all the


    staff.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Julie kicked him hard, then opened the door and ran out, buttoning her shirt as she did.


    Kieran watched her retreating figure with an even bigger grin on his face.


    As soon as Julie left the office, all eyes were on her with curious eyes.


    Her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was a call from Daphne, Julie answered calmly.


    She spoke to Daphne on the other end of the line, ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll be off work in half an hour. When do you


    think you¡¯ll get here?¡±


    Her voice was sweet and gentle, as if engaged in a typical sweet talk between a couple.


    Her tactic worked like a charm. When she first came out of Kieran¡¯s office, everyone looked at Julie


    with ambiguous nces. Most of them assumed something must have happened between her and


    Kieran in the office.


    But after hearing what Julie just said on the phone, people started to doubt whether Julie really had a


    husband.


    Daphne was bewildered. ¡°Husband! I¡¯m your husband? God, did I dial the wrong number?¡±


    After checking her phone to make sure she hadn¡¯t dialed the wrong number, Daphne asked Julie, ¡°Did I


    hear it wrong?¡±


    Julie¡¯s coquettish voice came through the phone, ¡°Darling, you told me before that Mr. Hernandez is a


    nice guy, and I didn¡¯t believe you. Today, when he saw my clothes got dirty, he helped me. He¡¯s just as


    nice as you said!¡±


    Julie was exining to everyone, trying to avoid any future rumors. Otherwise, the entanglement


    between her and Kieran would be real.


    From the looks of these gossip¨Cloving employees, Julie realized that they finally believed that her


    rtionship with Kieran was purely tonic.


    ¡°By the way, darling, Mr. Hernandez also invited you to have dinner with us tonight. I¡¯ll be waiting for


    you at Simpo Co.!¡± Julie intended to end the call with this sentence.


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, when she was about to hang up. Dn¡¯s warm voice suddenly came from


    behind her, Tm already at Simpo Co.¡±


    The seamless connection startled Julie. She turned around and saw Dn, who had just hung up a call


    as well.


    Everyone in the office gasped in surprise.


    At that moment, Kieran walked out of the office. Seeing Dn, he casually said to him, ¡°Weren¡¯t we


    supposed to have dinner tonight? Where should we go?¡±


    Chapter 68


    Chapter

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Chapter 68


    Kieran made an entrance at the perfect moment.


    Everyone immediately turned to look at Dn and Attorney Abraham It was supposed to be Attorney


    Abraham¡¯s husband whom Mr. Hernandez was inviting for dinner. But now he was inviting Mr. Dn?


    Did this mean that Mr. Dn was Attorney Abraham¡¯s husband?


    Julie was now so regretful that she wanted to run into a wall or find a ce to hide. Luckily, it was time


    to clock out Julie quickly pressed the elevator button


    When the elevator doors swung open, she didn¡¯t even check if it was the CEO¡¯s exclusive elevator and


    just jumped inside.


    Kieran watched Julie¡¯s hasty retreat into the elevator but didn¡¯t stop her.


    Dn followed behind Julie, casually asking Kieran, ¡°Gourmet Haven has some new dishes that taste


    pretty good. How about we head there for dinner?¡±


    You¡¯re the boss.¡°Kieran replied.


    Julie watched in disbelief as Kieran and Dn started heading towards the elevator. She initially


    thought they were going to the next elevator. But when they stepped into the one she was in, she


    realized she had entered the wrong elevator Her first instinct was to escape, but the elevator doors had


    already closed.


    Julie stood at the front, with Dn and Kieran behind her.


    The elevator was mirrored all around, so Julie could see Kieran and Dn¡¯s expressions from the one


    in front of her.


    Dn in the mirror behind her gave Julie a smile and then turned to Kieran, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this


    nice to thepany¡¯swyers.¡±


    Dn nced at Julie¡¯s pants with a smirk.


    Julie felt awkward Kieran simply smiled but remained silent.


    ¡°Attorney Abraham, could you press the button for the basement?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from behind


    her.


    Julie reached out and pressed the button for the basement.


    Kieran and Dn were headed to the parking lot, while Julie chose to go to the first floor.


    The moment the elevator doors opened, Julie shot out like an arrow.


    Once the doors closed again, Dn and Kieran stood side by side.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s your ex¨Cwife?¡± Dn asked Kieran, looking at his reflection in the mirror.


    Kieran turned his head to look at Dn, retorting, ¡°Are all forensic pathologists this nosy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an exception.¡± Dn chuckled.


    The elevator arrived at the basement. Kieran walked out without a word.


    Dn followed behind Kieran, throwing an arm around his shoulder, ¡°So she really is your ex¨Cwife? I


    heard from Hayden that you were married eight years ago and divorced five years ago. I didn¡¯t believe


    it at first, but now I do. If I knew your life was filled with so much drama, I wouldn¡¯t have listened to my


    dad and studied abroad in middle school. I missed out on so much!¡±


    Kieran calmly swatted Dn¡¯s arm off his shoulder and looked at him gravely. ¡°Can you perform an


    autopsy on your own body?¡±


    Dn replied nervously. ¡°Kerry, are you threatening me? Are you nning on killing me to shut me up?


    Let me make it clear, pathologists can¡¯t perform autopsies on their own bodies, so you better drop that


    hope! I came here today to tell you about Bertha¡¯s situation.¡±


    ¡°Drive¡± Kieran tossed the car keys to Dn.


    Julie left the Simpo Co. building and called Daphne.


    After exining the weird call to Daphne, Daphne didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. She evenughed and


    said, ¡°My mom said she misses you, soe over for dinner whenever you¡¯re free. Have you finished


    work? Want me to pick you up?¡±


    Just as Julie was about to agree, a pure white Lotus pulled up in front of her.


    The window rolled down and Elliot¡¯s face came into view.


    He unbuckled his Seatbelt, opened the passenger door and said to Julie. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Julie replied with a hint of distance in her voice.


    Elliot responded bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence, I was waiting for you here on purpose. Get in, or I¡¯ll get


    out and walk you home.¡±


    It was peak hour at Simpo Co. and his car was already quite conspicuous.


    Julie hesitated for a second before getting in the passenger seat.


    Elliot leaned over to help Julie buckle her seatbelt, but she had already done it herself.


    Elliot didn¡¯t seem embarrassed at all. He started the car and asked Julie, ¡°Shall we go for dinner first?¡±


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t bother you, please just drop me off at home. If it does, drop me at the subway station¡± Julie


    replied


    instead of answering her question, Elliot asked her, ¡°Did you like the roses?¡±


    Julie, who had been looking straight ahead, suddenly turned to look at Elliot, ¡°So the roses this morning


    were from you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t all women love flowers? I¡¯ve been stuck at thepany by my grandfather and have been


    swamped with work. I finally found some time to see


    you and you n to treat me with such a cold attitude?¡± Elliot gripped the steering wheel with one


    hand, a hint of grievance in his voice.


    Julie felt somewhat helpless towards Elliot.


    ¡°I thought I made it clear.¡±


    ¡°You did, and I heard you loud and clear. But that doesn¡¯t stop me from seeing you¡±


    ¡°Elliot, I don¡¯t like you.¡± Julie repeated.


    Elliot put a hand over his heart dramatically. ¡°That really hurts.¡±


    Facing Elliot¡¯s wiliness, all Julie felt was a headache.


    Elliot easily changed the topic, I came to see you today because I have something important to


    discuss.¡±


    Julie looked at Elliot.


    Elliot continued, ¡°I heard you joined Simpo Co. and became the exclusivewyer for the Kieran and


    Creative Nexus Media case?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± Julie responded.


    Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯m here to poach you. You could work as a legal consultant at Ray Group. If you¡¯re up for


    it, you can even be my personalwyer¡±


    Thanks, but no thanks,¡± Julie replied.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Suddenly, Elliot swerved the wheel and pulled the car over. He locked the doors, turned to look at Julie


    with a furrowed brow, ¡°Why? Why are you still sticking around Kieran? You should¡¯ve learned from your


    past, but why, oh why, are you still choosing him? Have you forgotten who killed your child with his own


    hands? Such a ruthless man¡­¡±


    ¡°I spent my entire youth loving this ruthless man. Just to be able to stand by his side openly, I let myself


    sink to the gutters. Because I loved him, I missed my parents¡®st moments; because I loved him, my


    only sister is still lying unconscious in the hospital, because I loved him, I lost the child in my womb. I


    used to love him so much, now I hate him just as much!!¡±


    Julie¡¯s eyes were misty as she looked at Elliot, ¡°I hate him so much that I can¡¯t help but want to kill him


    myself! But I don¡¯t hate you, Elliot! I¡¯m stuck in this quagmire, the more I struggle, the deeper I sink. I


    don¡¯t want to drag you down with me. I don¡¯t love you, that¡¯s why I¡¯m rejecting you now, and will do so


    in the future, forever. So wake up, stop giving me chances to reject you¡­¡±


    ¡°If I were afraid of your rejections, I wouldn¡¯t have decided to approach you, Elliot looked at Julie with


    an intense gaze that she couldn¡¯t quite decipher.


    After an awkward silence thatsted about half a minute, Elliot looked at Julie again, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk


    about this for now. If you ever change your mind, you¡¯re wee to join Ray Group anytime. From


    today onwards, I won¡¯t say I like you, nor will I pursue you, but you can¡¯t avoid me either. Even if you


    don¡¯t need a boyfriend, it¡¯s always good to have one more friend, right?¡±


    The topic shifted so abruptly that Julie didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Elliot chuckled, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even want to be friends with me, would you?¡±


    ¡°Elliot,¡± Julie suddenly said seriously.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Elliot responded obediently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be friends with the one you¡¯re in love with. It hurts more than a breakup,¡± she finished, leaning


    over to unlock the car, opened the door, stepped out,


    and hailed a taxi.


    Elliot sat in the driver¡¯s seat, watching Julie leave, stunned for a good while before snapping back to


    reality.


    He looked at the taxi disappearing into the distance,ughing at himself bitterly. If he knew she would


    avoid him like this, he should¡¯ve started off as friends.


    He should¡¯ve understood long ago, whether she hated or loved Kieran, that man is irreceable in her


    heart. Because he was the one she loved during. her best years, with all her precious youth.


    Even though he hurt her, even though she would never forgive him, Elliot could never rece him.


    Back at her rented ce, Julie took a bath, changed her clothes, and instead of resting at home, she


    took the bus to the hospital.


    In the hospital, Sansa was lying quietly on her bed. She was pale and gaunt, skin so dry. Julie fetched


    a basin of water and gently cleaned her body.


    Julie said with a lightugh, ¡°Sansa, why didn¡¯t mom and dad take us with them when they left? Are


    you suffering lying here? The doctor said you can¡¯t hear me, but I know you can. You can hear every


    word I say, right?¡±


    As she meticulously cleaned Sansa¡¯s frail hands, she said through teary eyes, ¡°You have no idea how


    much I hate him¡­ I ruined his marriage, and he ruined my life. Remember how I always told you when


    we were kids that I wanted a passionate love? I was wrong. Sansa. Now, I don¡¯t want anything. I don¡¯t


    even know why I¡¯m alive. But I¡¯m scared of death. I¡¯m scared of facing mom and dad after death¡­¡±


    Shey by the bed, tears falling on Sansa¡¯s hand, ¡°Sansa, can we move to another city? Let¡¯s live in a


    city where he doesn¡¯t exist, okay? Okay¡­

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Chapter 69


    Julie couldn¡¯t remember how she fell asleepst night. All she knew was that she was still sprawled on


    Sansa¡¯s hospital bed, when she woke up the next morning, her neck feeling a bit stiff.


    She looked up at Sansa, who was, as usual, quietly lying on the bed, and then got up. After freshening


    up, she headed to Dr Brice¡¯s office.


    Just as Dr. Brice arrived at his office, Julie knocked on the door.


    ¡°Back keeping Sansapany again?¡± Dr. Brice asked with a smile as he slipped on hisb coat.


    Julie nodded and said, ¡°Dr. Brice, I¡¯m here today because I need a favor.¡±


    ¡°Anything you need, just say the word,¡± Dr. Brice replied.


    Julie sat down across from him at his desk, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt before finally


    saying, as if making a big decision, ¡°Do you have any connections with hospitals in other cities?


    Preferably somewhere far¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± Dr. Brice asked, taken aback.


    I¡¯ve decided to move to another city. And I want to take Sansa with me, Julie said. No matter what, she


    couldn¡¯t abandon Sansa.


    Dr. Brice frowned slightly. ¡°Sure, I know people at other hospitals. But why the sudden decision to


    switch hospitals, and in another city no less?¡±


    Dr. Brice knew about Julie¡¯s situation and had always supported her over the years.


    Julie managed a weak smile. ¡°I just want a change of scenery. Thanks for everything you¡¯ve done for


    me over the years. If you know any hospitals in other cities, please make an introduction? I¡¯d really


    appreciate it!¡±


    ¡°How about Oakhurst? The head of Oakhurst Hospital is an old friend of mine. If you took Sansa there,


    it would probably be easier all around. But the transfer fees to Oakhurst won¡¯t be cheap.¡± Dr. Brice


    looked at Julie hesitantly


    Julie blinked in surprise, then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone donate money for Sansa¡¯s treatment a while back?


    Let¡¯s use that.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dr. Brice agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll get in contact with them. Let me know when you n to go.¡±


    ¡°Sure. And there¡¯s one more thing¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯ll do my best, Dr. Brice replied generously.


    ¡°I want you to keep it a secret that I¡¯m taking Sansa to Oakhurst. If anyone asks about me in the future,


    please don¡¯t tell them.¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡± Dr. Brice knew that Julie had her reasons. He had known her for many years and knew her


    character well.


    Julie stood up, bowed in gratitude to Dr. Brice, and left the hospital.


    However, leaving the city wasn¡¯t going to be easy. The de Law Firm had already contracted her


    to represent them in a deal with Kieran. If she left, it would be a breach of contract.


    So, on her way to Simpo Co., she arranged to have lunch with Porter to discuss the breach of contract


    penalty.


    Kieran was very punctual when it came to work, so no one at Simpo Co. dared to bete.


    But when Kieran arrived at the office, he didn¡¯t see Julie.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked, handing his coat to Karl.


    Karl immediately knew who Kieran was asking about. He scanned the room and, seeing no sign of


    Julie, told Kieran, I¡¯ll go find her.¡±


    ¡°Just a minute,¡± Kieran called him back. ¡°Any progress on the investigation into the person who


    donated to Sansa?¡±


    Karl shook his head. Tm still looking. Whoever it is, they¡¯re keeping a low profile. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not


    Elliot.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can go now


    As soon as Karl left the office, he called Julie. She picked up quickly. ¡°Ms. Abraham, it¡¯s time for


    work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the CEO¡¯s office, Julie replied.


    Karl looked around, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t see you. Where in the CEO¡¯s office are you?¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Hernandez need me for something? If not, please find me when Mr. Hernandez is ready to


    discuss the case with me, Julie said before hanging


    up


    Karl looked at his disconnected call, then at the office, and ryed Julie¡¯s words to Kieran verbatim.


    Kieran paused, pen in hand, and looked up at Karl. Tell her toe to my office. I want to discuss the


    case with her.¡±


    Karl called Julie again and ryed Kieran¡¯s message. A few minutester, Julie appeared in the CEO¡¯s


    office, proving she had been there.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, Julie greeted Kieran respectfully, then ced some documents in front of him.


    ¡°Defamation by the press urs when the subject of a news report vites news regtions and other


    legal norms, intentionally fabricates facts or negligently reports them, disseminates illegal or false news


    to the public, thereby infringing on the rights of citizens, legal persons or other organizations, causing


    illegal infringement. Creative Nexus Media¡¯s news about your marriage.¡±


    ¡°Who taught you your legal knowledge? Kieran interrupted, putting down his pen and resting his long


    fingers on the slightly yellowed pages.


    Julie paused, then replied, ¡°My teacher taught me


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I teach you?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie was staring at his fingers, rhythmically tapping the table. Suddenly, she fell silent.


    Make me a coffee, Kieran leaned back in his chair and said.


    Julie turned and walked out of the office. Not half a minuteter, she stood empty¨Chanded in front of


    Kieran


    ¡°Where¡¯s the coffee?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie shrugged casually and replied, ¡°Tina knows your preferences better, and it¡¯s her job anyway, so I


    asked her to prepare it for you. She¡¯ll probably bring It over any second now.¡±


    Clearly, she was subtly rejecting his orders.


    Nice move!


    Soon enough, Tina walked in with two cups of coffee. Julie took them with a smile. Before she could


    thank Tina, Kieran snatched the cup from her hand and told Tina, ¡°Change hers to orange juice¡±


    Tina hesitated for a second and quickly taking the cup meant for Julie from Kieran¡¯s hand. As she was


    about to turn and leave, she heard Julie say, ¡°Never mind Thank you¡±


    Tina left and closed the door behind her.


    Julie looked at Kieran and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, let¡¯s continue our discussion. Once news infringement


    urs, the infringer should assume the corresponding legal responsibilities ording to regtions.


    The civilw stiptes ten ways for the infringer to assume civil responsibilities¡± ¡°Come here,¡± Kieran


    opened the documents prepared by Julie and stood up from his seat.


    Then he gestured to Julie toe over and pointed to his chair, saying, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Julie stood her ground and said, ¡°Just say what you want.¡±


    ¡°Youe here and sit, or Ie to you. You know the difference between you initiating and me


    initiating. His voice turned chilly


    In the end, Julie sat down in Kieran¡¯s armchair. She knew very well the consequences of angering him


    Kieran opened the documents she had prepared, one hand on the back of her chair, the other on the


    table, and then he looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you know why I chose you as thewyer for this


    case?¡±


    Julie avoided eye contact with Kieran. She replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t choose me. You chose de Law


    Firm.¡±


    Her straightforward answer left Kieran silent for a while.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie thought he would make a further move and had prepared a countermeasure, but she didn¡¯t expect


    Kieran to suddenly stand up straight and say to her casually. ¡°You can leave now. Let Karl arrange the


    relevant work for you.¡±


    Kieran just let her leave without giving her a hard time.


    This confused Julie a bit


    A few minutester, Kieran called Karl, ¡°Check on Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s recent activities.


    Karl had just finished arranging work for Julie when he received Kieran¡¯s call. The moment he heard


    the title ¡®Mrs. Hernandez, he had a bad feeling.


    Karl immediately checked on Julie¡¯s recent activities. He found out she had spent the night in the


    hospital and had gone to Dr. Brice¡¯s office first thing in the morning


    Dr. Brice kept his promise and didn¡¯t tell anyone about Sansa¡¯s uing transfer. But if he were to


    assist Sansa with the transfer, he would have to contact Oakhurst Hospital. Karl quickly discovered that


    Dr. Brice had contacted the director of Oakhurst Hospital..


    So, he reported to Mr. Hernandez, ¡°Yesterday, Mrs. Hernandez spent the night in Miss Sansa¡¯s hospital


    room and went to Dr. Brice¡¯s office early this morning. After Mrs. Hernandez left, Dr. Brice immediately


    contacted the director of Oakhurst Hospital, saying he nned to transfer an unconscious patient from


    Whispering Pines Hospital¡±


    Karl had done a thorough investigation.


    Did Julie want to transfer Sansa to Oakhurst?


    Oakhurst and Whispering Pines, one in the south and one in the north.


    Was Julie nning to run away with this decision?


    Kieran¡¯s eyes darkened at the thought. Karl took the initiative to propose, ¡°Shall I go verify again?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Kieran abruptly stood up, grabbed his coat, and left the office.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Chapter 70


    Karl mistakenly thought Kieran was off to pick a fight with Mrs Hernandez, so he tailed after him. He


    feared Mr. Hernandez would lose his cool and scare Mrs. Hernandez away. But to his surprise, Kieran


    just went out to have lunch, then headed to a bakery and ordered a small orange¨Cvoured cake.


    Next, he delivered the cake to Julie in the name of Daphne.


    After they left the bakery, Karl was ready to drive Kieran back to the office, but Kieran asked him to get


    out of the car, ¡°Go back to the office and let Julie clear out storage room number four to use as her


    office¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Karl was stuck at the car door. Was he asking Mrs. Hernandez to clean the storage room


    herself? Wasn¡¯t he still pampering her yesterday? What¡¯s with the sudden change of attitude today?


    Karl looked at Kieran, puzzled But Kieran¡¯s car was already gone.


    He had no choice but to return to the office and, per Mr. Hernandez¡¯s instructions, told Julie to clean


    storage room number four.


    Julie didn¡¯t object. She was more ustomed to this than Kieran¡¯s sudden intimacy.


    Lunchtime was approaching. Julie had already arranged to have lunch with Porter, so she had to put


    aside cleaning the storage room temporarily


    She arrived at the restaurant where she¡¯d arranged to meet Porter. As soon as Porter ordered, Julie


    said, ¡°Mr. Porter, does our contract with Mr. Hernandez mention a penalty for breach of contract?¡±


    Porter, who had just picked up his fork, paused, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°How much would we have to pay Kieran if we switchedwyers? Julie asked directly.


    Porter was so startled he dropped his fork, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? It¡¯s clearly written in the


    contract that if you quit on your own, you have to pay. the full penalty, which is three times the


    remuneration!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Porter, emotionally charged, sat next to Julie. This case is simple, just amon news infringement


    case. With Mr. Hernandez¡¯s status, winning thiswsuit is a piece of cake. You really don¡¯t need to


    chicken out. Do you think the bonus I gave you is not enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡± Julie decided to be honest with Porter, ¡°I thought I could stay by his side without


    any reservations, but now I realize I was wrong.¡±


    I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you something ¡°Porter looked at Julie hesitantly.


    Julie gave Porter a sideways nce, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    *Mr. Hernandez publicly admitted at the Ray Group dinner that he had an ex¨Cwife. If I remember


    correctly, you disappeared after graduating from college. I¡¯m wondering, Mr. Hernandez¡¯s ex¨Cwife is?¡±


    ¡°I know her.¡± Julie had already predicted what he was going to ask. He would surely keep asking if she


    didn¡¯t answer him; if she admitted it, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could trust Porter.


    So, she chose an ambiguous answer. That should shut Porter up.


    Lunch was not enjoyable, so she returned to Simpo Co. before the end of the lunch break.


    Back at the office, Julie continued to tidy up the storeroom.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    As she passed the CEO¡¯s office, she overheard Tina quietly asking Karl, ¡°Karl, what¡¯s the rtionship


    between Mr. Hernandez and Attorney Abraham? Please tell me so I don¡¯t identally offend Attorney


    Abraham.¡±


    Hearing this, Julie paused. She was curious how Karl would answer.


    However, after waiting for two seconds, she heard Karl¡¯s answer with a hint of amusement, ¡°They¡¯re


    alumni¡±


    ¡°But I think they¡¯re more than just alumni. I¡¯ve seen them interact in strange ways twice already. I feel


    like their rtionship isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°What do you think their rtionship is?¡± Karl asked back.


    Tina carefully replied, ¡°Lovers?¡±


    Then she denied her own answer, ¡°I heard from colleagues in the office that Attorney Abraham is Mr.


    Dn¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dn is single.¡± Karl looked at Tina displeased, ¡°As the chief secretary assistant, you shouldn¡¯t


    spread such rumors.¡±


    Hearing Karls serious tone, Tina immediately shut her mouth and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    After Karl and Tina finished their conversation, Julie headed towards the storage room.


    Kieran didn¡¯te to the office for the rest of the afternoon.


    After tidying up the storeroom, Julie started gathering evidence for thewsuit. Creative Nexus Media


    immediately retracted all previous online reports after receiving a statement from Kieran posted under


    his name on Simpo Co¡¯s official Twitter ount.


    However, upon hearing that Kieran was suing Creative Nexus Media, manyizens actively posted


    screenshots of the news previously published by Creative Nexus Media in thement section of


    Simpo Co¡¯s tweet, so gathering evidence wasn¡¯t difficult.


    The lighting in the storage room was poor, and even during the day, she had to turn on the lights.


    Karl gave Julie aptop. She spent the entire afternoon surfing the inte in the storage room. She


    didn¡¯t keep track of time.


    It wasn¡¯t until her phone suddenly vibrated that she pulled it out and checked the time. She realized it


    was already more than two hours past closing


    time


    The phone vibrated because she received a new message on WhatsApp. Julie only had a few contacts


    on WhatsApp: Daphne, Dr. Brice, Nac, and Ivan Hernandez, who she added not long ago.


    But now, she saw a new friend request.


    The other party¡¯s verification message was simple and clear, ¡°Im Ivan¡¯s father¡±


    His ID was also simple. J Kennedy.


    After a moment of hesitation, Julie thought of Ivan¡¯s cute face and hit the ¡®add¡® button.


    He sent a message no sooner than she had epted his friend request, he sent a message ¡°Ms


    Abraham, chatting with youst time was enlightening. Mind if we do it again?¡±


    Julie read the message and was instantly reminded of the $50 gift card he had given her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Not many people seek me out for advice. I forgot to ask your namest


    time. What is it?¡±


    After a moment. Kieran replied, ¡°Tim K.¡±


    Apparently, he didn¡¯t want to reveal his full name. No biggie, Julie wasn¡¯t that curious. She replied with


    a grin, ¡°No wonder your ID is J Kennedy. Does it mean something special?¡±


    Special meaning?


    In the office, Kieran lounged in his office chair, legs crossed and casually thrown on the desk, a smirk


    on his face. One day, she would find out the special meaning of his ID


    But at the moment, he had no intention of exining it to her.


    ¡°Ms Abraham, are you avable now?¡± Kieran didn¡¯t answer her question.


    Julie replied, ¡°I¡¯m at the office. I was so busy I missed quitting time, so I decided to stick around a bit


    longer.¡±


    Office?


    Kieran uncrossed his legs, looked toward Storage Room No.4, and booted up hisputer.


    After entering his password, Kieran essed the surveince footage of Storage Room No.4.


    There was Julie in a sea of file racks, a small white desk in front of her with a silverptop. She was


    bent over the desk in a white shirt, phone in hard.


    Her hair had fallen onto her forehead from a long day of work. She must have thought she was alone,


    so she had removed her ck heels, stretching out her long legs d in ck pants from under the


    table, revealing her bare feet.


    Kieran began to type on his phone


    In the surveince footage, Julie immediately looked up at her phone when she got the message.


    ¡°You said before that to chase a girl, you should bug her. That didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Julie slightly furrowed her brow and replied, ¡°Gifts, flirting, hugging, even forceful kisses? Have you


    tried all that?¡±


    Forceful kisses? He¡¯d like that.


    But he had been rejected before he even started.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried yet.¡± Kieran replied. ¡°She might not love me anymore. Hence she wants to escape.¡±


    Saying this, Kieran sent a sad emoji.


    Then he looked up at the woman in the surveince footage. She was holding her phone, suddenly


    smiling, looking quite happy.


    Afterughing for a bit, Julie told him, ¡°Maybe your pursuit was too intense. It scared her, Girls need


    personal space, too. When faced with adversity. most girls initially react is to run away¡±


    ¡°So, Ms. Abraham, any advice?¡± Kieran sent this message.


    Then he looked at the woman on the screen and smiled deeply.


    Julie put down her phone and propped her face up with her hands, thinking carefully, then replied, ¡°You


    should slowly make her aware of your presence. You can spend more time with her suitably, but don¡¯t


    overdo it. If your ex¨Cwife is the type that needs time to warm up to people, then intense pursuit will only


    scare her.¡±


    After typing, she rechecked it before hitting send.


    If Julie knew that the person on the other end was Kieran and all her advice would eventually be used


    against her, she¡¯d rather die than answer Kieran¡¯s


    question


    ¡°You make a lot of sense.¡± After Kieran said this, he sent Julie another gift card.


    He didn¡¯t wait for Julie to reply. He just shut down hisputer immediately, grabbed his car keys, and


    headed for the storage room.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Chapter 71


    Julie may be strapped for cash right now, but she didn¡¯t take that gift card again.


    She replied, ¡°Since Ivan is such a cutie, I¡¯ll chat with you for free once¡±


    Then, she sent a smiley¨Cface emoji


    Julie was bending over to pick up her shoes, but a pair ofrge hands snatched them as her hand


    touched the heels.


    Julie lifted her head and identally bumped it against the table, grimacing with pain


    She rubbed her head, lifted it, and, to her surprise, Kieran was squatting in front of her


    He was kneeling on one knee, holding her high heels in one hand and gently resting the other on her


    ankle, slipping the shoes onto her feet Julie was stunned for a second. Kieran took the other shoe Just


    as he was pleased with Julie¡¯s cooperation, she suddenly recorded as if startled


    Kieran didn¡¯t force her He put down the shoe and stood up.


    ¡°Why are you still working overtime sote?¡± He asked.


    Tm off now Julie shoved her feet into her shoes, turned off herputer, and stood up


    Maybe because she had been sitting for too long, she felt dizzy as soon as she stood up. She


    identally twisted her ankle.


    Kieran reacted quickly and held her steady.


    Thank you, Mr. Hernandez She said, politely pulling her hand out of his.


    Then she turned around and limped her way to the elevator.


    Julie was frowning. Once in the elevator, she quickly pressed the close button.


    Surprisingly, Kieran let her go just like that this time. Who knew if he had other things to attend to?


    Anyway, he didn¡¯t get in the elevator with Julie


    Julie finally breathed a sigh of relief. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone else in thepany at this time.


    She just twisted her ankle. Why did it hurt so badly?


    Once she confirmed no one else was in the elevator, Julie rolled up her pant leg and looked at her


    ankle.


    It didn¡¯t feel anything when she twisted her ankle. Now, looking down, she realized that her whole ankle


    had swollen up in just a short while. The middle part was badly swollen and red.


    Julie leaned against the wall helplessly, nning to go out and buy some medicer


    When she reached the first floor and the elevator door opened, Julie was about to step out when a pair


    of men¡¯s slippers suddenly fell in front of her.


    Julie looked up and saw the man in front of her.


    He was clearly in the office just now How did he get downstairs before her?


    Julie looked at the pair of men¡¯s slippers ced in front of her, then at her swollen ankle, and without


    pretence, she epted. She took off her heels, put on the slippers, bent down to pick up her shoes


    and headed for the door.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say thank you?¡± The man leanedzily against the elevator door, watching Julie¡¯s


    retreating figure, looking like he was expecting some


    praise


    Julie stopped in her tracks, turned to look at Kieran, and gave a small smile, ¡°I got hurt on the job. I


    didn¡¯t ask you forpensation, and I¡¯m already very generous¡±


    What she meant was that Mr. Hernandez giving her slippers was a given.


    Kieran casually walked over to Julie, then extended his hand to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Out of humanitarian


    concern, I should take you to the hospital¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Julie walked around Kieran and headed for the door.


    Kieran kept following her from behind.


    Earlier in the office, Julie had no idea it was raining outside.


    She stood at the door waiting for a taxi. Kieran was standing behind her


    Neither of them fiad an umbre Kieran wasn¡¯t wearing a coat, just a light grey shirt.


    Julie stood in front, hailing a cab. The rain fell on her arm, soaking her entire sleeve


    Without thinking Julie nced back at the man leaning against the pir behind her. She didn¡¯t know


    why he came out and stood in the rain with her


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The rain fell on the man His grey shirt was soaked, showing the shape of his muscles, which were


    particrly eye¨Ccatching in the deep night.


    The man didnt speak, just yed with his phone casually


    Julie retracted her gaze and focused on hailing a cab


    Finally, when a taxi came, she quickly opened the door and hurriedly arrived.


    ¡°Oakwood Avenue¡±


    However, Kieran had somehow already gotten into the passenger seat. He told the driver, ¡°Whispering


    Pines Hospital¡±


    Originally, Julie was just nning to buy medicine at the pharmacy


    -She didn¡¯t know why this man, who had once broken her heartpletely, was now treating her so


    well.


    Julie told the driver, ¡°I don¡¯t do carpooling¡±


    Kieran put down his phone, turned his head and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard for the driver. Driving in the


    rain is not easy¡±


    This guy was really too much.


    The driver had already started the car. Whispering Pines Hospital was not far from Simpo Co


    Soon, the driver parked in front of Whispering Pines Hospital.


    Before opening the car door, Kieran looked at Julie calmly and asked, ¡°Do you want to get out of the


    car yourself, or do you want me to carry you out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Oakwood Avenue¡±


    ¡°So you want me to carry you?¡± Saying that, he actually got out of the car and also opened Julie¡¯s car


    door.


    Julie nced at Kieran, who was blocking her way, and pulled the car door back twice, but Kieran¡¯s


    hand had firmly grasped the handle. Even with all her strength, the door didn¡¯t budge.


    Finally, Julie said, ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, how can I get out?¡±


    Kieran sighed lightly, then bent down and lifted Julie out of the car.


    Julie wanted to resist, but Kieran said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. If your ankle is fine after the check¨Cup, I¡¯ll let you


    go. You said this is a work¨Crted injury, so I have to take responsibility¡±


    ¡°I can walk,¡± Julie said firmly. The position she was in his arms was very stiff.


    Kieran looked down at her. His star¨Clike eyes locked onto hers, asking her, ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Scared of what?¡± Julie was as stiff as a board in Kieran¡¯s arms.


    He asked her, ¡°Are you afraid to fall in love with me again?¡±


    Kieran suddenly turned dead serious, catching Julie off guard.


    After a bit, she finally collected herself. Looking at Kieran sincerely, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no chance for us


    to love again.¡±


    ¡°There will be.¡±


    He held her. Transparent raindrops trickled down his face, sliding down his prominent nose.


    Julie nced at his handsome chin, gently saying, ¡°Kieran, I can¡¯t love you again because I still love


    you. I¡¯m scared of your closeness because I love you,


    so I want to avoid you. The more I love you, the more I hate you. Sometimes, I even wish we could go


    down together. Even if I skinned you alive, it wouldn¡¯t quench my hatred for you.¡±


    She said this calmly but with emphasis, each word clear.


    While she seemed calm on the surface, her heart was a storm.


    Kieran held her at the entrance of the emergency room. The air seemed to freeze.


    Their eyes met, filled with shared pain.


    Julie always thought Kieran¡¯s eyes hid a universe of depth and mystery, So she fell for him at first sight,


    unable to extricate herself.


    If she¡¯d known she would hate him this much one day, she would rather have never met him.


    If not for a doctor suddenly emerging from his office, Julie can¡¯t imagine how their stare¨Coff would have


    ended


    Kieran carried Julie into the doctor¡¯s office.


    She thought her ankle sprain was minor, but it needed a thick cast. Now she really couldn¡¯t walk.


    While Kieran was queueing for Julie¡¯s meds, she left the hospital alone.


    It waste.


    Rainy days were Julie¡¯s least favourite. She hated getting her shoes wet and the sudden sounds of


    thunder.


    Tonight¡¯s lightning seemed to want to split open the entire sky.


    Julie took a deep breath, took off her coat and wrapped it around her cast. She wanted to call a cab


    with her phone, but there was no signal.


    So she had to stand quietly at the hospital entrance, waiting for a taxi to pass.


    Taxis were rage thiste, especially in this downpour.


    When Kieran came out to look for Julie, he saw her leaning against a big pir at the hospital entrance,


    standing on one foot. She had taken off her coat and wrapped it around her cast. She was looking


    expectantly in the direction of the oing traffic.


    Her clothes and hair were soaked, but she didn¡¯t care.


    Kieran wanted to go over to her, but he was stopped by Julie¡¯s words echoing in his ear. ¡°The more I


    love you, the more I hate you¡±


    In the end, Kieran stopped, only watching Julie¡¯s figure from afar.


    Kieran took out his phone and called two taxis.


    Seeing a taxiing, Julie waved happily.


    Kieran got into the other one after seeing her limp into the taxi.


    Follow her, Kieran said calmly.


    Looking down at her cast, Julie was reminded of a night five years ago.


    That night, like tonight, was pouring rain with thunder and lightning.


    She would never forget how Kieran had calmly told the obstetrician to ¡°save Bertha¡°.


    Suddenly, the air in the taxi felt suffocating. So, she rolled down the window, letting fresh air in


    At this moment, Julie wanted to go home, curl up and sleep.


    But, she didn¡¯t expect that when she got home, she found her key wouldn¡¯t turn the lock.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Chapter 72


    After several trials and errors, Julie finally concluded that the keys in her hand were indeed faulty She


    whipped out her phone and called herndlord. The response on the other end of the line was swift.


    ¡°Oh, so you still remember how to call me? The front gate won¡¯t budge, right?¡±


    The tone of herndlord was a dead giveaway ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll definitely transfer the rent to your ount


    tomorrow, Julie conceded.


    Her gaze dropped to her stered leg, and then she spoke politely. ¡°Could you possibly bring the key


    over?¡±


    An icy snort came from the other line, ¡°Now you remember to pay the rent? How long have you been


    dying the past few months rent? I¡¯ve deducted all the deposit. Every time I called you, you always


    had some excuse to dy, right? I know you have a sick sister to take care of. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been


    patient with you¡±


    1 know, thank you. Are you home right now? I¡¯lle over to get the key¡±


    Tve already told you!¡± Thendlord¡¯s voice came through, ¡°A quarter¡¯s rent plus the deposit. Only talk


    to me about the key after you¡¯ve transferred the money to my ount tomorrow. Otherwise, move out


    and stop hogging my space!¡±


    And with that, thendlord hung up. When Julie tried to call back, thendlord¡¯s phone was already


    turned off.


    Kieran was watching Julie from a taxi not far from the gate.


    Suddenly, a loud thunderp resounded in the sky, startling Julie into a crouch and covering her head.


    But the pain in her leg made her sit down on the ground. The sight was heartbreaking.


    Kieran immediately swung open the car door, his long leg about to step out, but he stopped abruptly.


    Julie had fled the hospital, so she probably didn¡¯t want him to see her in this embarrassing state. So, he


    retracted his leg back into the car.


    Julie was about to call Daphne but then remembered Daphne was on a business trip. Eventually, she


    put her phone down, defeated.


    The spare key Daphne gave her was lost on that night when she and Kieran got drunk. She hadn¡¯t had


    time to get a duplicate, so that she couldn¡¯t stay at Daphne¡¯s ce now.


    In the car, Kieran took out his phone and, after a few seconds of hesitation, dialed Ivan Hernandez¡¯s


    number.


    At the gate, Julie was about to check how much money she had left when her phone suddenly rang


    ¡°Mama Julie, it¡¯s Ivan¡± A whimpering cry came from the other end of the line,ced with fear.


    Julie immediately forgot about her homelessness and quicklyforted Ivan on the other end, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong, Ivan? Don¡¯t worry, tell me slowly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of the thunder, the little boy¡¯s nasal voice was filled with sobs, sounding as if he had just


    had a good cry, tugging at Julie¡¯s heartstrings.


    Where is everyone else at home?¡± Julie asked.


    Ivan nced at the servants surrounding him, then sniffled and said through sobs, ¡°Dad went out on a


    date, all the servants went home for a holiday, I¡¯m alone at home, I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m afraid of the thunder!¡±


    ¡°How about I keep youpany on the phone?¡± Julie rubbed her arm. In the pouring rain, this was the


    only way she couldfort herself.


    Ivan blurted out, ¡°Can youe to my house? I¡¯m really scared. What if aliens invade the Earth? What


    if they take me away, I can¡¯t bear to leave you,


    mom.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to this alien invasion excuse.


    Ivan, thinking his performance wasn¡¯t convincing enough, cried out to Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, I¡¯m all alone


    at home. You have toe quickly! Or else I¡¯ll be taken away by aliens! I¡¯m really scared.¡±


    ¡°Where is your house?¡± Julie finally asked. To the homeless Julie, Ivan¡¯s call was like a lifeline.


    Ivan quickly told her his address, ecstatic.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle over now. You have to be good. Boys need to be brave, and thunder is not scary at all.¡±


    ¡°Okay Mama Julie, hurry up, I¡¯m waiting for you!!¡±


    Julie, as if having made up her mind, used the wall to stand up and started hailing a cab.


    Kieran leaned towards the driver, instructing, ¡°Please take her safely to her destination.¡±


    With that, Kieran get out of the car. The taxi headed towards Julie.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect to get a cab so easily. She immediately broke into a smile, climbed into the car, and


    off she went.


    In the darkness, the rain pitter¨Cpattered on Kieran¡¯s body He watched the direction the taxi


    disappeared in, took out his phone, and dialed Karl¡¯s number.


    Ivan interrupted excitedly. ¡°Kerry, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put on a great act!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Kieran took shelter under the eaves of Julie¡¯s house.


    Ivans voice came through the phone, ¡°Kerry, when are you going to marry my mom?¡±


    Kieran, leaning against the iron gate, asked Ivan, ¡°Why do you like her so much?¡±


    ?van scratched his head, unable to find a reason. He could only say, ¡°I just like her! Mom should be


    here soon, and I have to hang up now.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, he hung up Ivan was beyond excited when he received Kieran¡¯s call earlier.


    As for why he liked Julie, Ivan ran upstairs and pulled out a picture from under his pillow. It was a group


    photo. Kieran and Julie¡¯s heads were pressed together. They both looked serious but couldn¡¯t hide the


    excitement on Julie¡¯s face. Although Kieran¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t exaggerated, the slight upturn of his


    lips in the photo still made him look extremely happy.


    Ivan, chubby little fingers tracing the photo, turned to his nanny, Shawna, and asked, ¡°Do you think


    they¡¯re a good match?¡±


    Shawna nced at the photo and chuckled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a match, ain¡¯t it? It¡¯s a wedding picture. How


    could it not be?¡±


    Shawna was hired to take care of Ivan after Julie and Kieran divorced. Over the years, Ivan had many


    nannies, but only Shawna stuck around. They could say that she raised Ivan single¨Chandedly. She


    knew Ivan looked at this photo every night before bed, so she naturally yed along


    The photo looked like it was ripped right off a marriage certificate. Shawna frowned, thinking. ¡°How


    could two people so perfect for each other end up divorced?¡±


    Ivan had no idea what Shawna was thinking. He simply stashed the photo under his pillow and smiled


    at Shawna, ¡°You can head home now, send everyone away, leave just one bodyguard Tonight, I want


    to coax my mom intoing to sleep with me, haha.¡±


    As she left, Shawna saw Ivan hopping around like a little monkey.


    ¡°Master, what are you up to?¡± Shawna asked.


    ¡°Shawna, do I look pitiful squatting here?¡± Ivan said, finding a corner and squatting down, hugging his


    knees. He looked so pitiful that it broke her heart.


    Shawna nodded, ¡°Quite pitiful.¡±


    ¡°Good¡°¡± Ivan pped his hands, stood up, and looked at Shawna with satisfaction, ¡°You can go


    now.


    When Julie arrived at Ivan¡¯s house, it was just as Ivan had said on the phone. Aside from a bodyguard


    at the front door, the mansion was empty. Julie had never been here before. She didn¡¯t know Kieran


    had prepared this ce to protect Ivan¡¯s identity. Ever since Ivan was born, he had been growing up in


    this


    mansion.


    After confirming Julie¡¯s identity, the bodyguard at the entrance let her in.


    ¡°Ivan?¡± The mansion was pitch dark. Julie cautiously called out Ivan¡¯s name, afraid to scare him.


    Outside, thunder roared, and lightning shed. She fumbled to turn on the light. Ivan was huddled in a


    corner, shivering. His chubby little hand was tightly clutching the corner of a curtain, and his red eyes


    tugged at her heartstrings.


    Ivan had nned to act cool, but as soon as he saw Julie, he couldn¡¯t resist and ran to her, hugging her


    leg. ¡°Mama Julie.¡±


    Julie¡¯s leg was in a cast. Ivan saw it and immediately let go, looking down at Julie standing on one leg,


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡°.


    Julie nodded slightly, ¡°Just a minor injury.¡±


    ¡°Then please sit down quickly!¡± Ivan immediately helped Julie sit on the edge of the sofa.


    Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck outside. Julie was startled, her body trembling. Ivan saw Julie¡¯s


    reaction and immediately understood, shouting. ¡°That thunder is really scary!¡± He then flung himself


    into Julie¡¯s arms.


    Julie had no choice but tofort the little guy, gently stroking his back over and over again, asking


    him with concern, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out.¡± Ivan wanted to say out fooling around but held his tongue. After all, Kieran had managed to


    trick his mom intoing over tonight, which was a feat. He should say something nice.


    Ivan looked up at Julie, saying, ¡°Dad¡¯s working overtime to make money for the family!¡±


    Even if he¡¯s working overtime, he shouldn¡¯t leave a kid alone at home to be scared into a corner by


    thunder, right?


    Another deafening thunderp and Julie shivered again. Ivan immediately hugged Julie tightly, ¡°Oh my


    god, this is so scary, Mama Julie, hold me to sleep tonight! I promise I won¡¯t steal your nket, I


    swear!¡±

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Chapter 73


    Ivan was leading Julie to his room, not giving her any chance to refuse. This was the first time Julie


    realized how assertive this kid could be.


    As the thunder outside roared, Ivan clung tightly to her in bed. Julie was usually terrified of storms but


    felt strangelyforted with the kid in her arms.


    ¡°Mama Julie, do you hate me?¡± Little Ivan asked, gripping her hand tightly with fear in his eyes


    Julie was taken aback by the question. She looked down at the kid in her arms and shook her head


    firmly, ¡°Of course not¡±


    ¡°Then you like me?¡± Ivan said, looking satisfied with her answer.


    Julie ruffled his hair, feeling a strange attachment to the kid. It was a kind of fondness that she could


    not let go.


    Out of the blue, Ivan said, ¡°Then be my mom! My dad is super handsome, rich, kind, and charming.


    You¡¯ll definitely like him¡±


    Ivan almost blurted out his real name. His dad, Kerry, had warned him earlier that he mustn¡¯t tell Julie


    his name. It¡¯s a good thing he caught himself just in


    time!


    Julie looked at the earnest little boy in front of her. She had seen kids looking for stepmoms for their


    dads but never one who was this proactive about it Ivan was looking up at Julie, eager for her


    response. But from Julie¡¯s expression, he knew she would disagree.


    Suddenly, a p of thunder sounded outside. Ivan pinched himself and started crying. His phone


    vibrated, and a ringtone echoed in the empty room: ¡°And if that mockingbird doesn¡¯t sing, Mama¡¯s


    gonna buy you a diamond ring! The sound was heart¨Cwrenching


    Seeing Julie touched, Ivan cried even harder.


    He picked up the phone and startedining to the person on the other end, ¡°Dad, my mom


    doesn¡¯t want me, and you don¡¯t either. Why doesn¡¯t anyone want me? Is it because I¡¯m not well¨C


    behaved, not smart enough? Dad, I¡¯m so sad.¡±


    For the first time, Julie was at a loss. She ignored the thunderstorm outside and just hugged the crying


    child, ¡°Sweetie, stop crying. You¡¯re so good and smart. How could I not like you?¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t, and you won¡¯t even be my mom. My mom doesn¡¯t want me, my dad doesn¡¯t want me,


    dad won¡¯t even stay with me!¡± Ivan threw the phone aside after saying this.


    Julie knew the call had ended. She had never dealt with kids before and thought they could be easily


    appeased. She never imagined how serious a child could be. So when Ivan cried uncontrobly, all


    Julie could do was try tofort him, ¡°I will, of course I will. You¡¯re so smart and cute. How could I not


    want to?¡±


    ¡°Really? Will you marry my dad? Will you be my stepmom?¡± Ivan¡¯s crying suddenly stopped, and he


    looked at her expectantly.


    Just as Julie wondered how quickly his mood had changed, Ivan¡¯s pouty face showed he was upset.


    He looked like he was about to cry any second.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to hear him cry again. So, she said without thinking, ¡°Yes, Ivan, stop crying. It breaks


    my heart to see you cry¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As expected, Ivan stopped crying. His face lit up with joy. He picked up the phone and said to Kieran on


    the other end, ¡°Dad, did you hear that? Mama Julie agreed to marry you. You¡¯re going to have a wife


    soon!!¡±


    Turned out the call was still on! Julie was mortified. She tried to snatch the phone from Ivan while


    shouting to Kieran on the other end, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, it¡¯s not what you think. I was just,


    ¡°Mama Julie, are you lying to me?¡± Ivan handed her the phone, his eyes welling up with tears. It looked


    like he was about to burst into tears again.


    Julie couldn¡¯t bear to hurt him.


    Ivan looked at her with a wronged expression, waiting for her to exin to Kieran. It seemed like if she


    said ¡°no,¡± he would cry his heart out.


    After about thirty seconds of silence, Kieran, on the other end of the phone, still hadn¡¯t said anything. In


    the end, Julie was defeated by the kid¡¯s pitiful look and hung up the phone.


    Now Ivan was satisfied. He snuggled into Julie¡¯s arms, a smile of contentment on his face, and fell


    asleep. Only then did Julie take out her phone and texted Kieran, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, there was a


    misunderstanding just now.¡±


    Julie hurriedly typed out the whole story and sent it to Kieran.


    Kieran was sitting on a ck leather sofa at home, looking at the message on his phone. Julie had


    exined everything clearly, but Kieran didn¡¯t reply. Finally, Julie couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®Mr. Kennedy,


    are you there?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s fingers paused on the keyboard, then replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Julie breathed a sigh of relief. There was a misunderstanding just now,¡± she said.


    Then Kieran replied, ¡°Ms. Abraham, why are you at my house?¡±


    The change of topic caught Julie off guard. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell him that she came because Ivan


    was afraid of thunder, could she? That would make her seem too forward. From the location and


    decoration of the vi, it was apparent that Mr. Kennedy was a person of power and influence.


    When Ivan called her, she didn¡¯t think too much about it. All she knew was that she had nowhere to


    stay and Ivan neededpany, so she came.


    Now that Mr. Kennedy was suddenly popping the question if she spilled the beans about having no


    ce to live, no one would buy that, right? Maybe Mr. Kennedy would misconstrue her as trying to


    worm her way into Ivan¡¯s life to get close to him. Didn¡¯t all the rich folks have this kind of paranoia?


    After waiting for Julie¡¯s response, Kieran had already guessed she must be mulling it over. So he


    casually asked her, ¡°Is Ivan bugging you again?¡± His tone was sympathetic.


    1


    Julie quickly replied, this time, ¡°No, Ivan¡¯s been a good boy.¡±


    ides


    Then, could you do me a favor and look after him a bit?¡± Kieran responded.


    Her phone lit up, and Julie didn¡¯t expect Mr. Kennedy to respond like that, Her fingers flew over the


    keys, wanting to tell Mr. Kennedy that tonight was just a fluke. But before she could send her drafted


    message, Kieran sent another one, I¡¯m out of the country working on a new project, probably for a


    couple of months. I¡¯ve checked you out. If you don¡¯t mind, could you help me take care of him? As for


    the sry, name your price.¡±


    So Mr. Kennedy didn¡¯te back to be with Ivan because he was overseas. Julie stayed silent for a


    couple of seconds, then texted back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Hernandez, I have a job¡±


    7van¡¯s in school during the day. He only needs someone to look after him at night and in the morning.


    You can do this part¨Ctime after work. Think it over and let me know tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡± Julie sent thest message and then shut off her phone


    She¡¯d originally nned to leave this ce. But this sudden turn of events, and Kieran¡¯s softened


    attitude towards her today, not as intimidating as the past few days, seemed to have changed her mind.


    She looked at Ivan in her arms, who was lying quietly, his beautiful eyshes like little fans. Although


    he was young, his features were quite handsome. His intelligence and liveliness made Julie feel an


    unexpected attachment to him, even though they¡¯d only known each other for a few days. Especially


    when his little hand was clutching her sleeve, it made Julie feel reluctant to leave him.


    At Noblewood Retreat, Kieran was ying back the recorded phone call. On the call, Julie was


    solemnly promising to marry him.


    Meanwhile, at Gilded Gate Residences, Julie naturally had no idea this part of the conversation had


    been recorded. At that moment, she was gently looking at Ivan in her arms. She eventually dozed off,


    not knowing when she fell asleep. When she woke up the following day, Ivan was already up. He


    happily wheeled a wheelchair over to her and said, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re hurt. Does that mean you don¡¯t


    have to go to work today?¡±


    Kieran said she should rest for a couple of days when they were at the hospital yesterday. So, Julie


    nodded and asked, ¡°So why did you wheel a


    wheelchair over here?¡±


    Today is Friday, I have a Parent¨Cteacher conference! You promised to be my stepmomst night, so


    you have to help me with the Parent¨Cteacher conference!¡± Ivan said seriously.


    Julie hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°About that,¡±


    ¡®Shawna, get two people to help my mom down!¡± Ivan didn¡¯t let Julie refuse and turned to Shawna,


    ¡°Where¡¯s the car? I want the biggest one, and my mom can¡¯t be ufortable¡±


    ¡°The car¡¯s ready¡± Shawna said with a smile, her gazending on Julie¡¯s face.


    Julie quickly grabbed the excited little guy and said, ¡°Ivan, aboutst night.¡±


    ¡°I finally have a mom. Let¡¯s see who dares tough at me for being a motherless child! Hmph¡± Ivan¡¯s


    casual remark felt like a cold water poured over Julie¡¯s head. She felt cold from head to toe. The


    exnation she had been about to give was stuck in her throat.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    Chapter 74


    Ivan was such an intelligent kid. Julie figured parent¨Cteacher meetings would be a breeze. She was


    expecting praises about his extraordinary Intelligence or, at worst, a heads¨Cup about him being a bit


    naughty at school. But she never saw thising


    ¡°Are you Ivan¡¯s mom?¡± the teacher asked, looking rather helpless. I mean, he doesn¡¯t seem dumb or


    anything Grades aren¡¯t everything. Sure, he¡¯s never scored more than 10 out of 100, but that¡¯s not the


    issue here. The problem is his attitude. He¡¯s always on his phone or sleeping during ss. It¡¯s not


    good.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed Julie a test paper. Look at this. He can¡¯t even get the simplest questions


    right. Even 1 plus 1 equals 20


    Julie awkwardly took the paper, noticing the meager score of 2. Those points must havee from


    guessing correctly on multiple¨Cchoice questions.


    She couldn¡¯t believe her little boy, who seemed so bright and teachable, had scored poorly.


    The paper clearly read ¡°Ivan Hernandez.¡± In all of Whispering Pines, there were only a handful of


    Hernandezes. The only one she knew was Kieran.


    Justst night, Ivan had sworn his name was Ivan Kennedy. Why the sudden change to Ivan


    Hernandez? Could it be?


    ¡°Has his father ever visited the school?¡± Julie asked, eager for answers.


    Upon hearing this, the teacher¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°We understand that parents can be busy, but a


    child¡¯s growth is crucial. His father has never visited, and this is your first time here. That¡¯s why we


    need to discuss Ivan¡¯s situation at school.¡±


    ¡°Andie! Mr. Farrell is here!¡± a colleague suddenly called out.


    Upon hearing Mr Farrell¡¯s name, Andie quickly got up, looking a bit nervous. I¡¯m sorry, I have to step


    out for a moment. Could you wait in Ivan¡¯s ssroom?¡±


    Seeing Andie¡¯s reaction, Julie knew Mr. Farrell must be a big deal. She nodded her agreement and


    headed off to find Ivan.


    She hadn¡¯t gotten far from the office when she spotted Ivan waiting for her.


    ¡°Mama Julie, the teacher must have said bad things about me, but don¡¯t believe her. I¡¯m a good boy,


    Ivan said before she could even speak.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie simply handed him the test paper and asked, ¡°Ivan, is yourst name, Hernandez or Kennedy?¡±


    Oh no. Upon seeing the paper, Ivan knew the teacher must have let the cat out of the bag. He should


    have just let Karl handle the meeting. Remembering what Kerry had told him, Ivan answered without


    hesitation, Tm Ivan Kennedy!¡±


    ¡°But this paper says Ivan Hernandez¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my paper!¡± Ivan protested. Seeing Julie¡¯s skeptical look, he added, ¡°It must be another


    student in my ss. His name is Ivan Hernandez, and he¡¯s so dumb. He doesn¡¯t even know that 1 plus


    1 equals 2.¡±


    ¡°So, what does 1 plus 1 equal?¡± Julie asked, arms crossed.


    ¡°Two, of course!¡± Ivan replied, holding up two fingers. To prove his point, he pointed to other questions


    and gave the correct answers. This one is three, this one is six, this one is eight. I got a perfect score


    on this test!¡±


    Ivan looked very proud of himself. After hearing his correct answers, Julie started to believe him. She


    tousled his hair, saying, ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re so clever. Let¡¯s go to your ssroom now, okay?¡±


    Go to his ssroom? Everyone knew about his embarrassing score. If they went, his secret would be


    exposed. Kerry had said that if his secret was exposed, she would never talk to him again. He had just


    found his mom.


    With this in mind, Ivan quickly grabbed Julie¡¯s wheelchair, saying, ¡°Mama Julie, wait here. I need to use


    the bathroom!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Julie agreed cheerfully.


    Ivan rushed towards the bathroom, dialing his father¡¯s number on his phone. But the thought of asking


    for help from his own dad was too embarrassing. so he changed the number to Karls.


    ¡°Ivan Karl¡¯s voice came through the phone


    I¡¯ve sneaked mom into school for the parent¨Cteacher meeting without telling Kerry. But the teacher has


    met mom and wants to visit my ssroom. Karl, I love you Please get mom to leave. If Kerry finds out,


    he¡¯ll spank me. It¡¯s so embarrassing!!¡±


    This was just like Ivan, bold and audacious. Unsurprisingly, he could pull off something like sneaking


    Julie into school for a parent¨Cteacher meeting.


    Kieran snatched the phone from Karl and said, ¡°When you get home tonight, you¡¯re writing Dad, I love


    you¡® 300 times as punishment.¡±


    ¡°Kerry?¡± Ivan squinted at his phone, and the caller ID clearly read Karl, so why was Kerry¡¯s voice


    coming from the other end? In Ivan¡¯s world, there was only one exnation: Karl had stabbed him in


    the back!


    Write 1 love you, Dad three hundred times?


    With a long face, Ivan whined into the phone, ¡°Kerry, just spank me instead! Three hundred times is too


    much, and I¡¯m not even six yet!¡± But his charm didn¡¯t work. Kerry had already hung up.


    When Ivan finally emerged from the bathroom, Julie was nowhere to be found!! Had Kerry managed to


    steal his mom while he was in the bathroom? A grin instantly spread across Ivan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sillyvan, why are you grinning like a Cheshire cat? Did your dade to school?¡± Amora Farrell,


    dressed in a pink princess dress and face smeared with ck ink, even her pink dress was stained


    The usually timid girl was now baring her cute little fangs at him, ¡°T¡¯ll let you in on a secret: my dad¡¯s


    here for a parent¨Cteacher meeting!¡±


    MoMo¡¯s dad, Babur Farrell, was a famous director Ivan knew. Once, Ivan had fallen asleep during a


    test and didn¡¯t answer a single question, earning him a big fat zero. Ivan didn¡¯t think much of it until


    MoMo, who scored a measly five, smugly gave him the nickname Sillyvan.


    Ivan gave MoMo a cold look, ¡°You¡¯rete. My beautiful mom just left!¡±


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll take you to meet my dad!¡± MoMo grabbed Ivan¡¯s hand and dragged him towards the


    teacher¡¯s office.


    Ivan shook off her hand, ¡°Your dad is not as cool as me, I¡¯m not going!¡±


    ¡°Pleasee with me!¡± MoMo pleaded with Ivan.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Ivan asked, not amused.


    ¡°Because I told my dad I¡¯m second tost in ss, and he doesn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Excitedly, MoMo continued, ¡°Once he meets you, he¡¯ll believe me, haha.¡±


    That¡¯s it, he¡¯s done ying with MoMo.


    As soon as Julie left the school gates, she hailed a cab and gave the driver the destination, ¡°Simpo Co.


    building, please


    She had no idea what was going on. Why would Karl suddenly call her to report to thepany


    immediately? Just yesterday, Kieran had promised her two days off. So, with no time to waste, Julie


    had to leave Shawna in charge and rushed to Simpo Co


    When she hobbled into the Simpo Co. building, everyone stared at her strangely, leaving Julie a little


    confused. She limped towards the elevator, only to have the doors close right in front of her.


    Just as she was getting annoyed, the elevator door opened again. Relieved, Julie limped in.


    She turned to the person who had held the door and said, ¡°Thank you¡±


    To her surprise, the man holding the door was Dn Pierson.


    He looked down at her with a smile, then teased, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Simpo Co. was so demanding that


    even the disabled have to work. Your strong spirit ismendable¡±


    Julie awkwardly forced a smile, feeling ufortable around Dn.


    Dn pressed the button for the CEO¡¯s floor. Julie tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.


    When they finally reached the CEO¡¯s floor, Julie was about to escape when someone¡¯s leg suddenly


    appeared in front of her. She stumbled out of the elevator only to be caught by Dn, who quickly


    wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her out.


    He held her waist with one hand, bending down slightly, his amber eyes staring into hers with a hint of


    deeper meaning.


    Stunned, Julie looked up and met Dn¡¯s gaze. A familiar cold voice came from the side, ¡°Is Mr. Dn


    here in my office for a date?¡±

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    date?¡±


    Chapter 75


    Dn didn¡¯t see thising. He tried to help out Julie, only to get caught in the act by Kerry


    Dn, who originally nned to let go of Julie, suddenly smiled, and intentionally held Julie tighter. ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, I¡¯m impressed by how efficiently yourpany utilizes its staff. I admire Attorney


    Abraham¡¯s professionalism in continuing to work while ill


    Clearly, he was mocking Kieran for being heartless. Any sane person would¡¯ve picked up on it.


    After saying this. Dn seemed to feel that his words were not sharp enough. He turned to Julie,


    smiled and said, ¡°Attorney Abraham, you don¡¯t have a boyfriend, do you?¡±


    Kieran maintained a poker face, watching Dn¡¯s hand on Julie¡¯s waist with a deep gaze. He was


    thinking that Dn was asking for trouble.


    Julie quietly broke free from Dn¡¯s hold, steadying herself.


    She didn¡¯t answer Dn¡¯s question but politely said ¡°Thank you¡± to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal. I was just asking. Attorney Abraham, you¡¯re not mad, are you?¡±


    Julie shook her head.


    Dnpletely ignored Kieran beside him and turned to Julie again: ¡°The reason why I said Attorney


    Abraham doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend is because I was thinking, if Attorney Abraham had someone to take


    care of her, she wouldn¡¯t have to push herself toe to work sick.¡±


    Every word from Dn was provoking Kieran.


    In the end, Kieran said, ¡°Have you spent so much time with the dead that you¡¯ve forgotten how to


    interact with the living?¡±


    That was a harsheback.


    Despite the one¨Cand¨Ca¨Chalf¨Cmeter distance between them, Julie could still feel the tense atmosphere


    between Kieran and Dn.


    She wanted to get out of the situation temporarily to avoid more misunderstandings


    As Julie was nning to walk into the office, Kieran stopped her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst night that you


    didn¡¯t have toe in today?¡±


    ¡°That was what Karl said.¡±


    ¡°Are you mywyer or Karl¡¯swyer?¡± Kieran asked Julie


    Julie remained silent Contractually, she was indeed Kieran¡¯s dedicatedwyer.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she had to obey Kieran¡¯s orders


    Dn casually leaned against the elevator, watching Kieran and Julie.


    Kieran pressed the CEO¡¯s private elevator button, then looked at Julie and said, ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡®No need, I¡¯ll go find Karl.¡±


    ¡°Get in.¡± Kieran¡¯s tone didn¡¯t change. He just repeated himself.


    Dn suddenly straightened up and walked towards Julie. ¡°Attorney Abraham, you¡¯re just a


    cooperatingwyer, not Mr. Hernandez¡¯s ve. You can refuse him. Go ahead, reject him. I¡¯m on the


    side of justice.¡±


    The situation wasn¡¯t serious to begin with, but Dn¡¯s words made Julie feelpelled to get in the


    elevator.


    emotion.


    Because, Kieran was her client contractually, ording to professional standards, she should¡¯ve


    entered the elevator without showing e When she first met Dn, Julie thought he was fresh, neat, and


    willing to help. Back then, he generously helped her solve some awkward problems However, not long


    after, Julie found that she seemed to have some fundamental misunderstandings about Dn..


    The elevator door closed.


    Julie turned her head to initiate a conversation with Kieran: ¡°Karl asked me to handle some important


    things at thepany.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡± Kieran asked.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t tell, Julie that this phone call was actually made under his instructions. Judging


    from Julie¡¯s current reaction, she didn¡¯t seem to suspect Ivan¡¯s identity


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Julie shook her head and calmly looked at Kieran: ¡°Mr. Hernandez, i didn¡¯t get a chance to see Karl


    because of you, so I don¡¯t know what important things. Karl wanted me to handle¡±


    After Julie finished speaking, the elevator fell silent.


    Until it stopped between the second and third basement floors.


    Kieran was a very private person and Julie knew well. Otherwise, the third basement of Simpo Co.


    wouldn¡¯t have been used as his private parking lot.


    Besides Kieran¡¯s car, only those permitted explicitly by Kieran could enter.


    So when the elevator door opened, Julie didnt follow Kieran out


    But she pressed the button for the ground floor. Unfortunately, Kieran didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he stood at


    the elevator door, blocking it.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, do you need anything? Julie asked


    ¡°You left your medicine in my carst night. Kieran looked at his car parked not far away and told Julie.


    Julie knew that if she didn¡¯t take her medicine back now, Kieran might ask her why she left in a hurry


    last night.


    Andst night, she had made her feelings so clear that it made their rtionship awkward. She could


    hardly imagine whether she could get along with Kieran peacefully


    So Julie ended up walking towards Kieran¡¯s car


    This time, Kieran didn¡¯t reach out to help her or hold her. He just followed her.


    When Julie reached the car, Kieran unlocked it, went straight to the driver¡¯s seat, and fastened his


    seatbelt.


    Julie looked at Kieran through the car window ¡®Mr Hernandez, where is the medicine?¡±


    In the passenger seat¡±


    Julie walked around to the passenger side and opened the door.


    ¡°Get in, and I¡¯ll give you a ride¡± Kieran suddenly said to Julie. His tone was natural and casual, without


    any coercion.


    Since meeting Kieran, Julie seemed to have never heard him speak in such a tone, so when Kieran


    said this, Julie¡¯s first reaction was to freeze. ¡°You said it¡¯s a work injury, right? I can give you a ride


    back. Kieran said.


    Right, this was indeed a work injury


    Since she didn¡¯t have to work, Julie wanted to use the time to handle some house stuff. Since Kieran


    was going her way, she hopped in his car.


    Their rtionship had gotten awkward as hell yesterday, but today, Kieran seemed to be treating her


    differently.


    On the way to her rental, Julie kept staring out the window, almost to the point of getting a crick in her


    neck.


    Kieran was quiet, so if Julie didn¡¯t start a conversation, he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to. It had always


    been like this.


    But the one who changed was Julie. Before, if she had a chance to sit next to him, she could chat non¨C


    stop, always talking about all sorts of things with Kieran


    Most of the time, she even swore to Kieran that she would marry him someday.


    With Julie¡¯s silence, the car stayed quiet until the air felt like it was about to solidify. Only then did


    Kieran stop the car in front of her house.


    ncing at the front door below, Julie felt relieved that thendlord hadn¡¯t locked her out today.


    With an unfamiliar tone, Julie said to Kieran, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Then, she opened the car door and headed towards the front door.


    Kieran nced at the anti¨Cinmmatory pills on the passenger seat, a meaningful smile on his lips.


    He thought to himself, with Julie¡¯s habits, she always forgot things, no matter where she went. This was


    a habit Julie probably won¡¯t ever shake off.


    He picked up the anti¨Cinmmatory pills from the passenger seat, pushed open the car door, and


    started walking


    ¡°Julie,¡± Kieran¡¯s voice reached Julie¡¯s ears.


    His voice was deep and pleasant, and Julie instinctively stopped and turned around.


    Kieran walked up to her and stopped.


    ¡°What?¡± Julie looked at Kieran calmly, then saw the anti¨Cinmmatory pills in his hand.


    She quickly realized that Kieran hade after her because of this, so she reached out her hand to


    him and politely said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Her ¡®thanks¡® seemed to iste them into the most familiar strangers.


    Kieran stood in front of Julie, looking down at her with a deep gaze


    The ne tree by the street was shedding leaves. The golden leaves fell from the tree,nding on the


    road in front of them.


    The sound of the falling leaves was somewhat pleasant..


    Julie kept her hand out, waiting for Kieran to hand over the anti¨Cinmmatory pills.


    But they just stared at each other as if in a trance.


    In the end, it was Julie who snapped back to reality first.


    She awkwardly pulled her hand back.


    However, just as she pulled back her hand, Kieran bent over and grabbed her wrist.


    Julie was gently pulled by him, and she jumped two steps towards him


    Kieran didn¡¯t make any further moves, just ced the anti¨Cinmmatory pills in Julie¡¯s palm: Three


    times a day, two pills each time¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Julie said, trying to pull her hand back but found that Kieran¡¯s hand was tightly gripping


    her wrist. Like it was stuck with super glue, he wouldn¡¯t let go


    Julie tried hard to pull her hand back.


    Despite her several attempts, Kieran didn¡¯t react.


    It wasn¡¯t until she decided to give up resisting that he finally let go.


    This time, Julie didn¡¯t even say goodbye. She just turned and left.


    ¡°About what you saidst night¡± Kieran started from behind.


    Julie cut him off, ¡°Some things I only say once. If you can¡¯t remember, it¡¯s fine, just pretend I never said


    it.¡±


    Some words that hurt, she didn¡¯t want to repeat because every time she said such words, she was


    hurting herself.


    Julie didn¡¯t turn around, and she just kept walking forward with determination.


    Suddenly, a bucket of dirty water flew out of nowhere, heading straight for Julie.


    At that moment, Kieran instinctively rushed over and pushed Julie out of the way.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Chapter 76


    Dirty water sshed all over Kieran, soaking him from head to toe.


    Even though Kieran had pushed Julie away in the nick of time, she still got sshed with some dirty


    water.


    Julie was stunned, especially seeing Kieran drenched in dirty water


    It was all instinctive, without any thought, when Kieran pushed her away.


    Julie looked up at Kieran in astonishment.


    His dark grey suit and white shirt were now soaked with dirty water.


    Who the hell was so disrespectful to the public environment to dump water from upstairs?


    Julie limped out, looking up at the building in displeasure.


    She wanted to see who was disrespectful but couldn¡¯t see anyone


    Just as Julie got annoyed, a curly¨Chaired woman suddenly rushed out of the stairwell.


    She walked straight towards Julie.


    Without saying a word, she grabbed Julie¡¯s hair and yanked it. ¡°You disgusting woman, trying to steal


    my man, are you tired of living!¡±


    ¡°Look at yourself. How did you seduce my husband, you shameless woman!¡± she said, pping Julie


    across the face.


    Julie was so stunned she didn¡¯t know whether to duck or block.


    Just as she saw the woman¡¯s hand about to hit her face, she finally reacted and tried to block it.


    But before she could, a powerful force came from the side.


    Kieran had grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist without her noticing.


    The woman was already agitated and started hitting Julie without thinking someone could intervene.


    She was startled when Kieran grabbed her wrist, and she screamed in pain.


    ¡°Who are you? Let go, ah, it hurts let go!¡± she yelled at Kieran, but he seemed not to hear her


    Because of the pain, the woman let go of Julie¡¯s hair.


    Looking at the few strands of hair the woman had yanked from Julie¡¯s head, Kieran¡¯s eyes were cold


    and deep.


    Then the woman suddenly yelled, ¡°Hey, people,e and see, this shameless woman seduced my


    husband and brought a man to bully me! Is there justice in this world?¡±


    Her scream immediately attracted a crowd.


    Julie and Kieran were back to back.


    As the curly¨Chaired woman yelled, everyone started using Julie, the so¨Ccalled third party, while she


    stood facing the crowd.


    Julie was confused Should she tell them she didn¡¯t know this woman?


    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Kieran asked Julie.


    Julie hesitated for a moment and then shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you all hear that?¡± Kieran let go of the woman and gently hugged Julie close, ¡°Are you saying my


    wife seduced your husband? I can¡¯t think of any reason she would do that.¡±


    Kieran turned around with Julie, leaving the crowd that had just been cursing ¡°homewrecker¡± in silence.


    The man beside this so¨Ccalled ¡°homewrecker¡± looked very outstanding, and the ¡°homewrecker¡± herself


    was very beautiful. How could she possibly seduce that shrew¡¯s husband? It made no sense!


    Julie never expected Kieran to stand up for her when she was sshed with water, nor did she expect


    him to call her his wife in front of the crowd.


    She knew Kieran was helping her, so she naturally didn¡¯t push him away.


    Just then, a man in a blue t¨Cshirt and flip¨Cflops, with a woman in a white dress carrying shopping bags,


    appeared in front of the crowd. The man loudly said to the woman in the white dress, ¡°Baby, I¡¯ll take


    you here. I¡¯ll definitely get a divorce when I go back: don¡¯t worry¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! I¡¯m going with you¡±


    The man looked a bit helpless and began coaxing her, ¡°That woman is so fierce. What if she hurts our


    baby? I would regret it.¡±


    ¡°Patton¡°¡± the woman who had sshed Kieran with water suddenly screamed at the man in the blue t¨C


    shirt.


    The crowd quickly made its way.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman rushed towards Patton, ¡°So this is the third party You heartless man, I take care of your


    mother and sister, and you go out and find a mistress¡® Divorce? Do you want a divorce from me? I tell


    you Patton, don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    After saying that, the woman swung a punch at the third party


    The woman immediately hid behind Patton.


    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t get worked up, it¡¯s not what you think.¡± Patton quickly shielded the third party, grabbing


    his wife


    The other woman emotionally told Patton¡¯s wife, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Patton and I truly love each other. Even his


    mother has agreed to our being together. You can¡¯t have children, so you can¡¯t me me for carrying


    his child! His mother said. Which family would want a barren wife? Be brave and sign the divorce


    agreement! Anyway, Patton will definitely divorce you!¡±


    Julie frowned slightly. Since when did the third party be so audacious?


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but think of Bertha Stewart.


    She remembered Berthaing to her pregnant


    She knelt before her devoutly and said, ¡°Joyce, I¡¯m pregnant with Mr. Hernandez¡¯s child. I really love


    him. I beg you for the sake of our friendship, let me have the baby I promise once the baby is born, I


    won¡¯t disturb you and Mr. Hernandez. I beg you.¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t recall her exact expression at the moment. All she remembered was sitting on the couch,


    watching Bertha kneel before her. After a heavy silence, she finally asked. ¡°So did Kieran agree to have


    you keep the baby?¡±


    Thinking back, she was soposed, even after learning about her best friend and the man she


    deeply loved, not to mention a baby between them. She was still able to ask that question calmly.


    She probably had given up hope from that moment on.


    Bertha was pregnant, but so what?


    Bertha was beautiful and captivating, and when she cried, she looked like a delicate flower in the rain,


    eliciting pity. Sobbing, she looked at Julie, pleading. ¡°Please, Joyce, let me have the baby! I promise


    once the baby is born, III take them away from you guys. I won¡¯t ever bother you and Mr. Hernandez


    again, I swear¡±


    ¡°And what are you swearing on?¡± Julie recalled that she just smirked coldly and said, ¡°At my wedding


    with Kieran, he also swore to me. He promised to love only me, be good only to me, never leave me,


    and spend the rest of his life with me.¡±


    Julie left Bertha kneeling in the hallway, and she heard she stayed there until Kieran came back and


    helped her up.


    After that, Julie never saw Bertha again until they were in the delivery room.


    Every day, Kieran woulde back, take care of her, and even tell bedtime stories to the baby in her


    belly every night.


    Bertha¡¯s matter was like it never happened. Neither Kieran nor Julie mentioned it.


    During that time, Julie deluded herself into thinking that she was happy and content.


    Until the moment she and Bertha entered the delivery room together.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to remember anymore, nor did she want to watch the farce in front of her.


    She turned around, left Kieran, and went upstairs.


    Kieran hesitated for a moment, then followed Julie


    Julie took out her keys and opened the door, thankful that thendlord only changed the front door¡¯s


    lock.


    Kieran followed Julie into her room, and Julie didn¡¯t stop him.


    After all, Kieran got himself all messed up for her, and she should at least say thank you, even if he


    was a stranger.


    Julie took a new grey checkered towel from the wardrobe and handed it to Kieran, ¡°The bathroom¡¯s


    right behind you.¡±


    Then, she took out a set of men¡¯s suits for Kieran to change into.


    Kieran wanted to ask about the suit, but when he took it, he realized it was the one he left at Julie¡¯s


    housest time after pretending to be drunk.


    As Kieran took the clothes and went into the bathroom. Julie sat in the living room, listening to the


    running water.


    The doorbell suddenly rang, Julie was surprised that someone would visit at this time.


    She thought it might be thendlord, so she hobbled towards the door.


    As she opened the door, she saw thendlord standing outside.


    ¡°Mr. Adolf, are you here to collect the rent? I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t had a chance to get the money Can I


    give it to youter?¡± Julie politely asked.


    But thendlord, Adolf, had a lewd smile on his face, ¡°Ms. Abraham, I know your situation. I know life


    isn¡¯t easy for you. My wife is also hard on me. I¡¯m not heartless, you know¡±


    Julie forced a sm?e, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Adolf.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me, Adolf said, suddenly reaching out to touch her hand on the door frame.


    Julie, startled, quickly pulled her hand back. As soon as Julie¡¯s hand left the door frame, Adolf barged


    into her living room.


    ¡°Mr. Adolf, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Suddenly feeling bad, Julie red at Adolf angrily and turned to


    run.


    But Adolf grabbed her hand and dragged her into the room,ughing obscenely. ¡°Of course I want you.


    If you agree to be my woman, I promise I won¡¯t charge you a penny for rent¡±

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Chapter 77


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have me, huh? I¡¯ll even pay you.¡± Kieran flung open the bathroom door at some point,


    wearing only his underpants, without even the time to put on his clothes.


    Kieran had quite the physique, one that was worth appreciating. As transparent water droplets trickled


    down his body, Julie found her gaze irresistibly


    drawn to him.


    Adolf hadn¡¯t expected a man to suddenly appear from Julie¡¯s room.


    The reason he dared to flirt with Julie so tantly was because he knew of her background. He knew


    she was financially strapped and had a critically ill


    sister to take care of


    He had long noticed Julie¡¯s beauty and had finally mustered up the courage today, only to have a man


    suddenly appear in Julie¡¯s room.


    And this man seemed somewhat familiar, especially the aura he exuded, which was hard to ignore.


    To Julie, the words Kieran had just spoken might just be the most shameless she¡¯d ever heard.


    Kieran had given Adolf quite the scare. It took him a while to recover, and then, disgruntled, he looked


    up at Kieran and asked, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Tm this woman¡¯s boyfriend,¡± Kieran paused, then added, ¡°And the man whos about to trash your


    reputation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re full of hot air. Do you know who I am?¡± Adolf let go of Julie, obviously intending to take on


    Kieran next.


    Julie knew that Adolf could act so rudely because he had some ut behind him.


    The moment Adolf let go of her, she instinctively ran towards Kieran


    It was a sense of security deep within that had Julie¡¯s actions outpace her thoughts


    Her brain hadn¡¯t even reacted when she limped over to Kieran¡¯s side.


    ¡°Give me your phone¡± Kieran looked at Julie calmly


    Julie didn¡¯t understand what Kieran would do, but she handed over the phone anyway


    Her phone never had a password Daphne always said she didn¡¯t live like a modern person at all.


    Julie watched as Kieran swiftly dialed a couple of numbers on her phone screen, then put the phone to


    his ear


    000


    Adolf thought Kieran would call the police and scoffed, ¡°Heh, the cops in this area all treat me, Adolf,


    with respect.¡±


    ¡°Hello, are you Adolf¡¯s wife? I¡¯m the tenant of 3-12, and your husband tried to sexually harass me.¡±


    Adolf had never expected Kieran to call his wife using Julie¡¯s phone. Hearing these words, Adolf felt


    that things were about to go south.


    He rushed towards Kieran, trying to snat ch the phone from his hand


    But Kieran reacted very quickly, simply sidestepping, and Adolf crashed into the wall next to him.


    Having easily dodged Adolf, Kieran calmly spoke to Adoll¡¯s wife, Laurel, ¡°If you have the time, you


    might want toe over and see your husband for thest time.¡±


    Anyone hearing these words would feel threatened, especially under these circumstances.


    Seeing Kieran dodge so nimbly just now, Adolf knew he was definitely no match for him.


    And since Kieran had just called Laurel, Adolf knew his wife would be over soon. The most important


    thing now was not letting his wife catch him in the act. If he wasn¡¯t caught red handed, he could still find


    an excuse to deny it and push the me onto Kieran and Julie


    Thinking this, Adolf immediately changed his strategy and headed for the door.


    Kieran had already anticipated Adolf¡¯s intentions.


    He kicked the door shut.


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure if Kieran was angry, but his door-kicking action was anything but gentle.


    ¡°Joyce, get me my bathrobe. Kieran stood at the entrance and spoke to Julie.


    Hearing him call her Joyce, Julie subconsciously did as he asked and limped towards the bathroom.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t escape from Kieran, Adolf decided to use Julie as a hostage and ran towards


    her.


    Kieran casually picked up a badminton racquet from the shoe cab by the door and threw it at Adolf.


    Julie noticed Adolf running towards her, didn¡¯t think twice, and immediately picked up the mop in the


    bathroom and threw it at Adolf.


    Adolf hadn¡¯t expected to be attacked from both sides. He was hit in the back of the head by the


    badminton racquet and hit in the face by the mop.


    There was a knock on the door outside, but Kieran didn¡¯t open it immediately. Instead, he looked at


    Julie: ¡°Joyce, the bathrobe.¡±


    Julie put down the mop, got the bathrobe, and returned to Kieran¡¯s side


    After putting on his bathrobe, Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand and opened the door.


    Laurel anxiously looked inside the house, only to see Kieran in his bathrobe and Julie obediently


    standing by his side.


    Jule hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to handle this situation, considering Kieran had just hit Adolf hard


    enough to have him sprawled on the floor.


    Kieran was good at badminton, once representing the city¡¯s badminton team inpetition. When the


    national team selected him, he turned down the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Back then, Julie would pester the school badminton coach every day and finally got the chance to be


    an assistant and apany Kieran to nationalpetitions.


    But after winning the award, Kieran gave up on the opportunity. Julie regretfully asked him, ¡°Why


    wouldn¡¯t you ept such an honor? Isn¡¯t it good to bring glory to our country?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Compared to bringing glory to the country, I¡¯d rather contribute to our nation¡¯s economic


    growth¡±


    At the time, Julie thought Kieran was being pompous.


    But looking back now, Kieran had kept his word.


    By the time she snapped out of her reminiscence, Kieran had already taken her hand and led her


    towards the door.


    Kieran had hit Adolf hard, and by this time, Laurel had quickly run over to Adolf¡¯s side.


    But Kieran simply took Julie¡¯s hand and headed downstairs. He clearly had no intention of exining


    what had just happened.


    Laurel didn¡¯t see iting that Julie and Kieran, the two main culprits behind the assault, just strolled


    off hand in hand


    She stood up and chased after therm


    Kieran, in his bathrobe, should we stopped and sorted things out, but when Laurel caught up, Julie¡¯s


    first instinct was to grab Kieran¡¯s hand and make a


    run for it downstairs.


    But she seemingly forgot about her injured ankle, and after taking a big step, she grimaced in pain


    instantly


    In a split second, Kieran easily scooped her up in his arms.


    Laurel was yelling at them from behind, and Adolf cried in pain. Eventually, Laurel had to turn back to


    check on Adolf¡¯s injuries. After all, Julie was still a guest here and couldn¡¯t run away no matter what


    This was probably the quietest and most well behaved Julie in Kieran¡¯s arms since their reunion


    She didn¡¯t struggle but chediently put her arms around his neck, allowing Kieran to carry her downstairs


    She didn¡¯t know why Kieran was leaving with her instead of confronting Laurel directly.


    Kieran put Julie in the passenger seat and buckled her up.


    Then be circled the car in his bathrobe


    After the car started, Julie suddenly remembered the scene and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡®What¡¯s so funny?¡± came Kieran¡¯s steady voice from the side. Despite his disheveled bathrobe look, his


    charm was undeniable.


    Julie didn¡¯t look back at him. She just shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing


    After a moment of silence, Julie felt she should thank him for what he had done today


    So she stared out the window, thinking of the right words for a while, before finally turning to look at


    Kieran


    ¡°I don¡¯t ept verbal thanks,¡± Kieran seemed to have guessed Julie¡¯s intention when she turned, and


    he said his thoughts first.


    Then I wont thank you, Julie didnt feel embarrassed. She had almostmitted suicide for him once.


    Now, a simple thank you seemed so cheap.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Buy me a meal then! Kieran suddenly suggested


    Julie nced sideways, surprised he would ask for such a simple thing. She took a while to process it


    before nodding, ¡°Okay¡±


    ¡°How about that fast-food restaurant near the school?¡¯ Kieran asked


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that ce torn down?¡± Julie replied instinctively.


    It was a fast food restaurant near their old school, which had great food but supposedly went out of


    business five years ago dug to the owner¡¯s personal issues


    Julie used to love eating there during her school days. In fact, that¡¯s where she fell for Kieran at first


    sight, so she had a deep attachment to that ce. However, shortly after her divorce from Kieran, the


    restaurant went under. If Kieran hadn¡¯t brought it up, Julie might have thought she had forgotten about


    it


    But when Kieran casually mentioned it, all those memories that Julie didn¡¯t want to recall suddenly


    reignited like an unstoppable wildfire.


    Kieran told her, ¡°The restaurant went under due to poor management, but the owner has acknowledged


    his mistakes and reopened a new one.¡±


    Even though he was talking about the restaurant, Julie caught a different meaning from Kieran¡¯s words.


    She felt like he was using the restaurant as a metaphor for their marriage


    Their previous marriage had ended in divorce due to their poor management. Now that he had


    acknowledged his mistakes, he wanted to give it another


    shot. Was that what he meant?


    Or was she overthinking?


    No matter what the answer was, Julie didn¡¯t want to delve into it


    So she looked at Kieran and answered calmly, in business, you can fail and start over, but in life, it¡¯s


    not always the case, right?¡±

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Chapter 78


    Joyce was getting cheekier and sneakier these days. She knew how to find loopholes in his words and


    make him contradict himself


    However, there¡¯s always a look on Kieran¡¯s face that Julie cant understand


    The man driving was the one she had loved deeply for years but also the one she had never


    understood.


    The car was parked in the underground garage, and Julie started to think about how to deal with their


    landlord, Adolf. All her belongings were in Adolfs house, and she had to figure out how to get them


    back.


    But Kieran seemed to have hit Adolf quite hard with the mop today, so maybe all of Julie¡¯s belongings


    together weren¡¯t enough to cover Adolf¡¯s medical bills


    Julie was very focused on her thoughts, and didn¡¯t notice where the car was parked


    When the elevator stopped on the first floor, she realized she was in a mall.


    They can imagine how many people would stare at a man in a bathrobe leading a limping woman


    through a busy mall.


    In the mall lobby, all eyes were on Kieran and Julie.


    Julie quickly covered her face with her hands.


    ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t we supposed to go to a fast food restaurant?¡± she asked Kieran, her voice


    muf fled by her hands.


    Kieran calmly responded, ¡°In a bathrobe?¡±


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t go to a fast food restaurant in a bathrobe, so why did youe to the mall in one?


    Julle retorted. ¡°Are you trying to embarrass yourself?¡±


    She turned around and saw Kieran wearing sunsses and a mask, looking veryposed


    It turned out he was fully prepared. But didn¡¯t anyone tell him that wearing a bathrobe with sunsses


    and a mask made him look even weirder? Not 10 mention the limping woman next to him


    Julie didn¡¯t want to talk anymore, and she just pulled Kieran into the nearest clothing store. She pointed


    at the suit on the mannequin at the entrance and said to the saleswoman, ¡°Have him try this on


    Kieran seemed to enjoy having someone pick out clothes for him, so as soon as they entered the store,


    he sat on the sofa and watched Julie elegantly


    The saleswoman brought a low-key dark gray suit and handed it to Julie.


    Julie shoved the clothes into Kieran¡¯s arms ¡°Get changed.


    Kieran took the clothes and went into the fitting room leisurely. The saleswomen outside started to


    whisper to each other.


    ¡°He looks just like Mr. Hernandez!¡±


    ¡°I thought so, too! If it wasn¡¯t for the bathrobe, I would have thought Mr. Hernandez was visiting the


    store!


    ¡°He really does look like him¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask him?¡± one of the saleswomen suggested to a short girl, then nced at Julie.


    The mall was owned by Kieran, which Julie only found out by overhearing the saleswomen¡¯s whispers.


    She had heard the saleswomen¡¯s conversation earlier, but she figured they wouldn¡¯t ask her directly, so


    she pretended not to hear.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect the short girl to actuallye up to her after being egged on several times


    and ask, ¡°Excuse me, is that man Mr. Hernander?¡±


    Without hesitation, Julie answered, ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? He looks a lot like Mr. Hernandez


    ¡°Joyce, do you like this suit?¡± Kieran came out of the fitting room wearing a dark grey suit.


    He took off his sunsses, revealing his deep and refined features.


    Julie had just denied that he was Kieran, and the next second, he revealed his true face. What a


    surprise!


    ¡°Oh my god, Mr. Hernandez?¡± The store manager was also startled and stared at Kieran in surprise.


    Kieran walked up


    fo


    Julie, gently put his hand on her shoulder, and said with a smile to the store manager, ¡°Kieran? People


    often say I look like him. My girlfriend Joyce often gets us mixed up, but that jerk Mr. Hernandez from


    Simpo Co. is a total jerk. Joyce hates him, so please don¡¯t say I look like him.


    Julie turned around and gave Kieran a wide-eyed look. She wanted to ask: Mr. Hernandez, how can


    you talk about yourself like that so casually? Don¡¯t you trip over your words?


    Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit that he was Kieran, he didn¡¯t have to go this far, did he?


    How could he admit that he was a jerk so easily? But what he said made sense.


    Kieran¡¯s words left the saleswomen at a loss for words.


    ¡°Are you buying this suit or not?¡± Julie deliberately ignored Kleran¡¯sst remark and got back to the


    point.


    And Kieran asked her again. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Was he asking for her opinion? Come on, he¡¯s the CEO of Simpo Co., he can wear whatever he


    wanted. Even if he needed advice, that¡¯s his stylist¡¯s job. What did it have to do with her?


    ¡°So if I say it doesn¡¯t look good, you won¡¯t buy it?¡± Julie replied sarcastically


    1/3


    15.571


    Kieran nodded seriously and said, ¡°Yes, whatever you say goes¡±


    ¡°Then I want you to Julie started to say, then suddenly said, ¡®Go pay¡±


    Kieran knew that wasn¡¯t what Julie had intended to say If he had to guess, she probably wanted to say.


    Then I want you to go die, right?


    Kieranughed and then handed his card to one of the saleswomen.


    After paying. Kieran suddenly asked Julie. Do you want me to buy you a wheelchair?¡±


    ¡°Stop bothering me, and you¡¯re the only wheelchair I see!¡± Julie felt like she¡¯d been holding back for a


    long time, and now it alle out.


    Kieran put the white bathrobe he had taken off into a shopping bag, then followed Julie and said,


    ¡°Really? Then you should buy me, I¡¯ll help you walk. Just name a price, and I¡¯ll give myself a discount¡±


    He thought Julie would be angry or simply ignore him.


    But to his surprise, she turned around and asked him, ¡°How much can you knock off?¡±


    ¡°How much do you want me to knock off?¡±


    ¡°Knock you off¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran should have known this woman wouldn¡¯t be easy to please


    Kieran and Julie arrived at the fast food joint, and Julie realized it had moved up to the top floor of the


    mall. The once few-cents meal deal was now a few bucks, thanks to the new location. Even her favorite


    big burger had jumped to six dors.


    If she¡¯d known it was going to be this pricey, she wouldn¡¯t have offered to pick up the tab.


    The joint had gotten a fancy makeover, even expanded. Guess the price hike was somewhat justified.


    Kieran led Julie inside, picking a quiet spot to sit


    The owner recognized Julie right away ¡°Isn¡¯t this the gal who always orders the who pper with cheese?¡±


    he asked Kieran. They seemed tight.


    Julie chuckled and nodded, ¡°You got it, boss. I¡¯m having the who pper again¡±


    The owner nced between Julie and Kieran, then prepared their order, all smiled.


    Kieran fetched some sodas, passing Julie a Fanta, ¡°So, howie you going to deal with Adolf?¡±


    ¡°Pay them off she answered, figuring Laurel¡¯s greed would demand a hefty sum


    It was what it was. Julie didn¡¯t see any other way out.


    Kieran wasn¡¯t thrilled with the answer, but he went along with it. I was the one who hit him Ill cover


    whatever they ask. Deduct it from what you owe me.¡± Julie didn¡¯t argue.


    Still, since the trouble started because of her, she felt it fair to tell Kieran, ¡°Let¡¯s split in¡±


    Kieran paused, soda in hand. Their rtionship really had grown distant. Maybe it was time to do


    something about it.


    Not wanting to offend Julie, Kieran finally nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Their meals arrived, Julie¡¯s burger and Kieran¡¯s steak. After such a hectic day, Julie was starving. She


    started chowing down, throwing etiquette to the


    wind.


    Kieran was hungry too, but he hadn¡¯t even touched his steak, too engrossed in watching Julie,


    forgetting his own hunger.


    ¡°You should move,¡± Kieran suddenly said to Julie


    She looked up at him, mouth full of burger, puzzled.


    ¡®Simpo Co. and de Law Firm offer employee housing. Find somewhere safe to stay,¡± Kieran put


    down his cutlery, looking at Julle seriously.


    ¡°We may be divorced, but you don¡¯t have to live this hard.¡±


    Julie had no clue what was going on Just this morning, she was ndered, her hair pulled, and


    used of being a homewrecker. Then, she barely avoided an assault from herndlord.


    This was the worst day Julie had had since their divorce five years ago, and he just happened to be


    there.


    Was she embarrassed? Humiliated?


    Definitely.


    But,


    ¡°Like you said, we¡¯re divorced. Have been for five years. So, whatever I¡¯m going through has nothing to


    do with you,¡±


    With that, Julie went back to her burger.


    What once tasted heavenly now seemed just okay.


    Watching Julie bite into her burger, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but reach out, grabbing her wrist, trying to stop


    her.


    Summoning all her strength, Julie shook off Kieran¡¯s hand, finally losing her patience. She mmed


    down her burger, cheese-covered patty and onion rings sca tt ered all over the te. ¡°What the hell do


    you want? I loved you so much, but you kept pushing me away. When I was about to give up on you,


    you decided to marry me. I loved you deeply, but you pretended to love me back and got me pregnant.


    Just when i was basking in the joy of pregnancy. my best friend told me she and you had a thing. I was


    pregnant for ten months, and you took care of me meticulously, but on the day I gave birth, you stood


    outside the operating room, choosing to save Bertha¡¯s baby. Are you sch izo phrenic? love you even


    gave up my dignity, not just to be


    dispensable part of your life. Kieran, I¡¯m human, too. I have feelings. I hurt, too. Please, leave me


    alone. Can¡¯t you leave me alone?¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Chapter 79


    This was the first time Julie had been angry like this since the hospital incident five years ago.


    Even when she proposed the divorce to Kieran back then, she hadn¡¯t bared her emotions like she was


    doing now.


    Having asked the questions and vented her feelings, Julie was ready for an answer. She wasn¡¯t about


    to turn around and leave. Instead, she stood opposite Kieran, waiting for his response.


    Yet Kieran remained silent, seemingly deep in thought


    After a long silence, he suddenly looked up at Julie and asked, ¡°Would you marry someone you don¡¯t


    love?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s why I married you,¡± Julie replied firmly, without a trace of dishonesty.


    She said, ¡°I was so blinded by love that I was willing to marry you even though you didn¡¯t love me. I


    thought it was enough as long as I loved you deeply, but I forgot that you could fall in love with


    someone else.¡±


    Julie¡¯s tone was filled with the indifference thates with extreme disappointment


    Kieran¡¯s deep gaze remained fixed on Julie¡¯s beautiful face


    Her face was now tinged with a blush from the recent outburst of anger, and there was no warmth to be


    found in her clear eyes.


    Kieran and Julie gazed at each other for a long time before he finally spoke.


    He said, ¡°Julie, I wouldn¡¯t either.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t what? Not believe in love or marry someone he didn¡¯t love?


    Julie didn¡¯t understand what Kieran meant by that.


    All she knew was that he had called her Ms. Abraham, Attorney Abraham, and Joyce, but he had never


    addressed her as Julie.


    Judging from Kieran¡¯s current expression, Julie knew he was serious. Very serious.


    Feeling that his previous statement wasn¡¯t clear enough, Kieran added, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t marry a woman |


    didn¡¯t love, no matter in the past, the present, or the future.¡±


    Marriage was no child¡¯s y, and he had always been serious about it. From the moment he married


    her to the moment he watched her sign the divorce papers, every decision he made was well thought


    out.


    When he said he wouldn¡¯t marry a woman he didn¡¯t love, Julie¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, but the look


    in her tearful eyes was full of ironicughter


    ¡°So that¡¯s your answer?¡± she asked, staring at Kieran with red, tear-filled eyes, doing her best to hold


    back the tears


    ¡®How fickle can a man be to say something like that?¡± she sneered at him, ¡°Are you trying to say that


    you loved me when you married me?¡±


    Of course, he loved. Who could force him into marriage or force him to choose a lifelong partner if he


    wasn¡¯t willing?


    That¡¯s what Julie had thought at first.


    But now, having heard Kieran¡¯s deration, Julie¡¯s mocking smile widened, ¡°Yes, you loved me. You


    loved me when we got married. But you stopped loving me after we got married because you fell in


    love with my bestie! Or perhaps, you loved me, but you loved Bertha more. So you never proposed a


    divorce. You were a faithful husband at home, but also a man who disregards morals outside. Your love


    is so great, so extensive.¡±


    ¡°Bertha¡­¡± Kieran murmured the name, and then looked at Julie with deep eyes, asking her, ¡°What do


    you think makes her worthy of my love?


    Exactly, what makes her worthy?


    Julie had spent countless nights pondering this question.


    But love itself doesn¡¯t have reason, logic, or coherence. She had loved Kieran for so many years,


    wasn¡¯t that out of reason too?


    Her eyes were red as she looked at Kieran with a smile. You might have forgotten. I was stu pid


    enough to ask you the same question once.¡±


    That day. Bertha came to Noblewood Retreat with her pregnancy test report, knelt in front of Julie, and


    pleaded for her to let her keep the baby, iming It was Kieran¡¯s.


    Bertha might have thought Kieran was not at home that day because Kieran was supposed to be at


    work. But that afternoon, Julie had an appointment to go to the hospital for a check-up. Kieran could


    have left her alone, but he decided to work from home that morning


    Julie, not wanting to interrupt Kieran¡¯s work, went downstairs to watch TV.


    Coincidentally, Bertha called to meet up, and the unsuspecting Julie warmly invited her to Noblewood


    Retreat.


    But she never expected Bertha to tell her that she was pregnant with Kierans child.


    Bertha insisted on keeping the baby, saying Kieran had agreed to let her do it.


    That was the first time Julie found out about Kieran¡¯s affair.


    And the other woman was her best friend Bertha, the friend who had once said they would share


    happiness and face difficulties together.


    She didn¡¯t know how she managed to keep her emotions in check at that moment, she only


    remembered that she was able to keep a straight face and walk upstairs while Bertha was kneeling in


    the hall, crying.


    It took everything she had to hold back her anger and calmly open the door to the study room.


    Kln, seeing here in, put down the pen he was signing with, walked up to her, and gently hugged


    her from behind, ¡°Bored?¡±


    He was so good, so gentle to her.


    She had her back to Kieran, so he couldn¡¯t see her red eyes.


    She tried to keep her voice steady, ¡°Can we not have the baby?¡±


    At that moment, Kieran had quickly turned her around, his serious face with a hint of displeasure,


    ¡°What are you talking about? It is our baby and how could we not want it?¡±


    ¡°So you want every baby that¡¯s yours, right?¡± Julie was so upset. She wanted to cry, her nose turning


    red.


    Kieran instantly understood from Julie¡¯s expression. He let go of her shoulder, seemingly knowing


    everything, he frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Bertha is here?¡±


    From Julie¡¯s silence, Kieran got his answer


    He turned to walk towards the door.


    Suddenly, Julie grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, crying softly, asking him, ¡°Where did I go wrong?¡±


    Kieran stopped, turned around, gently stroked her soft hair, and said. ¡°You did nothing wrong¡±


    ¡°Bertha said it¡¯s your baby she¡¯s carrying¡­ Kieran, she¡¯s lying to me, you¡¯re lying to me, you¡¯re both


    ying me, right? She¡¯s not pregnant, is she?¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s not what you think. Give me some time, and ill exin everything¡± After he said this,


    Kieran gently and tenderly unsped Julie¡¯s hand from his sleeve, and then rushed downstairs.


    Oh, how naive Julie was back then!


    She deceived herself into believing Kieran just because he promised to exin, convinced that he


    wasn¡¯t that kind of guy and he wouldn¡¯t really be with


    Bertha


    But reality proved to be a cruel joke.


    By the time Julie emerged from the study room, she learned from the serv ants that Kieran had left with


    Bertha.


    He didnte back until the next morning.


    Julie waited for him the whole day and night, not eating, just waiting for him toe back and exin.


    She called his cell for countless times, but what she got in the end was Kieran firmly telling her, ¡°Joyce,


    the baby in Bertha¡¯s belly is my heir so I can¡¯t abandon it. The one in your belly is also my child. You


    should stay home and take care of yourself but you can¡¯t hurt the baby in Bertha¡¯s belly¡±


    After waiting a day and night, she never expected this to be the exnation.


    It felt like Kieran had taken a handful of broken ss and viciously stabbed it into Julie¡¯s heart. She


    was in so much pain at first that she couldn¡¯t breathe. but eventually, she became numb


    Seeing the orange-red lipstick mark on the cor of his white shirt, which was Bertha¡¯s favorite lipstick


    color, how could she not know?


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She reached out, grabbing the man¡¯s cor, ¡°This is your exnation? How could you do this to me,


    protecting the child in her belly? What about mine? What am I supposed to do?¡±


    Julie pointed at her own belly. ¡°This is also your child! If I don¡¯t touch her, can you guarantee she won¡¯t


    hurt me?¡±


    ¡°Joyce, listen to me, don¡¯t hurt the baby in Bertha¡¯s belly. I swear to you. Bertha wont do anything to the


    child in your belly. I promise she won¡¯t show up in front of you during your pregnancy¡±


    ¡°Are you even human? How could you let her carry your child? How could you? Why, why her? Why


    does it have to be her?¡±


    ¡°Joyce, dontpare you with her. You¡¯re not her¡± He hugged her tightly, as if wanting to meld her into


    his bones and blood


    She thought these old memories had disappeared with her broken marriage, but who knew that just


    one casual remark from Kieran could cause her to remember everything so vividly.


    She coldly looked at Kieran and said, ¡°You once told me not topare me with her. You said I¡¯m not


    her. I was so naive, defeated so easily by your sweet words, fooled by your feigned tenderness. I


    always thought you were with me every day during my pregnancy because you loved me. I thought the


    countless nights you spent with me and our child would at least make you feel some remorse, but the


    moment you decided to save Bertha outside the operating room, you were so resolute.¡±


    Julie finally broke down in tears, her hoa rse voice calling out to Kieran, ¡°That was our child, how could


    you decide so easily not to save him? Why did you let me alive, why didnt you let me leave this world


    with our child? I¡¯m already all alone in this world¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her desperate words, Kieran grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms,


    sealing her lips with a kiss.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Chapter 80


    Kisses rained down on her, sealing the words Julie had intended to speak in her throat, to the point


    where she couldn¡¯t even remember what she had initially wanted to say


    From her initial struggle to her eventual submission, Julie could only remember the moment his kiss got


    so intense it almost took her breath away, a moment etched into her memory.


    He finally let her go after what felt like an eternity, gently wiping away the tear trails on her face with his


    hands.


    ¡°Joyce, I need to exin some things to you.¡±


    Julie was scared of his tenderness and affection. They felt like a whirlpool, threatening to suck her in


    completely.


    She pushed his hands away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.*


    Julie flung down some bills and headed for the door.


    Behind her, Kieran¡¯s voice rang out, Bertha and I never had an affair.¡±


    Julie had reached the door, her hand on the doorknob, ready to leave in a heartbeat


    But Kieran¡¯s calm statement stopped her in her tracks.


    Her hand tightened on the doorknob, turning as pale as a ghost.


    Just one sentence and she was nailed to the spot.


    She didn¡¯t turn to face him, instead, she threw over her shoulder, ¡°So, where did her baby


    Without waiting for Kieran¡¯s answer, she walked out of the door


    from? Did it grow on a tree?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t chase after her. After he said those words, he didn¡¯t exin further Julie kept reminding


    herself that Kieran did it on purpose, to mess her mind. But deep down, she wanted to believe him.


    Her phone rang. She took it out and saw Daphne calling, so she answered.


    Julie, where are you? I just got back from a business trip and went to your ce, but it was a mess.


    Your


    and a guy beat up her husband and sent him to the hospital. Are you okay?¡± Daphne¡¯s concern


    warmedhdlord is absolutely a bonker. She said you


    Tm fine, Julie replied. At the mention of herndlord, she just chuckled.


    Daphne¡¯s anxious voice on the other end of the line said, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ming over to find you.¡±


    Julie told Daphne where she was, and Daphine took a taxi and came in about ten minutes.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s limp, Daphne frowned. ¡°I thought you said it was okay. Why is it in ster?¡±


    Julie wiped her lips with her hand.


    heart.


    ¡°Daphne, I m fine. But I did sprain my ankle wearing high heels, Julie replied, putting a hand on


    Daphne¡¯s shoulder.


    Daphne frowned at her, ¡°So, what happened between you and yourndlord? I arrived at your building


    and saw two ambnces!¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Julie looked at Daphne, a bit unsure.


    Yes.¡¯Daphne nodded, ¡°I freaked out! I thought something happened to you! After asking around, I found


    out that one of the ambnces was for a woman downstairs who had hurt a pregnant woman in a fight.


    The other was for yourndlord. What exactly happened?¡±


    Daphne was the only person Julie could trust unconditionally at the moment, so she told her everything


    that happened


    To her surprise, the first question Daphne asked was, ¡®So Mr. Hernandez was misunderstood all


    along?¡±


    Was that really the point of her story?


    Daphne thought for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Did you ask Mr. Hernandez, if he didn¡¯t sleep with


    Bertha, then whose child is it?¡±


    ¡°I did. I asked if the baby grew on a tree. But he didn¡¯t answer¡±


    Daphne burst intoughter, ¡°Maybe it did grow on a tree!¡±


    Seeing Julie¡¯s serious face, Daphne also got serious. ¡°But assuming they didn¡¯t sleep together doesn¡¯t


    mean they couldn¡¯t have a test-tube baby. But why would they choose Bertha when you could have


    children? Because Bertha was smarter, prettier, and has better genes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a great friend¡± Julie rolled her eyes at Daphne.


    Daphne flipped her hair, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think that reason exins. Even if they wanted superior


    genes, why choose Bertha? Why not choose me?¡±


    ¡°Daphne!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m just analyzing with you, Daphne sat down next to Julie and grabbed her hand,


    ¡°Could he be lying to you? Since Bertha is dead, no one can confirm the truth. He still has feelings for


    you, so¡­ No, that cant be. Mr. Hernandez isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Daphne, whose side are you on?¡± Julieughed helplessly


    Daphne patted her chest, I¡¯m on the side of reasoning, not favoritism.¡±


    The answer doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Julie sighed, ¡°What has past is the past¡­


    Daphne mimicked her tone, ¡°What has past is the past. To me, it seems like it¡¯s over for everyone else,


    but for you, it¡¯s never over. You¡¯re really good at fooling yourself.¡±


    Well, let¡¯s go back to your ce and pack up your stuff. You can stay at my ce for now, Daphne


    suggested.


    1/2


    12.27


    Julie shook her head, ¡°No need, I found a part time job and I have a ce to stay. As for thendlord,


    Adolf, it¡¯ll take me a while to sort things out.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about the part-time job? Daphne asked with concern, ¡°Be careful, there are a lot of


    scams out there¡±


    ¡°What can they scam from me when I have nothing?¡± Julie gut up and walked towards the cashier.


    Daphne chuckled behind her, ¡°Beauty is your asset, huh! Your looks are your fortune.¡±


    ¡°Remember that kid I mentioned before. Ivan Kennedy? He¡¯s quite adorable.¡± Julie reached for her


    wallet to pay only to be told by the cashier that Daphne had already covered it


    With a smile, Julie turned to Daphne.


    Daphne stuck out her tongue. I remember, what about him? You¡¯ve been schmoozing with his dad


    online?¡±


    Watch your mouth¡± Julie shot Dapline a look, as if implying her thoughts were dirty and shallow


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Daphne shrugged it off with augh, eyeing Julie¡¯s phone, ¡°Next time, I¡¯m gonna snap a picture of you


    chatting with him. You¡¯ll see how you look, just like when you had a crush on Mr. Hernandez¡­ The


    phrase ¡®like a carbon copy was swallowed back at thest second


    Ah, the sensitive subject, why mention Mr. Hernandez?


    Julie chuckled, not offended, but rified, ¡°Ivan Kennedy s dad is going on a business trip abroad, and


    I get along well with the kid. His dad suggested that if I was willing, I could pick up the kid from school


    after work, stay at his house, and send him to school in the morning. All I would need to do on the


    weekends is spending time with the kid¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the pay? Dapline hailed a taxi casually


    Julie replied, ¡°We haven¡¯t discussed it yet, I said I would think about it, he said the sry is negotiable¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they living near Noblewood Retreat? They must be loaded. Be assertive when discussing your


    sry. But are you sure the kid¡¯s dad isn¡¯t after you? Watch out, my dear Julie Daphne gentlemanly


    helped Julie get into the cab after opening the door for her.


    Julieughed in response. ¡°He¡¯s still devoted to his ex-wife. Im actually helping him win her back. How


    dangerous could it be? Only his son likes me, and I quite like the kid as well!


    ¡°Okay, think about it then!¡± With that, Daphne gave the driver her address.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you gonna help me pack?¡± Julie asked


    Daphne rolled her eyes at her, ¡°Are you nuts? What if yourndy is waiting for you? How could we


    two damsels, possibly handle her?¡±


    Damsels? Daphne, were you thinking this when you won the national boxing championship?


    ¡°Did you leave anything valuable at home?¡± Daphine asked Julie.


    Julie thought for a moment, all her belongings were in her handbag, including her bank cards, passport,


    ID card, and some cash. There were only some -clothes and bed sheets left in her apartment. And she


    carried all the receipts about Sansa Abraham¡¯s hospitalization with her.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Daphne had a pretty good idea of the situation


    ¡°Even my mom wouldn¡¯t want those old clothes at your ce. Let¡¯s go rest at my ce first and


    negotiate your sry with your future boss! Whatever is left can be thrown away. I¡¯ll check on Adoll at


    the hospitalter. Given your situation, it¡¯s better not to move around too much.¡± Daphne suggested.


    In that moment, Julie felt touched Daphne was a more reliable friend than a lover or a family member,


    the only one who stood by her side through thick and thin¡­


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Daphne patted her shoulder, ¡°Lean on me, but don¡¯t you dare cry. This is a


    new outfit and I¡¯ll have to wash it if your ruin it


    Julle couldn¡¯t help but smile, taking out her phone from her pocket, she found ¡± Kennedy¡¯s¡± number,


    hesitated a bit, then texted, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, are you free now?¡±


    In the noodle shop, Kieran nced at his vibrating phone. A few secondster, he picked it up, replied.


    ¡°How¡¯s the consideration going?¡±


    ¡°Can it include amodation?¡± Julie asked.


    Yes.


    any


    other requests?¡±


    ¡°Nope, can start working today?¡± Julie asked.


    Kieran nced at his expensive watch, Ivan gets off school in an hour and you can pick him up. As for


    the sry tell Ivan. Then he¡¯ll tell me. I¡¯ve got other things to deal with, gotta go¡±


    ¡°Okay Sure.¡± Julie quickly asked the cab driver to head straight to the kindergarten.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Chapter 81


    At the kindergarten.


    Ivan was racking his brain on how he could see Julie again, and then Amora, who was sitting next to


    him, walked over and gently tugged at his sleeve, ¡°Sillyvan, you¡¯re not really mad, are you?¡±


    Amora thought Ivan was mad because she had just dragged him to meet her parents, so her tone was


    very gentle at the moment, trying to appease him, so he wouldn¡¯t be mad anymore


    However, Ivan didn¡¯t take what just happened seriously His mind was full of Julie, and he really wanted


    to call his dad to ask how he tricked her intoing


    But he knew very well that if he called Kerry now he was just asking for trouble


    Ivan waspletely engrossed in his thoughts and didn¡¯t listen to what Amora was saying


    1


    Amora innocently looked at Ivan and said, ¡°Sillyvan, next time I won¡¯t use you as a shield. But my morn


    said guys can¡¯t be so petty! Humph!¡± It was then that Ivan came back to his senses, suddenly turned


    his head and locked at Mo Mo and said, ¡°Cupid, did I just do you a big favor?¡± Amora thought for a


    while, and then nodded her head. It was good that she wasn¡¯t thest one in the ss otherwise it


    would be too embarrassing. ¡°Since I did you a big favor shouldn¡¯t you do me a big favor too?¡± Ivan¡¯s


    face suddenly showed a sly smile.


    Amora nodded without hesitation, ¡°Sure, how can I help?¡±


    ¡°Next time you see Mama Julie, you have to loudly praise me in front of her that I¡¯m smart, handsome


    and awesome, and show that you admire me, got


    ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s a bit hard!¡±


    Ivan red at Amora, saying. Then I¡¯ll tell your director dad and your agent mom right away that you


    only eat meat and no veggies at school!¡±¡± Amora grabbed ivan¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Oh! Sillyvan, you are so


    handsome, you are so smart and you are the best boy I have ever seen!¡±


    Ivan nodded in satisfaction.


    The school bell rang. Ivan sat down in his seat, and Amora also sat neatly


    From now on, call me Ivan in front of my mother, not my nickname ¡°Ivan lowered his voice, patting


    Amora¡¯s shoulder


    Amora nodded, a bit excited. ¡°Okay, Sillyvan, oh no, Ivan.¡±


    ¡°Such a donkey.¡±Ivan¡¯s face was filled with disdain.


    Amora got too excited, stood up all of a sudden, ¡°You are the ¡±


    ¡°Mo Mo, what are you doing?¡± The teacher rapped on the ckboard, looking serious


    Amora, feeling wronged, pointed at Ivan andined, ¡°Ms, Iwan says our ss is like a zoo!¡±


    Ivan was speechless, quietlymenting Amora¡¯s reaction, which exceeded his imagination.


    Under Amora¡¯splex gaze, Ivan finished thest ss of the day.


    Amora followed Ivan, chartering. ¡°Sillyvan, your dad doesn: scold you for scoring only three points?¡±


    ¡°My dad failed his exams when he was young, and I didn¡¯tugh at him either ¡°Ivan said a bit proudly


    Amora thought about it, and responded. ¡®But your father is very handsome, so it doesnt matter if his


    grades are not good.¡±


    ¡°Cupid, you can¡¯t be so superficial.¡± Ivan stopped, looking at Amora seriously


    Amora seemed to understand a bit, nodding, ¡°Oh


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s handsome, he doesn¡¯t have to get good grades? The key is he¡¯s rich, understand?¡±


    ¡°ON¡±


    At the school gate, Julie was standing there with her cast, just happened to hear their conversation and


    couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Ivan saw Julie, his eyes lit up in an instant, ¡°Mama Julie? Howe you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I came to pick you up after school Julie reached out, gently patting Ivan¡¯s head.


    Hearing Ivan calling her Mama Julie, Amora quickly followed, ¡®Sillyyan, your mom is really pretty¡±


    ¡°Sillyvan?¡± Julie was somewhat puzzled by this nickname.


    Ivan turned his head and red at Amora with his eyes


    Amora touched her head, smartly exined, ¡°Because Ivan always gets full marks in the exams I¡¯m a


    little jealous so I call him Sillyvan! I¡¯m just joking but actually he¡¯s very clever!¡±


    Te that so? Ivan, you¡¯re really great.¡± Julie looked at Ivan lovingly.


    Ivan didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all, nodding, ¡°Of course! My smartness is inherited from my dad!¡±


    Amora, in ordance with Ivan¡¯s request, said to Julie, Tvan is really awesome, even more awesome


    than the teacher! No, even more awesome than Superman Ivan is the most awesome person in the


    world¡±


    ¡®Cupid Ivan shouted in a low voice, indicating that was enough, her exaggerated words were a bit too


    much!


    Julie thought the little girl in front of her was cute and pretty, like a Barbie doll, making people want to


    take a few more looks.


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    ¡°Little girl, what¡¯s your name? Julie asked Amora with a smile.


    Just as Amora was about to open her mouth, Ivan started answering for her, ¡°Her name is Amora, we


    all call her Mo Mo, or Cupid. Her dad¡¯s name is Babur and her mom¡¯s name is Albertine.¡±


    These two names were often mentioned by Daphne, Julie naturally couldn¡¯t be unfamiliar


    Clearly, Ivan didn¡¯t want to stay here longer, so he pulled Julie and said, Mama Julie, let¡¯s go home!


    Cupid, see you¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodbye.¡± Amora waved at Ivan, then turned and walked towards her own car


    Ivan happily locked at Julie, holding her hand as they walked to the car, asking Julie, ¡°Mama Julie,


    you¡¯re going to take me home, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your dad said he¡¯s going abroad, so I¡¯m going to take care of you and take you to and from


    school.¡±


    Hearing this, Ivan immediately blushed with joy, ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to live with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you have to share your bed with me, what do you say?¡± Julie teased him.


    Ivan confidently said, ¡°I can give you two-thirds of my lied, and if you think my bed is too small, you can


    go sleep in my dad¡¯s room! His room is pretty big Mama Julie, my dad sleeps like a log and he wouldn¡¯t


    even kick the nket


    Ivan decided to sing more praises about his father


    Julie gave a small smile and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take those two thirds of your bed¡±


    On the way, Ivan was all excited and lively, while Julie only asionally responded to his talks, without


    much enthusiasm.


    Although in front of Daphne, she acted as if nothing happened, but Julie herself knew her feelings well.


    In fact, from the moment thendlord pulled her onto the sofa, she was filled with fear, even made up


    her mind to die. At that moment she had already grabbed the ss on the table, if it wasnt for Kieran


    who showed up on time, she might have decided to die together with thendlord.


    And the moment thendlord let go of her, her first reaction was to run behind Kieran


    Even though the person who hurt her the most in the past was Kieran, but in times of crisis, the person


    she trusted the most, the person she wanted to rely on the most was still him,


    At that moment, her actions were faster than her thoughts, proving that was her truest feeling deep


    inside.


    When Kieran personally told her that he didn¡¯t have any rtionship with Bertha, her first reaction was


    to stop, even though she finally said a sentence with anger, but now what she was thinking was, if he


    was telling the truth, and why didn¡¯t he exin it years ago?


    Thest thing he said to her when he went downstairs from the study room was to wait for him toe


    back to exin. But in the end, what she waited for was his silent consent


    Thinking back on the situation, she remembered that he never directly admitted that the child in


    Berthas belly was his


    The clearest thing he said was, ¡°The child in Bertha¡¯s belly is the Hernandez family¡¯s child. I cant say


    that I do not want it.¡±


    The child in Bertha¡¯s belly is the Hernandez family¡¯s child The Hernandez family has two sons. When


    Kieran was twelve, his mother killed his father and thenmitted suicide, leaving only an eighteen-


    year-old brother Lucian Hernandez.


    Kieran was raised by Lucian, but when Kieran was twenty-one, Lucian died in a ne crash.


    The Hernandez family only left Kieran and the old grandmother, both Bertha and Julie were pregnant


    when Kieran was twenty-three. He said the child in Bertha¡¯s belly is the Hernandez family¡¯s child,


    combined with what she knew, the child¡¯s father could only be Kieran, right?


    Thinking about it, she even felt a bit scared.


    Julie decided not to think about this anymore.


    This issue is not important anymore, because the person who decided to save Bertha outside the


    operating room was Kieran


    She really saw her own child being put in the morque.


    Daphne was right, some past history is forever unforgettable.


    Kieran looked at the dazed Julie, took out his phone, sneakily took a photo, and then started ying


    with his phone


    Just when Kieran returned to Noblewood Retreat, his phone vibrated.


    Unlocking his phone, he saw a message from the little boy, with a picture of Julie gazing out the


    window.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring so hard and you¡¯re about to burn a hole through your phone screen, Dn¡¯s voice


    suddenly echoed in the empty office.


    Kieran calmly put away his phone, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    ¡°Just got brought out of the graveyard by Hayden Simson: Dn finished, turning his head to look at


    the door.


    At the door, Hayden, dressed in a ck suit, was walking towards him from the backlight, his steps


    steady


    ¡°When did youe back? Kieran asked.


    Hayden nced at the phone Kieran had put on the table without answering his question, instead, he


    asked, ¡®Are you and your ex-wife in an online rtionship?¡±


    ***Amora & Ivan¡¯s Side Stories***


    First meeting


    you can even call me something more affectionate, anything¡¯s fine. And you?¡±


    Ivan replied, ¡°Ivan.¡±


    Amora said, ¡°Can you write down your name for me to


    Ivan, ¡°Oh, I forgot, what¡¯s your name again?¡±


    see?¡±


    Amora, ¡°My mom says it means love, like the love from Cupid¡±


    Ivan, ¡°Oh, Cupid, got it.¡±


    Amora thought, ¡°so after all my self-introduction, this cold and notile handsome boy only remembered


    the name Cupid? My heart hurts so much.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Chapter 82


    ¡°Are you chatting up your ex-wife online?¡± Dn moved closer to Hayden as he said it, peeking at


    Kieran¡¯s messages. He burst into a fit ofughter, his face red with amusement. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so you!¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t hide his phone, instead he looked up at Hayden and asked, ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡± Hayden shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it on the couch, revealing a crisp white shirt


    underneath. He had a brooding aura about him, even dressed in clean-cut attire ¨C just like Kieran.


    Hayden took a seat in the sofa across from Kieran, lighting a cigarette and asking, ¡°Did Bertha really kill


    herself?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask QuadDn?¡± Kieran suggested, looking at Dn.


    Before their older brother Lucian¡¯s unexpected death, Dn had insisted they call him ¡°QuadDn¡±


    since elementary school.


    Lucian was six years older than Kieran, naturally taking on the role of their leader


    Hayden was younger than Lucian, ten months older than Kieran, and Dn was two months older than


    Kieran. But Kieran had made his stance clear ¨C he didn¡¯t want to be the youngest, he wanted to rank


    the third. If not, he would refuse to acknowledge the ranking.


    For some reason, Dn agreed, allowing them to call him QuadDn. At first, they didn¡¯t think much of


    the ranking and nickname, but it eventually became a habit.


    They were carefree in their youth. Hayden was more outgoing back then, and Kieran wasn¡¯t that quiet.


    Dn remembered Hayden¡¯s parents were both police officers, very righteous people. Hayden was no


    different, always ready to stand up for what was right. Back then, Dn could freely joke around with


    Hayden and even use his nickname asionally


    Who could have foreseen Hayden¡¯s parents being murdered, which was believed to be a revenge


    killing, and Hayden getting adopted, losing contact with Lucian, Kieran, and Dn?


    Not long after when Kieran was twelve, his mother had a sudden mental breakdown and killed Kieran¡¯s


    father, Lucian was eighteen that year.


    On the day of Lucian¡¯s college entrance exam, Kieran¡¯s mother had her episode, killing his father in


    front of him and setting their house on fire:


    Lucian rushed home after turning in his test early. The fire was already severe. Without giving it a


    second thought, he ran into the burning house and saved a barely alive Kieran, injuring his legs in the


    process and losing the ability to walk.


    After this tragedy, only Kieran, Lucian, and their grandmother remained in the household. All the


    company affairs fell on eighteen-year-old Lucian¡¯s shoulders.


    Kieran was raised by Lucian from age twelve to twenty-one. After the tragedies in Haydenis and


    Kieran¡¯s families, the Pierson family sent Dn, who had just graduated middle school, abroad to


    study.


    Although Dn and Kieran kept in touch, he didn¡¯t know much about what had happened over the


    years.


    He only knew that Hayden and Kieran had reunited. After reuniting, he learned that Hayden was


    adopted by gang leader Miles Simson. Haydenter worked with the National Security Agency to take


    down Miles, and had been busy dealing with the gang issues Miles left behind, keeping him upied.


    Today was the first time Dn had seen Hayden in person since they had grown up, aside from online.


    To be precise, his helicopternded directly on thewn of his vi, and he was brought to Noblewood


    Retreat


    Hayden clearly knew more about what had happened over the years, or he wouldn¡¯t have asked about


    Bertha¡¯s cause of death right off the bat.


    Dn finally replied to Hayden, ¡°On Bertha¡¯s body, there were no signs of a struggle before she died,


    no signs of resistance. Other than the injuries from the fall, there were no other human-inflicted


    wounds. Whether it was suicide, we can¡¯t determine from the autopsy¡±/


    ¡°What about the kid?¡± Hayden asked, blowing out a circle of smoke that slowly dissipated in the air.


    Kieran stepped forward, snatching the cigarette from Hayden¡¯s hand and stubbing it out in the ashtray


    ¡°The kid¡¯s with Joyce.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡¯ Hayden¡¯s gaze sharpened as he looked at Kieran, ¡°Does Joyce know the


    truth?¡±


    Kieran shook his head, ¡°Not yet. But we¡¯ve kept her close, so we can keep an eye on her. It¡¯s a bit


    more reassuring that way¡±


    ¡°Let her hate you for now, before everything¡¯s been figured out.¡± Hayden said seriously


    Kieran gave Hayden a look, and let out a reluctantugh. ¡®She¡¯s not mad at you, so you wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    Finally, the quiet Dn spoke up, ¡°If I¡¯d known all this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have studied abroad.


    Listening to you guys talk is like hearing a weird code, I don¡¯t understand a single thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to rest,¡± Hayden stated, standing up to leave.


    ¡°Wait¡± Kieran¡¯suddenly stopped him.


    Hayden paused, waiting for Kieran¡¯s words. ¡°Just wanted to give you a heads up, Annalise Hansen has


    been asking about you since she came back to the country a week ago.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Annalise?¡± Hayden asked calmly


    Dn helplessly pointed at Kieran to answer for him, ¡°His aunt, Annalise. The woman who has been


    into you for over a decade.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡±


    Kieran nced at Hayden speechlessly, ¡°She¡¯s my rtive after all, so don¡¯t be too harsh when you


    turn her down.¡±


    What Kieran meant was not to hurt Annalise too badly when rel


    After a moment of silence, a brief reply came from the door, Tr


    best


    Chapter 82


    Watching Hayden¡¯s retreating figure, Dn finally sat down where he had just sat, ¡°Which side do you


    think Hayden is on? I feel like he¡¯s on Joyce¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°You just call her Joyce? Kieran gave him a stern look.


    Dn rolled his eyes, ¡°How do you want me to address her?¡±


    ¡°Call her Mrs Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t she get divorced?¡± Dn looked at Kieran with a dismissive look, I think Joyce sounds


    better.¡±


    Then just call her Joyce¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Dn looked at Kieran incredulously.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Anyway, that guy is back. I¡¯m not worried about having no one to clean up if something


    happens to you, call her whatever you want!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Dn felt a chill. ¡°Of course I prefer to call her Mrs. Hernandez, it sounds so appropriate!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the investigation you were doing for me?¡± Kieran¡¯s look suddenly became serious


    Dn also got up and walked to Kieran, ¡°Before I give you the answer I found, you need to seriously


    answer a question for me.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    You and Bertha¡­¡±


    He had anticipated Dn¡¯s question, so he answered before Dn had even asked, ¡°Nothing


    happened.¡±


    After a silence of a second or two, Dn looked at Kieran carefully, analyzing his expression, ¡°We¡¯ve


    known each other for so many years, you can tell me the truth. Nothing really happened between you


    two?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, are you doubting that I just lied to you?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice


    was a little provocative, sounding somewhat dangerous.


    Dnughed and shook his head, I¡¯m not suspecting you. I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯re an irresponsible


    person! Joyce is a naive girl so you can¡¯t be irresponsible to her.¡±


    Just as Dn finished speaking, he saw Kieran pick up his phone.


    ¡°Who are you calling?¡± Dn asked casually


    Unexpectedly, Kieran replied, ¡°I¡¯m calling that guy over to take care of you¡±


    Dn quickly went forward and grabbed the phone from Kieran, then hurriedly said to Kieran, ¡°About


    the anonymous donation you asked me to investigate for Sansa, I have some leads. The ount is a


    shell ount opened overseas. I need further investigation to determine who is operating behind it. But


    this is definitely not ordinary. If it was a regr donor, even if anonymous, they wouldn¡¯t need to be so


    secretive, unless they intended to.¡±


    ¡°How could I let you waste time investigating ordinary donors?¡± Kieran nced at Dn, then said,


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, keep investigating!¡±


    Was this man criticizing him first, and then encouraging him right away?


    The next morning, considering that Julie¡¯s foot was injured, Ivan insisted on not letting Julie send him to


    school, but obediently got in the car with


    Shawna


    Shawna said that this was the best behavior Ivan had shown in the five years she had served him.


    Considering that she was injured due to work, Kieran gave Julie a month off. Julie¡¯s foot healed well


    and the cast was removed about three weekster.


    However, in those three weeks, or rather, after that time at the noodle shop, Kieran never came to see


    her again.


    Instead, it was Elliot, who had called her several times during this period.


    Apparently, thendlord was staying in the hospital all the time. It was unclear whether it was Kieran¡¯s


    doing, but overall, thendford hadn¡¯t bothered her during this time. Daphne had helped Julie visit the


    landlord in the hospital several times, and apparently there was nothing seriously wrong. Thendlord


    just didn¡¯t want to leave the hospital, probably hoping to get more benefits from Julie.


    After Julie had her cast removed at the hospital, she received a call from Dr. Brice.


    In Dr. Brice¡¯s office.


    Dr. Brice handed Julie a business card, ¡°This is the card of a friend of mine who works at Oakhurst


    Hospital. I¡¯ve already contacted him, so if you decide to transfer¡­.


    ¡®Dr. Brice, thank you. But, I might need some more time, my cast was just removed, I¡¯m worried about


    mobility.¡±


    That¡¯s okay I¡¯ve told him, whenever you¡¯re ready, you can go there,¡± Dr. Brice said with a smile.


    ¡®Dr. Brice, I really appreciate it¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really grateful, then treat me to lunch! I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to eat today!¡¯ Dr. Brice


    laughed, took off hisb coat, and said to Julie, 1 heard there¡¯s a new restaurant near the hospital


    that¡¯s good and offers a discount, why don¡¯t we give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Julie readily agreed, thinking that Dr. Brice was considerate, knowing that she was short of


    money and therefore chose a restaurant with discount, but she had no idea that she would run into..

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Chapter 83


    She actually ran into Kieran and Annalise¡­


    In life, sometimes shit just happens. Like how Julie happened to trip over right at the entrance of the


    restaurant, and Dr. Brice happened to catch her in his arms, and at the same exact moment, Annalise


    and Kieran walked in, arm in arm.


    Dr. Brice, who was still holding Julie, asked with concern. ¡°Are you okay? Gotta watch your step, girl¡±


    Julie, intentionally ignoring Kieran, shook her head at Dr. Brice with a smile, ¡°Tim good.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, isn¡¯t that Julie?¡± Annalise¡¯s voice was loud enough that even a deaf person could hear¡­.


    Kieran only looked in Julie¡¯s direction because of Annalise¡¯s voice. He took a nce at Julie, ¡°Attorney


    Abraham¡±


    Dr. Brice didn¡¯t know much about a big shot like Kieran, but seeing him in person was quite a surprise.


    His presence seemed out of ce here


    Moreover, the woman next to Kieran was shouting Julie¡¯s name. Were they old schoolmates?


    Julie was surprised when Kieran suddenly called her Attorney Abraham. After a moment of hesitation,


    she responded with a polite smile, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, nice seeing you here.¡±


    4


    ¡°Not really, this restaurant is Annalise¡¯s new venture.¡± Kieran replied indifferently, his gaze falling on Dr.


    Brice


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Julie also nced at Dr. Brice What a day!


    ¡°Ms. Annalise, congrats on your new restaurant, hope it goes gangbusters.¡± Julie said sincerely.


    Annalise seemed pleased, her face lit up in a smile as she looked at Julie and Dr. Brice. ¡°You should


    come support my business. The restaurant will definitely be a hit. How about this? Lunch is on me


    today. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, no bother! Julie declined swiftly for she was clearly eager to escape


    Annalise understood Julie¡¯s reluctance, but she still teased Kieran, ¡°Oh my, look at you, so serious. You


    scared her.¡±


    Then, Annalise let go of Kieran and grabbed Julie s arm, ¡°Julie, we didn¡¯t get to catch upst time at


    Kerry¡¯s office, How have you been?¡±


    Annalise was already dragging Julie towards the private room, not giving her a chance to refuse. Dr.


    Brice awkwardly followed behind them.


    Kieran, being the gentleman, slowed down his pace to walk alongside Dr. Brice


    Dr. Brice was surprised. He knew Julie had be awyer at Simpo Co., but he didnt know about


    their schoolmate connection.


    Julie was practically dragged into the private room by Annalise. Any attempt to refuse was futile.


    Annalise sat Julie down with a beaming smile. The seating arrangement she made put Kieran right


    across from her.


    -Juhe didn¡¯t look-up, and Annalise casually ordered food, then asked, ¡°Julie, you¡¯re okay with these


    dishes, right?¡±


    Julie nodded obediently.


    Annalise also ordered a bottle of premium wine.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be even more beautiful over the years.¡± Annalise¡¯sment left people wondering if it


    was apliment or a trap.


    Julie just smiled lightly, without responding


    ¡°I just wanted to chat with you, Julie. This is your boyfriend, Julie?¡± Annalise asked, looking at Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice sensed something off about Annalise¡¯s question, so he quickly introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Dr.


    Brice, a friend of Julie¡¯s, not lucky enough to be her boyfriend though.¡±


    Annalise gave Kieran a meaningful look, and then replied to Dr. Brice, ¡°I¡¯m Annalise, Julie and I went to


    the same school. She was a few years younger than me. Actually, Kerry and Julie were ssmates!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Dr. Brice asked, surprised. He hadn¡¯t known Julie and Kieran were schoolmates.


    Julie forced a smile, and then she heard Kieran saying, ¡°We were lucky enough to be in the same ss


    in both middle school and high school. Quite a coincidence¡±


    ¡°But I never heard Julie mention it.¡± Dr. Brice, having met Julie after her divorce, had grown close to her


    due to Sansa¡¯s issues. He was often there for Julie, so their interactions were alwaysfortable.


    Today, however, with Annalise stirring the situation, Julie seemed more and more ufortable.


    Kieran gave Dr. Brice a nce Were they that close?


    Annalise asked Dr. Brice, ¡°Mr. Brice, how did you and Julie meet?¡±


    Dr. Brice looked to Julie for guidance, wondering if he should tell the truth.


    Julie answered, ¡°He was my sister¡¯s doctor¡±


    Honest Julie, awkward Dr. Brice, provocative Annalise, and stoic Kieran. What a peculiar group they


    made.


    The tension in the room was thankfully broken by a waitering to help sober up the wine.


    Annalise was the first to raise her ss. ¡°I¡¯m so d to be reunited with Julie and, Mr. Brice, nice to


    meet you. Cheers.¡±


    Just as Annalise raising her ss, Kieran naturally took it away from her, ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you had a


    stomach achest night?¡±


    With that, Kieran calmly looked at Julie and Dr. Brice, Tll make a toast for


    Julie downed her ss of red wine. He was clearly aware of Annalise¡¯s stomach troubles from the night


    before. Guess they were together.


    Sure enough, Kieran¡¯s tolerance and generosity towards Annalise exceeded all norms, like¡­ he would


    take her drinks for her.


    About half a month ago, Kieran admitted his innocence with Bertha, and Julie seemed to have been


    pondering over it all this while. Now, she seemed a


    bit too naive.


    He¡¯s Kieran, even if nothing happened between him and Bertha. But there were still many people who


    were hopelessly in love with him, just like she had been.


    Julie felt like she was probably too stubborn, or else she wouldn¡¯t have been unable to forget him,


    knowing there was no hope.


    Seeing Julie hastily finish her drink, Dr. Brice casually said to her, ¡°Your foot had just recovered, no


    need to rush the drinking, right?¡±


    *Julie, did you hurt your foot? No wonder you were limping a bit when you came in Annalise feigned


    concern and took a quick nce at Julie¡¯s foot, then seriously said to Julie, ¡°Mr. Brice is a doctor, and


    what he says makes sense. You shouldn¡¯t be drinking when your injury hasn¡¯t fully recovered. Let Mr.


    Brice drink for you! What do you say, Mr. Brice?¡±


    Dr. Brice nced at Annalise, feeling like he was being dragged into a trap.


    Annalise stopped talking, poured a full ss of wine for Dr. Brice, and then turned to look at Kieran,


    ¡°Kerry, why don¡¯t you toast Mr. Brice! He is a doctor and we could keep in touch in the future¡±¡±


    Kieran was very obedient, he toasted as Annalise asked him to. He cheered sses with Dr. Brice


    Dr. Brice gave an awkwardugh. It looked like he had to drink this wine.


    Just as he was about to reach for his ss, Julie stopped him


    Julie looked up at Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯m sorry. Dr. Brice has to work this afternoon so he can¡¯t


    drink with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kieran raised his eyebrows, his deep gaze fell on Julie¡¯s face, his voice slightly raised, seeming


    a bit embarrassed,


    Dr. Brice naturally picked up on it, gently holding Julie¡¯s hand, Julie, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have surgery this


    afternoon. I can stay with you guys.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s gaze remained firmly on the hand Julie and Dr. Brice were holding, and of course, Annalise


    noticed too. She wouldn¡¯t admit that she was just here for the drama


    Looks like Julie might be in for some trouble today. No, it should be Mr. Brice who¡¯s in trouble!


    Annalise straightened her clothes and then smiled at Julie, Julie, could youe with me to the


    restroom?¡±


    Everyone was an adult here. Did they still need to go to the restroom together?


    Although she was reluctant, Annalise had already walked over and reached out to her. She couldn¡¯t let


    her down, could she?


    So Julie had to go to the restroom with Annalise


    In the restroom, Annalise received a message from Kieran.


    The message only had one sentence. Find an excuse to leave.¡±


    Judging by this message, he clearly wanted her to find an excuse to scram, right? Her great nephew


    was always so cold and heartless to her.


    ¡°Julie, are you there?¡± Annalise asked quietly from the restroom stall


    Julie was washing her hands and immediately replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I got my period. Do you have any tampon or pad?¡± Annalise¡¯s slightly embarrassed voice came


    from the restroom.


    Although Julie¡¯s period had already ended, because of her irregr cycle, she always carried a couple


    of pads in her bag.


    So she handed one to Annalise.


    After leaving the restroom, Annalise clutched her stomach in pair, ¡°It always hurts terribly when I get it.


    Julie, I can¡¯t stand it. I need to go to the hospital for some meds. Can you tell Kerry for me?¡±


    Till go with you! Just call him and let him know¡± As a woman, Julie understood this kind of pain all too


    well.


    However, Annalise shook her head, ¡°You better go back and watch th


    As she spoke, Annalise walked out clutching her stomach.


    What if someone gets drunk? I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be back after I get the meds.¡±


    Julie had no choice but to return to the private room. As soon as she opened the door, Dr. Brice looked


    at her innocently, Julie, I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Hernandez¡¯s drinking capacity¡­


    Before Dr. Brice could finish, Kieran suddenly looked up at direction with a smile, ¡°Darling.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Chapter 84


    Julie still remembered thest time she saw Kieran got drunk, and this time he suddenly yelled darling


    at her as soon as he opened his mouth.


    Julie was taken aback for a few seconds before she turned to Dr. Brice, ¡°How much did you guys


    drink?¡±


    Dr. Brice pointed to the bottle of red wine on the table that was just opened, ¡°Mr. Hernandez pretty


    much downed it.¡±


    With more than half of the wine gone, Julie knew that Kieran would act weird when he was drunk, so


    she kept her distance and took out her phone at the door, Im gonna call his assistant.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Annalise Dr. Brice asked, seeing that Julie came back alone.


    ¡°She had a tummy ache and went to the hospital¡± Julie replied while dialing


    Dr. Brice nodded and then muttered to himself. ¡°I heard on the news that Mr. Hernandez was married


    before. I didn¡¯t believe it at the time, but now that he¡¯s drunk, all he talks about is his wife. Seems like


    he still has feelings for his ex


    Julie replied casually, ¡°He¡¯s just talking nonsense when he¡¯s drunk. Don¡¯t take it seriously¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that people tell the truth when they¡¯re drunk.¡± Dr. Brice pondered.


    Julie didn¡¯t engage in the topic and continued to call Karl.


    But Karl didn¡¯t seem to be avable, and no one answered the phone.


    ¡°Darling,e here.¡± Kieran suddenly raised his head and looked in Julie¡¯s direction


    aw


    Dr. Brice also looked at Julie with a puzzled look in his eyes. Julie quickly exined to him, ¡®See, I told


    you drunk people can¡¯t be trusted. He¡¯s got the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez. pour me a cup of water¡± Kieran yelled towards Julie again.


    Julie ignored him and continued to call Karl, while a drop of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.


    Dr. Brice quickly poured a cup of water for Kieran, then pointed to Julie and exined seriously, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. That¡¯s Attorney Abraham.¡±


    Kieran lifted his head to look at Julie¡¯s face, as if he was carefully sizing her up. After a few seconds, he


    grinned, revealing a confident smile, and then said to Dr. Brice with a proud face, Attorney Abraham is


    my darling, who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­¡± Dr. Brice was about to exin who he was, but then he realized what Kieran had just said and


    turned to Julie, Julie, you and Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie thought to herself, was this guy pretending to be drunk?!


    She couldn¡¯t reach Karl, so she gave up


    Dr. Brice was looking at Julie with a surprised face, waiting for her answer.


    However, Dr. Brice just agreed to help Sansa with the transfer procedures. If he knew that Julie was


    Kieran¡¯s ex-wife and the reason for Sansa¡¯s transfer was to avoid Kieran, he would definitely not dare


    to openly confront Kieran, a powerful opponent. So, Julie absolutely couldn¡¯t admit her rtionship with


    Kieran.


    So she walked up to Kieran, one hand on the table in front of him, and the other pointing to her own


    face, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, look carefully. I¡¯m Attorney Abraham, not your darling¡±


    Kieran suddenly grabbed Julie¡¯s hand that was pointing at his face, pulled her slightly towards him.


    Julie was pulled towards Kieran all of a sudden. His other hand went around her waist, he lowered his


    head and kissed her on the lips urately. The sudden kiss took her by surprise


    Innocent Dr. Brice was about to help Julie, who had ¡®identally fallen, but didn¡¯t expect the next


    scene to unfold like this.


    Julie, who was dumbfounded, quickly reacted and tried to push the man away but he didn¡¯t let go,


    instead he was breathing heavily. Just when Julie was about to fight back, he bit her lower lip. She


    gasped in pain, and Kieran finally let her go willingly.


    At this moment, the most embarrassed person was undoubtedly Dr. Brice.


    Julle turned to look at Dr. Brice, but before she could exin, Dr. Brice¡¯s phone rang. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a call¡±


    He hastily pulled out his phone from his pocket and left the room.


    Julie red at K¨¦ran, only to see that he was already lying on the table again, as if nothing had


    happened.


    Karl probably didn¡¯t answer because he saw a strange number.


    -So, an angry Julie grabbed Kieran¡¯s hair and lifted his head off the table.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, are you pretending to be drunk?¡± Julie confronted him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were a bit vacant, just like thest time he was drunk.


    Julie never knew what Kieran was like when he was drunk because he rarely did, and his friends knew


    his character, so they never dared to persuade him to drink. Therefore, Julie had never seen him drunk


    before.


    A drunk Kieran was so shameless!


    Julie didn¡¯t want to argue with Kieran, so she reached into his suit pocket to find his phone, intending to


    call Karl. She remembered that Kieran usually kept his phone in his suit pocket, but she couldn¡¯t find it


    today.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your phone?¡± Julle asked impatiently while holding Kieran¡¯s head.


    However, the man didn¡¯t answer her question. It seemed that he had really drunk a lot.


    Julie shot Kieran a nce, finallynding on the bulge in his suit pocket, obviously the shape of a


    phone. Without a second thought, Julie reached out to grab the phone


    But just as her hand slid into the pocket, the door was pushed open by Dr. Brice from outside. The


    moment he stepped in, Dr. Brice spotted Julie¡¯s arm in


    Kierans pocket


    Just as she was about to exin, a low grunt came from Kieran.


    ¡°Dr. Brice.¡± Julie started to exin.


    ¡°The head doctor called, said there¡¯s an emergency surgery waiting for me, I gotta dash. Ms. Annalise


    should be back soon, you¡¯ll be alright, right, Julie?¡± Dr Brice¡¯s gaze was still lingering on Kieran¡¯s thigh.


    Unable to refute, Julie could only squeeze out a helpless look at Dr. Brice, I¡¯m fine¡±


    With Dr. Brice gone, Julie pulled the phone out of Kieran¡¯s pocket, exasperatedly shouted at him, ¡°What


    were you groaning about? If you can¡¯t hold your liquor, why¡¯d you drink so much!!*


    And his groan was so damn sexy!


    She just pulled out a phone from his pocket and Dr. Brice might have misunderstood. Adding to Julie¡¯s


    frustration, Kierans phone was password-locked,


    and she had no idea what it was


    Suddenly she remembered the password for the bank card and his room he gave her were his divorce


    anniversary date, so Julie tried it, but¡­


    Password incorrect.


    Kieran remained the mysterious guy she knew, his deep thinking beyond her understanding.


    Eventually, Julie gave up on Kieran¡¯s phone. She wasn¡¯t smart enough to guess the password.


    Just as she put down the phone, it started ringing it was Annalise


    The moment Julie picked up. Annalises voice came from the other end, ¡®Kerry, I¡¯m not feeling well


    heading home early. See you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Annalise, it¡¯s Julie Julie held the phone, telling Annalise at the other end. ¡°Mr. Hernandez is drunk.


    Hello? Hello? Ms. Annalise?¡±


    Back in her home. Annalise looked at the hung up call, smiling to herself. She had done her part, now it


    was all on Kieran!


    In the restaurant, Julie looked at the hung-up call, wanted to call back but didn¡¯t know Kierans


    password; she wanted to use her own phone but didn¡¯t know Annalise¡¯s number.


    She looked down at the drunk guy, not knowing what to do. In the end, she tried to call Karl again, but


    no one answered


    She couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, but she couldn¡¯t just leave him in the restaurant. In the end, she hailed


    a taxi, and with the help of a waiter, got Kieran into -the car.


    ¡°Please, to Simpo Co! Julie decided to send Kieran straight to thepany, so that everyone could see


    what a sloppy drunk Mr. Hernandez was That would teach him a lesson about drinking recklessly!


    Even though that was what she was thinking, but when the driver started the car, Julie hesitated for two


    seconds, then said, ¡°Sorry, sir, let¡¯s head to Noblewood Retreat instead!¡±


    She didn¡¯t want Kieran to lose his dignity.


    The car stopped in front of Noblewood Retreat. The taxi driver was a good Samaritan, he got out of the


    car and helped Kieran get out.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    With Kieran¡¯s weight on the driver, Julie felt much lighter. She casually took Kieran¡¯s hand, kindly


    helped the driver close the door.


    Out of the blue, Kieran turned his head and loudly said


    the dr


    ¡°Why are you helping me? The road is winding. Can you make it tter!¡±


    The driver looked at Julie helplessly.


    Julie quickly handed the fare to the driver, who took the money, and immediately handed Kieran over to


    Julie.


    The man¡¯s weight was all on Julie¡¯s shoulders


    She finally got Kieran to the door, Julie¡¯s n was to hand him over to the maid and leave quickly, but


    no one came to open the door after waiting for a while.


    She put Kieran¡¯s hand on the fingerprint lock, finally got him into the vi.


    To her surprise, there was no one inside


    Julie struggled to free a hand to close the door. The moment the door closed, the previously groggy


    man suddenly turned around, pressing her against


    the door from above.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Chapter 85


    Kieran had Julie pinned against the door. This seemed to be Mr. Hernandez¡¯s favorite way of


    interacting.


    Maybe because he¡¯d done this so many times, Julie had developed a conditioned reflex.


    The moment Kieran bent his head down, she already had her hands covering her mouth, sessfully


    blocking him. Her eyes were ring at Kieran. If looks could kill, Kieran would have been a goner


    Looking at the fiercely resisting Julie in his arms, Kieran let out a devilish smirk. Standing opposite the


    crystal chandelier, his tall figurepletely blocked all the light from Julie¡¯s sight.


    Kieran had one hand braced against the door behind Julie. His head was less than two inches away


    from her, smiling at her


    ¡°Julie?¡± His deep voice sounded above Julie¡¯s head, a scent of red wine filling the air


    His other hand was on her waist. He held her tenderly, his warm fingers just stroking her, his eyes deep


    and unfathomable as he gazed at her.


    The atmosphere in the room became subtly charged.


    Julie felt warmth spreading at her waist. She lowered her hands from her mouth, attempting to push


    him away To her surprise, he suddenly bent down and picked her up. After just a few steps, he put her


    down on the couch, then pinned her tightly.


    Unable to fight back, Julie stared at Kieran seriously. ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m not drunk.¡± His long fingers lifted her chin and as he spoke, he gently nted a kiss on her


    lips.


    This unexpected kiss left a deep imprint in Julie¡¯s mind. He must be drunk, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t call


    her darling.


    Julie pushed Kieran¡¯s hand away, shoving at his chest, ¡°Get off me!¡±


    Due to the struggle just now, two buttons of Kieran¡¯s shirt were already undone. Now with Julie¡¯s hand


    on his firm chest, she instantly felt his warmth.


    Julie quickly withdrew her hand, then pped Kierans face


    But he swiftly caught her hand, his other arm wrapping around her waist. He lifted her up, and then


    pushed her to sit on him.


    She tried to squirm out of Kieran¡¯s grip, but his hand didn¡¯t budge.


    Eventually, Julie gave up, telling Kieran directly. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, I¡¯m not Annalise!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He looked at her, his eyes deep as the dark abyss.


    ¡°Then who am I?¡± Julie asked, trying to hold back her irritation


    ¡°My wife.¡¯ Kieran replied without hesitation.


    -¡°You mean ex-wife Julie tried to correct him.


    ¡°Still my wife.¡± He insisted, even frowning a bit stubbornly, looking very serious.


    In the end, Julie had to ask in resignation, ¡°What will it take for you to let me go?¡±


    After a moment, Kieran said only two words, ¡®Kiss me.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Julie thought to herself. This man really had no dignity when he was drunk.


    Julie didn¡¯t move, and neither did Kieran They were in a deadlock.


    Julie wasn¡¯t a patient person. The most patient thing she¡¯d ever done in her life, up to this point, was to


    continue liking Kieran all these years. So, if Kieran insisted on a standoff now, she was definitely no


    match for him.


    In the end, Julie conceded. She bent down and left a kiss on Kieran¡¯s forehead. After the kiss, she said


    seriously, ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Are you a chicken? The man furrowed his brows in displeasure.


    Julie lowered her head, staring at Kieran, retorting, ¡°You¡¯re the chicken! What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not a chicken, then why are you pecking me?¡± The man asked righteously


    Julie was left speechless by Kieran¡¯s question. This was clearly a kiss, but why did he call it a peck?


    Julie felt that it was impossible to reason with a drunk person. While Julie was lost in her thoughts,


    Kieran suddenly reached out and held her neck. Julle bent over following Kieran¡¯s force, quickly


    propping her hands on the man¡¯s sides to maintain some distance. But his hand was already inside her


    clothes, his hot fingers touching her skin.


    She grabbed his hand forcefully, ¡°Have you ever counted how many women you¡¯ve slept with on this


    couch?¡±


    Kieran was about to answer when the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.


    ¡°Kerry, I heard.¡± Ivan¡¯s voice suddenly stopped as he saw Julie sitting on Kieran. He froze for a moment


    before recovering Meeting his father¡¯s murderous gaze, he chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Kerry. I heard my


    dad¡¯sing back, do you know when?¡±


    Taking advantage of Kieran¡¯s distraction, Julie quickly got off him.


    Kieran knew Ivan, and Julie was aware of this because she first met Ivan at the entrance of Noblewood


    Retreat.


    At that time, Ivan imed that he lived next door but Julleter found out that Ivan lived in Gilded Gate


    Residences.


    Seeing him reminded Julle of this. Upon seeing Julie, ivan immediately put on a surprised face, ¡°Mama


    Julle, what are you doing here? Do you know Kerry?¡±


    Chapter 85


    Kieran nced at his son, thinking the question was well asked


    Julie walked over to Ivan. Since she was already discovered, she couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t know him,


    right? So, Julie nodded and looked at Kieran, ¡°We were


    ssmates¡±


    ssmates?


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran smiled, this exnation was correct, they were indeed ssmates from middle school to high


    school.


    Ivan pretended to have an epiphany. ¡°My dad and Kerry were ssmates tool They¡¯re super close¡±


    Kerry had said not to let Mama Julie know he was Kerry¡¯s son yet, otherwise, Mama Julie would ignore


    them. Although Ivan didn¡¯t know why, since it was his dad¡¯s words, it was very credible. He must not


    slip up


    Julie looked at Ivan and asked. I remember thest time I bumped into you at the door, you said you


    lived next door?¡±


    1 live in Gilded Gate Residences, and my dad lives next door He¡¯sing back today I¡¯m here to see


    him! Ivan said with a poker face.


    Julie nodded, asking him, ¡°So why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°My dad¡¯s ne was dyed. I came to hang out with Kerry¡± ?van said


    Just by the tone of Ivan¡¯s voice she could tell he and Kieran were tight


    She nced at Kieran, who was passed out on the couch, then said to Ivan, ¡°He¡¯s hammered, he


    probably cant y with you¡±


    ?van looked at Kieran, who was pretending to be asleep, then said to Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, my dad and


    Kerry are nothing alike! My dad never gets drunk!¡±


    Kieran was speechless, Ivan was spilling his secrets right in front of him. But Julie didn¡¯t know Ivan¡¯s


    dad was Kieran, so she didn¡¯t think much of it.


    Ivan nudged Julie saying ¡°Mama Juli I¡¯m starving I didn¡¯t have lunch.¡±


    Seeing Ivan¡¯s


    So she just pat


    couldn¡¯t just leave him to take Ivan out for a meal, could she?


    houlder saying. Th


    there¡¯s anything to eat in the fridge¡±


    Ivan nodded happily


    Then, Ivan obediently


    Julie was mote


    in by the couch


    Ivan watched Julie leave, then re


    er to fug.


    Kieran, lying on the bed, opened his eyes, loadi


    ¡°The butler told me you fred all the servants solc Seriously


    the kitchen through the hall


    saying, Kerry you¡¯re pretending to be drunk, you pervert¡±


    and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    to see if you¡¯re trying to find me a stepmother, hmph The little boy looked at Kieran


    Kieran nced towards the kitchen, asking him, ¡°Your stepmother is


    making food for you, are you happy?¡±


    ¡°Kerry, why can¡¯t we let Mama Julie know I¡¯m your son?¡± The little boy suddenly got serious


    Kieran rubbed his son¡¯s head, saying ¡°Because your stepmother doesn¡¯t like me yet What will happen if


    she finds out I have a kid?¡±


    ¡°Kerry, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m a burden, that makes me sad The little boy looked at his dad with a sad face,


    then turned his head away


    He looked a lot like Julie.


    Kieran turned his sons face back, saying. When I¡¯m too old to walk, I¡¯ll be a burden to you. It¡¯s fair, and


    there¡¯s nothing to be sad about, right?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, when you¡¯re too old to walk, I can drink ¡± The little boyughed happily.


    ¡°What?¡± Kieran frowned


    The little boy said proudly. ¡°After I drink, I¡¯m also going to act cute with Mama Julie and get her to kiss


    me.¡±


    Kieran flicked his son¡¯s forehead, saying, ¡°Kid, that¡¯s my wife¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my stepmother too! The little boy finished, just when they heard Julie¡¯s voice from the dining


    room, van, do you want to eat pastas?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Ivan pushed his dad back onto the couch.


    Julie looked at the little boy¡¯s face for a few seconds longer, her brows furrowed. She always had this


    strange sense of familiarity. Now it hit her, Kieran and Ivan, their eyes and eyebrows looked strikingly


    alike.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Chapter 86


    Ivan was totally into anything Julie cooked. He was young, but already quite sensible and able to


    handle his own stuff.


    After finishing the pasta Julie made, Ivan was ready to leave to give Julie and his dad some alone time.


    He wiped his mouth and said, ¡°My dad just texted that he¡¯s home, Mama Julie. I gotta run and pick up


    your paycheck for you?


    During the time Julie was injured, she indeed took care of Ivan as agreed with Mr. Kennedy. But


    because Ivan was already a good boy, she didn¡¯t do much. In fact, she was already grateful that Mr.


    Kennedy allowed her to live with Ivan, giving her a ce to stay


    As for the paycheck, Mr. Kennedy had asked her to talk to Ivan directly, but she hadn¡¯t brought it up


    since the beginning.


    When Ivan suddenly brought up this topic, Julie said to him, ¡°I can walk you there, its just next door.¡±


    She also wanted to take this opportunity to see Mr. Kennedy and thank him in person.


    But Ivan firmly declined. ¡°Mama Julie, you need to stay here and look after Kerry. He¡¯s drunk as a


    skunk. It¡¯d be a shame if he¡¯s left alone, Helga is waiting for me outside, I gotta dash, bye!¡±


    Ivan was quick on his feet; Julie couldn¡¯t catch up with him. She had no choice but to look at Kieran on


    the sofa, whose nket somehow ended up on the floor


    Julie picked up the nket and put it back on Kieran, then sat on the carpet by the sofa, rubbing her


    foot.


    The doctor had told her to walk as little as possible when the cast was removed, but she had walked


    more today than she had in the past three months.


    After a while, Julie dialed Karl¡¯s number, but no one answered. She took out her phone and sent a


    message to Mr. Kennedy.


    After waiting for a while, there was no reply, so Julie gave up. Then shey down on the side of the


    sofa and fell asleep unknowingly.


    When she woke up again, she found herself sleeping on the sofa from the carpet. She was so dead to


    the world, she had no idea what happened. After sitting up, she saw Kieran sitting on the sofa across,


    staring at hisputer, seemingly not noticing her


    Julie rubbed her eyes and asked him, ¡°When did you wake up?¡±


    Kieran looked up at Julie, but didn¡¯t answer her.


    Then a woman¡¯s voice came from theputer, ¡°Sorry, Kieran, is there anyone at your ce?¡±


    This surprised Julie, she covered her mouth, not daring to speak. She didn¡¯t even look at Kieran.


    The woman¡¯s voice was sweet and sounded very weak. But this voice was unfamiliar to Julie, and she


    couldn¡¯t imagine why this woman was looking for Kieran.


    Kieran calmly said, ¡®Focus on your studies. If you need anything, contact Karl directly.¡±


    -After a while, a response came from the phone, ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    Kieran closed theputer, rubbed his somewhat aching temples, then looked at Julie, ¡°Can you make


    me something to sober up? There should be ingredients in the fridge¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, why don¡¯t you order the chef to do it!¡± Juhe said, reaching for her bag on the sofa


    where Kieran was sitting.


    ¡°Have you thought about how to deal with Adolf¡¯s thing?¡± Kieran leaned on the sofa, seemingly bringing


    up this issue casually.


    Even though Julie really warted to remind Kieran that it was him who hurt that guy, she knew better


    than anyone that Kieran only did it because of her.


    Sa Julie¡¯s footsteps paused as she was about to walk away, ¡°If we can settle, then we will, if not, we¡¯ll


    go the legal route.¡±


    They¡¯re asking for medical bills and mental damages, a total of five thousand dors Keiran said.


    Julie¡¯s eyes popped out, five thousand? That was too expensive, wasnt it?


    ¡°Looks like we have to go the legal route then.¡± Julie was a bit down. She was afraid she might not be


    able to afford thewyer¡¯s fees.


    Kieran¡¯s fingers casually tapped on the ck leather sofa, asking Julie, ¡°How do you n to go the


    legal route? Sue Adolf for attempted rape or sexual harassment?¡±


    ¡°Either way. After all, we hit someone in self-defense, that¡¯s a fact.¡± Julie said.


    The one who should feel awkward now should be Adolf, after all his wife would not easily let go of her


    husband.


    As Julie was thinking about this, Kieran asked, ¡°Court talks about evidence, not your so-called facts.


    Want to go the legal route? Adolf has evidence of us assaulting someone, do you?¡±


    There was no surveince at home, and she naturally couldn¡¯t produce evidence of Adolf harassing


    her. Kieran was stating the obvious!


    The only evidence was Kieran. Kieran was a witness, but also a party in this matter. After all, Adolf was


    injured by him. If it really went to court, Kieran as a


    party, could only constitute one of the factors of human evidence, and the evidence of a party was


    impossible to determine.


    But Julie knew that since he brought up this issue, it meant he had a n. So she stared at Kieran


    intently, waiting for him to speak again.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was his answer, he said, ¡®Just pay it!¡±


    Juke thought she was hearing things, rubbing her ears to look at Kieran, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡¯ Keiran said.


    ¡°Pay Adolf?¡± Julie was stunned.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Keiran answered.


    Chapter Bb


    Who¡¯s paying?¡± Julie asked.


    Kieran looked at Julie, ¡°Isn¡¯t he yourndlord?¡±


    ¡°Why should I pay? Where¡¯s the sense in that? The wrongdoer doesn¡¯t have to bear the consequences,


    but the innocent person has to pay for his mistakes?¡± Julie retorted


    Julie meant that thendlord should bear his own mistakes, not me her, an innocent person.


    However, the usually clever Mr. Hernandez seemed a bit off today, he looked at Julie with deep eyes


    and said, ¡°Are you saying I shouldn¡¯t have hit him?¡±


    Kieran clearly got the wrong end of the stick about what Julie meant, thinking she was chastising him


    for hitting someone and not owning up to it.


    When Kieran misunderstood her, Julie naturally had to exin. She got up and walked over to him,


    brow furrowed, and said, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I


    meant.¡±


    As much as she hated to admit it, she¡¯d been grateful to him from the bottom of her heart after what


    happened that day


    He turned his body sideways, one hand resting on the back of the sofa behind Julie Feeling that his


    pose was a bit sketchy, she shifted back a bit.


    Kieran didn¡¯t move closer, but held his position, sitting on the sofa, and asked her calmly. ¡°So what did


    you mean? From what you just said, you seem to think I¡¯m shirking responsibility for hurting Adolf. Is


    that right?¡±


    Screw it. Let him take it however he wanted!


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Julie said offhandedly.


    Kieran kissed her, one arm resting on the back of the sofa behind Julie, while the other hand held her


    chin.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t like their passionate one at the restaurant, and it ended almost as soon as their lips


    lightly touched. However, Julie felt as if her brain had stopped working for that instant.


    Kieran calmly pulled away from Julie¡¯s lips, gently stroking her lips with his thumb, ¡°So now that I¡¯ve


    kissed you, should I take responsibility for you too?¡±


    So he¡¯d been waiting for her to jump into this trap all along. Julie feigned calmness, raising her hand to


    wipe her mouth, and retorted, ¡°Seems like Mr. Hernandez has a lot of people to take responsibility for


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She picked up the bag behind Kieran, Til handle thendlord.¡±


    After leaving Kieran¡¯s vi, Julie remembered that it would take at least half an hour to walk from


    Noblewood Retreat to the bus stop.


    Just as she was about to call a cab, a sleek ck Range Rover pulled up next to her. The backseat


    window rolled down slowly revealing a handsome profile.


    ¡°Hayden?¡± Julie was surprised to see him, let alone have him stop for her.


    ¡°Get in.¡± Came a deep, steady voice from the car


    Julie was over the moon as she opened the back door and hopped in.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Hayden asked.


    ¡°Just the nearby bus stop will do¡± Julie grinned at Hayden, When did you get back?¡±


    Hayden kept his eyes on some papers in his hand, not answering her question. Julie didn¡¯t dare disturb


    him further.


    In her previous efforts to win over Kieran, she¡¯d tried to get close to everyone around him. Anyone who


    had a close rtionship with Kieran, she would try


    to win over, including Hayden. Although with Hayden, it wasn¡¯t exactly winning him over, but at least he


    had some idea who she was.


    The only person she didn¡¯t know was Dn, because she and Dn had never met before.


    Hayden dropped Julie off at the bus stop. Julie carefully opened the car door, then turned back to say.


    Thank you, Mr. Simson.¡±


    After all, she was divorced with Keiran and they weren¡¯t that close. Calling him ¡°Hayden¡± seemed a bit


    inappropriate.


    But just as she was closing the door, she heard Hayden¡¯s voice from inside the car. ¡°Stick to Hayden in


    the future.¡± With that, he closed the door and drove off.


    Julie quickly forgot about this little incident.


    Standing in front of the bus stop, contemting whether to visit thendlord at the hospital, the ck


    Range Rover pulled up again. Julie looked closely and realized that although it was the same make


    and model, the license te was different.


    Just as the was feeling surprised, the window was rolled down from the inside, and a short-haireddy


    behind the wheel coldly told Julie, ¡°Get in.¡±

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Chapter 87


    ¡°Julien?¡± Julie was taken aback, her face filled with disbelief at running into Julien here.


    Julien gave a slight nod. ¡°Hop in¡±


    Quickly, she spun around and hopped into the passenger seat. Their meeting was rather


    unconventional.


    Surprised, Julie asked, ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Just recently, where you headed? Julien asked.


    Julien had short ck hair, no makeup, but her smooth skin was radiant. She was dressed in a ck


    top and pants, a sleek ck watch rested on her slim wrist, perfectly matching her cool demeanor.


    Julie looked at Julien but didn¡¯t answer her question, instead, she asked, ¡°Are you free?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Julien asked.


    I¡¯ve had a bit of a fallout with myndlord, who¡¯s now in the hospital because of me. They¡¯re asking for


    five thousand bucks for medical expenses andpensations. I want to visit the hospital, but I¡¯m afraid


    they might do something rash Julie said,


    ¡°Which hospital?¡± Julien cut her off.


    Julie grinned at her, ¡°Hope Hospital¡±


    Julien set the GPS to Hope Hospital, then turned to Julie, Ive been to your rental ce.¡±


    ¡°I moved out after the fallout with thendlord. Why did you suddenlye back? How long are you


    nning to stay? Julie asked out of curiosity.


    Julien answered nonchntly, Not sure


    Julie and Julien first met in Mn, Italy Back then, Julie was the daughter of the but to her surprise,


    Bertha stood her up.


    Graham family. She nned to attend Mn Fashion Week with Bertha,


    Since she had already booked the tickets, Julie decided to stick to the original n and headed to


    Mn alone. She booked a room at the Armani Hotel right in the heart of Mn.


    It was Halloween. In Mn, people usually brought white or yellow chrysanthemums to cemeteries to


    honor the dead. Young Italians also started to participate in various Halloween celebrations. During


    Halloween, there were amazing live performances, stage magic, realistic zombies and ghosts, as well


    as horror movie screenings everywhere. Especially in a big city like Mn, there were many Halloween-


    themed costume parties every year.


    That night, Julie strolled around the city center. After having her fill of fun, she decided to head back to


    the hotel.


    But on her way back, she came across Julien, who was lying in a pool of blood. Despite the darkness,


    the dimly lit alley, and the snow falling down, Julien was lying in her pool of blood, incredibly noticeable.


    Julie was terrified, she thought Julien was dying. Her immediate reaction was to dial 911, but to her


    surprise, a barely conscious Julien suddenly pointed a gun at her, warning weakly. ¡°No cops!¡±


    Naturally, Julie didn¡¯t think Julien was bluffing, she was so scared that she even dropped her phone.


    ¡°I wont call the cops Please, I¡¯m just a passerby Julie said.


    In the dim light, Julie couldn¡¯t see Julien¡¯s face clearly. What surprised Julie was that Julien eventually


    let her go. By the time Julie reached the hotel. panting heavily, she realized her legs were trembling.


    She had just narrowly escaped danger, but for some odd reason, Julie remembered the picture of her


    and Kieran in her phone.


    So, half an hourter, she went


    thinking that Julien might have got help already, but only to find out she was still lying there, lifeless.


    Julie mustered courage, disarmed Julien and checked her pulse. She was expecting to confirm that


    Julien was dead. But to her surprise, a dagger was suddenly pressed against her neck


    How could naive Julie have guessed that Julien, a woman, would not only carry a gun but also a


    dagger? And how could she have expected that a woman on the brink of death would still threaten


    others?


    In the end, under Julien¡¯s coercion, Julie took her to her suite at the Armani Hotel. Since it was


    Halloween, people were everywhere, covered in fake blood, so no one paid much attention to the


    blood-soaked Julien. They thought she was just in a costume


    Later, Julien used Julie¡¯s phone to call Klein. He came with a team to treat her wounds. Only then did


    Julie find out that Julien was an undercover agent nted in a gang by the National Security Agency.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    That was all Julle knew about Julien, but since their first meeting, they kept in touch. Julien was a


    righteous person and considered Julie her lifesaver. Seeing her this time was unexpected.


    Julien parked the car in front of Hope Hospital. While she parked, Julie went upstairs to find her


    landlord¡¯s room.


    Standing outside the room, Julie was a bit nervous. Unexpectedly, the door was pushed open from


    inside. A nurse came out, holding a deck of cards.ining, ¡°What a patient! Thinks he¡¯s in a


    casino or something?¡±


    Julie approached cautiously. ¡°Excuse me, is the patient in there Adolf?¡±


    Daphne had visited a few days ago on behalf of Julie, so she knew the room number


    The nurse nodded, her eyes full of discontent as she looked at Julie, ¡°Are you his rtive? He¡¯s fine,


    just a minor concussion. He¡¯s past the observation period. You guys are not only hogging the hospital


    bed, but also ying poker out loud here, disturbing the rest of the other patients.¡±


    The nurseined as she picked up the poker cards and left.


    10


    Suddenly, thendy appeared at the door. On seeing Julie, she immediately flew into a rage,


    shouting, ¡°You bastard, you dare to show up/Shameless woman. Look, everyone, this woman not only


    seduced my husband but also beat him up with her lover, causing him to be hospitalized!¡±


    ¡°Can you watch yournguage?¡± Julie looked calmly at thendy. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss


    compensation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re saying I¡¯m uncouth? Shameless slut, I know you and your useless sister are struggling, I


    kindly rented the house to you, but you seduced my husband! With that, thendy grabbed Julie¡¯s


    hair and pulled hard.


    God knew what Adolf told her that made thendy believe it was Julie who actively seduced him.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect thendy to just grab her hair. As she was about to fight back, thendy


    suddenly screamed


    Julie¡¯s hair was finally released. It turned out Julien had gently restrained thendy¡¯s wrist, easily


    twisted it, causing her to scream in pain, ¡°Ouch! Let go of me! Let go!¡±


    Julie rubbed her head, seeing more and more onlookers, whispered to Julien, ¡°Should we go in the


    room to talk?¡±


    Julien pushed thendy into the room and then closed the door. She stood by Julie¡¯s side, looking


    coldly at Adolf lying on the hospital bed, asked Julie. ¡°This is thendlord you were talking about?¡±


    On the way here, Julie had told Julien everything that happened that day


    Julie nodded, then bluntly told thendy. ¡°You better check your facts before you start using me


    of seducing your husband.¡±


    Julie took out her phone. Im recording now. You can talk


    ¡°You! How dare a young girl like you question me!¡± Adolf red at Julie, ¡®It was clearly you who


    seduced me first!¡±


    ¡°You have no basic morals, at least have some conscience¡± Julie said to Adolf.


    Thendy recovered from her pain, red at Julie angrily, ¡°Conscience? You beat my husband into


    the hospital, and you talk about conscience? You say my husband harassed you, do you have proof?


    Shameless woman!¡±


    If Julie had proof, she wouldn¡¯t be here today. On the way here, Julie had already told Julien that it was


    because she had no evidence that she came here.


    Hearing the word evidence, Julien suddenly smirked, ¡°Evidence?¡±


    She was wearing tight ck pants, showing off her perfect figure, very attractive. Her indifferent eyes


    were filled with coldness and sarcasm.


    Julien walked elegantly towards Adoll, There are no cameras in the room, so naturally, there¡¯s no


    evidence. But, the hospital rooms don¡¯t seem to have cameras either. What if I beat you guys to a


    cripple, wouldn¡¯t there be no evidence then?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Adolf¡¯s wife, who had just experienced Julien¡¯s agility, immediately blocked


    Adoll, stammering with fear as she looked at Julien.


    Julien¡¯s lips lifted into a slight smirk, she coldly said, ¡°You want money, right? Calcte how much your


    husband¡¯s life is worth. If I kill him, I can pay you


    all at once.¡±

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Chapter 88


    Julie was totally into Julien¡¯s strong, boyfriend like vibe.


    Perhaps because thendy just witnessed Julien¡¯s strength, she didn¡¯t refute this time.


    Then Julie stepped up to Adolf, saying, ¡°I hope we can sort this out privately. But if you¡¯re not down with


    that, we can go through the legal process.¡± After saying this, she took Julien¡¯s hand and headed for the


    door.


    When they got to the doorway, Julien deliberately looked back at thendlord and his wife.


    Seeing the scared look on the couple¡¯s face, Julie felt a bit smug. Adolf was injured by Kieran, so Julie


    wasn¡¯t nning to dodge responsibility, but she was disgusted by thendlord¡¯s behavior.


    Reaching the doorway, Julie¡¯s mood instantly lightened, and she looked at Julien with a smile, asking,


    ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    Julien went to the passenger side and opened the car door for Julie.


    After Julie got in, Julien turned around and asked her, ¡°Who exactly hurt Adolf?¡±


    On the way here, Julie only mentioned that thendlord was hurt by a racket, but didn¡¯t borate.


    Julien was smart, so if she asked, it meant she started to have doubts. After a two-second silence,


    Julie honestly replied, ¡°It was my ex-husband.¡±


    Julien didn¡¯t know Julie¡¯s ex-husband was Kieran. Maybe it was because Julien was always indifferent


    to things around her, so Julie never mentioned her ex-husband in front of her. Plus, her marriage to


    Kieran was a secret, so she didn¡¯t publicize it.


    So all Julien knew was that Julie had once loved a man she grew up with and divorced him for some


    reasons.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When she heard Julie mention ex-husband, Julien frowned, ¡°Did you two get back together?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Julie answered quickly and firmly, which made Julien give her a few more nces.


    She wanted to say something, but seeing Julie¡¯s lowered head, her tone softened, ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself


    sad.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Julie nodded. Julien didn¡¯t talk much, but her words always broughtfort.


    At Noblewood Retreat, Kieran called Karl


    ¡°Did she go to the hospital?¡¯ Kieran asked,


    Then Karl replied affirmatively. ¡°She just left the hospital, with a woman in ck who looked very tough¡±


    When Julie left Noblewood Retreat, Kieran knew she would definitely go to the hospital. But Adolf


    wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, Kieran worried that Julie might have some idents, so he had Karl go to the


    hospital to protect her right after she left Noblewood Retreat


    When Karl arrived at the hospital, he happened to see thendy grabbing Julie¡¯s hair. He was about


    to rescue her, but Julien suddenly stepped in to help Julie. Judging from Julie¡¯s actions, she seemed


    quite familiar with that woman.


    +


    Karl told Kieran everything that had just happened in detail, and sent the picture he secretly took of


    Julien to Kieran.


    After looking at the picture, Kieran told Karl on the other end of the phone, ¡°Handle everything that


    needs to be done, also tell Julie to go to work at thepany tomorrow¡±


    After finishing speaking, Kieran hung up the phone and stared at the picture of Julien that Karl had


    secretly taken.


    When Hayden walked into Kieran¡¯s study, he saw him staring at his phone in a daze.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Hayden sat down next to Kieran, ready to see what he was looking at.


    However, Kieran suddenly put away his phone, then turned his head and said to Hayden, ¡°Do me a


    favor.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡± Hayden said


    ¡°Check who this woman is.¡± Kieran handed his phone to Hayden.


    Hayden took a look, his pupils contracted. He looked up at Kieran and asked him, ¡°What are you


    checking this woman for?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s seducing my wife.


    Je Kieran said high-handedly, with a dangerous tone.


    Kieran, raising an eyebrow, ¡°You mean, my woman is seducing your wife?¡±


    Hayden took a look at the picture without any expression, then looked up ¡°Whose woman?¡± Kieran


    suddenly stood up, walked over to the sofa next to Hayden. He looked him up and down, a wicked


    smile ying at the corner of his mouth, ¡°You actually like women?¡±


    I like you. Hayden removed Kieran¡¯s hand from his shoulder, then finally turned to him with a somewhat


    serious tone, ¡°Her name is Julien, she just returned from visiting her twin sister via at home, I didn¡¯t


    have time to introduce you to her.¡±


    Julien?


    Indeed, Hayden did mention during his recent home visit that he wanted to introduce Kieran to Julien,


    who was quite a big shot, having been a National Security Agency mole nted near Miles. The action


    eventually led to Hayden and the National Security Agency joining forces to bring down Miles.


    Most importantly, Hayden and Julien grew up together. It was Miles¡¯ words that kept Julien, otherwise,


    she would have been killed by Miles at the age of


    sqven.


    Hayden considered Kieran a close friend, so he thought of introducing Jullen to him¡­


    Looking at the picture on the phone, Jullen seemed to be pleading for Julie.


    ¡°How did Julie and Julien meet?¡± Hayden couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    Kieran also looked at the picture with a meaningful expression, how could these two very different


    people know each other?


    ¡°One living a life on the edge, the other used to be the missy of the Abraham family. In theory, their


    worlds should never have collided.¡± Kieran cast his gaze on Hayden


    Hayden, of course, knew exactly what Kieran¡¯s look meant, so he responded, Tll ask around.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the thing you brought for me?¡± Kieran asked casually, leaning on the couch.


    Hayden handed Kieran a file. The documents outlined the daily life of Bertha¡¯s sister, Cami Stewart,


    in Switzend recently


    Kieran reached for the file, but Hayden stopped him, ¡°Does Julie even know that Bertha has a sister?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll find out sooner orter. Why the rush?¡± Keiran said. Today, when he was on the phone with


    Cami, she kept calling him ¡®brother-inw¡¯ on the other end. Julie wasn¡¯t a fool, she should catch on.


    Upon hearing Kieran¡¯s words, Hayden caught the drift. Kieran intended to let Julie figure it out and ask


    him herself.


    After a quick nce at the document, Kieran pulled his phone out of Hayden¡¯s hand, then opened


    WhatsApp.


    Hayden was eyeing Kieran, who waszily lounging on the couch. Kieran nced up, I¡¯m about to chat


    up online with my pals. You still hanging around here?¡±


    Hayden silently rose and headed for the door.


    Julies message came while he was drunk. She wrote. [Mr. Kennedy, thank you for your hospitality


    these past days. Ivan is such a sweet kid. I recently hurt my foot, so it¡¯s been Helga picking up Ivan


    from school. I haven¡¯t kept my promise, so I won¡¯t take the sry! Ivan said you¡¯re back in the country


    today, which means my job here is done. Thank you.]


    Very polite tone, very Julie-style.


    After a moment of silence, Kieran sent a message back: [Come back to Gilded Gate Residences


    tonight. I have some other work, and I¡¯ll need you to look after Ivan a bit longer.]


    Julie just got back to Gilded Gate Residences, nning to pack up and leave. But then Mr. Kennedy


    suddenly replied


    Since she was struggling to find a ce to stay due to her injured foot, she quickly responded: [Okay,


    then]


    [How about I pay you at the market rate?] Kieran asked.


    [No need, I didn¡¯t pick up Ivan from school as I promised. Your amodation and meals are more


    than enough Julie immediately responded.


    [Then start picking up Ivan from school tomorrow Kieran replied.


    Having no choice, Julie agreed [Okay]


    Kierans slender fingers lightly tapped on the dark grey linen sofa, revealing a mischievous smile. Then


    his fingers began typing rapidly on the keyboard.


    Just as Julie greeted Helga and returned to her room, her phone buzzed


    It was a message from Mr. Kennedy: [I¡¯m nning to remodel Gilded Gate Residences You and Ivan


    will move to Noblewood Retreat for a while] [Oh, okay] Julie replied. Noblewood Retreat was closer to


    Simpo Co., which mademuting easier. Julie was somewhat relieved, not thinking too


    much about it.


    The next morning, Julie got up early, made breakfast for Ivan and herself. Then she and Helga took


    Ivan to school.


    Julie reached thepany right on time. In the morning, she had a meeting with the head of Creative


    Nexus Media, who clearly wanted to settle things. But Julie knew that since Kieran had hired her as a


    lawyer, he wouldn¡¯t let Creative Nexus Media off easily


    Her work went smoothly all morning.


    At noon, when everyone went to the cafeteria, Julie finally came out of her office with her lunch to the


    break room, popping it in the microwave. After a few minutes, as she took out her meal and was about


    to return to her office, Karl hurriedly shoved a bag into her hand, ¡°Ms. Abraham, could you help me


    deliver this lunch to Mr. Hernandez? | think I ate something bad.¡±


    As he spoke, Karl bolted towards the restroom, leaving a befuddled Julie holding the bag.


    Julie looked helplessly at the lunchbox in her hand. She didn¡¯t n to deliver it to Kieran immediately.


    Letting him starve a little longer wouldn¡¯t hurt, so she decided to wait for his secretary, Tina, to return.


    After all, she


    d beent


    Oxying to avoid Kieran and wouldn¡¯t actively seek him out.


    Just as Julie was thinking this and about to take the bag back to her


    the door to Kieran¡¯s office was suddenly pushed open from the inside.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Chapter 89


    ¡°Where are you nning to take my lunch? Kieran asked, leaning against the door as Julie walked by.


    Caught off guard, Julie couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty with the bag in her hands. She turned around to


    see Kieran standing at the office door, leaning against the ck frame. His white shirt sleeves were


    rolled up to his wrists, revealing his diamond-shaped, dark green French cufflinks and matching tie.


    Julie knew these cufflinks and the tie all too well. They were the birthday gifts she gave Kieran when


    she was twenty. She once read a line in a book. ¡°A man¡¯s cufflinks are like a refined woman¡¯s earrings¡±


    So, Julie scraped together a semester¡¯s worth of part-time earnings and finally bought those diamond


    cufflinks. It was the first decent money she¡¯d ever made at the age of twenty.


    As for the tie, she simply wanted to see the sexy way Kieran would tie it.


    With this expectation, she gave him these two gifts for his birthday. She finally saw Kieran¡¯s tie-tying


    action when she was twenty, but the price she paid to witness it was huge.


    Not wanting to dwell on it, Julie picked up Kieran¡¯s lunch and headed for his office, nning to hand it


    over to him directly. But as soon as she reached the door, Kieran turned and walked back into his


    office.


    Julie had no choice but to walk in with the bag.


    ¡°Close the door behind you¡± he said.


    Julie didn¡¯t respond. She put the bag on Kieran¡¯s desk and clutching her own lunch box, prepared to


    leave.


    Kieran was already seated, scrolling through emails on hisputer. Take out my lunch, will you?¡± he


    asked offhandedly


    It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable request, so Julie put her lunch box aside and helped Kieran unpack his


    lunch.


    Kierans lunch was quite the spread, with servings of both meat and vegetables.


    After taking out thest soup. Julie finally looked up at Kieran.


    ¡°That¡¯s my lunch box¡± Julie felt wronged as she watched Kieran, who was savoring her lunch box


    Only then did Kieran shift his gaze from theputer, nced at the lunch box in his hand, then at


    Julie, and finally said with a hint of annoyance, ¡°No wonder it doesnt taste very good.¡±


    Was this what they called taking advantage of someone and stillining?


    Julie was livid She red at Kieran¡¯s lunch box.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already eaten it. Do you want me to spit it back out?¡± Kieran said, digging his spoon back


    into Julie¡¯s lunch box.


    How could he! This was definitely on purpose!


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡¯ Julie averted her gaze, deciding to give up on her lunch box


    ¡°Then eat mine!¡¯ Kieran casually pointed to the three dishes and a bowl of soup on the table.


    Julie was indeed hungry, so she didn¡¯t hold back and started eating the dishes and soup she¡¯d just


    unpacked. She was nning to take them back to her office and eat them slowly, but Kieran suddenly


    said to her, ¡°Eat here. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be malnourished if I finish your meal¡±


    Having said that, he spooned a mouthful of soup into his mouth.


    Julie took a deep breath Kieran looked up at her. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to sit in the chair across from me,


    are you nning to sit on myp?


    Julie pulled out the chair across from Kieran and sat down, starting to eat. She was hoping for a quiet


    meal, but the man sitting across from her began to ask, ¡°How did your morning meeting with Creative


    Nexus Media go?¡±


    re your reputation, and


    ¡°They want to settle. Personally, I think a settlement is the most beneficial for you. They¡¯ve agreed to a


    public apology to restore they¡¯re willing to pay a higherpensation amount than the court would


    likely award¡­¡±


    ¡®Do I need money?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Fine, you¡¯re rich. You¡¯re the boss. Do whatever you want!


    Julie continued to eat, suddenly remembering seeing Kieran and Ivan sitting together on the couch


    yesterday. After a two-second pause, she finally plucked up the courage to look up at Kieron. ¡°You


    know Ivan, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about other men in front of me while we¡¯re eating.¡±


    Knowing thatvan was a boy meant he did know him.


    Julle pondered for a bit, then tentatively said to Kieran, ¡°I heard his father


    your ssmate.¡±


    ¡°University ssmate, so what?¡¯ Julie and Kieran were ssmates from middle school to high school,


    so Ivan¡¯s father could only be Kieran¡¯s university


    ssmate.


    Since Kieran asked, Julie tentatively asked, ¡°What¡¯s his full name?¡±


    Kjeran suddenly put down his utensils, looking at Julie with a meaningful gaze. ¡°Why? You took care of


    his kid for a bit and now you¡¯re prying into his personal information? Are you interested in him?¡±


    That would be absurd! Kieran¡¯s thinking waspletely absurd!


    Julie red at Kieran. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Interested in him. What¡¯s wrong with that? You may control the wages


    of thousands of Simpo Co employees, but


    .


    also control everyone¡¯s love lives?¡±


    In front of Kieran, Julie felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.


    Kieran nced at Julie and blurted out, ¡°He¡¯s still hung up on his ex-wife, and thinking about how to get


    her in bed. Just a friendly heads up, you don¡¯t stand a chance with him.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the friendly heads up!¡±


    ¡°No need to be polite¡± Kieran put down his finished meal, and said to Julie, ¡°Clean up the office after


    eating, and make me a cup of coffee while you¡¯re at


    ¡°That¡¯ll be a hundred bucks.¡± Julie stood up, cleaning the table while replying


    Kieran paused, looking surprised yet amused. ¡°A hundred bucks? What, you re gonna grind me some


    fancy Kopi Luwak in the kitchen?¡±


    ¡°No, instant coffee. My service fee is just high. If you don¡¯t want it, you can ask your assistant to grind


    you a cup, free of charge.¡± Julie¡¯s message was clear


    She didn¡¯t want to do menial tasks!


    After a few seconds of thinking, Kieran replied, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll buy a month of your instant coffee and


    service, go make it!¡±


    Julie paused while clearing the meal box, ring at Kieran, before finallying back to her senses.


    ¡°A hundred dors a day, three grand a month, payment first¡±


    She had never met such a spendthrift. A hundred dors for a cup of instant coffee.


    Kieran looked up at Julie with a faint smile, calmly answering her ¡°Against the debt¡±


    Julie was instantly floored How could she forget the huge debt she owed Kieran?


    She had wrecked a Rolls-Royce Phantom worth over 1.2 million dors, with a repair bill of over 80


    thousand dors. The insurance only covered 30 thousand. Even without her own car¡¯s repair bill, shed


    need a long time to pay off Kieran¡¯s 50 thousand dors at the rate of three thousand dors a month¡­


    Perhaps spending so much time with Kieran had thickened her skin too. She looked at Kieran with a


    bright smile. ¡°How many cups of coffee can you drink in a day?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hoping I can drink five hundred cups a day, so you can pay off your debt all at once, right?¡¯


    Kieran leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and raised his eyebrows at Julie.


    Julie shrugged guiltily. I¡¯m not that cruel. Drinking five hundred cups of coffee a day is practically a


    death sentence, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She then added, I was thinking a month.¡±


    This woman was trying to make his life difficult. He could tell.


    Kieran suddenly leaned in close to Julie, smirking ¡°Why bother calcting so meticulously? Juste


    over here, hug my thigh, say a few nice words, and if I¡¯m in a good mood, I might just write off the


    repair bill you owe me¡±


    He patted his thigh and winked at Julie.


    Julie looked at Kieran calmly, without saying a word, and continued to clean up. She was carrying a


    bowl of unfinished soup towards the door, not expecting Karl to be standing outside. So, the soup


    ended up sshing all over Karl


    Karl was standing at the door, ready to knock, when he was doused in soup by Julie. The sight of his


    white shirt and soup wasically ridiculous.


    Julie was also sshed The soup flowed down from her chest to her belly button. Her thin, sheer white


    blouse revealed the shape of her ck bra underneath, looking exceptionally enticing


    Although Karl didn¡¯t mean to, his eyes identally fell on Julie¡¯s chest. Just as he realized he should


    look away, a dark blue suit jacket was thrown over Julie.


    Kieran shot a cold look at Karl, who quickly covered his shirt and said to Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯m


    going to the bathroom!¡± before hurrying away.


    Kieran casually closed the door. Julie looked down at her soaked blouse and tried to tighten the suit


    jacket around her. But unexpectedly, the man in front of her arrogantly snatched the jacket off her


    shoulders.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Chapter 90


    ¡°Th¡± Julie wrapped her arms around her chest and looked up at Kieran in a daze ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t this my suit?¡± What Mr. Hernandez meant was that it was his suit, and he could take it back


    whenever he wanted. The power was in his hands


    Then why did he just put it on her so willingly?


    Julie thought of just going to the washroom and drying her clothes, but it was already time for work, and


    to just walk out the door would be asking for trouble


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can I borrow your clothes?¡± Julie smiled, a rare, pleasing smile on her face.


    She was just trying, and didn¡¯t expect Kieran to really give her his clothes. After all, if he was willing to


    give them to her, he wouldn¡¯t have taken them back. But surprisingly, he put the suit back over her


    shoulders.


    Surprised, Julie looked at Kieran, it took her a while to react, then she said gratefully. Thank you¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me, eight thousand dors and this suit is yours.¡± Kieran patted Julie¡¯s shoulder,


    bent down, and met her eyes.


    Julie, wrapped in a suit, looked like a cute little pet. She wanted to take off the suit urgently, but the


    mans hand on her shoulder stopped her


    ¡°Eight thousand dors? Are you robbing me?¡± After a futile struggle, Jube could only look up at him


    and arque


    The man smiled, flicked the suit with his finger, and said. ¡°This is a custom-made Brioni suit, two


    months in the making, with a 185-step process. From this morning until now, I wore it for he nced at


    his watch, ¡°six hours. The clothes I¡¯ve worn should be worth a higher price, but considering you might


    not be interested¡± he reached out and touched her soft hair, so there are clothes in the break room, you


    can choose a set you like, and I won¡¯t charge you.¡±


    Julie was so angry she couldnt speak She could only watch the cunning man in front of her.


    He calmly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to change, then go make me a cup of coffee, instant, one hundred


    dors a cup.¡±


    JJulie shook off the man¡¯s arm on her shoulder and walked into the break room.


    Frustrated, she pulled open the wardrobe, looking at a wardrobe full of high-end couture. She grabbed


    an A-line dress and looked at the brand and price. Burberry, selected romantic floralce, a white dress


    made by traditional Leavers Lace from an English workshop for 16,000 dors.


    Thinking about it this way, Julie fell a little more bnced. She checked the prices of the other clothes


    again to make sure this was the cheapest one. then changed her clothes and came out with the dirty


    suit.


    ¡°You re picking a fight Julie pointed to the small tomato stain on the suit. I¡¯ll wash the clothes and return


    them to you, and the money for the clothes I¡¯m wearing can be considered a debt¡±


    Julie learned a lesson from this, and that was, when she went to work at Simpo Co, in the future, she


    would bring a change of clothes.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond to Julie¡¯s words but pointed to the cuff of his white shirt and said. The table


    wasn¡¯t wiped clear. I identally wiped it, and the shirt got dirty. How about this, you wash this shirt for


    me, and its yours.¡±


    Julie nced at Kieran¡¯s shirt, there was indeed a stain on the sleeve. The table wasnt not cleaned at


    all!


    ¡°Okay,¡± Julie agreed without thinking too much, always feeling that Kieran was too expensive and


    would often put her in a financial predicament.


    Julie went back to the room to get her dirty clothes, but Kieran followed her in As soon as he walked


    into the break room, he started to undress, which caught Julie off guard. But she just nced at him,


    then kept her cool


    ¡°Hand me a shirt.¡±


    Julie turned around and handed Kieran a white shirt


    When she turned back, Kieran was untying his tie. The air in the room instantly became tense. The


    scene she had imagined several times in her mind was unfolding in front of her again, and this time


    Julie didn¡¯t feel nervous, but aplex emotion.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He handed her the untied tie and asked, ¡°Dues it look familiar?¡±


    I¡¯m not familiar with anything rted to your Julie replied immediately, clearly trying to distance herself.


    The man across from her didn¡¯t get angry, but, while elegantly unbuttoning his shirt, looked at the


    diamond-shaped cufflinks and asked, ¡°How about these? Remember them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡± Julie used a cold tone to cover her memories. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna strip, hurry up. If not,


    I¡¯m leaning.¡±


    1 have plenty of time, you know that, right? If you want me to hurry, you need to take the initiative.¡± He


    said, thenzily sat on the edge of the bed.


    What he meant was, that if Julie wanted him to undress quickly, she needed to help him. But saying it


    this way made Julle think he had another meaning


    It was either Kieran¡¯s words were too ambiguous, or Julie, under his influence, had also be


    cunning. In general, she overthought.


    While Julie was lost in thought, her wrist was wrapped around Kieran¡¯s tie. She looked down in surprise


    at the tie the man had deliberately wrapped around her wrist, her heart skippping a beat.


    The man gently pulled the tie, pulling Julie into his arms. Following the momentum, he held Julie and


    fell back on the bed. In a daze. Kieran somehow ended up on top of Julie.


    ¡°What are you doing now? The mistake made under the influence of alcohol was fundamentally


    different from the deliberate act now.


    However, Julie, at this moment, was exceptionally calm. Kieran suddenly gripped her pale wrists,


    bringing them together. This action was too familiar, The memories Julie had tried so hard to seal off


    broke through the seal and started to be clearer in her mind


    Eight years ago.


    Kieran¡¯s birthday bash was held at Starlight Haven Hotel Julie, as the heiress to the Abraham family,


    attended with great excitement, carrying a lie and cufflinks as a birthday present for Kieran But all night,


    Lucian kept Kieran busy with various social obligations, and even the naive Julie wouldn¡¯t bug him


    during all these obligations. So, she quietly held her gift in the corner and sipped her drink until she


    realized Kieran was nowhere in sight.


    Julie started looking for Kieran, but Sansa came up and grabbed her arm, smiling ¡°Mr. Hernandez had


    too much to drink and went to rest in the hotel room is that for Mr. Hernandez?¡± she asked, pointing at


    the gift in Julie¡¯s hand.


    Julie¡¯s feelings for Kieran were no secret. So, she nodded vigorously. ¡°Do you know which room he¡¯s


    in?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the card, I just saw Mr. Hernandez go up. He asked you to bring the gift up ¡°Sansa, in her ck


    one shoulder evening dress with shoulder-length wavy hair, smiled and handed Julie the card.


    With no suspicion, a delighted Julie took the card and darted off to the floor indicated.


    She easily opened the door with the card, only to find a seductive, long-haired woman standing in front


    of the bed, half-undressed, her shoulders exposed, and a robe hanging around her waist.


    Furious, Julie stormed at the woman. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡±


    The woman was startled, for Julie was only twenty and still had the sweet baby fat on her face, looking


    like an underage girl.


    The woman turned her head, gave Julie a mocking look, and sneered. ¡°Little girl, did you walk into the


    wrong room? We¡¯re about to do adult stuff. Don¡¯t ruin my fun!


    ¡°Lady, do you know the guy in the shower is my boyfriend? Julie dropped the gift box and looked up at


    the woman, her eyes narrowing like a feisty kitten ready to pounce.


    The woman had only been paid to do a job; she hadn¡¯t expected an obstacle.


    Seeing the woman hesitate, Julie pressed on, ¡°The man in there? I¡¯ve been pining for him for seven or


    eight years, and you think you can just cut in line?¡± Julie whipped out her phone and snapped a few


    pictures of the womans disheveled state. ¡°Yo, yo, yo, what a tantalizing pose! If you don¡¯t get dressed


    and leave, I¡¯ll show these pictures to the police and tell them you¡¯re a hooker¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°What are you still doing here? If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll post this clear picture on social media. I might be


    young, but I can be ruthless¡±


    The woman felt guilty already, as she had been paid to do this. She didn¡¯t want to ruin her reputation.


    So, confronted by Julie¡¯s sudden threat, she quickly surrendered, grabbed Julie¡¯s phone to delete the


    pictures, put on her clothes, and bolted


    Julie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although driving away Kieran¡¯s woman made her feel a bit quilty,


    the thought of the gift she had painstakingly saved for half a year brought a smile back to her face


    Holding her gift bag excitedly for several minutes, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open from


    inside.


    A man, fresh from the shower, walked out surrounded by steam like a pure, wless god suddenly


    appeared Julie was just nning to give a gift, but didn¡¯t expect this surprise, her face broke into a


    huge grin.


    ¡°Bro Kieran.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the man quickly moved towards her, pinned her against the wall


    behind her, and a wave of passionate kisses swept over her like a tidal wave.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Chapter 91


    At that moment, Julie¡¯s mind was in a chaotic whirl. She clutched the gift bag in her hand, her eyes


    wide open, seemingly unfocused. Their close proximity seemed to suck the breath right out of her, and


    Julie suddenly felt a bit light headed


    He deliberately nipped her red lips. Julie opened her mouth in pain, but he took the opportunity to kiss


    her.


    His lips gently swept over her, Julie instinctively closed her eyes, shyly responding


    The next thing she knew, she was being hoisted up and found herself lying on a soft bed.


    It was only when his passionate hands lifted her skirt that Julie realized the unusual warmth of his body.


    ¡°Kieran¡± She pushed against his chest, finally finding her voice again


    His eyes were hazy, deep, and bottomless, like an endless universe. Julie swallowed hard and handed


    him the gift, saying shyly. This is your birthday present¡±


    ¡°Joyce¡± Only he knew how much restraint it took to control himself. He looked at her with affectionate


    eyes, gently calling her name


    This was the first time Julie had heard Joyce¡¯ from Kieran¡¯s mouth. It was such an ordinary name, but it


    felt as precious as gold


    She innocently helped him open the gift box Inside was a dark green, exquisite tie Julie¡¯s face turned


    red from shyness, and Kieran¡¯s face also blushed slightly


    She held the box in one hand, and the other hand was pressed against his chest. It was only when her


    hand touched his firm chest that Julie noticed his unusually high body temperature


    ¡°Are you running a fever? Julie asked innocently


    Perhaps it was her innocent gaze that brought Kieran back to his senses. He suddenly stood up,


    moving away from her, trying hard to control himself, shouting at Julie, ¡°Get out¡±


    How could he suddenly be so cold when they were just so intimate?


    You see, it took Julie seven years of hard wor to climb into Kieran¡¯s bed. She wouldn¡¯t leave that easily.


    She held the gift box tightly and shook her head firmly. Im not leaving. Bro Kieran You just kissed me,


    and now you want me to leave, isn¡¯t that ying dirty?¡±


    Unexpectedly, this innocent woman wanted to argue with him. Before Kieran could say anything, she


    lunged at him, wrapped the tie around his neck, and said innocently, ¡°I thought you¡¯d look good with


    this tie the moment I saw it I¡¯ve learnt many ways to tie a tie.¡±


    Julie intended to try out her newly


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Geran, but as soon as she put the tie on his neck, he grabbed her hand tightly. ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Today is your birthday. Where can i go I¡¯m not by your side? I¡¯ll tell you, the tie is just an extra actually


    wanted to give you cuff links¡± Kieran pulled Julie up from the bed


    were red and bloodshot, and he hoarsely told her to get out.


    Julie¡¯s wrist hurt from his grip She was pushed off the bed by Kieran and held her wrist in pain. She


    twisted it a bit and finally realized something was wrong with Kieran Bro Kieran


    Thanks to Daphne¡¯s constant goading Jule finally understood Kieran¡¯s situation. She wouldn¡¯t tell


    Kieran that shed been plotting to get him in bed since she was eighteen, so she knew all about the


    effects of being drugged She just hadnt had the chance to put it into practice


    At that moment, she finally realized what was happening. She looked down at the ce where Kieran¡¯s


    towel was wrapped, swallowed hard, and said. ¡°Bro Kieran, were you set up actually


    Joyce, I gave you the chance to reject me¡± At that moment, all of Kieran¡¯s restraint exploded. His


    emotions took over his rationality Julje stood there looking silly wanting to tell him she had waited for


    this day for a long time, but before she could say those touching words, Kieran had already pulled her


    to the side of the bed and pushed her down.


    Knowing what was about to happen, Julie was stiff as a board, feeling the hot air she exhaled. He


    guided her hand and gently ced it on his waist, wrapped in a towel His burning skin touched her


    tense, trembling skin


    His deep and shallow kisses fell on her forehead, nose, lips, neck, corbone, and down


    Julie only felt her breath quicken, as if someone had sucked the air out of her. He kept coaxing her,


    softly calling her Joyce. He made her mind full of his name in the gentlest way.


    Thest thing she remembered was him using that dark green tie to bind her hands and tie her to the


    head of the bed, and the marks he left on her.


    Although it¡¯s been eight years since that happened, these memories were deeply ingrained in her mind,


    and she remembered that tie better than anyone But now he deliberately used that memorable tie to


    bind her wrists again and press her under him. No matter how heartless Julie was, she couldn¡¯t help


    but struggle in his arms


    ¡°Seems you remember. He said, lightly kissing her forehead, then unexpectedly letting her go


    He picked up the clean white shirt Julie had just given him, put it on, and walked out of the lounge with


    a meaningful smile on his face. Everything that just happened felt like a storm, unexpectedly starting,


    yet leaving you wanting more when it ended.


    Juliey on the bed for a while before she came back to her senses. She untied the tie from her wrist,


    picked up the bag of dirty clothes, and walked to Kieran¡¯s desk


    ¡°Your behavior just now, at best, was crazy At worst, it¡¯s sexual harassment!¡± She threw the tie on the


    desk and looked at the man in front of her seriously.


    anger rising


    The man leaned back in his chair, smiling at her. ¡°Then you can sue me! I¡¯ll hire you as mywyer¡±


    This shamelessment left the usually eloquent Julie speechless, unable to say a word


    Kierans case with Creative Nexus Media was hitting the courtroom tomorrow. Once that wrapped up,


    she¡¯d be leaving her gig at Simpo Copronto,


    11:06


    per the contract. Ever since Julie tried to get Porter to break the contract, he¡¯d been telling her it was a


    no-go.


    After a gander at the contract, Julie realized Porter was right on the money. She gave it a good once-


    over, and it said that as soon as the case was finished, the contract was null and void, which meant she


    was off the hook at Simpo Co.


    With that in mind, Julie finally chilled out, grabbed her dirtyundry, and split without uttering another


    word. But the way she mmed the door behind her spoke volumes about her pissed-off state. Karl got


    some fresh threads delivered from the mall and happened to run into Julie while he was changing in


    the restroom.


    The real sucker in this whole mess was Karl.


    Feeling a tad guilty, Julie apologized to Karl, ¡°Karl, about earlier, I¡¯m sorry¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s cool¡± Karl gave Julie a respectful smile, more worried about what kind of hell Mr. Hernandez was


    going to raise for him. If only he hadn¡¯t been such a peeping tom, he wouldn¡¯t have caught a glimpse of


    Ms. Abraham¡¯s goods.


    Once Julie was gone, Karl gave a shake of his head and a helpless grin, then knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Kieran¡¯s steady voice came from inside.


    Karl pushed open the door, deciding to get the ball rolling ¡°Mr. Hernandez, the secretary to the CEO of


    Ray Group, called. Mr. Sanches wants to have dinner with you tonight.¡±


    The CEO of Ray Group, Elliot? Kieran was leaning back in his chair, holding a jet-ck pen, giving Kart


    a thoughtful look. Just one nce was enough to send a chill up Karls spine. After years with Mr.


    Hernandez, he knew that look meant Mr. Hernandez was mulling over how to handle him.


    Karl knew Kieran well enough because his next words were, ¡°Don¡¯t think changing the subject will


    make me forget what just happened¡±


    Karl knew Mr. Hernandez wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook that easily. He straightened up. ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    I swear I meant no disrespect.


    ¡°Find a good excuse for Mrs. Hernandez to join me for dinner with Elliot tonight, and we¡¯re square,¡±


    Kieran cut off Karl¡¯s apology.


    Karl thought for a second. Mr. Hernandez wanted him toe up with a reason for Mrs. Hernandez to


    agree to join hun for dinner? That was like asking him to pluck stars from the sky!


    As Karl was racking his brains, Kieran¡¯s voice came, cool as a cucumber, ¡°What? Can¡¯t do it?¡±


    Could he say he couldn¡¯t? Could he? He couldn¡¯t!


    Karl immediately shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll contact her right away¡±


    ¡°Go on, ask her to bring me a cup of that hundred-dor instant coffee, Kieran said offhandedly.


    Karl didn¡¯t have a clue what a hundred-dor instant coffee was, but he faithfully ryed Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s request.


    Even though Julie was still in a huff, the coffee was worth a hundred bucks after all, so she headed for


    the pantry Karl didn¡¯t make himself scarce after delivering the message and instead joined Julie in the


    pantry

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Chapter 92


    Julie didn¡¯t expect Karl to join her in the break room. While making coffee, she casually asked, ¡°Karl, do


    you want a cup of coffee?¡±


    ¡°No need, no need.¡± Karl frantically waved his hands. After all, this cup of coffee was worth a hundred


    bucks, way too extravagant for him.


    Julie nodded, immediately noticing Karl¡¯s ufortable look. She then asked him, ¡°Karl, is something


    bothering you?¡±


    Birds of a feather flocked together Kieran was a shrewd and cunning man, and his wife was equally


    sharp, seeing right through him.


    Karl nodded awkwardly and said to Julie, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today I was nning to go to the hospital


    after work, but Mr. Hernandez has ast minute


    dinner to attend¡±


    Julie quietly listened to Karl¡¯sment. She was actually quite grateful to Karl, who had been very kind to


    her in the past. Even though she couldn¡¯t help him now, she was still willing to lend an ear to his


    comints


    Seeing that Julie didn¡¯t dismiss him, Karl continued, ¡°Attorney Abraham, you know Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    temper. If I just find some random woman to apany him, he won¡¯t let me off the hook¡±


    Julie had a hunch that Karl was about to ask her to apany Kieran. Sure enough, Karl pretended to


    have a sudden realization and turned his gaze to her. ¡®Attorney Abraham, so¡­


    ¡°Karl, I have to go home and look after the kid tonight,¡± Julle responded with a smile.


    Karl¡¯s half-spoken words got stuck in his throat. Of course, he knew that the kid Julie had to look after


    was Kieran¡¯s son.


    Julie took the coffee she had made and walked away. Karl thought she was going to take it to the


    office, but instead, she walked over to Tina and handed it to her. ¡°Can you do me a favor? This is Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s coffee.¡±


    Tina was a colleague of Karl¡¯s, so it was perfectly normal for her to help deliver the coffee.


    Julie wasn¡¯t worried about Tina overthinking the situation. After all, she had no control over what others


    thought.


    Although Tina was a bit confused, she took the coffee and went to Kieran¡¯s office.


    Karl, clutching his stomach, spoke to Julie, ¡°Attorney Abraham, I just need someone to join him for


    dinner. Is it really impossible? I¡¯ve already made an appointment with the doctor¡±


    Despite Karl¡¯s pitiful look, Julie was firm and said, ¡°Karl, maybe you should ask Mr. Hernandez for a


    day off He can¡¯t possibly let his only trusted Secretary work while being sick.¡±


    ¡°Trusted secretary¡± Julie¡¯s words certainly had a hidden meaning Wasn¡¯t she implying that Karl and


    Kieran were in cahoots?


    Finally, he reluctantly nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I did push you. Thanks, Attorney Abraham. I will


    exin the situation to Mr. Hernandez myself. I just don¡¯t understand what Mr. Sanches¡¯ intention is in


    inviting Mr. Hernandez to dinner¡±


    Karl¡¯s words were loaded.


    However, Julie only noticed ¡°Mr. Sanches.¡± Who else could Mr. Sanches be but Elliot?


    Over the past two weeks, while she was hurt, Elliot had been the most proactive in contacting her. But


    in the past few days, he had suddenly gone quiet. The reason being-


    One day, Elliot found out through some channel that she was taking care of Ivan. He assumed that the


    child was Kieran¡¯s and Bertha¡¯s and called her. ¡°Attorney Abraham, Kieran hurt you so deeply Has your


    scar recovered already?¡±


    Julie was puzzled at the time How could her wounds heal so easily? The scar that Kieran left her would


    never heal.


    But Julie calmly asked Elliot, ¡°Which scar are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Kieran chose between your child and Bertha¡¯s, letting Bertha¡¯s child live. Now that Bertha has died,


    you are helping her raise her child. What are you thinking?¡± came Elliot¡¯s angry voice from the other


    end of the phone.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Julie finally understood. Elliot thought Ivan was Kieran and Bertha¡¯s child, so he thought she had gone


    mad.


    Julie should have cleared up the misunderstanding, but she knew there was no future for her and Elliot.


    Elliot was stubbornly refusing to give up, which would inevitably hurt him.


    So she didn¡¯t exin but said, ¡°Elliot, maybe I am mad. I was crazy for him years ago. I¡¯m a woman


    who¡¯s willing to give up all principles for a man. I¡¯m not worth your love.¡±


    Before Julie could finish, Elliot hung up the phone. For several days after that, until now, Elliot hadn¡¯t


    called again. Instead, he had taken the initiative to invite Kieran for dinner.


    When she heard Karl¡¯s words, Julie immediately felt something was wrong.


    Suddenly, Julie, who had firmly refused to be Mr. Hernandez¡¯spanion before, called out to Karl,


    who was about to walk away, ¡°Karl, you¡¯ve made an appointment with the doctor, right?¡±


    Karl nodded, looking at Julie excitedly. ¡°Attorney Abraham, have you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°Karl, go get your check-up after work. I hope you get better soon, Julie said with a smile.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why Attorney Abraham suddenly changed her mind, Karl felt his life was


    suddenly looking up, so he rushed to tell Kieran. However, Kieran just coldly said, ¡°Congrattions,


    you get to keep your eyes.¡±


    So i seemed that if he couldn¡¯t convince Attorney Abraham, Kieran would poke him in the eye. The


    thought made Karl feel terrified, and he decided to duck from sight whenever he saw Attorney


    Abraham.


    After work, Julie followed Karl¡¯s guidance, walked to the underground parking lot, and waited next to


    Kieran¡¯s car.


    1/2


    Kieran came down by a private elevator and saw Julie standing by his car door as soon as he got out.


    He looked straight past Julie, opened the car door, and got inside, then told the driver, ¡°Head to the


    Starlight Haven Hotel¡±


    It seemed he intended topletely ignore her


    Julie knew the car door hadn¡¯t been locked yet, so she quickly opened it and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    Karl¡¯s at the hospital for a check-up, I¡¯m here to apany you instead.


    Instead of Karl?¡± Kieran interrupted her, looking at Julie standing by the car door. His handsome face


    was hidden in the darkness, but his contours were even more clear.


    Julie thought for a moment and then nodded.


    ¡°My next n was to take Karl to sleep at the Starlight Haven Hotel, do you want to substitute him?¡±


    His maic voice echoed in the car


    Julie knew he was probably joking, but she couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. Then she got into the car.


    She said coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize Karl offered that kind of service¡±


    Afterwards, she said to the driver in a friendly manner, ¡°Austin, you better watch out.¡±


    Austin was speechless for a moment. He had been driving for Kieran for over ten years and never


    expected Julie to have a better sense of humor after the divorce than when they were married.


    Austin¡¯s mouth twitched.


    On the way to Starlight Haven Hotel, Kieran remained silent. Julie felt the atmosphere was too


    oppressive, so she took the initiative to speak, ¡°We have a court hearing tomorrow. I¡¯ve already


    submitted your written application. There¡¯s no need for you to appear in court. We¡¯ll demand


    compensation from Creative Nexus Media for viting your representation rights, reputation rights, and


    privacy rights. Once the court decisiones out, all newspapers and online news outlets under


    Creative Nexus Media will publish rification and apology statements to you in the most conspicuous


    ces.¡± ¡°Do you usually deal with business after work, Attorney Abraham?¡± Kieran suddenly spoke


    after Julie finished speaking.¡±


    Was Kieran implying she didn¡¯t separate work from personal life?


    Julie never thought about exining this matter, so she simply replied, ¡°Sorry, Kieran, I¡¯m that kind of


    person who can¡¯t separate personal stuff from work. Make sure you hire someone who can in the


    future.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, people who can¡¯t separate work from personal life are also good, Kieran said meaningfully,


    then turned to Julie. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re meeting at the Starlight Haven Hotel?¡±


    ¡°Elliot might have misunderstood. He might have mistaken Ivan for your son and thought I was helping


    you and Bertha raise a child. Julle deliberately paused midway, knowing Kieran was smart enough to


    understand her meaning.


    Indeed, Kieran immediately understood and said, ¡°You are really smart, using me as a cover to reject


    your first kiss.¡±


    He really was a man who could hurt without reservation. Just one phrase, ¡°first kiss, was enough to


    make her heart hurt.


    Julie was silent, looking out the window, choosing to remain quiet


    ¡°Did you ept?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was slightly provocative.


    Julie turned her head. ¡°You are telling the truth. I have nothing to refute.¡±


    ¡°Should I cooperate with you in front of Elliot?¡± He raised an eyebrow, asking her.


    Julie responded calmly, ¡°No need, I¡¯m used to it. I don¡¯t need you to deliberately cooperate, I can


    handle it myself


    The car stopped at Starlight Haven Hotel.


    Kieran originally nned to walk to the car door and gentlemanly open it for her, but Julie opened the


    car door herself and got out. As she opened the car door, Kieran happened to be standing in front of


    her. When Julie got up, her head bumped into Kieran¡¯s chin.


    She was about to reach out and touch her head, but Kieran had already reached out and stroked her


    long hair. ¡°You¡¯re so clumsy, don¡¯t you know it hurts?¡± His doting tone was like a thick fog that wouldnt


    dissipate.


    Julie looked up in surprise, only to see Elliot, frozen, standing behind Kieran.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Chapter 93


    Elliot invited Kieran for dinner, but he didn¡¯t see thising. Kieran brought Julie along.


    Their lovey dovey behavior immediately stole the limelight, leaving Elliot feeling overlooked on the side.


    Kieran was ying with Julie¡¯s hair. Julie was about to push him away but stopped when she spotted


    Elliot behind them.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be this early, Mr. Sanches,¡± Kieran said, looking at Elliot.


    Elliot regained his usual suave demeanor, smiling at Kieran ¡°I thought I only invited you¡±


    ¡°Maybe you forgot to mention not to bring a femalepanion,¡± Kieran retorted, taking Julie by the


    hand, and heading for the Starlight Haven Hotel


    Elliot followed closely behind.


    In the private room, Julie sat next to Kieran. She hadn¡¯t said a word since they walked in the door.


    Elliot¡¯s gaze never left her face. Julie pretended not to


    notice


    Despite sharing the same table, the three of them maintained an awkward silence. Finally, Kieran


    asked Elliot, ¡°What¡¯s the reason for inviting me here today, Mr. Sanches?¡±


    Elliot was into Julie. That was no secret ever since he returned home. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have


    proposed to Julie in front of Kieran,


    Even though the proposal was unsessful, Elliot was sincere.


    Elliot asked, frankly, ¡°I heard that you are in a legal battle with Creative Nexus Media due to Ms.


    Bertha¡¯s previous engagement. I know a couple ofwyers with deep experience in this field. Their


    expertise should be more abundant than Julie¡¯s. So I wanted to ask if I could lend a hand.¡±


    What a clever roundabout way!


    Kieran nced at Julie next to him. I already have awyer, so no need to bother


    Julie thought the dinner would continue in this ufortable atmosphere, but she didn¡¯t expect


    Kierans next words to be, I thought you invited me for dinner because of my ex-wife, so I brought her


    along. Turns out you were worried about mywsuit. I misjudged you¡±


    Julie gave Kieran a sideways nce, feeling like the whole world owed him an Oscar With such acting


    skills, it was a shame not to be a movie star.


    Since Kieran had stated his thoughts, there was no reason for Elliot to continue talking about irrelevant


    matters.


    Elliot told Kieran, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. The reason I¡¯m concerned about yourwsuit is indeed because of


    Julie.¡±


    Julie turned her attention to Kieran


    Elliot had made his intentions clear. This was obviously him trying to win Julie over from Kieran.


    Normally, Kieran wouldn¡¯t just sit there and say nothing. unless he didn¡¯t care about her.


    However, Kieran put down his cutlery and looked at Elliot. Their eyes met, filled withplex


    meanings.


    Judging from Kieran¡¯s expression, he seemed to have something to say. But to the surprise of both


    Julie and Elliot, Kieran simply put down his cutlery and asked, ¡®Is the bathroom on the left or the right?¡±


    Elliot pointed to the right


    Kieran calmly stood up and walked out, leaving Elliot and Julie alone


    Kieran was really something. From Elliot¡¯s current gaze, it was clear he came prepared to express his


    unwavering love for Julie. But the words he prepared never got a chance to be spoken, cut off by


    Kieran.


    After Kieran left, only Julie and Elliot remained.


    ¡°I thought you were lying to me ¡°Elliot looked at Julie with a hint of sadness.


    Julie knew he was referring to her phone call a few days ago. She had expressed her love for Kieran,


    leading Elliot to believe she truly loved him and was willing to care for Kieran and Bertha¡¯s child


    Elliot looked solemnly at Julie, questioning her, ¡°You¡¯re staying by his side not because you love him,


    but because you want to get back at him, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I was the one who clung to him


    from the start, the one who fell for him unrequitedly, and the one who can¡¯t forget him now. These were


    all my choices I didn¡¯t need to exin myself to you, but I know you¡¯re a good person. Elliot, someone


    as nice as you deserves a beautiful love and a happy family¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie spoke somewhat emotionally


    But Elliot reminded her, ¡°But you¡¯re dealing with Kieran and Bertha¡¯s child! Are you sure you won¡¯t have


    any reservations?¡±


    ¡°Children are innocent, aren¡¯t they? Besides, Bertha is dead. I don¡¯t care about anything, even if it


    means hurting you. Do you understand?¡± Julie looked coldly at Elliot sitting opposite her, finally meeting


    his gaze


    Elliot just stared deeply at Julie, his expression filled with disappointment towards her.


    Julie calmly looked at Elliot and said, ¡°If there¡¯s no love, there¡¯s no hurt. So, as long as you don¡¯t love


    me, I won¡¯t hurt you. There¡¯s no end to hurting. If I¡¯ve hurt you once, I can easily do it again. I don¡¯t care


    whether you love me or not, but I hope you won¡¯t meddle anymore.¡±


    This was the harshest thing Julie had ever said. If someone were to say such harsh words to Julie, she


    would definitely feel a strong sense of repulsion from the other person.


    Elliot was no different. From Julie¡¯s words, he could feel it loud and clear, his one-sided affection had


    turned into a burden in Julie¡¯s eyes.


    He stared at Julie in silence for a while before he finally spoke up, ¡°Is this what you wanted to tell me?¡±


    Julie nodded without hesitation. I¡¯m not good with words. Maybe what I said didn¡¯te out as strong


    as I intended.


    1/2


    12:22


    Elliot¡¯s gaze never left Julie¡¯s face, and silence filled the room for who knows how long. Eventually, he


    stood up and said, ¡®I get it.¡±


    With that, he turned around and walked away, ice cold.


    When Elliot turned around, Julie was filled with guilt. However, she stayed put, back straight as a rod.


    Rejecting someone who truly loved you took courage.


    Outside, in the restroom.


    Kieran was washing his hands when a deep voice sounded next to him, ¡°Julien and Joyce knew each


    other from years back.¡±


    Kieran nced at Hayden standing next to him. He was already used to his sudden appearances.


    He nodded in response. ¡°And then?¡±


    The day Berthamitted suicide by jumping off a building, Julien was there. I¡¯ll let her tell you what


    happened that day, Hayden said.


    Julien being there was unexpected news. Kieran nodded in acknowledgement.


    Hayden wasn¡¯t one to talk much, but he still asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal between Elliot and Joyce?¡±


    ¡°Elliot¡­¡± Kieran paused, then answered, ¡°He¡¯s my rival.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave Joyce alone in the room with your rival?¡± Hayden had clearly been there for a while


    and saw what happened.


    Kieran pped Hayden on the shoulder. ¡°My rival is into Joyce, not me. Why should I interrupt them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty easy-going.¡± Hayden shook off Kieran¡¯s hand from his shoulder.


    Kieran smiled. ¡°Even though Elliot has a thing for my wife, that¡¯s their business. The one to reject him


    has to be her, not me. Joyce knows her boundaries. so I don¡¯t need to meddle¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not married yet. Stop calling her your wife, Hayden reminded Kieran.


    Kieran shrugged it off with augh. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, you¡¯ve never been married.¡±


    Hayden rolled his eyes at Kieran.


    Kieran heard footsteps outside the restroom, looked at Hayden, and said, ¡°Herees my rival.¡±


    When he turned back, Hayden had already vanished.


    Elliot was far from convinced. The moment he saw Kieran as he pushed open the door, his brows


    furrowed deeply.


    ¡°Kieran, is Ivan the child you and Bertha had back then?¡± Elliot didnt bother with pleasantries this time.


    Kieran nced at Elliot, only replying, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Julie is just temporarily confused. That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll be fooled by you forever. If you can¡¯t be


    completely devoted to her, you shouldn¡¯t give her false hopes.¡± Elliot knew he was meddling, but he


    couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Kieran didn¡¯t question Elliot¡¯s right to say these things, he just said, ¡°Oh, to him calmly.


    Elliot was left speechless, with a mouthful of words stuck in his throat,


    Kieran walked past Elliot, patting him on the shoulder with his freshly washed hands. ¡°Do you know


    what the biggest difference between you and me is? Even if I hurt her, she¡¯ll still love me like before.


    But she¡¯d rather hurt you than love you. That¡¯s the fundamental difference between us. But don¡¯t worry,


    I understand better than you how to love my woman. I don¡¯t need your guidance.¡±


    With that, Kieran calmly headed back to the private room.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    Chapter 94


    When Elliot left. Julie knew that he wouldn¡¯t being back, so she grabbed her own bag and got up.


    She wasn¡¯t about to wait around for Kieran toe back and give her a lift.


    She had nned to sneak out, but as soon as she opened the door to the private room, she bumped


    right into someone.


    The familiar scent of the man was something Julie could identify even with her eyes shut. Kieran didn¡¯t


    tell her that he had been waiting outside the door for two or three minutes, just waiting for her to fall into


    his arms.


    Julie tried to back away, but he held onto her tightly. No matter how tough she was, she was no match


    for Kieran in terms of strength. Considering they were in a public ce, Julie lowered her voice and


    looked up at him. ¡°Let gol¡±


    ¡°You came at me first, and now you want me to let go? The man¡¯s deep voice came from above. Julie


    looked up and saw his sharply cut jawline.


    His facial features were strong and smooth, almost perfect from any angle. She turned her face away,


    unwilling to look at him. ¡°Just because I bumped into you, means you have to hold onto me? If I hit you,


    would you just take it?¡±


    ¡°That depends on how you hit me. If it¡¯s yful flirting, I won¡¯t mind being hit Kieran caught a whiff of


    her sweet scent. was the smell of her favorite shampoo and shower gel, a refined floral fragrance that


    made it hard for him to let go. But in the end, he did let her go, instead taking her hand and leading her


    to the dining table.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already ordered, might as well finish your meal. Don¡¯t waste food.¡± Kieran led Julie to the


    table.


    Julie was indeed hungry, so she started eating


    After the meal, Kieran took Julie to his car. He didn¡¯t ask her where she wanted to go, but told the


    driver, ¡°To Noblewood Retreat.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez please let me out at a convenient ceter!¡± Julie said.


    Surprisingly, Kieran agreed, ¡°Okay!


    By a convenient ce, Julie meant a bus stop or a subway station, but she didn¡¯t expect Kieran¡¯s


    understanding to mean dropping her right at her destination.


    They passed two bus stops, but Kieran showed no signs of stopping the car Julie had no choice but to


    turn and look at Kieran, but he was already pretending to be asleep.


    So Julie had to tell the driver, ¡°Austin, please let me out at the next bus stop Thank you¡±


    Austin slowed down a bit, unsure if he could stop without Mr. Hernandez¡¯s orders


    Kieran¡¯s calm voice came from the back seat, ¡°Keep driving¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not working hours. You don¡¯t have to be so formal with me.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, I want to get off Julie said.


    The man¡¯s eyes opened slightly. Hezily looked at her, then said lightly, ¡°Then you might as well


    jump.¡±


    How shameless!


    Jump? He might as well have told her to go die!


    ¡°I¡¯m not a stunt actor. I¡¯m not good at jumping off cars, Julie responded to Kieran. ¡°All you need to do is


    say ¡®stop, and I can get off. That way, I won¡¯t be polluting the air you breathe in the car.


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t let you off. You¡¯ve already polluted a car¡¯s worth of air, how can I let you go and pollute


    the whole earth?¡±


    Julle was left speechless. Kieran, the sharp-tongued one, could always leave her speechless.


    He seemed to be determined to take her straight back to Noblewood Retreat. Suddenly, she


    remembered that Mr. Kennedy had mentioned yesterday that Gilded Gate Residences was undergoing


    renovation, so Ivan should have moved back to the mansion at Noblewood Retreat today. Therefore,


    her destination tonight would also be Noblewood Retreat.


    With that in mind, Julie stopped resisting. It was always good to catch a free ride and save some


    money.


    After a moment of silence in the car, Kieran put on an innocent face and asked Julle, ¡°By the way, when


    I came back from the restroom, where did Mr. Sanches go?¡±


    Julie gave Kieran a sidelong nce. He didn¡¯t mention this when he just came back from the restroom,


    but him bringing it up now? Wasn¡¯t this intentional?


    -Julie replied with a poker face, ¡°Isn¡¯t he your guest? If you don¡¯t know where your guest went, how


    would I know?¡±


    She was ying dumb.


    Kieran pretended to suddenly understand. ¡°Now that you mention it, I remember running into him by


    the restroom door. I talked to him for a bit, then he went into the restroom, and I returned to the private


    room. I thought he woulde back after going to the restroom. I didn¡¯t expect him to leave.¡±


    He was really good at pretending! So impressive!


    Julie was a bit curious about what Elliot and Kieran had talked about, but in the end, she held back and


    didn¡¯t ask.


    Instead, it was Kieran who took the initiative to say, ¡°Elliot said you¡¯re just confused at the moment, and


    that if I can¡¯t treat you sincerely, I shouldn¡¯t give you any hope.¡±


    As he gaid this, Kieran seemed to suddenly be interested. He turned to look at Julie and said,


    ¡°What do you think, why would he say


    that?¡±


    I¡¯m not him, how would I know¡­¡± Julie turned her head to look at the scenery whizzing past the


    window. What she really wanted to know was how Kieran had responded to Elliot.


    If Kieran hadn¡¯t said something too harsh, Elliot probably wouldn¡¯t have left without even paying for the


    meal. After all, it was Elliot who had invited Kieran to dinner.


    As if seeing through Julie¡¯s thoughts, Kieran asked, ¡°Do you want to know what I told him?¡±


    ¡°You can say it if you want to.¡±


    ¡°I said, the biggest difference between him and me is that even if I hurt you, you still love me as always.


    But you¡¯d rather hurt him than love him. Do you think I was a bit too harsh?¡± Kieran asked, fully aware


    of the answer.


    Of course, that was harsh!!


    Julie finally turned to look at Kieran, and their eyes met. ¡®Even though what you said isn¡¯t true, you¡¯re


    free to say whatever you like.¡±


    What Julie meant to tell Kieran was that she wasn¡¯t going to love him unconditionally.


    How could this smart guy not get her drift?


    However, he deliberately ignored her point, instead, he looked at Julie and said, ¡°I chased away a


    shameless suitor for you. Julie, shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me?¡±


    ¡°Arent you the most shameless one here?¡± Julie murmured under her breath, not intending for Kieran


    to hear.


    But in the same space, her involuntary muttering was heard crystal clear by Kieran,


    Before Kieran could say anything, Julie took the initiative. ¡°Thank you¡±


    ¡°How will you thank me? A verbal thanks won¡¯t do. His legs were elegantly crossed. His gaze was


    intense.


    Julie turned her head and pursed her lips, revealing a fake smile. ¡°How about I make a statue of you


    and offer flowers to it every day?¡±


    Kieran raised an eyebrow, his gaze cooling. ¡°That¡¯s obviously not enough.¡±


    ¡°How about I have my descendants thank you generation after generation, and your great favor to me


    is passed down in my family forever?¡± +


    ¡°You should have them respect me like an ancestor.¡± He smiled at Julie meaningfully.


    His smile was too charming, too lethal¡­.


    She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll have them all recognize you as an ancestor


    As soon as she finished speaking, Julie realized. If her descendants treated him as an ancestor,


    wouldn¡¯t that mean all her children would be his?


    This man was indeed a tricky fox!


    Julie simply stopped talking.


    The car finally came to a smooth stop in front of Noblewood Retreat. Julie quickly opened the car door


    and got out, not even bothering to say thank you, and prepared to leave.


    Last time she heard Ivan say that his vi was next to Kieran¡¯s Just as Julie was about to look around,


    Kieran suddenly spoke to her, ¡°Ivan¡¯s at my ce.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie frowned and turned to look at Kieran.


    Kieran didn¡¯t exin, just said to Julie, ¡°Come in,¡±


    Julle stood at the door without moving. Ivan ran excitedly out of Kieran¡¯s vi and hugged Julie¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Mama Julie, I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore!¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Chapter 95


    After spending so many days together, an indescribable bond had formed between Julie and Ivan


    Julie¡¯s heart just melted when Ivan hugged her so innocently. She squatted down, patted him on the


    head, and said. ¡°You¡¯re so adorable, how could anyone not want you?¡±


    Julie clearly saw Ivan run out from Kieran¡¯s vi, so she held his hand, ¡°Your dad said Gilded Gate


    Residences is under renovation, so he asked me to bring you to Noblewood Retreat for a while. Can


    you show me the way?¡±


    But Ivan looked toward Kieran as if waiting for him to speak.


    Kieran just looked at Julie, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here with Ivan for a while?¡±


    After hearing this, Ivan nodded frantically, ¡°Yeah, yeah! Dad said we should stay here!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that what his dad just said? He wasn¡¯t lying.


    Julie held his hand tight, looking at Kieran, and asked, ¡°Why does his dad want us to stay here?¡±


    Kieran nced at the sky and said, ¡®It¡¯s about to rain. You can either stand here in the rain while Ivan


    struggles to exin, or you cane in and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Julie looked up at the sky. She didn¡¯t trust Kieranpletely so she hesitated.


    But when a sh of lightning suddenly lit up the sky, Julie pulled Ivan and ran towards Kieran¡¯s vi.


    She had always been fearless, but she was scared of thunder. Whenever she saw lightning sh


    across the sky, she felt like it was going to hit her any second, which always scared her.


    Kieran calmly watched Julie take Ivan into the room, then smiled slightly and followed them in.


    Julie led Ivan through the door. They stood awkwardly on the doormat, like kids who¡¯d done something


    wrong, waiting for Kieran to speak.


    Kieran said, ¡°I don¡¯t like talking at the door¡± Then, he turned and walked over to a dark grey linen sofa.


    ¡°Mama Julie, Kerry¡¯s a nice guy. He won¡¯t hurt us. Shall we shall we go sit?¡± Ivan tugged at Julie¡¯s


    sleeve, trying to mitigate the awkward atmosphere.


    Julie had no choice but to follow him.


    After Ivan had Julie seated on the sofa, he winked at Kieran Whether Mama Julie could stay tonight all


    depended on Kieran¡¯s performance


    Julie looked at Kieran and asked, ¡°What did you mean by what you said at the door?¡±


    Ivan¡¯s dad has returned to Noblewood Retreat with his ex-wife. They n to stay there for a while


    Gilded Gate Residences is being renovated, so I hope you can stay here with Ivan for a while. Once


    the renovation is done, you can bring him back.¡± Kieran calmly exined.


    Ivan¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened. Kieran was his father, so his father did indeed return to Noblewood


    Retreat with his ex-wife. This was the truth, so Kieran -wasn¡¯t lying. Kerry was so smart! He¡¯d never


    fight him again, or he¡¯d be doomed!


    With this understanding, Ivan suddenly became very obedient; he even stood up straight.


    Julie frowned at Kieran, ¡°So you mean, Mr. Kennedy is living with his ex-wife, and he wants me to stay


    here with his child?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? You can ask him yourself.¡± After saying this, Kieran stood up, ¡°The first guest room


    near the stairs on the second floor is yours. Ivan is In the bedroom on the left on the third floor.¡±


    With that, Kieran went upstairs.


    Behind him, Ivan shouted, ¡°Thank you, Kerry!¡±


    Julie took out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and sent a message to J Kennedy Mr. Kennedy, are you


    suggesting that Ivan and I stay at Mr. Hernandez¡¯s house?¡±


    On the second floor, Kieran was leaning over the balcony, watching Julie downstairs, and messing


    around with his phone.


    After receiving Julie¡¯s message, Kieran chuckled and replied, ¡°Yes¡±


    Thinking his answer was too simple, he added, ¡°It took a lot of work to convince my ex-wife toe


    back. I hope you understand.¡±


    Julie had to ept this. After all, she was just a nanny, and Kieran had taken good care of her these


    past few days. He was just asking for a small favor She couldnt refuse


    So she replied, ¡°Okay. Mr. Kennedy¡±


    Ivan ran to Kieran and tugged at his pants, ¡°Kerry¡­¡±


    Kieran nced at thest message Julie sent, didn¡¯t reply, but squatted down in front of Ivan and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s thunder. Should I pretend to be really scared? Then Mama Julle con sleep with me.¡±


    Your bed is only 1.3 meters long. It can¡¯t fit your Mama Julie. Kieran said as he picked up Ivan and


    headed to the third floor


    Julle put down her phone and looked up just in time to see Kieran carrying Ivan to the third floor


    bedroom.


    She shook her head helplessly and walked toward the guest room. It wasn¡¯t until she got there that she


    remembered that her luggage was still at Gilded


    Gate Residences


    Kieran had already left Ivan in the bedroom upstairs, and Julie had juste out of her room when she


    ran into Kieran.


    ¡°Make me a cup of coffee! Kieran said as he turned and headed for the study.


    Julia was a bit lost. She was about to go upstairs and check on Ivan, then go back for her luggage, but


    Kieran suddenly wanted coffee.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie could only look at Kieran¡¯s retreating figure and say, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯ve got to go to


    Gilded Gate Residences to pick up my luggage. You¡¯ll have to get your coffee fix from the butler.¡±


    ¡°What luggage? Didn¡¯t you leave all your stuff at your previous rental?¡± Kieran questioned.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t have much luggage, just a few newly bought clothes for changing The rest of her


    stuff was at the rental. Julie had hurt her foot before and was afraid to venture out to retrieve her things,


    so she bought some cheap clothes online while staying at Gilded Gate Residences.


    Important stuff like her ID and passport were all in her bag. Her only luggage was a few ordinary


    clothes.


    Kieran, who had clearly seen through Julie, turned back and stood at the doorway of the room next to


    hers, beckoning her, ¡®Come here.¡±


    Next door was Kieran¡¯s bedroom, which Julie was well aware of.


    She stood her ground.


    Kieran leaned against the door frame,zily saying, ¡°Come here, or Ille sweep you off your feet.


    You¡¯ve got three seconds to decide. Three, two are you nning on making a run for it?¡±


    At the count of two, Julie instinctively turned her back to Kieran and bolted.


    Clearly, Kieran was trying to intimidate Julie, but instead of being intimidated, she was spurred to rebel.


    Julie was darting upstairs, where Ivan was.


    After hearing Kieran¡¯s tone, she knew her only chance to avoid punishment was to get to Ivan.


    But how could Julie possibly outrun Kieran? He caught up with her in three strides.


    With a swift move, Kieran grabbed her arm, giving her a meaningful look, ¡°Nice. You¡¯ve learned to fight


    back.¡±


    Julie tried to shake off his grip, but his arm was like a vice, unyielding.


    What¡¯s wrong with her standing up for herself? Was she supposed to just sit back and take it? Just


    because she was on his turf didn¡¯t mean she was his prey!


    ¡°Ivan is upstairs! Let go!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got legs, don¡¯t you? Once I let go, you¡¯ll run faster than a rabbit.¡± Kieran clearly had no


    intention of letting her go.


    Julie weakly retorted, ¡°Rabbits¡­ they hop¡­¡±


    ¡°Rabbits are herbivores Im not. Test me again, Julie!¡±


    Who was provoking whom here? Julie chose to back down. She was well aware of the principle that


    discretion was the better part of valor. Knowing she couldn¡¯t take this man on, she tried to wriggle out of


    his grip, ¡°Let go, it hurts¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve barely done anything, and you¡¯re already crying out. Are you sure you¡¯re not lying?¡± Kieran replied,


    bending down to scoop Julie into his arms while heading toward his room.


    Julie wanted to cry for help but was afraid her voice would wake Ivan.


    What a scene it would be if the child saw this!


    Since she couldn¡¯t break free, Julie decided to just keep a straight face, allowing Kieran to carry her


    into his bedroom.


    Only when they reached the door did Julie suddenly reach out to stop them using the door frame,


    blurting out, ¡°I know rabbits are herbivores. but¡­wolves, even though they¡¯re carnivores, they only


    mate from January to February. Get a grip: put me down first. I¡¯ll apologize. Is an apology good?

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Chapter 96


    Kieran, holding Julie, froze for a moment before snapping back to reality. He asked the girl in his arms,


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Put me down first! Julie clung onto the man¡¯s shirt behind her.


    Just as Julie was clutching onto the man¡¯s shirt with one hand and gripping the door frame tightly with


    the other, Kieran suddenly pped her butt, ¡°From January to February? You seem to know a lot¡±


    After applying a bit of force, Kieran carried Julie into the room. Obviously, Julie¡¯s grasp on the door


    frame was useless.


    After cing Julie on the bed, Kieran cheekily leaned in, looking at the girl in his arms, ¡°You know


    what¡¯s the difference between me and a wolf?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more brutal than a wolf¡± The first answer that came to Julie¡¯s mind was this, and before her


    brain could stop her, she had already blurted it out.


    Kieran¡¯s smile grew wider at her response.


    ¡°More brutal than a wolf? Maybe not. But I¡¯m definitely hornier than a woll, Wolves mate from January


    to February each year, but I can mate all year round. You¡¯re aware of that, right?¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    No matter what her answer was, Julie knew Kieran would either tease her or demand proof. So she


    cleverly replied, ¡°Oh


    While Kieran was leaning over her like this, he figured that sooner orter he would surrender to


    temptation.


    He was well aware of how much restraint he could exercise around this girl, so eventually, under Julie¡¯s


    clear gaze, he let her go and stood up from the


    bed


    Kieran letting her go was something Julie hadn¡¯t expected.


    After the shock, she felt a fleeting moment of gratitude towards him because, just then, she thought of


    her hospitalizedndlord. At that moment, her desire to see herndlord punished became even


    stronger.


    However, just as Julie was starting to rx, she heard Kieran casually say, ¡°No daydreaming before


    your bath. I don¡¯t sleep with women who haven¡¯t


    showered.¡±


    Julie was totally dumbfounded,


    She gritted her teeth but didn¡¯t curse him since she already knew about Kierans cleanliness obsession.


    Still, the fact that he could say something like that was really annoying


    Julie straightened her clothes and sarcastically said, ¡°Then please change the sheetster I¡¯ve been


    lying on them without bathing, What if I have a contagious disease?¡¯


    ¡°How can sheets transmit viruses that saliva cant transmit?¡± He smirked, lightly touched his lips with his


    finger, then picked up the remote and opened the closel door


    Once Kieran started flirting. Julie was defenseless. When he mentioned saliva, she wanted to kill him


    Julie got up from the bed. Before she could stand up, Kieran was already pulling her hand, leading her


    towards the closet.


    This time, Julie didn¡¯t resist. She knew her resistance was futile, so she let him lead her to the closel


    Kieran stopped in front of the wardrobe with Julie. He opened the wardrobe door, then said to Julie,


    ¡°Clothes, pants, shoes, bags, they¡¯re all here. Wear whatever you like. Your stuff at Gilded Gate


    Residences has probably been thrown away, so you don¡¯t need to go back there.¡±


    So he brought her here just for this.


    Thest time Julie came, she already knew about this closet. Whether it was at Noblewood Retreat or


    in the CEO¡¯s office of Simpo Co, his closets were filled with various brands of womens clothing, varying


    in color, season, and style.


    Julie felt a sting in her eyes as she looked at all the things he had carefully prepared for other women.


    She subtly shifted her gaze and said expressionlessly, ¡®Goodnight, Mr. Hernandez¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t pick out any clothes Kieran casu beda


    of pajamas and handed them to her.


    Julie didn¡¯t take it. Since Kieran was blocking her wearing other people¡¯s clothes.¡±


    she had


    After hearing Julie¡¯s exnation, Kieran couldn¡¯t help choice but to say, ¡°Thank you for your kindness,


    Mr. Hernandez. But I¡¯m not used to


    someone else?


    He leaned against the door frame, blocking her only exit.


    a closet full of clothes for her, yet she thought they belonged to


    Then he asked, ¡°How do you know these clothes belong to someone else.


    Julie had seen these clothes. They were all Bertha¡¯s size.


    She calmly lifted thebel of the pajamas, then said to Kieran, ¡°If I recall correctly, this should be


    Bertha¡¯s size. Last time, I saw half of the space in your office wardrobe filled with clothes of the same


    size. Am I wrong?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°No, you¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    Julie felt a pang in her heart


    She took a deep breath, Then¡­¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t be sure of Kieran crossed his arms and leaned against the door. He didn¡¯t


    wait for Julle to speak and continued.


    Julie looked at the man in front of her, quietly waiting for his exnation.


    His deep eyes swept over Julie¡¯s calm face. These clothes are indeed all the same size, but I don¡¯t


    know if this is Banha¡¯s size. However, you can think


    about whether this size fits you!


    Julie had taken two sets of clothes from Kieran. As Kieran said this, she suddenly had a moment of


    rity


    She and Bertha wore the same size! They used to be very close and often exchanged clothes.


    If Kieran hadn¡¯t just reminded her of this, she might never have realized that these clothes were


    specially prepared for her by Kieran


    Julie looked at the champagne colored nightgown in her hand and was at a loss for words


    She refused to ept this fact in her heart No matter what Kieran said, she decided to remain silent


    But then Kieran suddenly walked out of the door, shutting the wardrobe behind him. He then turned to


    Julie, saying, ¡°Given the way you look right now, I could say anything and you wouldn¡¯t believe me


    What size shoes does Bertha wear?


    Julie was confused as to why he would ask such question, so she chose not to answer


    Kieran pulled out his phone and dialed Dn in front of Julie


    He turned on the speaker Dn¡¯s


    Dn didn¡¯t seem


    me to a midnigh


    What siz


    Dn on th


    shoes Be


    ??


    ¡°You do


    After Kieran¡¯s res


    if he didnt


    that


    e can


    ything


    edi


    through. Put the rubber pad under the deceased¡¯s head, and then stitch up the wound¡±


    mifying about what he just said, and he casually asked Kieran, ¡°You¡¯re calling me sote, are you


    treating


    directly


    stunned, Tm busy dealing with a body in the middle of the night, and you¡¯re asking me what sum


    him apany Bertha to the grave


    So, in the end, Dn


    Before Dn could finish, the


    c hung up


    Dn red at his phone


    Kieran, who hung up the


    of shoes and ¡¤ ve them to Julie. ¡°Try these on¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t try them on insta


    Size 6 exactly her size


    she looked


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Kier


    1 forgot to ask Dn what


    Saying that Kieran


    out his phone


    to deal with Bertha¡¯s body which Julie knew. He should


    her bra size, so she rushed over and snu


    Let me call him again.¡±


    Dn was the first


    Julie took one look and realized that


    curate.


    urement of Bertha¡¯s body


    phone


    Kieran didn¡¯t rush to get his phone back, instead, he looked down at Julie saying ¡°Be good, give me


    back my phone call Dn to confirm if Bartha¡¯s bust size is the same as yours¡±


    Julie threw the bra into the wardrobe


    were a hot potato. She weakly


    Kieran looked at Julie meaningfully as the corner of his mouth curled up into a teasing smile


    Julie thought that was the end of it, but she seemed to be too nav


    Kieran turned around, reached out his finger, and pulled out a pair ofce panties. ¡°Should I call and


    ask about this?¡±


    Julie immediately snatched the panties from Kieran¡¯s hand, then threw the phone into hisp, quickly


    turned around, and said in a conceding manner, Tm going to take a shower¡±

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Chapter 97


    In the bathroom, Julie was still pondering what had just happened. The clothes in his office and the


    wardrobe at Noblewood Retreat were all her size, if the size of the clothes could possibly belong to


    Bertha, the size of the shoes was unexinabile, right? And then there was the underwear¡­


    Julie looked at the pajamas ced on the sink. Although she kept telling herself not to fully believe


    Kieran, she already had a certain answer in her heart.


    After taking a shower, Julie didn¡¯t put on the pajamas right away but just nkly stared at them.


    Kieran walked into her room at some point. She heard Kieran¡¯s maic voice from outside the door, 1


    put the hairdryer on the table¡±


    Julie hesitated and didn¡¯t say a word


    ¡°Julie?¡± He called her, ¡°You¡¯ve been in there for half an hour, did you fall asleep?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t slept yet.¡± Julie quickly replied, fearing he would barge in any secord


    She quickly grabbed the pajamas to put them on, but her hand trembled, and the clothes fell on the


    ground, causing the damp floor to quickly wet the silk pajamas.


    Annoyed, Julie bent down to pick up the clothes from the floor and shook them, but found that they


    were so wet that water could be wrung out of them.


    She quickly grabbed a towel to wrap herself in, and then called out to the door, ¡°Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s voice came quickly from outside the door.


    Julie¡¯s voice echoed from the bathroom, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you can leave after you put down the


    hairdryer¡±


    Was she trying to rush him out?


    ¡°On the way to Starlight Haven Hotel for dinner with Elliot today, weren¡¯t you talking about Creative


    Nexus Media? I have time now. Come out and let¡¯s talk property Kieran had already sat down on the


    edge of the bed, picking up a magazine to browse through,


    Julie was utterly confused in the bathroom.


    Was he going to talk about work instead of sleepingte at night?


    Would something unexpected really happen if they were alone together at night?


    Julie reluctantly threw the wel pajamas on the sink, then said to Kieran outside the door, Mr.


    Hernandez, I need to rest. We can talk about work Tomorrow!¡±


    Rest? Rest in the bathroom? Kieranzily asked from outside the door.


    Julie had no choice but to say. Til rest when you leave.¡±


    ¡®If you don¡¯te out in three seconds, I¡¯ming in I cant guarantee what will happen in such a small


    space¡±


    This was a tant threat!


    ¡°One, two¡­¡±


    When Kieran counted to three, Julie hurriedly pushed open the bathroom door.


    As he looked at the woman wrapped in a towel standing at the bathroom door, Kieran finally


    understood why she had been lingering in the bathroom for so long and hadn¡¯te out.


    ¡°Where are your pajamas?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re wet.¡± Julie replied


    This woman had always been a bit careless. How could he forget?


    ¡°Come here¡± Kieran said. ¡®Firste and talk to me about work, then you can go and choose clothes.¡±


    ¡°Cant! go and choose clothes first, thene and talk to you about work?¡± Julie felt that the order


    Kieran mentioned was a bit illogical.


    Kieran put down the book in his hand, and his gazended on Julie¡¯s face, ¡°You can, but once you


    enter my room, it won¡¯t be easy for you to get out. So think about it, do you want to change clothes first,


    or talk to me about work here?¡±


    He was basically warning her to behave and follow his arrangements


    Julie gave in eventually. She looked at Kieran and said, ¡°Could you wait for me to dry my hair first?¡±


    ¡°Drying your hair? Kieran looked at Julie with interest. Her wet hair was casually falling on her


    shoulders, and crystal-clear droplets of water were gathering on her chest from her shoulders.


    He had to admit that this view was indeed pleasing to the eyes.


    Kieran didn¡¯t mind taking a few more nces


    ¡°Are you so eager to dry your hair because you¡¯re afraid you look too tempting when you¡¯re wet?¡¯ He


    seemed to be in a good mood.


    Julie¡¯s lips curled into a faint smirk, Tempting? If I were truly that tempting, you wouldn¡¯t have cheated


    on me back then¡±


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for Kieran¡¯s approval. She turned around and took the hairdryer from


    Kieran¡¯s bedside table, ready to dry her hair in the


    bathroom


    But the man lying on the bed directly snatched the plug from her hand and plugged it into the socket


    next to the bedside table, ¡°Just dry here! So you won¡¯t stay in the bathroom and nevere out again.¡±


    Julie simply swept her hair to one side


    Kieran moved a bit to the other side of the bed, making room for Julie.


    Julie didn¡¯t fuss, and she just sat down on the bed.


    She lifted the hairdryer above her head and started drying her hair. The noise from the hairdryer


    completely covered up Julie¡¯s slightly elerated


    heartbeat


    She swept all her hair to the left, exposing her entire shoulder. Her shoulder de gently protruded as


    she raised her arm.


    Julie was no longer the naive girl from five years ago, but she was indeed thinner than before.


    After looking at her frail body, Kieran started to doubt for the first time whether his decision back then


    was really right.


    He was dumbfounded for a moment, then suddenly reached out towards Julie, snatching the hairdryer


    from her hand


    Julie was caught off guard. She obviously didn¡¯t expect Kieran to be so petty as to snatch her hairdryer,


    so when Kieran took away the hairdryer, she turned back and looked at him in astonishinent.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Are you deliberately dawdling? Do you n to talk to me all night?¡±


    Although heined, his hands didn¡¯t pause at all, and he started to dry her hair skillfully


    His gentle touch initially made Julie feel a bit restless, but she soon started to think about how this man


    was not a hairdresser, yet he had such rich experience in helping women dry their hair. She didn¡¯t know


    how many women this man had helped dry their hair. Did he often use this method to seduce women?


    Therefore, Julie¡¯s heart gradually calmed down


    The noise from the hairdryer was loud. Even if she spoke now, Kieran definitely wouldn¡¯t hear


    So Julie remained silent, quietly letting Kieran help her dry her hair.


    Time seemed to fly in this quiet moment. In no time at all, Kieran had finished drying Julie¡¯s hair.


    He put the hairdryer aside and then flipped up the covers, saying to Julie, ¡°Hop in.¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be discussing work? Let¡¯s just talk here!¡±


    ¡°The air conditioning in this room is broken. You¡¯re sitting on the floor wearing clothing so thin that you¡¯ll


    definitely catch a cold. And then you wont be able to appear in court tomorrow, right?¡±


    It was autumn now, and the temperature difference between day and night was already pretty big. Plus,


    with the heavy rain outside, it was indeed getting a bit chilly. But in such a big vi, why was it that only


    the air conditioning in her room was broken?


    Just as Julie was pondering this, Kieran suddenly said in a mysterious tone, Or are you¡­ purposely


    exposing your body in front of me?¡±


    Even though she knew Kieran was just teasing, Julie didn¡¯t hesitate to get under the covers and wrap


    herself up:


    But Kieran clearly had no intention of leaving. Julie had no choice but to turn her head and say to


    Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can you please get off the bed?¡±


    Who knew that the shameless guy would actually flip up the covers, revealing one of his long legs, and


    then said, ¡°I¡¯m only wearing a robe, no pants. If I catch a cold, you won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    At this moment, Julie felt that ¡®shameless¡¯ was not enough to describe his behavior.


    So she decided not to waste time arguing about this. She wanted to finish discussing work as soon as


    possible and get some sleep.


    So she said directly to Kieran, ¡°Tomorrow is the court hearing. You don¡¯t have to appear. The specific


    compensation has already been detailed in the previouswsuit. As for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I have to appear?¡± Kieran suddenly cut Julie off.


    ¡°This is not a divorce case, so the parties don¡¯t necessarily have to be present. Besides, you have


    many things to deal with every day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already made the decision for me so quickly? Julie, tell me, what are you to me?¡±


    So she was meddling?


    ¡°As awyer, aren¡¯t you a bit foo concerned about me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Of course, if you want to appear in court tomorrow¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Since this case is public, I guess I won¡¯t appear then!¡± Kieran said casually.


    Julie really wanted to p him hard


    In the end, she managed to control herself. In that case, after I defend you tomorrow, all you need to do


    is wait for the judge¡¯s verdict. Don¡¯t worry, this case is notplicated I believe you will definitely get


    the result you expect. At that time, my job will be done. Our working rtionship, if nothing unexpected


    happens, should end starting tomorrow. And then¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she noticed that Kieran had already closed his eyes.


    She hadn¡¯t finished reporting work yet!


    ¡°Hey!¡± Julie gently pushed Kieran¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Wake up! If you want to sleep, go back to your own


    room!¡±


    She thought she had pushed him quite hard, but Kieran didn¡¯t react at all


    She could only lightly p his face. ¡°Kieran!¡±


    He seemed to feel someone pping his face, so he grabbed Julle¡¯s overly active hand and then pulled


    her into his arms, hugging her tightly.


    ¡°Kieran, let go!¡± Julie tried to push him away with her other hand, but he just pulled her even closer.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Chapter 98


    Kieran pressed Julie¡¯s face into his chest, making her listen to his strong heartbeat


    His steady breath flowed from above, and Julie felt her own heart begin to race. Her hands were tightly


    pinned to her chest, unable to move


    Julie opened her mouth and bit down on Kieran¡¯s chest.


    She thought he was pretending to sleep, and that¡¯s why she bit him so hard.


    ¡°Little wildcat..¡± Kieran gently stroked her hair, saying, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯m a bit tired. If you keep


    squirming around, I¡¯m afraid something might actually happen.¡±


    ¡°Then go sleep in your own room.¡± Julie¡¯s tone softened. She knew that fighting fire with fire wouldn¡¯t


    work on Kieran.


    However, she didn¡¯t know that a gentle approach was still ineffective. Even though her tone softened,


    Kieran had no intention of letting her go.


    He hugged Julie tightly. His voice sounded really tired. ¡°Be good, let me hold you¡±


    With that, his actions became gentler. He was holding her as if she were a precious treasure


    His voice was already fatally attractive to Julie. Hearing him say this made her heart seem to skip a


    beat.


    ¡°Kieran.¡±


    Julie called out but got no response.


    She firmly called out again, ¡°Kieran ¡°


    Kieran reached out and turned off the bedsidemp.


    ¡°Answer a question for me first.¡± In the dark, Julie finally mustered the courage to look up at Kieran.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± His gentle voice came from above, sounding genuinely tired.


    ¡°The person who said you were her brother-inw in the video call is she a rtive of Bertha?¡± Jule


    knew that, although Bertha was an orphan, she had always been looking for her rtives.


    Therefore, when she heard someone calling Kieran ¡®brother-inw, her first reaction was that the softly


    spoken woman must have something to do with Bertha In her memory. Bertha was a very gentle


    person


    Kieran knew Julie would ask this question.


    Hearing her somewhat nervous and cautious inquiry, Kieran gave her a positive response.


    ¡°Yes. Her name is Cami.¡±


    ¡°Cami¡­ Julie whispered. What a nice name


    She suddenly remembered Bertha¡¯s eyes staring at her before she died.


    Bertha was very beautiful, with apletely different beauty from Julie. Daphne once described Julie¡¯s


    beauty as a pearl, because only those with the patience to open the shell could see her stunning


    beauty. But Bertha¡¯s beauty was apparent, like a diamond. Even if ced among ordinary stones, her


    dazzling light couldn¡¯t be overlooked.


    Therefore, when Julie found out that Kieran had betrayed her and turned to Bertha, she had mixed


    feelings, but she could understand Kieran¡¯s choice. After all, everyone pursued beauty. Otherwise, she


    wouldn¡¯t have pursued Kieran so desperately.


    After all that happened, Julie only remembered Bertha¡¯s clear eyes looking at her before she died. It


    was as if she had never been tainted by the world.


    A thunderp came from outside the window, scaring Julie into tightly gripping the man beside her.


    This sudden embrace took Kieran by surprise. He suddenly remembered how, in past thunderstorms,


    Julie would always cling tightly to him, treating him as a lifesaver and never letting go.


    It was as if she were in the sea, on the verge of drowning, and he was her only lifesaving float.


    Every time there was a thunderstorm, Kieran would think of Julie who was afraid of thunder.


    He knew Julie was afraid of thunderstorms because, many years ago, on a stormy night, she lost her


    parents and her only sister became a vegetable. And on the day she gave birth, he personally said he


    would choose to save Bertha¡¯s child.


    Kieran gently patted Julie¡¯s back, soothing her


    It was just like the nights that they spent together many years ago.


    Julie¡¯s eyes suddenly became moist


    She remembered the days she spent with Kieran, the nights they spent together, and the things they


    said and did


    Outside the window, the thunder drowned out all the noise, making the entire room unusually quiet. So


    quiet that the sound of her sniffling was clearly audible.


    Julie¡¯s heart ached more and more as she remembered the past. She didnt know if it was the rainy


    night that made her vulnerable, or Kieran¡¯s presence that made her so sentimental.


    She gently leaned into his arms, no longer thinking about resisting, and said in a haze. ¡°Tell me, how


    did we end up like this?¡±


    Kieran knew Julle wasn¡¯t really expecting an answer, so he just kept holding her.


    Julie coveting this familiar embrace, stopped struggling.


    His voice suddenly came from above her head. He said, ¡°This is good too. You¡¯re in my arms, and I¡¯m


    in your heart.¡±


    Perhaps his embrace was tooforting, or perhaps she was really tired, but Julie eventually fell


    asleep in his arms, not even the thunder outside could wake her


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    It was a dreamless night, and Julie slept very well


    Julie was awakened by the rm clock. Because the Gilded Gate Residences were a bit far from


    where she worked, Julie set her rm for 6:50.


    When the rm went off, Julie¡¯s head was a bit muddled as she reached out to find her phone


    However, a strong arm came over her shoulder and, following her fingers, found the phone. The hand


    turned off the rm and then rested on her waist Kieran¡¯s head was on Julie¡¯s back. His eager breath


    sessfully dispelled any remaining sleepiness Julie had


    She suddenly turned around to look at Kieran behind her. What happenedst night suddenly came


    back to her.


    Julie tried to move his hand. Somehow, they ended up sleeping in the same bedst night.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early¡± Kierans voice rang in her ear.


    I¡¯ll make breakfast Julie found an excuse.


    However, Kieran firmly refused. He said, ¡°We¡¯ll go out for breakfastter. Sleep a little more.¡±


    In Julies mind. Kieran was not the type to sleep in. Once awake, he¡¯d be up and about. But why was he


    insisting on sleeping now?


    ¡°Go on and sleep. I¡¯ll go check on Ivan.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not waking up until eight. Don¡¯t bother him¡±


    ¡°How do you know he¡¯s not getting up until eight?¡± Julie turned around, not expecting him to suddenly


    get close.


    So, as she turned, her lips brushed against his.


    The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Julie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she dumbly watched the


    man¡¯s deep eyes slowly open He was staring at her


    ¡°Um¡­uh¡­¡±


    He suddenly bent down and lightly kissed her lips. It was a very shallow kiss, just a brief touch of the


    lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s me giving it back. Don¡¯t go stealing kisses from me, especially in the morning¡±


    ¡°That was


    Before she could finish, he bent down and kissed her again. ¡®Dont talk back to me, especially in the


    morning*


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Shhhh. Either sleep or keep kissing.¡± He put a finger to her lips, and she promptly bit that finger


    ¡°What? I kiss you, and you bite me?¡± He looked expressionless at his finger held in her mouth. The


    feeling of her mouth around it made his heart flutter. For some reason, Julie felt Kieran¡¯s gaze be


    a bit strange.


    She let go of his finger and pushed him away.


    But he reached out and pulled her back. ¡°Behave; don¡¯t move, don¡¯t make me do something


    excessive.¡±


    It was he who made the first move and who provoked her first. How was she making him do


    something?


    ¡°Should I sue you while I¡¯m in court today?¡±


    ¡°For sexual harassment? Kieran opened his eyes and gently touched her nose. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you


    defend yourself. I tell the judge honestly, it was me who shamelessly climbed into your bed, kissed you,


    held you, and then you bit me.¡±


    Julie felt she didn¡¯t need to be teased like this first thing in the morning.


    So she bit his shoulder, leaving a row of deep and shallow teeth marks without any hesitation.


    Then she looked at Kieran and spoke with satisfaction. ¡°Not only did I bite you I left necessary


    evidence!¡±


    After that, she asked him grumpily. ¡°Are you going to let go?¡±


    What if I don¡¯t let go? What will you do, bite me a few more times?¡± His eyes twinkled with amusement.


    ¡°Next time, remember to bite somewhere else.¡± ¡°I hope you have some self-respect.¡±


    He feigned a hurt expression and sighed. ¡°How did your attitude change so quickly? Did you forget


    aboutst night¡¯s tenderness after waking up?¡± Julie didn¡¯t answer, as she too began to recall the


    intimacy between themst night.


    Why did she feel her heart was starting to get out of control?

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Chapter 99


    As Julie was deep in thought, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.


    Julie and Kieran turned their heads simultaneously to see a hall asleep Ivan, eyes half-open, walking


    towards the bed.


    Kieran quickly rolled off Julie, then covered her headpletely with the nket. Only then did he say


    to Ivan, ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong room, buddy¡±


    Ivan squinted his eyes slightly. ¡®Dad, where¡¯s Mama Julie?¡±


    ¡°Dad?¡± Julie, who had been quietly hiding under the nket, suddenly threw it off and sat up,


    screaming


    Ivan, still half-asleep, was scared and sat down on his butt


    Kieran frowned and coughed at Ivan, Ivan nced at Kieran, then turned his gaze to Julie, finally


    widening his eyes. ¡°Oh my God! You guys are sleeping


    without me!¡¯


    Julie was speechless


    By now, Ivan had fully woken up. He got up from the carpet, patted his butt, and looked unhappily at


    Julie and Kieran, ¡°Cupid says that only people who like each other can sleep together. Cupid¡¯s parents


    sleep together, so Mama Julie, do you like Kerry?¡±


    His gaze made Julie feel cornered. She simply changed the subject, ¡°Kerry? Didn¡¯t you just call him


    Dad?¡±


    Bertha¡¯s child should be about the same age as this child. Suddenly, Julie thought what if Ivan was


    Kieran and Bertha¡¯s child?


    Kieran noticed the shocked look in Julie¡¯s eyes. He turned his head to look at Ivan, frowning.


    Ivan suddenly remembered his previous warning What if Mama Julie dislikes him because of this?


    Nervous, Ivan suddenly burst into tears, ¡°Wah¡­ I didn¡¯t call him Dad! Mama Julie, you heard wrong.


    My dad gave me to Kerry for my mom. Mama Julie doesnt love me either Wah. I don¡¯t have a mom


    anymore Wah.


    Kieran red at Ivan. This kid was quite the actor.


    Julie was initially deep in thought, but as soon as she heard Ivan crying, she immediately softened, and


    her eyes became much gentler.


    Kieran got out of bed, brought ?van to the side of the bed, and then ced him in the middle of the bed,


    covering him with the nket, ¡°Your dad made that sacrifice for your mom. When your dad and mom


    make up, you guys can be together again. By then, not only will your dad love you, but your mom will


    love you too!¡±


    Ivan knew that Kerry was saying this on purpose, but he still widened his eyes, looking at Julie next to


    him, and asked, ¡°What about Mama Julie? Will Mama Julie love me too?¡±


    Juliepassionately wiped Ivan¡¯s tears, but it seemed like his tears just wouldn¡¯t stop flowing.


    She quickly nodded, ¡°Of course will¡±


    Kieran grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to Ivan. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re a kid with a


    mom too. If you don¡¯t behave, your mom will spank you!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ivan innocently stretched out his little hands with his mouth wide open, portraying a scared


    expression.


    Julie gave Kieran a look, ¡°How could you educate a child like this? How could his mom possibly hit


    him?¡±


    Ivan¡¯s mouth was wide open, and Kieran touched Ivans two little fangs. ¡°You¡¯ve got two little fangs, so


    your mom definitely won¡¯t dare to hit you¡±


    Was it even possible to mislead a child like this? Julie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry


    Mr. Kennedy actually trusted Kieran to take care of his child. He wasnt afraid that Kieran would spoil


    Ivan.


    Kieran ruffled Ivan¡¯s hair, ¡°Be good, go wash your face and brush your teeth. Noah will take you to


    schoolter¡±


    ¡°What about Mama Julie? Ivan¡¯s mood changed quickly. He had just been crying, but now he was


    looking at Julie with reluctance.


    Kieran said. ¡°Mama Julie has to go to court today¡±


    ¡°Oh, then Kerry has to take her to court! You have to protect Mama Julie Ivan¡¯s serious look made Julie


    feel a warmth in her heart.


    But when she looked back at Kieran, she felt that Ivan had trusted the wrong person


    ¡°Got it.¡±Kieran put Ivan down on the carpet


    Ivan, fearing that Julie would have doubts again, began walking towards the door, saying. Tim going to


    call my dad and ask when he¡¯ll introduce me to my


    mom¡±


    In fact, he¡¯sad this for Kieran¡¯s benefit.


    Julie still felt that the whole thing was too much of a coincidence Julle had never seen photos of Kieran


    as a child, because Kieran¡¯s mother had burned all the photos of Kieran and Lucian as children and


    family photos before shemitted suicide. Julie didn¡¯t know what Kieran looked like as a child. But


    ever since she saw Kieran and Ivan sitting together on the sofast time, she felt that the two of them


    had an resemnce


    So, when Ivan said this. Julie¡¯s first reaction was to go along with Ivan to confirm Mr. Kennedy¡¯s identity


    So; Julie threw off the nket and said to Ivan, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Ivan, call your dad. I have something to


    say to him too.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Ivan hurriedly looked to his dad for help.


    Kieran winked at Ivan, Your dad just got back from abroad, he must be jetgged. Don¡¯t disturb him


    this early¡±


    ¡°Right¡± Ivan hurriedly nodded, then grabbed Julie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mama Julie, my dad works really


    hard, and he¡¯s also helping me pura my not disturb him this early¡±


    Julie thought what he said made sense, so¡­.


    ¡°Then give me your dad¡¯s phone number. I¡¯ll call him myselfter.¡±


    This was totally not cool! Ivan looked innocently at Julie. Whose phone number should he give to


    Mama Julie? If he really gave her Kerry¡¯s number, wouldn¡¯t that blow their cover?


    After seeing Ivan¡¯s pleading eyes, Kieran knew that if they didn¡¯t make this call today, their identities


    would definitely be exposed.


    Ivan¡¯s eyes became even more innocent. He naively turned back to look at Kieran, who was pulling out


    his phone, and asked, ¡°So¡­ Kerry, should I make the call or not?¡±


    *Since Mama Julie is insisting so much, you might as well call your dad and ask.¡± After saying this,


    Kieran handed the phone to Ivan, ¡°The call¡¯s already dialed.¡±


    Ivan let out a goofyugh and then took over. It was a phone number that didn¡¯t have a saved contact


    name.


    Julie was kind of looking forward to it. The moment the call connected, she desperately hoped that


    Kieran and Ivan hadn¡¯t lied to her.


    After a few rings, the call was answered.


    Ivan didn¡¯t give the person on the other end any chance to react and excitedly yelled, ¡°Dad, Dad, it¡¯s


    me, Ivan! I¡¯m your son! Did you miss me? I miss you! Have you sessfully wooed Mom yet? Dad,


    you have to keep going! Keep going!¡±


    Hayden, on the other end of the phone, looked at the caller ID. He had just received a text from Kerry.


    ¡°Do me a favor, don¡¯t ask why, just y along.¡±


    He was about to reply to ask for details when Kerry¡¯s call came in. He initially thought Kerry was calling


    to exin, but as soon as he answered, he got this lovely surprise.


    This was probably what Kerry was talking about.


    Hayden recognized Ivan¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t know why Ivan suddenly called him Dad, but he calmly


    responded, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ivan found the voice a bit familiar too.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Ivan asked with some nervousness. He gripped the phone tightly, afraid that Julie would hear


    the voiceing from the other end.


    Hayden answered, ¡°Anything else¡±


    Julie looked at Ivan¡¯s tightly held phone and extended her hand with a smile, ¡°Can I have a few words


    with your dad?¡¯


    Ivan was a bit anxious inside. Despite hearing the familiar voice of Hayden on the other end, he still


    looked at Kieran uneasily.


    Kieran nodded at him.


    Only then did Ivan say into the phone, ¡°Dad, Mama Julie wants to talk to you!¡±


    To prevent Hayden from not knowing who his Mama Julie was, he added, ¡°You know, it¡¯s Julle.¡±


    Julie was somewhat surprised. This was the first time Ivan had called her by ¡°Julie¡±.


    Wait¡­ so Ivan knew her name all along but purposely called her Mama Julie?


    Julie instantly turned to look at Ivan while he guiltily passed the phone to her.


    Julle reached out to take it, but ivan was reluctant to let go. In the end, Julie simply grabbed the phone


    and turned to walk outside the door, obviously trying to get away from Kieran and Ivan.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Chapter 100


    When Julie turned around with the phone and walked away, Ivan freaked out instantly. He immediately


    threw himself on the ground, grabbing Kieran¡¯s leg. ¡°Oh boy, Kerry, I¡¯m in deep shit! What if Mama Julie


    ditches me7¡±


    ¡°Calm down¡±


    Kieran coldly nced at Ivan, who was clinging to his leg. It was about time Ivan learned about the


    seriousness of situations. Otherwise, he would just keep messing things up all day. Ever since Julie


    showed up, Karl had to meet with his teacher almost every week. This kid always had others solve his


    problems. It was about time for him to learn his lesson.


    ¡°Calm down?¡± Ivan was agitated the moment he heard this. He quickly climbed up from Kieran¡¯s feet


    and red at him, ¡°You want me to calm down? If you don¡¯t get a divorce, how is Mama Julie not going


    to ditch me?¡±


    Kieran bent down and scooped Ivan up


    This action scared the hell out of Ivan. He pped his own face as quickly as he could, ¡°I was wrong!


    Kerry, I was wrong! Please don¡¯t make me practice writing!


    What a clever boy!


    Although he seemed to p himself hard, his movements were actually very gentle.


    Ivan knew that if Kieran pped him, it would hurt, but if he pped himself, he could control the force.


    So he didn¡¯t hesitate to p himself first.


    Kieran couldn¡¯t help butugh after watching his son be so smart,


    He picked up the tablet on the bedside table, plugged in the earphones, and put one in his own ear and


    the other in Ivan¡¯s ear.


    Just as Ivan was looking at Kieran in confusion, the conversation between Julie and Hayden came


    through the earphones.


    After Julie politely introduced herself, she asked Hayden, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, could you tell me your full


    name?¡±


    Mr. Kennedy?


    Hayden suddenly remembered the chat history between Kieran and Juke he had identally seen


    before. At that time, he mocked Kieran for only being able to chat with his ex-wife online. Now, the


    voice on the other end of the phone was obviously Julie¡¯s


    And Julie was calling him Mr. Kennedy. He remembered that the ID Kieran used when chatting with


    Julie was ¡°J Kennedy


    The favor Kieran needed from Hayden was probably to help him fie


    Kieran waspletely confident in Hayden¡¯s understanding and adaptability, which is why he entrusted


    this task to him.


    Hayden got the picture. However, naming was not his forte.


    He looked up and saw Julien, who was lying on the sofa and had already fallen asleep quietly


    Hayden smiled as he looked at the woman on the sofa. He lowered his voice on purpose and said to


    Julie, ¡°Jun.¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    He only thought about making things easier for himself. Didn¡¯t he know that Julie knew Julien?


    When she heard this name, Julie was obviously taken aback.


    Hayden seemed to be afraid that Julie would misunderstand him, so he repeated it. ¡°Yes, Julian,¡±


    Julie chuckled, ¡°What a coincidence. I have a good friend named Jullen.¡°


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Hayden nced at Julien and answered casually


    Hayden didn¡¯t know the purpose of Julie¡¯s call to Ivan¡¯s father, so as long as Julie didn¡¯t ask, he


    wouldn¡¯t speak. This was the safest way to avoid mistakes.


    Hayder¡¯s answers were wless and didn¡¯t sound like he was lying.


    Julie thought for a while and asked, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, you should also be at Noblewood Retreat now,


    right?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Instead of answering Julie¡¯s question, Hayden asked her directly about her


    intentions.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ If nothing unexpected happens, my coboration with Mr Hernandez will end today.


    Mr. Kennedy, you may not know this, but Mr. Hernandez is actually my boss I know Mr. Hernandez is a


    good friend of yours, but it¡¯s a little inconvenient for me to live at his ce¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to take care of Ivan anymore?¡± Hayden interrupted Julle. It seemed that Kieran had


    already tricked her into his house. But she was still thinking about leaving


    When Mr. Kennedy misunderstood her, Julie quickly said, ¡®No. Ivan is very adorable. If you don¡¯t mind, I


    am willing to continue taking care of Ivan. I¡¯m also very grateful that you allowed me to stay at the


    Gilded Gate Residences for a while. I was thinking about looking for a house after work today. If you


    don¡¯t mind, I would like to take Ivan to live somewhere else.¡±


    In the bedroom, Ivan looked innocently at Kieran, ¡°Dad, Mama Julie is leaving you. You¡¯re really


    pathetic.¡±


    This kid was really asking for it.


    Kieran waited for Hayden¡¯s answer on the other end of the phone.


    Hayden knew Kieran very well, so he naturally understood why Kieran wanted Julie to stay by his side.


    So when Julie made this request, Hayden tly refused, ¡°No.¡±


    This arsyer was sinct and left Julie at a loss.


    She frowned slightly. Before she could speak, she heard Hayden¡¯s exnation on the other end of the


    phone, ¡°Ms. Abraham, I¡¯m a businessman. The business world is like a battlefield, it¡¯s full of risks. I let


    Ivan live with Kieran to ensure his safety. I hope you understand.¡±


    Maybe Mr. Kennedy¡¯s enemies in the business world wanted to retaliate against him through Ivan.


    Julie could understand this. When the Abraham family was still prosperous, she had also been


    kidnapped by Padgett Abrahams enemies. Now that Mr. Kennedy said this, Julie had no reason to take


    lyan away. After all, Ivan¡¯s life was more important than her awkward rtionship with Kieran.


    And Mr. Kennedy sounded pretty firm about it.


    So Julie didn¡¯t push the subject any further and awkwardly said to Mr. Kennedy on the other end of the


    phone, ¡°Got it. Well, I hope you patch up things with your ex-wife soon¡±


    ¡°Patching up with his ex-wife¡±?


    What kind of scheme was Kieran up to?


    Hayden still sounded calm as he responded to Julie, ¡°Mmm.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Before he hung up, Julie said, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, I¡¯m more than willing to help you out. You really


    don¡¯t have to keep sending me gifts.¡±


    Kieran had sent her gifts before?


    Hayden said. ¡°Just keep them. There¡¯s no need to be shy¡±


    After all, it wasn¡¯t his money. Kieran was spending.


    With that, Hayden hung up the phone.


    When Julie turned around to go back to her bedroom, Kieran had already put his earphones away and


    was sitting on the bed, reading a magazine.


    Ivan was in Kieran¡¯s arms, pointing at a word in the book and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this word.¡±


    ¡°Ivan, go wash up and thene down for breakfast Julie nced at her watch and told Ivan, who was


    in Kierans arms.


    Ivan immediately climbed out of Kieran¡¯s arms and headed upstairs to his room.


    Jule was still wrapped in a towel. She had washed her clothes from yesterday, but they were still wet.


    She took them down and was about to blow dry them when Kieran got up, fetched a business suit from


    next door, and handed it to Julie, ¡°You have a court appearance today, right? As my legal


    representative, you can¡¯t just wear anything.¡±


    Since Kieran had put it that way. Julie didn¡¯t refuse. She thanked him and took the clothes to the


    bathroom to change.


    When Julie came out of the bathroom, all dressed, Kieran was no longer in the room.


    Julie opened the bedroom door to see Ivan standing there with a backpack, smiling.


    ¡°All set? I¡¯ll cook breakfast now. We¡¯ll have the butler drive you to school after Julie said.


    But Ivan just grinned and said, ¡°Kerry¡¯s already downstairs cooking¡±


    ¡°What?¡± At this news, Julie¡¯s voice shot up, startling Ivan so much that he almost dropped his


    backpack.


    ¡°I mean¡­ you don¡¯t have to cook, Kerry¡¯s downstairs¡­ Ivan didn¡¯t finish his sentence before Julie


    bolted down the stairs.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    What was going on?


    Ivans gut told him there was some backstory he wasnt aware of, so he quickly hoisted his backpack


    and wobbled after her.


    Kieran couldn¡¯t cook Julie remembered that after they got married, the first time Kieran tried to cook for


    her, he nearly burned the house down.


    She had been eagerly waiting for Kieran¡¯s home-cooked meal, only to hear a crash from the kitchen.


    She rushed over to see mes leaping from the pan and utensils scattered everywhere.


    Freaked out, Julie quickly grabbed a lid to smother the mes.


    After that, Julie never let Mr. Hernandez anywhere near the kitchen.


    That left a deep impression on Julie. So when she heard Kieran was going to cook again, she freaked


    out and rushed over.

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    Chapter 101


    But what Julie saw waspletely different from what she had imagined. The kitchen was not messy


    at all, but very tidy Kieran, d in a casual light grey home wear, was skillfully frying eggs in the


    kitchen, quite unlike the man she remembered


    Perhaps her intense gaze was too much for the egg-frying man, because he suddenly turned around


    and said to her, ¡°Come help me tie the apron.¡±


    Instead of heeding Kieran¡¯s instruction to get the apron, she strode into the kitchen ¡°Why don¡¯t I do II?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all dressed up. You shouldn¡¯t be in the kitchen. Be a good girl and bring me the apron. His voice


    sounded very appealing


    Seeing his insistence, Julie reluctantly turned around to fetch the apron. She used to live here and was


    very familiar with theyout of the vi. Even after Bertha moved in, not much had changed.


    Julie handed the apron to Kieran. ¡°Tie it yourself!¡±


    ¡°You have to help me, or the eggs will get burnt,¡± He said, holding the spat in one hand and leaning


    towards her.


    But Julie stood there, unmoving


    ¡°If my clothes get dirty, you¡¯ll have to pay for it,¡± He said


    The moment she heard about paying, Julie red up. ¡°Why should I pay if your clothes get dirty?¡±


    ¡°Because this egg is for you; He said matter-of-factly.


    He flipped the egg in the pan once more, then turned his back to Julie. ¡°Help me tie the apron¡± Julie


    had no choice but to help him.


    Then, Julie left the kitchen and went upstairs to grab her bag. Knowing that Kieran would arrange for


    someone to send Ivan to school, she quickly said hello to Noah and then left while Ivan and Kieran


    were still in the kitchen.


    Noah, in his fifties, was a highly trained butler who graduated from a professional butler college and


    was very well-versed in high society etiquette. As far as Julie could remember, Noah had always


    worked for the Hernandez family. He was one of the few people who supported her marriage to Kieran


    back then. After marrying Kieran, Noah had looked after her in many ways.


    Seeing Noah again made Julie feel very reassuring. She pulled out her phone and called a cab,


    /Wing the driver the address of the courthouse


    On the way, Julie watched Noblewood Retreat recede into the distance, and for the first time, she


    realized that five years could change a person so much. The man who used to be incapable of doing


    housework was now cooking skillfully She never thought a day woulde when she saw Kieran


    cooking elegantly in the kitchen.


    Indeed, people did change, but it wasn¡¯t her who charged him¡­..


    Back at Noblewood Retreat, when Kieran and Ivan emerged from the kitchen, Kieran holding the fried


    eggs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Julie? Kieran asked Noah.


    Julie


    ¡°as already gone


    Noah told him the truth. This didn¡¯t surprise Kieran at all. He knew Julle was avoiding him. He looked


    down at a somewhat disappointed Ivan. ¡°Eat up. Noah will take you to schoolter, Mama Julie will


    definitely be back tonight¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± At Kieran¡¯s promise, Ivan¡¯s eyes immediately it up. Only after seeing Kieran nod did Ivan


    quickly finish his milk.


    Kieran had no ns to attend court. This was something Julie had anticipated


    Today was also the first time Julie stood in court as awyer Porter from de Law Firm was there,


    even bringing Grant along to cheer for her.


    After exchanging pleasantries with Porter, he went to the restroom. Seeing Porter and Grante to


    support her, Julie was deeply touched. With a sincere smile, she said, ¡°Thank you for your support*


    Grant obviously knew about Porter using Julie to get the Kieran case, so he replied, ¡°I m truly here to


    support you, but Mr. Porter is probably here to watch the trial. I¡¯m sure your time at Simpo Co. hasn¡¯t


    been easy, right? I also think it¡¯s wrong for Mr. Porter to use you, even though he¡¯s my boss¡±


    ¡°Knowing he¡¯s your boss, how can you say that? Aren¡¯t you afraid hell fire you?¡± Julie was surprised to


    find someone standing up for her, and itforted her.


    The people from Creative Nexus Media soon arrived.


    The trial was practically a foregone conclusion. The judge ruled entirely in favor of Kieran¡¯s ims.


    Creative Nexus Media was utterly defeated. Not only did they have to pay a heftypensation, but


    they also had to publish an apology letter on the front page of their websites and newspapers for a


    month.


    Given Creative Nexus Media¡¯s current financial situation, thepensation alone was enough to


    bankrupt them. But what relieved Julie was not her first victory, but the fact that her contract with Kieran


    was over once the trial ended. She was finally free from the dangerous man that was Kieran.


    Julie had brought the contract she signed with him when she left in the morning. After the court


    proceedings, Porter suggested throwing a victory party for Julie


    However, Julie firmly declined. She told Porter, ¡°I need to go back to Simpo Co. first and inform Mr.


    Hernandez of the victory¡±


    Understanding Julie¡¯s eagerness to share the good news with Kieran, Porter nodded. ¡°Alright


    Julie took a cab to Simpo Co. Having been in the president¡¯s office every day recently, Julie practically


    faced no obstacles and made her way from the entrance of Simpo Co¡¯s building to the president¡¯s


    office.


    Right out of the elevator, she ran into Karl and Kieran. They seemed to be heading to the elevator.


    Afraid of missing her chance, Julie quickened her steps to reach Kieran and Karl,


    ¡°Mr Hernandez, I have something.¡±


    ¡°Did you win the case?¡± Kieran cut her off before she could say anything.


    Chapter 101


    Julie nodded, then said, ¡°I came today to talk about..¡±


    ¡°Get in.¡± Kieran had already entered the elevator. Karl followed him.


    It seemed that Kieran and Karl had ns to go out. Julie pondered a bit but ultimately decided to follow


    Kieran into the elevator.


    ¡°Did you tell Daniel? Kieran nced at Karl, asking.


    Karl quickly nodded. ¡°Everything¡¯s been arranged.¡±


    Tell me the schedule for the next few days, Kieran said


    From the moment they entered the elevator, Kieran and Karl¡¯s conversation didn¡¯t stop. Julie didn¡¯t


    have a chance to get a word in. By the time Karl had reported Kieran¡¯s schedule for the next few days,


    the elevator had reached the underground parking lot.


    It seemed like Kieran had only just noticed Julie¡¯s presence. As he walked out of the elevator, he said


    to Julie, ¡°We¡¯ll talk in the car.¡±


    Julie had no choice but to follow Kieran into the car. It wasn¡¯t until she was in the back seat that she


    finally had a chance to speak, ¡°I came today to talk


    about our contract¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve won the case, does that mean our coboration is over and the contract is automatically


    expired?¡± Julie pulled out the contract she had been carrying.


    Kieran took the contract, gave Julie a deep look, and then asked, ¡°And after the contract ends? What¡¯s


    your n?¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to work at Simpo Co. anymore. As for my future ns, that¡¯s my personal business.¡±


    Julie tried to make her tone sound friendlier.. She didn¡¯t know that no matter how friendly her tone was,


    as long as she was talking about this matter, Kieran wouldn¡¯t be pleased. She waited for a long time


    without a response from Kieran.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Julie had to take the initiative again. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, since you¡¯re not saying anything. I¡¯ll take that as


    agreement¡±


    ¡°Do you know what today is?¡± Kieran suddenly asked Julie.


    Julie waspletely stumped. She racked her brain. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s birthday, nor was it the


    memorable anniversary of Kieran¡¯s divorce. She couldn¡¯t think of why today would be special.


    Just as Julie was about to ask what was so special about today, Karl, in the front seat, said, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Kieran said to Julie, ¡°Let¡¯s get out. I¡¯ll tell you what today is. With that, he opened the door and got out


    of the car.


    Julie sat in the car, not moving. She was unfamiliar with this ce. Kieran had already gone around to


    her side of the car, helping Julie open the door. ¡°Come out.¡±


    Since he had said so, Julie couldn¡¯t continue sitting in his car, so she had to get out. Once she got out,


    Julie saw they were at the entrance of a shopping -mall. Before she could react, Kieran had already


    grabbed her hand and pulled her into the mall.


    Looking at Kieran¡¯s handsome but cold back, Julie couldn¡¯t help but frown¡­.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Chapter 102


    Kieran mentioned that Daniel was a stylist. After Kieran took Julie into the mall, he handed her over to


    Daniel. It was Julie¡¯s first time meeting Daniel, a hunk with dark eyes. His good looks were


    breathtaking, the kind that made women feel inadequate


    Julie was a bit confused. Daniel picked out a pink dress for her. He handed the dress to Julie and said,


    ¡°Babe, go try this on The fitting room is just around the corner to your right¡± He nced at his watch as


    he spoke, ¡°Sweetie, Im giving you three minutes. If you¡¯re not done by then, I¡¯lle in and help Off


    you go, darling¡± And with that, Jube was ushered into the changing room by Daniels assistant


    Looking at Daniel, Julie knew he was a man of his word. If he said he woulde in after three


    minutes to help her dress, he definitely would. Two assistants were standing outside the dressing room.


    Even though Julie didn¡¯t understand Daniel¡¯s intentions, she had no choice but to change.


    Outside, Kieran took the suit handed over by Karl and walked expressionlessly towards the men¡¯s


    fitting room. Daniel followed without hesitation. After ncing in the direction of the women¡¯s changing


    room, he smirked. Is that your ex-wife?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Kieran paused, asking.


    Daniel replied nonchntly. Who else would dare to express dissatisfaction with you, besides your ex?¡±


    ¡°You¡± Kieran red at Daniel..


    Daniel retorted seriously, ¡°I¡¯m only dissatisfied because I love you too much.¡±


    ¡°So my ex-wife was also dissatisfied because she loved me too much?¡± Kieran seemed quite pleased


    with this answer.


    Daniel said to Kieran, ¡°Shameless.


    ¡°You n on watching me change? Kieran asked.


    Daniel replied confidently, ¡°I n on appreciating you undress. Your ex is not as pretty as Bertha.¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°Superficial.¡±


    Finding no response, Daniel gave up on the topic and turned to leave.


    ¡®Babe, are you done? I¡¯ming in Daniel walked to the door of the women¡¯s changing room and


    shouted.


    Julie picked up the hem of her dress and walked out of the changing room. The pink one shoulder


    dress clung to Julie¡¯s curvaceous figure, revealing her round shoulders and beautiful corbones. The


    body-hugging design perfectly showcased Julie¡¯s figure. Her long hair casually fell on her shoulders.


    Julie wasn¡¯t very used to this style of dress, so she moved her messy hair to one side of her bare


    shoulders before looking at the slightly dumbfounded Daniel and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll change back¡­


    ¡®Don¡¯t move!¡± Daniel suddenly shouted at Julie. Julie instinctively stopped in her tracks.


    Daniel ced a pair of nude high heels in front of Julie, ¡°Here, put these on


    Tm here to see Kieran.¡± Julie felt like a doll. Whatever Daniel told her to do, she had to do. Surrounded


    by Daniel and his numerous assistants, Julie had no power to refuse. She had no idea what Kieran¡¯s


    intention was for bringing her here


    Danielpletely ignored Julie¡¯s confusion ¡°Babe, don¡¯t be mad. Your man is still waiting outside! Be


    good, put on the shoes first


    ¡°Why do you want me to wear such clothes and shoes? Julie held onto her dress and asked Daniel.


    Daniel finally realized that this girl had been duped intoing


    He immediately grinned ¡°Buing the stuff over!¡±


    Julie watched as an assistant walked over with arge makeup box from behind Daniel She felt an


    immediate resistance. She took a few steps back and looked at Daniel ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! I¡¯ll


    scream if you do


    ¡°Scream for who? I haven¡¯t even touched you. Why are you so worked up?¡± Daniel sat on the stool,


    confidently saying, ¡°Which current superstar hasn¡¯t had their makeup done by me? When Mr. Watson


    won the Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award, I did his makeup! The clothes Lionel wore at Paris


    Fashion Week were designed by me! Aren¡¯t you reassured yet?¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t doubt Daniel¡¯s rich experience, but she still had no idea why Kieran had her so dolled up.


    Seeing that Daniel was a tough nut to crack, Julie ultimately decided to cooperate with him. She sat on


    the makeup stool, allowing him to do as he pleased. ¡°Um¡­ sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Babe, call me Daniel,¡±


    ¡°Oh Daniel, do you know where Kieran.. where Mr. Hernandez is taking me next? Julie asked gently


    Daniel stopped what he was doing, looked at Julie intently, and asked, ¡®Do you think I look like Kerry?¡±


    Julie gave Daniel a serious look, then shook her head and honestly said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly I¡¯m not him. How would I know where he¡¯s taking you? Are you dumb?¡±


    Hearing Daniel casually call Kieran by his name, Julie asked, ¡°Daniel, are you close with Mr.


    Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Not close, but I know the man you call Mr. Hernandez is your ex-husband.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Julie was left speechless. She had never heard of Daniel before, so she asked again, ¡°So, you know a


    lot about him?¡±


    ¡°If you have something to ask, just ask. Stop beating around the bush,¡± Daniel said.


    Julie didn¡¯t hold back and asked Daniel, ¡®Do you know his son¡¯s name?¡¯


    Daniel looked at Julie in surprise. ¡°What? Kerry has a son?¡±


    Julie Took the lipstick from Daniel¡¯s hand, skillfully applying it to her own lips, then turned back to


    Daniel with a smile. Seems like you¡¯re not as close with him as you thought¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg, right? Daniel asked Julie, a tad unwilling to admit it.


    Julie shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just messing with you.¡± After saying that, she handed the lipstick back to him


    and then turned to walk towards the door.


    ¡°No way!¡± Daniel quickly blocked her path. Tell me, does Kerry really have a son? I can tell you a secret


    in return, how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your secrets. Can you move now, Daniel?¡±


    ¡°What if I say the secret is about you?¡± Daniel asked.


    Julieughed nonchntly, seemingly unbothered. ¡°Still not interested.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one stubborn woman. Are there lots of women¡¯s clothes, shoes, and bags in Kerry¡¯spany


    and at Noblewood Retreat? Don¡¯t you want to know who they¡¯re for?¡±


    Sure enough, Daniel¡¯s words made Julie subconsciously stop in her tracks. Yeah, she was the type to


    say one thing and mean another.


    Daniel stepped back in front of Julie, saying, ¡°I met Kerry five years ago. That was when you had just


    divorced, but I didn¡¯t find out about his ex-wife untilter. You know Bertha, right?¡±


    ¡°So, all those clothes belong to Bertha?¡± Julie asked instinctively. That¡¯s what she had been


    suspecting. Even though Kieran had denied it, she still had her


    doubts.


    Daniel shook his head. You¡¯re overthinking it. At first, I thought like you, that Kerry was spoiling his


    girlfriend with all sorts of clothes every year. I also thought Bertha was his girlfriend. After all, that was


    the general assumption. But¡­¡±


    Here, Daniel paused, then continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t until Bertha came to my store to pick clothes that I


    realized, those shoes and bags didn¡¯t suit her taste at all. I didn¡¯t dare to bring it up in front of Bertha. It


    wasn¡¯t until she told me herself that I found out Kerry had an ex-wife. Bertha very honestly told me that


    she wasn¡¯t his girlfriend, and that he still loved his ex-wife a lot. She assured me that Kerry and his ex-


    wife would definitely get back together I didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but I knew that all those


    clothes, shoes, bags, and essories were all set aside for you. Every year when the seasons


    changed, he would rece the clothes in the wardrobe with thetest styles. He¡¯s been doing this for


    the past five years. You¡¯re really lucky to have met a man like Kerry¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Chapter 103


    Some of those clothes were handmade by Bertha herself? And Bertha was sure she and Kieran


    Hernandez were getting back together? From what angle was sheing from to say that?


    Julie stood frozen, finding it hard to imagine. Since her divorce five years ago and her recent run-in with


    Kieran, things were spiraling out of control, like vines wrapping tighter and tighter. Even the things she


    was once sure of were starting to go haywire. From the moment Bertha leaped to her death in front of


    her, everything changed


    All of the past tangled up like a ball of yarn, making Julie feel all kinds of messed up.


    Daniel clearly didn¡¯t give two hoots about what Julie was thinking now. He locked at Julie excitedly and


    asked, ¡°So you¡¯re saying Kerry has a son? Is that for real?¡±


    Only then did Julie snap back to reality and looked at Daniel, asking. ¡°Do you think I look like him?¡±


    Im not him, how would I know if he had a son? If you¡¯re so curious, go ask him yourself! Julie shot back


    quickly.


    Watching Julie turn to find Kieran, Daniel finally got why Kieran had married Julie They were birds of a


    feather.


    As Julie picked up her skirt and walked out, Kieran was already dressed and sitting on the couch


    waiting for her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Kieran casually slipped his phone into his pocket, stood up, and headed for the door.


    By the time Julie, in her high heels, caught up, Kieran was already in the car Karl stood by the car door,


    opening it for Julie and respectfully said, ¡°Please get in the car, Mrs. Hernandez¡±


    Karl had just managed to kick the habit of calling her that, and now he had to pick it up again. Julie


    didn¡¯t get in the car, but stood by the door asking Kieran, ¡°Where are you nning to take me?¡±


    ¡°Get in, and I¡¯ll tell you¡± The man¡¯s deep voice came from inside the car


    Julie hesitated. She didn¡¯t immediately get in the car, but firmly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t say I wont get in¡±


    ¡°No contract talk then. If you get in, you¡¯ll at least have half an hour to discuss the contract with me¡±


    As a businessman, there was a reason why Kieran was sessful. For instance, he always knew


    exactly how to hit where it hurt. After Daniel¡¯s talk, Julie almost forgot why she came all this way with


    Kieran.


    But with Kierans reminder, she immediately remembered. She had followed Kieran all the way to


    Daniel¡¯s for the contract. How could she forget her original purpose?


    No matter what Kieran¡¯s n was, he wouldn¡¯t kill her, right? Thinking about this, Julie nced at Karl


    and she got in the car


    Just as the car door closed and before the car could start, Julie couldn¡¯t wait to start talking to Kieran,


    ¡°About our contract¡­


    ¡°What did Daniel tell you? Kieran cut her off


    All of Julie¡¯s questions were suddenly stuck in her throat like a fishbone, unable toe out. After a


    moment of silence, she found her voice again. ¡°I asked him where you¡¯re taking me. He said he didn¡¯t


    know.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± The mans slightly raised tone clearly didn¡¯t believe Julie¡¯s words. Julie felt like Kieran


    was a mind reader and was always able to see through her lies unknowingly


    But Julie didn¡¯t exin, and asked Kieran instead, ¡°So where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°To a hotel, to get a room, and sleep, the man said.


    Julie was stunned for a second, then suddenlyughed. ¡°You want me to go to a hotel with you to


    sleep, while I¡¯m dressed in a gown and high heels, with makeup on? When did your hobbies be


    so unique?¡±


    Obviously, Julie didnt believe Kieran would take her to a hotel to sleep now, so she was still


    comfortably sitting next to Kieran, but she never expected the car to actually stop at a hotel.


    Julie leaned on the car window and saw the Starlight Haven Hotel, Karl, in the passenger seat, had


    already gotten out to open Kieran¡¯s door. Julie was scared, immediately grabbing Kieran¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Scared? The mans mouth curled into a teasing smile.


    Julie let go of Kieran¡¯s hand, then pointed to the Starlight Haven Hotel outside the car window and


    asked him, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Taking you into the hotel?¡± He deliberately asked an extra question, then put on a thoughtful look,


    finally giving her a confirmed answer. ¡°Yes, I am


    serious¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Julie replied, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of getting out of the car with Kieran.


    Instead, she took out her phone from her bag


    Kieran got out of the car but noticed Julie didn¡¯t follow. He looked back at the car. The woman was


    holding her phone, silently dialing the emergency number.


    Kieran bent over again, half his body in the car, and snatched Julie¡¯s phone. He hung up the


    emergency call that hadn¡¯t been connected and tossed Julie¡¯s phone to Karl, then looked at Julie and


    said, ¡°Get out of the car¡±


    I¡¯m not getting out.¡± Julie was firm


    Kieran helplesslyughed. His tone softened, like coaxing a child. ¡°Get out. I¡¯m not taking you to get a


    room.¡±


    Then why are we at a hotel? To watch other people get rooms?¡± Julie instinctively asked.


    Kieran rested one hand on the car door leaned over to look at Julie, and said, ¡°We beat Creative Nexus


    Media. As your client, I should treat you to something nice.¡±


    pter


    ¡°Really?¡± Julie¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, looking at Kieran.


    ¡°Of course, if you want to get a room, I can satisfy you.¡± he straightened up, raising an eyebrow at


    Julie.


    Julie wriggled out from under his arm, gave him a yful smile, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s grab a bite! Can we


    talk about the contract over dinner?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you get the chance, Kieran replied, closing the car door, and heading towards the hotel.


    Julie followed behind Kieran, catching up to say, ¡°I mean, now that we¡¯ve knocked Creative Nexus


    Media out of the park, my job here is done, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got lipstick on your teeth, Kieran intercepted, stopping in front of the elevator, and pointing to


    Julie¡¯s red lips.


    Julie smirked confidently, ¡°No way!


    Kieran pulled out his phone, using the ck screen as a mirror. Julie gasped as she saw the lipstick


    stain on her teeth.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie was speechless. Having lipstick on your teeth is awkward, and the way he pointed it out was so


    blunt. There were loads of people around them, all dressed up and waiting for the elevator Julie shot


    Kieran a re, then mped her mouth shut.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t have epted that lipstick from Daniel. With its deep color, it wasn¡¯t surprising


    it got on her teeth, but the snickers from the crowd were downright embarrassing.


    Julie followed Kieran into the elevator, tucking herself into a corner. The elevator started to fill up.


    Kieran had initially been standing next to Julie, but at some point, he had subtly moved to stand in front


    of her, facing her directly.


    The atmosphere was tense. Julie, in her heels, was at the same height as his Adam¡¯s apple. All she


    had to do was look up slightly to meet Kieran¡¯s gaze The proximity was too much. Julie quickly averted


    her eyes


    When the elevator doors opened again, all the fancy-dressed people got off on this floor Kieran


    casually took Julie¡¯s hand and ced it on his arm, leading her out of the elevator


    The elevator stopped at the twenty-ninth floor lobby Julie shot Kieran a nce, then yanked her hand


    away from his arm, covering her mouth. ¡°I need to


    use the restroom.¡±


    ¡®Sure¡±


    Julie hurried off to the restroom, with Kieran trailing behind leisurely


    Inside the restroom, Julie wiped off all her lipstick before washing her hands.


    5. Just as she was pondering how to discuss the contract with Kieran, a familiar female voice rang


    out next to her, ¡°I thought I was seeing things, but it really is you? You¡¯re looking a lot prettier than


    before¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t expect to run into Adeline. Adeline looked stunning in a fiery red gown that perfectly hugged


    her curves. Her long, wavy hair reached her waist, and her bright red lipstick gave her an alluring aura


    that was hard to ignore


    Julie always knew Adeline was a head-turner. She gave Adeline a smile and a nod, then made to


    leave. But a light orange lipstick caught Julie¡¯s eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s brand new, the color is more natural and matches your outfit perfectly¡± Adeline said.


    Julie appreciated Adeline¡¯s kind offer, but declined, Thanks, but I dont need it¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Adeline asked, already opening the lipstick. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m good at this!¡±


    Julie quickly stopped Adeline. Til do it myself¡­¡±


    So, Julie found herself reapplying lipstick in front of the mirror.


    Adeline leaned against the sink, watching Julie ¡°That old car you hit, I¡¯ve already gotten rid of it. Didn¡¯t I


    tell you not to You¡¯re transferring money to me every month, doesnt that get tiring?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Julie replied with a smile.


    Adeline didn¡¯t press the issue further, instead, she asked, ¡°Are you here for Elliot¡¯s engagement party,


    too?


    worry about paying me back?

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    Chapter 104


    Engagement party?¡± Julie looked at Adeline with confusion.


    Adeline looked back at Julie with disappointment. That¡¯s a shame. I thought you were here to stir up


    the engagement party! Turns out it¡¯s just a coincidence¡±


    ¡°Elliot¡¯s getting engaged today?¡± Julie was taken aback by the news


    Adeline just shrugged it off. ¡°Elliot doesn¡¯t know yet, but that¡¯s what our grandfather¡¯s nning. nca,


    the daughter of Luminary Solutions, has been chasing Elliot for years. I dont know how she won


    Grandpa¡¯s heart, but he ns to use this asion to force Elliot into an engagement with her.¡±


    ¡°Force him.¡± Julie repeated softly


    While checking her makeup in the mirror, Adeline said, ¡°The n is to trick Elliot here, then announce


    the engagement right in front of the media! I heard that¡¯s how Elliot proposed to you¡±


    So today at the Starlight Haven Hotel, Elliot¡¯s grandfather Raymon and his parents were nning to


    trick Elliot?


    Julie looked at Adeline. If Adeline knew, then only Elliot would be in the dark. ¡°You¡¯re just going to


    watch Elliot get tricked?¡± Julie asked Adeline. Despite their outward disagreements, Julie knew that as


    twins, they cared for each other.


    Adeline smiled at Julie. ¡°Do I even need to answer that? If he¡¯s not getting married, I am. I certainly


    can¡¯t help with this.¡±


    True siblings indeed.


    Adeline could tell what Julie was thinking. She patted Julie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you¡¯re not here to cause


    trouble, but given Elliot¡¯s deep feelings for you, I¡¯ll leave the task of rescuing him to you.¡±


    With that, Adeline straightened her skirt and walked out with her head held high. Then Julie heard a


    gasp, Kieran? You came with Julie?¡±


    Although Adeline had a delicate face, her voice was forceful


    Julie quickly pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out. Kieran was standing quietly in his suit


    by the bathroom door, seemingly waiting for her.


    Ever since Adeline found out that Julie was Kierans ex-wife, she had cut off all contact with Julie. In her


    anger, Adeline told Julie not to worry about. paying for the car she had damaged, because she didn¡¯t


    want anything to do with Julie anymore.


    But clearly, Adeline wasnt one to hold grudges


    Adeline at the door nced at Kieran and then at Julie. Finally, her eyesnded on Julie¡¯s face. ¡°Are


    you two back together?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t want to know. Anyway, I won¡¯t be blessing you¡± Adeline red at Kieran. ¡°You¡¯re


    blind for not choosing me.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh


    Kieran¡¯s response was brief, seeming not to care about Adeline¡¯s words. He gently pulled Julie towards


    him, then lowered his head to gaze at Julie¡¯s lips. ¡°The color looks good.¡±


    Julie awkwardly nced at Kieran


    Adeline interjected. That good looking lipstick is sponsored by me. If you¡¯re blind, you can get treated.


    Once you¡¯re cured, remember to find me ¡±


    ¡°Il pass on the treatment, Kieran said


    The conversation was kind of funny. Julie tried to hold back herughter.


    Annoyed, Adeline told Julie, ¡°Anyway, whether Elliot can be happy or not is up to you. You figure it out!


    After giving Kieran another re, she turned and left


    Julie tried to follow, but Kieran easily lifted his arm, pinning her against the wall.


    ¡°What does Elliot¡¯s happiness have to do with you? The man looked down at Julie, a smile on his lips


    that was hard to interpret.


    Julie faced Kieran, looking directly into his eyes. ¡°Of course Elliot¡¯s happiness has to do with me.¡±


    With that, she ducked under his arm. ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason you brought me here today to watch Elliot get


    engaged to the daughter of Luminary Solutions? Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t want to miss the best part of the


    show and waste your good intentions!¡±


    She was angry


    Today was a banquet held by Ray Group and Luminary Solutions to celebrate their strategic


    partnership, Kieran did bring Julle here to attend the banquet, but he really didn¡¯t know about Bianca


    and Elliot¡¯s engagement at the banquet. He didn¡¯t expect such a thing


    Kieran followed Julie into the venue at a leisurely pace. Soon, Kieran was surrounded by people


    coming to pay their respects


    Julie was pushed out by the crowd, but she was happy to be free and rxed. Adeline¡¯s words kept


    echoing in Julie¡¯s ears. Elliot¡¯s happiness was up to


    her.


    Just now, Kieran asked her what Elliot¡¯s happiness had to do with her. Julie said it did, just to argue


    with him. Actually, at that moment, she thought that Elliot¡¯s happiness indeed had something to do with


    her. If Elliot hadn¡¯t met her, he might have been happier than he was now.


    But today, Elliot was about to be hitched to a woman he didn¡¯t love. Julie couldn¡¯t just stand by and let


    this happen, so she wanted to send Ellot a warning message. But then, she remembered that her


    phone had been handed over to Kieran by Karl. She didn¡¯t know Elliot¡¯s number off the top of her head,


    and Karl wasn¡¯t in the venue. In other words, she was totally cut off from Elliot


    Just then, a gentle voice came from the side. ¡°Are you Julie?¡±


    Hearing her name, Julie instinctively turned around. She saw a woman in a pink off-shoulder evening


    dress, a faint smile on her face, looking at her. This


    T


    was the first time Julie had ever been looked at like that. She subconsciously touched her face,


    wondering if her lipstick had gotten onto her teeth again.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Julie searched through her memory. She hadn¡¯t seen this woman before. If she had seen


    such a beautiful woman, she surely would have remembered


    The woman extended her hand with a smile, introducing herself, ¡°Hello, Ms. Abraham, I¡¯m Bianca. You


    might not know me, but I know a bit about you¡±


    ¡°Bianca Julie murmured, finally remembering that this was the woman Elliot was supposed to be


    getting engaged to, Bianca from Luminary Solutions.


    Bianca¡¯s hand was still in the air, waiting for Julie¡¯s response. Julie instantly reached out her hand. She


    was about to shake Bianca¡¯s hand when Bianca suddenly withdrew, leaving Julie¡¯s hard awkwardly


    hanging in the air. Looked like Bianca was deliberately trying to embarrass her. Julie paused for a


    moment, then pulled back her hand


    1 know Elliot likes you, Bianca stated bluntly. ¡°But after tonight, I¡¯ll be Elliot¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I¡¯d appreciate it if


    you could avoid showing up in front of Elliot. I might get a little touchy.¡±


    Julie was taken aback for a moment, then responded, ¡°Oh,


    Clearly, Bianca was pissed off by Julies simple reply. She red at Julie. I think I made myself clear. I


    want you and Elliot to keep your distance. What does your oh¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s amon exmation, a kind of response. Maybe you dont know what oh means because


    you grew up abroad,¡± Julie exined with a smile.


    ¡°You ¡°Bianca, indeed, grew up abroad. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have known Elliot, who also studied abroad,


    and she wouldn¡¯t have been so obsessed with him. Julies words left her speechless.


    Bianca couldn¡¯t think of a response to Julie¡¯s remark, so she just stared at her angrily. ¡°You¡¯re just a


    divorceel Elliot came back to check on you after your divorce. It was just a whim. Do you really think he


    would like a woman like you for the rest of his life?¡±


    Bianca must have been spoiled at home, so she had no qualms about insulting people. Julie was


    easygoing, but that didn¡¯t mean she would let Bianca walk all over her.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Though Bianca spoke quietly, Kieran, who had been watching Julie all along, noticed her approaching


    Julie. His cold gaze made those fawning people around him back off. As Kieran was about to step in,


    he heard Julie casually respond to Bianca. ¡°Maybe Elliot is blind, thats why he¡¯s into me, an old shoe


    someone else has worn, instead of you, a pair of brand new, luxurious high heels,¡±


    Though Julie seemed to be saying that Elliot had bad taste, anyone with half a brain could tell that Julie


    was actually mocking Bianca for being all sh and na substance.


    Bianca stared at Julie sharply With a smile on her face, Julie added, ¡°Old shoes are good because


    they¡¯refortable. High heels may look morous, but they might not be that practical. Don¡¯t you


    agree, Ms. Riley?¡±


    Perhaps realizing she couldn¡¯t argue with Julie, Bianca¡¯s gaze turned icy. Suddenly, she spilled a ss


    of red wine on herself and forcefully pushed the ss into Julie¡¯s hand.


    Before Julie could react, she already had the ss in her hand.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Chapter 105


    Julie reckoned Bianca was no rookie, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have managed to shove that ss into


    her hand so swiftly. That move was too damn


    smooth


    Before Julie could even react, a shriek from Bianca pierced her ears, ¡°Ah! How could you. nca,


    clutching her skirt, wore a look of utter shock and surprise as if Julie hadmitted a heinous act


    Seeing Bianca¡¯s convincing performance, Julie was surprisingly chilled out. Almost everyone was


    drawn in by Bianca¡¯s shriek. As soon as they saw the ss in Julie¡¯s hand, their imaginations ran wild


    ¡°What happened? Victoria. Elliot¡¯s mother, was the first to chime in. She looked sympathetically at her


    would-be daughter-inw, then shot Julie a frosty re.


    Victoria saw Julie as a gold-digger trying to get close to Elliot. After the trouble Julie had caused at her


    home and hitting Adelines car, Victoria had no love lost for her.


    Bianca, on the other hand, was ying the damsel in distress perfectly ¡°Mrs Sanches, I have no idea


    what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t even know thisdy. She just came up and sshed me with her wine¡­


    What a storyteller


    Julie watched Victoria and Bianca, curious about what would happen next.


    Victoria was clearly buying Bianca¡¯s story. She turned to Julie, ¡°How could you be so shameless? Not


    satisfied with seducing my son, now you¡¯re picking on my future daughter-inw¡±


    ¡°Daughter-inw Julie chuckled, ¡°Does your son know about this?¡±


    Julie was just trying to get justice for Elliot. She had thought that the heiress of Luminary Solutions was


    at least well-mannered, if not virtuous, and definitely wouldn¡¯t be so maniptive. But clearly, she was


    wrong. Now she understood why Adeline had told her about Elliot¡¯s engagement in the


    restroom.


    Victoria sneered at Julie, 1 nned to announce today that only Bianca is worthy of being my


    daughter-inw! Women like you, with no sense of shame, will never be a part of the Sanches family.¡±


    With that, Victoria added. ¡°If you don¡¯t apologize to Bianca today, dont me me for being rude! Where


    did this crazy womane from?¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡± Julie looked at the wine ss in her hand, responding with a smile cooler than a


    cucumber. ¡°How should I do that?¡±


    Bianca pretended to be concerned ¡®Mrs. Sanches, dont worry, I¡¯m fine¡­


    ¡°How can that be? I won¡¯t let you be wronged Victoria patted Bianca¡¯s hand, then turned her sharp


    gaze on Julie. ¡°How did you spill the wine on Bianca?¡±


    ¡°You want to see? Have her do it again.¡± Julie took ncas hand and shoved the wine ss back to


    her.


    Her cool, deep gaze made Bianca feel a bit guilty. But soon, she pointed at Julie with a wronged


    expression. ¡°You¡­ How can you nder me? It was clearly you who spilled the wine on me I dont


    even know you, how could you use me?¡±


    Julie didnt want to waste any more time here, so she turned to leave, but Victoria grabbed her hair.


    Kieran was in the crowd. He had wanted to give Julie a chance to handle it herself. He had respected


    her, but this silly woman was being bullied and even got her hair pulled.


    Everyone around was waiting to see Julie get a good scolding, Kieran paused for two seconds, calmly


    took a ss of wine from a waiter, and walked. towards Julie and Victoria.


    Julle was trying to free her hair when another scream rang out.


    ¡°Ah!! Bianca¡¯s scream startled Victoria into letting go of Julie¡¯s hair.


    Julie and Victoria both turned to look at Bianca.


    Just a moment ago, Biancas dress was stained with red wine. Now, even her face and hair were


    soaked. The wine dripped down her forehead and along her fake eyshes. Her delicate makeup


    instantly turned hideous


    Her beautiful hairstyle waspletely ruined. The wine had glued all her hair together, making Bianca


    look aplete mess.


    And the culprit was Kieran, who no one had expected. He was standing in front of nca with an


    empty wine ss, looking as calm as ever.


    Victoria clearly didn¡¯t expect Kieran to intervene. She looked at him in surprise. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, what


    are you¡­


    ¡°Just recreating the scene, Kieran replied as calmly as if he were discussing dinner. He handed the


    empty ss to Julie. She reached out to take it, but he pulled her to his side.


    Caught off guard, Julie looked up at Kieran, but before she could speak, Kieran said to Bianca, ¡°Your


    acting¡¯s not bad, but your tricks are a bit childish. If Attorney Abraham were to ssh wine on you, she


    wouldn¡¯t just aim for your dress¡±


    Clearly, what Kieran meant was that Julie did not spill the first ss of wine. If it had been her, she


    would have doused her And Kieran pulling Julie to his side just showed how close they were.


    Bianca stood there, awkwardly totally not expecting Julie and Kieran to be connected. Victoria was


    standing up for nca. Now that Kieran had spoken to Bianca like that, wasn¡¯t he also offending


    Victoria?


    How could Victoria take such an insult? She shot Julie a dirty look, then turned to Kieran and said, ¡°I


    heard you hired some Joe Schmowyer for your Creative Nexus Media deal. I bet that¡¯s her, right? Mr.


    Hernandez, she¡¯s a sly one. She¡¯s probably just after your money, so watch your back!¡±


    ¡°Oh Kieran¡¯s tone rose slightly. He turned and gazed at Julie with affection Julie met his gaze and


    remained silent.


    Kieran clearly didn¡¯t expect Julie to speak, so he just chuckled and asked, ¡°So, are you just after my


    money like Mrs. Sanches said?¡±


    After a brief pause, he said, ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m lucky I have a lot of it! With that, he reached out and


    gently brushed Julie¡¯s hair, which Victoria had messed


    1.


    Was this guy actually bragging about being rich? He had some nerve.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie was baffled by Kieran¡¯s antics. This was her mess; he should have steered clear, but instead, he


    jumped in. What was that about? When did he be such a white knight, standing up for Julie?


    Anyone with half a brain could tell what Kieran was saying. Even if Julie was just after his money, he


    was cool with it, even proud. Bottom line, this woman was under his protection!


    Victoria hadnt expected Kieran to respond like that and was momentarily flustered. Knowing she was


    no match for Kieran, Bianca could only grab Victoria¡¯s arm in distress, whining, ¡°Mrs. Sanches¡­¡±


    Bianca¡¯s pitiful act made even Julie feel sorry for her. Such a drama queen!


    Disrespecting Bianca was the same as disrespecting Victoria. Victoria quietly pried Bianca¡¯s hand off


    her sleeve and said to Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, this is between Ms. Abraham and Bianca. It¡¯s not really


    your ce to intervene¡­


    ¡°So, ording to you, even if you¡¯re yanking my girl¡¯s hair, I shouldn¡¯t get involved?¡±


    That statement caused quite a stir. Everyone started whispering and looking at Julle and Kieran in


    shock.


    Victoria looked at Kieran, then at Julie, then back at Kieran in surprise. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you and Ms.


    Abraham¡­ You might not know that Ms. Abraham is a


    divorcee?


    ¡°If I remember correctly, Mrs. Sanches, you and Mr. Sanches also have a blended family. Aren¡¯t you


    happy?¡± Kieran answered with a smirk.


    Everyone thought hiseback was killer. Victoria and Walker Sanches were also remarried. She had


    just mocked Julie for being divorced, forgetting she was in the same boat. If she admitted she was


    happy, wouldn¡¯t that be self-defeating? If she said she was unhappy, then her public disy of a happy


    marriage would be a sham. Either way, the whole Sanches family would be aughingstock. So,


    no matter how Victoria responded, she was screwed.


    Julie finally understood why Victoria was so determined to push her son into a corner. It was because


    Elliot wasn¡¯t her biological child¡­.


    Just as Victoria was silent, Raymon suddenly walked over with Elliot.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Raymon¡¯smanding voice came. He nced at the disheveled Bianca, then at


    Kieran and Julie standing across from him. Raymon¡¯s voice dropped as he said to Victoria, ¡®Aren¡¯t you


    embarrassed enough? Go get Bianca changed!¡±


    Despite her resentment, Victoria had no choice but to leave with nca, shooting Julie a nasty look on


    her way out.


    Before Raymon could speak to Kieran, Kieran had already taken Julie¡¯s hand and was heading for the


    exit.


    ¡°Julie!¡± Elliot called out, chasing after them. Raymon didn¡¯t even have time to stop him.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Chapter 106


    Kieran led Julie into the elevator without immediately pressing the floor button, giving Elliot a chance to


    join them. This was obviously deliberate on Kierans part.


    ¡°Elliot


    The party tonight is a trap. Elliot, I need to warn you that Mrs. Sanches is nning to announce your


    engagement to Bianca at this event. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Julie spilled the beans


    Kieran stood behind Julie and Elliot quietly, giving them enough space and time


    In fact, Elliot already knew about this. Adeline had called him when Julie and Bianca were squabbling


    in the main hall. He was shocked when Adeline blurted out over the phone, Your future fianc¨¦e is


    bullying the girl you¡¯re sweet on, in other words, Bianca doused herself with red wine and framed Julie


    To put it another way, the main purpose of this party is for our stepmother to force you into an


    engagement with Bianca I was going to let your girl tell you herself, but it seems she¡¯s tied up at the


    moment.¡±


    After that Adeline hung up. So, Elliot rushed to the hall, only to find that Kieran had already defused the


    situation.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    When the elevator reached the first floor, Kieran walked out without looking at Julie and Elliot Julie and


    Elliot also exted the elevator She knew Kieran was giving her time.


    Elliot grabbed Julie¡¯s hand, his bright eyes full of anticipation as he asked, ¡°Why did you warn me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what your sister wanted me to do¡± Julie left no room for further spection.


    After a moment of silence, Elliot gradually let go of Julie¡¯s hand, but still asked persistently. ¡°So you¡¯re


    really telling me this not because you care about me? Not even from a friend¡¯s perspective or a


    stranger¡¯s perspective?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t like Bianca and I didn¡¯t want her to have her way, Julie lied smoothly, showing no signs


    of deceit even in front of Elliot.


    Although she denied it verbally. Julie¡¯s decision to tell Ellint the news had nothing to do with Bianca


    Even though she didn¡¯t love Elliot, she knew that she told him the news out of concern for him. But she


    chose to lie with a poker face.


    Elliot stared at Julie, trying to find any w in her expression, but all he saw was her calm and


    indifferent eyes. His heart suddenly turned cold


    After a while, Elliot looked at her cautiously and said, ¡°Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I might


    be heading to Ray Group¡¯s overseas branch soon Would you want me to stay?¡±


    Julie saw the expectation in his eyes, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She turned to leave. Elliot grabbed


    her arm again. She turned around, and he let go.


    ¡°You know, if you showed the slightest bit of interest, I would stay for you. No matter how many


    challengesy ahead, no matter how great the obstacles are between us, if you¡¯re willing to take a step


    towards me, I¡¯lle running


    ¡°Bon voyage¡± Julie cut off Elliot¡¯s unsaid confession and decisively walked away.


    Elliot had never tried to hold onto anyone or anything in such a humble way. When he saw Julie walk


    away, he stood still, lost in thought for a while. But he had a hunch about all this He understood Julie,


    knowing that she would never approach him.


    She had given her youth, her persistence, her love and hate to another man. in Elliot¡¯s heart, Julie was


    always like a wolf, albeit a tame one. Wolves mated for life. Once she had chosen a lover, she would


    be loyal to him for life, whether she loved him or hated him.


    There was no firste, first served in the world of love. Love was about fate, and Elliot knew he could


    never be with Julie.


    After spacing out for a while, Elliot finally shook off his empty gaze and said coldly to a pir, ¡°Come


    out!¡±


    Adeline, who was hiding behind the pir, looked around and then al herself. Such a big pir should¡¯ve


    been able to hide her thin body!


    ¡°Cough, cough Adeline awkwardly walked out from behind the pir She smiled at Elliot, Yo, Elliot, what


    a coincidence!¡±


    ¡°What coincidence? Elliot red at Adeline What did you hear?*


    Adeline casually walked up to Elliot, tiptoed, and put her arm around Elliot¡¯s shoulder. 1 heard


    everything. Don¡¯t worry, I want b about your love life¡±


    Elliot looked at Adeline, clearly not believing her


    ¡°So. Adeline looked at Elliot cautiously. ¡°So are you really going to give up on Julie now?¡±


    ¡°When did I say I stopped loving her? Elliot pulled Adelines arm off his shoulder.


    Adeline looked at Eltot in surprise. Why are you so lovesick? I remember the men in the Sanches


    family are all yboys, aren¡¯t they? Did your genes mutate or something?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re twins¡±Elliot looked at Adeline, quite displeased


    Adeline nced at Elliot, then at herself, and burst intoughter, ¡°Have you ever seen twins that look


    as unlike as we do? Think about it, our grandpa had thire wives, and our dad¡¯s been through two


    marriages. They fell head over heels for anyone theyid eyes on. Are you sure you¡¯re not the ck


    sheep**


    ¡°Adeline, I¡¯m going to sign you up for a course: Elliot said.


    Adeline looked at him in confusion, ¡°What course?¡±


    ¡°A program on how to use humannguage.¡±


    Was he saying she didn¡¯t know how to talk? Adeline red at Elliot. 7 senously doubt you weren¡¯t


    swapped at birth. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re my twin brother


    Tm your older brother, Elliot corrected helplessly.


    Ignoring the correction, Adeline nodded sarcastically, ¡°Sure, sure. So, my dear brother, you¡¯re just


    gonna give up on Jube like that?¡±


    Chapter TUD


    ¡°I haven¡¯t given up on her, at least not yet. I¡¯ve just let go of a love that could never be. Love isn¡¯t just


    one-sided. If there are a hundred steps between us, I can take 99.9 of them, but she has to meet me


    hallway. That¡¯s love. I cant be the hero in her love story, and that¡¯s something I realized a long time


    ago. I confessed to her because I knew I couldn¡¯t let her go, but I knew she¡¯d be the one to make me


    give up. She made me fall for her, and only she can make me stop loving her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all bullcrap. Falling in love with her was your thing, and not loving her is also your thing. You¡¯ve


    been talking non-stop but haven¡¯t said a thing right.¡± Adelines dissatisfaction was evident.


    Elliot shot her a look and decided not to argue. He turned and walked away


    ¡°Where are you going? You¡¯re going the wrong way! That¡¯s the way back to the hotel. The exit is this


    way.¡± Adeline pointed towards the hotel¡¯s entrance.


    Elliot had already entered the lift. He looked at Adeline outside and nodded. ¡°I know¡±


    So¡­ was he going back to the hotel to get engaged to Bianca?


    Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Adelines arm shot through the gap.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ that hurts!!¡± Adeline¡¯s cry echoed. Elliot quickly hit the open button.


    The nimble Adeline squeezed into the elevator. Elliot frowned, grabbing Adeline¡¯s arm in a mix of


    reprimand and concern. ¡°Are you nuts? Using your arm to stop the elevator door? Why don¡¯t you use


    your head to stop a ne?¡±


    Adeline winced but ignored her arm, staring at Elliot. Your brain must ve been hit by a ne! Even if


    Julie doesn¡¯t ept you, you shouldn¡¯t really get engaged to Bianca¡¯


    ¡°Did I say I was going to get engaged to her? Im going to confront Victoria¡±¡± Elliot poked Adeline¡¯s


    forehead.


    Adeline pouted. Upon hearing Elliot¡¯s words, she perked up immediately. ¡°Confront Victoria? As your


    fan, I¡¯ll definitely be there to back you up!¡±


    ¡°Fan?¡± Elliot looked at Adeline¡¯s arm, his frown deepening. He grumbled. Did I agree to let you be my


    fan?¡±


    ¡°I can just stop letting your sweetheart pay me. I¡¯ve said it before, I don¡¯t need her topensate for


    the car..


    As Adeline mumbled under her breath, she followed behind Elliot excitedly, heading into the hotel.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Chapter 107


    Downstairs at the hotel.


    Julie and Elliot had been chatting for a while. She thought that Kieran wouldn¡¯t waste his time waiting


    for her, given his character. But the reality was, as soon as she stepped out of the hotel, the headlights


    of the luxurious Spyker CB parked at the entrance lit up.


    The lights shone on Julie¡¯s face, forcing her to look in that direction. The passenger door was opened


    from the inside by Kieran. Julie noticed that Karl and Austin weren¡¯t in the car, instead, Kieran was


    sitting in the drivers seat


    ¡°Get in ¡°The lights were turned off, and Kieran¡¯s voice came from inside the car.


    While Julie was still in a daze, Kieran spoke again, ¡°At this time, there are no buses to Noblewood


    Retreat. Get in. You can save about sixteen bucks on cab fare¡±


    Julie was still motionless. She was considering whether to get in the car to save those sixteen dors


    when suddenly, music started ying from inside


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    the car.


    1 can see through his heart / And the shadow of others lingering / My memories of him/Have not been


    wiped clean enough / I can see through his heart


    It¡¯s his and her movie/He doesnt love me / Despite that / He still stole my heart¡­


    This was Julie¡¯s ringtone. She had been using this phone for almost six years. She set this ringtone


    when she moved out of Noblewood Retreat. Over the years, she had gotten used to it. But Julie never


    knew that this song was so long. Suddenly, the phone flew from the car towards Julie. In a panic, Julie


    barely managed to catch the phone.


    The name Ivan was disyed on the lit-up phone screen


    Julie nced at Kieran before answering the call. A voice full of hurt came from the other end of the


    phone. ¡°Mama Julie, don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡±


    Ivan was a very insecure child, which was evident from his tone. Although Julie hadn¡¯t known him for


    long, she already considered him her own son.


    So when she heard his voice full of grievance, Julie¡¯s heart immediately softened. I¡¯m on my way


    home.¡±


    ¡°Are you with Kerry?¡± Ivan¡¯s excited voice came from the other end.


    Julie nced at the man lighting a cigarette in the car and replied, ¡°Uh-huh


    ¡°Can you ask Kerry to buy me a mousse cake?¡±


    Hearing Ivans somewhat expectant voice. Julie finally agreed, ¡°Okay¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Julie still ended up getting into Kierans car. She closed the door and


    buckled her seatbelt, but the car didn¡¯t start. ¡°Ivan wants you to bring him a mousse cake when you get


    home.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The mar¡¯s deep voice came The cigarette was held between his fingers. His slender fingers


    holding the white cigarette, a sight so beautiful it was unforgettable.


    However, he didnt light the cigarette. He held that position for a while before turning to look at Julie.


    ¡°You know smoking is bad for your health, right?¡±


    Julie, who was pretending to look out the window, turned her head, confusedly looking at Kieran. He


    suddenly reached out, grabbed her hand, and stuck the cigarette in it. ¡°If you see me smoking,


    remember to stop me, or you¡¯ll end up inhaling secondhand smoke.¡±


    Julie had never heard such a nonsensical request before.


    She suddenly remembered that when Kieran¡¯s brother died in a ne crash, the Hernandez family¡¯s


    business was facing bankruptcy, and all the debt and pressure fell on Kieran. It seemed that he started


    smoking then. At that time, she and Kieran had just been married for a short time.


    She watched as all the burdens fell on him, but she couldn¡¯t help at all. Before his smoking habit got


    worse, he would sometimes start coughing as soon as he lit a cigarette, and Julie eventually couldn¡¯t


    help but snatch the cigarette from his hand.


    At that time, Kieran would just silently take out another cigarette and light it. Julie would snatch one,


    and he would light another.


    After ten minutes of this, Julie gave up. At least, Kieran thought she had.


    The next day, Kieran announced thepany¡¯s bankruptcy and came home veryte. Usually, Julie


    would already be asleep by this time.


    Every night, she would leave only one light on for him, but that night, the entire vi was brightly lit.


    When he pushed open the door of the vi, he saw Julie sitting on the sofa, weating a red silk robe, her


    long legs exposed. She was holding a ss of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other.


    Several boxes of cigarettes sat on the table, and many cigarette butts umted in the ashtray Julie


    seemed to be surrounded by smoke. Obviously, she didn¡¯t know how to smoke, so she was coughing


    badly as she inhaled.


    Infuriated, Kieran walked up and snatched the cigarette from Julie¡¯s hand. But she just looked at him


    with a soft expression and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t quit smoking, I¡¯ll smoke with you. When you want to quit. Il


    quit with you. This way, whatever you do, I can be with you. You still have me. Whatever you do, you


    have me


    That night, Julie cried in his arms. She made many promises to him, confessing things she usually


    didn¡¯t dare to say. It was also that night when Kieran said softly into her ear, Joyce, let¡¯s have a baby¡­


    From that night on, Kieran picked himself up and established Simpo Co. From then on, Julie never saw


    Kieran smoke again. She couldn¡¯t imagine how Kieran managed to revive Simpo Co. In just one year


    with very limited resources, but she knew that for 364 days out of that year, he was out early and


    back homete.


    Later, thepany stabilized, and she got pregnant, but then Bertha showed up heavily pregnant¡­


    Memories hit Julie like a dust storm. Feeling annoyed, she reached out to grab the lighter that Kieran


    had ced next to her.


    Apparently predicting that she was about to light the cigarette, Kieran threatened her, ¡°If you smoke, I


    will punish you. You can try mel¡±


    Knowing full well that Kieran was not joking, Julie still angrily lit the cigarette.


    ¡°You¡¯re really pushing it now.¡± Kieran started the car. Instead of wrestling the cigarette from Julie¡¯s


    hand, he kept his eyes on the road and proposed, ¡°Give it a try¡±


    ¡°Stop the car''¡± Julie choked on the smoke, coughing a couple of times.


    Kieran obediently pulled over. Julie opened the door, stubbed out her cigarette, and tossed it into a


    trash bin before getting back into the car. Take a right at the next intersection, there¡¯s a cake shop.¡±


    Well, she wouldn¡¯t smoke then. It wasn¡¯t that shecked backbone. She just didn¡¯t want to quarrel with


    him. After all, that¡¯s how Julieforted herself.


    A smirk tugged at the corners of Kieran¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Now, I want to discuss our contract. Don¡¯t interrupt me!¡± Julie turned to face Kieran, all serious


    Kieran kept quiet and continued driving


    Julie finally had the chance to spill what she¡¯d been bottling up all afternoon. She stared at Kieran. ¡°If


    I¡¯m not mistaken, the contract states that as long


    as¡­¡±


    Before she could get to the point, Julie¡¯s stomach suddenly rumbled. The sound was too loud to ignore,


    especially in the confined space of the car. Julie


    was stunned


    Kieran had initially nned to take her out for a feast, but at the banquet, she didn¡¯t even have time for


    a sip of water. She skipped breakfast because of a spat with Kieran and was too busy at court to grab


    lunch. As soon as the court verdict was out, she rushed to find Kieran¡­ Only then, did she realize she


    had been starving the whole day


    In fact, Kieran hadn¡¯t nned to interrupt Julie, but it seemed like fate had other ideas.


    Kieran gave Julie an amused look and asked, ¡°Between filling your belly and discussing the contract,


    which do you choose?¡±


    This time, Julie was resolute She¡¯d been hungry all day, what¡¯s a little longer? So she replied without


    hesitation, ¡°The contract!¡±


    Once Julie made up her mind, she was immovable. So Kieran obliged and told her, ¡°Everything will be


    done ording to the contract. Whatever is written in it, that¡¯s how we¡¯ll proceed¡±


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s clearly stated in the contract that once your case with Creative Nexus Media is


    over, I dont need to work at yourpany anymore, right? The contract automatically bes invalid,


    right?¡± Julie had meticulously reviewed the contract after being frustrated over the penalty


    use


    Seeing the fired-up Julie, Kieran nodded, ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t need to show up at the office tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So the contract should be voided, right? Should we terminate it in person?¡± Julie pressed on.


    Kieran nodded again, then added, ¡°But the contract isn¡¯t with me right now. If you¡¯d like, we can discuss


    this in my office tomorrow. If not, I can bring the contract home tomorrow night.¡±


    Julie felt like she couldnt waste any more time,


    50¡­


    ¡°After Ivan goes to school tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to your office.¡± Julie stared at Kieran until he gave a nod,


    then she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Take a right up ahead, Julie casually asked while giving directions, ¡°Where¡¯s Karl? Why didn¡¯t hee


    to pick you up?¡±


    The car screeched to a halt. Julie was taken aback.


    Kieran furrowed his brows, turned to her, and said, ¡°Should I do something to you here so you¡¯ll forever


    remember not to think about other men in my car?¡±

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Chapter 108


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the right to think about whatever I want, no matter whose car I¡¯m in!¡± Julie stood up straight,


    telling Kieran loudly, ¡°I can think about anyone |


    want!¡±


    ¡°So, who were you thinking about when you were with Elliot just now?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow,


    looking at her with interest. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, most of the time she was with Elliot,


    she was thinking about Kieran.


    Because whenever she was with Elliot, they would always end up mentioning him.


    But when the question came directly from Kieran, Julie answered seriously, ¡°I was thinking about you.


    You promised me a feast tonight, but now I have to go home hungry.¡±


    Julie just said this offhand, not realizing that her words sounded surprisingly flirting when they came out


    of her mouth,


    Kieran seemed to like Julie¡¯s tone. He casually put one hand on the steering wheel, looking at Julie. I


    thought since I helped you out tonight, you¡¯d be the one treating me.¡±


    ¡°I also helped you win awsuit. We¡¯re even,¡± Julie said, getting out of the car and heading in the


    direction of the cake shop.


    Kieran also got out of the car, locked the door, and followed Julie, calmly saying, ¡°Even? That might not


    work.¡±


    Julie turned around and asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°1 paid you for helping me with thewsuit. I helped you, but you didn¡¯t pay me, Kieran said confidently.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Julie saw again the shameless side of this man. After being taken aback for a few seconds, she


    responded, ¡°Did I ask you for help?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just imposing myself.¡±


    Julie had thought that Kieran wouldn¡¯t let her off easily, but surprisingly, he admitted his self-imposition


    so readily that she was left speechless


    Julie walked into the cake shop, staring at the dazzling array of cakes. She didnt know what vor Ivan


    liked.


    Kieran told the clerk, Tll take a passionfruit mousse cake. Please pack it up.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t speak. The clerk quickly packed up the cake.


    However, Kieran didnt seem to have any intention of paying Julie, dressed in an evening dress, had


    come straight from the passenger seat. She didn¡¯t have her purse with her. The reason she was just


    concerned about Karl¡¯s whereabouts was because she had given her purse to Karl before entering the


    banquet hall


    Clearly, Kieran had only retrieved her cell phone from Karl but had forgotten her purse.


    The clerk, who had already packed up the cake, looked awkwardly at Julie and Kieran Julie red at


    Kieran, but Kieran pretended not to notice.


    -Twenty-four dors. Although the clerk said this to both of them, her attention was on Julie, as she was


    closer to the cash register.


    Julle had promised to buy a cake for Ivan, so she whispered to Kieran, ¡°Could you pay for


    ¡°Pay with your body Kieran said expressionlessly. He looked as if nothing had happen? I pay you back


    tomorrow.¡±


    Julle knew this hypocrite wouldn¡¯t be convinced so easily, so she turned to the clerk and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, I don¡¯t want the cake anymore.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The clerk looked confused at Julie and Kieran. She suddenly thought the handsome man


    The clerk took a closer look at Kieran before realizing, pointing excitedly at him. ¡°You ked familiar.


    that Mr. Hernandez from Simpo Co., right?¡±


    Julie, who was about to leave awkwardly, saw that the clerk recognized Kieran and a sty smile


    appeared at the corner of her mouth.


    She pulled Kieran to the cash register. ¡°That¡¯s right, this is Mr. Hernandez from Simpo Co! He¡¯s the one


    buying the cake¡±


    In her interaction with Kieran, Julie had also learned his shamelessness. After saying this, she


    deliberately bumped him with her shoulder. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, hurry up and pay! You didn¡¯t forget your


    wallet, did you?¡±


    Kieran chuckled. He casually pulled her into his arms, looking at her with Hernandez. It sounds too


    formal.¡±


    an ambiguo..


    ¡°Easy


    ere. We¡¯re not at work now, so don¡¯t call me Mr.


    Julie was speechless. He said it as if he was trying to imply that there was some secret between them.


    She silently shrugged off his arm and gave him a re.


    Kieran quietly took out his wallet and told the clerk, ¡®Pack that one too.¡±


    He was pointing at an ice cream cake. Julies favorite Julie had to admit, she was drawn to the ice


    cream cake the moment she walked in. The clerk turned to pack the ice cream cake, then took the


    bank card from Kieran.


    -Julie stood silently next to him, looking at the vani-vored ice cream cake. Her stomach growled


    again.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, is there anything else you want?¡± Kieran suddenly turned around and asked Julie.


    Julie was about to answer when she saw Kieran¡¯s loving gaze. What did he just call her? Mrs.


    Hernandez?


    Her pupils dted instantly. This unexpected title was like a bullet to the heart, catching her off guard.


    The clerk was also startled by Kieran¡¯s title. Everyone in the cake shop turned their envious gaze


    towards Julle. However, Kieran put on an innocent act, turning to the clerk to exin, ¡°Sorry, I


    misspoke. She¡¯s not my wife.¡±


    The clerk nodded, giving an I understand look. Wasn¡¯t this just adding fuel to the fire?


    Julia had a strong impulse to kill right now, but Kieran handed her the packed ice cream cake and with


    the now free hand, he gently touched her hair saying in a doting tone, ¡®Don¡¯t eat too much now. I¡¯ll cook


    for you when we get home.¡±


    This was getting more and more inexplicable Julie simply grabbed the cake and bolted. She forgot her


    heels were so high, and did not foreter doorstep Carrying the cake, she suddenly toppled over. Luckily,


    Kieran who was nearby, reacted quickly and grabbed her However Julie still inevitably


    crashed into Kieran¡¯s arms


    Oddly enough, despite her head resting on Kieran¡¯s chest, the cake in her hand was intact Julie really


    was a foodie, willing to sacrifice herself to protect


    the cake


    okay Kieran asked looking down at the woman in his arms


    Her foot injury had just healed. He shouldn¡¯t have let Daniel prepare high heels for her today.


    Kierans concern was genuine. Julie wriggled ufortably out of his arms and ran out the door


    without saying a word


    ¡°Slow down! I¡¯m not going to bite you¡± Kieran said, chasing after her Seeing her hop and skip, she


    probably hadn¡¯t hurt her foot


    When Julie reached the car door, she pulled it only to realize that Kieran had locked the car So she


    stood awkwardly in front of the car, waiting silently for Kieran. As soon as Kieran unlocked the car, she


    immediately opened the back door. But before she could get in, Kieran¡¯s hand blocked the door.


    ¡°You either drive or ride shotgun.¡±


    Julie remembered thest time she drove, she not only hit Kieran but also racked up a pile of debt,


    which she hadn¡¯t paid off yet! How could she dare to drive again?


    And Kieran looked serious. If she didn¡¯t sit in the passenger seat, he clearly wouldn¡¯t start the car han


    must¡¯ve been waiting for them at home now!


    After weighing the options. Julie finally sat in the passenger seat clutching her ice cream cake


    Fastening her seatbelt, Julie suddenly felt as if all the embarrassment had vanished, as her nostrils


    were filled with the sweet scent of the cake Kieran got into the driver¡¯s seat and started the car


    Julie turned to him and said. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back for the cakes tomorrow after I get my purse back from


    Karl Without waiting for Kieran¡¯s response, she


    eagerly unwrapped the cake.


    Kieran nced at Julie Seeing her satisfied expression, he thought she was cute full of energy just like


    when he first met her.


    She took several satisfied bites Kieran, like Julie had been hungry all day Seeing her enthusiastic


    eating, he felt a bit peckish too. While waiting for the traffic light, Julie scooped a spoonful of cake,


    ready to take a bite, when a fluffy head suddenly appeared next to her, and then.


    the whole spoonful of cake in Julies hand


    She looked at Geran with a hurt expression Perhaps Kieran had distracted the shop assistant, who had


    only given them one spoon. After Kieran had used the spoon, should she continue eating or not?


    Julie held the spoon, ring at Kieran discontentedly


    The


    again


    ¡°Honey? This


    voice came from her side. Tastes good, like honey¡±


    vored? Julie immediately retorted

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    Chapter 109


    ¡°Is it vani vored?¡± Kieran turned to look at Julie. ¡°Let me have another taste!


    He just wanted to eat her cake, didn¡¯t he? Julie scooped a spoonful and quickly popped it into her


    mouth. Then she remembered that Kieran hadn¡¯t had dinner either. The cake was bought with Kieran¡¯s


    money. With this thought, Jule scooped another spoonful and offered it to Kieran


    He enjoyed the bite After savoring it, he seemed to have an idea and told her. It¡¯s honey vored.¡±


    ¡°Is your taste off? Julie seriously took a spoonful and tasted it again.


    Suddenly, Kieran swerved the car and pulled over. Julie was still looking at Kieran. ¡°It¡¯s really vani¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Kieran suddenly leaned in. Only when his cold lips touched her soft red ones


    did Julie react. She held the cake in her hand, stunned. He gently licked her lips and then let go of her


    chin.


    Holding the steering wheel with one hand, Kieran gently wiped the corner of her lips with the other,


    smiling at Julie. ¡°It¡¯s honey vored, no doubt.¡±


    Only then did Julie realize that he was talking about the vor of her lipstick¡­ She felt her cheeks heat


    up rapidly. Kieran, next to her, had already started the car again.


    Julie put the cake on herp and rolled down the window


    After the cool wind from outside blew in, she finally calmed down. When the blush on her face gradually


    faded, she seriously looked at him ¡°Last time This is thest time I forgive you for kissing me


    unexpectedly. I¡¯ll go house hunting tomorrow. You and Mr. Kennedy were college ssmates. Please


    tell


    him


    ¡°No.¡±


    Julie¡¯s words were abruptly cut off by his rejection. After two seconds of silence, Julie pulled out her


    phone, opened WhatsApp, found Mr. Kennedy¡¯s ount, and sent a message.


    However, Kieran¡¯s phone in his pocket rang. It was the notification sound he set up for Julie.


    Julie was all focused on her phone and didn¡¯t notice that Kieran¡¯s phone was also ringing. As Julie was


    sending a message, suddenly, music came from


    the side


    ¡®Let me pluck your heart out! Try to melt it slowly¡± See if I¡¯m still wless in your heart! Whether you still


    care about me, still love me hopelessly..


    These were the lyrics of Midnight Woods. The rock music was sting in the car


    Julie was startled and dropped the cake on her evening gown. In fact, when the music started, Kieran


    was also startled. All the music downloaded in this car was ssical music and symphonies. This song.


    Midnight Woods, was downloaded by Dn a few days ago.


    That day, Dn invited him for dinner, so they went out in this Spyker CB. At that time, Dn said with


    a smug face, ¡°Kerry, I recently found a song that suits you perfectly


    Kieran started the car and just gave Dn a cold nce.


    Dn asked excitedly, ¡°Arent you curious about what song it is? The lyrics perfectly match your inner


    state, so it¡¯s perfect for you to sing to Attorney Abraham, Want to hear it?¡±


    So, Dn downloaded the song into the car¡¯s music library. Kieran only listened to a line and then


    turned it off. Hepletely forgot about this.


    When the song suddenly yed in the car, not only was Julie dumbfounded, but Kieran was also


    startled. Julie didn¡¯t know how expensive her gown was. She angrily turned to Kieran and yelled, ¡°Are


    you crazy! Now my dress is all dirty, and Im not paying for it!¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you to pay?¡± Kieran had already calmed down.


    Julie thought it was good, as long as he didn¡¯t ask her to pay. But as soon as she let out a sigh of relief,


    she heard him say, ¡°Sleeping with me is fine. Paying me is too boring¡±


    Julie was so angry that her face turned red. ¡°Kieran, howe I never noticed before that you¡¯re such


    a shameless person?¡±


    ¡°Because the shameless person used to be you. I didn¡¯t have a chance to show it.¡±


    Julie was speechless because what Kieran said was true. She was the one who was desperate to


    pursue him.


    Back then, Julie was thinking about how to strip him naked every day at home. As long as she had the


    slightest chance, she would pounce on him, and Kieran didn¡¯t even have time to dodgel Actually, Julie


    was the first one to be shameless¡­


    Julie simply closed her mouth. She nced at her phone and found that Mr. Kennedy hadn¡¯t replied


    yet. She simply put her phone away and kept quiet all


    the way


    When they got home, Ivan was already asleep. The poor boy was sleeping on the couch. Noah was


    quietly watching him,


    Why did you let him fall asleep on the couch?¡± Kieran frowned, looking at Noah unhappily.


    Before Noah could speak, Julie had already put down the cake and walked over to Ivan. She bent


    down to pick Ivan up and take him upstairs, but she suddenly realized that she was still wearing her


    evening gown, and it was inconvenient to move.


    Just as she was hesitating, Kieran had already picked up Ivan and looked at Julie ¡°Go up and open the


    door for me¡±


    This time, Julie cooperated and went upstairs, reminding Kieran as she walked. ¡®Be quiet, don¡¯t wake


    him up. In the future, before you pick him up and hes asleep, tell him so he won¡¯t be scared..¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Jule was talking as she went upstairs and Kieran followed her, carrying Ivan.


    Noah looked at this warm scene with a touch of emotion in his eyes. He quickly took out his phone and


    captured the moment, then sent the photo to his wife at home


    Julie helped Kieran open Ivan¡¯s door, then quickly spread out the quilt. Kieran put Ivan on the bed. Julie


    carefully tucked him in and then quietly left the room with Kieran. After leaving the kid¡¯s room, Julie


    gave Kieran the cold shoulder and headed straight downstairs. She stuck the cake in the fridge and


    then retreated to her own room.


    Once she shut her door, worry still nagged at her, so she bolted before she allowed herself to feel safe


    enough to grab her bathrobe and head to the bathroom.


    But when she emerged from her shower, she found Kieran perched on her bed, as though he¡¯d been


    waiting for quite a while..


    Julie nced at the door, then at Kieran, clutching her bathrobe tighter. ¡°How¡¯d you get in?¡±


    She¡¯d checked that door thoroughly. If it was locked from the inside, there was no way to open it from


    the outside. But Kieran¡­.


    He pulled a small remote from his bathrobe pocket and pressed a button. The wall that separated their


    rooms miraculously started to lower. With the


    wall gone, she could clearly see into Kieran¡¯s room. Turned out he didn¡¯te in through the door, he¡¯d


    literally removed the wall,¡±


    Julie¡¯s heart jumped into her throat. Looking at Kieran, her face was the picture of despair! She didn¡¯t


    argue anymore, but stood by her bathroom door, asking him, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Got something to show you.¡± Kieran motioned towards her.


    Julie stayed put. She said haughtily, ¡°Not interested¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your nude photo. You sure you don¡¯t want to see?¡± Kieran waved his phone, a mocking smile


    ying on his lips.


    Julie red at him furiously.


    Kieran started slowly, ¡°September, eight years ago, Paradise Cove¡±¡­¡±


    Before Kieran could finish his sentence, Julie lunged at him, trying to snatch the phone from his hand.


    Eight years ago in September, Julie and Kieran had just gotten married. Daphne excitedly asked Julie


    where she and Kieran nned to honeymoon, but Kieran never mentioned anything


    Julie¡¯s parents had just passed away at that time. She was consumed by grief and was in no mood to


    think about honeymoons. She thought Kieran married her out of obligation, so it was unlikely he¡¯d want


    to honeymoon with her.


    However, the morning after Daphne brought up the honeymoon, Kieran woke her up at 5 am, saying he


    was taking her to Paradise Cove for their honeymoon. Julie obviously didn¡¯t believe him. She wanted to


    sleep in, so she refused to get up.


    Since Julie had a habit of sleeping naked, Kieran took a nude photo of her to threaten her to get up.


    Later, Julie found out that the honeymoon at Paradise Cove was real. She forced Kieran to delete the


    photo, and she saw him do it.


    But now, when she heard Paradise Cove, Julie threw herself at Kieran. She tried to take his phone


    while lying on top of him, but Kieran deliberately held the phone above his head.


    So, Julie lunged upwards,ining, ¡®Didn¡¯t you delete the photo back then? Did you keep a


    backup?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got lots of backups. I¡¯ll send you a copyter,¡± Kieran answered seriously, infuriating Julie


    even more.


    ¡°Delete it now! Why have you kept it all these years?¡±


    ¡°I like to use the photo as a sleep aid.¡± Kieran¡¯s expression was dead serious.


    Julie imagined him looking at the photo before he slept. She angrily said to Kieran, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re such


    a pervert! Does your son know what a bad person you are?¡±

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Chapter 110


    Actually, it seemed a bit intentional for Julie to bring up Kieran¡¯s son at this point


    Julie and Kieran had been at each other¡¯s throats for a long time, but during this time, both had tacitly


    avoided this topic. Kieran would return to Noblewood Retreat every night, but Julie never saw any trace


    of Kieran¡¯s son there. It was as if his son had never set foot in Noblewood Retreat.


    Of course, Julie didn¡¯t know that before she moved in, the entire Noblewood Retreat had been


    thoroughly cleaned up.


    Bringing up Kieran¡¯s son at this moment wasn¡¯t exactly a wise move. Kieran¡¯s son was a painful


    reminder of their past.


    But she brought it up anyway.


    Kieran was distracted Julie seized the opportunity to snatch his phone from his hands and quickly got


    up.


    Unfortunately¡­


    She still didn¡¯t know Kieran¡¯s phone password, so even though she had the phone, she couldn¡¯t


    achieve her goal.


    ¡°Delete the photo, including the backup!¡± Shemanded sternly


    Kieran took back his phone, apparently forgetting the topic of his son. He cast a contemtive gaze at


    Julie Whats in it for me if I delete it?¡±


    Julie was livid. ¡°It¡¯s my photo! It¡¯s wrong for you to keep it, and now you want benefits?¡±


    She sat next to him, firmly stating, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, self respect is a nice thing to have!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a nice thing to have too


    This meant that he thought she was worth having as well. But Julie responded without hesitation,


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy!¡±


    Kierans eyes dimmed. He felt he could write a book titled, ¡°What to do with a stubborn ex wife?¡±


    Julie thought Kieran¡¯s expression was a bit too intense. She was afraid he¡¯d lose his temper, so she


    just stared at him in silence.


    When the room fell into silence, he finally spoke with a hint of interest. If you want me to delete all the


    photos, I can


    ¡°So?¡± It was clear Kieran was trying to make her ask what his conditions were


    The man leaned against the headboard, looking at her invitingly. ¡°Come here¡±


    ¡®Forget it, if you don¡¯t want to delete it, then don¡¯t!¡± Julie felt she couldn¡¯t control his actions and


    thoughts. Rather than stubbornly arguing with him about deleting the photo, it was better to avoid


    trouble. After all, she was nning to move out tomorrow.


    Just as Julie was thinking this, he suddenly gave her the phone. The password is the room number


    from our first stay at the Starlight Haven Hotel¡±


    Julie¡¯s hand trembled slightly as she held the phone Room number? That was just too much.


    She casually threw the phone back at him, absentmindedly replying, ¡°I dont remember¡±


    He shoved the phone back into her hands, kindly reminding her, ¡°7401. Don¡¯t forget next time.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to remember that number, but the truth was. Julie remembered it very clearly. This time


    she didn¡¯t pretend, she took the phone and opened the gallery Kieran hadn¡¯t lied. The photo of her was


    really there.


    There were only two photos in Kieran¡¯s gallery. One was their marriage certificate, and the other was


    the photo Julie desperately wanted to delete.


    Without hesitation, she deleted the photo she wanted to delete, but her finger paused on the photo of


    their marriage certificate. She didn¡¯t hesitate for too long, and without Kieran¡¯s approval, she quickly


    swiped her finger and deleted it along with the other photo.


    Then she gave the phone back to Kieran. She nced at Kieran. ¡°You should delete all the other


    backups as well! I didn¡¯t keep any naked photos of you,


    so this isn¡¯t fair to me.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to take off my robe so you can take a picture now?¡± The man took the phone and


    unlocked it


    Juliepletely ignored Kieran¡¯s question, got up, and walked towards the door. ¡°I guess I¡¯m sharing a


    bed with Ivan tonight!¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Kierans voice suddenly came from behind Julie.


    Despite the years that had passed, Julie couldn¡¯t change her nature. She stopped in her tracks


    ¡°Shouldnt you exin? The other photo on my phone is also gone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I identally deleted it.¡± Julie¡¯s response was nonchnt and natural


    Kieran squinted his eyes, looking quite dangerous. He slowly approached Julie, repeating her words,


    ¡°identally?¡±


    His slightly ding tone made Julie a bit nervous, but she straightened her back, looking him in the eye.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, we¡¯ve been divorced for almost six years, but you still have our marriage certificate on


    your phone. If someone sees it, it could cause misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± The corner of the man¡¯s mouth curled up, he raised an eyebrow at her.


    Julie decided to fight back. ¡°So, what exactly do you mean by keeping the photo?¡±


    ¡°To remind myself that I was once a married man. Attorney Abraham, do you have a problem with


    that?¡±


    The name ¡°Attorney Abraham gave Julie the creeps. Because she had noticed a pattern, Kieran called


    her ¡°Joyce¡± when he was joking wife¡± when he was drunk, but ¡°Attorney Abraham when he was


    angry¡­


    So.pl Julie could do was firmly say, ¡®I deleted it. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Julie¡¯s fearless attitude drew Kieran¡¯s interest. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Compensation, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julie frowned.


    He said, ¡°Since it¡¯s gone, let¡¯s take another one¡±


    Take another one? That was a marriage certificate! How do you take that? Julie looked at Kieran in


    confusion.


    Kieran dialed Karl¡¯s number on his phone. ¡°Sort things out at the city hall tomorrow. She deleted the


    photo of our marriage certificate. I¡¯ll take her to get a


    new one


    Before Kieran could finish, Julie snatched his phone, saying to Karl on the other end, Mr. Hernandez


    had one too many Karl, don¡¯t buy his bull. Could you do me a solid and bring my wallet to the office


    tomorrow? Thanks.¡±


    With that, Julie hung up quickly Then she looked up to see the man opposite her smiling. This smile


    sent Julie¡¯s heart racing Whenever this man looked at her with that grin, it was always a sign that


    something bad was about to go down.


    She quickly handed the phone back to him, saying somewhat quiltily. Its just a photo. I¡¯ll make it up to


    you!


    With that, Julie pulled up her Instagram, went into her private album that only she could see, and


    showed Kieran a photo. ¡°Here you go!¡±


    As much as she hated to admit it, this photo had always been in her private album. She had resolved


    countless times to delete it. She even deleted all the photos she had of Kieran, including the ones she


    secretly took of him when she was infatuated with him. She deleted all these photos when they


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    divorced


    However, she never managed to delete this photo. In the end, sheforted herself with ame


    excuse, she kept the photo as a reminder not to make the same mistake twice. She wanted to


    remember the past that had brought her utter despair.


    When Kieran saw that Julie still had the photo, he was even more shaken than her. He pulled up his


    Instagram, handed the phone to Julie and said, ¡°How did you set up this private album? Help me set


    one up and upload this photo. That way, I won¡¯t hold it against you?


    After saying that, he handed the phone back to Julie.


    To avoid getting entangled with him over this, Julie did as Kieran asked. She uploaded the photo for


    him and set to private ¡°Done¡±


    Just as Kieran was about to look at the photo, Julie said, I¡¯ll go to the office tomorrow to get my wallet


    from Karl Ill bring the contract and we can terminate it in person!¡±


    He asked, ¡°You¡¯re that eager to cut ties with me


    ¡°Absolutely! I cant wait! Juliepletely ignored Kieran, whose face had darkened.


    He gave Julie a deep look, then turned and walked to his bedroom.


    Watching his cold back, Julie felt the room temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. She had a


    hunch that if she continued to provoke him like this. she would face his retaliation one day.


    The man radiating a strong masculine aura had already gotten into bed and pulled up the covers. Julie


    looked at the man lying in bed without a shred of guilt, her eyes flickering ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put up


    that wall between us?¡±


    Without that wall, what was the difference between this and sleeping in the same room?


    The man who had been facing away from Julie suddenly turned around. His deep eyes stared at her


    more intensely and said, ¡°If you let me into your bed, I¡¯ll put up the wall, deal?¡±


    Julie swallowed hard and managed to say, ¡®Goodnight.¡±


    With that, she climbed into her own bed, pulling up the covers. Suddenly, the lights in both rooms went


    out. Julie, startled, Immediately sat up in the darkness, her annoyed voice echoed, ¡°What the hell are


    you doing?¡±

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Chapter 111


    The moment she shrieked, Julie realized she had overreacted.


    He just turned off the lights, right?


    Doesn¡¯t everyone turn off the lights before going to bed? Did she really need to be so shocked?


    In the darkness, Julie sat quietly.


    Atired voice came from next door, ¡°Been working all day, let¡¯s get some sleep¡±


    Hearing Kieran¡¯s voice, Julie took a deep breath and crawled back into bed.


    Julie had a dreamless night. She slept like a log. When she woke up in the morning, she felt refreshed


    and energetic. She stretched her long arms out of the nket, intending to have a good stretch, but a


    sudden arm draped over her waist


    The warm sensation on her belly-it must be a hand!


    A hand?


    Where did that hande from?


    Julie turned her head abruptly and saw Kieran¡¯s peaceful sleeping face.


    He seemed to he sleeping soundly. That position seemed veryfortable.


    Julie swallowed the words that were stuck in her throat, then lifted the man¡¯s arm and bit his wist hard.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±Kieran gasped, then retracted his arm.


    Julie red at the man beside her, ¡°How dare you? Didn¡¯t we agree to sleep separately? How could


    you crawl over in the middle of the night?¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she stopped.


    Because now that she was fully awake, she could see whose bed she was in


    It was Kieran¡¯s bed!


    Julie fell like she had a fly stuck in her throat and couldn¡¯t speak.


    Kieran shook his arm. The woman bit quite hard, she actually drew blood.


    His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the embarrassed woman, his voice raspy from sleep. ¡°Got it


    clear whose bed this is now?¡±


    After holding her breath for a while. Julie finally responded, ¡°So what if this is your bed? I don¡¯t


    remember crawling onto your bed in the middle of the night. Maybe you carried me from my bed!


    Pervert


    With that, Julie grabbed Kieran¡¯s nket and walked off


    Kieran, wearing only boxers, continued to lie in bed in anguid pose


    Watching her hasty departure. Kieran touched his bitten hand, a sly smile appearing at the corner of his


    mouth,


    His woman could be quite sharp sometimes.


    As Julie was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she heard Kieran¡¯s phone ringing outside the door.


    When she came out after finishing, Kieran was ho longer in the bedroom.


    Julie had already nned her itinerary for the day. She was going to Kieran¡¯spany to cancel the


    contract, then get her purse from Karl, and then go house hunting


    After getting dressed, Julie went downstairs only to find that Kieran and Ivan, who were supposed to be


    having breakfast in the dining room, were both gone. Even Noah was missing.


    Just as Julie was feeling puzzled, a woman wearing an apron walked out of the kitchen. Julie


    recognized her at a nce. She looked at the woman excitedly and asked, ¡°Shannon?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez¡± Shannon¡¯s face was filled with an excited yet kind smile.


    Shannon, aged almost over fifty, had been Julie¡¯s personal nanny. After Julie divorced Kieran, she


    never saw Shanpon again. She was not only the Hernandez family¡¯s nanny but also Noah¡¯s wife.


    When Julie was pregnant, she could only stomach the meals cooked by Shannon. After her


    miscarriage, when Kieran was by Bertha¡¯s side every day, it was Shannon who took care of her.


    Although the Hernandez family paid Shannon, she was genuinely kind to Julie.


    ¡°Shannon, is that really you?¡± Julie asked, then ran towards Shannon. She bent down and hugged


    Shannon.


    Shannon gently patted Julie¡¯s back, simply saying, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back! Mr.


    Hernandez has been looking forward to your return. Now you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Kieran was looking forward to her return?


    That was probably the funniest joke Julie had ever heard.


    But Julie didn¡¯t expose Shannon. Instead she casually asked, ¡°Where are Kieran and Ivan?¡±


    Mr Hernandez had some urgent business at thepany, so he left. Noah has taken van to school.


    Mrs. Hernandez what would you the for breakfast? I¡¯ll get right on it,¡±


    Julie shook her head with a smile, ¡°No need. I have something to do today, so I¡¯ll just grab something to


    eat on the way Shannon, I mighte back to pack up this afternoon. We ll chat then.¡±


    With that, Julie bent down and left a kiss on Shannons face, then quickly walked towards the door.


    Halfway there, she suddenly turned back, looked at Shannon and asked, ¡°Shannon, can I borrow


    twenty bucks?¡±


    Without a word, Shannon quickly took out twenty dors and handed them to Julie, asking with


    concern, ¡°Is that enough?¡±


    Nodding, Julie said with a smile, That¡¯s enough Il pay you back tonight.¡±


    Julie changed her shoes, put the twenty dors in her pocket, then went out and took out her phone to


    call a cab, only to find that her phone was off.


    She had turned it off while chargingst night and hadn¡¯t had time to turn it on. She turned it on and


    called a cab


    Since there was quite a distance from the Hernandez family¡¯s vi to the gate of Noblewood Retreat,


    Julie went back to the vi and used Kieran¡¯s home phone to notify the security guard to let the cab


    inside.


    After all the hassle, Julie finally got in the cab.


    ¡°To Simpo Co. headquarters¡±


    The driver started the car. Julie opened WhatsApp, only to find that Mr. Kennedy still hadn¡¯t replied to


    her message fromst night


    Julie was a bit disappointed, but then she saw that Daphne had left her loads of messages, all asking


    her to call her back as soon as possible


    Her phone was even showing five or six missed calls, all from Daphne


    Julie felt a bad vibe and immediately dialed Daphnes number


    However, it took a while, and nobody picked up the call.


    Finally, Julie decided to call it quits. She left a message for Daphne on WhatsApp and didn¡¯t bother with


    it anymore


    It wasn¡¯t until she hit downtown that Julie got a call back from Daphne.


    ¡°Julie, have you seen the news? Daphne asked, sounding desperate


    ¡°What news?¡± Julie replied casually, then suddenly remembered her quarrel with Bianca the night


    before if she wasn¡¯t mistaken, Kieran had boldly backed her up the night before


    She didn¡¯t mention this to Kieran on the night because she thought Kieran would try to quell this matter,


    just like when Elliot proposed to her.


    The more Julie thought about it, the more anxious she felt.


    ¡°Did Kieran and Ist night.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the news?¡± Daphne¡¯s words hinted that what Julie feared had indeed happened.


    -Julie had no choice but to say to Daphne. ¡°I havent seen the news, but regardless, the truth is certainly


    not what the news is reporting Kieran and I¡­¡±


    Julie¡­ Daphne suddenly cut her off.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Julie could almost predict what Daphne was about to say next. She was probably going to say that


    Kieran was a jerk. He broke her heart, and now he¡¯s still bothering her like that, it was just too much


    After all, Daphne has always been unconditionally supportive of Julie.


    Unexpectedly, this time Daphne said to Julie in a serious tone, ¡°Julie, you know, I¡¯ve liked Mr.


    Hernandez before you divorced him. The only difference between us is that I saw him as an


    unreachable star, and you saw him as your world. I¡¯ve been thinking a lottely. Do you think Mr.


    Hernandez is really into you since he¡¯s so clingy?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Julie asked Daphne, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    1. I¡¯m good. I just think he just lost his image a bit in front of you. But a person only loses their image


    in front of the one they love, right? Actually, about your divorce from Mr. Hernandez, I always felt


    something was off.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s off?¡± Julie paused before asking Daphne, ¡°Daphne, are you¡­ still half-asleep?¡±


    Julie thought Daphne was talking nonsense That woman, who was then defending Kieran,pared to


    the one who used to confront him with her, waspletely opposite and felt unfamiliar to Julie.


    However, a confident voice came from Daphne on the other end of the phone, ¡°Julie, even though I


    haven¡¯t experienced what you¡¯ve been through, I know you still love Mr Hernandez. Unless you lose


    your memory, you will never forget him in your life. Even if you hate him, it¡¯s because of love that you


    hate. Il a person¡¯s heart is dead, there would be no love or hate, but you¡¯re different, Julle. You can¡¯t lie


    to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Daphne, I want to hang up now. What¡¯s up with you?¡± Julle frowned, unable to ept Daphne¡¯s


    sudden change of attitude. She asked worriedly, ¡°Is Kieran holding a gun to your head and making you


    say all this?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who¡¯d be easily threatened?¡± A confident voice came from Daphne on the


    other end of the phone.


    Julie finally believed that Daphne was not under threat.


    ¡°Then why? Why have you suddenly changed everything you¡¯ve stood for?¡± Julie asked coldly

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Chapter 112


    Why did Daphne suddenly change her previous stance?


    Daphne nced at chilien sitting across from her, swallowed her saliva, and then said to Julie on the


    other end of the phone, ¡°Julie, don¡¯t you think that things might not be as you imagine?


    ¡°What do you mean? Julie hesitantly asked Daphne She always felt that Daphne was intentionally


    hiding something from her


    Daphne said. When I was fighting against Kieran with you, it was because I thought he was a cheating


    scumbag I originally thought Mr. Hernandez was a yboy who betrayed you for Bertha But if he truly


    did it for Bertha, then why didn¡¯t he legitimize Bertha and their child? You¡¯ve been divorced for five


    years. He could have married Bertha during this time


    People can change There could be many reasons and excuses for him not marrying Bertha,¡± Julie said.


    But Daphne continued, 1 dont think so. He¡¯s Kieran! He could have any woman he wanted. Why does


    he have to stick with you every day?


    Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s sick! Julie¡¯s indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone


    Daphne covered her forehead, Julie, you might be the one who¡¯s sick. Have you ever thought about


    why he¡¯s been so kind to youtely? I think there are a lot of question marks about what happened


    back then. Werent you two very much in love in the first two years of your marriage? Even when you


    and Bertha were pregnant al the same time, the person he was always with and taking care of was


    you! If he really loved Bertha, how could he ignore her when she was also pregnant? Haven¡¯t you ever


    thought about that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he feels quilty!¡± Julie was silent for a long time before she replied. If he didn¡¯t love


    Bertha, he wouldn¡¯t have said he wanted to save Bertha¡¯s child outside the operating room.


    ¡°But the one who survived was Before Daphne couldplete her sentence, Julien snatched her cell


    phone from across the table and quickly turned it


    off


    It was only then that Daphne realized what she had just blurted out in her excitement. She quickly


    covered her mouth, her innocent big eyes wide open, stuttering. ¡®Oh no, I got carried away¡±


    Julie, on the other end of the phone, was looking at the hung up call,pletely frozen.


    Why did she hang up halfway through her sentence?


    Julie thought about Daphne¡¯s iplete sentence, ¡°The one who survived was¡­¡±


    Who was it? Wasn¡¯t it Bertha and Kieran¡¯s child?


    Julie quickly dialed Daphne¡¯s number again, but all she heard was the busy signal.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The busy signal felt like a knife suddenly plunged into Julie¡¯s heart, making her unable to recover


    Daphne looked anxiously at Julien across the table frowning, ¡°I almost let the cat out of the bag. What


    should I do? You shouldn¡¯t have told me the truth.


    ¡°Shut up¡± Juliens cold gaze swept over Daphne


    Daphne immediately covered her mouth


    Daphne is an editor at a magazine, so the first thing she does every morning when she wakes up is to


    read the news. That morning, she saw a major piece of news so she couldn¡¯t wait to call Julie a few


    times, but Julie didn¡¯t pick up


    Just when Daphne was about to go find Julie at Noblewood Retreal, Julien suddenly appeared at her


    doorstep.


    Actually. Daphne had seen Julien a few times before But that was all at via¡¯s wedding


    Since Julien and via were twins, she had also sneakily looked at her a few times.


    Daphne greatly admired Julien¡¯s abilities as well as her cold demeanor


    She never thought Julien woulde to her willingly so she was stunned when she first saw Julien.


    Julien, dressed in all ck, said to her, ¡°I¡¯m here because of Julie.¡±


    Daphne was dumbfounded, ¡°What?¡±


    Julien walked past Daphne and into the house


    Only then did Daphne know that the female hero Julie had mentioned who had saved her in Mn was


    Julien


    Julie always said she wanted to introduce the female hero to Daphne. She never thought that person


    would be Julien!


    Before Daphoe could recover from this news, she heard another shocking secret. This secret was also


    the reason for Daphne¡¯s change of attitude.


    Knowing that she had almost let the secret slip, Daphne dared not move then.


    Julien handed her phone back to her, saying. ¡°Dont answer her calls for now. If she asks, just say you


    don¡¯t know anything told you this not for you to mess things up¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Daphne nodded repeatedly


    Without saying goodbye, Julien turned and walked towards the door.


    Daphne excitedly got up, gathered her courage, and asked, ¡°Why would you tell me the truth but not


    tell Julie?¡±


    Julien stopped, gave Daphne a cold look, and then said, ¡°Because you¡¯re unrted to this, even if you


    know the truth, your life wouldn¡¯t be in danger. I can know the truth because I can protect myself. And


    Julie, who is rted to this and cant protect herself. If you dont want Julie to be the next Bertha, don¡¯t


    tell her the truth.¡±


    Didn¡¯t Bertha already jump off a building and die?


    That sounded scary


    Daphne quickly promised, ¡°I guarantee I¡¯ll help Julie and Mr. Hernandez and absolutely won¡¯t reveal the


    truth!¡±


    Julien left straight away. Daphne was still gazing at Julien¡¯s retreating figure, lost in thought.


    Such an attractive and stunning woman!


    Julie had been blowing up Daphne¡¯s phone, but Daphne kept ghosting her. The driver told Julie, ¡°Lady,


    we re here.¡±


    After paying the fare, Julie got out of the car


    And she immediately wished she hadn¡¯t.


    A mob of reporters was charging towards her like a pack of wild dogs. Julie just stood there, frozen,


    until she waspletely surrounded by reporters outside her office.


    The questions came left and right, all about her rtionship with Kieran.


    Then she remembered Daphne¡¯s warning, but it was toote. She was trapped


    Thankfully, the security team from Simpo Co. came just in time. They formed a human shield around


    Julie and managed to get her safely inside the building.


    Julie felt like she¡¯d just survived a disaster. Her clothes were all messed up from the reporters yanking


    at her


    As soon as she walked into the lobby of Simpo Co., all eyes were on her. It had been years since Julie


    was the center of attention, especially in this kind of mess.


    She quickly fixed her hair and made a beeline for the elevator. It was rush hour and the elevator lobby


    was jam-packed/


    People parted like the Red Sea when they saw Julieing, making her feel even more isted. She


    stood alone in the middle of the elevator lobby. feeling super awkward.


    The elevator arrived at the ground floor. Julle was the first one to get in


    However,none of the people waiting dared to enter with her.


    The awkwardness on Julie¡¯s face deepened


    ¡°Um¡­ you guys cane in, Julie mustered up the courage to say.


    People wore awkward smiles, but none of them got into the elevator. The doors closed, and she was


    the only one inside


    ¨C Jutie leaned on the elevator wall, feeling defeated. The gossip was really getting out of hand.


    She pressed the button for the floor where the CEOs office was located. As the elevator doors opened


    with a ¡®ding¡¯, Julie pulled herself together and


    walked into the office.


    The chattering employees went silent as soon as they saw Julte.


    Everyone stopped working to stare at Julie, who just walked in.


    Julie suddenly felt like she was back in her school days, being the center of attention. Back then,


    everyone knew she had a thing for Kieran. As soon as she appeared, people would throw nces at


    her and offer information about Kieran.


    Looking back, everyone must have seen her as a joke, since nobody thought she could actually win


    Kieran over.


    But at that time, everyone was just watching her in silence, then looking over at the conference room.


    Juhe got it. Kieran must be in a meeting Sure enough, Tina was the first one to approach Julie, smiling,


    ¡°Attorney Abraham, are you here to see Mr. Hernandez? He¡¯s in a meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to work, Julie responded with a smile, looking at Tina. Although she was indeed here to see


    Kieran, she couldn¡¯t admit it with everyone watching. She thought that everyone¡¯s eyes were about to


    engulf her.


    Tina didn¡¯t call her out, just nodded with a smile.


    Just as she was about to head to her office, one brave soul asked. ¡°Attorney Abraham, are you and Mr.


    Hernandez really like what they say in the news?¡±


    Immediately, everyone started buzzing. They all started moving towards Julie, curious.


    Julie suddenly felt like a monkey in a zoo with all the onlookers.


    ¡°Are the employees at Simpo Co. really this nosy?¡± she thought

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Chapter 113


    At that point, Tina should ve stepped in and stopped everyone, but honestly, Tina was a bit curious


    about the answer too. She¡¯d seen Mr. Hernandez and Attorney Abraham getting all lovey-dovey more


    than once. So she just hung back, pretending not to see the chaos unfold.


    Julie didn¡¯t hesitate in her response, ¡°Our rtionship is strictly professional, nothing more. The


    media¡¯s just full of hot air. Mr. Hernandez is a great boss, always standing up for his employees. The


    media loves to stir the pot, so don¡¯t believe everything you hear!¡±


    Julie was dead serious


    Seeing Julie¡¯s solemn stance, everyone started to buy into her story


    After all, if Attorney Abraham really was Mr. Hernandez¡¯s girlfriend, he wouldn¡¯t have her working out of


    a storeroom, would he? That just didn¡¯t add up!


    Just when everyone was starting to believe Julie, someone chimed in, ¡°But what about that photo of Mr.


    Hernandez and Attorney Abraham in the cake shop?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Julie, who hadn¡¯t been keeping up with the news, quickly pulled out


    phone and opened her news app


    The photo shocked her. It was clearly taken by a shop employee, capturing the moment when Julie


    almost fell and was caught by Kieran.


    The news headline was totally over the top, ¡°Simpo Co¡¯s CEO and his new squeeze!¡± ¡®Sources say that


    when they¡¯re alone, they refer to each other as Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez.¡±


    What the hell was that all about?


    Julie¡¯s face was a picture of fury. She turned to everyone and said, ¡°This photo has nothing to do with


    the lies they¡¯re spreading¡±


    ¡°So, Attorney Abraham and Mr. Hernandez arent. 7¡¯Everyone curiously looked at Julie.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Mr. Hernandez was just being nice and helping me out. If he knew the media


    would twist it like this, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been so helpful¡±


    Julie¡¯s exnation didn¡¯t seem forced. Besides, knowing Julie as they did, they were more inclined to


    believe there was nothing going on between her and Kieran. Everyone nodded in agreement


    But as that was happening, Julie¡¯s phone screen was still on. Her phone buzzed, indicating a new


    message.


    Before Julie even had a chance to read it, someone had already sneakily nced at her phone. It was


    a message from Mr Hernandez to Julie


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Everyone gasped at the content of the message, then quickly scattered back to their own


    seats, pretending to be busy


    As they left, they cast a lingering nce at Julie


    Julie looked bewildered at the sudden change in everyone¡¯s expressions, then lowered her gaze to the


    message that Kieran had sent her.


    -The message read, ¡°Where is that photo of you fucking mest night?¡±


    She looked at her phone screen in disbelief


    ¡°What the hell was this?¡± she thought.


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be in a meeting?


    Julie held her forehead, feeling helpless, then looked up at everyone¡¯s expressions. Everyone was


    clearly peeking, but the moment Julie looked up, they all pretended to be busy.


    Office gossip was such a headache.


    Julie angrily reached for her phone, ready to confront Kieran, but just as she was typing her furious


    response, she received another message from Kieran. He said, ¡°Damn autocorrect. I meant to type


    forward but messed up.¡±


    Julie fell silent.


    So, the intended message was. Where is that photo that you forwarded to mest night?


    But due to an unfortunate autocorrect, it became, ¡°Where is that photo of you fucking mest night?¡±


    Julie¡¯s face scrunched up. She looked up at the staff who were pretending to be busy working and


    wondered if she went over to exin now¡­ would it be toote?


    She shouldn¡¯t have been so boldst night. When Kieran asked her to upload the photo of their


    marriage certificate, she grudgingly helped him set up a private album, but instead of uploading their


    certificate, she uploaded a photo of her and a cute alpaca from the zoo.


    Kieran didn¡¯t check itst night before going to bed. He probably just found out and was now ming


    her.


    Karl unexpectedly pushed open the conference room door just as Julie was about to return to the


    storeroom with her phone to wait for Kieran


    Kieran was leading the way.


    Just as Julie was wondering if she should go over, Kieran had already passed by her


    Surprised, Julie turned around, only to see Kieran push open the door to the CEO¡¯s office without any


    expression and walk in


    Karl followed closely behind and closed the office door.


    Throughout the entire process, Julie waspletely ignored.


    Inside the office, Kieran took off his suit jacket and casually threw it aside, then asked Karl, ¡°Did you


    take care of the task I assigned youst night?¡±


    Karl nodded and said. The press conference will take ce in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Kieran praised Karl, which was quite rare


    Karl was taken aback.


    Inform the PR department; no matter what it takes, they need to suppress the news fromst night as


    soon as possible¡± Kieranmanded


    Karl nodded his head, then nced at the coffee table next to the couch and said to Kieran, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, that¡¯s Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s bag fromst night¡±


    ¡°Get her in here: Kieran ordered.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Karl turned on his heels and headed for the door.


    Just as he reached the doorway, Kierans voice caught him, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll call her myself,¡±


    Karl left, closing the door to the office behind him.


    Julie was still outside, deliberating whether or not to go to Kieran herself when she saw Karl emerge


    from the office and politely nod at her


    Karl was a big deal at Simpo Co. His courteous demeanor towards Julie suggested she wasn¡¯t just


    some random employee either


    All eyes turned to Julie, some envious, some jealous


    Julie became increasingly ufortable.


    Just as Julie was looking for somewhere to hide, a sudden ringtone echoed throughout the office.


    ¡°I havent told you yet, I¡¯m sorry, I love you


    Without you, I can¡¯t breathe


    I can¡¯t bear to see your tears flow miles away


    I just haven¡¯t gathered the courage ye!


    I haven¡¯t told you yet, I¡¯m sorry, I love you


    Even if one day my soul leaves my body


    I¡¯ll still love you with all my heart


    The romantic song suddenly filled the silent office.


    Once again, all eyes were on Julie


    Julie was dumbstruck. Her ringtone was supposed to be Question of Love! When did it be such a


    deep confession? The ringtone kept on ying.


    In an attempt to end this awkward moment, Julie quickly pressed the end call button.


    Just as she finally caught her breath, suddenly, the door to Kieran¡¯s office swung open.


    Kieran phone in hand, looked over at Julie, giving her a profound look and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you


    answer when I called you? Come to my office¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t say anything


    It was time to face the music!


    Ignoring the burning gazes behind her, Julie headed straight for Kieran¡¯s office.


    The office door closed behind Julie.


    Kieran had expected Julie to interrogate him about the rumors as soon as she stepped in, but to his


    surprise, she extended her hand and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the contract?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask about the news this morning?¡± Kieran asked, looking up at Julie standing before


    him,


    Julie didn¡¯t beat around the bush and stated, ¡°How you deal with the news is none of my business.¡±


    What Julie was essentially saying was that Kieran could do whatever he pleased. Once the contract


    was over, she would probably move to another city By then, whatever rumors she was involved in here,


    she could leave them all behind.


    She thought that if it weren¡¯t for the rumors, she might not have had the courage to leave the city she


    grew up in


    However, reality proved that Julie was too naive.


    Kieran seemed to have foreseen her actions, so when she brought up the contract, he suddenly slid a


    piece of paper and a pen in front of her.


    Julie looked at Kieran in confusion and asked, ¡°What is this for?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you still owe me money? Write a promissory note, otherwise, what if you leave with my debts


    after the coboration ends?¡±


    Julie remained silent.


    She didn¡¯t reach for the pen, knowing that once she signed that note, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape


    Kieran¡¯s control no matter where she went. So, she stood there, rigid.


    Kieran seemed to have anticipated that Julie wouldn¡¯t write the note.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    So, pretending to be open topromise, he asked Julie again, Do you remember the conditions for


    terminating the coboration as stipted in the


    contract?¡±


    Julie had thoroughly reviewed the contract by then.


    So, as soon as Kieran asked, she immediately responded, ¡°As long as I help you resolve all of Creative


    Nexus Media¡¯s legal issues, the contract.can.be nullifind

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Chapter 114


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve totally ironed out the issues with Creative Nexus Media?¡± Kieran asked, lounging


    on the couch, giving Julie an icy look.


    Julie moved closer to Kieran, nodded confidently and responded, ¡°Sure, the court has already¡­


    She stopped mid sentence, frowning at Kieran, as if a thought suddenly struck her. Then she asked,


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    Suddenly, Kieran grabbed Julie¡¯s wrist, pulling her onto hisp


    Caught off guard, Julie ended up plopping down on Kieran¡¯sp, both sinking into the couch.


    Just as Julie was about to struggle, Kieran grabbed the remute and turned on the TV.


    On the screen, Nexus, the head of Creative Nexus Media, was making a bold announcement. Kieran


    didn¡¯t have her watching the TV just to see Nexus dere bankruptcy


    Sure enough, Nexus was telling the media that he was appealing against the court¡¯s decision,


    demanding a retrial against Kieran,


    Watching the press conference, Julie thought Nexus must have lost his marblest


    Or there was another possibility.


    ¡°What a coincidence! Just yesterday I mentioned terminating the contract, and today Nexus is


    appealing. Nexus is publicly opposing you, why do you think he¡¯s doing that?¡± Julie nced back at


    Kieran, hinting at something.


    Kieran, feigning innocence, replied in a serious manner. ¡°After all people do crazy things when they¡¯re


    cornered. Maybe you¡¯ve backed Nexus into a corner?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re so low! Julie pushed Kieran away, her delicate face flushing with anger.


    But the man on the couch just chuckled nonchntly, if I¡¯m so despicable and low, what did you see in


    me in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°I must have been blind back then!¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°1 can see clearly now!¡± Julie blurted out, heading straight for Kieran¡¯s desk, furiously rummaging


    through his drawers, refusing to believe she couldn¡¯t find the contract.


    Clearly, Kieran was messing with her. No wonder his secretary had disappeared after dropping them off


    at the hotel the previous night.


    Julie finally figured out what Kieran had his secretary do, he must have threatened Nexus.


    Kieran just sat on the couch, watching Julie go through all his drawers.


    Julie had always beenining in front of him, mostly going along with his wishes. He had seldom


    seen her lose her temper, let alone get furious like


    that


    Only once at the fast-food joint had Julie exploded like that..


    Kieran had to admit that he found her quite adorable when she was angry. He preferred this passionate


    Julie over the extremely indifferent one.


    Despite turning the office upside down, Julie still couldn¡¯t find the contract.


    She knew all along that if Kieran could sit there watching her rummage through the drawers, the


    contract wasn¡¯t there. Julie was just venting her anger


    Only when she finally stopped, panting, did Kieran calmly stand up, key in the lounge¡¯s password, and


    tell Julie, ¡°Sweetheart, tidy up a bit, or my employees might misunderstand our rtionship.¡±


    Julie thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t our rtionship obvious enough? It¡¯s already in the papers!¡±


    Ignoring Kieran¡¯s offered handkerchief, Julie red at him, ¡°You purposely said thatst night, didn¡¯t


    you?¡±


    1 said a lot of thingsst night, which one are you referring to?¡± Kieran feigned ignorance


    Julie took a deep breath, patiently looking at Kieran, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t said I was your womanst night, I


    wouldn¡¯t be on the front page today


    ¡°Oh, my bad I forgot to say once. I¡¯ve asked Karl to prepare a press release; a correction will be


    published soon¡± He leaned against the door, speaking in


    a serious tone


    Upon hearing him say that, Julie truly had a headache.


    Adding once to that sentence meant she was once his woman, right?


    Then he wanted Karl to issue a press release to correct it? Did he want the whole world to know about


    their past marriage?


    Julle was so angry she was speechless, finally uttering. ¡°You¡¯re ruthless¡± before storming out of the


    office, bumping into Tina, who was holding a cup of


    coffee.


    ¡°Have you seen Karl? Julie asked Tina.


    Tina, nearly dropping her coffee in surprise, could only reply, ¡°He¡¯s in the PR department.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Finishing, Julie headed straight for the PR department.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Tina then knocked on Kieran¡¯s office door


    ¡°Come in,¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from Inside.


    Tina was astounded by the scene when she opened the door.


    Kierans office looked like it had been ransacked, and the grin on Kieran¡¯s face was iprehensible,


    he seemed really happy


    11:131


    Having worked in the CEO¡¯s office for four years, Tina seldom saw Kieran smile so brightly. She


    carefully put down the coffee, then asked, ¡°Mr Hernandez, should I get someone to tidy up?¡±


    ¡°No need someone wille to clean upter. You can go, thanks for your hard work.¡± Kieran nced


    at Tina


    Tina was shocked, quickly shaking her head. She didn¡¯t feel tired, she was just surprised to see Mr.


    Hernandez so happy.


    Tina closed the office door on her way out.


    Then, Kieran picked up his phone and dialed Karl¡¯s number.


    In the PR department, Karl had just instructed the department to take care of the previous night¡¯s news


    ording to Kieran¡¯s instructions before his phone rang


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s iing call, Karl picked it up right away.


    ¡°y along with Mrs. Hernandez and I give you a raise. Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end of the


    phone.


    Before Karl could figure out what Kieran was talking about, he saw the elevator doors open, and Julie


    stormed towards him


    Seeing Julie¡¯s demeanor, Karl gulped instinctively and whispered into the phone. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯m


    happy about the raise, but¡­ If I get injured at work, that¡¯s workerspensation, right?¡±


    ¡°If you get hurt, sick, or even if you die, I¡¯ll pay for it. Mr. Hernandez¡¯s generous voice came over the


    phone.


    Karl felt frustrated. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re so ruthless¡±


    ¡°Karl, did you send out the press release?¡± Julie asked immediately after arriving


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. Act natural. Pretend you¡¯ve ended the call¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    Karl awkwardly moved the phone away from his ear. Mr. Hernandez only said to y along with Julie


    but didn¡¯t specify how. So, how was he supposed to respond?


    Having worked with Kieran for many years, Karl had some tricks up his sleeve. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t


    have be Mr. Hernandez¡¯s right-hand man.


    ¡°Do you hope the press release has been sent, or not?¡¯ Karl cleverly asked


    ¡°Of course, it hasn¡¯t been sent! Julie urgently replied.


    A smile finally appeared on Karls face. He looked at Julie confidently and said, ¡°The press release is


    still being prepared.¡±


    Julie patted her chest, ¡°Good, Mr. Hernandez sent me over, he wants to cancel the press release.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez?¡± Karl looked incredulous


    Given Mr. Hernandez¡¯s protective nature towards his wife, how could he allow rumors to continue to


    spread?


    Seeing Karl¡¯s disbelief, Julie nodded emphatically, pushing Karl towards the PR department. This is


    really Kieran¡¯s idea, don¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯m also involved in this matter. Kieran said he has other


    arrangements and asked to dy the press release. Go and tell the PR department¡±


    ¡°But¡­


    ¡°I told you it s Kieran¡¯s idea, why don¡¯t you believe me? If anything goes wrong, you can just me it


    on me!¡± Julie impatiently pushed Karl into the PR department


    Karl insisted, he really was trying to cooperate, but that press release was an issue.


    ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez really order its cancetion?¡± Karl¡¯s voice was a bit loud, mainly for Kieran on the


    other end of the line, but it startled Juffe.


    After a minute or two, Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t call back, which, ording to Karl¡¯s years of tacit


    understanding with him, almost rified Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    intentions


    So Karl cooperated with Julie and walked into the PR department. He then told the head of the


    department. The press release I asked you to prepare, don¡¯t bother anymore, we won¡¯t be holding a


    press conference for now, cancel all other activities, Mr. Hernandez has a new n, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Despite their confusion, they had no choice but to follow Karl¡¯s instructions


    Seeing this, Julie finally breathed a sigh of relief and patted Karl on the shoulder, ¡°Thank you, Karl.¡±


    Karl managed a weak smile, ¡°I should report to Mr. Hernandez¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it!¡± And with that, Julie disappeared into the elevator


    Once Karl realized what happened, he put the phone back in his ear and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez¡­


    ¡°Mmm, you performed well,¡± Kieran said with a hint of mischief in his voice, then hung up.


    Some office workers noticed Julie rushing into Kieran¡¯s office again, and just as they were about to start


    gossiping, the elevator doors opened once


    more


    Annalise Hansen appeared at the elevator entrance in a whitece dress, smiling, greeting everyone,


    and distributing the pastries she brought. Then, she gracefully smiled at Tina and casually asked as


    she walked towards Kieran¡¯s office, ¡°Is Kleran in the office?¡±

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    Chapter 115


    Julie¡¯s status was still ambiguous, but as for Ms. Annalise, there was no one in the office who didn¡¯t


    know of her


    All of Mr. Hernandez¡¯s principles seemed to fly out the window when it came to Ms. Annalise


    For instance she could just waltz into the CEO¡¯s office and even call him by his first name.


    Tina had even caught her arm in arm with the CEO. heading into the elevator The CEO would even ask


    her what she felt like eating


    For a few years before Attorney Abraham showed up, Ms. Annalise was the only woman allowed in Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s office for personal reasons.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the news of Attorney Abraham and Mr. Hernandez breaking, nearly everyone in the office


    would have thought that Mr. Hernandez and Ms.


    Annalise were an item.


    Even Ms. Bertha, who was rumored to be Mr. Hernandez¡¯s ex-fiancen, never showed up in his office.


    That just goes to show how special Ms. Annalise was to Mr. Hernandez


    With Attorney Abraham and Mr. Hernandez still in the office, if you add Ms. Annalise into the mix,


    the situation would simply be too spicy Tina hardly dared to think about it.


    So, she casually told Annalise, Mr. Hernandez isnt¡­ isn¡¯t in the office¡±


    ¡°Oh, no worries, I¡¯ll wait for him in the office.¡± Annalise said, pushing open the office door without giving


    a second thought to what Tina had just said,


    The office door was already open, Tina couldn¡¯t stop her, even if she wanted to


    Inside the messy office, Jule was leaning against the desk, with Kieran trapping her in his arms


    They were inches apart, and as the door opened, Kieran and Julie both turned to look at the entrance.


    With tears welling up in her eyes, Tina looked at Kieran and said, ¡®Mr. Hernander. I¡¯m sorry,


    Julie nced at the employees outside the door, their necks craning like a bunch of geese, and tried to


    push Kieran away, but that just made things look even more suspicious.


    ¡°Ms. Annalise you came at just the right time. Mr. Hernandez got something in his eye. I tried to blow it


    out but couldn¡¯t. You try Julie said taking advantage of Kieran¡¯s confusion to pry open one of his eyes.


    She puffed up her cheeks and blew a gust of air into Kieran¡¯s eye


    Kieran blinked several times, taken aback by the force of her breath Is she trying to murder mel he


    thought


    He suddenly grabbed Julie¡¯s hand, a faint smile on his lips. He whispered, ¡°Minty¡±


    That was the vor of the mouthwash Julie habitually used


    Julie quickly pulled her hand away and turned to give Annalise a friendly, albeit strained smile.


    Annalise waved at Tina, then walked into the office mming the door shut.


    Tina was locked out in an instant, and the office outside immediately erupted in excitement.


    With the firepower of Attorney Abraham and Ms. Annalise, this was sure to be a spectacle! The way


    Ms. Annalise mmed the door, she was about to break d


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure what the rtionship between Annalise and Kieran was, but in her heart, Annalise


    was always a rival. But she was somewhat thankful for this ¡®rivals¡¯ sudden appearance then. Otherwise,


    there would have been problems.


    After storming into Kieran¡¯s office, Julie got straight to the point, I¡¯ve had Karl retract the press release I


    lied to Karl, saying it was your idea. The news is already out, there¡¯s no need for you to add fuel to the


    fire with an exnation Gossip will eventually fade, reced by thetest entertainment news¡±


    Julie told Kieran directly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe Nexus would appeal again without any chance of winning,


    unless someone suggested it. Besides you, I can¡¯t think of anyone else Kieran, let me go! Even if we


    cant love each other, can we at least stop torturing each other?¡±


    ¡°Torturing each other?¡± Kieran didn¡¯t seem to like this phrase, or else he wouldn¡¯t have gradually moved


    closer to Julie.


    Julie backed away step by step, until she was backed against the desk with nowhere else to go.


    He trapped herpletely in his arms, a tall wall in front of her


    He bent down to look her in the eye, and just as they were locked in a stare down, Annalise suddenly


    burst through the door.


    Julie was relieved If Annalise hadnt barged in, she couldn¡¯t imagine what would have happened next,


    especially since everything she¡¯d done today must have sessfully pissed Kieran off


    As Annalise angrily mmed the door and red at Julie and Kieran, it was clear she thought Julie


    was the third wheel ruining her rtionship with Kieran


    Julie thought, ¡°if I don¡¯t say something first, Annalise is definitely going to get the wrong idea¡±


    Jule guessed she was probably here because of the news that morning. So, she took the lead and


    turned to Annalise and said, ¡°Aboutst night, I can exin.¡±


    The reason Julie cared about Annalise was because she knew that making an enemy out of a woman


    was a really dumb move


    But Annalise didn¡¯t seem to buy it, she even bluntly said to Julie, ¡°I don¡¯t want your exnation, I want


    him to exin it himself!¡±


    After saying this, Annalise looked at Kieran, implying, ¡°When the hell are you going to exin that I¡¯m


    your sunt?)¡±


    But to her surprise, Kieran looked at Annalise with interest and said, ¡°Let Julie exin!¡±


    Since Kieran had said so. Annalise had no reason not to cooperate. So, she turned to Julie putting on


    an ¡°Then you exin what exactly happenedst night? Were you at the Starlight Haven Hotel with


    Kieran?¡±


    Jubie nodded


    ¡°Was it you who was hugging Kieranst night?7 Annalise asked again.


    Julie nodded again and admitted, ¡°It was me, but it¡¯s not what you think


    1 don¡¯t want to hear your exnation Annalise said with a cold tone, looking at Kieran haughtily.


    It was clear that Annalise was out to make things difficult for Julie


    But Jure said with dignity. Whether you want to hear it or not, I¡¯m going to say it!¡±


    After saying that, she recountedst night¡¯s events in a straightforward manner


    Annalise just teased Julie for fun, but she didn¡¯t expect Julie to be so straightforward!


    Julie exined everything in detail, especially her rtionship with Kieran, which shepletely


    cleared up


    Annalise just watched her nephew Kieran¡¯s face turn darker and darker


    a wronged wife catching a mistress.


    Ignoring Kieran¡¯s expression, Julie finished her exnation, then nudged Kieran with her elbow. ¡°Your


    turn to exin¡±


    While Julie was still standing beside the desk, Kieran was standing next to her He suddenly turned


    around, pushed Julie back onto the desk, grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. He then


    bent down and kissed her red lips.


    At first, Julie naively thought that Kieran was going to exin to Annalise, she never imagined that he


    would suddenly turn around and kiss her


    So, when all that happened, Julie waspletely stunned.


    He bit her lips as a punishment and only let go after Julie winced in pain from the bite


    Annalise took a step back, pretending to be shocked. She pointed at Julie and Kieran and said, ¡°You


    you two¡­¡±


    Julie, who had finallye to her senses, wiped her red lips with the back of her hand


    Julie red at Kieran but saw him calmly say to Annalise, ¡®Did the Oscars give you an award?¡±


    ¡°Can I finally stop acting?¡± Annalise put away her delicate hand and looked at Kieran with a smile,


    ¡°Before you forced a kiss on her, could you have cared about my feelings?¡±


    Julie, who was about to p Kieran, was suddenly shocked by what she saw


    What was the usually angry Annalise doing then?


    Kieran and Annalise both turned back and looked at the confused Julie


    ¡°She¡¯s my aunt


    ¡°He¡¯s my nephew.¡±


    The voices of Kieran and Annalise rang out in front of Julie, but she felt like she had gone deaf


    It took her a while to snap out of it. She frowned and asked, ¡°What?


    Annalise stepped forward, slinging her arm around Julie¡¯s shoulder like a longtime friend, and


    exined, ¡°Kieran is my nephew, I¡¯m his aunt, his mother is my sister, and his father is my brother-in-


    law I really am his aunt. My parents, who are also Kieran¡¯s grandparents, had me when they were


    older. Anyway, I¡¯m his auntr


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie refused to believe that Kieran was really Annalise¡¯s nephew. Because since they were in school,


    Annalise and Kieran were the school¡¯s acknowledged perfect couple


    Back then, even though Julie was also a rich girl, the Abraham family was considered as nouveau riche


    So, Julie¡¯s pursuit of Kieran was just a topic of conversation for everyone. Everyone thought Julie was


    delusional because Kieran never denied his rtionship with Annalise, although he never confirmed it


    either


    But now Annalise suddenly imed to be Kieran¡¯s aunt Julie refused to believe that news.


    But the fact was right in front of her, whether she believed it or not, it was the truth.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Annalise knew she refused to ept the truth.


    So, sheughed and said to Julie, ¡°The reason we didn¡¯t make our rtionship public when we were in


    school was because my nephew had a lot of surtors, and I was there to fend them off. You were the


    only girl back then who we couldn¡¯t keep away!¡±

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Chapter 116


    Annalise only told Julie that she had blocked a lot of suitors for Kieran but didn¡¯t mention how many


    pointless suitors Kieran had helped Julie dodge behind her back.


    Nor did she tell Julie that the reason Julie had been able to chase Kieran for so long was because


    Kieran had never thought of rejecting her.


    While it was true that Annalise came over that day with a heart full of gossip and curiosity about what


    was going on between Kieran and Julie, she didn¡¯te specifically for that.


    The real reason was different.


    ¡°Hayden Simson has been back for more than half a month; why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Annalise turned


    her head and asked Kieran.


    Kieran knew the reason Annalise came over was probably because of Hayden.


    ¡°If I told you, could you win his heart?¡± Kieran asked calmly, as if he already knew the answer.


    Annalise shot Kieran a nce, ¡°So Hayden really is back; I wasn¡¯t seeing things? Who¡¯s that woman


    with him?¡±


    She walked over, shoved Julie aside, and said to Kieran, ¡°I was in a great mood this morning. I went


    shopping and saw someone who looked just like Hayden. But that¡¯s not the point; the point is, he was


    shopping with a woman, even picking out lingerie for her! Lingerie! The cold Hayden, how could he be


    picking out lingerie with another woman? Don¡¯t you agree? So, I thought I must have been seeing


    things. I originally came to ask you to confirm, but I got the answer just by asking casually! I care so


    much about you, yet you didn¡¯t even tell me!¡±


    ¡°Hayden, you mean Kieran¡¯s friend?¡± Julie asked casually.


    In her mind, Hayden was indifferent to women. Saying Hayden was picking lingerie for women, Julie


    would rather believe Hayden was picking lingerie for men. In other words, she was more willing to


    believe that Hayden liked men and wouldn¡¯t be with a woman.


    Herment immediately grabbed Annalise¡¯s attention.


    She excitedly looked at Julie, ¡°You know him too?¡±


    Julie then realized what it meant to put her foot in her mouth, so she quickly covered her mouth and


    shook her head.


    But Annalise still walked over and said, ¡°I knew you must know him; you¡¯ve been married to Kieran for


    over three years. You must have met him. So¡­ have you seen Hayden since he came back?¡±


    Just as Julie was hesitating whether to nod or shake her head, Kieran¡¯s eyes became deep, and he


    frowned, ¡°Have you seen Hayden?¡±


    Originally, Julie wanted to shake her head, but hearing Kieran¡¯s tone, she immediately looked at Kieran


    and answered, ¡°Yes, we met, so what?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Annalise came over, hugged Julie¡¯s shoulder, and said, ¡°Then you must know how to


    contact him, right? Let¡¯s do this, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal first. What do you think?¡±


    Originally, Julie was nning to reject Annalise¡¯s invitation, but seeing Kieran¡¯s thoughtful gaze, she


    suddenly felt that going out to eat with Annalise was the right decision.


    So, she smiled at Annalise, then turned her head and loudly said to Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯m taking


    a day off today. If your don¡¯t agree, you can fire me!¡±


    With that, dulie quickly left with Annalise.


    Watching them leave, Kieran smiled.


    Fire her? He had no such ns!


    The crowd at the entrance was waiting to see the oue in the office.


    All of them were anticipating who woulde out of the office heartbroken..


    However, no one expected that, in the end, Annalise would leave the office with Julie.


    Not only was Annalise gently holding Julie¡¯s arm, but she was also smiling at Julie and asking, ¡°What


    should we eat next?


    How about French food? Or fast food?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Julie turned her head and smiled at Annalise, ¡°Either is fine; you decide.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s office door opened again, as if nothing had happened. He said to Tina, ¡°Call Karl.¡±


    Seeing the boss finally step in, everyone put away their curiosity and returned to their posts to work.


    In the end, Annalise randomly picked a fast-food restaurant and walked in with Julie.


    In Julie¡¯s memory, Annalise was a cool beauty, a rich girl with a good family background, good at


    studies, good at sports, an all-around excellent student, the teacher¡¯s pride, and an idol in the hearts of


    her ssmates.


    However, at the moment, that idol was sitting across from her eating fast food, which felt somewhat


    unbelievable to Julie.


    ¡°Actually, my rtionship with Hayden isn¡¯t as good as you might think. I know him because I was once


    married to Kieran¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be a spy, what are you so nervous about?¡± Annaliseughed,


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re close with him or not doesn¡¯t matter, actually, if Kieran hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would


    have wanted to have a good chat with you a long time ago.¡±


    Faced with the gentle and generous Annalise, Julie was a bit surprised, pointing at her own nose and


    asking Annalise, ¡°You want to talk to me?¡±


    In the past, Julie considered Annalise a thorn in her eye. In order to chase Kieran, although she didn¡¯t


    do anything to Annalise, she certainly didn¡¯t give her a friendly face.


    However, what she didn¡¯t know was that because Annalise didn¡¯t consider Julie a love rival, Julie¡¯s


    pursuit of Kieran seemed especially cute.


    Annalise smiled at Julie and said, ¡°Yes, I want to talk to you. If it weren¡¯t for Kieran not wanting his


    ssmates to know he has such a young aunt, we might have be friends a long time ago. We


    should have a lot inmon!¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Julie asked, pulling a face. She noticed that Annalise seemed livelier than before, totally


    unlike the Annalise she remembered.


    Hearing Julie¡¯s question, Annalise brightened up. She winked at Julie and said excitedly, ¡°Like, we


    could chat about how to bag the guy you¡¯re crushing on.¡±


    Julie was speechless. She saw iting.


    Laughing, Julie turned down Annalise. ¡°If you want to discuss this with me, you¡¯re barking up the wrong


    tree. Look at me. and Kieran now. Love can¡¯t be forced. If neither party¡¯s into it, it¡¯s just a torture


    chamber.¡±


    ¡°So, you mean Kieran¡¯s been hassling you?¡± Annalise asked while munching her food.


    Who¡¯d have thought that elegant-looking Annalise could be such a savage eater?


    Julie shook her head,


    hat¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s good. You two will end up together anyway¡­¡± halfway through, Annalise suddenly mped her


    mouth shut, realizing she¡¯d said something wrong.


    But Julie just brushed it off and changed the subject.


    Annalise quickly diverted the topic. ¡°Your way of pursuing Kieran is worth learning! Kieran¡¯s so aloof,


    but he still married you!¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re divorced now,¡± Julie reminded Annalise.


    Annalise didn¡¯t seem to care, ¡°I¡¯ve studied your tactics before; the first step is to pop up in front of the


    one you like by hook or by crook, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise that.¡± Julie said sincerely.


    ¡°Why?¡± Annalise frowned.


    Without answering, Julie started reminiscing about her school days.


    No one was better at making ¡®coincidences¡¯ to chase a guy than her.


    After a pause, Julie looked at Annalise and said, ¡°You must¡¯ve heard about my staged ¡®coincidental¡¯


    encounter with Kieran on the yground?¡±


    Annalise burst outughing. ¡°That¡¯s legendary! Everyone in school knew about it!¡±


    Julie blushed at Annalise¡¯s reaction.


    Julie and Kieran went to different universities. Julie pulled all the strings to get ess to Kieran¡¯s


    university. She¡¯d heard that Kieran would sometimes jog on the campus yground, so she nned to


    jog with him. Despite hating sports, she got up early for Kieran. She even dragged Daphne along to


    pick out her favorite sportswear.


    That morning, she wore a new ck tank top and ck and white shorts, showing off her sexy, long


    legs. She got to the yground half an hour early to wait for Kieran.


    Julie was pretty and well known. With her public pursuit of Kieran, virtually everyone recognized her. So


    many guys came


    over to watch the show.


    As luck would have it, Julie finally ran into Kieran in his white sports attire. She ran up to him,


    pretending to be surprised, ¡°Kieran, what a coincidence! You¡¯re jogging too?¡±


    But Kieran didn¡¯t even look at her. He just took off, leaving Julie panting and unable to catch up.


    Julie told Annalise, ¡°After that public ¡®coincidental¡¯ encounter, he never jogged on the yground again.


    This shows that trying to attract attention by pretending to have a chance at meeting someone can


    backfire.¡±


    Hearing Julie¡¯s self-deprecating tone, Annaliseughed, ¡°Do you know why he never jogged on the


    yground after that?¡±


    ¡°Probably because he found me annoying!¡± Julie said nonchntly. She knew he didn¡¯t feel the same


    way about her and understood that unrequited love wouldn¡¯t end well.


    Annaliseughed even harder, ¡°He stopped jogging because of you, but not because he found you


    annoying. It was because you were too sexy! Many guys saw you in all your glory, so he got jealous!¡±

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    Chapter 117


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Julie nearly choked when she heard Annalise¡¯s blunt words.


    Quickly, Annalise handed Julie a cold drink out of kindness before continuing, ¡°Although my nephew


    Kieran seems aloof, he¡¯s actually really warm-hearted!¡±


    Julie gazed at Annalise in surprise, finally convinced that she truly was Kieran¡¯s aunt. Who else could


    have known him so


    well?


    Finally recovering from her coughing fit, Julie took a sip of her drink. She was taken aback to see


    Annalise getting even more excited. While munching on fast food, she said, ¡°You remember that time


    you let the air out of his bike tires, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Stifling another choke, Julie tried to steady herself before responding, ¡°Let¡¯s not bring that up again!¡±


    At that time, it was Daphne who had suggested the idea. Only then had Julie gone to Futuro Business


    College to dete Kieran¡¯s bike tires.


    Kieran disliked receiving special treatment and detested having the house staff pick him up. So, he


    cycled home almost every day.


    Inspired by a romantic TV show, Daphne had said, ¡°I learned a trick today that will guarantee you snag


    Kieran.¡±


    Then, she handed Julie a baseball cap and face mask and said, ¡°Dete Kieran¡¯s bike tires, then make


    it look like a chance encounter. You can offer him a ride. After all, you guys live next door, no biggie!¡±


    ¡°Dete his tires? Julie quickly handed the wrench back to Daphne, ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Just picture it under the setting sun, you two riding so close; you are pedaling, and Kieran is behind


    you. If you purposely wobble the bike, Kieran will have to hold your waist, thus he would be obliged to


    take responsibility for you. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Julie thought she must have been crazy to actually go


    through with deting Kieran¡¯s tires.


    But she did it!


    Julie skipped herst ss, donned the baseball cap and mask, and went to Futuro Business College.


    She found Kieran¡¯s bike and sessfully deted his tires.


    When Kieran finally finished school, she proudly rode her bike named ¡°Little White Horse¡±, and


    pretended to bump into Kieran, casually saying, ¡°Kieran, school¡¯s over. Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for you.¡± Kieran, dressed in a white shirt and ck casual pants, sat on his bike and looked at


    Julie with an expectant expression.


    Caught off guard, Julie looked at Kieran in surprise and excitement, ¡°Waiting for me?¡±


    Just as she daydreamed about the possible romantic oue, Kieran took out his phone, opened a


    video, and handed it to her.


    Upon seeing the video, Julie¡¯s face gradually darkened.


    The video showed her secretly deting Kieran¡¯s bike tires.


    Kieran casually watched her and said, ¡°I yed basketball with some friends this afternoon. On my way


    back, something interesting happened, so I recorded it¡­¡±


    Although Julle grumbled about Kieran in her heart, she still tried to keep up a smile and said, ¡°Clearly,


    the person in the video isn¡¯t me!*


    But her exnation failed to convince Kieran.


    Kieran nced at the video, then at her. His deep gaze seemed to prate Julie¡¯s heart.


    ¡°You are the same height and have the same figure, wearing the same clothes, and even have the


    same hairstyle. Are you telling me she¡¯s your twin sister?¡± Kieran asked, sitting on his bike.


    Finally, Julie admitted defeat and said, ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯ll give you my bike, ¡®Little White Horse¡¯ as


    compensation. Please take good care of it.¡±


    She reluctantly handed her bike over to Kieran.


    However, Kieran unexpectedly asked, ¡°What about my bike ¡®Don Quixote¡¯?¡±


    He nced back at the bike Julie had deted.


    Julie was speechless.


    In the end, Kieran rode her bike, leading the way, while she was forced to push his bike behind him.


    Her imagined romantic scene-the two of them on one bike, him holding her, her demanding he take


    responsibility-all


    shattered.


    All that was left was the image of him riding ahead in the sunset with her running behind him.


    Julie felt she was so naive back then.


    Watching Julie lost in her memories, Annalise asked, ¡°Do you know why he named his bike ¡®Don


    Quixote¡¯?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s mocking my ¡°Little White Horse¡¯, isn¡¯t he?¡± Julie grumbled about Kieran in her heart.


    However, Annalise looked at Julie in surprise and asked, ¡°You really don¡¯t know Don Quixote rides a


    white horse?¡±


    Julie was taken aback.


    ¡°Don Quixote rides a white horse.¡± the line repeated in her head.


    Julie felt as if Annalise had opened a new perspective for her.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She now realized that what she firmly believed could be interpreted differently. But she didn¡¯t know if


    she could trust Annalise¡¯s words.


    Perhaps Annalise had sensed her doubts, so while enjoying her food, she said to Julie, ¡°If you don¡¯t


    believe me, you can go check his garage at Noblewood Retreat. Your bike and his ¡®Don Quixote¡¯ are


    still there.¡±


    Although Julie didn¡¯t want to delve deep into Annalise¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to


    Daphne¡¯s behavior that morning.


    After Daphne abruptly hung up the call, despite numerous attempts, she never picked up.


    Coupled with the sudden change in her attitude towards Kieran that morning, Julie suspected Daphne


    knew something she didn¡¯t.


    So, while Annalise was savoring her food, Julie dialed Daphne¡¯s number again.


    ¡°Do you have another date after this?¡± Annalise asked.


    Julie blinked, then responded, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got ns this afternoon, we can catch up another time!¡± Annalise pulled out twenty dors


    and a business card from her wallet, telling Julie, ¡°Next meal is on you. And do me a solid; if you see


    Hayden, give me a heads up, alright?¡±


    With that, Annalise gave Julie a wave, a ¡®see youter¡¯ gesture, and then turned to leave. She was


    surprisingly calm about the whole thing.


    Julie had figured Annalise would grill her for information on Hayden before taking off, but instead, she


    just bounced.


    Calls to Daphne still went unanswered. So, Julie scooped up the cash on the table and paid the bill,


    feeling thankfu! Annalise had left the twenty.


    Since her wallet was still with Karl, Julie had no choice but to take the subway to Gentlemen magazine


    with the little cash she had left/


    Daphne was being vague, she felt. But when she got to the magazine, she was told, ¡°Ms. Daphne¡¯s out


    on a field assignment; she should be at Crown Entertainment right now.¡±


    Luckily, Crown Entertainment was just a couple of blocks away from the magazine.


    Julie made a beeline for Crown Entertainment across the street. With a lot of big-name stars under


    their umbre, they wouldn¡¯t just let anyone in to protect the privacy of their talents.


    From the magazine, Julie found out that Daphne¡¯s assistant, Wennie, was also at Crown Entertainment


    to help with the interview. She had kept Wennie¡¯s number from thest time she asked for her help with


    an interview with Elliot. It came in handy then.


    Wennie knew about Daphne and Julie¡¯s rtionship, but since Daphne was in the middle of reviewing


    a draft, Wennie didn¡¯t


    512


    dare disturb her and decided to go downstairs to meet Julie instead.


    Once they were in the elevator, Julie asked Wennie, ¡°Has Ms. Daphne been busy all morning?¡±


    Wennie nodded right away, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s been at it all morning; she didn¡¯t even have time to drink water.¡±


    At first, Julie thought Daphne was deliberately not picking up her calls, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the


    case; Daphne really was swamped.


    Julie furrowed her brows and asked Wennie, ¡°Is the person she¡¯s interviewing important?¡±


    ¡°Lionel is a famous actor; of course he¡¯s influential.¡± Wennie couldn¡¯t help but look adoringly when


    Lionel was mentioned, *Years ago, even before King Marlon retired, Lionel was already hailed as the


    most popr young actor. Recently, he won a bunch of awards for his role in The Morning After, the


    one Mr. Farrell starred in. Our magazine went through hell to arrange this interview. The editor-in-chief


    has been working on it for quite a while, all for today!¡±


    Julie knew Lionel.


    Lionel¡¯s ex-girlfriend was Babur Farrell¡¯s current wife, as was Ivan Hernandez¡¯s ssmate, Amora


    Farrell¡¯s mother, Albertine.


    Albertine was originally Lionel¡¯s agent, but she quit her job to join the entertainment industry. After a


    stint as a model, she switched to acting.


    Albertine was supposed to be the lead actress in The Morning After, but she dropped the role for some


    reason, perhaps because her ex-boyfriend was the lead actor. Not long after, news came out that she


    had married Mr. Farrell.


    Daphne¡¯s idol was the retired King Marlon. Her former boss via¡¯s good friend was Albertine, so


    Daphne often talked about the industry to Julie.


    But the entertainment industry wasplicated; Julie knew that all too well, so she just kind of tuned it


    all out. Wennie led Julie into the photo studio, where Lionel was posing for the magazine¡¯s cover.


    Surprisingly, Daphne was doing something that wasn¡¯t her job-she was helping Lionel with his clothes,


    completely oblivious to Julie¡¯s presence.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Chapter 118


    Daphne was swamped at the moment, and Julie didn¡¯t stand a chance to approach her.


    Wennie nced at the assistant nearby and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Daphne just head downstairs to check the


    interview script with Mr. Lionel¡¯s agent? Howe she¡¯s now doing the agent¡¯s work?¡±


    Hearing Wennie¡¯s question, Julie also shot a look in that direction.


    The assistant leaned in and whispered to Wennie, ¡°It¡¯s not Daphne trying to take over. She¡¯s stepped


    on Mr. Lionel¡¯s toes.¡±


    ¡°Daphne, that smart cookie, how could she upset Mr. Lionel?¡± Wennie expressed her disbelief.


    Julie also found it hard to believe. After all, Daphne was the most adaptable person she knew. To put it


    precisely, many of Julie¡¯s problem-solving strategies were learned from Daphne. Thanks to Daphne,


    she was then who she was.


    With her kind of personality, how could she possibly annoy the superstar who¡¯s about to coborate


    with their magazine?


    The assistant hushed and said seriously, ¡°Not sure what Daphne was thinking. Everyone knows Mr.


    Lionel¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Ms. Albertine, married Mr. Farrell. But Daphne just mentioned Ms. Albertine in


    front of Mr. Lionel. On top of which, she asked Mr. Lionel¡¯s agent if she could have an exclusive


    interview about his love life. Do you think Daphne is cursed or something? The editor-in-chief said


    whatever Mr. Lionel talks about will make the front-page headline as long as he gets interviewed. Why


    bother with his love life?¡±


    ¡°Then Mr. Lionel blew his top?¡± Julie asked softly.


    The assistant nodded, then shook his head, and finally said, ¡°Not sure if he was mad, but Mr. Lionel


    said he would ept the interview about his love life as long as Daphne pleases him.¡±


    ¡°Then Daphne hit the jackpot!¡± Wennie nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Isn¡¯t Daphnepeting for the position of


    deputy editor with a colleague? If she pulls off this interview with Mr. Lionel, the promotion is in the


    bag!¡±


    Hearing Wennie talk about how critical thispetition is for Daphne, Julie didn¡¯t dare disturb her work


    and found a sofa to


    sit on.


    From afar, Lionel¡¯s pleasant voice could be heard, ¡°Ms. Daphne reminds me of someone.¡±


    smiled at Lionel and responded, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask who? Lionel winked, suddenly looking down at Daphne.


    Daphne had to admit she was a sucker for handsome men, but she tried her best to control her heart


    and focused on helping him tie his tie.


    Actually, Daphne had noticed Julie the moment she entered the room. Due to the slip of the tongue this


    morning, Julie had called her countless times. But thus far, she hadn¡¯t figured out how to smooth things


    over. Also, Julie was too sharp, so she didn¡¯t have the guts to face her then.


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    Therefore, she deliberately tied and untied Lionel¡¯s tie, aiming not to see Julie.


    Ironically, he had to stir up trouble!


    Daphne looked at Lionel, smiled, and asked, ¡°Mr. Lionel, who are you reminded of?¡±


    Lionel leaned in, his lips near Daphne¡¯s ear, his maic voice instantly ringing in Daphne¡¯s ear, ¡°You


    remind me of my ex-girlfriend.¡±


    At that moment, Daphne really wanted to push Lionel away, give him a judo throw, and then kick him


    hard a few times!


    However, in the end, she kept her smile and said in an official tone, ¡°That¡¯s quite an honor!¡±


    ¡°Daphne, quit the act.¡± Lionel suddenly addressed Daphne directly.


    Daphne¡¯s hand, tying Lionel¡¯s tie, ¡°identally¡± tightened it, almost strangling Lionel.


    The agent rushed over and looked at Daphne discontentedly. ¡°Ms. Daphne, are you trying to strangle


    him?¡±


    Lionel shot his agent, Vicente, a nce, ¡°Did I ask you toe over?¡±


    Vicente felt so innocent.


    Julie, who was far away, stood up, ready to teach him a lesson for Daphne, but saw Vicente withdraw.


    Instead, Mr. Lionel, with a gentle smile on his face, said to Daphne, ¡°Please continue. This photo will be


    on your magazine coverter. Isn¡¯t your magazine called Gentlemen? If the tie is crooked, it¡¯s not


    gentlemanly.¡±


    Daphne smiled.


    Lionel suddenly asked her in a voice only the two of them could hear, ¡°Ms. Daphne, are you married?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Daphne had been asked that question so many times that she had developed a conditioned


    reflex. As soon as she heard the question, she naturally replied.


    Lionel seemed very satisfied with Daphne¡¯s response, because his next question was, ¡°Do you have a


    boyfriend?¡±


    Usually, when a man asks a woman this question, he¡¯s up to something!


    Thinking of that, Daphne nodded, ¡°Of course! My boyfriend and I are going strong!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lionel nodded in satisfaction..


    Daphne finally rxed, so Mr. Lionel hoped she had a boyfriend. It seemed she misunderstood or


    overthought that time.


    Just as Daphne was thinking about that, Lionel added, ¡°I love chasing other people¡¯s girlfriends. It¡¯s a


    sense of achievement.¡±


    Daphne was shocked. What did he mean by a sense of achievement?


    ¡°Mr. Lionel, you have got to be kidding me.¡± Daphne¡¯s smile was so fake, it made her look like a dufus.


    She was a sucker for a good-looking man, but for someone like Mr. Lionel, it was strictly look-but-don¡¯t-


    touch. His track. record of swapping girlfriends like socks initially left her dumbfounded. Even though


    the gossip about Lionel had died down since Albertine got married, Daphne was still not having it!


    However, Lionel seemed to be taking it seriously. After Daphne¡¯s refusal, he patiently smiled and said,


    ¡°How about this? If you apany me to the Primeval charity g tomorrow night, I¡¯ll let you interview


    me about my love life today.¡±


    Upon hearing that proposition, Daphne¡¯s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.


    The editor-in-chief had already hinted that if she could interview Lionel about his love life, the deputy


    editor position was -hers for the taking. Even if she couldn¡¯t secure that position, a juicy bonus was


    definitely on the cards!


    Daphne couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    Lionel chuckled at her reaction, ¡°Excited much?¡±


    ¡°Just as your date?¡± Daphne asked eagerly.


    Lionel nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Daphne reached out to shake Lionel¡¯s hand.


    But Lionel didn¡¯t take it, he simply turned towards the camera and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the


    road!¡±


    As Daphne buzzed with excitement, sheter reflected on that moment, wondering if things might have


    turned out differently if she hadn¡¯t attended that charity g.


    Julie finally had a chance to talk to Daphne during


    She patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Daphne¡­¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, what are you doing here? Guess what? Mr. Lionel just agreed to let me interview him about


    his love life! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I need to go revise my interview script right now!


    When I get my bonus, I¡¯ll treat you to a date with a hunk!¡± As she finished, she stood on her toes and


    pecked Julie on the cheek.


    Without paying any attention to Julie¡¯s bewildered face, she ran off,


    Julie was left standing there, not knowing what to do, until her phone rang.


    She pulled out her phone and hesitated before answering the unknown number.


    To her surprise, it was Julien on the other end.


    Julien got straight to the point, ¡°Azure Caf¨¦, how soon can you get here?¡±


    Julien usually didn¡¯t bother her unless it was important. Her whereabouts were always a mystery, so


    Julie was pleasantly surprised to learn he was still in the country.


    She quickly gave Julien a time and gave Wennie some instructions before leaving.


    As soon as Julie hung up and entered the elevator, Daphne¡¯s phone rang. Wennie handed Daphne her


    phone, and she answered it.


    Julien¡¯s voice came through, ¡°You bettere up with a good excuse. If you screw up, I won¡¯t cover for


    you.¡±


    With that, Julien hung up.


    Daphne had a soft spot for the cool Julien, but she didn¡¯t even get a chance to say a word before she


    hung up. That was a bit too abrupt, wasn¡¯t it?


    She tried calling back, but the number was already disconnected.


    Daphne was left holding her interview script, thinking that if she was that bad at keeping secrets, Julien


    should never have told her the truth!


    When Julie arrived at the Azure Caf¨¦, Julien had already reserved a private room.


    Julie happily sat facing Julien, and after she ordered her a cappino, she went straight to the point,


    ¡°Bertha jumped to her death in front of you, didn¡¯t she?¡±

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    Chapter 119


    It took Julie about thirty seconds to process Julien¡¯s words before she stammered out, ¡°How did you


    know about Bertha¡­?¡±


    ¡°I also know about your ex-husband, Kieran. I found out after I came back to the country,¡± Julien added.


    At first, Julie was surprised, even a bit incredulous. But knowing Julien¡¯s capabilities, it wasn¡¯t too far-


    fetched for him to know these things, so she didn¡¯t press further.


    Looking at Julie, Julien asked, ¡°Do you think Bertha could¡¯vemitted suicide?¡±


    Julie frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Describe what happened the day Bertha jumped off the building,¡± Julienmanded, not sounding


    like he was asking or requesting.


    Julie had always been honest with Julien. She didn¡¯t tell him about Kieran, not because she wanted to


    hide it, but because she figured Julien was busy with other things and wouldn¡¯t have time for her trivial


    matters.


    So, when Julien asked, she answered truthfully. ¡°I got a call to deliver coffee to Noblewood Retreat. As


    I was about to leave, Bertha fell from the building. I was sitting on my motorcycle and fainted. When I


    woke up, Kieran told me Bertha had passed away.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t see Bertha jump?¡± Julien inquired.


    Julie shook her head. Then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Julien and said, ¡°After


    Bertha jumped, I saw a shadow on the rooftop. I think it was a person, but my mind was all over the


    ce, so I can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    Julien nodded, ¡°Anything else suspicious?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    Julie paused before asking Julien, ¡°Why are you suddenly investigating Bertha¡¯s death? Didn¡¯t the


    police rule it as suicide?¡±


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Julien asked suddenly, looking at Julie sternly.


    Julie didn¡¯t hesitate; she trusted Julien.


    After all, she had saved her life before. But her sudden question left her puzzled.


    ¡°So, should I trust you?¡± she asked back.


    ¡°Whether you trust me or not, the answer is in your heart. You choose who and what to believe; follow


    your heart,¡± Julien replied.


    This was the first time Julien had said so much to Julie, which took her off guard.


    After saying that, Julien stood up and said, ¡°I have other matters to handle. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Julie had long been ustomed to Julien¡¯s enigmatic and unpredictable nature, so she simply smiled


    and nodded.


    As she watched Julien leave, Julie began to ponder his words. Julien was saying to listen to her heart


    and trust her, right? But why did she feel like Julien was reminding her of something?


    Julie thought for a while but couldn¡¯t find an answer. So, she decided to get up and head towards the


    exit of the caf¨¦.


    When it came time to pay, she was told that Julien had already taken care of the bill. Julle smiled and


    left the caf¨¦.


    But she never would¡¯ve thought that she¡¯d walk into a swarm of reporters waiting for her outside.


    Microphones were shoved in her face, all asking about her rtionship with Kieran.


    Julie was caught off guard and didn¡¯t know how to react as more and more media arrived.


    Just as she was figuring out how to escape, Julien, wearing a baseball cap, suddenly reappeared. She


    didn¡¯t know how Julien managed to break through the crowd, but she had thrown his jacket over her


    head and was pulling her towards his


    car.


    She practically shoved her into the car, then hopped onto the hood and in one smooth motion, jumped


    over to the driver¡¯s side.


    Starting the car, Julien left the stunned reporters in the dust.


    Julie removed the jacket from her head, buckling her seat belt as she asked, ¡°I saw a lot of reporters on


    the road,¡± so Julien had returned, unsure if the media were there for Julie, but she¡¯de back


    anyway.


    Julieughed.


    Ignoring herughter, Julien asked, ¡°Where are you heading next?¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, she replied, ¡°If it¡¯s on your way, drop me at Creative Nexus Media.


    Otherwise, just drop me off at the next bus stop.¡±


    Julie knew Julien had a dangerous job and didn¡¯t want to dy her, so she was very understanding.


    However, Julien didn¡¯t stop at the bus stop, instead, she asked, ¡°Did you sort out that issue with your


    landlord?¡±


    She nned to help after taking Julie to the hospital, but thendlord was discharged without any fuss


    and didn¡¯t bother Julie again. Julien had been busy recently and hadn¡¯t had the chance to check in on


    Julie, and only then remembered the issue.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    If Julien hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Julie might have forgotten about it.


    She replied nonchntly, ¡°Kieran handled it. I didn¡¯t ask him how.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you thank him?¡± Julien asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it customary to repay kindness with kindness? Kieran


    did you a big favor this time, right?¡±


    Perhaps Julie was bing less impulsive, as she casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s not like I was the one who put


    that guy in the hospital.¡±


    Julien, usually poker-faced, actuallyughed at that.


    Julie felt a bit embarrassed; her previousment made her sound ungrateful.


    Julien parked the car in front of Creative Nexus Media, and no sooner had Julie gotten out, her phone


    started to ring.


    Seeing it was Daphne, Julie quickly picked it up. From the other end of the line came Daphne¡¯s whiny


    voice, ¡°Julie, I¡¯m dead tired, you know?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re dead, how are you calling me?¡± Julie shot back.


    There was a momentary silence from Daphne. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to scare you with a call from beyond the


    grave. Let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡±


    Daphne had obviously rehearsed her spiel. ¡°I didn¡¯t finish what I was saying this morning! What I


    wanted to tell you is that whether it¡¯s the past or now, the one who survives is you, and only survivors


    win. So let bygones be bygones! Do you still love him? Why not take the plunge and follow your heart?


    That¡¯s the right choice.¡±


    ¡°Follow your heart¡­ ¡°The phrase struck a chord with Julie, as she¡¯d just heard it from Julien.


    Suddenly, Julie furrowed her brows and asked Daphne, ¡°Have you met Julien?¡±


    ¡°How did¡­?¡± Daphne was surprised. ¡°How did youe up with that?¡±


    Daphne nearly blurted out ¡®how did you know?¡¯ But she managed to catch herself.


    ¡°Are you talking about the Julien you¡¯ve been wanting to introduce me to? The busy friend of yours? Is


    she free now? Let¡¯s meet up then! You¡¯ve always said she¡¯s super cool, and I¡¯ve been curious!¡±


    Hearing Daphne¡¯s usual bubbly voice, Julie brushed off her suspicions.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll introduce you when there¡¯s a chance,¡± Julie replied.


    ¡°Great, I have got to go, Daphne hung up, letting out a sigh of relief.


    Julie then headed towards Creative Nexus Media.


    Julie hadn¡¯t booked an appointment, but using her status as Kieran¡¯s attorney, she sessfully met


    with Nexus, the CEO of Creative Nexus Media


    Upon seeing Julie, Nexus immediately had someone escort her to the VIP room.


    Julie was there for one thing, so she got straight to it. ¡°Mr. Nexus, why are you appealing? It¡¯s clear


    how the trial went. Even If you appeal a thousand times, you¡¯re not changing the verdict.¡±


    ¡°Attorney Abraham, if you¡¯re here about that, you can leave. My decision to appeal is made!¡± Nexus


    replied firmly.


    Julie softened her tone a bit, ¡°Mr. Nexus, can you tell me why you¡¯re so adamant about the appeal?¡±


    What Julie really wanted to ask was, ¡°Is it that scumbag Kieran who¡¯s pushing you to appeal?¡±


    Although Creative Nexus Media wasn¡¯t a top-tierpany, Nexus wed his way to where he is today


    after many years. He wouldn¡¯t spill the beans because of Julie¡¯s question. Especially since Karl was


    told by Mr. Hernandez the night before not to leak anything.


    Thewsuit was supposed to be a done deal, and Creative Nexus Media going bankrupt was a


    foregone conclusion. However, out of the blue, Mr. Hernandez told Karl that as long as Nexus


    appealed, he¡¯d fund a newpany for Nexus even if Creative Nexus Media went under, with Simpo


    Co. backing him. This was an opportunity many smallpanies would kill for and a new beginning for


    Nexus, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t spill the beans.


    So, Nexus directly told his secretary, ¡°Please show Attorney Abraham out. Attorney Abraham, don¡¯t


    bother trying to pick a fight with me. I won¡¯t back down from the appeal! See you in court!¡±

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    Chapter 120


    Just like that, Julie got kicked out of Creative Nexus Media by Nexus before she could spit out the


    crucial information.


    Realizing Nexus couldn¡¯t help her, Julie knew she had to solve the root problem to get out of that mess.


    That problem was Kieran. Only by dealing with him can she truly solve the issue.


    Remembering her previous experience of being chased around at a caf¨¦, Julie decided to hail a cab to


    find a new ce to live. She knew she couldn¡¯t keep living with Kieran, and finding a new ce was the


    most important task at that time.


    She found a real estate agency and picked a reasonably priced small house. Because she forgot to


    bring cash, she spent a lot of time convincing the agent to ept online payment. She paid the rent


    first, then the deposit, and finally secured the


    house.


    Arriving at the Simpo Co. building. Julie called Karl, ¡°Karl, it¡¯s Julie.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Attorney Abraham?¡± Karl probably referred to her formally because there were people


    around. He usually called


    her Mrs.


    Sitting in the taxi, Julie quietly said to Karl, ¡°Can you help me get my purse? Right now, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Attorney Abraham, but I returned your purse to Mr. Hernandez this morning. I got things to


    do; I have to go.¡± Karl hung up before Julie could respond.


    ¡°Hello¡­ Julie stared at her hung-up phone, then at the reporters surrounding the entrance of the


    company. Finally, she decided to call Kieran.


    With hope in her voice, Julie finally heard Kieran¡¯s voice on the other end, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can you bring my bag home when you return?¡± Julie asked humbly.


    But Kieran replied, ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Could you send someone to deliver it to me?¡± Julie asked again.


    Standing by the window, Kieran responded, ¡°Are you paying my sry? Or my employees¡¯? You¡¯re


    skipping work, and now you want to usepany resources? Ordering my employees around is


    something my wife can do¡­¡±


    Before Kieran could finish, Julie hung up. He stared at the hung-up call, a smirk on his face.


    Julie stared at her phone for a while, then got out of the car. She walked carefully around to the back


    entrance of thepany, only to find it surrounded by reporters as well.


    Just as she was at a loss, a white Santana pulled up in front of her, honking its horn.


    Julie quickly pulled up her cor to cover her face and looked at the car. The window rolled down, and


    Julie saw Dn inside.


    ¡°Get in.¡± Dn winked at Julie with a joyful smile on his face.


    Seeing Dn was like spotting a lifeline. Julie quickly opened the car door and got in, asking, ¡°Mr.


    Dn, are we going to the underground parking lot?¡±


    ¡°Got the press on your tail?¡± Dn asked back with a smile before answering. ¡°I¡¯m here to drop off a


    car for Kerry.¡±


    ¡°A car?¡± Julie looked at the Santana she was sitting in. Though she wasn¡¯t well-versed in cars, she


    knew a little about tes. And after observing the interior decor, she didn¡¯t think the car matched


    Kieran¡¯s style.


    Dn exined, ¡°You can use this car to evade press surveince. I¡¯ll drive Kieran¡¯s carter to distract


    the reporters.¡±


    Julie stayed silent, not knowing what to say. She turned to look at Dn, at his slightly upturned lips,


    and smiled faintly.


    With his good looks, Dn smoothly made his way into the VIP parking area.


    Julie lost count of how many times she had ridden the elevator with Dn. Perhaps due to her


    extensive experience, she didn¡¯t feel awkward.


    Suddenly, she remembered that Dn was a pathologist. She had heard from Kieran that Dn had


    performed Bertha¡¯s autopsy. Thinking of that, Julie turned to Dn and asked, ¡°Mr. Dn, may I ask


    you a few questions?¡±


    Dn, hands in his trench coat pockets, smiled slightly, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Julie looked at Dn, slightly taken aback.


    Dnughed, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, go ahead!¡±


    ¡°Did Bertha¡­ reallymit suicide?¡± Julie asked hesitantly.


    Dn paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Julieughed and shook her head to cover up. ¡°No reason. I¡¯ve just heard that official news isn¡¯t always


    true, so I wanted to confirm¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve exined this clearly to Kerry. You can ask him. I don¡¯t like exining the same question twice.¡±


    As soon as Dn finished, the elevator doors opened.


    Dn nodded at Julie and asked with a smile, ¡°Shall we go together?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t want to walk directly to Kieran¡¯s office in front of the public, so she shook her head and said,


    ¡°I left some files in my office. I need to pick them up.¡±


    Watching Julie leave quickly, Dn smiled and knocked on Kieran¡¯s office door.


    Back in her office, Julie texted Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m in the office now. Can you leave my bag when you go?¡±


    Julie nned to get her bag after work, but soon she received a reply from Kieran. He simply replied,


    ¡°Come get it now, or I¡¯ll throw it away. You have five minutes.¡±


    Julie spent a minute cursing Kieran in her mind, a minute preparing for the worst, and finally, three


    minutes running to Kieran¡¯s office under everyone¡¯s gaze. She knocked on the door, panting heavily,


    and heard Kieran¡¯s cold and maic voice from inside, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Julie walked in and Dn was gone. Julie went straight to the point and asked Kieran, ¡°Where¡¯s my


    bag?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s question. Instead, he picked up his car keys from the desk, casually tossed


    his zer over his wrist, walked up to Julie, took her hand, and headed for the door.


    Julie struggled behind him. ¡°Let go of me first; just give me my bag, and we¡¯re good! What on earth are


    you up to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving early. Is that a crime? Employees can take leave whenever; can¡¯t I leave early?¡± Kieran


    retorted confidently.


    Julle was led out of the office by him.


    The working staff, seeing that, stopped what they were doing. Nobody expected Mr. Hernandez to walk


    out of the office hand in hand with a merewyer. It was as if they were publicly announcing their


    rtionship!


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kieran, let go!¡± Julie warned Kieran in a low voice.


    He looked back at her and whispered, ¡°Would you rather I carry you to the elevator?¡±


    Julie fell silent and obediently followed Kieran into the elevator. Once inside, she quieted down. She


    should have been interrogating him, but she was so quiet you could hear her breath.


    The elevator stopped at the parking lot. Kieran opened the passenger door for Julie, who climbed in


    and buckled her seat belt.


    ¡°Your purse is in the backseat,¡± Kieran said.


    He had asked Dn to bring it down earlier.


    Julie nced at the backseat, unbuckled her seat belt, retrieved her purse, and sat back down. There


    were probably still reporters outside. It wouldn¡¯t be smart to create a scene now.


    Both she and Kieran lived at Noblewood Retreat. Although they were just roommates, if the press


    found out, they would surely spin it into a romantic rtionship. So, it was best for her to return to


    Noblewood Retreat with Kieran and move out the next day.


    Kieran didn¡¯t say much to the silent Julie and just drove.


    Their car didn¡¯t attract any media attention, and they managed to leave thepany smoothly. But


    Julie noticed that they weren¡¯t heading towards Noblewood Retreat. She looked at Kieran and asked,


    ¡°Are we picking up Ivan from school?¡±


    ¡°Noah¡¯s picking up the kid, Kieran replied casually.


    ¡°Then where are we going?¡± Julie asked again.


    Kieran nced at Julie and said, ¡°There are reporters all over Noblewood Retreat. Do you want to go


    back with me? I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    But she did mind!!


    Julie frowned and asked Kieran, ¡°So where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to a hotel,¡± Kieran replied in a deep tone.


    Julie was taken aback and then turned to Kieran, ¡°So, your solution is not to go back to Noblewood


    Retreat but to go to a hotel to avoid media spection?¡±


    Julie let out a sarcasticugh, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, your way of thinking is truly unique.¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t going to a hotel cause more misunderstanding?


    The car soon stopped in front of Starlight Haven Hotel. Julie turned to look, and her face changed


    immediately at the sight of the grand fountain at the entrance. Out of all the hotels, why choose


    Starlight Haven Hotel? She would never believe it if Kieran said he didn¡¯t do it on purpose.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Kieran smirked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Scared I¡¯m going to bed you again after


    what happenedst time?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the epitome of shamelessness,¡± Julie shot Kieran a nce.


    Before she could finish, Kieran put a ck baseball cap on her head. Then he affectionately said,


    ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder, even daring to call me shameless.¡±


    Julie pulled the cap lower and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t call you shameless; I just said shameless people are like


    you.¡±


    Julie got out of the car and followed Kieran into the hotel. She had a feeling that she had a lot to talk


    about with him and at lot of questions to ask.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Chapter 121


    ¡°Show me your ID, Kieran extended his hand to Julie.


    Julie clutched her bag tightly, eyeing him warily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the CEO of Simpo Co.? You have facial


    recognition technology Why do you need my ID? Are you nning to get me a separate room?¡±


    ¡°Alright, show me your bank card too,¡± Kieran stood at the door, his hand outstretched towards Julie.


    Pressing her baseball cap lower, Julie hugged her bag lighter, ¡°In that case, I might as well stay at a


    hostel.¡±


    She would talk about what she wanted to say another day.


    Kieran eyed Julie¡¯s small figure, ¡°How long do you think it would take me to tear down a hostel?¡±


    Julie finally stopped, not because his words scared her, but because Kieran grabbed her arm. She


    turned to look at him, a hint of surrender in her eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you use your privilege to avoid


    registration?¡±


    ¡°Do you think sharing a room with me is humiliating? The man¡¯s deep gaze met Julie¡¯s. Once, she


    longed for him to look at her this way, but now she feared his direct gaze. Finally, she met Kieran¡¯s


    eyes with a defiant pride, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s humiliating. Very humiliating. Extremely humiliating¡­


    He suddenly pressed a finger to her lips, ¡°Say it again and I¡¯ll get angry, Julie. Don¡¯t provoke me.¡±


    Who¡¯s provoking who? Julie pushed his hand away, her beautiful eyes red at Kieran from under the


    brim of her cap.


    Kieran still held out his hand, ¡®Privilege? Do you know thew? Everyone needs to show ID when


    checking into a hotel, it¡¯s thew. As awyer, you know thew but don¡¯tply, what¡¯s the logic in


    that? Show me your ID or I¡¯m going to check in with our divorce certificate.¡±


    In the end, Julie pulled out her ID and handed it to Kieran.


    With the ID in hand, Kieran handed it to the front desk. Julie kept her head down the entire time, but


    she could still feel the gazes of the staff. After checking in, Kieran led Julie to the elevator and pressed


    the button for the seventh floor. Suddenly, Julie felt a sense of unease. Sure enough, Kieran brought


    her to room 7401, the room where they first had sex¡­


    Julie turned to leave in silence, but Kieran grabbed the back of her shirt. While holding onto Julie, he


    opened the door and pulled her straight in. He closed the door behind them with a kick, then turned to


    pin her against it. Taking advantage of his height, he bent down. and looked at her with teasing eyes,


    ¡°Why are you running away?¡±


    His husky voice echoed in Julie¡¯s mind. She looked up at him, her throat dry. ¡°Do you really have to do


    this? Do you have to choose this room?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you forgot? Have you remembered now?¡± Hisst word was spoken in a sultry, low


    voice, like aged wine, making Julie tipsy.


    He really held a grudge. Just because his phone password was the room number and she casually


    said she forgot, he had to remind her this way?


    Julie put her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. But he stood firm, like an unmovable


    mountain.


    After a few futile attempts, Julie finally gave up. She looked up at Kieran and responded in


    disappointment, ¡°Yes, I remember this room. I remember clearly. I remember it was December 25th,


    Christmas, your birthday Yes, I remember it was me who initiated it. I brought it upon myself. Are you


    satisfied now? I, Julie, can¡¯t let go. I have a good memory, so I remember these special dates and


    ces. I also remember what October 8th is, a date I will never forget in my life!!¡±


    ¡°You should remember, Kieran replied, looking at the emotional Julie. His emotions were stable, as


    always.


    Julie figured there were two reasons why a person could be so calm about this. Either he had


    extraordinary emotional intelligence, able to control his emotions wlessly, or¡­ he simply didn¡¯t care.


    Because he didn¡¯t care, he could stay so calm.


    And Julie was inclined to believe thetter. She looked at Kieran and took a deep breath. She finally


    managed to control her emotions and asked Kieran, ¡°Bertha, did she reallymit suicide?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer her, but he let go of her and sat down on the sofa. This time, Julie bravely


    approached him and stood by his side. ¡°1 asked Dn this question, but he didn¡¯t give me a direct


    answer. Although the official statement is that shemitted suicide, I don¡¯t believe it. Kieran, she died


    in front of me. Before she died, I saw fear in her eyes, deep fear. Why would a person who is


    committing suicide have such a fearful expression?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing this up now?¡± Kieran suddenly looked up at Julie, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it


    when Bertha just died? If you didn¡¯t say it then, why do you bring it up now?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it then because I knew you knew the truth. I want to tell you now because I want to know


    the truth,¡± Julie took a deep breath, finally gathering the courage. Although her eyes were slightly red,


    her gaze was unwavering, ¡°I want to know, when you said you never slept with Bertha, was that true? I


    want to know, when you said you didn¡¯t love Bertha, was that true?


    1 want to know, if you never had a rtionship with her, why did you im the child in her belly as


    yours?


    I want to know, when you said you didn¡¯t love her, why did you say¡­ to save her child¡­ outside the


    delivery room¡­


    I want to know¡­¡± Her eyes were red, and before she could finish her sentence, she was pulled into a


    strong, warm chest and her lips were covered in a deep, long kiss.


    The kisssted for over ten minutes, from initial lip contact to intimate caress. He seemed to want to


    make up for the lost five years


    with this kiss.


    He poured so much passion into the kiss that Julie was almost out of breath when he finally pulled


    away a bit. Julie¡¯s breath hitched, her cheeks flushed like a ripe fruit fromck of oxygen. Squinting her


    beautiful eyes, she finally looked up at the handsome face so close to hers, her voice hoarse but


    resolute, she asked him, ¡°Why?¡±


    The room was dead silent, so much so that all they could hear was each other¡¯s close-up breathing,


    even their irregr heartbeats. Unfortunately, Julie¡¯s persistence didn¡¯t get her an answer in the end.


    What she got was his affectionate and tender tone, he said, ¡°Babe, not all questions in this world have


    answers,¡±


    There was a pause before Julie lowered her gaze to look at Kieran, ¡°So¡­ there were really secrets


    back then, right?¡±


    ¡°When you ask me this question, how do you want me to answer it? If I tell you there were no secrets,


    that my initial choice back then was to save Bertha¡¯s child, how are you nning to be react? Run


    away again and lick your wounds in hiding?¡± Kieran squinted his eyes slowly, his affectionate face


    looking deeply at Julie.


    Kieran was right. When she plucked up the courage to ask this question, she really hadn¡¯t prepared for


    the worst-case scenario. She didn¡¯t even know how she would handle her feelings when Kieran told her


    that his first choice was always Bertha¡¯s baby.


    She thought she had mustered up the courage to ask this question after preparing for many years, but


    it turned out that she hadn¡¯t even figured out how to face it after all these years.


    So Daphne was right, she did nothing but running away. Divorce was just a fancy excuse. What she


    really couldn¡¯t ept was not just the painful fact of losing a child, but also the truth that Kieran had


    betrayed her


    Many times, Julie felt that her affection for Kieran was pathetic. She often made the wrong choices, just


    like back then, she had an one night stand and somehow ended up getting married? Married to a man


    she loved, who didn¡¯t love her back.


    Marriage was her choice, divorce was also her choice. And like now, this messy entanglement was still


    her choice.


    In the past, it was her unrequited love that forcefully tred her and Kieran together. Later, it was because


    of the child in her belly that they went through that marriage. Now, it was because of a contract, a debt,


    a legal constraint, that she had to be entangled with Kieran.


    She might have never really thought about what she wanted. She seemed indifferent about everything


    else, but when it came Kieran, she became a confused sage. Many times, she couldn¡¯t even make the


    right decisions.


    Julie stayed silent for a long time, then reached out and gently pushed the man¡¯s shoulder, asking,


    ¡°Can you get off me now? I¡¯m done asking questions.¡±


    The man lying on her looked down at her quietly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still waiting for your answer?¡±


    ¡°What answer I want, I don¡¯t even know myself. Didn¡¯t you say that not all questions in this world have


    answers? Why am I still obsessing over this?¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you¡¯re thinking?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Julie looked straight into Kieran¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, forcing someone who hates you to stay, how


    is that any different from a tyrant? Or do you just like being mistreated, and you feel ufortable if no


    one hates you? I believe Nexus¡¯s appeal has something to do with you. I just don¡¯t understand why you


    brought our rtionship to this stage with a contract, what¡¯s the point of keeping me by your side?


    We¡¯ve been fine for the past five years, why show up in each other¡¯s lives to bring each other pain


    again?¡±


    ¡°Keep you by my side?¡± Kieran¡¯s fingers gently touched her chin, his tone filled with nobility


    He said, ¡°Julie, remember, if one day you really decide to leave, I will not stop you. Now you should ask


    yourself, are you really determined to leave?¡±


    Julie¡¯s gaze became lost in an instant Just then, her stomach made a noise.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Finally, Kieran let go of her, sat up, and then turned to walk towards the kitchen in the suite.

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    Chapter 122


    Julie made two tes of spaghetti, and after finished, she grabbed a nket from the closet, ready to


    crash on the couch.


    But Kieran stopped her ¡°You take the bed, he said, taking the nket from her and heading for the sofa


    instead.


    Julie was exhausted, so she didn¡¯t argue. She closed the door to the suite and hit the sack.


    For the first time, they spent a peaceful night under the same roof


    At 4-ish the next morning, before the crack of dawn, Julie slipped out of the hotel and hailed a cab


    straight to Noblewood Retreat. After packing her stuff, she cast a nce at Ivan¡¯s room. She still had


    mixed feelings, but in the end, she didn¡¯t go upstairs. Instead, she moved all her stuff from the second


    floor She¡¯d thought the doorman would ask her some questions, but surprisingly, no one stopped


    her


    After moving all her stuff into her ce, she turned on herptop and drafted two resignation letters-


    one for de Law Firm and another for Kieran. After setting up the emails to sendter, she finally


    shut down herputer


    She bought a new SIM card and tucked it into her pocket, then dialed Dr. Brice


    It was Saturday, not Dr. Brice¡¯s usual shift, so Julie and Dr. Brice agreed to meet at a coffee shop not


    far from the hospital.


    After waiting for a bit, Dr. Brice finally showed up around 7.


    ¡°Instead of resting you called me out, what can I do for you? Dr. Brice was quite surprised by Julie¡¯s


    invitation They hadn¡¯t seen each other since that dinner where Kieran publicly called Julie his wife.


    When Julie visited Sansa Abraham at the hospital, she always came¡± at night, conveniently when Dr.


    Brice was off.


    Dr. Brice had considered the possibility that he might have misunderstood Julie and Kieran¡¯s


    rtionship. After all, Julie only had one sister who¡¯s in a vegetative stage. She hadn¡¯t mentioned any


    rtives other than Daphne, so she shouldn¡¯t have any ties with a big shot like Kieran, the CEO of


    Simpo Co.


    Dr. Brice had a thing for Julie. Initially, it was sympathy for her lonely life caning for her vegetative


    sister. But as they spent more time together, he found himself drawn to her. But before he could


    express his feelings, that incident at the restaurant happened.


    Lately, the media had been buzzing with rumors about Julie and Kieran. If Julie hadn¡¯t reached out


    today) Dr. Brice thought, he might have taken the initiative to find her


    For Julie though, she did have something to discuss with Dr. Brice. She gave an awkward smile and


    said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to ask for your help, Dr. Brice.¡±


    Dr. Brice seemed to have expected what Julie was about to say, so before she began, he said, ¡°You


    want me to help move Sansa to Oakhurst, right? I¡¯ll do my best. But there¡¯s something I want to tell


    you.¡±


    Julie nodded and respectfully looked at Dr. Brice. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Dr. Brice said. ¡®I saw all the news about you and Mr. Hernandez. Are you two a thing?¡±


    Julie shook her head, looking at Dr. Brice with a smile I didn¡¯t realize you were into gossip, Dr. Brice!¡±


    She thought Dr. Brice was just making small talk, so she joked around. But she didn¡¯t expect his next


    words: ¡°Julie, if you and Mr. Hernandez aren¡¯t a thing, what do you think about me?¡±


    Taken aback, Julie was dumbfounded for a moment. Across from her, Dr. Brice said with a grin, ¡°I know


    I might not stack up against Mr. Hernandez, and I don¡¯t know about your past, but I really like you. If


    you¡¯re up for it, I¡¯d love to get to know you better. I want to be someone you can lean on¡­¡±


    ¡°Kieran¡¯s my ex-husband, Julie Interrupted, her tone cool.


    Her words hit Dr. Brice like a depth charge, leaving him speechless. After a few minutes of stunned


    silence, he looked at Julie in astonishment ¡°Ex-husband?¡±


    Julie nodded. ¡°My name used to be Joyce. Kieran¡¯s publicly acknowledged a past marriage. I¡¯m that ex-


    wife.¡±


    ¡°But¡­aren¡¯t you hiswyer?¡¯ Dr. Brice couldn¡¯t believe it. He¡¯d always thought there¡¯s no romantic


    rtionship between Julie and Kieran.


    With a bitterugh, Julie said, ¡°Yeah,wyer Kieran had the nerve to hire his ex-wife as hiswyer. Let


    me tell you, Dr. Brice, the reason I want to take my sister to Oakhurst is to avoid any contact with him.


    He was the man I loved the most, but he also hurt me the most¡­¡±


    Dr. Brice seemed to understand some things. Given Julie¡¯s character, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen


    divorce unless Kieran had hurt her to the


    extreme.


    Seeing Dr. Brice¡¯s silence, Julie clutched her bag and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Brice. I seem to have put you


    in an awkward spot.¡±


    She prepared to leave to find other solutions. But Dr. Brice grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll help with Sansa¡¯s


    transfer. When are you nning to


    leave?¡±


    ¡°I want to contact the hospital in Oakhurst first, then move Sansa over. But¡­Dr. Brice, could you keep


    Sansa¡¯s transfer records a secret for me? Julle asked Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice nodded, ¡°No biggie, it¡¯s about patient confidentiality. But if the guy we¡¯re talking about is Mr.


    Hernandez¡­ well, then it might not be so easy to keep it under wraps.¡±


    ¡°Do your best¡­ Julie said.


    Dr. Brice gave a small nod and asked, ¡°When are you nning to leave?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon.¡± Julie replied.


    This caught Dr. Brice off guard, he hadn¡¯t expected this to happen. Julie still looked apologetic Reading


    her expression, Dr. Brice said, ¡°Even though you turned me down, I still want to help you as a doctor if


    we can¡¯t be lovers, we can still be friends, right?¡±


    Finishing his talk, Dr Brice looked at Julie and joked, ¡°After all, there aren¡¯t many people left who can


    face the pressure from Mr. Hernandez with a straight face¡±


    Julieughed at his joke, agreeing. ¡°There really aren¡¯t many¡±


    ¡°Do you still have the card i gave youst time? You can find him directly at Oakhurst Hospital if you


    need to Dr. Brice said.


    Julie nodded sincerely, stood up, and bowed to Dr. Brice. ¡°Dr. Brice. I really appreciate your help


    ¡°No womes, I might get fired by Mr. Hernandez and need to look for a job at Oakhurst Hospital myself!¡±


    Julie looked even more quilty


    Dr Briceughed. Tm


    won¡¯t starve


    Julie immediately declined


    of my sister ther


    kidding I forgot to tell you, my dad is the deputy mayor of Whispering Pines Even if I quit being a


    doctor, I


    the station¡±


    Dr. Brice smiled and said. ¡°Leave


    Julie was surprised to find ou


    She called Daph


    I¡¯m at home?


    to say goodbye to Daphne. I just take a taxi, thanks. I may need your help to take care


    low profile Dr. Brice¡¯s father was actually a deputy mayor.


    at home. Upon hearing Julie¡¯s voice, shezily rolled over and said, ¡°Sweetie, juste over,


    he was still sleeping. Julie gave a helpless smile and tapped her shoulder, ¡°Daphne, I¡¯m


    want to get up and see


    When Jube arrived at Daphne¡¯s apartment, heading to Oakhurst Do


    ¡°No, I was with Lionel


    are you going?¡± Daphne suddenly sat up in bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes, looking horrified


    Julie did not answer Daphne¡¯s question, but looked surprised at Daphne, ¡°You were with Lionelst


    night? How s07


    Daphne rolled her eyes at Julie. I was with


    sudden? There was supposed to be a charity.


    him to the g in exchange for an interview opportu shy women out there!¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ng on clothes


    but it got


    almost dead tired Why are you so worked up all of ed to next week I promised Lionel that I would


    apany


    I must be crazy! Do you know he¡¯s more picky about his clothes than those


    Julie couldn¡¯t helpughing if Lionel knew that he was beingpared to the shy women out there


    by Daphne, he would probably rip


    her apart


    Daphne red at Julie, ¡°What are youughing at? Where did you say you were going? Dakhurst? Are


    you serious?¡±


    Julie took out a bus ticket from her wallet and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m really going I¡¯m nning to check the


    hospital there first, then transfer Sansa over. It might take a few days, and I¡¯ve entrusted Sansa to Dr.


    Brice during this time. But I hope you can go and check on her


    when you have time¡±


    Daphne reached out and touched Julie¡¯s head. ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    Julie pushed Daphne¡¯s hand away. Tvee to my senses¡±


    ¡°You¡¯vee to your senses and you¡¯re still going to Oakhurst? I think you¡¯ve lost your mind! Daphne


    red at Julie. After learning the truth from Julien, she decided to support Mr. Hemandez fully. So


    when she heard that Julie was going to Oakhurst, she immediately felt


    uneasy


    She looked at Julie seriously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you owe Mr. Hernandez a lot of money? You also signed


    a contract, and if you breach it, you have to pay a penalty. How can you just leave?¡±

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    ¡°Im gonna slowly pay off my debt! if he¡¯s not happy with it, let him sue me. The worst that could happen


    is that I end up in jail¡±


    This was the first time Daphne saw Julie being so reckless, like she had given up on everything.


    She carefully observed Julie, tentatively asking, ¡°Would you really prefer going to jail than staying with


    Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Daphne, you¡¯ve been acting weirdtely,¡± Julie bluntly stated.


    Fearing she had given herself away, Daphne quickly changed the subject, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.


    What if Mr. Hernandez actually sues you? Am I supposed to just watch you go to jail? Besides, didn¡¯t


    you promise Mr. Kennedy to take care of his kid? What will he do if you just leave like this?¡±


    Having said that, she added, ¡°The kid really depends on you, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He might be upset at first, but hell probably forget about me after a while, Julie said, not knowing if she


    was talking to Daphne or herself.


    Daphne still disagreed with Julie¡¯s decision to go to Oakhurst, ¡°It¡¯s so far away and you¡¯ll be alone, with


    no one to look after you. I¡¯ll be womed!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore, Julie gave Daphne a big hug, reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Everything will be


    fine.¡±


    Daphne knew that Julie had made up her mind, so in the end, she couldn¡¯t keep her from leaving.


    When she sent Julie off at the airport, she felt a sense of relief.


    The only person Julie could never miss in her life was probably Kieran Hernandez. From the beginning,


    their fates were intertwined, and Julie couldn¡¯t just run away from it.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Knowing Kieran¡¯s love for Julie, Daphne was sure they would meet again in the future, so she didn¡¯t


    keep Julie here because one day, she woulde back.


    In thest moment before the ne took off, Julie took out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and sent a


    message to Mr. Kennedy. Then, she threw away the SIM card and boarded the ne.


    Kieran received a call from Ivan Hernandez just before he received Julie¡¯s farewell message.


    Ivan excitedly asked on the other end of the phone, ¡°Kerry, where did you take Mama Julie? I¡¯m off


    today, but Mama Julie didn¡¯te to apany me. I¡¯m upset you know?¡±


    When Kieran woke up in the morning. Julie was already gone.


    He probably had a hunch about what Julie would do today after the unpleasant conversationst night.


    So he told Ivan on the phone, ¡®Go see if Mama Julie¡¯s luggage is still in her bedroom.¡±


    Ivan rushed to Julie¡¯s bedroom, only to find no trace of Julie¡¯s luggage in the neat room.


    He immediately furrowed his brows in distress, ¡°Oh no, Kerry, Mama Julie has run away!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯lle back. Let Noah apany you for now Kieran said, then hung up the phone.


    In the private club, Kieran sat on the sofa. Dn was sitting across from him with a ss of wine and


    said, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Hayden arrived yet? Is he lost?¡±


    ¡°If I were really lost, how could I hear your sarcastic remarks? Hayden¡¯s voice came from the entrance,


    making Dn, who often dealt with corpses, shake a little.


    ¡°Hayden, is the traffic in Whispering Pines smooth?¡± Dn put down his ss and smiled at Hayden.


    Surprisingly, a stunning beautiful woman followed Hayden in. With her short, neat hair and delicate


    features, she gave Dn a cold nce.


    Dn had never seen such a cold yet attractive woman. He immediately put down his ss and


    warmly approached Julien.


    Still grinning at Hayden, he said, ¡°When did you get such a frosty beauty by your side?¡±


    Dn walked over and tried to put his arm around Julien¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°Hello, beauty, I am¡­


    Suddenly, he cried out in pain.


    Before he could finish introducing himself, Julien had twisted his arm behind his back. She released


    him and looked at Dn coldly. ¡°Mr. Dn, please behave. Not every woman¡¯s shoulder is free for you


    to touch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Dn Dn rubbed his arm whileining to Hayden, I thought she was a rose with thorns,


    but she turns out to be a hedgehog!¡±


    Juhen gave Dn a stern look. He quickly hid behind Hayden, but still felt unsafe, so he sat down next


    to Kieran.


    Julien recognized Kieran, who was sitting in theer, at first nce. She approached Kieran and


    said, ¡°Julle went to Oakhurst. Did you send someone to follow her?¡±


    Kieran lifted his head, his sharp gaze swept over Julien. The answer was obvious.


    Julien was relieved. As long as Julie was safe, that was all that mattered. Even if Kieran hadn¡¯t sent


    someone to follow her, she would


    have done so.


    Hayden approached and said to Kieran, ¡°The person you wanted to meetst time is here.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Julien Kieran finally greeted Julien.


    Julien nodded, replying to Kieran. Tve heard a lot about you¡±


    ¡°So, your name is Julien?¡± Dn looked at Julien and suddenly said, ¡°I thought your name was


    Hedgehog¡­


    Julienpletely ignored Dn.


    Dn decided not to cause any more trouble. He looked at Hayden and asked, ¡°Why did you bring


    her?¡±


    Hayden didn¡¯t respond, instead he turned to Kieran and asked, ¡°Did we figure out how Bertha Stewart


    died?¡±


    Dn piped up again, ¡®We¡¯ve got some leads, but can thisdy listen on this?¡±


    It was clear that Dn was targeting Julien Hayden didn¡¯t n on defending her either. Julien gave


    Dn a cold look, ¡°You can tell me the truth now, or wait until you¡¯re dead and Ill dig it up myself.


    That was definitely a threat!


    Considering Julien¡¯s capabilities he¡¯d just witnessed, Dn decided not to poke the bear. He grinned at


    Hayden and said, ¡°I had Payne Hernandez check all the surveince. On the day Bertha died, she


    never left her vi When she jumped off the building, there was a shadow on the rooftop. It moved too


    fast to be seen clearly on camera, but the footage of that day was tampered with, so


    ¡®That shadow was me, Julien suddenly cut in.


    This statement made Kieran and Hayden both turn to look at her.


    Dn was even more surprised, frowning incredulously at Julien, ¡°You?¡±


    Julien nodded.


    Hayden frowned slightly, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I informed?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the need or have the obligation to report to you,¡± Julien responded coldly


    At this moment, Dn felt an inexplicable respect for Julien. It was definitely the first woman who dared


    to talk to Hayden like that.


    Julien didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°Eight years ago, a flight took off from Whispering


    Pines and crashed while flying over the Arctic Ocean. Lucian Hernandez, Mr. Hernandez¡¯s brother, was


    on the passenger list and he did indeed board the ne. There were also agents from our National


    Security Agency on the ne, so we took over the case. After years of investigation, we found that


    things were not so simple. We suspect that Lucian was the only survivor of that flight. It seems that he


    was moved before the explosion.¡±


    Hayden had beenpletely unaware that the case Julien had been investigating over the years was


    the same one that he was working


    1.


    After the ne crash, Kieran held a grand funeral for Lucian


    Back then, Hayden and Kieran thought Lucian was dead. The ne had exploded mid-air, leaving no


    time for reaction or escape, let alone a rescue n. Everyone had epted Lucians death.


    Hayden looked at Julien, asking the key question, ¡°Why were you on the roof that day?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d been tracking Lucian for eight full years. On the day Bertha died, I got a tip that Lucian was


    possibly at Noblewood Retreal So, I rushed over. However, by the time I got there, Bertha had just


    jumped off the roof. I was toote to save her,¡± Julien exined.


    Dn asked, ¡°So, you didn¡¯t see who the killer was that day?¡±


    ¡°There was no killer, Julien suddenly said to everyone, ¡®I spoke to Julie. She said that Bertha looked


    terrified when she died, but I only saw Bertha jump off the building herself. There was no one else


    suspicious there. So, based on the scene, it¡¯s impossible to find a killer.


    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Dn shot a piercing look at Julien.


    Julien only nced at Dn before she replied, ¡°Because my life was saved by Julie.¡±


    Lucian was still alive. That fact was no longer a secret to those present anymore


    Julien suddenly turned to Kieran, ¡°I understand your desire to protect Julie, but I need to confirm


    something with you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Is Ivan truly Julie¡¯s son?¡± Jullen looked intently at Kieran. She had her own suspicions, but she wanted


    to hear the truth from Kieran himself.


    Only by confirming the truth could she better assist Julie and uncover the real story. So, without


    hesitation, Julien said to Kieran, ¡°I hope you can answer me directly.¡±

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    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Finally, Kieran gave Julien a clear answer. Ivan is Julie¡¯s biological child, no doubt about it.


    And Julie was the only one still in the dark about it.


    As Julien and Hayden left the clubhouse, Julien was mulling over a question.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Bertha carrying Kieran¡¯s child?¡± Julien suddenly turned to Hayden who was sitting beside her.


    The view outside the window was whizzing by. Hayden¡¯s cold eyes seemed to be set in the myriad of


    lights outside the car window, deep and captivating.


    In fact, Julien didn¡¯t expect to get an answer from Hayden. She just threw the question out there to see


    what would happen.


    But in the end, he told her, ¡°That child was Lucian¡¯s¡±


    Julien was surprised for a moment, ¡°So¡­¡±


    She never thought she¡¯d be able to have a calm chat with Hayden in the same car


    Her life till this point was like a legendary tale. Jullen¡¯s parents were agents of the National Security


    Agency. When she was seven, her parents died, leaving her and her twin sister via.


    Klein from the National Security Agency took her and her sister in. The killer of her parents was Miles


    Simson, Hayden¡¯s foster father.


    For years, Miles was in a cat and-mouse game with the National Security Agency. His methods were


    brutal and ruthless. Given the special status of Julien¡¯s parents, they kept Julien and vio¡¯s existence


    a carefully guarded secret. However, unexpectedly, there was a traitor among the agents of the


    National Security Agency who leaked all the information about Julien¡¯s parents. From there, Miles


    found a picture of her mother when she was pregnant and mounted a search for her child. Luckily,


    Miles did not know that Julien¡¯s mother had twins¡­


    So, rather than sending both sisters to die, Julien chose to jump into the lion¡¯s den. She was the one


    who was supposed to die. Miles wanted her dead from the start, but in the end, she was saved


    because of ament from Hayden.


    She still remembered, Hayden, who was only a few years older than her, was leaning on the second


    floor railing, dressed in ck, with a modified silenced gun in his hand. He looked down at her and said


    to Miles, ¡°I need a new toy. Keep her.¡±


    It was because of Hayden¡¯s casual remark that Julien¡¯s life was saved.


    Miles seemed to want to give Hayden the best of everything, but Hayden always turned a cold


    shoulder. Initially, Julien didn¡¯t understand, butter she realized that Miles had too much blood on his


    hands, including the blood of Hayden¡¯s parents. Hayden¡¯s mother was the only woman Miles ever


    loved.


    She and Hayden could be considered childhood friends. Hayden taught her how to survive in a


    complex social environment. He taught her how to live, and how to face difficulties and challenges.


    Once upon a time, Hayden was the one Julien loved the most. The most foolish thing she did in her life


    was to climb into Hayden¡¯s bed years ago. It was because of that impulsive act that she ended her one-


    sided pursuit.


    After that, Haydenpletely disappeared from her life. That intense love slowly turned into hatred


    over time.


    Later on, Julien and via recognized each other as sisters. When Miles found out that she had a


    sister, he ordered her to kill via. Hayden appeared in front of her again at that time, but by then, all


    she had for Hayden was hatred. Later, Miles kidnapped via¡¯s child. To save the child and help the


    National Security Agency catch Miles, Julien decided to strike a deal with Hayden.


    Hayden eventually cooperated with her, sessfully capturing Miles and rescuing via¡¯s child. The


    condition Hayden proposed was that he wanted her to stay by his side.


    He said they still had a lot of time to share.


    However, although they were together during those days, they didn¡¯t talk much. It was a miracle that


    they could sit down and talk peacefully like they were doing on this night.


    Julien thought Hayden wouldn¡¯t answer her question about Bertha¡¯s child, but surprisingly, he started


    telling her about the child¡¯s past. Hayden had practically watched Julie and Kieran grow up, so he was


    very familiar with their past.


    Bertha was Julie¡¯s good friend, but the one she had always loved was Kieran. Bertha¡¯s family situation


    was not as good as Julie¡¯s Julie¡¯s family was nouveau riche. They didn¡¯t have the cultural taste like


    Kieran¡¯s family, but they had economic power. Bertha was just an


    adopted child. Byparison, her family was poorer.


    So, even though Bertha loved Kieran, she felt inferior


    But Julie was different


    Julie was a determined person. Once she decided on something, she would go for it without hesitation.


    She loved Kieran, so regardless of her own status, she pursued him relentlessly. She even invited a


    parachute team to perform at the school just to respond to a


    Bertha thought that a woman like Julie would never be a match for Kieran, and Kieran would never like


    a woman like Julie.


    But surprisingly, Julie, with her relentless pursuit, eventually walked into the marriage hall with Kieran,


    with the help of Sansa Abraham.


    Bertha wasn¡¯t willing to give up, so on Kieran¡¯s wedding night she made a move and revealed her


    feelings to him. But, things didn¡¯t go as nned. Bertha ended up in Lucian¡¯s bed.


    On that wedding night, Kieran was dealing with this mess and left Julie alone. All of this started with


    Bertha. Kieran couldn¡¯t exin it to Julie. Julie has always been nice, so even when Kieran left her


    alone on their wedding night, she took it in stride. Kieran wanted to exin, but before he got the


    chance, Bertha disappeared.


    Bertha told Julie that someone sponsored her to study abroad.


    Naive Julie believed it and even wished her well.


    In the time after that, Julie and Kieran¡¯s newlywed life was actually pretty sweet. Even though Sansa


    became a vegetable, Kieran took really good care of her


    At that time, Julie had the illusion that Kieran might actually love her.


    But the good times didn¡¯tst. Not long after Lucian¡¯s ne crash, Bertha was pregnant. She kept it


    from Kieran and went straight to Noblewood Retreat. She knelt before Julie, begging for her


    forgiveness, iming the baby was Kieran¡¯s


    Hearing this, Julien frowned, ¡°Did Bertha use the baby to ckmail Kieran into admitting the baby was


    his?¡±


    Julien was sharp. Her logical thinking had a point.


    Hayden nodded, ¡°Bertha used the baby in her belly as a threat, warning Kieran that if he didn¡¯t admit


    the baby was his, she¡¯d get an abortion.¡±


    Julien pretty much got the picture.


    At that time, Kieran, like everyone else, thought Lucian had died in the ne crash. So, the baby in


    Bertha¡¯s belly would be Lucian¡¯s only offspring


    In their childhood, Lucian saved Kieran¡¯s life from his mother¡¯s hands. Kieran owed him big time. He


    definitely couldn¡¯t just stand by and let Lucian¡¯s only offspring be lost.


    But there was one thing Julien didn¡¯t get


    ¡°Lucian ¡®died¡¯ in a ne crash when Kieran was 21, and Julie got pregnant when Kieran was 23. But in


    fact, Bertha and Julie were pregnant at the same time. That means Bertha got pregnant two years aller


    Lucian died That doesn¡¯t make sense. Unless Kieran knew all along that Lucian wasn¡¯t dead, so he


    believed Bertha was carrying Lucian¡¯s baby. But if Kieran knew Lucian wasn¡¯t dead, then the baby in


    Bertha¡¯s belly wouldn¡¯t matter, right? How could it be a threat to Kieran?¡±


    Julien always thought clearly. He wouldn¡¯t overlook such an obvious loophole.


    And the truth was¡­


    ¡°Lucian had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer and had to undergo radiation therapy,


    which left him infertile. Before the treatment, he had his sperm frozen. Bertha got pregnant with


    Lucian¡¯s frozen sperm through artificial insemination. That¡¯s how she was able to carry Lucian¡¯s only


    child,¡± Hayden exined.


    Julien looked somber With that, everything was clear,


    Julien had to admit that Bertha was so cunning, using such a ploy to threaten Kieran. She must have


    known about Kieran¡¯s deep bond with Lucian, so she resorted to this.


    Bertha had been plotting this for years, while Julie, always sincere and kind hearted, was no match for


    her.


    Julien was quiet for a while, and then turned back to Hayden.


    ¡°So, when Kieran said he wanted to save Bertha¡¯s baby outside the operating room, was it for the same


    reason?¡± Obviously, Julien had done his homework. She knew all about Julie and Kieran¡¯s past


    Hayden wasn¡¯t surprised. Julien always came prepared and took a special interest in Julie¡¯s life.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    Chapter 125


    Hayden turned to look at Julien silently.


    Julien was not a woman to shy away from eye contact, so they stared at each other as the scenery


    outside the window whizzed by. Finally, it was Julien who broke the silence. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to spill it,


    that¡¯s cool¡±


    If she wanted to get the truth about something, she could totally dig it up herself. It was just faster to get


    the answer from Hayden.


    However, to Julien¡¯s surprise, Hayden broke his silence and unexpectedly replied, ¡°If Kerry had


    nned to save Bertha¡¯s kid from the start, Ivan wouldn¡¯t be alive today¡±


    That was thest thing Hayden said, without any further exnation. As for the rest, perhaps only


    Kieran himself could rify


    But Julien was puzzled. Given the tight bond between Lucian and Kieran, why would Lucian fake his


    death?


    Even though confused, Julien didn¡¯t ask Hayden any more. She just let the silence linger in the


    carriage.


    Simpo Co. reception room.


    Porter never thought that Julie would resign so firmly, who threw in her resignation letter as the first


    thing in the morning. When he tried to call Julie again, her phone was disconnected.


    So, Porter thought of confirming it at Simpo Co. He got a definite answer from Karl, ¡°Attorney Abraham


    has submitted her resignation this morning.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where she is now? I¡¯ve been trying to reach her all morning but no dice. I can¡¯t get


    through to her! Porter felt guilty towards Julie, because if it weren¡¯t for his insistence, Julie would never


    have signed that contract.


    He spected that Julie¡¯s resignation might be rted to the rumors flying aroundtely. He knew that


    back in their school days, Julie was crazy about Kieran. All things considered, it was he who got Julie


    into this mess


    Feeling guilty, Porter came to Simpo Co. to find her. But more importantly, he was afraid that the


    penalty for breaching the contract would fall on his shoulders after Julie left.


    So, his top priority now was to find Julie.


    But what he didn¡¯t expect that Karl gave him a cold nce and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez¡¯s intention is for


    you to just approve Attorney Abraham¡¯s resignation. As for the rest, Mr. Hernandez will handle it.¡±


    Upon hearing Karl¡¯s words, Porter finally got it. Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t want him to meddle in this matter.


    Porter nced at Karl tentatively, cautiously asking. ¡°And the penalty¡­


    ¡°Attorney Abraham will pay it all.¡± Karl answered.


    Porter finally felt relieved. He thanked Karl with a ttering smile. Thanks! I¡¯ll get on with approving her


    resignation right away.¡±


    After escorting Porter to the office Karl knocked on Kieran¡¯s office door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Kieran¡¯s deep voice echoed in the room.


    Karl entered the office, nodding at Kieran, ¡°Mr.


    emandez, everything¡¯s been arranged.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Kieran responded indifferently, and then lowered his head to continue reading his documents.


    After hesitating for a moment, Karl asked Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, do you need me to prepare a car for


    you?¡±


    Kieran looked up, staring at Karl, ¡°what?¡±


    Karl frowned, looking a little guilty, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to find Mrs. Hernandez?¡±


    Kieran suddenly put down his mouse, folded his hands and leaned on his chair, looking at Karl, ¡°Karl, I


    think I should give you a raise.¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Karl was overjoyed, but when he heard Kieran¡¯s next sentence, he felt as if


    a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.


    Because Kieran continued, ¡°You¡¯re sticking your nose in so much, you definitely deserve a raise.¡±


    Karl felt wronged. He quickly shook his head, ¡°Mr. Hernandez¡­no need¡­¡±


    Looking at the now silent Karl, Kieran cracked a rare smile.


    He opened a drawer, took out two toothbrushes and handed them to Karl, ¡°Take these and get a


    patemity test done.¡±


    Alter that, Kieran added, ¡°Go to Whispering Pines Hospital.¡±


    The frog-shaped toothbrush belonged to Ivan. Karl knew that it was bought by Julie herself. Ivan had


    his own mind from a young age. and didn¡¯t like fancy things. He preferred a minimalist style for both


    clothes and daily necessities.


    Chapte


    This kind of fancy stuff was very rare in his life, let alone a cartoon frog. But since it was a gift from


    Julie, Ivan had proudly shown it off for multiple times.


    He even asked Karl proudly, ¡°Karl, does your mom also buy you toothbrushes?¡±


    So Karl was very familiar with this toothbrush.


    And the other matching toothbrush, Karl guessed, must be Julie¡¯s.


    So, Kieran wanted him to get a paternity test done for Julie and her son to recognize each other?


    Seeing the shocked look on Karl¡¯s face, Kieran calmly changed the subject, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation on


    that hospital fund that I asked you to look into?¡±


    Therge sum of money donated to Sansa by an ¡®anonymous person was not a small amount. Kieran


    had asked Karl to investigate it before. Although Karl didn¡¯t find any useful clues, Kieran had never


    forgotten about it


    As soon as this was brought up, Karl¡¯s expression instantly turned serious. ¡°We¡¯ve investigated through


    official channels before but didn¡¯t get any useful information. Later, following your instructions, we


    contacted Payne and found out that the money was transferred from Italy.¡±


    Payne is Kieran¡¯s cousin and a whiz kid hacker. He¡¯s the top pick for the National Security Agency and


    the boogeyman for cyber security professionals.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°The donation came from a seventy-year-old guy. He¡¯s already funded fiveatose patients. I heard


    he¡¯s got liver cancer so he¡¯s giving away his assets. Nothing fishy there,¡± Karl said.


    Kieran squinted dangerously ¡°Do you even know what it means to look beyond the surface and see the


    real deal?¡±


    ¡°I got it¡± Kieran meant for him to dig deeper. The surface truth might not be the real one.


    Kieran nodded. ¡®Get out¡±


    Karl picked up the bag with two toothbrushes that Kieran handed him, turned around, and left. As he


    reached the door, he heard Kieran speak behind him. ¡°Keep tabs on Julie.¡±


    After Karl left, Kieran nced at his watch, grabbed his car keys, and clocked off.


    As Kieran pulled up to his house, he received a call from Ivan.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He took the call as he walked towards the vi


    A somewhat anxious voice came from the phone. ¡°Kerry, have you seen my frog toothbrush?¡±


    ¡°Chuck it,¡± Kieran entered the vi.


    Shannon hurriedly greeted him, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, Ivan¡¯s been looking for it in his room for over half an


    hour.¡±


    Ivan heard Shannon¡¯s voice over the phone. Knowing Kieran was home, he immediately ran to the


    railing on the third floor, pointing at Kieran, ¡°Kerry, stay right there! I¡¯ming down.¡±


    With that, he hung up the call and excitedly ran downstairs in his little ck slippers.


    His wobbly little steps were adorable.


    However, his fatherpletely ignored him and went to get a bottle of water from the fridge instead.


    He had only taken a sip when Ivan, panting, hugged his leg ¡°Didnt I ask you to stay put?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Kieran looked down at his son.


    Ivan seemed upset. He looked up at Kieran and said seriously, ¡°Why did you toss my frog Toothbrush?¡±


    ¡°A toothbrush used for over two months can breed Candida, hemolytic streptocus, tuberculosis


    bacillus, and staphylocus. They may cause acute tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and in people with weak


    immune systems, rheumatic fever and acute nephritis. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it!!¡± Ivan yelled at Kieran, ¡°Kieran, you¡¯re so useless!!*


    Shannon heard this from outside the door. Being used to their banter, she chuckled, turned around, and


    went to hang up the clothes returned from the dry cleaners.


    Kieran put the water on the kitchen counter and bent down to pick up Ivan. Holding him in one arm, he


    flicked his head with the other hand. ¡°I¡¯m useless?¡±


    ¡°Yes, useless! You made Mama Julie leave! And you threw away the toothbrush Mama Julie got me!¡±


    Ivan said, suddenly looking much wlonged.


    He sniffled. Although he didn¡¯t cry, he looked pitiful.


    Kieran sat down on the sofa with Ivan, ¡°If she left, she cane back, can¡¯t she?¡±


    Chapter 125


    ¡°When is sheing back then?¡± Ivan pouted, and then reached into his hoodie pocket.


    He wore a ck hoodie with yellow pockets. Like digging for treasure, Ivan pulled out a photo from his


    pocket, carefully pointing at the photo and looking seriously at Kieran. He seemed to hesitate for a long


    time before plucking up the courage to ask Kieran, ¡°I asked my teacher today. She said this photo is


    taken during a wedding and used on a marriage license. Cupid said that married parents live together


    during the day and sleep together at night. Why did you and Mama Julie get married but Mama Julie


    still left?¡±


    There was a hopeful glint in Ivan¡¯s eyes. He looked at Kieran, seemingly having weighed his words


    before asking, ¡°Kerry, tell me the truth. Where am I from, I didn¡¯t fall from the sky, did I?¡±

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    Chapter 126


    Ivan kept his eyes fixed on Kieran. It took two to three seconds before he suddenly looked at him


    unhappily, snatched Kieran¡¯s hand, and ced the developed photo in his palm, ¡°I¡¯m Mama Julie¡¯s real


    kid, right? She is my mom, right?¡±


    After speaking, Ivan took out his phone, opened his photo album, pointed at his own picture in the


    album, and then pointed at Julie in the photo. He pouted adorably, ¡°Look, my mouth is exactly the same


    as Mama Julie¡¯s, right? I must be Mama Julie¡¯s real kid!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he added unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m so adorable, definitely didn¡¯t inherit that from you!¡±


    ¡°Mm, your shameless behavior is definitely not inherited from me.¡± Kieran nced at the photo in his


    hand, ¡°Where did you get this photo?¡±


    Ivan immediately covered his mouth, seriously refusing to speak, then cheekily snatched the photo


    back from Kieran and held it tightly. He sniffled deliberately, ¡°Just tell me, is she really my mom?¡±


    ¡°You only have one mom, how could she be a fake one?¡± Kieran snatched the photo back from Ivan,


    ¡°Your mom is on a trip. Go back to your room and call your mom.¡±


    Even though Ivan had known the answer in his heart, he was still surprised when he heard the


    confirmation from his dad. He was stunned for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran turned around to go to his study that Ivan excitedly grabbed Shannon¡¯s hand, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t fall from the sky! Shannon, I¡¯m my mom¡¯s real kid!!¡±


    A kind expression crossed Shannon¡¯s face. She squatted down in front of Ivan, gently stroked his head,


    and said, ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t fall from the sky. Your mom had a hard time giving birth to you! Your


    mom is the woman who loves you most in the world. Ivan, you have to help your dad find your mom¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡± Ivan was obedient for the first time. He hugged Shannon¡¯s face, gave her a big kiss, and then


    happily went upstairs with his phone. When he reached the stairway, he seemed to remember


    something and turned around to Shannon, ¡°Shannon, thanks for the photo!! didn¡¯t betray you!¡±


    After speaking, he went upstairs while dialing Julie¡¯s number However, Julie¡¯s phone number had been


    disconnected.


    Ivan looked sorrowful at the stairway, standing still. After a while, he seemed to have an idea. He


    opened WhatsApp and sent a video chat request to Julie.


    Julie had just arrived at the hotel in Oakhurst. She had just taken a shower when the sound of the


    video chat came.


    Tonight, even if Ivan didn¡¯t contact her proactively, she nned to contact Ivan.


    So Julie immediately answered the call.


    Ivan seemed to be in his bedroom. As soon as he saw Julie, he became extremely excited, even


    somewhat speechless. Although he was always excited every time he saw Julie, he had never been


    like this.


    Julie looked at Ivan on the screen with a sense of guilt, ¡°Ivan, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad said you are on a trip. He was excited for a while before he calmed down.


    Before boarding the ne. Julie left a message for Mr. Kennedy, telling him that she was going on a


    trip. She thanked him for his care, but due to the recent events, she wanted to take a trip to rx.


    But Mr. Kennedy never replied to her message. She guessed that he might be disappointed in her for


    being so ungrateful. After all, when she had nowhere to go, it was Mr. Kennedy who took her in.


    Although Julie never took Mr. Kennedy¡¯s money except for that gift card, she still felt guilty for leaving


    so quietly.


    Julie said to Ivan, ¡°You have to be obedient at home and listen to your dad. When I have a chance, I


    will take you on a trip, okay?¡±


    This was Julie¡¯s sincere promise to him, although this promise might not be realized in the short term.


    Ivan didn¡¯t care about Julie¡¯s proposal. He asked cautiously, ¡°Mama Julie, you won¡¯t abandon me, will


    you?¡±


    This time, Julie¡¯s answer was very firm, ¡®Of course not. We will definitely meet again in the future, but


    you have to promise me one thing. okay?¡±


    ¡®Okay¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell Kerry anything between you and me, okay?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Kieran suddenly snatched the phone from Ivan.


    On the other end of the phone, Julie was only wearing a bathrobe, her freshly washed hair still dripping


    wet on her shoulders, with


    droplets of water sliding down her neck.


    ¡°What secrets do you have from me?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was cold and dangerous.


    Julie was so scared that she immediately hung up the call.


    After the screen of the phone turned ck, her heart was still pounding wildlyN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    This is bad! She should have foreseen that she could be caught by Kieran during a video chat with


    Ivan¡­.


    Julie put down her phone, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.


    Her phone suddenly vibrated.


    Julie picked up her phone, opened WhatsApp, and saw a message sent from Ivan¡¯s ount, but it was


    obviously sent by Kieran.


    He asked her, ¡°When are youing home?¡±


    The tone made it seem like he was a good husband who often waited at home for his wife. It was a


    very Joyce Abraham-like greeting, but why did Julie feel a chill?


    Julie quickly shook her head, throwing away those confusing thoughts. Just as she was about to close


    WhatsApp, she saw a message from Mr. Kennedy, ¡°Have you arrived at your destination?¡±


    She hesitated for a few seconds before her fingers rapidly typed on the keyboard, ¡°I just arrived. Aren¡¯t


    you asleep?¡±


    This time, Mr. Kennedy¡¯s reply was quick, ¡®It seems that yourst advice didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Julie said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Last time you told me your strategy to win back an ex-wife was to buy her gifts, tter her, hug her,


    and if all fail, just kiss her. But it seems like those tactics didn¡¯t really do the trick.¡±


    Julie never thought he¡¯d actually go ahead and do it. She broke out in a cold sweat.


    She wanted to ask him if he really did it, but then decided it was a dumb question. So, she deleted her


    drafted message and only replied, ¡°I remember you mentioning that you managed to get your ex-wife to


    move into Noblewood Retreat with you, right?¡±


    Otherwise, Ivan wouldn¡¯t have been left at Kieran¡¯s ce.


    Kieran replied, ¡°Maybe I scared her when I kissed her.¡±


    ¡°Was it a passionate kiss?¡± Julie wrote and sent without thinking.


    So, two seconds after sending it, she quickly withdrew the message and pretended like nothing


    happened. She was about to apologize, but before she could even finish typing sorry, Mr. Kennedy had


    already shot her a text.


    He said, ¡°I saw the message you just withdrew¡±


    Julie was speechless


    Just as she was hesitating how to respond to the straightforward Mr. Kennedy, he sent another text,


    ¡°Do you want me to go into detail about our kiss?¡±


    With his phone in hand, Kieran chuckled mischievously on the other end.


    Julie quickly replied, ¡°No need!¡±


    ¡°So, do you have any other good ideas?¡± Mr. Kennedy asked.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d fallen for her trick once, and was actually willing to walk right into it again.


    This time, she bluntly said, ¡°Most of the ns Ie up with are bad ideas, not worth trying.¡±


    ¡°I trust you a lot.¡± Mr. Kennedy sent a message, then he added, ¡°At least your previous bad idea gave


    me the chance to live with my ex-wife, even though it wasn¡¯t for long.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys separate again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and now we¡¯re far apart.¡±


    Julie asked, ¡°Can I ask why you guys separated?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t agree on certain issues.¡± He replied and asked, ¡®So, do you have any other good ideas to


    make my ex-wife change her mind?¡±


    ¡°It depends on whether she¡¯spletely given up on you. If she still has a glimmer of hope for you, her


    heart might be like a block of ice, and all you need is enough warmth to melt it. Then her frozen heart


    will naturally open. However, if she¡¯s truly given up on you, no n will change her mind.¡±


    What Julie really wanted to say was, if she still has feelings for you, then go for it! But if she¡¯s totally


    over you, don¡¯t waste your time.


    However, Mr. Kennedy clearly only caught one key point, which was, ¡°How can I melt a frozen heart?¡±


    Julie suddenly realized, she¡¯s sessfully set a trap for herself.


    So, what should she respond next?

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    Chapter 127


    Chapter 127


    After a moment of silence, Julie finally found the best way to answer Mr. Kennedy¡¯s question.


    She quickly typed out a message on her keyboard, and Kieran on the other side of the phone received


    her message.


    She wrote, ¡°Before you consider pursuing your ex-wife, I suggest you understand her wishes and


    feelings first.¡±


    Then, Julie replied again, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, goodnight.¡±


    Julie quickly logged out of WhatsApp andy in bed.


    Thest words Kieran said during the video chat were still echoing in her mind. He asked her when she


    would be going home. Julie smiled faintly, but there was bitterness in her smile.


    Where was her home?


    Julie hugged her phone and curled up in the corner of the bed, falling into a drowsy sleep.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran, however, had a sleepless night.


    Although it had only been a few days, he seemed to have gotten used to the feeling of holding Julie as


    he fell asleep.


    He held the picture of him and Julie that he had snatched from Ivan, a faint smile on his lips.


    The most excited person that night was undoubtedly Ivan. He took the thickest dictionary off the shelf


    and shook it. Dozens of identical photos slid out from the pages.


    He looked at the photos with satisfaction and a mischievous smile.


    He thought Kerry was sometimes stupid. Since he dared to confront him with the photo, why wouldn¡¯t


    he keep some copies?


    Ivan put a photo under his pillow, and then stuffed the rest of the photos into the dictionary, finally


    putting the dictionary back on the shelf with satisfaction.


    Then he went back to bed happily, patting his pillow lightly. He was already nning how to help his


    father¡­.


    The next morning, when Ivan was dropped off at school by Noah, he had heavy dark circles under his


    eyes.


    Hayden suddenly appeared in front of Kieran. Karl was reporting today¡¯s schedule to Kieran.


    Seeing Haydene over, Karl was surprised, ¡°Mr. Simson?¡±


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± If Hayden didn¡¯t need anything, he definitely wouldn¡¯t look for Kieran. Kieran


    knew this.


    Hayden sat across from Kieran and asked directly, ¡°When are you going to see Joyce?¡±


    Although Karl was not a gossip, he now perked up his ears, curiously watching Kieran, waiting for his


    answer.


    ¡°Are you too bored?¡± Kieran meant, when did Hayden have time to care about his rtionship with


    Julie?


    Hayden¡¯s next sentence was surprising, ¡°Julien said that if you don¡¯t go to Oakhurst, she will go


    herself,!¡±


    Kieran understood. Hayden¡¯s woman, Julien, to Hayden?


    s appearance was for Julien, not because he was interested in his private life. So how important was


    this


    Kieran looked at Hayden sitting across from him with a meaningful gaze. Hayden saw through the


    mischief in Kieran¡¯s eyes with one nce, and said to Kieran with his eyes slightly narrowed, ¡°Stop


    Julien from going to Oakhurst, or I¡¯ll take Ivan to Oakhurst. You choose.¡±


    Kieran naturally heard the threat in Hayden¡¯s words. He raised his eyebrows slightly, looked back at


    Karl, ¡°Karl, get a helicopter ready for Mr. Simson to go to Oakhurst.¡±


    Karl thought the two men in front of him were both cunning, and neither could threaten the other. But


    since Mr. Hernandez was his master, Karl sull took out his phone, ready to pass on Kieran¡¯s instruction.


    Hayden¡¯s deep gaze swept over Kieran¡¯s face, saying. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to pursue Joyce for now?¡±


    ¡°Why the rush?¡± Kieran put down the newspaper in his hand and looked up at Hayden.


    It seemed that there was still room for negotiation between the two. Karl quietly hung up the phone


    again.


    Kieran stood up, walked over to Hayden and sat down, saying, ¡°I want to give her some time to calm


    down¡­¡±


    Before Kieran could finish, Hayden¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    He took out his phone and pressed the answer key. Jullen¡¯s indifferent voice came from the other end


    of the phone, ¡°Are you at Noblewood Retreat?¡±


    Before Hayden could answer, Julien said again, ¡°I saw your car at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing at Noblewood Retreat?¡± Hayden asked.


    Julien didn¡¯t answer, nor did she hang up the phone. Shannon suddenly walked into the hall, carefully


    looking at Kieran and saying, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, a Miss Julien wants to meet you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let her in.¡± Hayden spoke.


    Julien was led into the hall by Shannon. As always, she was dressed in a crisp ck sult, her face


    expressionless.


    Kieran pointed at Hayden and asked Julien, ¡°Are you here for me, or for him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to work.¡± Julien handed Kieran a folder.


    Kieran took it and opened it.


    The contents of the folder were a few photos and a USB. The background of the photos was the


    University of Zurich in Switzend, and the extremely blurry figure in the photos was immediately


    recognized by Kieran. That was¡­Lucian.


    Julien said, ¡°ording to thetest news from the National Security Agency, Lucian went to the


    University of Zurich a week ago. ording to the investigation, Bertha¡¯s sister, Cami Stewart, is now


    studying at the University of Zurich. You should have received this news earlier than us. If you¡¯re


    willing, we can work together to catch Lucian.¡¯


    ¡°Work together?¡± Kieran said coldly. He dropped the photos in his hand, looked up at Julien and asked,


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To protect Julie. If Lucian¡¯s purpose of going to Zurich is to find Cami, then he might already know


    that Ivan is not Bertha¡¯s biological son. Lucian is now a dangerous man, and we both know that.


    Bertha¡¯s cause of death hasn¡¯t been fully investigated yet, but if her death is rted to Lucian, the next


    one he might hurt could be Julie. If you cooperate with us, we¡¯ll support your investigation all the way


    and ensure the safety of Julie and Ivan anytime.¡±


    Julien stood opposite Kieran, looking at him firmly.


    At first, Julien didnt understand Kieran¡¯s past actions. She didn¡¯t get why Kieran would say he wanted


    to save Bertha¡¯s child at the operation room door, nor why he ignored Julie for the past five years, but


    recently started to contact her frequently and even used every method to keep her by his side


    It wasn¡¯t until recently that Julien figured out the truth of the past years, and then she began to


    understand Kieran¡¯s seemingly contradictory behaviors.


    Julien stood opposite Kieran, waiting for his answer.


    However, Kieran asked, ¡°The National Security Agency will fully support me? Do I have that much of


    power? Ms. Julien, what exactly are you guys up to?¡±


    Since Kieran got straight to the point, Julien didn¡¯t beat around the bush either. She admitted to Kieran,


    ¡°Our goal is to investigate the cause of the ne crash in that year¡±


    Although Julien simply exined, Kieran understood her meaning.


    She meant that the National Security Agency would fully cooperate with him to find Lucian¡¯s


    whereabouts, but after finding Lucian, Kieran needed to cooperate with the National Security Agency to


    reveal the truth about the ne crash. Because Lucian was the only survivor of that event, and there


    was an important agent of the National Security Agency on the ne.


    Hayden turned to look at Kieran and seriously advised him, ¡°I suggest you agree to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Going all out to protect Julie and Ivan¡¯s safety? Does the National Security Agency have that power?¡±


    Kieran looked at Julien seriously.


    Julien looked at Kieran calmly. ¡°I promise you.¡±


    After that, Julien handed her phone to Kieran. The phone screen disyed a flight she had booked,


    which was to Oakhurst at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    So Julien was serious. That was also why Hayden came to find Kieran today.


    Julien told Kieran, ¡°If y


    you don¡¯t n to bring Julie back, then I¡¯ll go to Oakhurst right away.¡±


    ¡°Safe travels.¡± Then, Kieran turned to Karl and said, ¡°See them out.¡±


    Kieran was the first person to speak so bluntly to her.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to cooperate with us?¡± Julien asked onest time.


    Kieran turned around, ¡°I don¡¯t like people who beat around the bush. If you¡¯re not going to tell the truth,


    it¡¯s hard for me to cooperate.¡± When she was with Hayden, Julien felt like she had used up all her


    wisdom. There must be a reason why Kieran and Hayden could be friends. Judging from Kieran¡¯s keen


    insight, he was not easy to deal with.


    After years of being with Hayden, the biggest lesson Julien learned was never to lie to someone


    smarter than you.


    St Julien took off the micro inte from her ear, threw it on the ground and crushed it with her shoes.


    She also took off the bug disguised as a ck earring from her ear and threw it into a mug full of water


    nearby.


    ¡®Going to Oakhurst is a mission assigned to me by the National Security Agency. If Mr. Hernandez is


    unwilling to cooperate, the National Security Agency doesn¡¯t mind using Julie as bait.¡±


    To be honest, the National Security Agency is threatening Kieran to cooperate with them.


    And Julien¡¯s purpose was, ¡°I¡¯m flying to Oakhurst at three o¡¯clock this afternoon. If you set off before


    three o¡¯clock and find Julie before the National Security Agency, they won¡¯t be able to take action


    against her.¡±


    So Julien is here to warn him, her purpose is to get Kieran to go to Oakhurst as soon as possible and


    bring Julie back. She had made it very clear. The next move is up to Kieran¡­.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    Chapter 128


    In reality, not only was Julie unable to figure Kieran out, even Julien couldn¡¯t understand what was


    going on in Kieran¡¯s mind


    She thought she¡¯d made herself very clear Even if it was to keep Julie out of the National Security


    Agency¡¯s hands, Kieran should immediately go to Oakhurst and bring Julie back.


    Unexpectedly, Kieran just calmly nced at the expensive watch on his wrist and looked up at Julien,


    saying, ¡°You can head to the airpert nest


    ¡°Mr. Hemandez


    Julien, get out!¡± Hayden cut off Julien before she could finish


    Hayden knew Kieran better than she did. He never directly called Julien by her name growing up. He


    always used his deep voice to call


    her Lien


    In the end, Julien just said to Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I hope you won¡¯t regret this¡±


    Watching Julien turn and leave, Hayden finally looked at Kieran and said, ¡°Don¡¯t treat my woman like


    that in the future


    Has


    agreed to be your woman? Kieran sat on the couch, a slight smile on his lips.


    Hayden locked thoughtfully at Kieran, If Lien wants to go to Oakhurst, I won¡¯t stop her¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡±


    Karl, who was watching their cold conversation, felt a bit anxious


    even


    Hayden said to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, I know. Since you let Julie go to Oakhurst, you must have absolute


    confidence in her safety But though her personal safety is guaranteed, I worry she might run into


    someone she knows in such a strange ce, and she might easily develop feelings for that person¡±


    Kieran¡¯s deep gaze fell on Hayden¡¯s face. Hayden nced at him meaningfully, then followed Julien


    towards the door


    Just as Kieran was pondering the hint in Hayden¡¯s words, Karl¡¯s phone suddenly rang


    After nodding at Kieran, he answered the call and turned to walk out onto the balcony


    A whileter, Karl hung up the phone and looked seriously at Kieran.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Kieran.


    Karl looked at Kieran hesitantly, ¡°Are we sure we¡¯re not going to find Mrs Hernandez?¡±


    The question was obviously unnecessary Kieran gave Karl a cold look ¡°No Let her cool down.¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Hernandez is with Mr. Sanches Karl said with great courage. Because as soon as he said the


    first part, Kieran¡¯s face had


    About half a minute of silence, Kieran suddenly stood up from the couch, looking coldly at Karl, ¡°Get


    the car ready!¡±


    Karl immediately turned to prepare the car. He then heard Kieran suddenly say behind him, ¡°Wait.


    Prepare a rope too!¡±


    was speechless


    Keran now understood what Hayden had meant earlier. He had already known that Elliot was in


    Oakhurst! It seemed that Hayden hade prepared today


    Hayden understood Kieran He knew Kieran wouldn¡¯t be threatened by the National Security Agency or


    Julien, and he wouldn¡¯t go to Dakhurst to bring Julie bark just because of a simple word from Julien


    If Kieran didn¡¯t go to Oakhurst then Julien would definitely go, and Hayden didn¡¯t want Julien to go find


    Julie in Oakhurst. So, as long as he could get Elijot to appear ext to Julie, then the whole situation


    would have a different oue.


    Hayden had quietly set a trap


    The reason-Kart was so nervous to mention this to Kieran was because he feared that this was all


    Hayden¡¯s arrangement.


    However, the truth was Julie and Elliot in Oakhurst really happened to meet each other!


    Julie ran into Elliot at Oakhurst Hospital


    When she saw Elliot, Julie thought she was hallucinating


    At that time, Elliot was covered in blood, his white shirtpletely dyed red, it was terrifying


    When Julie saw Elliot, bloody and stepping out of the ambnce, her whole body froze¡­


    The hospital entrance was surrounded by the ambnce¡¯s siren.


    Although Elliot was covered in blood he wasn¡¯t the one being carried on the stretcher. On the stretcher


    was a woman with long hair. Her


    hair was soaked with sweat, sticking to her face, it was horrifying.


    After getting out of the ambnce, Elliot frowned and tried to adjust his shirt, seemingly wanting to take


    it off, but seemingly considering this was a public ce, he gave up in the end.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure if the man in front of her was Elliot. If it was, why would Elliot, who was supposed to


    be in Whispering Pines, suddenly appear in Oakhurst? If not, this man must be Elliot¡¯s twin, otherwise,


    how could there be two people in the world that looked so alike? Like a copy-paste job.


    Just as Julie was staring at this man, he also looked up at Julie. Then¡­


    ¡°Julie? Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Whispering Pines?¡± Elliot looked at Julie in


    surprise. After a few seconds of silence, he quickly walked over to Julie.


    Julie finally confirmed that the man in front of her was indeed Elliot¡­


    ¡°Why are you in Oakhurst? Julie didn¡¯t answer Elliot¡¯s question, but instead asked him this question.


    Elliot felt he couldnt exin it all in a jiffy, so he just looked at Julie and said, ¡®It¡¯s a long story. How


    about we find a ce to sit down and I¡¯ll tell you?¡±


    Elliot nced down at his blood stained shirt, gave a wry smile and said, ¡°But first, you might need to


    apany me to the mall.¡±


    ¡°The mall? Now?¡± Julie¡¯s eyes darted towards the operating room not far away. She wordlessly


    questioned Elliot about his rtionship with the woman he was just with.


    Elliot calmly nced at the operating room, then casually exined to Julie, ¡°I happened to run into a


    pregnant woman who was miscarrying on the street, so I called the ambnce for her. She was


    clutching my hand, so I ended up in the ambnce with her.¡±


    What a coincidence? Julie was skeptical, but Elliot had already taken her hand and was leading her


    towards the restaurant across the hospital.


    As they walked, he asked Julie, ¡°What brings you to Oakhurst Hospital?¡±


    I¡¯m considering transferring Sansa here, so I came to check out the facilities, Julie replied.


    Elliot looked at Julie in surprise. ¡°You live in Whispering Pines, why would you want to transfer Sansa


    here? Unless¡­


    Realization dawned on Elliot, he looked at Julie and said, ¡°You¡¯re nning to move Sansa to Oakhurst?


    What about Kieran¡­¡±


    Elliot looked at Julie, clearly delighted, ¡°You¡¯re nning to cut ties with Kieranpletely?¡±


    Why was Elliot so happy? Julie raised the corner of her mouth, changing the topic, ¡°Why are you


    here?¡±


    Elliot, who was just excited, suddenly quietened down. He said, ¡°Adeline Sanches is missing¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Julie nodded nkly, then widened her eyes at Elliot, ¡°Missing?¡±


    Elliot nodded.


    Julie wanted to ask why Adeline would go missing, but didn¡¯t. It was Adeline¡¯s private matter. She had


    no right to pry.


    After ordering. Elliot turned to Julie. ¡°Could I use your phone to call Adeline?¡±


    Julle handed her phone to Elliot.


    Elliot put the call on speaker and dialed Adeline¡¯s number. To his surprise, she picked up.


    The first thing Adeline said was, ¡°Did you check? Has Elliot caught up with me?¡±


    Elliot paused. Apparently, Adeline was intentionally avoiding him.


    To prevent Adeline from hanging up once she found out it was him, Elliot quickly passed the phone to


    Julie.


    Julie hesitated, ncing at Elliot, then said, ¡°Ms. Sanches, this is Julie.¡±


    ¡®Julle?¡± Adeline eximed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Larson¡¯s number?¡±


    Julie said, ¡°I changed my phone.¡±


    Elliot quickly typed a message on his phone and showed it to Julie: Don¡¯t let her know


    Julie nadded. While Adeline was still on the line, she said, ¡°I was wondering if I could pay you back the


    money I owe you all at once.¡±


    Elliot immediately nodded and gave Julie a thumbs-up. Adeline¡¯s voice came over the phone, ¡°Why


    does your phone show you¡¯re in Dakhurst?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m actually in Oakhurst. I¡¯m nning to transfer my sister to Oakhurst Hospital. So I was


    wondering if we could meet up when I return to Whispering Pines in a few days?¡±


    ¡°Elliot didn¡¯t contact you, did he?¡± Adeline asked.


    Elliot, sitting across from Julie, felt a bit dizzy.


    Julie nced at Elliot and replied, ¡°No. Mr. Sanches and I don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship.¡±


    Right, they just bumped into each other today.


    Julie clearly heard Adeline sigh in relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m close to Oakhurst right now. Why don¡¯t youe find me directly? I have something to discuss


    with you. If Elliot calls you, don¡¯t tell him where I am, understand?¡± Adeline warned sternly.


    Julie looked at Elliot across the table and responded, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Chapter 129


    Adeline gave Julie the address for the meeting before ending the call.


    Elliot turned to Julie and sincerely said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. I didn¡¯t do anything I didn¡¯t tell you where Adeline and I were meeting.¡±


    Julie was night. The phone was on speaker. It was Adeline herself who told Elliot the location, not Julie.


    So¡­ this doesn¡¯t count as betrayal, right?


    That¡¯s how Julieforted herself.


    After dinner. Julie was about to go to the hospital, but was stopped by a distressed-looking Elliot.


    Frowning, Julie looked at Elliot and asked, ¡°What now?¡±


    With a bashful look, Elliot asked Julie, ¡°Can youe with me?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Julie asked bluntly.


    After a moment of silence, Elliot finally said, ¡°Can you consider it aspensation for the first kiss you


    took from me?¡±


    Julie suppressed the urge to punch him. She walked past Elliot towards the door without a word.


    Perhaps Elliot was really anxious, because he immediately followed and said, ¡°Or consider it as


    compensation for all the times you¡¯ve rejected me. Would you apany me this once?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Sanches, I never realized how annoying you can be! Julie felt like she had just betrayed Adeline,


    That¡¯s why she was not feeling so good right now. And now Elliot was getting on her nerves.


    Adeline was a very straightforward girl. Though they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, Julie really liked


    Adeline¡¯s personality.


    Generally, she wouldn¡¯t deliberately avoid someone or something without a good reason


    But judging from Adeline¡¯s behavior today, she really wanted to avoid Elliot, and yet Elliot was so eager


    to find her.


    Which one of the twins was the one with the problem?


    Julie shot Elliot a re, but Elliot stood in front of her with a smile, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve


    wanted to ask you for a long time.¡±


    Julie just stared at Elliot. ¡°Move it!¡±


    Elliot continued to block Julie¡¯s way, ¡®Answer my question, and I¡¯ll let you go


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Julie said, ¡°Fire away¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°That kiss before I went abroad, it wasn¡¯t your first kiss, was it?¡±


    Julie froze at Elliots question.


    Elliot said that people don¡¯t forget their first kiss. It was a serious and reasonable statement.


    Elliot willingly gave his first kiss to Julie, but Julie never admitted that it was her first kiss.


    The question was not important anymore, but Elliot knew, Julie would not answer him, she definitely


    wouldn¡¯t¡­


    Taking a deep breath, Julie looked at Elliot and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She gged down a taxi and got in.


    Elliot followed Julie into the taxi, and told the driver the address of the caf¨¦ Adeline had mentioned.


    On the way, Julie remained silent, staring out the window.


    The passing scenery outside the window seemed like a backwards movie, reying past events.


    Julie recalled the moment when Kieran saw her kissing Elliot.


    Kieran was not a smiley person. When he became serious, his aura was cold andmanding. His


    aloofness was fatally attractive to Julie back then.


    Julie remembered him walking past her with his friends while Elliot¡¯s lips were still pressed against


    hers.


    She watched Kieran in a daze, and he just gave her a cold nce, then walked away with his friends.


    At that moment, Julie felt a chill down her spine. She immediately pushed Elliot away, wiping her mouth


    while yelling at him, ¡°You¡¯re done for! You¡¯re done for! You wait and see!¡±


    Then she chased after Kieran.


    Surprisingly, Kieran didn¡¯t get on his bike and leave immediately but he walked away.


    Without a second thought, Julie grabbed his bike, and hurriedly exined, ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t get me wrong.


    It¡¯s not what you think. Elliot¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go of me.¡± Kieran looked at Julie coldly.


    Julle held onto the bike firmly and said, ¡°It was an ident. I didn¡¯t mean to, I swear!!¡±


    Kieran responded coldly to Julie¡¯s desperate exnation, ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Julie was used to Kieran¡¯s indifference, so she could calmly hold onto Kieran¡¯s bike and ask, ¡°What do


    you mean?¡±


    Kieran let go, staring at Julie expressionlessly


    Feeling wronged, Julie looked at Kieran, ¡°Can¡¯t you be angry? Can¡¯t you be jealous? I kissed someone


    else, don¡¯t you have any reaction?¡± Julie was extremely emotional, but all she got was a concise


    answer from Kieran, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not loosing my bike?¡±


    Holding onto the bike tightly. Julie said firmly, ¡°No way!!¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, Kieran turned around and left, not even wanting his bike.


    Julie was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses, Pushing Kieran¡¯s bike, she chased


    after him, ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t go! Exin yourself!!*


    As she chased after Kieran, Julie asked, ¡°Are you really not angry?¡±


    ¡°Three meters¡± Kieran nced at Julie.


    For the first time, Julie didn¡¯t back down. She decided to stay with Kieran. For the first time, she


    couldn¡¯t control her emotions and her eyes reddened in front of him, ¡°Can¡¯t you care about me a little?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s answer was without hesitation.


    Julie, who had been babbling non-stop beside Kieran, suddenly fell silent


    She pulled over, grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve, her eyes welling up, ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t love me that


    you think anything I do has nothing to do with you? Even if I go back to Elliot right now, you¡¯d still be


    fine with it?¡±


    Julie¡¯s voice was hoarse with usation, but all she got in return was Kieran¡¯s silence.


    In that moment, Julie was truly hurt. She let go of Kieran, took a deep breath, and stubbornly turned to


    walk towards Elliot.


    Only she knew that as she turned, tears poured down her face. As she wiped them away¡­.


    ¡°Is snatching first kisses your hobby?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s cold voice came from behind.


    Julie stopped in her tracks, even her tear wiping motion frozen.


    A few secondster, she whipped around to look at Kieran, her eyes lighting up. ¡®Sost time¡­ was it


    really your first kiss?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond, instead turning to walk towards the bus stop.


    Al that point, Julle didn¡¯t hesitate. She grabbed Kieran¡¯s bike and pedaled after him.


    Once more, she yelled at Kieran, ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    ¡°What did you mean by what you just said? Are you jealous? Are you angry? Don¡¯t ignore me! Get on


    the bike, I¡¯ll give you a ride home! I¡¯m really good at cycling!¡±


    Although none of Julie¡¯s words got a response from Kieran, she chased after him with a certain joy.


    Julle thought, if she hadn¡¯t turned back at that moment, maybe there wouldn¡¯t have been a ¡®what


    happened next¡¯ between her and Kieran. And if Kieran had been ruthlessly rejected her one more time,


    she wouldn¡¯t have kept chasing him.


    Looking back, the reason she had managed to stick by Kieran¡¯s side for all these years was because


    Kieran had given her hope.


    Every time she decided to forget him, every time she hid from him, this man she hardly saw would


    mysteriously appear in front of her time and time again.


    Back then, Julie thought it was fate, which is why she kept softening.


    Each time, she told herself that maybe if she just tried a little harder, just a little, she might be able to


    get closer to him.


    But in the end, it came to this.


    Her thoughts wandering, Julie wore a bitter smile, dodging the question Elliot had just asked her in that


    moment, Julie was suddenly reminded of Kieran, of how she had given her first kiss to him¡­


    More urately, how she had rudely stolen his first kiss¡­.


    As Julie was lost in her thoughts, the driver¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°We¡¯re at the San Faith Caf¨¦.¡±


    Julie got off the taxi with Elliot.


    However, Elliot didn¡¯t directly follow Julie into the caf¨¦. Instead, he stood at the entrance, watching


    Julie, and cautiously said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you. Don¡¯t hang up when you go in, okay?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to meet Adeline? Why don¡¯t you just go in?¡± Julle was puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid shell run away if she sees me,¡± Elliot said, his gaze intense.


    Julie finally agreed, since she was here to discusspensation with Adeline anyway


    Ever since she crashed Adeline¡¯s car, Julie had been making monthly payments, but Adeline just sent


    all the money back to her ount in one go a few days ago. Julie had nned to discuss it with


    Adeline when she returned to Whispering Pines to pick up Sansa. This time, she could take the


    opportunity to clear things up.


    When Julie entered the private room, Adeline had already ordered a cappino for her.


    ¡°Are you sure you came alone?¡±


    Adeline was dressed differently today, in a white t-shirt and ck skinny jeans. Thece-up boots


    made her look particrly cool


    Thinking about the phone in her pocket that was still on the call, Julie vaguely nodded.


    ¡°Ms. Sanches, why are you in Oakhurst?¡± Julie just tossed out the question, hoping to divert the


    conversation, not expecting Adeline to


    answer.


    Unexpectedly, Adeline casually looked at her, said with a smile, ¡°I suddenly realized that Elliot and I are


    not real twins. I don¡¯t even have any blood rtion to the Sanches family. I couldn¡¯t ept it, so I ran


    away from home.¡±


    Julie went silent.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    Chapter 130


    When Adeline said this, Julie was initially taken aback, but then, it kinda made sense.


    Because the first time sheid eyes on Adeline, she could tell that Adeline and Elliot were nothing alike.


    Whether it was their mannerisms, their looks, there wasn¡¯t an ounce of simrity between them.


    Even for fraternal twins, there should be somemon ground.


    Julie couldn¡¯t understand how two people who weren¡¯t rted by blood could be twins. Knowing


    that Elliot was eavesdropping. Julie deliberately said to Adeline, ¡°Mr. Sanches cares about you so


    much, and you just up and left. He must be worried sick¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dislike Elliot? What¡¯s his feelings got to do with you? Adeline looked up at Julie, ¡°Are you


    actually kinda into Elliot?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about you, not me,¡± Julie retorted.


    Adeline chuckled, ¡°We are talking about Elliot. Besides, how do you know I ran away suddenly? I left a


    letter.¡±


    Elliot¡¯s veins on his forehead popped as he heard it outside. That¡¯s what she called a letter?


    She only left one line: Elliot, I love you, goodbye.


    Julie decided to change the subject, ¡°Ms. Sanches, I crashed your car, so I owe youpensation. But


    my financial situation doesn¡¯t allow me to pay you all at once. So, I can only pay you bit by bit every


    month. But a couple of days ago, you returned all the money to me at once. L.¡±


    ¡®That was Elliot¡¯s idea. We agreed not to take your money. If you¡¯ve got something to say, take it up


    with him.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no but. Elliot loves you, doesn¡¯t he? He wouldn¡¯t mind doing things for you. Just ept it.¡±


    Adeline suddenly looked at Julie with great interest, ¡°Do you know why I ran away from home?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t answer right away. In fact, she was kinda curious. Although Adeline wasn¡¯t a biological child


    of the Sanches family, they had raised her for so many years. She wouldn¡¯t run away because of that,


    would she?


    Even though she was curious, she felt that she shouldn¡¯t ask Adeline directly.


    Adeline didn¡¯t pay attention to Julie and just began to tell her story. ¡°Ten years ago, before Victoria


    married into the Sanches family. I knew that Elliot and I were not blood rted. I overheard Walker and


    his first wife, Elliot¡¯s mother, Kathy, talking on her deathbed. I was picked up from a hospital dumpster


    by the Sanches family. Walker and Kathy had twins, but due toplications, they chose to save their


    son. The daughter didn¡¯t make it. I don¡¯t know where my biological parents are. They left me, a


    newborn, in the trash. Can you believe it? I¡¯m so pretty, how could they just abandon me?¡±


    Adeline¡¯s expression was cold, as if she was telling a story that had nothing to do with her.


    Julie quietly watched Adeline. She thought she should be sympathetic, but facing the calm and


    indifferent Adeline, she was somewhat


    at a loss.


    Adeline calmly continued, ¡°Walker found me in the dumpster Kathy was suffering from postpartum


    depression. To appease her, they raised me as their own daughter. But after Kathy¡¯s death, I became a


    thorn in the Sanches family¡¯s side.¡±


    Adelineughed nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m so headstrong and ipetent, how could Walker like me? He only


    tolerated me for Kathy¡¯s sake. After Kathy died and I grew up, he couldn¡¯t abuse me anymore¡¯


    Adeline¡¯s tone was rxed, and in a few simple sentences she brushed off her ordeal. Julie


    remembered the first time she met Adeline. She really thought Adeline was the pampered princess of


    the Sanches family.


    But the truth was, only Elliot was spoiling her.


    Adeline continued. ¡°Victoria is such a ruthless woman, To marry Walker, she abandoned all the children


    she had with her ex-husband. Walker had a vasectomy after Elliot was born. If Victoria could get rid of


    me, she would have an unchallengeable position in the Sanches family¡±


    ¡°But if you just up and leave, wouldn¡¯t that be ying Into Victoria¡¯s hands? Julle asked, confused.


    Adeline gave Julie a sly look, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, a gentle person like you, to say something so


    prickly.¡±


    With that, Adeline sighed, ¡°Do you think I wanted to leave? Victoria forced me out!¡±


    ¡°How did she force you?¡± asked Julie.


    Adeline looked at Julie, then nonchntly said, ¡°Only Victoria and I knew about my love for Elliot.


    Remember Elliot said he was nning to go to the overseas branch? Victoris threatened that if I didn¡¯t


    leave, Elliot wouldn¡¯t be able to take over. The overseas branch was founded by Kathy Elliot said he


    must reim Kathy¡¯s legacy. I was afraid that Victoria would resort to dirty tricks to stop him.¡±


    After hearing Adeline¡¯s words, Julie was a bit stunned


    -So..


    Adeline knew long ago that she and Elliot weren¡¯t rted by blood, and she was secretly in love with


    Elliot. And Elliot, all this time, had been treating Adeline as his biological sister.


    Now, for Elliot¡¯s dreams and wishes, Adeline was willing to leave the person she loved¡­


    Julie knew that Elliot must¡¯ve heard their entire conversation by now.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine what Elliot¡¯s face looked like on the other side of the phone right now. At this


    moment, Julie felt so sorry for the stubborn and strong Adeline.


    If she had known that Adeline would open up her heart to her like this, she would never have agreed to


    Elliot¡¯s request.


    Under the weight of guilt¡­


    Julie lifted her head, looking at Adeline apologetically, ¡°Ms. Sanches, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you have to apologize to me for? Adeline picked up her coffee and took a sip, nonchntly


    saying. ¡°I feel much better after getting things off my chest with you¡±


    Hearing this, Julie felt even more guilty.


    She frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Sanches¡­¡±


    After saying this, Julie handed the phone to Adeline.


    Adeline looked at the phone, currently in the middle of a call. She knew that number almost backwards.


    And seeing the length of the call¡­that meant¡­


    Every word she had just said, Elliot had heard¡­


    Suddenly, Adeline felt weak as if she had been struck by frost.


    She quickly swiped the screen of her phone, ending the call with Elliot.


    Then, without another word. Adeline grabbed her bag, made a beeline for the back door, and over her


    shoulder said to Julie, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re even!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julie stood up, looking a bit agitated at Adeline.


    Adeline turned back, a mysterious smile on her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t hate me too much.¡±


    With that, Adeline quickly pulled open the door of their private room


    But what she didn¡¯t expect was Elliot was standing at the back door of the room, as if he had been


    waiting for a long time.


    When Adeline hurriedly pushed the door open and ran out, she ran straight into Elliot¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Adeline, you always run out the back door to avoid me. Can¡¯t you be smarter for once?¡± Elliot said a bit


    helplessly, pulling Adeline out of his embrace.


    Adeline shrugged off Elliot¡¯s hand, took off her baseball cap, and put it on Elliot¡¯s head. Taking


    advantage of Elliot¡¯s confusion, she turned and ran towards the front door of the private room.


    Julie didn¡¯t understand what Adeline meant by ¡®don¡¯t hate me too much¡±, so she quickly followed


    Adeline out


    Adeline, who usually ran fast in heels, was even faster in t shoes.


    Elliot was already chasing after her, but he still didn¡¯t catch up to Adeline, because she opened the


    door of a ck business car as soon as she got out


    In the car, Kieran was sitting in the back seat.


    He calmly looked at Adeline, who had opened the car door.


    ¡°Your ex-wife ising out. You¡¯re still going to keep your promise, right?¡± Adeline asked Kieran,


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The man¡¯s fine profile was hidden under the car window, his masculine features looking even more


    handsome.


    ¡°Take Ms Sanches to Starlit Skies Manor. After giving Austin instructions, Kieran opened the car door


    and got off.


    Kieran moved smoothly


    The car quickly drove away. When Elliot came running out, he only saw Kieran getting out of the car,


    and then the car quickly drove away


    ¡°You¡­


    Before Elliot could finish his sentence, Kieran interrupted him, ¡°The chances of me telling you where


    Adeline is are zero. I suggest you chase the car. If you can catch up. Adeline is yours.¡±


    Elliot knew Kieran always kept his word. He didn¡¯t hesitate and Immediately hailed a taxi, following the


    business car into the-


    When Julie came running out, it was already toote¡­


    She quickly turned around, but still heard Kieran¡¯s deep and icy voice behind her, ¡°Try running away


    again and see what happens!¡±


    +

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    Chapter 131


    Now Julle understood why Adeline had told her not to hate her¡­ At this point, Julie was beyond pissed


    at Adeline, she was downright murderous.


    This time, Julie didn¡¯t stop, nor did she turn around because of Kieran¡¯s words. She quickened her


    pace, bolting in the opposite direction


    to Kieran.


    Julie was at her wit¡¯s end. She hailed a taxi and said frantically to the driver, ¡°Step on it!¡±


    However, just as the taxi driver hit the gas, a ck Jaguar appeared out of nowhere, blocking their way.


    If the driver hadn¡¯t reacted so quickly, they might have crashed into the car.


    The driver was fuming that he rolled down his window and began to rant. Without a doubt in her mind,


    Julie knew who the Jaguar belonged to, so she opened the taxi door to make a run for it..


    But then, five or six men in ck suits appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the taxi.


    The driver, who was yelling just a moment ago, was now frozen with fear.


    Seeing Kieran closing in on the taxi, Julle hurriedly yelled at the driver, ¡°Lock the doors!¡±


    The driver was startled by Julie¡¯s shout and hurriedly pressed the lock button.


    When Kieran approached the taxi, he tried to open the door, but couldn¡¯t¡­.


    *Julie, get out. I need to talk to you.¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from outside the car door.


    The driver was about to call the police. Suddenly, he saw a man outside the window holding a window


    breaker, gesturing and shouting, ¡°Open the door or back up!¡±


    The taxi driver, with thirty years of experience under his belt, had never encountered such a situation.


    The man outside didn¡¯t seem like someone he could handle, so he had no choice but to unlock the


    door. Julie wasered. Kieran opened the door and yanked her out.


    On the way from the coffee shop to the hotel, Julie was very quiet, and didn¡¯t resist, because¡­


    That jerk Kieran had actually had Karl bring a rope.


    Before getting in the car, Julie did struggle, but then Karl walked up to Kieran, rope in hand.


    Kieran looked at Julie and said, ¡°It¡¯s your choice. Do you want to go alone, or should I let Karl tie you


    up and take you away?¡±


    After he finished speaking, a bunch of men in ck closed in.


    In the end, Julie got in the car herself. Did she have any other choice?


    On the way from the coffee shop to the hotel, neither Julie nor Kieran said a word.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Karl felt a chill down his spine. The atmosphere in the back seat was


    even more tense.


    Fortunately, before long, the car pulled up at the hotel.


    ¡°Get out.¡± Kieran¡¯smanding voice ordered Julie.


    Julie closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.


    Kieran didn¡¯t argue with her, he simply leaned over and carried her out of the car.


    ¡°Are you really doing this?¡± Julie opened her eyes, looking at Kieran.


    Her calm tone was even colder than Adeline¡¯s had been.


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer her question, he just carried her into the elevator.


    After Karl pressed a floor, he handed the room card to Kieran and quickly exited the elevator.


    ¡°Put me down.¡± Julie looked up at Kieran.


    ¡°I have something to say. He replied.


    ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± Julle asked Kieran, ¡°Will you let me go or not?¡±


    -¡°No.¡±


    As soon as Kieran finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his neck.


    Kiaran had a long neck, which made him look particrly ssy in a white shirt and suit. Julie bit him


    on the neck without holding back.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Though his neck stung, Kieran still didn¡¯t let go.


    As the elevator door opened, Julie heard him say, ¡°I never thought about letting you go.¡±


    This sentence rang out with the sound of the elevator door opening. Julie wasn¡¯t sure if she had heard


    him right.


    All in all, because of this sentence, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Kieran camed her into the hotel suite, then put her on the bed.


    In that instant, all of Julie¡¯s anger boiled over.


    She snatched up a pillow from the bedside and hurled it at Kieran.


    Kieran stood there, expressionless, as he epted the pillow Julie threw at him.


    Seeing that Kieran didn¡¯t dodge, Julie threw two more pillows at him.


    The man bent over to pick up the pillows from the floor, then walked towards the side of the bed while


    looking at Julie affectionately, ¡°Stop it. You¡¯ll hurt your hand.¡±


    ¡°Stay away!¡± Julie grabbed themp from the nightstand, her eyes wide as she red at Kieran, ¡°I have


    nothing to talk to you about. You leave, or let me go!¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t leave? Are you nning to hit me with thatmp, or kill yourself?¡± Kieran hugged her


    pillow and looked at Julie leisurely. Julie remained silent. If she could, she really wanted to kill Kieran


    herself beforemitting suicide.


    During Julie¡¯s silence, Kieran took another step closer to Julie, ¡°Go ahead, hit me. If you hit yourself, I


    will be distressed.¡±


    ¡°Distressed? Julie¡¯s smile was as cold as ice. She looked at Kieran, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Julie threw themp at Kieran.


    She knew Kieran would dodge it, and she also knew her threats were useless.


    In fact, Kieran simply sidestepped, easily avoiding themp Julie threw at him.


    While Kieran was dodging, Julie dashed towards the door, but Kieran caught her. He pressed her down


    on the bed behind him.


    Julie raised her head and was about to bump into Kieran, but he was one step ahead, holding her


    forehead and sessfully pushing her back onto the pillow.


    ¡°Bertha didn¡¯tmit suicide.¡± Kieran suddenly blurted out.


    Julie, who was resisting, was taken aback.


    After a while, she said coldly. ¡°Why should I care how she died?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t match what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Kieran let go of Julie¡¯s head, pinning her


    failing hands down, ¡°I have something to show you¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t look!¡± Julie closed her eyes, stubbornly turning her head away


    But what she didn¡¯t expect was, a familiar sensation suddenly seeped through her lips¡­.


    That¡¯s the warmth of Kieran¡¯s lips on hers.


    Julie¡¯s eyes popped wide open. Before she could shake off her shock, Kieran had already sat up,


    releasing her.


    Just as Julie was getting up from the bed, Kieran handed her a brown paper bag.


    Julie took the bag, put it down, and stood up. While Kieran was off guard, she swung a p at him.


    *Kieran, we divorced five years ago. We¡¯ve had zero contact since. Why are you looking for me now?


    Are you even a man?¡±


    Julie had no idea how hard she pped him. She could actually feel her fingertips tingling.


    She grabbed her bag and bolted for the door, but Kieran quickly caught up.


    He grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and pinned her against the door panel.


    His eyes were deep. He stroked her face, his lips grazing down her lips, sometimes gently, sometimes


    more firmly.


    Julie was wearing a white shirt and a pair of ck skinny jeans, the hem of the shirt tucked into her


    jeans. Just as Julie was struggling. Kieran¡¯s hand had already slipped into her waistband, unbuttoning


    her jeans¡­.


    She tried to grab his arm, but he easily restrained both her arms with one hand and raised them above


    her head.


    ¡°Am I a man? You should know better than me, right?¡± His voice was as low and husky as usual.


    Julie clenched her legs tightly. Her eyes filled with tears as she red at him, ¡°Your actions now only


    prove you¡¯re a beast!¡±


    ¡°A beast?¡± Kieran cocked his head. The red mark Julie had left on his neck was ringly obvious now.


    His gesture seemed to hint that Julle was the real beast.


    He put his hand around her waist, lifted her up, and walked straight to the bed.


    Julie, who was only wearing a shirt, suddenly felt a chill. By the time she reacted, she waspletely


    naked.


    Kieran¡¯s actions were actually very gentle, but Julie¡¯s skin was so tender that he asionally left a few


    red marks on her skin.


    The tears that had been pooling in Julie¡¯s eyes finally fell. After Kieran threw her on the bed, she


    stopped resisting. Instead, she stubbornly wiped her tears while staring at Kieran, ¡°Come on! Whatever


    you want to do, do it all at once! I¡¯ll go along with it, okay?!¡±


    Kieran stood still. Actually, he had no intention of doing anything to her. It¡¯s just that if he didn¡¯t strip her,


    this woman would eventually


    run away


    Seeing Kieran didn¡¯t respond, Julie¡¯s trembling voice had a helpless undertone. She red at Kieran


    with her swollen eyes, asking him, ¡°What do you want from me? Are you going to force me to die?¡±


    Kieran tossed the document bag to Julie, his gaze deep. ¡°You said you¡¯d cooperate with me, didn¡¯t


    you? Read everything in the folder, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Julie looked at the document bag with skepticism, unsure why Kieran insisted on her reading its


    contents.


    But to escape Kieran, to get away from him, she eventually picked up the yellowed document bag. With


    a stiff and slow motion, she reached in and pulled out the papers inside..

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    Chapter 132


    What Julie didn¡¯t seeing was that the folder contained a contract.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The contract was signed years ago between Bertha and Kieran.


    When Julie saw Kieran and Bertha¡¯s names on the contract, she was shocked. She didn¡¯t read out the


    contents of the contract verbatim as Kieran requested.


    She just gave the contract a quick look.


    The terms were clear. The contract stipted that Kieran had to publicly acknowledge Bertha as his


    fiancee, but they could never marry.


    Bertha also promised Kieran that she would never reveal Julie as Kieran¡¯s ex-wife.


    They agreed to keep their child out of the public eye, but Bertha would not keep the child unless Kieran


    and Julie divorced.


    The contract also clearly stated that if Kieran let Julie know about the contract, Bertha would


    immediately reveal Julie¡¯s status as an ex-wife and have an abortion.


    But what left Julie puzzled was, since Bertha had already promised that her child was not Kieran¡¯s


    biological child, why would Kieran agree to all of Bertha¡¯s demands in the contract to protect her child?


    She might not have been so confused if she hadn¡¯t seen the contract, but the contents only deepened


    her doubts.


    Kieran had told her that


    rtionship with Bertha was not what she thought. Now it seemed that was true. Bertha had also


    admitted


    that her child was not Kieran¡¯s biological child.


    But she didn¡¯t understand why Kieran would rather divorce her to protect that child, even at the


    expense of his own biological child?


    Julie, who had initially decided to leave, now had her mind full of these questions.


    Julie suddenly felt that there were many truths behind this that she couldn¡¯t imagine. If she insisted on


    asking Kieran, she might not be able to ept his answer.


    Julie tried to snatch her clothes from Kieran¡¯s hand, I¡¯ve seen the contract. Can I go now?¡±


    She acted as if nothing had happened and tried to take back her clothes.


    Instead, Kieran threw the clothes onto the balcony and locked the patio doors.


    He feigned innocence and looked at Julie, ¡°Go ahead. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Julie felt that the word ¡°shameless¡¯ was already inadequate to describe this man.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Julie didn¡¯t know where she got the courage from. She grabbed the bedsheet and


    wrapped it around her, then trotted toward the door.


    Kieran watched as Julie¡¯s character grew stronger, stepped forward, and blocked the door with his long


    leg


    His tall figure looked down at the petite woman wrapped in a bedsheet.


    Her shoulder still had the red mark he identally left. Her damp shoulder was vaquely visible under


    the white bedsheet, disying a kind of elusive beauty.


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t stop me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Julie looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.


    The man simply replied calmly, ¡°I have no shame, so I can do whatever I want.¡±


    Seeing Julie¡¯s eyes almost on fire, Kieran continued, ¡°You bit my neck just now, now you want to bite


    my leg? You can bite at 58- centimeters on my knee.


    A man with legs 1.2 meters long, 58 centimeters on his knee¡­.


    Julie gave a nce at the private part of Kieran, then turned and walked towards the balcony


    However, she didn¡¯t expect that the moment she turned, the man suddenly hugged her from behind


    and held her tightly.


    His pounding chest was against her back.


    He bent over and rested his head on Julie¡¯s shoulder. His unique scent filled Julie¡¯s nose, making her


    forget to struggle for a moment.


    Kieran¡¯s deep voice sounded in Julie¡¯s ear.


    He said, ¡®Bertha¡¯s child is my brother¡¯s.¡±


    Julie¡¯s hand covered Kieran¡¯s. She originally intended to pry his hand off, but she stopped in her tracks


    because of Kieran¡¯s sudden words.


    After a while, she gathered all her strength and pried Kieran¡¯s hand from her waist.


    She turned to look at him and said, ¡°Your brother died when you were 21, but Bertha didn¡¯t get


    pregnant until you were 23. You¡¯re telling


    11:26


    me the child is your brother¡¯s?¡±


    Kieran turned around, took out another document from the same folder, and handed it to Julie, ¡°Lucian


    had prostate cancer. To facilitate treatment and ensure future fertility, the doctor stored his sperm in


    advance. This is the operation record of that year, as well as rted information about Bertha¡¯s artificial


    insemination.¡±


    By this point, Julie had understood.


    Kieran was practically raised by Lucian. Their brotherly bond was something Julie had witnessed.


    If the child in Bertha¡¯s belly at that time was the only offspring of the deceased Lucian, then she could


    understand the decision Kieran made to protect Bertha and the child. But understanding does not


    mean eptance. This does not mean that Julie would forgive Kieran for choosing his brother¡¯s child


    over their own child.


    But what chilled Julie the most was the woman she thought was her friend had been scheming against


    her behind her back.


    Finally, Julie understood why, even though Whispering Pines was not big, she had never encountered


    Kieran in the past five years; why Kieran only began to appear frequently in her life after Bertha¡¯s


    death.


    Even though her mind was in turmoil, Julie¡¯s face was still calm.


    ¡°So what?¡± she shoved the report of Bertha¡¯s artificial insemination back at Kieran, ¡°Just because you


    confessed, just because you have a reason, I can just pretend nothing happened?¡±


    She shook her head and said to Kieran, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Wounds will heal, but they always leave


    scars. I understand your choice, but I can¡¯t forgive you, not in this lifetime¡­¡±


    She took a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes. She seemed to gather her courage before she


    spoke, her voice choking slightly, ¡°No matter what, our child is innocent. There¡¯s no future between us


    anymore. Please leave me alone¡­ and give me a chance to let go of myself too¡­


    Her eyes were brimmed with hot tears threatening to spill.


    Kieran¡¯s heart twitched involuntarily.


    He reached out, lightly stroking her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re too tired, rest up. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    His voice was as soothing as honey that refused to melt.


    That night, he still didn¡¯t let her go, forcefully making her stay in the hotel.


    After receiving a call, Kieran turned and left.


    Outside the door, Kieran had three bodyguards in ce to make sure Julie couldn¡¯t leave.


    Eventually, after trying for over half an hour, she gave up on the idea of escaping.


    Daphne called to ask Julie, ¡°How¡¯s it going in Oakhurst?¡±


    Julie told Daphne about everything that happened that day.


    Hearing that Kieran had gone to see Julie, Daphne felt relieved for some reason. She always believed


    that lovers should stick together through thick and thin, not hurt each other. Ever since learning the


    truth from Julien, Daphne had always thought that Julie would eventually forgive Kieran.


    But Julie was obviously still resisting Kieran, so she delicately said, ¡°Julie, have you ever thought that


    you and Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t get this far just by your efforts alone?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julie asked casually.


    Daphne answered seriously, ¡°All unexpected encounters are destined. All chance meetings are


    premeditated. If Mr. Hernandez really wanted to avoid you from the beginning, do you think you¡¯d have


    a chance to dete his bicycle tires?¡±


    Julie was silent for a moment, then suddenly realized, ¡°So you mean, the chance I had to dete his


    bike tires was with his consent?¡±


    Julie¡¯s voice suddenly rose, ¡°Daphne, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Daphne coughed nervously a couple of times, then answered, ¡°Well when I suggested you dete Mr.


    Hemandez¡¯s bike tires, Annalise happened to be passing by. She took a video. Later I heard that


    Annalise sent the video to Mr. Hernandez¡­¡±


    With that, Daphne quickly added, ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. The point is, Mr. Hernandez knew you were


    going to dete his tires, but deliberately didn¡¯t expose you and let you have your way. That¡¯s profound


    love! And also¡­.


    ¡°What else?¡± Julie asked coldly Daphne felt that if Julie was in front of her right now, she might get


    punched¡­


    Daphne answered awkwardly, ¡°Nothing nothing else¡­¡±


    Tell me! What else are you hiding from me?¡±

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133


    Chapter 133


    Ever since Daphne got to know Julie, she rarely heard Julie speak to her in amanding tone. But


    this time, she immediately knew she was in for some bad luck


    So, she had no choice but to ask, ¡°Do you remember that time when Annalise imed she was Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s girlfriend and Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t deny it?¡±


    Julie remembered it vivi


    Back then, Julie was in her senior year of high school. The school forum was filled with beautiful love


    stones about Kieran and Annalise, with vanous versions popping up left and right


    The whole thing started when someone wrote a love letter to Kieran, but for some reason, it ended up


    in Annalise¡¯s hands. Annalise returned the letter to the girl and openly told her, ¡°Kieran is mine Please


    stop bothering him.¡±


    Annalise was the belle of the neighboring school and was extremely popr When she publicly made


    this announcement in Julie¡¯s high school, it naturally caused a sensation.


    Even though Annalise and Kieran seemed like a perfect match, everyone thought of them as nothing


    more than a pair of friends. They assumed that Kieran had just gained another admirer. However, the


    next day. Annalise was waiting for Kieran at the school gate, and Kieran actually stood by her side


    At that time, Julie had bought two ice creams and was eagerly looking for a reason to ride home with


    Kieran. She didn¡¯t expect to see Annalise on the back seat of Kieran¡¯s bicycle. That was the spot she


    had always longed for Seeing this scene, she was stunned with ice creams in her hand. The girl who


    had been rejected by Annalise publicly blocked Annalise and Kieran She looked at Kieran with tear-


    filled eyes and said, ¡®Even if you¡¯re going to reject me, I wish you could tell me yourself!¡±


    Julie admired the girl¡¯s courage because she only remembered standing there, not even having the


    courage to step forward


    Annalise¡¯s long hair, delicate features, and beautiful eyes were beyond reproach


    She sat on the back seat of the bicycle, clutching Kierans white shirt, peeking out from behind him, and


    smiling at the girl, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday? This guy is mine. Don¡¯t even think about taking him


    away¡±


    The girl¡¯s face turned from red to green. She still looked at Kieran with hope and asked. ¡°Are you really


    hers?¡±


    Julie remembered that Kieran nodded at that time.


    From the other end of the phone, Daphne¡¯s voice came, ¡°Do you remember when you told me, quite


    heartbroken, that you were done with Mr. Hernandez and would never love him again?


    Of course, she remembered. She vividly remembered how Annalise, looking like a goddess, rode past


    her with Kieran. And she, holding two melted ice creams, looked like a fool.


    Julie said, ¡°I remember¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t forget!¡± Daphne said decisively. ¡°After that, you stopped pretending to bump into


    him in the cafeteria. You would either leave school early or stay in the library for over two hours after


    school to avoid Kieran. Then you told your family your wanted to live on-campus because of your busy


    schedule. You avoided Mr. Hernandez for a whole half month, remember?¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Julie of course remembered She remembered how many times she cried in her dreams,


    how hard she had to resist the urge to go find him, even though she ultimately failed.


    Half a monthter, Lucian went on a business trip, and the Hernandez family¡¯s servants all took a


    vacation. Kieran was home alone, sick with a fever


    Julie was living next to Kieran at the time. She took him to the hospital and took care of him all night.


    It was probably after that incident that her rtionship with Kieran became closer


    She didn¡¯t know why Daphne suddenly brought up this matter


    Then she heard Daphne on the phone say, ¡°I¡¯m telling you Mr. Hernandez¡¯s high fever was probably on


    purpose¡±


    ¡°On purpose? Julie frowned, unconsciously raising her voice, ¡°Can you get sick on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can! Whats more effective than ying sick?¡± Daphne said confidently


    Julie was even more puzzled, ¡°How do you know he was pretending to be sick?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story¡± Daphne lowered her voice mysteriously. ¡°Our editor in chief is greedy and wants to


    do an exclusive interview with Mr Hemandez, so he gathered all the relevant information about Mr.


    Hernandez Guess what I found!¡±


    ¡°You even have the nerve to y this suspense game at this time¡±


    Daphne could imagine Julie¡¯s sarcastic smile just by hearing her voice. She quickly said, ¡°Can you not


    threaten me? You¡¯re acting just like Mr. Hernandez when you threaten me!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Daphne said, ¡°I found out in the editor-in-chiel¡¯s files that Mr. Hemandez used to have a small ount


    on an online forum. Then I went to search for that ount and found that it only posted twice.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°One was in response to a question you asked online, and the other was a question he asked, soliciting


    answers fromizens.¡±


    Julie understood what Daphne meant when she said Kieran¡¯s sickness was probably fake. It seemed


    that the question Kieran asked online was most likely about how to pretend to be sick.


    So Julie directly asked, ¡°What question did he answer for me?¡±


    That forum was one Julie often visited when she was younger. After so many years, she really couldn¡¯t


    remember what questions she had asked.


    But Daphne remembered it very clearly. She said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask a question on the forum before,


    ¡®What¡¯s a way to publicly kiss a man you¡¯ve liked for a long time?¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie immediately understood, ¡°So Kieran left ament there? And out of all thosements. I just


    happened to pick his suggestion?¡±


    ¡°Cause hisment got the most likes¡­ Daphne murmured.


    Julie on the other end of the phone went silent for a long time, a very long time¡­.


    If it weren¡¯t for the sound of her breathing. Daphine would have thought that Julie had hung up.


    Finally, just as Daphne hesitated whether to break the silence, Julie¡¯s voice suddenly came through the


    phone, she said, ¡°That¡¯s all water under the bridge, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­


    Anticipating Julie would hang up any minute now, Daphne quickly said, ¡°Julie, I believe Mr. Hernandez


    has his reasons for doing what he does, but whatever decision you make, I¡¯ll back you up no matter


    what. Love doesn¡¯te with an expiration date. Don¡¯t lose faith in love just because of one


    disappointment. Maybe in this world, there will be someone who thinks that you are his everything.


    You¡¯re a wonderful woman who deserves to be happy. I want you to be happy¡±


    Usually, Daphne was a straight shooter, seldomly would she say such mushy stuff so tenderly and


    considerately. But Julie knew that when the chips were down, Daphne would always be there for her.


    She remembered how Daphne took her to the hospital when she was hospitalized with gastroenteritis


    during their first year in college. even staying by her bedside all night while she was on a drip.


    When she woke up the next morning, she was so moved that she held Daphne¡¯s hand and said,


    ¡°Daphne, you¡¯re a warm current in my


    life¡­¡±


    Daphne rolled her eyes, ¡®A warm current? Are youparing me to your period? If I¡¯m your warm


    current, then what¡¯s Kieran to you?¡±


    Julie gave it some serious thought, then looked at Daphne with a beaming smile, full of anticipation,


    ¡°He¡¯s the sunshine in my life! He can light up all the darkness in my heart, just like the sunshine that


    comes in from the window in winter! He¡¯s my life¡¯s goal Humans can¡¯t live without the sun¡­ so no


    matter what, I have to keep pursuing him¡­¡±


    Back then, Daphne just chuckled at her with a mix of disgust and affection, ¡°You think you¡¯re Icarus?


    Chasing the sun? Do you know how Icarus died?¡±


    Julieughed back then. But thinking about it now¡­


    Being too confident, wanting to reach the sun, but dying because you got too close. She was


    stubbornly chasing after Kieran, but ended up falling t on her face.


    Kieran was like the sun that lights up the world, while she was like the overconfident Icarus. She was


    such a fool.


    After hanging up the phone, Daphne¡¯s words were still echoing in Julie¡¯s head. She won¡¯t be having


    any peaceful sleep tonight. After some hesitation, Julie took out the sleeping pills Dr. Brice had given


    her and swallowed them before climbing into bed.


    She thought she would sleep soundly, but ended up having aplicated dream.


    In the dream, she was back to the day she publicly kissed Kieran.


    It was a day inte autumn, with the leaves of the ne trees on the streets falling everywhere. Julie


    was wearing a pair of white canvas shoes, stepping onyers of soft leaves, making a rustling sound.


    She was in her school uniform, running fast, all because Kieran, as the captain of the school basketball


    team, was participating in an interschool basketball league.


    That day, Kieran¡¯s team won the champlonship. Julie, in order to get close to Kieran, had pulled all the


    strings to be the manager of the school basketball team,


    To celebrate the victory of the basketball team and to create an opportunity to be alone with Kieran,


    and more importantly, to carry out her kissing n, Julie had sought advice online the day before,


    made a detailed n, and chose the method with the most-likes-lo


    carry


    but


    eryon


    That night, the basketball team¡¯s coach treated everyone to dinner. As the manager, Julie naturally


    joined the dinner. Everyone knew Julie and Kieran were neighbors, including the coach.


    So that night, the coach asked Kieran to walk Julie home¡­


    N

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    Chapter 134


    That night, way past bedtime.


    Julie and Kieran were strolling back home, with the streetlights illuminating their path Taking advice she


    got online, Julie pretended to twist her ankle, then grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve, shooting him a pitiful look,


    ¡°I think I sprained my foot¡±


    Kieran looked Julie up and down, and instead of pushing her away immediately, he looked at her ankle


    and asked, ¡°Break a bone?¡±


    Julie was feeling down, ¡°No¡­ no bones broken, but twisted. Hurts a bit. Can we sit down for a while?¡±


    While Kieran was mulling over her request, Julie was already limping towards a bench with Kieran in


    tow. She clung to his sleeve as she sat down, then looked at her ankle, pretending to be in pain,


    muttered, ¡°What if I can¡¯t walkter? Can you carry me?¡±


    Julie saw Kieran pull out his phone and dial the emergency number.


    She quickly snatched his phone away,ughing. ¡°I¡¯m not that bad off. No need for an ambnce. Can¡¯t


    waste public resources, right? I¡¯m touched that you care so much.¡±


    Kieran extended his hand, ¡°My phone.¡±


    Julie stuffed his phone into her coat pocket, then covered the pocket, looked up at Kieran and asked,


    ¡°What are your thoughts on dating?¡±


    Kieran just looked at her without a reply. The dim light made his facial features more prominent. Julie¡¯s


    heart was pounding.


    ¡°Do you mind dating while in school?¡± Julie persisted.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    no


    Despite Julie¡¯s daily efforts to get closer to Kieran, intimate moments were rare. Most of the time, she


    could only daydream while watching his back. Therefore, under the dim light, when Kieran looked at


    her, Julie couldn¡¯t meet his gaze and quickly averted her eyes


    After a while, Kieran still hadnt answered. Julie cautiously spoke again, ¡°So¡­ do you think you¡¯ll date in


    school?¡±


    ¡°No, especially not with you,¡± Kieran responded firmly.


    Julie should have focused on thetter half of Kieran¡¯s answer, but she only registered the first half.


    So she excitedly asked Kieran, ¡°So you¡¯ve never dated before?¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    Is your first kiss still intact? Julie¡¯s gazended on Kieran¡¯s closed lips and she couldn¡¯t help


    swallowing.


    Just as Kieran was turning his head away, he turned back to look at Julie


    Julie plucked up her courage, cupped Kieran¡¯s face, leaned in like a dragonfly skimming the water,


    gently pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, and then¡­


    Julie¡¯s cheeks were as red as if they had been soaked in red ink. She said to him, ¡°Now, your first kiss


    is gone.¡±


    After saying that, she started running,pletely forgetting that she had just told him she had hurt her


    foot. She ran faster than a rabbit. Falling ne tree leavesnded on her shoulder. She wore a flowing


    white school uniform, the skirt pping in the evening breeze, leaves crunching under her feet


    She ran all the way home, her face as red as a boiled shrimp.


    Sansa, in a light blue nightgown, walked up to her with a ss of milk, smiled, and brushed Julie¡¯s


    messy hair behind her ears, ¡°Why are you back sote? Your face is so red, do you have a fever?¡±


    Julie mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m in heat¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sansa¡¯s eyes widened as she sat next to Julie and looked at her.


    Julie snapped back to reality and said to Sansa, ¡°No! I mean I have a fever¡­ touch me, don¡¯t I feel like


    I¡¯m burning up? Can you call in sick for me tomorrow? Just tell therm I have a high fever!¡±


    Sansa lovingly touched Julie¡¯s head, ¡°If you want to skip ss, just say so. No need to fabricate a high


    fever.¡±


    Even though Sansa said that, she still helped Julie take a day off and didn¡¯t tell their parents.


    From that day on, Julie kept avoiding Kieran at school, afraid that he would confront her. In ss,


    Kieran always sat in the front row while Julie sat in the back


    To avoid Kieran, she would always sneak into ss through the back door after the bell rang. A few


    minutes before dismissal, she would leave early Although she was caught by the teacher a few times¡­


    But getting scolded by the teacher was still better than getting yelled at by Kieran.


    Back then, the Abraham family hadn¡¯t declined yet, so Julie was always surrounded by fake friends.


    Many people were curious why she was avoiding Kieran, and told her that many people had confessed


    to Kieran recently.


    Ever since she gently kissed Kieranst time, he hadn¡¯te to confront Julie. Even though Julie had


    been avoiding him for a long time, he acted as if nothing had happened.


    So, after much deliberation, Julie decided to find Kieran and clearly express her feelings. But, when


    she plucked up the courage, bought two ice creams, and was ready to make peace with Kieran, she


    saw Annalise sitting on the back of Kieran¡¯s bike at the door. They disappeared from her view like a


    couple¡­.


    In her dream, she was always holding those two ice creams. As the ice cream melted, the cold melted


    ice cream slid down her fingertips. Even though it was in a dream, Julie still felt the ice cream was


    heartbreakingly cold, numbingly cold¡­


    Subconsciously, she leaned towards a warm ce, closer and closer¡­


    Finally, she seemed to have found the source of warmth. Shefortably leaned into the warmth, and


    then slowly, peacefully fell asleep.


    Kieran looked at the woman lying in his arms, his heart ached as he gently wiped away the tears that


    slipped from the corner of her eyes. The clear and translucent tears seemed to seep into his heart¡­


    The next day, when Julie woke up, she found herself on a ne.


    She had only taken the regr dose of sleeping pillsst night, but she didn¡¯t expect to sleep so heavily


    that she didn¡¯t even know she had been carried onto the ne.


    She didn¡¯t spot Kieran on the ne. Julie pulled off her nket and sat up groggily. Her mind was in a


    fog for a few seconds before she got her bearings, then she headed off to another cabin.


    Just as she got to the cabin door, Karl popped out of nowhere, giving her a polite nad, ¡®Moming, Mrs.


    Hernandez.¡±


    Julie was too preupied to correct Karl¡¯s address. She asked him straight to the point, ¡°Where¡¯s


    Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez is working. What would you like for breakfast?¡± Karl asked.


    ¡°What can you make?¡± Julie asked.


    Karl hesitated, then said, ¡°Most things. What would you like?¡±


    ¡°Slice up Kieran, marinate him, cook him and bring him to me. Go on!¡± Julie said.


    Karl,¡­ That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Is this the flight back to Whispering Pines? Julie asked.


    Karl nodded.


    ¡°Then tell him toe see me when he¡¯s done working! I don¡¯t mind what I have for breakfast¡±


    Finished speaking, Julie looked around the cabin. She couldn¡¯t find her bag and phone, so she said to


    Karl, ¡®Also, tell Kieran, if he doesn¡¯t want to crash with me, he better return my stuff.¡±


    With that, Julie went back to her cabin.


    Karl was scared of this version of Julie. He quickly ryed Julie¡¯s words to Kieran, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez


    said if you don¡¯t want to crash with her, you should return her things.¡±


    Kieran looked up from hisputer and nced at Karl, ¡°Tell her there are parachutes on the ne.*


    Karl brought a full English breakfast to Julie, then ryed, ¡°Mr. Hernandez said there are parachutes


    on the ne.


    Julie put her breakfast on the table, then calmly looked at Karl, ¡°Then tell him, he¡¯s a tyrannical and


    dictatorial jerk!!¡±


    Karl went silent.


    Julie said quietly, ncing at Karl, who was standing in front of herpletely stunned, ¡®Alright, you


    can leave. Remember to tell him exactly what I said.¡±


    Karl returned to the cabin where Kieran was. Kieran looked up at Karl, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Karl hesitated for a moment, then replied, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez said you¡­ you have the aura of a king¡­¡±


    Kieran chuckled, ¡°Just tell me exactly what she said.¡±


    Karl took a deep breath, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez called you a tyrannical and dictatorial jerk¡­¡±


    After saying this, Karl held his breath and carefully observed Kieran¡¯s expression.


    Kieran had already expected Julie to be angry by now. If not for the two bodyguards he arranged at the


    cabin door, Julie might¡¯ve stormed in already¡­


    Kieran¡¯s cold eyes were filled with a gentle smile, ¡°Karl, your rhetoric is getting better.¡±


    Indeed it was! Tyrannical and dictatorial, wasn¡¯t that just like a king?


    Karl felt lense. Lying surely had its consequences.


    He quickly tried to change the subject, ¡°So¡­ do you want to reply to her?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± After Kieran finished speaking, he whispered something to Karl.


    Karl returned to Julie¡¯s cabin once more. After the air hostess cleared away the untouched breakfast,


    Julie asked Karl with a light tone, ¡°When¡¯s he nning to throw me off the ne?¡±


    Karl gave a slight smile, ¡°Mr. Hernandez said¡­ Mrs. Hernandez, you¡¯re always right¡­¡±


    Knowing she was no match for Kieran, Julie didn¡¯t say anything this time.


    The ne smoothlynded on Kieran¡¯s private airstrip.


    Julie didn¡¯t see Kieran until she got off the ne. But the moment she turned around, she saw the


    words engraved on the ne¡­

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Chapter 135


    The ne¡¯s body bore two names that Julie knew like the back of her hand, ¡°Joyce & Kieran.¡±


    Karl stood by Julie¡¯s side, keeping herpany as she took a moment to take it in. He remembered


    when Mr. Hernandez named the ne, he chose thebination of the two names without hesitation.


    Karl thought Julie would have been touched and would look at it for a while longer, but she acted as if


    nothing had happened, turning around and walking away as if nothing had happened.


    Karl followed her awkwardly. Under the protection of her bodyguard, Julie headed towards a ck van.


    Julie turned to look at Karl, ¡°Where¡¯s Kieran?¡±


    No sooner had the words left her mouth than a voice full of excitement erupted behind her, ¡°Mama


    Julie! I¡¯ve missed you so much!!¡±


    Before she knew it, adorable Ivan was running towards her like a little meatball, and then¡­he wrapped


    his arms around her slender legs. After the initial shock, Julie squatted down and affectionately pinched


    Ivan¡¯s tender little face. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days, she realized how much she


    missed him.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s Saturday, no school!¡± Ivan¡¯s serious yet innocent face made Julie give up on asking any


    further.


    Karl opened the car door for Julie and said. ¡°Please wait at Noblewood Retreat for a moment. Mr.


    Hernandez will be there as soon as he finishes his work to return your things.¡±


    Kieran had never intended to give Julie a chance to escape, as there were two muscr bodyguards


    standing by the car.


    Julie eventually got in the car, and the happiest person had to be Ivan. Ivan was sticking to her all the


    way. The Ivan who used to call her ¡°Mama Julie¡± now said directly, ¡°Mom, can you take me with you


    next time you travel?¡±


    ¡°Next time there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll definitely take you. But you have to promise me one condition¡± Julie


    reached out and tousled Ivan¡¯s hair.


    Ivan nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay! What¡¯s the condition?¡±


    ¡°If you call me mom, your real mom might not be happy. So¡­from now on, can you just call me Julie?¡±


    ¡°Mom, what did you say in yourst sentence?¡± Ivan suddenly looked up, asking Julie with an innocent


    face


    Julie patiently replied, ¡°I said, if you call me mom¡­


    ¡°No, the sentence before that.¡±


    Julie thought for a moment, ¡°Next time there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll definitely take you. But you have to promise


    me one condition.¡±


    ¡°No good.¡± Ivan showed his cute little fangs at Julie.


    Ivan¡¯s mischievousness, Julie didn¡¯t know who he learned it from, but it made herugh so hard she


    couldn¡¯t say a word. She looked at Ivan, and it took her a while to think of what to say.


    Eventually, Ivan said to her, ¡°Mom, you promised mest time that you would marry my dad when it


    thunders. My teacher told me that no one should lie.¡±


    That time, she was just casually saying it tofort Ivan who was scared of thunder. She didn¡¯t expect


    he would take it seriously.


    Julie looked at Ivan helplessly and said, ¡°Your real mom is your dad¡¯s ex-wife. Your dad loves her very


    much. They will definitely remarry. so you will have a mom who loves you very much.¡±


    ¡°Who said that? My dad is useless. Thest time my dad and my mom lived together, he even kicked


    me out, but he still couldn¡¯t keep my mom!¡± Even though Ivan was young, it seemed as if he knew


    everything.


    Julie didn¡¯t know how to exin to Ivan. She told herself that Ivan will understand when he grows up,


    and there¡¯s no point in exining too much to him now. As for the name-calling issue, she¡¯ll just let him


    change it slowly over time.


    Ivan and Julie returned to Noblewood Retreat together. It had rained in Whispering Pines today


    Ivan was so excited that he slipped and fell on the wet road when he got out of the car


    Ivan was a very clean kid, so as soon as he got home, he rushed into the bathroom. As he ran, he


    called out to Shannon, ¡°Shannon, bring my clothes in quickly!¡±


    Shannon brought a set of clothes for Ivan with a smile. Julie was sitting in the living room. She couldn¡¯t


    escape from the many bodyguards. Julie took the clothes from Shannon and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring them up to


    Ivan.¡±


    Shannon was delighted to see Julie back at Noblewood Retreat. She didn¡¯t know Ivan was Julie¡¯s


    biological son until after Julie and Kieran divorced, so when Julie volunteered to bring Ivan¡¯s clothes,


    Shannon Immediately agreed with a big smile.


    Shahnon didn¡¯t ask why Julie had run away from home earlier, she just watched her go upstairs to


    Ivan¡¯s room.


    Chapter 135


    The sound of water was stilling from the bathroom. Julie was holding the clothes in one hand and


    knocking on the door with the


    other.


    Thinking it was Shannon at the door, Ivan responded cheerfully, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Julie pushed the door open and walked in. Ivan saw Julie at the door and thought he was hallucinating.


    He blinked his big eyes for a long time before he screamed and fell into the bathtub.


    Julie thought he had slipped, so she quickly put down the clothes, stepped forward, and lifted him out


    of the tub.


    Ivan was in Julie¡¯s arms¡­


    ¡°Mama Julie, close your eyes!¡± Ivani reached out to cover Julie¡¯s eyes.


    Julie was confused, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just close them!¡±


    Julie reluctantly closed her eyes, then said to Ivan, ¡°How am I supposed to carry you out with my eyes


    closed?¡±


    ¡°Put me down!¡± Ivan ordered anxiously


    Julie carefully put Ivan down.


    Then Ivan¡¯s voice came again, ¡°You can¡¯t open your eyes, okay?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t quite understand what Ivan was doing, but she closed her eyes as he requested, then


    asked worriedly. ¡°You¡¯re not going back into the tub, are you? What if you drown?¡±


    ¡°I swim really well, just like my mom!¡± Ivan¡¯s voice came.


    Then Julie heard Ivan say to her, ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡±


    Julie opened her eyes and looked down at Ivan.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She saw Ivan wrapped in a deep blue towel, from his armpits all the way to his legs. His chubby little


    hands were clutching the towel lightly, as if he was afraid it might fall off identally


    He looked up at Julie with his cute little face, ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t just barge into my bathroom, okay?¡±


    Julie chuckled, ¡°You can just call me Julie!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mama Julie


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh and shake her head. She was filled with affection for him. She squatted


    down and looked at Ivan, ¡°Boys don¡¯t wear towels like that, you know!¡±


    ¡°How should I wear it then?¡± Ivan looked at Julie with a curious expression.


    Seeing Ivan¡¯s soft skin, Julie¡¯s heart instantly melted. She reached out to adjust Ivan¡¯s towel, saying,


    ¡°Girls wrap the towel around their chest. Boys only need to wrap it around their waist *


    Hearing her, Ivan immediately put on a pitiful face, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just keep it up!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Julie thought she didn¡¯t exin it clearly enough. She was about to exin again when¡­


    She heard Ivan say, ¡°I don¡¯t have a waist¡­¡±


    Ivan pouted, looking down at his little belly, his face innocent.


    Looking at him, Julie chuckled, then gently poked his little belly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your waist?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but I don¡¯t have¡­ Kerry¡¯s abs!¡± Ivan pouted, looking at Julie expectantly, ¡°Mama Julie, you won¡¯t


    dislike me, will you?¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. So Ivan had her close her eyes because he was shy.


    She looked at Ivan seriously and said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t dislike you. Your belly is so round and cute!


    What¡¯s so good about Kerry¡¯s abs? They¡¯re hard and notfortable to touch at all.¡±


    -Hearing this, Ivan looked up at Julie in surprise, excitedly asking, ¡°So do you like my round belly more,


    or Kerry¡¯s abs?¡±


    Julle didn¡¯t hesitate to answer, ¡°Of course, I prefer your round belly!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ivanughed happily, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m younger than Kerry!¡±


    Julie thought to herself, if Kieran heard this, he would definitely be upset¡­


    Hearing what Julie said, Ivan generously handed his towel to Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, can you help me put


    on the towel?¡±


    Julie happily took the towel, helped Ivan put it on, then smiled and said to Ivan, ¡°This color of the towel


    really suits you! But I think if you wear a white towel, you¡¯ll be even cuter.¡±


    ¡°Mama Julie, can you buy me one?¡± Ivan¡¯s face suddenly looked a bit pitiful. He looked at Julie, ¡°I


    identally lost the toothbrush you


    bought for mest time¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, Julie agreed with a smile.


    ¡°Mama Julie, you can go out now. I can dress myself.¡±


    Julie gently stroked Ivan¡¯s head, then turned and walked out.


    Julie sat in Ivan¡¯s bedroom, waiting for Ivan toe out after getting dressed. Suddenly, Ivan¡¯s phone


    rang.


    Julie hesitated for a moment, then answered the call.


    Kieran¡¯s questioning voice came over the phone immediately. ¡°Have you seen your mom?¡±


    Julie was about to speak, but then heard Kieran add, ¡°Dad made your mom angry. You need to put in a


    good word for me.¡±

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    Chapter 136


    The voice on the phone was clearly Kieran¡¯s. No one could be more certain of this than Julie.


    Kieran asked Ivan if he¡¯d seen his mother, but the person Ivan had just picked up was Julie herself¡­


    And Ivan had indeed just called her ¡°mom¡±.


    Kieran referred to himself as Ivan¡¯s dad, so¡­


    Kieran was Ivan¡¯s dad¡­


    Then¡­


    The air seemed to freeze for a moment. After a long silence on both ends of the line, Julie finally found


    her voice, trembling slightly as she said, ¡°This is Julie.¡±


    ¡°Beep¡­¡± Kieran hung up the phone¡­


    Holding Ivan¡¯s phone in her hand, Julie¡¯s eyes sparkled with disbelief. So¡­ her intuition was right.


    There couldn¡¯t be two people in the world who were so simr for no reason. The reason Kieran and


    Ivan looked alike was because Ivan was the son of Kieran¡¯s older brother, his true nephew.


    ording to the agreement between Kieran and Bertha, Ivan should indeed call Kieran ¡°dad¡±.


    What about Mr. Kennedy?


    The man who said his name was Julian, the man who almost texted her every day, the man who had


    called her, the man whose ID was ¡°J Kennedy¡±¡­


    ¡°J Kennedy¡±?


    Julie quickly pulled out her phone and opened her chat with J Kennedy.


    Thest message was a suggestion she had given him yesterday morning, telling him how to win back


    his ex-wife¡­


    Yesterday morning, on her way to Oakhurst Hospital, as soon as Julie opened WhatsApp, she saw a


    message from Mr. Kennedy sent around 3 a.m. the previous night, ¡°Good night.¡±


    Julie had replied somewhat surprised to Mr. Kennedy, ¡°You stayed uptest night.¡±


    She had said this just to express her feelings. She hadn¡¯t expected him to answer her.


    But Mr. Kennedy replied immediately, ¡°Because I was on my way to chase my ex-wife.¡±


    At that time, Julie was still surprised, ¡°So you¡¯ve already figured out your ex-wife¡¯s wishes and


    thoughts? Do you know why she ran away?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Mr. Kennedy countered, ¡°What do you think is most important in love and marriage?¡±


    Julie sat on the bus and after thinking about it for a good five or six minutes, she replied, ¡°Honesty.¡±


    After a while, Mr. Kennedy responded, ¡°Is it?¡±


    Julie said, ¡°Deception and lies have no ce in love. If you¡¯ve deceived your ex-wife, it¡¯s best to be


    honest with her.¡±


    This was thest message Julie sent to Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy hasn¡¯t replied to her until now.


    At the time, Julie was wondering whether Mr. Kennedy and his ex-wife divorced because of a broken


    rtionship or because Mr. Kennedy had deceived his ex-wife.


    She actively suggested to Mr. Kennedy that if he had been dishonest to his ex-wife, he should now be


    honest with her.


    Julie¡¯s mind shed back to the terrible advice she had given Mr. Kennedy¡­ She had told him to give


    gifts to his ex-wife, hug her and kiss her forcefully.


    She also suggested that he find the most reasonable way to increase the time he spends with his ex-


    wife.


    She reminded him to understand his ex-wife¡¯s wishes and inner thoughts first, and told him to be


    honest with his ex-wife¡­ Ironically, Kieran followed all of these terrible suggestions.


    No wonder, on the night she was homeless, Ivan called her toe to the vi to apany him. No


    wonder he wanted her to be Ivan¡¯s nanny, responsible for his food and lodging. No wonder she ended


    up moving into Kieran¡¯s vi. No wonder she became his proxywyer¡­


    So this was probably what she meant by ¡°finding the most reasonable way to create time together¡±!


    So.. from the beginning, Kieran was cunningly deceiving her. She fell into his trap like a fool and sank


    deeper and deeper.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how much she liked Ivan, but during the two days she was in Oakhurst, the person


    she couldn¡¯t let go of was this child.


    But if he was Bertha¡¯s child, it meant¡­ the one Kieran saved was Ivan. Kieran gave up their own child


    for Ivan¡­


    Even though she knew better than anyone that Ivan was innocent, Julie¡¯s legs gave out and she


    slumped onto the sofa.


    Ivan came out of the bathroom dressed and saw Julie sitting on the sofa with a vacant look, as if all her


    strength had been drained¡­


    Without thinking, Ivan ran over to Julie and said, ¡°Mama Julie, I¡¯m all clean now¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Julie, who would usually open her arms to him, suddenly turned


    away, avoiding his enthusiastic hug.


    Ivan froze for a moment. He didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on and asked carefully, ¡°Mama


    Julie¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ivan reached out his little hand to touch Julie¡¯s face, but what came to Julie¡¯s mind was the ultrasound


    picture of her own baby. That was the only picture she had with her baby. Although the baby was still in


    her womb, the seven-month-old fetus was also reaching out his hand, eager toe into the world.


    How much she had looked forward to his birth¡­


    But it all fell apart because of Kieran¡¯s words. She would rather have died on the operating table than


    their biological baby¡­


    Julie abruptly stood up, pushing away Ivan¡¯s hand, and turned to run downstairs.


    Right now, Julie wanted to understand all the truths she had once resisted.


    Ivan watched Julie¡¯s retreating figure, paused for a moment, then looked down at his slightly chubby


    belly and sighed deeply, ¡°Mr. Dn was right, women say one thing and mean another. Seems like she


    still dislikes me for not having abs¡­¡±


    He mulled it over for a moment, feeling increasingly upset. He had seen the resistance in Julie¡¯s heart


    when she had avoided him just


    now.


    How could it not hurt to be rejected by your own mother?


    So¡­


    Ivan pushed open the door and chased after her, ¡°Mama Julie, wait till I grow up, I¡¯ll hit the gym, okay?¡±


    Julie had already left,pletely oblivious to Ivan¡¯s call.


    Shannon, who had just returned from grocery shopping, saw Julie rushing out and couldn¡¯t help but


    frown, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, where are you off to in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°To find Kieran!¡± Julie suddenly stopped and asked Shannon, ¡°Do you know where he usually keeps his


    car keys?¡±


    Shannon looked at Julie, puzzled, ¡°Is there an emergency with Mr. Hernandez? Why don¡¯t I have Noah


    take you there?¡±


    If Noah knew about it, it would be a question whether Julie could leave smoothly.


    She suddenly remembered something Annalise had said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to


    Noblewood Retreat¡¯s garage. Your bicycle and his sports car are still there.¡±


    With that thought, Julie ignored Shannon next to her and ran towards the garage.


    Annalise hadn¡¯t lied to her. Julie found her old bicycle and hopped on it with a stomp of her foot.


    By the time Ivan caught up, he saw Julie speeding away on her bicycle.


    Julie was wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans, her beautiful long hair tied back in a ponytail, a


    few strands of hair fluttering in the wind. She wore white sneakers, looking like she had returned to her


    student days.


    ¡°Mama Julie is so cool!¡± Ivan was dumbstruck. Then, he turned to Shannon curiously, ¡°Do you know


    where Mama Julie is going?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez is off to find Mr. Hernandez. She probably has something important to discuss with


    him.¡± Shannon looked in the direction Julie had left, equally puzzled.


    Ivan¡¯s heart raced at the news. He paced in a circle, ¡°Oh no! Mama Julie still prefers Kerry¡¯s ripped


    abs!¡±


    Ivan patted his chubby belly, ¡°If Mama Julie and Kerry make up and have a baby with abs, won¡¯t they


    abandon me?¡±


    With that thought, Ivan looked up at Shannon, eager and anxious, ¡°I have to find Mama Julie!¡±


    At this, Shannon shook her head, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is probably at the office now, so Mrs. Hernandez is


    likely heading there too. Mr. Hernandez has always made it clear that we are not to take you to the


    office. This rule cannot be broken.¡±


    With that, Shannon picked up Ivan and turned back towards the vi.


    When Julie arrived at thepany on her bike, she didn¡¯t expect that the reporters hadn¡¯t given up


    even after so many days since thest scandal between her and Kieran. They were still camped out in


    front of thepany.


    So when Julie arrived at the entrance with her bike, she was instantly surrounded by reporters.


    But Julie didn¡¯t have time to answer their myriad of questions. At this point, it was no use not going into


    Simpo Co. So, she shot a re at the journalists, maneuvered her bike around those blocking her, and


    wheeled it straight into thepany lobby.


    Only the people in the president¡¯s office knew about Julie¡¯s resignation. The receptionist was unaware,


    so she let Julie go upstairs¡­

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Chapter 137


    Julie breezed her way up to the floor where the CEO¡¯s office was located. The second the elevator


    doors slid open, everyone in the office froze.


    Tina was the first to approach her, but Julie brushed past her and headed straight for the CEO¡¯s office.


    ¡°Attorney Abraham¡­¡± Tina started, but before she could finish her sentence, Julie had already pushed


    open the door to the CEO¡¯s office. However, she didn¡¯t see Kieran in the office, only Karl who had just


    emerged from the lounge. He was standing in the doorway between the office and the lounge.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kieran?¡± Julie asked.


    Karl could tell from Julie¡¯s expression that she was holding back her anger.


    He waved Tina away, ¡°You might want to leave for now.¡±


    Tina hightailed it out of the potential warzone. Then Karl approached Julie, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is in a


    meeting with investors from France.¡±


    Julie turned around to leave the office, but paused at the door. After standing silently for a moment, she


    turned back to Karl, ¡°How long before it¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Within half an hour,¡± Karl replied.


    ¡°Then tell him, if he¡¯s not back in his office in half an hour, I¡¯ll smash everything!¡± Julie sat down on the


    sofa and told Karl.


    Karl nodded, trying to maintain hisposure.


    As he was leaving the office, he heard Julie add, ¡°In half an hour, I might blow the roof off.¡±


    Karl walked out of the office, trying to keep his cool.


    Karl and Kieran were always in cahoots, how could Julie not know that? Whether Kieran was really in a


    meeting with French investors was still uncertain!


    On a whim, Julie headed towards Kieran¡¯s lounge, as if suspecting that Kieran was hiding there.


    But when she pushed open the door to the lounge, she found it was empty, not a soul in sight.


    Just as Julie was mocking herself for being neurotic, she turned around and saw the clothes hanging in


    the closet.


    She suddenly remembered what Daniel had said: those clothes, shoes, bags, and essories were all


    prepared by Kieran for her. Every season, he would rece the clothes in the closet with thetest


    designs. It had been like this for the past five years.


    Julie, who was originally intending to leave, inexplicably approached the closet. She looked at the high-


    end ready-to-wear clothes. She checked the tags and indeed, they were all her size and most of them


    were haute couture pieces that had just made their debut at the recent autumn and winter fashion


    shows.


    Julie frowned. Her heart felt like a tangled ball of yarn that she couldn¡¯t untangle.


    Two contradictory voices in her heart were struggling. One believed what Annalise and Daniel had said,


    while the other warned her not to forget the pain he had caused.


    In the end, she gave in and copsed onto his bed in the lounge.


    It seemed that the little devil in her heart had won. Perhaps the pain of the past five years couldn¡¯t be


    offset by his little bit of kindness. Anyway, Julie¡¯s mind was reying that stormy night like a movie,


    when Kieran said in a cold voice: save Bertha¡­


    Warm tears unconsciously slid down her cheeks. As she silently lifted her hand to wipe her tears, she


    identally knocked over a white pillow on the bed.


    Julie sat up and picked up the pillow from the floor. Just as she was about to put it back, she noticed a


    yellow leather folder underneath the pillow.


    She didn¡¯t want to look, but she caught a glimpse of the big words on the folder: paternity test.


    A paternity test hidden underneath Kieran¡¯s pillow, obviously concealed on purpose, who could it be?


    ? ?? ?? ? ????


    The moment Julie pushed open the office door, Karl had been standing in the doorway between the


    lounge and the office. Could this paternity test have been just ced under Kieran¡¯s pillow by Karl?


    Julie¡¯s hand made the decision faster than her brain. While her brain was still hesitating whether or not


    to pick up the paternity test, her hand had already opened the folder.


    Julie pulled out the paternity test inside.


    Her eyes fell on the paternity test. It was probably the most top-secret gic test result. There was no


    information about the consignor, nor the name of the person being tested.


    The eptance date and test date were two days ago. The test location was an authoritative testing


    center in Whispering Pines. The


    test samples were two toothbrushes, referred to as sample 1 and sample 2.


    The test result was written on the test. The negative and positive control results were correct. It also


    stated that ording to gic chemistry principles and gicws, as well as Mendelianws, and


    so on¡­ Julie didn¡¯t understand.


    But she saw the final test result. Sample 1 could provide the necessary alleles for sample 2. The


    cumtive paternity index was 16912095.36, which could prove that sample 1 was the biological


    mother of sample 2.


    And the final result was: sample 1 is the biological mother of sample 2.


    So, who were the mother and child in this paternity test?


    Bertha and Ivan? This was the only result Julie could think of, but why would Bertha and Ivan take a


    paternity test? Bertha was already dead, but this paternity test was only done two days ago!


    Julie unconsciously took out her phone and took a picture of the paternity test, then put the test back in


    the folder and put it back under the pillow. She was incredibly d that Kieran had taken her ID and


    backpack, but had left her phone behind.


    After putting the paternity test back in ce, she clutched the phone in her hand, then pushed open the


    door to the lounge to leave.


    To her surprise, as she opened the door to the lounge, she saw Kieran standing at the door.


    Perhaps because she had just done something guilty, Julie was so flustered that she forgot why she


    hade in the first ce.


    Kieran, standing across from her, spoke first, ¡°Karl told me you were going to blow the roof off Simpo


    Co., so I came to check it out.¡±


    Julie then remembered why she came here in the first ce.


    ¡°So, how do you n to blow this joint?¡± Kieran leaned against the door, looking at Julie.


    He was no dummy. From that phone call just now, he must¡¯ve guessed that Julie knew the truth. Yet,


    the guy standing in front of her was as cool as a cucumber.


    He was the one she loved the most and hated the most over the years, and the one she never


    understood.


    So Julie stopped guessing, and looked at him, ¡°Can I have my stuff now, Mr. Kennedy?¡±


    Kieran and Julie locked eyes. His gaze was oddly affectionate.


    Julie listened to Kieran¡¯s unique voice. He said, ¡°Then take me with you.¡±


    What she referred to as her stuff were her wallet, ID, passport, and luggage. But he said, he was also


    her stuff.


    Julie, holding back her emotions, calmly said, ¡°Mr. Kennedy, stop wasting your time on your ex-wife.


    You can¡¯t get her back in this lifetime.¡±


    Karl opened the door and brought in Julie¡¯s luggage and bag.


    Julie went over to Karl and picked up her luggage.


    ¡°Out.¡± Kieran said to Karl.


    Karl turned around and left, closing the door behind him.


    Julie¡¯s angry voice was a bit hoarse, ¡°Ivan¡¯s full name is Ivan Hernandez, not Ivan Kennedy. Julian is


    not Julian, but Kieran. Joyce is not Joyce, but Julie. All these years, my family has been ruined, living a


    vagabond life¡­¡±


    She choked, her eyes red as she looked at him, ¡°You once said, not all questions in this world have


    answers. I believed. I believed every word you said, so I didn¡¯t ask. I didn¡¯t ask why you chose Bertha,


    or why you didn¡¯t save our baby, or why you pretended to be a stranger to get close to me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it quits. I promise I¡¯ll leave with Sansa and never appear in front of you again. Please let me


    go, and let yourself go¡­¡±


    When a person is truly desperate, they tend to speak in a matter-of-fact way, not hysterically.


    Although her arm holding the suitcase was still shaking, Julie straightened her back and walked out.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Kieran stopped Julie, then turned around to go get the paternity test from the lounge.


    But when he came out with the test, the woman who had just paused for a second was gone.


    Karl innocently nced towards the elevator. All the employees saw Julieing out of the CEO¡¯s


    office with her suitcase and bag, then silently getting into the elevator.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Julie had thought her heart had died the moment she signed the divorce papers. But when the elevator


    doors closed, tears welled up in her eyes.


    She spent all her youth loving a man. She valued her love for him more than her own life, even let him


    trample her pride into the dirt. It was easier to hate him than not love him¡­


    People say time makes you forget everything, good or bad, but Julie felt that time only carved more


    and more rings into her, deep into the bone¡­


    During the years of divorce, she never thought of waiting for him to change his mind, let alone forgiving


    him one day.


    She was filled with hatred for him¡­


    She tried countless times to move on from those memories. She lived hard and seriously, even tried to


    ept a new rtionship¡­


    But in the end, she also fell into his meticulously designed trap.


    Julie looked a bit off. The sound of the elevator door opening seemed to tug at her nerves.


    She dragged her suitcase, feeling the lobby was a bit blurry. A sudden sharp pain in her stomach made


    her sway towards thepany¡¯s


    exit.


    Just as she walked out the front door, she heard a familiar and youthful voice, ¡°Mama Julie!¡±


    Then, there were the countless sh lights.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    Chapter 138


    When Julie woke up again, she found herself in the hospital.


    Her memories started ying back like a film reel.


    All she remembered was dragging her suitcase, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in her stomach, and then


    staggering towards thepany¡¯s entrance.


    Just as she walked out of the doorway, she heard a familiar, childish voice yelling, ¡°Mama Julie!¡±


    Then, the endless sh of camera lights¡­


    Julien, hand in hand with Ivan, squeezed through the swarm of reporters to get to her.


    Ivan clung to her leg, refusing to let go. Then Julien¡¯s gaze shifted behind her, and in the moment Julie


    turned around, she saw Kieran¡¯s tall figure.


    Then Ivan called out to Kieran uneasily, ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Then, an onught of camera shes aimed at her again.


    Eventually unable to endure the severe pain in her stomach, Julie copsed into Kieran¡¯s arms.


    When she woke up again, she was in the hospital.


    She saw white walls and IV bags by her bed. The pain in her stomach was much less. Julie guessed it


    was either gastritis or enteritis, an issue she¡¯d had since childhood.


    From outside, she heard Kieran¡¯s angry voice, ¡°If the news can¡¯t be suppressed, then fire the entire PR


    department!¡±


    He must be talking about what just happened at thepany¡¯s gate. All those media people had been


    waiting for so long, just to dig up some gossip, right? Now that they got their headline news, of course


    they would report it with all their might.


    Even if Kieran wanted to keep the whole thing under control, he would need to put in some effort. But


    what Julie didn¡¯t expect was Ivan


    suddenly showing up at thepany¡¯s gate.


    Kieran seemed to hang up the phone outside, and then he asked, ¡°Do you realize what you did


    wrong?¡±


    Then Julie heard Ivan¡¯s stubborn reply, ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®no¡¯?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was stern.


    Ivan calmly replied, ¡°I only have one Mama Julie. You¡¯re so useless, what if she leaves again?¡±


    ¡°If she really wants to leave, do you think you can keep her by holding onto her leg?¡± Kieran countered.


    Although Julie didn¡¯t want to listen to Kieran and Ivan¡¯s conversation, she was a bit surprised. It was


    the first time she had ever seen a father educate his child like that¡­


    Ivan seemed a bit wronged. After a while, he finally answered, ¡°Because I¡¯m not strong enough.¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°What?¡±


    Julie also wondered. What did this have to do with strength?


    Ivan¡¯s voice came from outside. He seriously replied to Kieran, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re right! I¡¯m not strong


    enough to hold onto Mama Julie, but you are. If you hold onto her leg, she definitely won¡¯t be able to


    leave!¡±


    Kieran holding onto Julie¡¯s leg? That image was just too absurd to imagine.


    Seeing the IV was nearly finished, Julie skillfully pulled out the needle, and then pressed the wound


    with a cotton swab nearby.


    Ivan was arguing with his father with a determined heart. At this moment, he saw Julie walk out of the


    room. She didn¡¯t even nce at Kieran and Ivan, she simply turned and left.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    But after only a few steps, Ivan grabbed her leg, ¡°Mama Julie, I¡¯m Ivan!¡±


    Julie¡¯s legs felt so heavy she could barely walk. She didn¡¯t even dare to look back at Ivan holding onto


    her leg. His soft voice brought back all the memories about Ivan. She even remembered their first


    meeting, when Ivan craftily held her hand, saying she was missing him in her life¡­


    But in the end, her words were cold.


    She said to Ivan without looking at him, ¡°I am not your Mama Julie, and I don¡¯t have a son like you¡­¡±


    Even though Julie had rejected Ivan many times before, she had never been so adamant.


    Ivah held onto Julie tightly. His face was filled with confusion and sadness.


    Julie¡¯s heart ached, so much so she felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. But she still bent down and pried


    Ivan¡¯s fingers off her one by one.


    When her hand covered Ivan¡¯s chubby hands, she suddenly felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She


    used all her strength to suppress her sobs.


    Her heart felt like it¡¯d been pierced. Old wounds were torn open again.


    ¡°Mama Julie¡­¡±


    Usually strong Ivan, now had a red nose from trying not to cry.


    He choked back his tears and said, ¡°I only have one Mom. You can¡¯t abandon me¡­¡±


    Kieran stood by the door, watching Julie¡¯s trembling back, and then looking in the direction of the


    elevator.


    Karl couldn¡¯t even handle such a small matter. He really should be fired.


    Around them were a few patients and nurses. Some recognized Kieran, and others gave Julie


    reproachful looks for being so heartless.


    After all, the kid clinging to her leg was so adorable, how could she be so cruel?


    In the end, Kieran didn¡¯t wait for Karl. He walked over, bent down to pry Ivan¡¯s hands off Julie¡¯s leg, and


    then picked Ivan up.


    Ivan suddenly burst into tears. He grabbed Julie¡¯s t-shirt again, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Let go! Kieran spoke to Ivan in amanding voice. Ivan was crying so hard he could barely speak.


    He stammered, ¡°No¡­ no!¡±


    Ivan kept crying and reached out with his other hand to wipe his tears. Worried that one hand wasn¡¯t


    enough to hold onto Julie, he grabbed her top with his other dirty hand.


    Julie kept her back to Kieran and Ivan the whole time, afraid that once she turned around and saw


    Ivan¡¯s pitiful face, she would soften.


    She always considered herself not a cold person, but at that moment, she did the coldest thing.


    Maybe if Ivan persisted a bit longer, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help but turn around¡­


    But to her surprise, Kieran suddenly reached out and forcibly pried off Ivan¡¯s hand.


    Perhaps because she was so shocked, Julie, who had been holding back from turning around, turned


    around in that moment.


    Ivan in Kieran¡¯s arms was crying a mess. He kept reaching out, trying to grab Julie.


    Julie stiffly turned to leave.


    Kieran had Ivan tucked under one arm and was gripping Julie¡¯s wrist with the other.


    Without waiting for Julie¡¯s consent, he hauled her backwards.


    Turning around helplessly, Julie red at Kieran face to face. ¡°Let go! Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°DNA Test Center,¡± Kieran replied.


    Seeing Julie being taken away by Kieran, Ivan stopped bawling. But he had been crying so hard that


    he couldn¡¯t immediately control his emotions, still whimpering softly.


    Kieran had a strong grip. Julie was dragged forward several steps by him. She tried to struggle free but


    only found herself being held tighter.


    Hearing ¡°DNA Test Center¡±, Julie suddenly remembered the paternity test report she had seen under


    Kieran¡¯s pillow in his rest room.


    ¡°That paternity test. The samples were two toothbrushes. What does that mean?¡± Julie finally managed


    to get Kieran to stop with sheer willpower. She looked up at him, finally voicing her confusion.


    Kieran hesitated before replying, ¡°You saw it?¡±


    Julie jerked her hand free from Kieran¡¯s grip and stared at him defiantly. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    She had thought Kieran would scold her for snooping, but to her surprise, he said, ¡°Even better. Saves


    time waiting for Karl to bring it


    over.¡±


    Kieran looked at Ivan, who was still crying a river. ¡°Call her Mom.¡±


    Ivan wiped his nose. With a nasal voice but still clear and crisp, he called out, ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°Kieran¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the paternity test? The samples were your and Ivan¡¯s toothbrushes,¡± Kieran imed.


    It was as if a bomb had detonated in Julie¡¯s mind. She stared at Kieran, asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    After being stuck in traffic for ages, Karl finally arrived at the hospital with the paternity test report.


    He ran up the stairs without stopping and, panting heavily, handed over the report to Kieran in front of


    Julie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hernandez¡­¡± he apologized sincerely without borating on his tardiness.


    ¡°Karl¡­ Ivan sniffled, appearing wronged.


    2/3


    12:40 T


    Kieran handed Ivan over to Karl without further ado. ¡°Take him to eat.¡±


    It was past lunchtime, but Kieran had been reluctant to leave for a meal since Julie hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Karl quickly took Ivar from Kieran. Julie, appearing soulless, kept her gaze locked on Ivan¡¯s face.


    Karl was about to take Ivan to the restaurant when Ivan grabbed onto Kieran¡¯s sleeve. His intelligent


    eyes were fixed on Kieran. He tentatively asked, ¡°Dad, is Moming home tonight?¡±


    The anticipation in his eyes was palpable.


    Kieran replied firmly, ¡°No.¡±


    Seeing that he was about to cry again, Kieran added, ¡°Mom will be home tomorrow. She needs to stay


    in the hospital tonight for observation.¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    Chapter 139


    After Ivan was taken away by Karl, Kieran took Julie back to the hospital room and locked the door.


    Julie¡¯s face was pale. Kieran moved closer to help her onto the bed, but Julie backed away, eyeing him


    warily, ¡°You¡¯ve been using mine and Ivan¡¯s toothbrush¡­ What¡¯s the big idea?¡±


    ¡°Get back into bed first,¡± Kieranmanded.


    All resistance and determination drained from Julie. Under Kieran¡¯smand, she obediently walked


    to the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in.


    Kieran sat down next to Julie¡¯s bed and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got acute gastritis because you ate some food


    that was contaminated with bacteria. You¡¯ve been experiencing stomachache and loss of appetite. You


    didn¡¯t even touch the breakfast I had Karl prepare for you on the ne today. Whose stomach is it,


    yours or mine?¡±


    ¡°Was that a paternity test between me and Ivan?¡± Julie had been hesitant to ask this question from the


    doorway to the bedside, but eventually she carefully broached the subject.


    Kieran nced at her and replied, ¡°The doctor says you need bed rest. Let¡¯s observe overnight to see if


    you still have symptoms like diarrhea.¡±


    ¡°Kieran!¡± Julie was desperate, grabbing Kieran¡¯s cor.


    Kieran took hold of Julie¡¯s hand, pulled it away from his cor, and ced it over his heart.


    Through the thin fabric of his shirt, Julie could clearly feel Kieran¡¯s heart pounding fiercely. It was a


    heart full of life.


    Kieran suddenly looked up at Julie. His eyes seemed to conceal a deep pool, so mysterious it was


    irresistible.


    He said, ¡°Ivan is my son, and yours. He is our child. He is our biological child.¡±


    His tone was very calm. Julie couldn¡¯t read his well-masked emotions, but her heart was thumping


    faster than usual, as if it was in sync with Kieran¡¯s heartbeat.


    Ivan was her son¡­ How could that be¡­


    She clearly remembered the small, frail child lying in the ice coffin. It was Kieran who personally told


    her that her child was dead¡­


    He said it himself!


    Julie shook her head, then forcefully withdrew her hand from Kieran¡¯s chest, vehemently denying it,¡±


    ¡°Impossible, that¡¯s impossible¡­ He¡¯s dead! You took me to see it yourself. It¡¯s impossible, absolutely


    impossible¡­¡±


    Julie lost control of her emotions. She was even more irrational now than when she learned her child


    died on the operating table years ago. Clearly, she was struggling to control her emotions and trying to


    convince herself that her child couldn¡¯t still be alive.


    Before revealing the truth to Julie, Kieran had anticipated that she might lose control of her emotions.


    He reached out, cradling her face in his hands, and looked at her with determined eyes, ¡°There¡¯s so


    much that happened in the past. I can¡¯t exin it all at once, but you need to know that Ivan is our


    child. He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡± Julie¡¯s eyes were bright as the moon in the deep night. She tried to control her


    emotions, but her voice still trembled, ¡°I heard¡­ you said to save her outside the operating room. You


    said¡­ to save Bertha. I heard it all¡­¡±


    Kieran¡¯s hand, which was still cradling Julie¡¯s cheek, didn¡¯t let go. He continued to gently stroke her


    face, trying tofort her.


    He admitted, ¡°I did say ¡®save Bertha,¡¯ but¡­¡±


    Five years ago, on a stormy night.


    Julie and Bertha were rushed into the operating room together.


    Kieran anxiously waited outside the door.


    After two hours, the hospital dean carefully opened the operating room door, walking towards Kieran.


    He carefully told him, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, the hospital¡¯s blood bank is running low. Ms. Bertha and Mrs.


    Hernandez have the same blood type. We can only save one of the children first. Who should we save


    first, Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s child or¡­¡±


    In the delivery room, Julie had cried herself out. All she heard was Kieran outside the door saying,


    ¡°Save Bertha.¡±


    Hearing this felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest, a pain too great to bear. By the time the


    doctors took the child from her body, she had already cked out and lost consciousness¡­


    What Julie didn¡¯t know was that the moment the dean was about to turn around and go back to the


    operating room, right before she passed out, theplete conversation between Kieran and the dean


    was, ¡°Save Bertha. I want her to live, but if Mrs. Hernandez dies, I want the entire hospital to go down


    with her!!¡±


    Unfortunately, Julie didn¡¯t hear hisst words.


    Kieran¡¯s cousin, Payne, took less than two minutes to pull up the entire hospital staff¡¯s blood type


    records and find donors that matched


    Julie and Bertha¡¯s blood types. Julie didn¡¯t know that the first donor was sent to her operating room¡­


    Kieran revealed the truth to Julie. Julie instinctively shook her head in denial, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t


    believe¡­ Bertha¡¯s child is Lucian¡¯s. Ivan is Lucian¡¯s child! He is Lucian¡¯s child!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s too much to exin. I can¡¯t say it all at once. I¡¯m not lying to you. I want you to know that Ivan


    is our son,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Julie looked at Kieran and questioned, ¡°Then what about Bertha¡¯s child? Whose child is


    it? Then why¡­ why did you lie to


    me?¡±


    ¡°Lucian is still alive. Bertha didn¡¯tmit suicide,¡± Kieran didn¡¯t borate further, but told Julie the two


    most important points.


    This story was bing more and more absurd¡­


    Julie¡¯s gaze became unfocused, ¡°Lucian is, dead, he died in a ne crash. That was seven years ago.


    Face the facts! He¡¯s dead!!¡±


    Whether she was venting at herself or at Kieran with those words, she didn¡¯t know. Julie¡¯s voice was


    hoarse, sounding overly excited.


    There¡¯s something about Kieran that screamed stability and seriousness. It¡¯s hard to ignore. He told


    her, ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Then where is he? If he¡¯s alive, why hasn¡¯t hee back?¡±


    Kieran fell silent. His hands, which were holding Julie¡¯s face, let go. Maybe because she got used to his


    warmth, Julie suddenly felt a


    chill on her face¡­.


    After a long silence, he finally answered, ¡°He might not be able toe back¡­¡±


    Julie¡¯s no fool, but she didn¡¯t get what Kieran meant by that.


    If he¡¯s alive, why couldn¡¯t hee back?


    It¡¯s rare to see Kieran with such an expression. His eyes were deep and cold, as if his whole soul was


    drowning in loneliness.


    She remembered when they first heard about Lucian¡¯s ne crash, Kieran had the same look. He used


    the smoke from his cigarette to iste himself from the world¡­


    Julie didn¡¯t ask again.


    She quietly stood up and said, ¡°You lied to me. You¡¯ve been lying to me from the start¡­ Everything


    you¡¯ve done, you¡¯ve lied to me.


    ¡°I once told you I loved you. Joyce, that was true,¡± he said, sitting on the edge of the bed, grabbing


    Julie¡¯s hand.


    Julie shuddered violently.


    He stood up and hugged her from behind.


    ¡°From the beginning, this was Bertha¡¯s trap,¡± Kieran started exining what happened that year.


    That year, after Julie got pregnant, she was overwhelmed with joy, until Bertha knelt before her, saying


    she was carrying Kieran¡¯s child, and that she truly loved Kieran. She begged Julie to let her have the


    baby, promising not to mess with Julie¡¯s marriage to Kieran.


    Julie went up to the study to demand an exnation from Kieran.


    Kieran told her to wait for him at home, so she waited like a fool for a full day and night. But in the end,


    she didn¡¯t get an exnation, instead, he acknowledged the child in Bertha¡¯s womb.


    Julie still vividly remembers how she felt back then.


    He asked Julie, ¡°Do you remember what I said then?¡±


    Although it was a long time ago, Julie would never forget. She answered Kieran, ¡°You said the child in


    Bertha¡¯s womb was of the Hernandez bloodline, so you couldn¡¯t abandon him. You said you couldn¡¯t


    harm the child in Bertha¡¯s womb. All I could think of then was that Lucian had been dead for two years,


    and you were the only Hernandez left. If you said the child was of the Hernandez bloodline, then who


    else could be the father but you?¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°Bertha showed me the documents rted to her artificial insemination. I had Karl


    investigate those documents that night, and indeed,


    We


    found no ws. Bertha provided many photos of her and Lucian together two years ago, and destroyed


    the remaining frozen sperm of Lucian. She did all this to make me sign the cooperation agreement, the


    one you saw in Oakhurst.¡±


    Lucian was like a caretaker to Kieran since he was a child. After Kieran believed Lucian died in the


    ne crash, he thought the child in Bertha¡¯s womb was Lucian¡¯s only descendant. To protect this only


    descendant, Kieran had no choice but to ept Bertha¡¯s agreement. Julie could understand this.


    If she were Kieran, she might make the same choice.


    But that doesn¡¯t mean she would forgive everything Kieran did and all his lies.


    However¡­


    ¡°Why would Bertha do this? What good does it do her?¡± Julie looked at Kieran, starting to think, ¡°Lucian


    is already dead. Why would she go through artificial insemination to carry Lucian¡¯s child?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    What Julie really wanted to ask was: If there were indeed evidence that Bertha was carrying Lucian¡¯s


    child, even if she didn¡¯t force Kieran to sign the agreement, Kieran and she would still take good care of


    her and let her have the baby in peace. Why would she propose that


    contract full of lies?

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Chapter 140


    Kieran exined to Julie, ¡°Bertha knew from the start that my brother was not dead. The child in her


    belly wasn¡¯t conceived through artificial insemination either. These were all lies she made up. And I


    totally believed her words.¡±


    Julie picked up on what he was saying, ¡°So, to protect your brother¡¯s only offspring, you agreed to


    Bertha¡¯s request, iming the child in her belly as your own? That¡¯s why you lied to me?¡±


    ¡°I lied to you, but not because Bertha lied to me,¡± Kieran simply replied.


    But Julie was even more confused, her mind filled with questions, ¡°Then why would you agree to her?¡±


    In fact, during the time Julie was pregnant, she felt extremely happy. Despite Bertha¡¯s interference in


    her rtionship with Kieran, Kieran spent most of his time and energy on her and their child.


    Although Kieran acknowledged that the child in Bertha¡¯s belly was his, during Bertha¡¯s pregnancy, he


    never seemed to care for Bertha as much as he did for Julie. Instead, he would always be home on


    time after work, shopping for baby supplies with Julie. Every night, no matter how tired he was, he¡¯d tell


    simple bedtime stories to the baby in her belly.


    Bertha, just as she promised Julie, quietly awaited the birth of her child, as if she didn¡¯t exist. She never


    directly intervened in Julie and Kieran¡¯s marital life.


    Back then, Julie thought Kieran was treating her so well out of guilt for his betrayal. But now she


    understood that there was only a contractual rtionship between him and Bertha.


    But she still couldn¡¯t understand Bertha¡¯s motives.


    Kieran told Julie, ¡°Just a few days before you gave birth prematurely, she told me Lucian was alive. The


    child in Bertha¡¯s belly wasn¡¯t conceived through artificial insemination, but through a rtionship


    between Lucian and Bertha.¡±


    Five years ago, Julie¡¯s due date was supposed to be in mid-August, while Bertha¡¯s child was a few


    weeks older than Julie¡¯s, so her due date was in early July.


    In mid-June of that year, the Department of Transportation announced that they had found the


    wreckage of the ne Lucian was on. Experts spected from the analysis of the wreckage that the


    ne might have experienced a ¡®sudden drop¡¯ before crashing, falling from 35,000 feet at a rate of


    20,000 feet per minute.


    ording to the condition of the wreckage, the ne crashed directly into the sea at high speed, with


    no emergencynding or sliding. That is to say, the pilot might have done this on purpose. The ne


    crash caused a great deal of attention. The National Security Agency got involved in the investigation,


    not only because there were important agents on the ne, but also because the cause and process of


    the ne crash were very mysterious.


    Kieran couldn¡¯t ept that Lucian was dead just like that. Even though he knew the chances were


    slim, he still had Payne turn on the facial recognition system on surveince cameras worldwide, in an


    attempt to find traces of Lucian.


    Payne thought this move was just tofort Kieran, but on the third day after the wreckage was found,


    he found a man who looked extremely simr to Lucian on the facial recognition system.


    Payne immediately told Kieran, who then contacted Hayden.


    When Hayden started a full search for the man, Dn also received news: Bertha didn¡¯t go to the


    hospital for artificial insemination, but she did destroy Lucian¡¯s sperm stored in the freezer.


    Kieran found Bertha. He originally wanted to confront her, but unexpectedly, Bertha took the initiative to


    confess everything¡­


    At this point, Julie couldn¡¯t help but ask Kieran, ¡°What did Bertha confess?¡±


    Just as Kieran was about to answer, there was a knock at the door.


    They heard the nurse grumbling, ¡°Why did you lock the door so early? This is a hospital, not your


    home. What if there¡¯s an emergency?¡± ¡°Is the patient here? Come get your medicine!¡±


    Kieran stood up and turned to open the door, receiving the medicine from the nurse.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    The sight of Kieran left the nurse momentarily stunned.


    Kieran coldly shut the door, then turned and handed Julie a cup of water, ¡°Drink some water first.


    Shannon just made some soup. Wait until you eat something before you take the medicine.¡±


    The way he spoke to Julie was as if they had been a harmonious couple for many years.


    Julie set the cup of water aside, ¡°What did Bertha confess?¡±


    Kieran looked at Julie, his eyes reflecting the lights of the hospital room, seemingly filled with starlight.


    Just as Julie and Kieran were locking eyes, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.


    Daphne rushed to Julie¡¯s bedside, ¡°What happened? Why are you always in the hospital? Do you think


    the hospital is your home?¡±


    In her concern for Julie, Daphnepletely ignored Kieran. Julien, carrying a food box, followed


    behind Daphne. She silently ced the soup in front of Julie but didn¡¯t leave.


    Daphne was only concerned about Julie. She held Julie¡¯s hand tightly, looking at her with concern, ¡°Is it


    your stomach or intestines this time? I called you more than ten times and you didn¡¯t answer, are you


    trying to scare me to death?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Julie replied out of habit. But actually, she wasn¡¯t sure herself.


    The truth revealed by Kieran hadpletely turned her world upside down. Julie really didn¡¯t know if


    she was okay¡­


    Julie¡¯s gaze fell on Julien behind Daphne. The two unrted people, Daphne and Julien, were


    surprisingly in her hospital room at the same time, which made Julie curious.


    Julien, who had been quietly observing from the side, seemed to understand Julie¡¯s expression, but


    she didn¡¯t volunteer an exnation. Julie had been friends with Julien for many years and knew her


    personality well. If she didn¡¯t ask, Julien wouldn¡¯t volunteer the answer.


    So, Julie turned to Daphne and asked; ¡°You and Julien¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is Julien?¡± Daphne feigned confusion. She looked around, finally resting her gaze on Julien¡¯s


    face.


    1


    Just as Julie was pondering whether to introduce Julien to Daphne under such circumstances, Daphne


    pretended to be surprised and stretched out her hand to Julien, ¡°Oh my God! Are you the cool woman


    Julie has been raving about?¡±


    Julien was speechless.


    She nced at the hand Daphne extended but didn¡¯t hug her.


    She was genuinely curious how Daphne survived in the cutthroat world of showbiz with such terrible


    acting skills.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can I have a word?¡± Julien ignored the overly enthusiastic Daphne and turned to


    Kieran. Her purpose today was not to


    visit Julie.


    Daphne awkwardly withdrew her hand, turned to Julie andughed, ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool¡­¡±


    Kieran nced at Julien and nodded in agreement.


    When Julien and Kieran had left, Daphne finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why are you in the hospital again? Weren¡¯t you in Oakhurst?¡± Daphne pretended to be clueless.


    Julie looked in the direction of the door, silent for a while before answering Daphne, ¡°Ivan¡­ seems to


    be my son¡­¡±


    Daphne had already been told about this by Julien, so she wasn¡¯t too shocked by the news.


    Daphne pretended to be shocked out of her mind. ¡°Ivan is the child you bumped intost time, isn¡¯t he?


    Isn¡¯t his name Ivan Kennedy? How could he be your biological child? As far as I know, you only have


    one child and that child¡­¡±


    ¡°Daphne.¡± Julie cut her off, ¡°That day, you said on the phone that the one who survived is the winner.


    You meant that the one who survived was Ivan, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Julie was always sharp. She could always see through the truth. When Julie exposed her lie with such


    certainty, Daphne fell silent.-


    Julie seemed to be waiting on purpose for Daphne to speak.


    After a while, Daphne finally confessed, ¡°The day after you had a quarrel with Bianca Riley, Julien


    came to see me. We met. That¡¯s when I found out Ivan is your biological son. This just happened a few


    days ago¡­ I swear I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. Even though I knew Mr. Hernandez had been


    struggling with something all these years, Julie, whatever decision you make, I will absolutely support


    you! I swear to God!!¡±


    Julie turned to look at Daphne, silent. She didn¡¯t mean to me Daphne.


    Daphne didn¡¯t know what else to say. Julie sat nkly by the bed. Daphne stretched out her arms and


    pulled Julie into her embrace, ¡°Julie, you¡¯ve said it yourself, we must have hope! Ivan is your hope¡­


    isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡±


    Julie repeated Daphne¡¯s words in a daze, murmuring, ¡°Yes, how wonderful¡­¡±


    Her child was still alive, how wonderful¡­


    Ivan was her child, how wonderful¡­


    As long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s hope. These were the words Julie used tofort herself when she


    was on the verge of copse. Thinking about it, Julie started tough, and then she started to cry¡­


    Outside the door, Julien took a peek at Daphne who was hugging Julie tightly. Suddenly, she


    understood all of Kieran¡¯s actions¡­


    ¡°I admit I was wrong.¡± Julien looked at Kieran with a cold expression, ¡°I thought you just loved her but


    didn¡¯t know how to protect or cherish her, but it seems that¡¯s not the case.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    Chapter 141


    Julien reckoned that Kieran didn¡¯t value Julie, because after their divorce, he didn¡¯t give her any


    support in life.


    If Kieran really cared about Julie, even if they were divorced, he wouldn¡¯t have let the woman he loved


    suffer, let alone run around for a living.


    Julien saw with her own eyes how Julie worked day and night to pay for Sansa¡¯s medical expenses.


    She didn¡¯t know that Kieran was Julie¡¯s ex-husband, nor did she know about their past.


    However, Julien¡¯s impression of Julie¡¯s ex-husband was always bad, until she met Daphne¡­


    Ivan was born prematurely, otherwise Julie wouldn¡¯t have ovepped with Bertha¡¯s due date. The


    reason for Ivan¡¯s premature birth was a car ident.


    This ident was nned by Lucian, targeting Julie¡¯s life. By rights, Julie was the person Kieran loved


    the most, and Kieran was Lucian¡¯s cherished brother. Moreover, Julie was carrying Kieran¡¯s baby. Julie


    and her child were Kieran¡¯s family and could bring him happiness. Lucian had no reason to hurt Julie,


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    But the ident did happen. To be exact, it was Bertha who saved the lives of Julie and Ivan. From the


    surveince footage, there was indeed a figure simr to Lucian in the passenger seat of the ident


    vehicle.


    At that time, Julie was crossing the road, preparing to go to the hospital for prenatal check-up. The car


    was heading straight for her.


    At that moment, Bertha suddenly rushed out, seemingly frightening the person in the car, causing the


    car to slow down.and leave brake marks.


    When Julie was knocked down, the car had already slowed down. If Bertha hadn¡¯t suddenly run in front


    of Julie, Lucian¡¯s car would probably have run over Julie directly.


    Bertha immediately took out her phone, dialed Kieran¡¯s number, and then she and Julie were taken to


    the hospital.


    Bertha said that since the ne crash, Lucian¡¯s personality had changed drastically. He made Bertha


    feel strange and scared.


    Julien remembered that Hayden once told her that Bertha confessed everything to Kieran before she


    gave birth.


    Julien looked at Kieran and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t burst in just now, were you going to tell Bertha everything


    she told you before she gave


    birth?¡±


    ¡°It seems I should find a way to shut Hayden up. He knows too much.¡± Kieran looked at Julien and


    responded calmly.


    With Julien¡¯s questioning, Kieran¡¯s thoughts gradually drifted back to the moment when Bertha


    confessed to him.


    At that time, Bertha was pregnant, but Dn firmly said that her child was not conceived through


    artificial insemination. When Kieran found Bertha and was about to ask her about the child, Bertha


    suddenly told him, ¡°Your brother is still alive¡­¡±


    Kieran¡¯s expression at that time, he might not remember clearly. He only remembered asking hesitantly,


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve found out, haven¡¯t you? The child in my stomach is not conceived artificially, but left by him.


    He¡¯s still alive. He didn¡¯t die in that¨C


    ident.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee back then?¡± Kieran asked Bertha in a deep tone.


    Bertha was silent for a long time before she answered, ¡°He¡¯s changed. Do you remember the day of


    your birthday when you were drugged and had to marry Joyce?¡±


    Kieran nodded. That was the day he first slept with Mrs. Hernandez. How could he forget?


    Bertha sneered, ¡°He thought I¡¯ve been in love with you all these years, so he drugged you, hoping to


    get your attention. He said if it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been forced to marry Joyce. He


    thought I and Joyce had hindered your free life, so he hated me, so he wanted to punish me¡­¡±


    Looking down at her pregnant belly, Bertha¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°He wanted to punish me this way¡­¡±


    Bertha didn¡¯t say that she didn¡¯t love Kieran, because the person she loved was always Lucian, the


    father of the child in her belly.


    She loved Lucian, always had. Before the ident, Lucian treated Bertha as Julie¡¯s good friend and


    took care of her carefully.


    He was like a ray of sunshine that quietly lit up her heart a long time ago.


    Bertha was an orphan. Her only sister disappeared when she was ten. Over the years, she had been


    looking for her sister, but to no avail. In her heart, she treated Julie as her own sister. If it wasn¡¯t for her


    sudden pregnancy¡­


    Thinking of this, Bertha¡¯s face showed sadness.


    She said to Kieran, ¡°The only thing that hasn¡¯t changed about him is that he still loves you and cares


    about you like before. The reason why I made that agreement to threaten you and deceive Joyce was


    actually to make Lucian think the child in my stomach was yours. Only you can protect me and the


    child. I know I betrayed Joyce, but I had no other choice. I want this child. I want to give birth to this


    child safely. I don¡¯t want to be forced by Lucian to abort.¡±


    Although Lucian had be a stranger, Bertha, as an orphan, knew the pain of being abandoned by


    her parents, so she desperately wanted to have this child.


    She told herself that if she could sessfully give birth to the child, she would be a good mother, so¡­


    she didn¡¯t hesitate to betray the kind-hearted Julie, betray the good friend who always treated her as a


    family member.


    She knew that Lucian and Kieran were close brothers, so Kieran would agree to her proposal to protect


    Lucian¡¯s only descendant. If Lucian thought the child in her belly was Kieran¡¯s, then he had no right to


    force her to abort.


    That was what Bertha originally thought, but¡­


    ¡°I overheard Lucian on the phone. He was saying that Joyce¡¯s kid ain¡¯t yours, but some other guy¡¯s. He


    was also talking about getting revenge for you¡­ I don¡¯t know what the hell Lucian might do when he¡¯s


    in a fit, but Joyce is definitely in danger!¡± Bertha blurted out to


    Kieran.


    Kieran just stared at her coldly and asked, ¡°Why should I believe you?¡±


    ¡°Because I care about my own kid and Joyce¡¯s life too!¡± Then, Bertha handed Kieran the recording of


    Lucian¡¯s call she had risked her life


    to get.


    Julien found out from Hayden that Kieran eventually believed Bertha. But he didn¡¯t expect Lucian to act


    so quickly. If Lucian hadn¡¯t slowed down his car thinking that Bertha¡¯s kid might be Kieran¡¯s, that car


    could have run over Julie.


    Lucian had no idea why he wanted to hurt Julie. But from the recorded call, he was hell-bent on the


    idea that Julie¡¯s kid wasn¡¯t Kieran¡¯s.


    Lucian resented that Julie and Bertha had stolen the free life that Kieran should have had. Bertha said,


    ¡°In Lucian¡¯s eyes, all this is about getting back at them for you.¡±


    At that time, Lucian was in the shadows, and Kieran was in the open. Lucian¡¯s attempts to harm those


    close to Kieran were like taking candy from a baby, while Kieran finding Lucian was like looking for a


    needle in a haystack.


    The only feasible n was to make Lucian believe that Kieran didn¡¯t love Julie. The only way to make


    Lucian stop was to have Kieran hurt Julie himself.


    He knew how much Julie loved him and how hard she had tried to win him over. Because he knew that


    Julie loved him more than her own life, Kieran deliberately let Julie overhear him say ¡°save Bertha¡±


    outside the operating room, to make her give up hope.


    He told Julie that their child had died on the operating table because he knew that once Julie knew the


    truth, she would prioritize his and their child¡¯s lives.


    By then, Julie, the silly woman, would surely rush to the front line to take a bullet at the slightest


    danger. To protect her, Kieran lied.


    Lucian could appear at any moment, threatening Julie¡¯s life.


    So when Julie asked him expectantly if he would be heartbroken if she died on the operating table, he


    said ¡°no¡± without hesitation.


    So heter made it difficult for Julie to find a job, forcing her to run around for a living.


    This was why Julien thought that Kieran didn¡¯t cherish her.


    A man who truly cherishes his woman wouldn¡¯t make her suffer.


    It wasn¡¯t until Julien met Daphne that she realized she had been wrong¡­


    Kieran had kept Daphne by Julie¡¯s side!


    Daphne was someone who would abandon all principles for Julie. Since meeting Julie, she had been


    her best friend.


    Kieran was indeed torturing Julie. Over the years, due to his deliberate obstruction, Julie never had a


    decent job.


    In fact, she initially wanted to work in aw firm, because that was her profession. The Julie back then


    didn¡¯t deliberately avoid this profession because Kieran had helped her get her professional


    qualification, but because all thew firms in Whispering Pines didn¡¯t want to hire her.


    So, shepletely gave up the idea of being awyer.


    Under Kieran¡¯s secret oppression, for Sansa¡¯s medical bills, Julie ran around, even doing several part-


    time jobs a day.


    However, Kieran indirectly created excellent conditions for Daphne..

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    Chapter 142


    Daphne didn¡¯t have a rich family. She and her parents weren¡¯t exactly earning much. But Kieran, doing


    his best, did everything he could to help the Flores family climb up thedder. Daphne had a thing for


    lottery tickets, so Kieran would even let her hit the jackpot sometimes.


    Kieran knew that whenever Julie was in a pickle, Daphne would be the first to back her. She¡¯d be the


    one to give her a hand, to be there for her.


    Julien was a bit stumped. She looked at Kieran and asked straight-up, ¡°You¡¯ve been bending over


    backwards for Julie, even using Daphne as a roundabout way to help her. Why don¡¯t you just spill the


    beans to Daphne? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for her to protect Julie then? You¡¯ve let Daphne and Julie be


    pissed at you for years. Doesn¡¯t that get under your skin?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Julien wasn¡¯t one for chitchat. Kieran was a tough nut to crack, and Julien knew he probably wouldn¡¯t


    answer.


    But when she asked, she saw a deep emotion in Kieran¡¯s eyes.


    She¡¯d seen that same kind of deep, burning emotion in her brother-inw, Kenton Jenkins, when he


    looked at via. Kenton and via had been through hell and back before they ended up together.


    The passion in Kieran¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t seem any less than Kenton¡¯s.


    Surprisingly, he answered her. He said, ¡°What Julie needs is a partner in crime. Someone tough with


    her when she¡¯s happy, curse me with her when she¡¯s not. Daphne¡¯s perfect for that.¡±


    As he finished, a small smile tugged at his lips.


    As Kieran turned to leave, even the normally aloof Julien couldn¡¯t help but feel moved.


    Kieran knew that after the divorce, what Julie really needed wasn¡¯t a financial crutch, but emotional


    support. And Daphne was the one who could stand by Julie¡¯s side, to fight him together.


    Instead of having Julie risk her life because of the love for him, he¡¯d rather have her live each day


    safely, even if she hated his guts.


    It would be easy to let Julie die with loving him. But how much courage did it take for him to let the


    woman he loved hate him, to bear the misunderstandings of everyone, and to paint himself as a


    scumbag?


    Julien¡¯s brow furrowed. She flicked her short hair, took a small recorder from her ear, and a small smile


    curled her lips.


    When Kieran returned to Julie¡¯s room, she was already asleep.


    Daphne held Julie¡¯s hand, carefully keeping herpany.


    When Kieran walked in, Daphne stood up nervously, ¡°Mr. Hernandez!¡±


    Daphne was a bit uneasy. Julien had told her everything, including how Mr. Hernandez had been


    helping her and supporting her family behind her back.


    Remembering how she had once loudly condemned Mr. Hernandez as a heartless bastard, Daphne felt


    her face heat up¡­


    In the past, she had done many things she wasn¡¯t proud of, so now she couldn¡¯t even lift her head


    when she saw Kierany


    Seeing Daphne¡¯s embarrassment, Kieran kindly said, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    Daphne nodded nervously, ¡°The medication may include some sedatives. I¡­ Julien and I will go.¡±


    Wanting to hide somewhere, Daphne quickly grabbed Julien and bolted.


    When they were finally outside the room, Daphne sighed in relief.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Julien said coldly.


    Daphne held onto Julien¡¯s sleeve with one hand, patting her chest with the other to calm herself.


    Julien looked at Daphne¡¯s hand on her arm. Her gaze was so fierce that Daphne felt like her wrist was


    about to be snapped.


    She quickly withdrew her hand, straightened her clothes, and grinned foolishly.


    ¡°Do me a favor,¡± Julien said straight to the point.


    Daphne loved Julien¡¯s cool demeanor!


    She replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give it all I¡¯ve got!¡±


    When Julie woke up again, it was already night.


    Beside her bed was only Ivan.


    Ivan sat on a high stool, swinging his legs. He was obviously very sleepy, but when he saw Julie¡¯s eyes


    open, he immediately ran to the


    couch, shouting. ¡°Kerry, Kerry! Your wife is awake! Come over here!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Thanks to Ivan¡¯s shouting, she was wide awake!


    She didn¡¯t have time to react, so she couldn¡¯t pretend to still be asleep.


    Although Ivan was short, he was very quick. He excitedly pulled Kieran in from outside, then pointed at


    Julie on the bed and eagerly said to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, did you tell her I¡¯m her son yet?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kieran replied.


    Ivan immediately looked very hurt. ¡°If you told her, why didn¡¯t she run over and hug me like other


    mothers do when they find their children? The mothers on TV always cry and hug their children!¡±


    Kieran flicked Ivan¡¯s head lightly, ¡°Watch less TV,¡± he said.


    Ivan looked at Kieran sadly, ¡°Oh no, Kerry, she still likes your abs more than my belly!¡±


    Julie was speechless again.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to hug the adorable Ivan, she just couldn¡¯t believe that Ivan was her son.


    He was the child she never even dreamed would survive.


    He was a miracle, a miracle in her life.


    Julie just stared at Ivan, not daring to blink, afraid that the blink might wake her from this dream and


    bring her back to reality.


    She couldn¡¯t bear heartache of losing a child once more.


    She suddenly remembered what Daphne just said, ¡°We all need hope! Ivan is your hope¡­ How nice¡­¡±


    Yeah, how nice¡­


    Julie suddenly pulled back the quilt, knelt in front of Ivan, and embraced him tightly


    She didn¡¯t even know how hard she was hugging. Her heart was racing like a wild horse.


    After a while, Ivan couldn¡¯t take it anymore and said, ¡°Kerry¡­ Help me. My mom is choking me¡­ Mom,


    can you spare my life, or hug Kerry instead?¡±


    Julie quickly let go. She awkwardly nced at Kieran, but her little trick was seen through by him.


    But he didn¡¯t embarrass her, instead, he turned around to bring in the dinner, then walked to the table


    and said to Julie and Ivan on the floor, ¡°Come and eat.¡±


    At this moment, Julie didn¡¯t want to think aboutplicated things. She just wanted to share this


    moment of happiness with Ivan.


    Ivan grabbed the forks and quickly went to wash them.


    The room was left with Julie and Kieran.


    After a two-second silence, Julie gathered her courage and said to Kieran, ¡°Kieran, thank you.¡±


    Thank you


    for saving Ivan back then.


    Thank you for letting him grow up healthy.


    Thank you for giving me a chance to see him, to touch him.


    And thank you for filling my life with hope again.


    All her gratitude was condensed in this sentence.


    Tonight, she put aside all hatred and trivial matters, watching Ivan who was eating happily with his


    mouth full of grease. The emptiness in her heart seemed to be filled in an instant¡­.


    She still couldn¡¯t believe that this cute, happy, and obedient child was her son with Kieran¡­


    Julie forked a piece of carrot for Ivan. Ivan looked at the carrot in his bowl with some dislike, then


    suddenly came up with an idea and put the carrot back into Kieran¡¯s te, ¡°Kerry, my mom gave you


    her favorite dish! You have to finish it!¡±


    Kieran¡¯s least favorite food is carrot, and Julie¡¯s favorite is carrot.


    The carrots tonight were prepared for Julie.


    From Ivan¡¯s reaction just now, it¡¯s clear that his taste is very much like his dad¡¯s.


    With this thought, Julie looked at Ivan sitting across from her.


    Although this child was her own, why did she feel that he didn¡¯t look like her at all? Instead, he looked


    more like Kieran.


    Kieran cooperatively ate the carrot, and then seriously said to Ivan, ¡°Don¡¯t be picky. Eat whatever your


    mom gives you. You need a


    2/3


    11:17


    ITL


    bnced diet, got it?¡±


    Ivan obediently nodded his head.


    He forked another piece of carrot for Kieran, then proudly turned his head to Julie and said, ¡°Mom,


    look, my dad isn¡¯t picky at all.¡±


    Julie went silent.


    If Kieran isn¡¯t picky, then there probably wouldn¡¯t be any picky eaters in this world.


    Ivan looked at Julie with a big smile and said expectantly, ¡°Mom feeds dad, then dad feeds me. From


    now on, we¡¯ll be a happy family!¡± Every word he said was like stabbing Julie¡¯s heart.


    Julie never thought that she would be able to experience such happiness in her lifetime¡­


    After dinner, Ivan was afraid that Julie would sneak away again, so hey on the sofa and refused to


    leave the hospital. Perhaps because he was too tired, he soon fell asleep¡­


    Kieran took off his coat and covered him. Julie squatted next to the sofa, holding Ivan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Kieran, are you tricking me? Is this really my child? Why does he not look like me?¡± Julie had been


    wondering about this during dinner, and finally asked out loud.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Chapter 143


    Although Ivan¡¯s features were not fully developed yet, the kid looked more and more like Kieran,


    whether you looked at his eyes or his face


    In the past, Julie had refused to ept the fact that Ivan and Kieran looked alike. On one hand, it was


    because Kieran had impersonated Mr. Kennedy so well that she had never thought Ivan could be


    Kieran¡¯s son. On the other hand, she was so fond of Ivan that she didn¡¯t want to think he was the child


    of Kieran and Bertha


    But now knowing Ivan was Kieran¡¯s son, Julie increasingly felt that this child looked very much like


    Kieran.


    Whether it was the thick eyebrows or those deep, star like eyes, the father and son looked very alike.


    Even their face shapes were the same. The only difference was that Ivan¡¯s mischievous and clever


    character was more like Julie when she was a kid.


    Kieran squatted down next to Julie, reached out and pinched Ivan¡¯s little chin, carefully looking at him


    from side to side


    Julie pped Kieran¡¯s hand away. ¡°What are you doing? Be careful not to wake him up¡­¡±


    Kieran withdrew his hand. He remembered thest time Ivan seriously pointed at him and Julie¡¯s


    wedding photo, and then pointed at his face in the album, pouting his little mouth, and earnestly told


    him, ¡°Look at my mouth, isn¡¯t it exactly like Mama Julie? I must be Mama Julie¡¯s real child! I¡¯m so cute, I


    definitely didn¡¯t inherit that from you!¡±


    So Kieran imitated his actions, pointing at Ivan¡¯s chubby little mouth and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it alike?¡±


    Julie touched her lip, then looked at Ivan¡¯s pouted little mouth, and looked at Kieran with some doubt,


    ¡®Really?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, even the taste is the same,¡± he answered


    Julie was taken aback, deciding to ignore him. She reached out and picked up the clothes Kieran had


    put on Ivan, threw them at him. Then she stood up, intending to take van to bed


    However, Kieran had already guessed her intention. He threw the jacket back into Julie¡¯s arms, then


    picked up Ivan and headed for the big bed


    Julie hurriedly followed and lifted the quilt on the bed Kieran bent down and gently put Ivan on the bed.


    Watching Julie tucking an in, Kieran reached out and pinched her chin, ¡®Isn¡¯t it alike?¡±


    Julie pushed Kieran¡¯s hand away and asked casually, ¡°What¡¯s alike?¡±


    ¡°Chin¡±


    Julie walked to the table, and while she was cleaning up the tes and utensils, she grumbled, ¡°I


    carried him for ten months, and he ends up looking just like your


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Eight months,¡± Kieran corrected Julie, ¡°You carried him for eight months and three days¡±


    Julie paused in her cleaning, and then continued as if nothing had happened.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond to Julie, which puzzled her. She turned around and saw Kieran seriously looking


    at the sleeping Ivan, Then, he turned his head and said softly to Julie, ¡°He really doesn¡¯t look like you¡±


    Julie¡¯s face changed. However, he added, ¡°We¡¯ll have another one that looks like you¡±


    Kieran had already stood up and was slowly walking towards her, intending to take the utensils from


    her


    However, Julie directly threw down the utensils into the trash can next to her


    ¡°Do you think just because we had dinner, we can act like nothing happened?¡± Julie challenged Kieran,


    firmly telling him, ¡°I will definitely regain custody of Ivan.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Kieran didn¡¯t insist on approaching her, but sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Julie


    affectionately.


    He surrendered so easily? That was not his style.


    Julie crossed her arms and asked him, ¡°Are you really willing to give me the custody of Ivan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kieran smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the custody of myself, too. You raise Ivan, and then Ivan raises me.


    Is that okay?¡±


    What a shameless guy!


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay! You¡¯re not my kid, so I have no obligation to raise you.¡± Julie answered him.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s answer, Kieran smiled and said, ¡°Although I¡¯m not your kid, your future children are all in


    my body. Is that okay?¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t argue with him anymore. She could never win against him.


    Julie started to clean the table. Kieran spoke from behind her, ¡°Someone wille to clean it up


    tomorrow¡±


    Hearing this, Julie didn¡¯t say anything. She sat down on the couch and told Kieran, ¡°Dim the lights


    when you¡¯re going to sleep.¡±


    Seeing her attitude, Kieran immediately stood up and walked over to Julie, ¡°You sleep in the bed. I¡¯ll


    sleep on the couch.¡±


    Julie nced at the couch. It was too short for Kieran. He could only sit all night.


    ¡°The couch is too short. You sleep with Ivan!¡± As soon as Julie finished speaking, she and Kieran both


    looked at Ivan.


    Ivan¡¯s sleeping position was¡­ just like Julie. He was sprawled out on the bed, his legs almost hanging


    off the edge.


    ¡°You sleep in the bed!¡± Julie said.


    Kieran saw that Julie was not willing topromise, so he sat down on the couch.


    Julie was startled, ¡°If you want to sleep, just sleep!¡±


    She quickly stood up from the couch and ran towards the bed barefooted.


    Kieran suddenly reached out and caught her, causing her to unexpectedly sit on hisp.


    Julie grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand, just about to stand up, but Kieran pulled her back down.


    His hand held hers, his arm around her waist..


    Once Kieran started taking things seriously, all of Julie¡¯s struggles were in vain.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let me go?¡± Julie said coldly, ¡°You might get retribution for doing this.¡±


    ¡°While Ivan is still asleep, let¡¯s have a good talk.¡± Although Kieran didn¡¯t let go, his tone was very


    gentle.


    The man¡¯s deep voice came from behind Julie, making her whole body tingle.


    Julie snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to chat with you.¡±


    It was rare for her to be so defiantly direct in rejecting him.


    Kieran paused for a second or two before answering, ¡°What if I showed you my love through actions


    instead?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Julie abruptly pulled away from his grasp.


    Only out of fear of hurting her did Kieran loosen his grip..


    Barefooted, Julie moved towards the bed. Kieran slowly followed. He didn¡¯t expect Julie to suddenly


    turn around when she was close to


    the bed.


    Kieran walked lightly, so she didn¡¯t realize he was close until she bumped into his chest, causing her to


    step back in fright.


    Kieran instinctively held onto Julie as she stumbled backwards onto the soft bed. Julie forcefully


    pushed Kieran away and fell onto the


    bed.


    Kieran was also pulled onto the bed by inertia.


    Thankfully, he was quick to react, propping himself up with his hands on either side of Julie¡¯s shoulders


    to avoid lying on top of her.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.


    A small smile crept onto Kieran¡¯s face¡­.


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want any actions, yet here you are pulling me onto the bed.¡±


    This man seriously had a knack for twisting the truth.


    Julie looked up at him and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the one that pounced! Don¡¯t me this on me.¡±


    She had wanted to defend herself, but he shot back quite frankly, ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back for years.


    This is already me being very restrained.¡±


    He always emphasized that he¡¯d never had an affair with Bertha. As far as Julie could see, she


    believed him. In Kieran¡¯s mind, Bertha was his brother¡¯s woman, and he would never vite his


    brother¡¯s wife.


    But given Kieran¡¯s current status and position, he must have had countless temptations. They had


    been divorced for five or six years. How much self-control must it have taken for Kieran to remain


    single for all these years?


    Julie awkwardly turned her gaze away, ¡°Whether you restrain yourself or not is your business. Intimacy


    between couples should be consensual. Who knows how many lovers you¡¯ve had these past few


    years?¡±


    -Are you jealous?¡± His slightly rough fingers gently traced her face. He looked a bit disappointed as he


    said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but you¡¯re the


    only woman for me. Whether it¡¯s a new or old lover, it¡¯s always been you.¡±


    His words were really sweet¡­


    Julie gathered the courage to look Kieran in the eye, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, there¡¯s really no connection


    between us. You don¡¯t need to rush to prove your loyalty to me.¡±


    I may not agree.¡± Kieran said meaningfully before changing the subject, ¡°I wille to pick you up and


    take you home from the hospital tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Which home?¡± Julie ced her hand on his chest, ¡°If you have something to say, let¡¯s sit up and talk


    about it.¡±


    ¡°If we sit up to talk, you might be distracted.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t sit up, I might be more¡­¡±


    ¡°Distracted?¡± A cunning smile appeared on Kieran¡¯s face.


    Julie denied, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. What I wanted to say was that you¡¯re too heavy and it¡¯s hard


    for me to breathe.¡±


    ¡°I can give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.¡±


    Finally, Julie got mad, ¡°Just say what you want to say! Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home tomorrow. Ivan and I wille to pick you up.¡± Kieran brought it up again.


    This time Julie didn¡¯t avoid the issue. She stared straight at him and asked, ¡°You want us to live


    together?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°A cohabitation before marriage?¡± Julie¡¯s tone wasced with sarcasm.


    They saw each other¡¯s eyes. Kieran softly said, ¡°We¡¯re married.¡±

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    Chapter 144


    ¡°Married?¡± Julie¡¯s gaze instantly locked onto the man¡¯s face and her tone grew tense, ¡°You and me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you and me.¡±


    Upon hearing Kieran¡¯s answer, Julie suddenly burst intoughter, ¡°You want to remarry me?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Kieran responded.


    Julieughed even more brazenly, ¡°Then how on earth could we be married? We divorced five years


    ago¡­¡±


    At this point, Julie suddenly noticed the expression on Kieran¡¯s face. Although she wasn¡¯t sure she


    knew Kieran well, she was certain that he was extremely confident at the moment.


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s expression, Julie began to doubt herself¡­


    She looked up at Kieran, ¡°Five years ago, I signed the divorce papers and we went to the City Hall the


    next day. I personally signed the divorce papers and I personally took the divorce certificate out of the


    City Hall. We ceased to be husband and wife five years ago, so if we¡¯re living together now, we¡¯re


    cohabiting. How could we be married?¡±


    ¡°No. 88, Evergreen Avenue, Dreamscape District, the office on the left as soon as you enter. Take your


    divorce certificate there tomorrow and see if it¡¯s valid.¡± Said Kieran.


    No. 88, Evergreen Avenue, Dreamscape District? Julie had been there twice, once when she married


    Kieran and once when she divorced him. That¡¯s the address of the City Hall.


    Julie¡¯s expression turned from stiff to shocked, ¡°You mean the divorce papers I signed back then are


    fake? And the divorce certificate is fake too?¡±


    Kieran remained silent. In Julie¡¯s eyes, this meant he was admitting it.


    She forcefully pushed Kieran¡¯s chest, ¡°Get up and exin!¡±


    Julie¡¯s action was too big, causing Ivan next to her to suddenly roll off the bed.


    Julie quickly ran to Ivan. He was sleeping on a folding bed for apanying patients. The bed was


    low, so he wasn¡¯t hurt. Ivan just rolled over, mumbled some iprehensible sleep talk, and continued


    sleeping.


    Kieran was sitting on the edge of the bed, loosening his tie. Looking at Ivan who was sound asleep on


    the floor, he got up, picked Ivan -up, put him-back on the bed, and covered him with a nket.


    Julie lowered her voice and grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Was the divorce certificate I got back then


    invalid?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning at seven thirty, I will have a breakfast meeting with the director of the finance


    bureau. The City Hall opens at nine. You can go check for yourself at nine. I¡¯ll pick you up at nine thirty


    to go home.¡± Kieran said.


    Julie was still holding onto Kieran¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Exin now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin tomorrow. Let¡¯s sleep for now!¡±


    After Kieran finished speaking, he walked over to the sofa, grabbed a pillow from it, and threw it in the


    middle of the bed.


    ¡°We can rest now. You¡¯re on the left, I¡¯m on the right. Don¡¯t cross this line tonight.¡±


    As if she was about to do something bad to him.


    They were in a hospital, so Julie figured he wouldn¡¯t actually do anything to her.


    She lifted the nket, got on the bed, and nned to go to the City Hall to check the truth the next day.


    At first, she had her back to Kieran. After thinking for a while, Julie suddenly turned around and warned


    Kieran, ¡°Don¡¯t you daree over here, and don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t move.¡± He promised.


    After a day of exhaustion, Julie drowsily closed her eyes. She fell into a deep sleep.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The next morning, Julie, in a semi-conscious state, suddenly felt something like a feather brushing


    against her cheek.


    Shezily reached out to swat it away, but instead, her hand touched a patch of warm skin. After


    several seconds, Julie suddenly opened her eyes.


    She saw her hand resting on Kieran¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t seem angry. Instead, he leaned down to kiss her


    forehead, and then used his hand to tousle her messy hair, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you. Noah has


    already picked up Ivan. Karl will be here soon to handle your discharge.¡±


    As he draped his jacket over his arm, he said, ¡°I have to go now. It¡¯s still early, so you can sleep a bit


    more.¡±


    Julie stared nkly at Kieran¡¯s retreating figure, his jacket in hand, and it took her a long time to snap


    out of it.


    A nurse pushed open the door to take Julie¡¯s temperature, only to find Julie sitting up like a zombie.


    The nurse was so startled she almost dropped her thermometer.


    Karl walked in carrying the medicine prescribed by the doctor in one hand and Julie¡¯s change of clothes


    in the other, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, Mr. Hernandez asked me to take you to the City Hallter.¡±


    Half an hourter, Karl dropped Julie off at the City Hall right on time.


    Julie looked at the bag Karl had returned to her, and then nced at her watch. The hands were


    pointing at nine.


    ¡°Are you here to get married? Where¡¯s your partner?¡± The newly on-duty staff casually asked.


    A bit embarrassed, Julie shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not here to get married.¡±


    ¡°The divorce office is next door.¡± The staff member replied indifferently. When she raised her head to


    look at Julie, she couldn¡¯t help but take a second nce.


    Thinking there might be something dirty on her face, Julie rubbed her face and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to get


    a divorce either¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what are you here for? You look kind of familiar.¡± The staff casuallymented.


    Julie gave a small smile, ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you to check my marital status¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The staff member seemed to find the request hrious, ¡°You¡¯re not sure if you¡¯re married?¡±


    Julie felt quite embarrassed, and finally asked softly, ¡°So¡­ can you check?¡±


    The staff member gave her a helpless look, then logged into the system. Her eyes widened soon after,


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez from Simpo Co. is your husband?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Ex-husband.¡± Julie corrected.


    ¡°What ex-husband? The system says you two are married! You¡¯ve been married for over eight years.¡±


    The staff member looked at Julie, ¡°Your husband is really Kieran, the CEO of Simpo Co.?¡±


    ¡°Married couple? No way! I¡¯ve been divorced from him for five years, five years!¡± Julie eximed, a tad


    too dramatically, to the clerk. ¡°We¡¯ve been divorced for five years. How could we still be a married


    couple? Did you misread something?¡±


    ¡°This is the national official system, how could I misread?¡± The clerk countered back, a bit exasperated.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got such a great husband, why wouldn¡¯t you want the bliss of marriage? Why did you even


    consider divorce?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± In a frenzy, Julie hastily fished out her divorce papers from her bag and handed them to the


    clerk, ¡°Look, we have our divorce papers. We came here together years ago to get it done, signed it


    and everything. It was even issued by a staff member from here, how can it be fake?¡±


    The clerk, still skeptical, took the document from Julie, examined it closely before frowning and saying,


    ¡°This can¡¯t be! It doesn¡¯t make


    sense!¡±


    ¡°Could you check again for me? Maybe there¡¯s a glitch in the system?¡± Julie pleaded.


    The clerk hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Alright. Just wait here. I¡¯ll go inquire for you.¡±


    Julie nodded in agreement.


    As the clerk walked towards a room, she muttered, ¡°Sir, could you take a look at this divorce


    certificate¡­¡±


    With that, she closed the door behind her.


    A few minutester, the door opened again. Julie anxiously followed, ¡°Did you figure it out? Was there


    a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this divorce certificate?¡± The clerk looked at Julie suspiciously.


    Julie pointed to the divorce office next door, ¡°Right there. It was handed to me personally by a staff


    member! I even signed it, and all the formalities werepleted! It can¡¯t be fake!¡±


    ¡°Do you know that forging a divorce certificate is illegal? You¡¯ve got some nerve,ing into City Hall!¡±


    The clerk looked at Julie sternly, ¡°Our supervisor said your fake certificate is illegal and must be


    confiscated byw.¡±


    Another staff member opened the door to the room. He was holding a green file and said to the clerk in


    front of Julie, ¡°J, the supervisor said we need to crack down on this fake certificate issue. If this


    lady really did forge this document deliberately, we need to call the police. Also, we must confiscate the


    fake certificate. The supervisor said, we need her to sign something first.¡±


    J took the file and nodded, then turned to Julie, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t forge this divorce


    certificate deliberately?¡±


    ¡°Why would I forge a divorce certificate?¡± Julie insisted, ¡°Kieran and I divorced five years ago, we


    processed it here together. We brought our marriage certificate, IDs, and the notarized divorce


    agreement. It was all handled by your staff and also¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, exining it here won¡¯t help. I believe you didn¡¯t forge it deliberately, but to follow regtions,


    we must confiscate this fake document. Please sign here.¡± J flipped open the file, pointed to the


    signature area, and handed a pen to Julie.


    ¡°But my divorce certificate isn¡¯t a forgery¡­¡±


    Sign it! Please cooperate with us. If this certificate was indeed processed here, we will investigate


    thoroughly. Don¡¯t worry.¡± J¡¯s curt


    words were tinged with clear frustration.


    Julie, feeling helpless, took the pen and signed her name.


    J quickly closed the file. Her swift actions left one astounded. Doubts began to surface in Julie¡¯s


    mind. She reached out to J, ¡°Can I see the document I just signed?¡±

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    Chapter 145


    J was being so stubborn, and they were at City Hall, a formal ce, Julie had been here more than


    once, and there were two uniformed cops standing guard at the entrance.


    Theoretically, in such a ce, with cops around, it should be impossible for any scams to happen.


    Moreover, even if it was a scam, it wouldn¡¯t be just to trick a useless divorce certificate.


    When Julie signed, she clearly saw the official seal. If this agreement to confiscate the fake certificate


    had any ulterior motives, using a forged seal would be pointless, as forging seals itself is a serious


    crime.


    So, without much thought, Julie signed her name.


    The main reason was that J¡¯s behavior was somewhat suspicious, so Julie asked to see the


    agreement again after signing.


    But, an employee took the agreement away directly.


    J looked at Julie and said, ¡°Rx, why would we want your divorce certificate? The police will


    investigate whether this fake certificate is yours. Just go home and wait for the notifications!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see the agreement I just signed¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, aren¡¯t you the one who had the illegitimate child mentioned in the newspapers?¡± a couple


    who were registering their marriage suddenly pointed at Julie, saying excitedly.


    Julie frowned, ¡°Illegitimate child? Me?¡±


    The woman realized she had misspoke, so she awkwardly stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°¡­that¡¯s


    what the news said, a cunning woman of the 21st century, trapping men with an illegitimate child¡­¡±


    ¡°Illegitimate child? Men?¡± Julie looked at the lively woman, seeming a bit confused.


    ¡°You know, Mr. Hernandez from Simpo Co! You¡¯re the woman from the news, right?¡± The girl excitedly


    spoke, pulling out her phone and handing it to her boyfriend, ¡°Look, it¡¯s her, she looks identical in


    profile!¡±


    ¡°May I see?¡± Julie asked.


    The girl readily handed her phone to Julie, and then turned to her boyfriend, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the woman


    in the news? Don¡¯t people in yourpany gossip, aren¡¯t there any inside stories?¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m just an electrician, in charge of maintenance. How could I have ess to corepany


    matters! But there are definitely rumors, I was just a stepte yesterday, otherwise I would have seen


    the woman in the picture¡­¡± The man hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Julle handed the phone back to


    the woman.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, Julie turned and walked towards the exit.


    She was leaving behind the clueless couple


    J watched Julie¡¯s retreating figure leave through the front door, then turned and went upstairs.


    At a window-side seat on the second floor, Kieran held the agreement Julie had just signed. He


    nced down at Julie, who was pulling out her phone and walking towards Karl¡¯s car.


    Julie stood by the car door and had a few words with Karl.


    Unable to persuade him, she took out her phone again and fiddled with it for a while.


    Kieran¡¯s phone rang, it was Julie calling.


    He nced at the name on the screen, then hung up.


    Dn came over and took the divorce agreement from Kieran¡¯s hand to have a look. There was Julie¡¯s


    signature and a clear official seal on it, Dn tsked, ¡°Kerry, you¡¯re tricking her into marriage!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in on it too.¡± Kieran took the agreement back from Dn, took the pen J handed over, and


    elegantly signed his name at the bottom of the agreement.


    Tina stood behind Kieran. She never thought that Attorney Abraham and Mr. Hernandez had such a


    rtionship. Until this morning, when Mr. Hernandez suddenly called Tina, ¡°Get the documents from


    the lounge locker, and bring them to the City Hall entrance before


    ¡±


    Tina was very surprised at the time, she didn¡¯t expect to have the chance to go into Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    lounge, which was thought a privilege only Karl had.


    Tina would definitely not tell Kieran that she had long thought Karl was Mr. Hernandez¡¯s true love¡­.


    ¡°But, Mr. Hernandez¡­ I don¡¯t know the password to the lounge and drawer.¡± Tina said softly.


    So, Kieran told Tina the passwords for both the lounge and the drawer.


    Tina thought there would be some important documents in the drawer, but she didn¡¯t expect to find just


    a divorce certificate.


    ertificat


    A divorce certificate!


    Tina suddenly realized. She remembered that Mr. Hernandez had announced at the Ray Group¡¯s


    cooperation banquet that he was married, but no one had found any clues about Mr. Hernandez¡¯s ex-


    wife for so long, so everyone thought it was just a joke from Mr.


    Hernandez.


    Shocked, Tina brought the divorce certificate to the City Hall before 8:40 as instructed by Mr.


    Hernandez, only to see Mr. Hernandez talking with the staff member, J.


    And their conversation was about¡­ trying to get Attorney Abraham¡¯s divorce certificate back and


    having Attorney Abraham sign the remarriage agreement.


    Mr. Hernandez really went to great lengths to remarry Attorney Abraham.


    Kieran reached out to Tina, and Tina immediately handed over all the relevant documents for the


    remarriage to Kieran.


    Kieran handed all the documents to J, ¡°Complete the procedures within 20 minutes, before Julie


    realizes what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mr. Hernandez, isn¡¯t this a bit rushed¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a bit rushed, but if Julie realizes it early, all our efforts will be in vain. So, pleaseplete the


    remarriage procedures in 10 minutes.¡± He ordered, then politely added, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    J looked pale as she took the documents and left.


    Her boss never told her that being the director of City Hall also meant dealing with personal threats!


    Dn pondered for a moment before responding to Kieran, ¡°You really have no shame.¡±


    Kieran looked at Dn, his eyes deep, and a smirk ying on his lips, ¡°Are you begging for trouble?¡±


    Dn was speechless.


    Forget about it, he¡¯s no match for this cunning fox, Kieran.


    Dn looked at Kieran and said, ¡°I didn¡¯te here to join you in your mischief, I came to see if there¡¯s


    anything I can do to help.¡±


    What Dn referred to was the fact that all major news websites had made Kieran¡¯s illegitimate child


    the headline news of the day. The reason he asked Kieran if he needed any help was that the rise of


    the Pierson family was due to their control over news websites.


    Even though Dn didn¡¯t take over the family¡¯s news industry, opting to be a forensic scientist


    instead, he still had a say in it as a member of the family.


    With just a word from Dn, the news about Kieran¡¯s illegitimate child could be removed from the top


    of the search rankings on the biggest news website.


    However, Kieran shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s toote to retract it now.¡±


    With that, he took out his phone and dialed Julie¡¯s number.


    Julie seemed to be waiting for Kieran¡¯s call, so she answered quickly.


    ¡°Where are you? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be waiting for me at the City Hall?¡± Kieran asked casually.


    Julie nced at Karl, who was driving them to Noblewood Retreat, then responded to Kieran on the


    phone, ¡°I¡¯m on my way back to Noblewood Retreat.¡±


    Then Julie asked, ¡°I called you just now, why didn¡¯t you answer?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you? I must have identally missed it,¡± Kieran replied nonchntly.


    Julie bluntly said, ¡°You should hold a press conference to rify our rtionship to the public.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our rtionship?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    That question instantly kindled Julie¡¯s long-suppressed anger.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what our rtionship is? Weren¡¯t we both at the City Hall together? Didn¡¯t we


    sign the divorce certificate face to face? And the divorce agreement, we got one each, right? So why


    did the City Hall staff tell me today that my divorce certificate is fake? Does that mean your divorce


    certificate is also fake?¡±


    Compared to Kieran, Julie might not be as intelligent, but she¡¯s definitely not stupid.


    ¡°Kieran¡¯s suggestionst night for her to investigate at the City Hall indicated that he had known what


    would happen today. In other


    words, all of this was likely tied to Kieran.


    With that realization, Julie felt enlightened.


    She immediately told Karl, ¡°Turn back to the City Hall!¡±


    She asked Kieran on the phone, ¡°Are you at the City Hall now?¡± 2/3


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer. It seemed his wife Julie wasn¡¯t as clueless as he thought.


    ¡°What did I sign?¡± Julie questioned angrily.


    However, Kieran¡¯s voice came across the phone, calm andposed, ¡°As a licensedwyer, you


    signed without knowing what it was. Should Imend you for that?¡±


    ¡°You tricked me!¡± Julie¡¯s voice raised a few notches.


    A yful smirk appeared on Kieran¡¯s lips, he responded without a moment of hesitation, ¡°Hmm, seems


    like it.¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    ¡°Do you want to kill me to keep me quiet?¡± Kieran asked in a seemingly benevolent tone, but it was


    clear he was provoking her!


    ¡°Kill you?¡± Julie¡¯s icy voice didn¡¯t hide her anger, ¡°I want to rip you into pieces!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to die anyway. How about you let me choose the method?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came


    through the phone.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to ask Kieran how he wanted to die because she guessed he would probably say he


    wanted to die in her bed.


    So this time, Julie smartly didn¡¯t let him provoke her. Instead, she retorted, ¡°Kieran, wait for me at the


    City Hall. I need to settle the score with you! If you¡¯re a real man, don¡¯t run!¡±

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    Chapter 146


    Hearing Julie¡¯s heated tone, Kieran on the other end of the phone couldn¡¯t help but grin


    He seemed to be reminded of the vivacious Joyce Abraham, the one who would point her finger at him


    and order him not to leave school whenever she got mad


    Julie, filled with rage, stormed back to the City Hall, where Kieran was indeed waiting for her.


    As soon as she entered the City Hall, she was ushered into the staff break room by Tina


    Tina seemed to admire and respect Julie even more now


    Julie saw Kieran sitting on the sofa, being waited on like a VIP by the staff.


    Without saying a word, Julie went straight up to him, grabbed his cor, and demanded, ¡°Where¡¯s my


    divorce certificater


    ¡°It was changed,¡± he replied calmly, apparently undeterred by Julie¡¯s outburst.


    Julie paused for a moment. ¡°It was changed? What did you change it to?¡±


    ¡®This one.¡± Kieran pulled out a marriage certificate and handed it to Julie.


    The big words ¡®Marriage Certificate¡® clearly indicated their married status. The couple photo on it was


    the same one they had used years ago, and they didn¡¯t look much different now


    The certificate also specifically marked ¡°Remarried.¡±


    Julie was probably too angry to speak. Her face was flushed, and she remained silent for quite a while.


    Dn had nned to stick around for the drama but was shooed away by Kieran before Julie arrived.


    Kieran remained calm. He told Tina, ¡°Clear everyone out and close the main door. No more


    entries/Julie¡¯s here to settle scores with me, and I don¡¯t want anyone else to hamper her performance.¡±


    Julie stared furiously at Kieran, helplessly watching as Tina cleared the room.


    Once the door was shut, Julie finally found her voice,


    ¡°Do you know that deceiving someone into marriage is illegal?¡± She finally blurted out.


    ¡°Are you going to sue me then?¡± He asked.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes were deep, and his lips slightly parted. His calmness seemed innate.


    Sometimes, Julie felt utterly helpless dealing with Kieran. Like right now.


    Yes, deceiving someone into marriage was illegal. But was she going to actually sue Kieran for this?


    Then she would be the real fool!


    So, Julie took a deep breath and looked at Kieran, ¡°I won¡¯t sue you. Let¡¯s just get divorced again.


    Kieran, I¡¯m not the Joyce from eight years ago, I don¡¯t want to marry you.¡±


    Julie looked intently at Kieran. Her words were resolute.


    She reached out to pull Kieran, wanting to take him to process their divorce. But he pulled her and


    pinned her on the sofa.


    His passionate kiss took her breath away.


    He seemed to suck all the oxygen out of her lungs with his kiss. Just when she thought she was about


    to suffocate, he let go of her lips, allowing her to breathe.


    She forcefully pushed him away, her initial struggle eventually turned into helplessness.


    His kiss, from the initial wildness, gradually became more tender.


    He caught her hand, cing it on his waist.


    This jolted Julie back to reality.


    Finally, she mustered the courage to bite his tongue.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Kieran let go of Julie in pain, licking his lips, his bright eyes full of indulgence as he looked at


    her, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll have to pull out your teeth!¡±


    ¡°Get up!¡± Julie red at Kieran.


    Kieran didn¡¯t move. Instead, he looked at her and said, ¡°The Kieran from eight years ago wants to tell


    the present Julie that I willingly married Joyce back then. Now I¡¯m willing to give everything to Julie.¡±


    His words were touching.


    But¡­


    1/3


    11-23


    ¡°Everyone knows you mamed me out of necessity back then. Everyone knows you didn¡¯t like me at that


    time. Everyone knows it was me who chased after you


    1 chased after you too, Joyce Kieran suddenly said as he looked at Julie.


    From his deep eyes, Julie seemed to see the most beautiful scene in the world.


    Though his words made Julie¡¯s heart beat faster for a moment, she quickly came back to reality


    1 was the one who always chased after you. I was the one who always had eyes for you. When did you


    ever chase me?


    ¡°Do you remember our first year in high school, when we were both on the track team? Didn¡¯t! Kieran


    replied.


    four kilometers to catch up with you?¡±


    Julie remembered very clearly the time Kieran ran four kilometers to catch up with her in their first year


    of high school!


    She was on her period then, and the coach had the entire team run three kilometers. As an outstanding


    student, Kieran was the first one toplete the challenge. Then he just sat by the side of the track


    and watched.


    As the underperforming student, Julie was thest one. She was panting heavily andgging behind


    Kieran by a full two and a half


    kilometers


    The coach stopped Julie, ¡°Are you here to run or to walk?¡±


    Julie held her stomach, Im on my period


    ¡°Period? That¡¯s your excuse? Do female athletes give up their matches because they¡¯re on their


    periods? Run an extra kilometer!¡± The coach scolded Julie, ¡°If you don¡¯t get moving, I¡¯ll add another


    kilometer!¡±


    The coach was very strict, and his reputation was well¨Cknown. His punishments varied, for example, he


    would easily order someone to run as a penalty.


    Julie had no choice but to walk step by step on the track.


    Ten minutester.


    Kieran, the outstanding student of the ss, started running on the track behind Julie.


    Julie was surprised to see Kieran. She hopped up to catch up with him, unabashedly asking, ¡°Kieran,


    are you here to apany me? I¡¯m really touched. Do you like me?¡±


    Kieran nced at Julie coldly and said, ¡°Stay away from me,¡±


    ¡°How far is it? Someone just made me run four kilometers, that¡¯s pretty far!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying, you should stay away from me.¡± Kieran said coldly.


    Julie immediately looked hurt. ¡°You¡¯re so cold, I might just stay away from you.¡±


    ¡°Oh


    ¡°I¡¯m a hopeless romantic who was born to love you, don¡¯t you know that?¡± said Julie very seriously. She


    didn¡¯t feel shy at all. Her crush was so pure and simple back then, so when she said those words, they


    came out with the taste of pure love and youth.


    Despite Julie¡¯s frankness, Kieranpletely ignored her.


    She had no choice but to mutter to herself, ¡°Although I¡¯m a hopeless romantic, if you keep giving me


    the cold shoulder like this, I might get hurt, you know?!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°If you admit that you like me just a tiny bit, I might be able to bounce back, you know!¡± Julie said to


    Kieran, smiling shyly.


    Thinking of this, Julie said to Kieran, ¡°Yes, you chased me for four thousand meters. I said if you admit


    that you like me a little bit, I might be able to bounce back. Do you remember how you replied?¡±


    ¡°How did I reply?¡± Kieran put his hand on Julie, too close forfort, Julie could only stare at Kieran¡¯s


    face.


    Julie said. ¡°You coldly replied, ¡®Really? Bounce back? Not likely.¡±


    Julie mimicked Kieran¡¯s tone from back then.


    Hearing Julie¡¯s serious tone, Kieran suddenlyughed.


    This man didn¡¯t care at all about his cold behavior back then. She had already exposed the fact that he


    didn¡¯t chase her back then, but why could heugh so naturally?


    More importantly, back then, Julie was attracted by this man¡¯s bright smile!


    Especially the first time they met, his smile at her was something Julie still remembers vividly.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡± Julie lifted her head and bumped into Kieran¡¯s nose, ¡°Back off!¡±


    2/3


    11:33


    Chapter 146


    Kieranid his body on top of Julie, one hand holding her head, the other rubbing his nose.


    After rubbing for a bit, he finally asked, ¡°Do you know why I said that?¡±


    ¡°Who knows!¡± Julie reached out to push Kieran, ¡°Let go first!¡±


    ¡°You said if I admit that I like you a little bit, you might be able to bounce back. I said it¡¯s not likely


    because¡­ I didn¡¯t just like you a little bit. I think I liked you more than a little bit back then.¡±


    Other people¡¯s sweet talk is a lure, Kieran¡¯s sweet talk is poison, if you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll get


    addicted.


    Julie avoided Kieran¡¯s gaze and looked elsewhere, ¡°If I believe you, I¡¯m an idiot!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a blockhead, can¡¯t you figure it out? How could a top student like me be punished to run


    laps by the teacher?¡± Kieran flicked Julie¡¯s forehead lightly.


    Being pinned down was bad enough, now she got flicked on the forehead. Julie wasn¡¯t one to take this


    lying down. She grabbed Kieran¡¯s hair, ¡°What are you trying to say, spit it out! So what if I¡¯m a


    blockhead? If I wasn¡¯t a blockhead, would I have fallen for you? You jerk! Are you letting go or not?!¡±


    Those eavesdropping people outside the door got a shock from Julie¡¯s sudden outburst. They hadn¡¯t


    expected this side of Julie, who usually seemed gentle and perhaps a bit willful.


    No one knew that Julie was a notorious troublemaker in school, or else she wouldn¡¯t have be


    good friends with Daphne Flores in college¡­


    Kieran knew getting Julie to let go of his hair was impossible, but if she kept pulling, he might lose his


    hair.


    So¡­


    Kieran pushed up Julie¡¯s T¨Cshirt from her waist all the way to her neck¡­.


    Julie instantly let go of her hand, at an astonishing speed.


    She quickly grabbed her T¨Cshirt and yanked it down.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    Chapter 147


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Lifting her head, she red at Kieran, her cheeks flushed with anger.


    ¡°Do you need help fixing your shirt?¡± Kieran asked with a frivolous smile.


    ¡°Drop dead!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, the policy of increasing birth rates has been implemented, I haven¡¯t contributed to


    society yet, if I die now, it would be a disservice to society.¡±


    ¡°You mean a disservice to your genes, right?¡± Julie was already used to Kieran¡¯s shamelessness, so


    she had no problem rebutting him.


    But Kieran justughed, ¡°Then think of it as saving the next generation. The glorious and great task of


    improving my genes can only fall on you. After all, with my inferior genes, I can still breed a smart child


    like Ivan, mostly due to your contribution.¡±


    ¡°Kieran, you really have no shame!¡± Julie red at Kieran¡¯s eyes and refuted him word by word.


    Kieran sighed lightly, ¡°Between keeping my image and getting you, I choose to give up my image.¡±


    ¡°Between keeping my image and getting you, I choose to give up you.¡±


    *Joyce, I¡¯ve only been punished physically once in my life, and that one time was because of you,


    punished by the coach to run around the field. Are you sure you want to argue with me about image


    issues, rather than ask me why I had to run with you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you like me?¡± Since Kieran already didn¡¯t care about his image, did she still need to


    maintain hers?


    Kieran had seen the most shameless moments of Julie, andpared to those, Julie was already


    quite restrained now.


    ¡°Yes, because I like you. I wanted to run with you. I was afraid that you would no longer like me after


    high school, so I went to confirm if you still liked me.¡± Kieran said.


    To Julie¡¯s surprise, Kieran was straight forward, which waspletely out of his character.


    Julie¡¯s resistance and anger involuntarily paused for a moment.


    With Kieran¡¯s words, Julie remembered that there was indeed such a thing.


    At that time, when they moved from junior high to high school, they had to change schools. Kieran had


    good grades and could easily get into a prestigious school. Julie, on the other hand, had poor grades


    and unless a miracle happened, there was no chance she could get into the same high school as


    Kieran.


    At that time, Julie felt that her purpose in life was Kieran, so she desperately tried to get into the high


    school where Kieran was.


    In order to get into the high school where Kieran was, she had to work hard in private.


    Julie thought about it and the most effective way was to get Rankin, who had good grades in ss, to


    tutor her, so she bought him lunch every day.


    For a whole week, Julie even forgot to stick to Kieran, she put all her energy into tutoring with Rankin.


    Finally, whether it was her determination that moved heaven and earth, or for some other reason,


    Rankin finally agreed to tutor her.


    Julie asked the teacher to allow her to sit next to Rankin.


    Kieran always sat in a single seat at the back of the school.


    There were many students in the ss at that time, and everyone sat on both sides of a table in pairs,


    only Kieran sat alone at the end. This was due to Kieran¡¯s own request, and Kieran¡¯s all¨Cround


    development greatly improved the overall level of the ss, so the teacher was very amodating to


    him.


    Julie originally sat in the position in front of Kieran, a position she had struggled to get.


    In order to be able to get into the same high school as Kieran in the future, Julie told Kieran before she


    moved her seat, ¡°Kieran, you¡¯re too hard to get, I¡¯m letting go, yes, you¡¯re losing me. I¡¯ve decided to


    start forgetting you step by step from moving my seat, I hope you can get into a good school. Oh! By


    the way, I hope that no one else can marry you in the future except me. You¡¯re wee.¡±


    After saying that, Julie moved to sit next to Rankin.


    ? =


    Rankin was quite simr to Kieran in some ways, especially his aloof personality, and his equally


    outstanding appearance and grades. It was only because of Kieran that his light waspletely


    covered.


    But you should know that Rankin also had a lot of suitors in the school.


    Julle still remembered the first thing Rankin said after she moved her seat next to him, ¡°You don¡¯t like


    Kieran anymore?¡±


    Julie was silent for a moment, then looked at Rankin seriously and said, ¡°Rankin, can you tell me with


    your wisdom, can a person


    1/3


    11:34)


    Chapter 147


    decide not to like another person at will?¡±


    Rankin seemed surprised by Julie¡¯s question, so he hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°That¡¯s none of


    my business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, there won¡¯t be a good ending with puppy love, you¡¯re such a smart person, you definitely


    can¡¯t fall in love early. Puppy love is not good.¡± Julie answered seriously.


    Rankin just looked at Julie with some confusion, ¡°Then why do you like Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Liking someone doesn¡¯t mean puppy love. I¡¯m just admiring him, queuing up to be his girlfriend in


    advance!¡±


    ¡°About love, it doesn¡¯t mean you could finally get it when waiting for a long time. There will be a lot of


    people cutting in line.¡± Rankin replied casually.


    Looking back on it now, Julie felt that Rankin was right.


    She came back to her senses and looked at Kieran, ¡°Do you remember Rankin? The boy who sat next


    to me in the third year of junior high school and tutored me, a very cute guy with long legs.¡±


    Although Rankin was known as the most handsome boy in the school, Kieran ssmates at the time.


    the one who was praised as a treasure by his


    Hearing the name Rankin, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but frown, he said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone


    whose legs are shorter than mine.¡±


    He¡¯s so shameless, too shameless!!


    ¡°It¡¯s the guy who was in the same ss as us in junior high and high school, but he didn¡¯t take the SAT


    in the end¡­¡­ Rankin has a very nice dimple when he smiles, but he rarely smiles, always looks


    aloof¡­¡­Hey! If you pull my clothes again, I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Kieran calmly raised his eyebrows, interrupting Julie¡¯s unfinished words.


    The words Julie was about to say disappeared from her mouth in an instant¡­


    Who the heck yanks on someone¡¯s clothes while talking?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t back off, I¡¯m gonna yell for help! It¡¯s not just me who¡¯s gonna be embarrassed. Your


    reputation is more important than mine, you¡¯ll be more famous when you embarrass yourself!¡± Julie


    red at Kieran angrily.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Rankin?¡± Kieran deflected the conversation.


    ¡°Rankin says there¡¯s no order in love, there are always people cutting in line. So, Kieran, I don¡¯t need


    you.¡± Julie said, ¡°No matter what the reason, I¡¯m really grateful you protected Ivan back then. But there


    are too many knots between us that we can¡¯t untie. Too many knots be a chasm, and now there¡¯s


    a chasm between us we can¡¯t cross, you know?¡±


    ¡°When haven¡¯t we had a chasm between us?¡± Kieran asked Julie, darkly.


    Julie opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t find an answer to his question¡­


    He was right, from the beginning, there was a distance between them, a big one.


    At first, when the Abraham family hadn¡¯t fallen, Julie could approach Kieran as a rich girl, at least the


    distance between them wasn¡¯t that big. But then Julie¡¯s parents died, the Abraham family went


    bankrupt, and her only sister, Sansa, fell into aa.


    Julie went from being a rich girl to hitting rock bottom.


    In terms of academics, the gap between Julie and Kieran was even bigger.


    So, right from the start, there was a big distance between them.


    Julie¡¯s expression had gone from initial panic to calm.


    She said, ¡°That¡¯s right, we had a gap from the start, so we won¡¯t be happy together. Haven¡¯t we proven


    that with a failed marriage?¡±


    ¡°A failed marriage?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow meaningfully, then picked up their recently issued


    marriage certificate from the table. He chuckled, ¡°The marriage isn¡¯t over, how do you know it¡¯s a


    failure?¡±


    Julie reached out to snatch the certificate.


    Kieran lifted his hand, holding it behind his neck.


    With her arms around his neck trying to take it, Julie finally realized how suggestive this action was.


    She tried to retract her arm, but then heard him say, ¡°Joyce, trust me one more time. We will be happy,


    I will make you happy.¡±


    His eyes, as clear as diamonds, reflected only Julie.


    Julie then realized, in his eyes, her gaze could be so clear, so affectionate.


    ? ? ?? ?


    ¡°Why?¡± Julie looked at Kieran curiously, asking him, ¡°Why did you want to marry me back then, and


    why do you insist on me now?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you put a spell on me? Cursed that I wouldn¡¯t be able to marry


    anyone else in this lifetime but you. Joyce, your curse is spot on.¡± He said affectionately.


    11:340


    Chapter 147


    And then¡­


    Julie¡¯s response was, ¡°Then you can die alone!¡±


    When Mrs. Hernandez starts being ruthless, she really bes heartless¡­


    ¡°They say the more ruthless a person, the richer their life experiences.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hemandez, your viewpoint is really extreme. People usually only show ruthlessness to those they


    dislike, and they can¡¯t be ruthless to those they like.¡± Julie said with a sarcastic smile.


    Kieran seemed to resonate with Julie¡¯s words, he nodded in agreement.


    Julieughed, ¡°Mr. Hemandez, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m making sense? Like, the reason you can be so


    ruthless to me is mainly because you don¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so heartless?¡± Kieran pinched Julie¡¯s waist, ¡°If I didn¡¯t like you, how could I have let


    you chase after me for so many years within my sight?¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    Chapter 148


    Julie looked at Kieran and said, ¡°Honestly, Kieran, you¡¯re the first guy I¡¯ve met who can spout such


    elegant bullcrap! You let me chase after you because you liked me, but you didn¡¯t ept me. So you


    actually enjoy the process of me pursuing you, right?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you to grow up,¡± he calmly said, waiting for Julie¡¯s response.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you to grow up because I don¡¯t want you to rush into love. I hope you can get into a


    good university and achieve your dreams, instead of making me your life goal. I don¡¯t want you to look


    back on the past and only remember that you didn¡¯t achieve anything. You should know you¡¯re


    excellent in your own right, and I like you for who you are, not because you like me.¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran speechlessly for a few seconds before helplessly responding, ¡°So should I be


    touched? Should I be moved to tears, thank you, and then repay you?¡±


    ¡°Not rush into anything with you is because I have self¨Ccontrol,¡± he replied.


    Julie covered Kieran¡¯s mouth with her hand, ¡°So when you were punished by the coach to apany


    me runningps, was it also because you had self¨Ccontrol?¡±


    Logically speaking, Kieran was such an excellent student, the coach should have liked him a lot. Why


    would he make him runps? When this was mentioned, Kieran¡¯s expression finally showed a hint of


    difort. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Julie, ¡°I said something I shouldn¡¯t have said.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Julie¡¯s tone was obviously curious.


    What Julie didn¡¯t know was that Kieran didn¡¯t intend to runps with her that day. But after the coach


    punished Julie to run, he turned back, one hand on his waist, pointing at Julie to the other students and


    said, ¡°Look at her, never proactive, she¡¯s always looking for excuses when there¡¯s a bit of difficulty.


    When she goes out into society, even a dumb donkey will be better than her!¡±


    At that time, Kieran didn¡¯t want to interact with the coach, let alone argue with him. But when the coach


    pointed at Julie and said she was worse than a dumb donkey, he unexpectedly said, ¡°How do you think


    you¡¯re better than a donkey?¡±


    The ss instantly gasped, then burst intoughter.


    Even if Kieran was excellent and the teacher liked him, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate such an insult. So¡­


    Kieran was punished to runps with Julie.


    In the end, Kieran decided to tell Julie about this.


    Julie wanted to keep her serious face, but she couldn¡¯t help it, theughter in her eyes couldn¡¯t be


    hidden.


    She could already imagine Kieran¡¯s serious expression when arguing with the teacher.


    Afterughing enough, Julie looked at Kieran and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t me everything on me, you¡¯re


    the one who said the wrong thing and got punished, it has nothing to do with me!¡±


    She patted him on the shoulder, and then started to talk business with Kieran, ¡°First of all, please stand


    up, we need to discuss our remarriage. I promise, I won¡¯t divorce.¡±


    While Kieran was still in shock, Julie used all her strength to push Kieran off her, then quickly ran to the


    door, grabbed the doorknob, and said to Kieran, ¡°Please don¡¯te closer, just stay where you are! If


    you take one more step, I¡¯ll open this door! I¡¯ll say what I need to say as soon as possible, whether or


    not I get custody of Ivan, I won¡¯t leave him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Kieran really stood still, not approaching Julie.


    Julie said, ¡°About the marriage certificate, if you want, you can keep it, I don¡¯t need it anymore. After all,


    we can directly apply for divorce to the court a few years after separation. If you agree, we can go


    through the legal process.¡±


    Kieran stood by the sofa, not responding to Julie.


    There was a distance of five or six meters between them.


    Julie looked at Kieran seriously, ¡°Being as smart as you, you should know thew that allows for


    divorce after a period of separation, right?¡±


    Kieran sat on the sofa looking at Julie, not intending to approach her.


    Julie rxed a bit, but her hand was still on the doorknob, she said to Kieran warily, ¡°Please tell me


    straight, why do you want to remarry me, why choose to remarry me at this time?¡±


    Kieran was too clever, so Julie had to view him from a smarter perspective.


    She didn¡¯t think about whether he really liked her or not, but she knew that even if Kieran wanted to


    remarry her, he wouldn¡¯t propose it at this time. He could first let her build a rtionship with Ivan and


    then gradually bring up this issue.


    1/3


    11:34N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Chapter 148


    Considering her current mood, Kieran tricked her into remarrying, she was already being very nice, not


    angry with him.


    Kieran must understand this, but he still chose to deceive her at this time, Julie believed, he must have


    his reasons.


    Kieran looked at Julie, his eyes filled with a warm smile.


    Julie was sometimes very cute, sometimes very smart, irresistibly lovable.


    He took out his phone, opened thetest trending news, and then got up to walk towards Julie.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Julie put out her hand to stop him.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t touch you, just look at this.¡± Kieran walked towards Julie while handing her his phone.


    By the time Julie was still hesitating, Kieran had already walked up to her.


    The phone screen showed the top ten trending topics, five or six of which were rted to Kieran,


    mainly about his illegitimate child, his ex¨Cwife, and a woman used of using a child to climb up the


    socialdder.


    Without thinking, Julie knew that the used woman was her.


    What Julie didn¡¯t expect was that the title of the top trending topic was ¡°Jokier¡°.


    Wasn¡¯t that her ount ID?


    Julie immediately looked at the phone screen in surprise and clicked in.


    Her ount was built many years ago, but only a few life¨Crted tweets were posted, four in total.


    One was when she first started using Twitter, cheerfully saying: I want to be a scheming woman,


    chasing a rich and handsome guy.


    Of course, that rich and handsome guy was Kieran.


    For her second tweet, a month after she started using Twitter, she joyfully posted a picture of her


    admission letter to Pinnacle University, then added a sad face emoji and tweeted, ¡°I got into Pinnacle


    University for Mr. Rich and Handsome, but he dodged me and went to Futuro Business College. Why


    would he rather go to a business school than be with me? I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    The third tweet had a sneaky shot of Kieran¡¯s back and the caption read, ¡°Chasing Mr. Rich and


    Handsome is hard. A friend told me to act decisively at the right time. I pondered and concluded that


    persistence is key.¡±


    The fourth tweet, herst update, read, ¡°Heard that persistence is futile. To get the man of your dreams,


    you need his chromosomes! Don¡¯t stop me, I¡¯m going for it!¡±


    There were only four tweets in total, and thements were scarce, mostly from familiar people.


    Beneath thest tweet, Daphne hadmented, ¡°May you sessfully use the Y chromosome in your


    body to corner Mr. Hernandez and reach the peak of life.¡±


    Thisst tweet was posted several weeks before Julie and Kieran first hooked up.


    Afterwards, Julie never tweeted again, but she didn¡¯t delete these messages either. She got used to


    pursuing Kieran, so deleting them or not didn¡¯t matter much. She was in the habit of checking Twitter,


    following thetest news, so she kept her ount active.


    But Julie never dreamed that her rarely used ount, with only five followers, would go viral overnight.


    Originally, she had five followers. One was Bertha Stewart, one was Daphne, and the other three were


    strangers.


    But then, overnight, her follower count shot up to over a million, and those few tweets were flooded with


    comments.


    In the detective¨Cli


    Many used her of ¡°climbing the socialdder through the kid,¡± said Kieran was ¡°blinded,¡± and some


    even went to Daphne¡¯s page to use her and Julie of working together, which seemed to affect


    Daphne¡¯spany more or less.


    Julie never thought it would escte to this level.


    She didn¡¯t really care, but when she heard people on the inte calling her child illegitimate and


    ming Daphne, even the normally patient Julie got pissed.


    She quickly drafted a tweet, ¡°The kid is mine, who do I need to ¡®borrow¡® from?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t intend to send it, knowing what it would imply, but she never thought Kieran would snatch


    her phone and press send.


    Staring wide¨Ceyed, Julie looked at Kieran and asked incredulously, ¡°What did you just do?¡±


    ¡°It was an ident,¡± he replied, then skillfully deleted the tweet, handed her the phone back, and said


    innocently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve deleted


    it.¡±


    Julie looked at her phone and indeed, it was deleted¡­


    But those quick on the draw had already screenshot it as evidence in less than two minutes.


    Seeing Julie¡¯stest tweet deleted immediately after being posted, they quicklymented on the


    previous tweet.


    2/3


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    Julie held her tongue for a while, but couldn¡¯te up with a single insult for Kieran. In the end, she


    could only tug at his tie in anger and helplessness and ask, ¡°Do you want me dead, but you don¡¯t want


    to get your hands dirty, so you¡¯re letting thesements drown me?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s hand, rough and strong, gripped Julie¡¯s soft hand¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go public, announce that we¡¯re married.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Chapter 149


    Within the conference hall, cameras were going off non¨Cstop, all lights spotlighting the stage.


    Golden tablecloths were spread over the hastily¨Cprepared stools. Julie and Kieran were seated


    onstage, with Ivan in between them.


    Kieran¡¯s assistant, Karl, stood off to the side, while Daphne sat next to Julie.


    Daphne nced at Julie nervously. ¡°Julie, although I often interview celebrities, this is the first time I¡¯ve


    been interviewed. What if something goes wrong?¡±


    ¡°We keep our mouths shut and just nod,¡± Julie said,pletely chill.


    Daphne looked at Julie incredulously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you understand Mr. Hernandez but won¡¯t forgive


    him? Why are you suddenly holding this press conference?¡±


    Daphne¡¯s voice was barely above a whisper.


    When Julie first married Kieran, she¡¯d imagined countless times how they would go public, but she


    never expected to be under the re of camera shes, like they were announcing a major corporate


    decision.


    Before Julie could answer Daphne¡¯s question, the reporters started firing away. ¡°Ms. Abraham, what


    was the tweet you deleted around noon today about?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Abraham, are you and Mr. Hernandez holding this press conference to rify your rtionship?¡±


    ¡°What do you think of the rumors that you ¡®get your way to the top by sleeping with men¡®?¡±


    Questions flew left and right, not even giving Karl a chance to get a word in.


    Ivan couldn¡¯t stand to see anyone bullying Julie. He was about to speak out, his demeanor resembling


    an agitated little leopard.


    However, before Ivan could utter a word, Kieran¡¯s hand was already on the seat.


    Kieran reached for the microphone.


    But Julie beat him to the punch, addressing the media calmly, ¡°Just like the tweet I identally deleted


    today, I gave birth to the child myself, I don¡¯t need anyone to depend on.¡±


    Kieran looked at Julie, his initial intention to speak reced by a tender gaze.


    It was a look none had ever seen on Kieran¡¯s face before.


    Kieran first came into public view when his brother Lucian Hernandez died in a ne crash.


    Since then, Kieran had drawn widespread attention for his ruthless business acumen that had allowed


    Simpo Co. to steadily establish its position in the industry, bing an immovable force.


    Many were excited by Kieran¡¯s business empire. Apart from a previous scandal with Bertha, Kieran¡¯s


    personal life remained a mystery.


    The incident with Bertha ended with Kieran suing Creative Nexus Media, revealing no further details to


    the public.


    So when it was revealed that Kieran had an illegitimate child, it caused a huge stir.


    Julie¡¯s cool and confident statement silenced the entire conference hall for several seconds.


    Then, a barrage of questions came.


    Almost all reporters pointed their microphones at Julie, showing no intention of letting Kieran speak.


    From the moment Julie decided to go public, she never considered backing down. So when the


    questions came flying at her, she remained incredibly calm.


    She ignored the flurry of questions, calmly raising the microphone to her mouth.


    Unexpectedly, Kieran¡¯srge hand swooped in, snatching the microphone from Julie, his charming


    smile pointing to the well¨Cbehaved Ivan between them. ¡°This child, is indeed hers, no doubt about it.¡±


    Then, his gaze fell on Julie, adding, ¡°And this woman, is mine, undoubtedly.¡±


    Just as a reporter was about to speak, Kieran continued, ¡°Oh, and the child is mine, and Ms. Abraham


    and I are legally married, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Kieran finished, shooting Karl a nce.


    Karl got the hint, taking over Kieran¡¯s microphone, exining to the media, ¡°Ms. Daphne is Mrs.


    Abraham¡¯s ssmate and close friend, and also the deputy editor of Gentlemen magazine. Mr.


    Hernandez previously chose to keep their marriage secret to protect Mrs. Abraham and their son from


    excessive media attention. Due to the recent false reports by various media outlets, which have


    seriously bothered the child and Mrs. Abraham, Mr. Hernandez has called this press conference,


    hoping that the media can immediately retract


    1/3


    11:34


    Chapter 149


    these false reports.¡±


    However, no matter how well Karl spoke, it couldn¡¯t stop the curiosity of the journalists.


    As soon as Karl finished speaking, a reporter asked, ¡°Ms. Abraham just admitted that the tweet was


    hers, so does this mean that the ¡®Jokier¡® ount truly belongs to Ms. Abraham?¡±


    The question was sharp. If Julie admitted that the tweet was indeed hers, it would indirectly confirm the


    rumors about her. If she denied it, no one would believe her.


    Weighing her options, Julie decided to tell the truth.


    Suddenly, Kieran held her hand, then turned it over to hold her palm in his.


    ¡°Yes, that ount was indeed opened by Mrs. Abraham many years ago.¡±


    ¡°Does the rich, handsome guy mentioned in Ms. Abraham¡¯s tweet refer to Mr. Hernandez?¡± a reporter


    asked.


    Julie gave Kieran a look, and Kieran smiled at the reporters, saying, ¡°I¡¯m honored to have once been


    the apple of Mrs. Abraham¡¯s eye.¡±


    ¡°Did Ms. Abraham pursue you first?¡± A voice from the crowd asked.


    Julie didn¡¯t feel the need to hide anything. Reporters these days were good at digging up the dirt, and


    her pursuing Kieran back in the day was no secret now. It had pretty much be a story told during


    freshmen orientation.


    So, Julie nodded at the reporters, saying, ¡°Yep.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the secret to winning over Mr. Hernandez? Care to share?¡± A female reporter asked


    curiously.


    Julie could have dodged the question, but considering her past tweets, she ended up answering with a


    grin, ¡°Just have some confidence.¡±


    The reporters were a bit taken aback by her honesty.


    Kieran took over the mic, smiling into the camera lens, a smirk ying on his lips, ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a petty


    guy, and I set up some tricky problems for her. I wanted to make sure she really liked me, so I set up


    these challenges for her.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s words were filled with affection for Julie.


    Julie looked at Kieran in surprise, but then Ivan suddenly stood up, naturally taking Julie¡¯s hand, ¡°Mom,


    when can we have dinner? I¡¯m starving!¡±


    Kieranughed, bending down to pick up Ivan, then asked Julie and Ivan, ¡°What are you guys in the


    mood for?¡±


    ¡°Ask mom.¡± The little guy shed his adorable teeth, smiling at Julie.


    As the heartwarming scene unfolded, Karl had security escort Julie and Kieran out.


    Daphne was initially leaving the hotel with Julie and Kieran under the protection of security, but seeing


    the harmonious atmosphere between Julie and Kieran, Daphne smartly found an excuse, ¡°Julie, I¡¯ve


    got something to do nearby, so I won¡¯t go with you guys. We¡¯ll keep in touch.¡±


    After saying this, Daphne nced at Kieran, quickly whispered in Julie¡¯s ear, ¡°If Mr. Hernandez gives


    you any trouble, call the cops! If that doesn¡¯t work, call me, I¡¯lle help you!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Julie replied with a smile.


    After seeing Julie and Kieran leave, Daphne was about to call a cab when she didn¡¯t expect the


    reporters in the hotel to suddenly chase after her.


    Being the only one left, Daphne was surrounded by reporters.


    ¡°We heard Ms. Daphne is a Pinnacle University graduate, were you ssmates with Ms. Abraham?¡±


    ¡°Do you know any stories about Ms. Abraham and Mr. Hernandez? Can you share with us?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Daphne you didn¡¯t have to be at the press conference today. Why did you show up to support Ms.


    Abraham? Is it to prove that Ms. Abraham, is not a hypocrite?¡±


    Daphne kept her silence.


    Why did she show up at the press conference?


    In fact, Daphne ended up here by chance.


    After problems arose between Kieran and Julie, she had been unable to contact Julie. When she finally


    got a hold of Julie, Daphne asked for her address and arrived just as Julie was preparing for the press


    conference.


    All in all, Daphne had unintentionally be a witness to Kieran and Julie¡¯s love story.


    But¡­ was this the right way to treat a witness?


    Daphne was experienced in interviewing big stars, but it was always in a civil and polite environment.


    This was her first time


    ???


    11:34


    experiencing the life of a star, being gawked at in the street, feeling like a monkey in a zoo, and she


    suddenly felt awful¡­


    Just as Daphne was considering how to get away, she suddenly saw a familiar figure.


    Daphne¡¯s eyes lit up, she immediately pointed in the direction of the figure and shouted at the


    reporters, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Mr. Lionel!¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    11:34


    Chapter 150


    The moment ¡°Mr. Lionel¡± was mentioned, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted towards the direction Daphne was


    pointing at. At first, everyone thought Daphne was just trying to cause a distraction, but when they


    turned and looked, Lionel was actually standing in the jewelry


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    store across the street.


    Next to Lionel was a woman wearing a blue cloak. She was tall and even from a distance, you could


    tell she was stunning.


    They stood in front of the diamond ring counter, looking pretty close, like old friends.


    Thest time Mr. Lionel was caught up in some juicy gossip was with his manager, Albertine. But in the


    end, she tied the knot with the well¨Cknown director, Babur Farrell.


    Before rify his rtionship with Albertine, Mr. Lionel was always at the center of the rumor mill. Be it


    an Oscar¨Cwinning actress or a supermodel, if he was in the picture, gossip was bound to follow.


    But sadly, ever since he and Albertine called it quits, there¡¯s been no more gossip about Mr. Lionel. He


    seemed to have turned a new leaf and stopped hobnobbing with female celebrities and models. He


    also seemed more focused on work.


    Even at press conferences, he wanted more attention on his work. People all thought he was just being


    discreet about his love life, but no matter how much the media dug, there were no leads.


    After a long scandal¨Cfree streak, who would¡¯ve thought Mr. Lionel would show up in public with a


    woman, and while shopping for diamond rings, no less!


    All the reporters dashed towards Lionel,pletely forgetting about Daphne, who was their original


    target.


    Daphne also followed the reporters. Just a few days ago, she had worked her butt off to get an


    exclusive interview with Mr. Lionel about his love life. The magazine interview hadn¡¯t even been


    published!


    If Mr. Lionel¡¯s going public with his rtionship now, then what was the point of the interview?


    This might even jeopardize Daphne¡¯s potential promotion.


    Thinking about that, Daphne regretted impulsively giving the media a scoop about Lionel. Who knew he


    was here to shop for a diamond ring with a woman!


    Like a detective, Daphne bought a baseball cap and arge shawl to disguise herself so that she won¡¯t


    get recognized by the reporters. She then followed the reporters into the jewelry store.


    The woman who appeared with Lionel in the jewelry store was ssy. At first nce, Daphne


    recognized her.


    It was Katie, a multi¨Ctalented actress who had worked with Lionel years ago. Because of their movie,


    The Mythical Dragon Whisker, fans gave them the nickname Kitty&Lion.


    Back then, some people spected that they fell in love during filming, but Lionel had dated many


    women afterwards, and he never publicly admitted being with Katie.


    Looks like they¡¯ve been in a low¨Ckey rtionship all this time!


    Daphne was once a suppo


    of Lionel and Albertine.


    Standing in the crowd, Daphne watched as the reporters surrounded Lionel and Katie, mic in hand,


    asking about their rtionship.


    Lionel and Katie, wearing and sunsses, seemed surprised by the media¡¯s presence. Daphne,


    standing behind the crowd, only


    came to check on her magazine interview.


    The reporters started grilling Lionel and Katie about their rtionship.


    Lionel looked directly at Katie, his gaze


    oft, as


    if asking her if they should go public.


    Daphne rolled her eyes under her cap, thinking: Lionel is shameless! Just a few days ago during the


    interview he said he didn¡¯t have a perfect partner in mind, and now he¡¯s out shopping for a diamond


    ring with someone else?


    Especially when Katie¡¯s diamond ring still had the price tag on it!


    As Daphne wasining, Katie stepped forward, took off her sunsses and mask, and said to the


    media with a smile, ¡°You guys got it all wrong, my rtionship with Mr. Lionel is not what you think¡­¡±


    Daphne snorted under her breath, ¡°Mr. Lionel and I are just good friends.¡±


    Daphne, who was talking to herself, didn¡¯t realize Lionel had seen her mouth movements.


    Daphne was a bit disappointed, worrying that her interview might be a flop. Just as she was thinking


    about digging up some dirt on Lionel, she heard Katieugh and say, ¡°Mr. Lionel indeed came to help


    me choose a diamond ring.¡±


    Daphne smirked.


    Not long ago Lionel said in an interview that he had no partner¡­ What a liar!


    1/2


    11:34


    Chapter 150


    Daphne nced at Lionel, who was letting Katie do all the talking while he was ying with his phone,


    not exining or confirming anything. How terrible to let a woman take the bullet!


    A reporter asked, ¡°Are you and Mr. Lionel secretly married like Mr. Hernandez and Ms. Abraham?¡±


    At this, even Daphne perked up her ears to hear Katie¡¯s reply.


    Katie quickly waved her hands, smiling all the while, ¡°You guys got it all wrong, Mr. Lionel is just here to


    help me out as a friend. Our rtionship isn¡¯t what you¡¯re imagining, my fianc¨¦ is Mr. Lionel¡¯s cousin.¡±


    These words left Daphne bbergasted.


    So Lionel hadn¡¯t lied, the interview was valid, and there was still hope for her promotion!


    Daphne instantly broke into a huge grin.


    Mr. Lionel is such a good man!


    The reporters were all shocked, they didn¡¯t expect Katie to be engaged, let alone to Lionel¡¯s cousin.


    Daphne didn¡¯t care about any of that. After getting the answer she wanted, she was happy and


    satisfied and was ready to leave.


    Suddenly, Lionel turned towards Daphne and shed a heart¨Cmelting smile.


    He swiftly moved behind Daphne, grabbing her arm, ¡°Babe, you misunderstood again?¡±


    Daphne was totally confused, pointing at her face, ¡°Me? Babe?¡±


    ¡°Well, since Mr. Hernandez¡¯s love life is out in the open, let¡¯s use this chance to announce ours!¡± Lionel


    said, even though he was talking about revealing their rtionship, he lowered Daphne¡¯s hat even


    further and adjusted her posture, shielding the petite Daphnepletely from the camera lenses.


    Daphne was well protected by Lionel, and the media could only capture the back of her head.


    Daphne looked bewildered, like a deer caught in headlights. In Lionel¡¯s arms, she was having a hard


    time breathing.


    She really wanted to ask Mr. Lionel: Are we that close?


    But Mr. Lionel didn¡¯t even give her a chance to speak, he pressed her head against his chest and led


    her towards the his van. After getting in the car, Lionel spoke a few words to the driver, who then left.


    When Daphne came to her senses, she realized that Katie had already safely left under the escort of


    the security, and all the reporters were waiting outside the van for her and Lionel.


    Only then did Daphne react, saying to Lionel, ¡°You used me!¡±


    When Daphne came to her senses, she realized that the man sitting across from her was Mr. Lionel¡­


    who might be her future boss, because there were rumors that Mr. Lionel was nning to buy


    Gentlemen.


    Snapping back to reality, Daphne looked at Lionel with a full¨Cfaced smile, ¡°What an honor to be your


    human shield!¡±


    ¡°Babe, if you don¡¯t show your face, you¡¯re not a real shield.¡± Lionel looked at Daphne with a charming


    gaze.


    Hearing Lionel say the word ¡®babe¡®, Daphne felt her legs go weak.


    She forced a smile at Lionel, ¡°Mr. Lionel, just call me Daphne!¡±


    ¡°Daphne.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Indeed, being called by her name sounded much better.


    ¡°You¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Daphne looked out the car window, then she hesitated and looked at Lionel, asking, ¡°Why? What


    happened?¡±


    Lionel thought carefully and answered Daphne seriously, ¡°I mean, you might need some help.¡±


    Just as Daphne was pondering the meaning of his answer, the driver opened the car door again and


    walked in, handing Lionel a ck bag.


    Lionel took the bag and handed it to Daphne.


    Daphne, somewhat puzzled, took the bag and then nced at the shape inside¡­ pads and tampons?


    Daphne immediately thought of Lionel¡¯s words and her face turned pale¡­


    She immediately stood up from the car seat, her face full of embarrassment¡­


    212


    11:34

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    Chapter 151


    In the bathroom, Daphne stared at the pack of tampons with a look of utter despair. Her face turned


    red. She felt helpless and ended up banging her head against the wall a couple of times, clutching the


    pads.


    She never thought she¡¯d find herself in such a painfully awkward situation.


    With nowhere to vent her frustration, Daphne dialed Julie¡¯s number in agony, ¡°Julie, I can¡¯t take it


    anymore,e find me in two hours.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end, then Julie replied, ¡°Can it wait until the day after tomorrow? I


    might not make it back in two hours.¡±


    Daphne was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Whats up?¡± Julie asked with concern on the other end of the line.


    ¡°I got my period¡­¡±


    Julie immediately sympathized, ¡°Even though I don¡¯t get bad cramps, I also get upset when ites.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of that!¡± Daphne passionately recounted the events that had just transpired, including


    Lionel kindly dropping her off at thepany¡¯s front door.


    However, Julie honed in on one key point, ¡°Lionel called you babe, and gently helped you, what does


    that mean?¡±


    As an adult, this wasn¡¯t hard to understand.


    Daphne¡¯s face turned red, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to the meaning of Lionel¡¯s words. After Julie¡¯s


    exnation, Daphne was speechless.


    Why was Lionel being such a gentleman, and choosing her to be his ¡°babe¡±?


    Julie remarked, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Mr. Lionel to be so sweet! Daphne, you¡¯re in for a treat.¡±


    Daphne replied, ¡°wait for me, I¡¯lle find you in two hours.¡±


    Julie hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Thene find me at Noblewood Retreat, I might be


    staying here for a bit.¡±


    Daphne caught on immediately, ¡°So, you¡¯re actually moving in with Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie quickly assured Daphne, ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Though Daphne wasn¡¯t particrly clever, she understood that the rtionship between Julie and


    Kieran wasn¡¯t something that could be exined in a sentence. So they just joked around a bit and


    hung up. Daphne continued to support Julie as always and told her that she had her back.


    After hanging up, Julie still felt warm from Daphne¡¯s words.


    Finally, Daphne asked Julie why she was holding a press conference with Kieran, and whether she had


    forgiven him.


    In fact, Julie hadn¡¯t expected to hold a press conference with Kieran either.


    Not untilter when she was facing off with Kieran and received a call from Julien.


    At that moment, Kieran held the hand she had gripping his tie and told her, ¡°Let¡¯s make it public,


    announce that we¡¯re married.¡±


    Hearing this, Julie smirked, but it wasn¡¯t out of joy, it was a bitter smile.


    She looked at Kieran with a mocking gaze and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    She bluntly asked, ¡°Why do you get to hide the marriage when you want to, and make it public when


    you want to? Why do you get to love me when you want to, and have me chase you when you pretend


    not to like me? You want to reconcile and I have toply, who am I to you? Even if I am an actress, I


    don¡¯t need to y along with this drama, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so high and mighty, never considering others¡¯ feelings. You¡¯re smart, emotionally intelligent,


    because you¡¯re capable, because you have your troubles, so it¡¯s always my fault. You said we should


    keep our marriage hidden, and I had to listen to you. You said we should remarry, and I had to go along


    with it, right? Kieran, tell me, why?¡±


    Julie released Kieran¡¯s tie and gave him a big push!


    To avoid hurting Julie, Kieran staggered back a couple of steps.


    Just as the atmosphere between Julie and Kieran was tense, there was suddenly the calm voice of


    Julien from the balcony outside the window.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why.¡±


    Hearing Julien¡¯s familiar voice, Julie was surprised and turned to look in the direction of the balcony.


    This was the second floor, and Julien just suddenly appeared on the balcony¡­ Maybe it was because


    Julie was used to Julien¡¯s unexpected actions, so she wasn¡¯t scared by Julien¡¯s sudden appearance.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julien knocked on the balcony door twice, and said to Julie through the ss, ¡°Open the door.¡±


    Julie was still stunned and didn¡¯t react.


    Julien frowned in displeasure, took out two lock picking tools from his pocket, quickly unlocked the


    door, walked up to Julie, and said, ¡°Because a person¡¯s good luck is limited, and your good luck ran out


    the moment you met him.¡±


    Julien looked at Julie and pointed at Kieran.


    Julie was dumbfounded.


    Kieran nced at Julien, ¡°Ms. Julien, this is breaking and entering.¡±


    ¡°You used me before, I haven¡¯t settled that with you yet. Now I need to borrow your woman, you can


    leave now or fight me and then leave. Your choice.¡± Julien looked at Kieran.


    Julie finally snapped back and asked Julien, ¡°He used you?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Julien suddenly smiled at Julie, asking her enthusiastically.


    As for the current situation, Julie didn¡¯t want to guess. But knowing the personalities of the two, she


    turned her head to look at Kieran and said, ¡°We¡¯ve said all there is to say between us, let¡¯s leave it at


    that!¡±


    After saying this, Julie took Julien¡¯s hand and headed directly for the door.


    Outside the door, a group of people led by Tina, who saw clearly that Julie and Kieran had gone in


    together, couldn¡¯t figure out how they came out as three people.


    And¡­


    Mrs. Abraham was actually being led away by a woman with a fierce look on her face, who looked even


    more handsome than a man¡­


    To Julie¡¯s surprise, this time Kieran didn¡¯t stop her from leaving with Julien, but let Julien take her


    away,¡±


    Julien immediately pulled Julie into the car.


    In Julie¡¯s memory, Julien always seemed like a guy who loved making a big fuss. So, when Julien


    showed up in front of her out of the blue, Julie had this gut feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to spill some truths,¡± Julien said, getting straight to the point.


    Julie looked at Julien in shock, ¡°What truths?¡±


    ¡°Listen to this first, then we¡¯ll talk.¡± Julien shoved a mini recorder in Julie¡¯s ear and hit the y button.


    Julie was puzzled and innocently looked back at Julien.


    ¡°Listen!¡±


    Julien was as icy as ever.


    The recording was a conversation between Kieran and Julien. It took ce while Julie was chatting


    with Daphne in the hospital room, with Kieran and Julien talking outside.


    After the recording, Julien finally started talking, ¡°Julie, Kieran cherishes you, and I respect him. The


    Lucian situation is moreplicated than you think. You, being the most important woman in Kieran¡¯s


    life, should know better than anyone that Lucian is Kieran¡¯s most important rtive.¡±


    Julien rarely stuck up for others, Julie knew that.


    ¡°From what we know, Lucian is still alive, but we don¡¯t know why he changed so drastically after the


    ne crash, even raping Bertha. But you should know that Bertha chose to have Lucian¡¯s child. She


    just made a wrong choice at the time,¡± Julien continued.


    Julie knew what Julien meant by ¡°wrong choice¡±. It was why Kieran and Bertha had an agreement.


    Bertha thought that if the baby was Lucian¡¯s, he would insist on her getting an abortion. The only way


    for her to keep the baby was to make everyone believe it was Kieran¡¯s. Despite Lucian¡¯s personality


    change after the crash, his affection for Kieran remained the same.


    Bertha was right, Lucian never harmed the baby.


    Kieran, not knowing the truth at the time, chose to protect Bertha out of brotherly love, to preserve


    Lucian¡¯s only offspring.


    The whole thing was a setup by Bertha, but Julien said, ¡°Bertha made a wrong choice.¡±


    Julie looked at Julien, waiting for what she would say next.


    Julien said, ¡°After the ne crash, Lucian seems to believe that Bertha was in love with Kieran, and he


    deliberately framed Kieran by drugging him. That¡¯s why Lucian raped Bertha. More importantly, Lucian


    somehow found out that the baby in your womb wasn¡¯t Kieran¡¯s. Given that you once threatened Kieran


    with marriage, Lucian decided to get rid of the baby.¡±


    Julien tried to downy the shocking event.


    ¡°At the time, we knew nothing about Lucian, and I believe Kieran was in the same boat. We didn¡¯t know


    what Lucian was capable of, or how far he would go for Kieran. So Kieran¡¯s only option was to protect


    you by hurting you, even if it meant you hating him. If I were in


    his shoes, I probably wouldn¡¯t have the courage to bear the intense hatred from someone I deeply love,


    let alone having Daphne constantly badmouth me.¡±


    Julie just listened to Julien¡¯s rational analysis, her mind getting more and more confused.


    Finally, Julien asked Julie, ¡°Just answer me this, given your unwavering love for Kieran back then, if a


    bullet was heading his way, would you step in front of it?¡±


    The answer to this question was easy.


    Julie¡¯s affection for Kieran in the past was indeed a deep, unconditional kind of love. Not to mention a


    bullet, even if she were to be shot full of holes, she would probably still go for it without a second


    thought¡­


    Although Julie didn¡¯t answer Julien¡¯s question, the answer was pretty obvious.


    So Julien continued to say to Julie, ¡°Between having you possibly sacrifice your life for him, and having


    you alive but hating him, Kieran chose thetter. It¡¯s a very courageous choice.¡±

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    Chapter 152


    Julie understood the original intention of Kieran signing the contract with Bertha, as well as the deep


    brotherly bond between him and


    Lucian.


    She thought, if Kieran¡¯s choice was for Lucian¡¯s child, then she could understand Kieran¡¯s decision and


    respect his past choices.


    However, Kieran never told Julie that when he made these decisions. The first thing he thought about


    was her safety.


    Kieran had always been giving, whether it was in the past or now. But Julie understood better than


    anyone that they had been through too much together, and some wounds were hard to heal once


    formed.


    Julie didn¡¯t deny that she was obsessed with Kieran at first, didn¡¯t deny her intense dislike of himter,


    and didn¡¯t deny that after going through so much, she still couldn¡¯t erase him from her life and memory.


    But¡­


    ¡°I understand his decisions, but he never told me why. He never thought that I¡¯m not a pushover! Didn¡¯t


    he ever think of telling me the truth and facing it together? Why treat me like an ignorant person?¡±


    Just like Kieran said, when Julie was in love with him, he never said he liked her because he was


    considering for her, not wanting her to be in a rtionship too early. But Kieran never considered


    whether Julie wanted to be in a rtionship early, as if he was never afraid that she would suddenly


    change her affection, as if he had already determined that she would only like him in her life.


    Later on, the decision Kieran made behind Julie¡¯s back deceived her. He never talked to her about


    divorce, but forced Julie to sign the divorce agreement herself. Everything he seemed to do was for her


    good, and every choice he made was right and justified.


    Julien looked at Julie for about half a minute before he chuckled and said, ¡°Are all you lovebirds so


    sensitive?¡±


    At that time, Julie was baffled by Julien¡¯s look¡­


    She asked Julien somewhat puzzled, ¡°How am I being sensitive?¡±


    ??


    ¡°You said Kieran makes decisions without considering your feelings, let me counter-question, did you


    ever ask about his feelings back then?¡± Julien¡¯s counter-question left Julie speechless.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julien, like an experienced master, patted Julie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°What you should be most grateful


    for is that you are both still alive, there are no permanent goodbyes, and no one is physically impaired.


    Being alive is the greatest gift.¡±


    Julien¡¯s words were easy and rxed, like a person who had been through a lot. But Julie heard his


    emotion.


    Sometimes people demand too much and forget their original goal, forgetting that only the living have


    the right to make demands and desires¡­


    At that time, Julien said to Julie, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why Kieran didn¡¯t choose to face the difficulties with you


    at the time, but you know the man you loved deeply best. What I can tell you now is that I¡¯m sure


    Lucian is still alive. Bertha didn¡¯tmit suicide, even though we know Lucian misunderstood Bertha,


    but Lucian must have feelings for Bertha. And you happened to be at the scene when Bertha jumped


    off the building, meaning, we can¡¯t guarantee that Lucian won¡¯t turn his attention back to you because


    of Bertha. So, the safest way for you now is to stay within Kieran¡¯s sight.¡±


    Julien said, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you love Kieran or whether you can end up with Kieran in the end, but


    my goal is the same as his. First of all, you have to survive, if you are around Kieran, at least I don¡¯t


    need to worry about you distractedly. Meanwhile, you can build a bond with Ivan.¡±


    Julie understood Julien¡¯s kindness. Although Julien didn¡¯t talk much and didn¡¯t say some touching


    words like Daphne from time to time, since they met, Julien really treated Julie as her lifesaver.


    Julien looked at Julie earnestly, ¡°No matter how you choose, you must admit, Ivan is safer with Kieran


    than with you. Not to mention that you still have Sansa to take care of, Ivan being with you, first of all,


    it¡¯s hard for you to raise him financially. You can¡¯t provide Ivan with afortable financial environment,


    that¡¯s the first point. Secondly, if Lucian wants to harm you, Ivan may be affected.¡±


    Julie was silent after hearing this.


    Julien¡¯s words were very objective and reasonable.


    ¡°Wait until you and Ivan have established a good rtionship, three monthster, if you still don¡¯t want


    to stay by Kieran¡¯s side, I will quit my job at the National Security Agency and take care of you


    personally. I guarantee Kieran won¡¯t be able to find you, I mean what I say, this is to repay you for


    saving my life.¡± This was thest thing Julien said to Julie that day.


    Eventually, Julie dialed Kieran¡¯s number with the recorder Julien gave her.


    The following press conference went much smoother than she expected.


    From today on, in everyone¡¯s eyes, she officially became Mrs. Hernandez.


    When she returned home with Kieran and Ivan, it wasn¡¯t until Daphne called Julie that she came back


    to her senses.


    In the end, Julie thought Julien made a lot of sense, no matter what happens between Kieran and


    herself in the end, she would never


    give up Ivan.


    From Julien¡¯s objective analysis, Kieran could provide Ivan with a better life, which was actually


    secondary, the important thing was, as long as Lucian¡¯s issue wasn¡¯t resolved, both she and Ivan were


    in danger.


    Although the feelings between Julie and Kieran now couldn¡¯t be measured by the deep love they had in


    the beginning, Julie still trusted Kieran, trusted that he could handle all matters rted to Lucian.


    It was a trust from her bones.


    So, from any perspective, making her rtionship with Kieran public was the right choice.


    Julie leaned on the balcony, deep in thought.


    At this moment, Ivan suddenly brought out a cup of warm milk from the living room, and came out


    carefully.


    He tugged at her sleeve, his face full of anticipation, ¡°Mom, do you want some milk? It¡¯ll help you sleep


    better.¡±


    It was a bit windy on the balcony inte autumn. Julie had been standing there after hanging up the


    phone with Daphne. She took the milk from Ivan¡¯s hand, feeling a warmth in her heart.


    Just as Julie was about to take a sip, Ivan suddenly said, ¡°Mom, the milk isn¡¯t too hot, right? Dad tasted


    it before giving it to you! It¡¯s definitely good.¡±


    Julie identally spit a mouthful of milk all over Ivan¡¯s face.


    Ivan helplessly closed his eyes¡­


    Julie quickly put down the cup, rolled up her sleeves to clean Ivan¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do


    that. I guess I¡¯m a clumsy mom¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Julie froze.


    The casual ¡®mom¡¯ she had just said, it came out so naturally, as if it came from the depths of her heart.


    The little boy, covered in milk, suddenly broke into a wide grin and ran into the house, shouting at


    Kieran as he ran, ¡°Kieran!! My mom finally admitted that I¡¯m her son, haha, she acknowledged me


    before even acknowledging you as her husband!¡±


    Kieran was speechless. This kid is a naturaledian!


    Kieran, holding a wool shawl, walked to the balcony, while pointing at Ivan¡¯s head, ¡°Go take a bath.¡±


    Ivan touched his face, he himself was grossed out by his own mess¡­


    He thought Ivan would go to bathe immediately as Kieran suggested, but instead, he turned to Julie


    and shouted, ¡°Mom, can you help me bathe?¡±


    Julie was stunned.


    Kieran¡¯srge hand cupped Ivan¡¯s head, making the little guy look at him.


    Kieran smiled at the little guy, ¡°How about I help you bathe?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s expression was neither gentle nor kind.


    Ivan decisively shook his head, ¡°No, you won¡¯t clean me properly!¡±


    Kieran patted Ivan¡¯s shoulder, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Do you want my help or will you shower yourself?¡±


    Whenever Ivan saw this expression on Kieran, he knew he was up to something.


    Growing up under Kieran¡¯s guidance, Ivan¡­


    Ivan reluctantly nced at Julie, then quickly scampered upstairs.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze followed Ivan, then, holding the shawl, he turned back towards the balcony.


    Julie stood on the balcony, holding the cup of milk that Ivan had just handed her, about to go inside.


    She saw Kieran walking towards her, and she froze, holding the milk cup.


    The cool breeze was messing up her smooth hair.


    Kieran draped the dark grey checked wool shawl over Julie¡¯s shoulders, then nced at his watch and


    said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and it¡¯s windy out here. Let¡¯s go inside?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t refuse Kieran¡¯s kindness, as she was feeling a bit chilly. She adjusted the shawl on her


    shoulders, then, holding the cup of milk, headed towards the room.


    Shannon brought a cup of tea and handed it to Julie, ¡°I heard Mrs. Abraham coughing this afternoon,


    so I made you some ginger tea. Have some, you might catch a cold.¡±


    Julie gave Shannon a sweet smile, ¡°Thank you, Shannon.¡±


    She finished the ginger tea in one gulp. It warmed her stomach, making her feelfortable.


    As Shannon turned to go back to the kitchen, Julie called her back, ¡°Shannon, where are the nkets


    for the guest room?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Abraham, are you nning to sleep in the guest room?¡± Shannon looked surprised, holding the


    cup in her hand, she looked at Julie, then at Kieran.


    Kieran spoke directly to Shannon, ¡°She¡¯ll be sleeping in my master bedroom, you can go rest now.¡±


    5

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    Chapter 153


    Shannon left immediately.


    Julie walked up to Kieran and asked, ¡°If we¡¯re living together legally, do I also have to share the bed


    with you?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I can oblige,¡± Kieran replied.


    Julie called out to Shannon in the kitchen, ¡°Shannon, could you move the beddings to the guest room


    later?¡±


    Kieran, with a grin, ruffled Julie¡¯s hair and yelled towards the kitchen, ¡°Shannon, move the beddings to


    the study.¡±


    Julie watched Kieran walk away, his back looking more mature than she remembered.


    After Julie had her bath, Shannon moved all of Julie¡¯s luggage to the master bedroom. Then she


    grabbed some bedding and headed to the study.


    Before leaving, Shannon looked back at Julie and said, ¡°You and Mr. Hernandez being together is a


    blessing. As the saying goes, small quarrels between couples don¡¯t affect their love. That¡¯s wisdom our


    ancestors left us. Believe in it.¡±


    Julie knew Shannon meant well, so she just smiled and nodded.


    Without saying more, Shannon took the bedding and left for the study.


    She ced the bedding on the long leather sofa and looked at Kieran with concern, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    should I make the bed in the guest bedroom for you? You must feel terrible not being able to sleep


    Kieran smiled back, ¡°Has Julie gone to bed?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, she just finished showering.¡±


    Kieran sat on the sofa, looking tired, ¡°Shannon, sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m too hard on Julie.¡±


    Shannon looked at Kieran, ¡°Mrs. Abraham will understand your predicament. Your love for her will


    eventually reach her.¡±


    ¡°Go rest, goodnight,¡± Kieran said with a smile.


    In the end, Julie didn¡¯t sleep in Kieran¡¯s master bedroom but stayed in her old room. Before going to


    bed, she took the remote that could turn the two rooms into one from Kieran¡¯s room.


    In the middle of the night, Julie got up to get some water and noticed the study¡¯s light was still on.


    For some reason, she gently pushed open the door to the study and found Kieran lying tiredly on the


    sofa. The nkets had all fallen onto the floor, making him look somewhat simr to Ivan when he slept


    in the hospital.


    Julie approached cautiously, picked up the nket and covered him.


    She sat cross-legged by the sofa and suddenly felt a surge of energy.


    Men looked so peaceful when they¡¯re asleep. His eyshes looked particrly long under the warm


    yellow light, and the shadows entuated his facial features.


    Julie carefully studied his eyshes, recalling his words.


    After all the twists and turns, Julie never thought she¡¯d have a peaceful encounter with him again.


    She gently touched his eyshes and sighed¡­


    How did she end up here?


    Julie withdrew her hand, dimmed the room¡¯s light, and carefully left.


    The moment Julie closed the door, Kieran slowly opened his eyes.


    He had a sleepless night.


    The next morning, Ivan got up early. The first thing he did was check the master bedroom only to find it


    empty.


    He saw Shannon and excitedly asked, ¡°Shannon, where¡¯s mom? Did dad upset her again?¡±


    Shannon gently patted Ivan¡¯s head, ¡°Mrs. Abraham is in the guest bedroom, Mr. Hernandez is in the


    study¡­¡±


    Before Shannon could finish, Ivan was already running towards the guest bedroom.


    Shannon chuckled helplessly. Ivan and Julie¡¯s rtionship was truly intricate.


    ¡°Mom, can you take me to school today?¡± Ivan gently knocked on the door.


    Julie, who had just finished her morning routine, opened the door, bent over to pick Ivan up, and


    agreed with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡±


    She was overjoyed at the chance to live with Ivan and naturally epted his request.


    van happily kissed Julie on the cheek and yelled towards the study, ¡°Dad, are you ready? Mom¡¯s


    coming with you to drop me off at


    /school!¡±


    Julie was a little speechless


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to take Ivan to school alone? Why include Kieran?


    Just as Julie was at a loss for words, Kieran suddenly opened the study door, all dressed up, walked


    towards Ivan, and picked him up.


    ¡°I¡¯m big enough, I don¡¯t need to be carried,¡± Ivan said to Kieran with a serious look, ¡°I asked Noah to


    bring breakfast to the car. I¡¯m runningte, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Kieran put Ivan down, Ivan took Julie¡¯s hand with his left and Kieran¡¯s with his right, and started


    heading downstairs.


    Ivan¡¯s soft hand in Julie¡¯s made her reluctant to let go.


    In the end, Ivan led Julie to the parking lot.


    Julie had been getting along well with Ivan, but after finding out his real identity, she became more


    reserved and didn¡¯t know how to interact with him.


    But it was the clever kid who helped her open the car door, ¡°Mom, you sit in the front. I¡¯m used to sitting


    in the back alone.¡±


    Kieran had already walked to the driver¡¯s seat, opened the door, sat down, and told Ivan, ¡°Get in.¡±


    Compared to Kieran¡¯s domineering and passionate ways, Julie preferred a rtionship where they


    were independent, rational, and restrained.


    Julie got into the car. Only after Kieran drove out of the courtyard did Ivan in the backseat pass two


    sandwiches to Julie, ¡°Mom, dad has a stomach condition. Can you tell him to have a sandwich?¡±


    Ivan had been holding out a sandwich to Julie, with the stubborn insistence of a man on a mission. It


    was as if he was saying, ¡°You take this, or my arm stays up forever.¡± In the end, Julie, with a sigh of


    resignation, took the sandwich and handed it over to Kieran, who was sitting next to her.


    ¡°Can you drive with one hand?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I can, but it¡¯s not exactly safe. If you don¡¯t want to feed me, just put it aside,¡± Kieran replied.


    So, Julie put the sandwich aside.


    From the backseat, a disgruntled Ivan suddenly turned to Julie and Kieran, his voice a mixture of hurt


    and worry. ¡°You guys¡­ are you going to get divorced in the future?¡±


    The little boy, with his soft voice and cautious question, made Julie¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Ivan was smart. Sometimes, he seemed more mature than his age. So, there were times when Julie


    almost forgot that beneath all that¡¯ maturity, Ivan was just a little boy who was about to turn six.


    Julie wanted to reassure Ivan that she and Kieran wouldn¡¯t divorce, but she knew she couldn¡¯t fool


    herself.


    So, she turned to Kieran.


    Kieran answered without hesitation. ¡°Divorce isn¡¯t the end of the world. The important thing is, will Julie


    and I ever leave you?¡±


    Ivan nodded, notpletely understanding, then looked up at Julie with hopeful eyes. ¡°Mom, will you


    leave me?¡±


    That question was much easier to answer. Without a second thought, Julie assured him, ¡°Of course


    not.¡±


    No matter what happens between her and Kieran, Julie was certain about one thing: she would never


    leave her precious son, Ivan.


    The reassured Ivan was all smiles.


    Upon reaching the school gate, Ivan took Kieran¡¯s hand in his left and Julie¡¯s in his right, strutting


    towards the entrance. After basking in the envious looks from his ssmates, Ivan finally turned to


    Julie and Kieran, ¡°Alright, mom and dad, you can go enjoy your alone time


    now.¡±


    Ivan waved at them as he headed towards the school gate.


    ¡°Sillyvan! MoMo¡¯s high-pitched voice echoed in the empty school entrance.


    Startled, Ivan quickly covered MoMo¡¯s mouth. ¡°Stop it! Didn¡¯t we agree not to call me Sillyvan in front of


    Julie?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Oh,¡± MoMo quickly nodded seriously, then leaned in to whisper, ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re quite the hot topic now!¡±


    Ivan brushed it off. ¡°More than your dad?¡±


    MoMo¡¯s father was, after all, the famous director Babur.


    MoMo shook her head, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re popr in school. No one will say you¡¯re the kid without a


    mother anymore.¡±


    ¡°I was never a kid without a mother,¡± Ivan replied, slightly annoyed.


    ¡°Ivan, I have something cool to show you,¡± MoMo said, grinning from ear to ear.


    Seeing the mysterious smile on MoMo¡¯s face, Ivan knew something was up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± he replied coldly, the aloofness clearly learned from Kieran.


    But MoMo wasn¡¯t deterred by Ivan¡¯s coldness, and pulled out a shiny, big diamond ring from her


    pocket. ¡°Ivan, look! This is the ring Ms. Albertine gave to Baburst night. Pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring the ring here?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± MoMo said, admiring the ring in her hand.


    Suddenly, Ivan realized something, ¡°MoMo, does having a ring mean they won¡¯t get divorced?¡±


    Because in Ivan¡¯s memory, MoMo¡¯s parents were deeply in love¡­

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Chapter 154


    MoMo was twirling the diamond ring, looking at Ivan with both surprise and guilt. ¡°Really? So if I took


    Ms. Albertine¡¯s ring, will she divorce Babur?¡±


    Ivan, deep in thought, looked at MoMo. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Ms. Albertine would divorce Babur, but if you


    take her ring, she¡¯s definitely going to scold you tonight.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then? Sillyvan, can I stay over at your house tonight?¡± MoMo looked at Ivan with a


    pitiful face.


    Ivan eyed MoMo and replied coolly, ¡°Boys can¡¯t just bring girls home to spend the night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a girl, I¡¯m Cupid, the god of love, a little angel. You can take me home. I¡¯ll shoot your parents


    with my little bow and arrow and I promise they¡¯ll never divorce!¡±


    Ivan looked at her, speechless.


    She must have been watching too much TV!


    Ivan ignored her, but he was still thinking about the ring.


    After school, Ivan was the first to rush out.


    Noah, who was waiting at the gate, hadn¡¯t recovered before he saw Ivan get into the car. ¡°To the mall!¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Abraham said¡­¡­¡±


    Noah was interrupted by Ivan before he could finish. ¡°If you don¡¯t drive me to the mall, I¡¯ll tell Shannon


    that you sneaked a smoke.¡±


    Such a little kid, and he¡¯s already threatening people!


    Noah had been trying to quit smoking for ages, but decades of addiction weren¡¯t so easily ovee.


    He had just said he was going to quit, and then Ivan caught him. If Shannon knew he hadn¡¯t smoked


    again, wouldn¡¯t he get a lecture when he got home?


    So, ensuring Ivan¡¯s safety, Noah took out his phone to call Julie. Because Julie just said she would


    personally pick up Ivan after school.


    Unfortunately, before he could make the call, the phone was grabbed by Ivan. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Abraham said she would pick you up, where are you going? I need to inform Mrs. Abraham.¡±


    Noah replied.


    Ivan quickly took Noah¡¯s phone to his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll just send my mom a message. Let¡¯s hurry to the mall! I


    want to buy a gift for my mom.¡±


    Ivan took out his phone and sent Julie a message, then let Noah take him to the mall.


    Julie received Ivan¡¯s message: Mama Julie, don¡¯te to pick me up!


    As yful as ever, Ivan¡¯s tone made Julie somewhat uneasy.


    She dialed Noah¡¯s number, but no one picked up.


    Julie, still worried, called Ivan, only to be directly hung up on.


    Julie, still uneasy after a few moments of hesitation, decided to call Kieran.


    Kieran was sitting in the main seat of the conference room, with thepany¡¯s department managers


    and general managers reporting on thetest quarterly situation.


    His phone, set to silent on the table, suddenly lit up.


    Kieran nced down at his phone, a subtle move that drew everyone¡¯s attention to Mr. Hernandez.


    Because it was a call from Julie, Kieran handed the phone to Karl.


    ¡°Pick it up.¡± Then Kieran turned to the department manager calmly. ¡°Continue.¡±


    Three minutester, Karl approached Kieran with his phone. ¡°Mrs. Abraham said¡­ she can¡¯t reach


    Ivan or Noah.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Kieran motioned for Karl to hand him his phone. He dialed Ivan¡¯s number


    while pointing out ws in the department manager¡¯s report. Then he said, ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡±


    Kieran remained calm throughout the process.


    When thepany executives stood up, Ivan¡¯s call connected.


    Ivan¡¯s childish voice came through the phone. ¡°Kerry, you¡¯ve got


    a great son!¡±


    ¡°If my good son doesn¡¯t behave, I can give him to someone else anytime.¡± Kieran¡¯s tone was somewhat


    suppressed.


    Ivan, who had always been good at reading moods, chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°Then please


    send me to Mama Julie!¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Kieran cut to the chase.


    Ivan thought for a moment, then replied, ¡°Grand Emporium za. But don¡¯t tell Mama Julie, Kerry, you


    better hurry, or you might lose


    lovely Julie.¡±


    ¡°Give the phone to Noah.¡± Kieran ordered. But¡­


    Ivan, as usual, disobeyed. ¡°If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll tell Mama Julie what¡¯s hidden in your safe!¡±


    The sly Kieran on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then said to Ivan, ¡°How about I


    give you a bath tonight?¡±


    Ivan pouted innocently. Why did he feel like Kieran was implying he was going to scrub ayer of skin


    off him tonight?


    Feeling guilty, Ivan quickly hung up the phone. A rare act of boldness for him.


    Looking at the disconnected call, Kieran smiled ruefully, then called Julie back.


    Julie immediately apologized, ¡°Sorry to disturb your meeting¡­¡±


    ¡°Ivan is with me, do you want toe over or should I pick you up?¡± Kieran asked Julie.


    Once she confirmed Ivan was safe, Julie, wearing a hat and mask, responded crisply. ¡°As long as Ivan


    is fine, I have other things to do, so see you tonight¡­¡±


    With that, Julie quickly hung up the phone.


    Kieran stared at his phone for a moment, then stood up and told Karl, ¡°Go to Grand Emporium za.¡±


    In the jewelry store at Grand Emporium za.


    Kieran spotted Ivan sitting on a high stool in the jewelry store in a heartbeat.


    Ivan was wearing a ck-and-white striped shirt with a ck knit sweater on top and a matching bow


    tie/around his neck. His head was resting on the ss disy case, looking down at the rings inside,


    his chubby fingers pointing here and there, appearing quite conflicted.


    Noah was standing respectfully nearby, his gaze fixed on Ivan¡¯s other hand.


    The little guy was holding Noah¡¯s phone.


    No wonder Noah couldn¡¯t answer his calls. Ivan could be quite a handful when he wanted to be.


    The store staff didn¡¯t pay much attention to Ivan, assuming he was just some rich kid fooling around,


    not seriously considering buying a diamond ring, until Kieran suddenly sat down next to him.


    Only then did the staff connect the dots, recognizing Ivan as the cute kid from yesterday¡¯s press


    conference¡­ So, he was Mr. Hernandez¡¯s son.


    The staff instantly asked, ¡°What style are you looking for, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Kerry, what style do you think Mama Julie would like?¡± Ivan asked Kieran, pointing at the tworgest


    diamonds.


    Kieran brazenly replied, ¡°Of course she likes my style.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, haven¡¯t you noticed that Mama Julie doesn¡¯t have a diamond ring?¡± Ivan asked seriously, his big


    eyes looking at Kieran intently.


    Kieran nodded, indicating he understood, then asked Ivan, ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Cupid¡¯s dad, Babur, bought Ms. Albertine a big diamond ring, and I heard she was thrilled! Let¡¯s get


    the biggest one, so Mama Julie can be happy too.¡± Ivan said excitedly.


    Kieran finally understand, the little guy had deliberately distracted Julie to buy her a diamond ring.


    Before Kieran could reply, Ivan tugged at his sleeve, ¡°Kerry, you¡¯re loaded, we can get her the biggest


    one, right?¡±


    Before Kieran could respond, Ivan pointed at thergest diamond and asked the salesperson, ¡°Miss,


    could you count how many zeros are in the price for me?¡±


    Hearing the little guy call her ¡®Miss¡¯, the salesperson¡¯s eyes lit up


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Kieran nced at the ring Ivan had picked and his forehead twitched. It was indeed ¡®the biggest¡¯.


    The salesperson turned to Kieran with a smile, ¡°This pigeon¡¯s egg diamond ring is called Zero. It has


    19.3 carats and is an aquamarine ring. There are twelve white diamonds around the gemstone, forming


    three butterflies. The twelve diamonds symbolize the twelve months, expressing the giver¡¯s love and


    care for the recipient. There¡¯s only one in the world and it¡¯s here for exhibition. The name Zero is meant


    to express the idea of everything starting from zero, gathering little by little to form love and care.¡±


    ¡°But you still didn¡¯t tell me how many zeros are in the price!¡± Ivan looked at the salesperson innocently.


    The salesperson awkwardly replied, ¡°Uhh¡­ seven zeros.¡±


    The little guy took out his bank card and ced it on the table, muttering, ¡°¡­ thousand, ten thousand,


    hundred thousand¡­ Kerry, you should pay! After all, Mama Julie is your wife!¡±


    After saying this, Ivan glumly put his bank card back in his backpack.


    11:16


    Ivan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He looked down at the ostentatious diamond ring and firmly said, ¡°Julie


    doesn¡¯t like anything this shy.¡± Ivan nodded in agreement, ¡°I think so too!¡±


    So, he silently took out his bank card again, shing a sweet smile that revealed two adorable little


    canines, ¡°Miss, could you help me find a cheaper one? I¡¯ll pay by card!¡±


    The salesperson brought out a lovely pink diamond with a smile, ¡°This is a 1.01 carat natural pink


    diamond, Eternal Heart, with a 18K gold band. The price is $21,000.¡±


    Kieran grabbed the card from Ivan¡¯s hand and handed his own to the salesperson, saying briskly, ¡°We¡¯ll


    take this one, wrap it up.¡±


    From the moment he saw this ring, Kieran thought it was perfect for Julie. The thought of her delicate


    fingers adorned with this elegant pink diamond made him think she would look stunning.


    Ivan looked at Kieran with a satisfied expression, then took his card back from him and handed it to


    Noah, ¡°Noah, could you arrange a candlelit dinner for Julie and Kieran? I heard women love that.¡±

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    Chapter 155


    Fusion Delights Caf¨¦.


    Not long after Kieran¡¯s call, Julie got a call from Daphne. After hanging up with Kieran, Julie and


    Daphne agreed to meet at the nearby Fusion Delights Caf¨¦.


    Both Daphne and Julie were dressed simrly today, both wearing hats and sunsses.


    Julie thought it was reasonable for her to wear sunsses. After all, yesterday¡¯s press conference was


    so lively that she could easily be recognized when out and about.


    But why was Daphne being so mysterious?


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Have you switched from journalism to paparazzi? Who are you tailing?¡± Julie teased


    Daphne while chuckling.


    Daphne sneakily showed her eyes, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be recognized. You know, Mr. Lionel¡¯s fans are


    already discussing me in their group chats. If I didn¡¯t cover my face yesterday, you might have never


    seen me again!¡±


    When Daphne mentioned this, Julie finally realized, ¡°So the woman at the jewelry store yesterday was


    actually you?¡±


    Daphne leaned over half the table and covered Julie¡¯s mouth, ¡°Keep it down!!¡±


    After saying this, she finally let go of Julie, patted her chest, and took off her hat and sunsses, ¡°If


    even you couldn¡¯t recognize me, I¡¯m sure no one else could. That makes me feel relieved.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal between you and Mr. Lionel?¡± Julie asked while sipping her coffee.


    Daphne chuckled, ¡°Haha, what if I told you I have no idea? Would you believe me?¡±


    After a while, as if remembering something, Daphne turned to Julie and said, ¡°By the way, he once said


    I resemble his ex-girlfriend. Could that be why?¡±


    Julie thought for a moment and responded, ¡°It¡¯s possible. As the romance novels often say: ¡®since I lost


    you, everyone I fell in love with was like you, but they weren¡¯t you.¡¯ Maybe Mr. Lionel really sees you as


    a recement for his ex-girlfriend.¡±


    Daphne nodded in agreement, ¡°I think so too.¡±


    She innocently picked up her coffee and took a sip, ¡°Julie, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Just reject him straight up, right? Clearly tell him that you are not his ex-girlfriend.¡±


    Daphne thought about it and asked, ¡°Is there a more efficient way?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Get a boyfriend, and tell him that you already have a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Haha, stop kidding. I haven¡¯t had a boyfriend for years. Besides, Mr. Lionel said that he likes stealing


    other people¡¯s girlfriends!¡±


    ¡°You took him seriously? After all, he¡¯s the amazing Mr. Lionel. Unless he really loves you, he wouldn¡¯t


    go to such lengths to pursue you. Do you think he has that much time?¡± Julie said,ughing.


    Daphne suddenly found this very reasonable, so she nodded seriously, then asked Julie, ¡°Where


    should I find a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your mom ask you to go on a blind date yesterday? You can give that a shot.¡± Julie replied.


    Daphne thought this was a great idea!


    She took out her phone, opened Twitter and said to Julie, ¡°I want to see if Mr. Lionel is still a hot topic. I


    feel like the whole Inte is discussing us.¡±


    Julie smiled and lifted her coffee cup. At this moment, she heard Daphne exim in surprise from


    across the table, ¡°Julie, you¡¯re so lucky!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie looked at Daphne with a puzzled expression, ¡°Why?¡±


    Daphne handed her phone to Julie.


    Julie took it and saw the trending hashtags on Twitter. Some of them were about Kieran and Ivan being


    caught on camera picking out a diamond at the jewelry store.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone buy me a diamond ring?¡± Daphne pouted discontentedly.


    Julieughed and looked at Daphne, ¡°Maybe that ring wasn¡¯t meant for me, or maybe they didn¡¯t buy a


    ring at all.¡±


    Daphne pretended to be angry and took her phone back, ¡°Julie, put away your act! Remember to tell


    me all about the surprise tonight! I have to go now. I¡¯m heading to the clothing store.¡±


    Julie nodded and asked, ¡°What are you doing at the clothing store? Is it for work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m picking out a gown! Since Mr. Lionel epted my interviewst time, I promised to apany him


    to a charity dinner as a thank you. The dinner got postponed to tomorrow night, so I need to choose a


    gown that¡¯s suitable for the event.¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Alright, have fun.¡±


    ¡°Where are you headingter? You didn¡¯t drive here. Do you want me to drop you off?¡± Daphne asked


    as she was grabbing her bag.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°No need. You go ahead.¡±


    Just as she finished, Julie¡¯s phone rang.


    It was a call from Ivan. He asked her to meet him at the Uptown Gastro House tonight.


    On the way to the Uptown Gastro House, Julie pulled out her phone again to check Twitter. Many


    people had followed her ount and were leavingments under her tweets.


    There were very few people sending blessings, but many were attacking her.


    Because of the news about Kieran and Ivan at the jewelry store, many gossip-lovers began to revisit


    yesterday¡¯s press conference and noticed that Julie indeed wasn¡¯t wearing a ring yesterday.


    Therefore, various guesses emerged online. Some people suspected that Julie and Kieran were forced


    to get married due to public


    pressure.


    Julie didn¡¯t mind and actually found these spections quite reasonable.


    When the car stopped in front of the Uptown Gastro House, Julie noticed that there weren¡¯t many


    customers in the restaurant. It should have been peak dining hours, but the restaurant was not


    crowded. Kieran probably booked the whole ce.


    A waiter led Julie into the restaurant.


    A path of flowers and candlelight that could make anyone dizzy. Julie had experienced this feeling ten


    years ago. Back then, it was her birthday. She had booked an entire restaurant all to herself, declined


    all other friends¡¯ invitations, prepared flowers and candles, and then invited Kieran. She even prepared


    a touching speech to confess her love, but¡­


    Kieran didn¡¯t show up that night.


    It always hurt Julie when she thought about it, so she stopped thinking.


    Ivan walked up to Julie with a bouquet of roses in his hand, saying ¡°Mama, you¡¯re stunning!¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t


    She smil


    Ivan shoot d


    if he was being sincere. Coming to a candlelit dinner in a T-shirt and jeans, she might be the first.


    took the roses from Ivan, ¡°Thank you, Ivan.¡±


    This head generously, ¡°You should thank Kerry! It¡¯s all Kerry¡¯s money anyway.¡±


    ¡°Taking care of r me is no easy task for Kerry.¡± Ivan defended Kieran and took credit for him.


    But Kieran just sat there, not saying a word.


    Ivan helplessly red at his dad, but got no response, he frowned in frustration. He coughed and then


    stood up to address Julie and Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom. No fighting, you two!¡±


    Who¡¯s the kid here again?


    Ivan left with Noah.


    Noah was a retired Marine, and since Ivan was born, he had always been his personal protector, so


    Kieran naturally let Ivan go with him. As soon as Ivan left, the waiter began to serve the food.


    Outside, Ivan looked at Noah with concern and asked, ¡°Noah, you don¡¯t think my mom and dad will


    really start arguing, do you?¡±


    Noahughed and shook his head, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez loves Mr. Hernandez very much, and Mr.


    Hernandez loves Mrs. Hernandez too.¡±


    ¡®Right! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t exist! Haha¡­¡± He let out a couple ofughs after saying that. Ivan looked


    at Noah happily, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to ice cream!¡±


    Noah looked at Ivan, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go back and eat with them?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided not to bother Kerry today, or he might end up a lonely old man.¡± Ivan said seriously,


    nodding his head in affirmation.


    Noahughed helplessly, wondering whether it was luck or misfortune for Mr. Hernandez to have such


    a thoughtful son.


    In the restaurant.


    After Ivan left, only Julie and Kieran were left in the restaurant.


    They haven¡¯t had a quiet meal together like this for many years. Almost every time they used to eat


    together, they would part with a fight in the end.


    Kieran looked at Julie and exined, ¡°This was all Ivan¡¯s idea.¡±


    He sure knows how to wash his hands of responsibility.


    Julie asked Kieran as if casually, ¡°So was it also Ivan¡¯s idea for you guys to go to the jewelry store?¡±


    Kieran, holding the ring box in his pocket, couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Julie looked up at Kieran and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me how I know?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t ask, instead, he took out the ring box, then pushed it towards Julie with two fingers, ¡°Ivan


    insisted that I buy this.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t take it.


    Kieran carefully opened the box, took out the item inside, yed with it a bit in his hand, then seriously


    asked Julie, ¡°Do I need to


    kneel?¡±


    She thought, this isn¡¯t a proposal, why would he kneel?


    Julie shook her head and said, ¡°No need.¡±


    Then, she took the ring from Kieran¡¯s hand.


    Kieran kindly reminded her, ¡°Ring finger.¡±


    Julie gave Kieran a slightly annoyed look, but finally obediently put the ring on her ring finger.


    However, she found the ring to be surprisingly fitting.


    She looked at Kieran in surprise, as if asking him why the ring was so perfect. Kieran replied, ¡°The


    wedding ring you threw into thewn of Noblewood Retreat was designed by me over two months and


    made by my own hands.¡±


    Julie knew at the time that the diamond ring was unique, but she had always believed that Kieran was


    forced into marriage. He didn¡¯t care about their wedding, let alone a ring, so when they divorced, to


    vent her anger, she took off the wedding ring and threw it out the


    window onto thewn..


    But she never thought that it was actually handmade by him¡­


    Julie suddenly felt at a loss.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    Chapter 156


    In the end, she told Kieran, ¡°If I knew it would be like this, I wouldn¡¯t have tossed that ring.¡±


    ¡°Regret it now?¡± Kieran asked, grinning.


    Julie propped her chin on her hand and looked at Kieran. ¡°Was that ring worth anything? If it was, I


    might have some regrets.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was valuable.¡± He replied straight up.


    ¡°If I knew it was worth that much, I wouldn¡¯t have tossed it. It might havee in handy when I was


    strapped for cash,¡± Julie said, casually.


    But Kieran told her seriously, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s better you tossed it.¡±


    Julie tried to switch the topic. Looking at the diamond ring on her ring finger, she asked Kieran, ¡°So,


    was it your idea or Ivan¡¯s to buy the diamond ring?¡±


    What Julie was really asking was if Kieran had bought the diamond ring because he saw discussions


    on social media about her not wearing a wedding ring.


    However, the answer was not as she expected. Kieran simply told her, ¡°It was Ivan¡¯s idea.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure what her face looked like at that moment. Julie calmly asked again, ¡°So¡­.did the


    salesperson rmend this ring?


    She asked as she looked at her own diamond ring.


    Kieran answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The always rxed and confident Julie felt a bit awkward in front of Kieran at this moment.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    So, she pretended to look around casually, ¡°Where the heck is Ivan?¡±


    Kieran still stared at Julie, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve raised a smart kid. He knows how to create opportunities for


    us to be alone.¡±


    Their son had intentionally created an opportunity for them to be alone. He found an excuse to go to


    the bathroom and probably wouldn¡¯t be back.


    Julie looked at Kieran and responded without hesitation, ¡°My son is quite the romantic, just like his


    mum was back in the day!¡±


    She was saying that Ivan creating an opportunity for them to be alone was romantic, just like when she


    pursued Kieran back in the day.


    Kieranughed. His wife¡¯s conversation skills had improved quite a bit.


    Julie began to eat and didn¡¯t speak anymore.


    Things didn¡¯t turn out as Ivan had imagined. Kieran and Julie finished their meal and went straight


    home without much interaction.


    In the past, Kieran might have asionally made some cheeky jokes at her, but recently, Kieran had


    been acting like a real gentleman.


    When Kieran and Julie arrived home, Ivan just happened to be returning as well.


    Seeing that Julie and Kieran were home so early, Ivan was disappointed. He sulked off to his room.


    Kieran went to the study.


    Shannon, carrying freshly washed bedding, was about to deliver them to Kieran. Julie went up to


    Shannon, ¡°Can I take them up?¡±


    Shannon, of course, was happy for Julie and Kieran to have more contact, so she happily handed the


    bedding to Julie and then turned to leave.


    Julie knocked on the study door. Kieran¡¯s deep voice came from within, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Julie went in and put the bedding on the sofa.


    Seeing Julie with the bedding, Kieran didn¡¯t show any surprise and asked calmly, ¡°Did you need


    something?¡±


    They hardly saw each other now unless they had something important to discuss. So, the moment


    Kieran saw Julie, he assumed she ¨Chad something to say.


    ¡°I need to find a job, so if you¡¯re free now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now. Give me a second.¡± After saying this, Kieran turned back to hisputer screen to


    continue his conversation. Most of their discussions were about business matters.


    Julie had no other choice but to sit on the sofa and start flipping through a magazine.


    By the time Kieran finished his work, half an hour had passed.


    When he looked at Julie again, he found that she had fallen asleep on the sofa. Kieran put down his


    mouse, stood up, and walked towards Julie.


    Julie was retiree in her clean, often tossing and tuming, but she never opened her eyes


    Kieran gently picked her up. He originally nned to carry her to their master bedroom, but at the door,


    he heard Shannon say ¡°Mrs. Hernandez slept in the guest roomst night. Her nkets and luggage


    are in thers too.¡±


    So, Kieran camed Julie to the que bedroom. He looked around and indeed found her suitcase


    Julie, who was deep in sleep, opened her eyes in a daze when she heard Kieran¡¯s footsteps as he was


    about to leave


    ¡°Kieran she called him,


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Kieran asked gently, then sat down next to Julie again


    Julie shook her head, then suddenly remembered why she was there in the first ce, 1 wanted to ask


    you, are you going to continue thewsuit with Creative Nexus Media?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go back to work at Simpo Co? Kieran saw through Julie¡¯s thoughts at a nce


    Julie indeed thought so. After all, she had nothing to do at home now if she could work, at least she


    would have a stable ie. Sansa¡¯s treatment couldn¡¯t stop And given her current exposure de


    Law Firm probably wouldn¡¯t dare to hire her anymore


    So she nodded, looking at Kieran


    Kieran replied, ¡°I¡¯ve let Karl handle the case Creative Nexus Media will drop thewsuit voluntarily You


    can report to thepany¡¯s legal department tomorrow For sry details, you¡¯ll need to talk to HR.


    We¡¯ll go to thepany together tomorrow morning.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t refuse.


    Early the next morning, she went to Simpo Co. with Kieran


    Julie and Kieran walked into the lobby of Simpo Co¡¯s building, which added new material for the gossip


    discussions among the employees. As someone with the privilege to use the executive elevator as the


    CEO, Kieran certainly wouldn¡¯t use the regr employee elevators. Even if Julie used the regr


    elevators, it might still attract attention from onlookers


    Even if she did, she¡¯d probably cause a scene


    ¡°Where¡¯s Karl?¡± Julie asked, standing outside the elevator looking at Kieran inside


    Kieran had told her the day before that Karl would take her to HR for her onboarding


    But she didn¡¯t expect Kieran to reply nonchntly. ¡°I totally forgot Karl¡¯s off today. Just get in and I¡¯ll


    take you to HR.¡±


    Kieran personally taking her to HR? Was this a joke?


    Julie shook her head decisively. She stepped into the elevator and asked him, ¡°Which floor is HR on? I


    can go there myself.¡±


    Kieran pressed the elevator button for the floor where HR was located


    As the elevator doors closed, suddenly, a ring box appeared before Julie


    Julie was taken aback, looking at Kieran in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Take a look¡±


    Julie reached out and slowly opened the box, revealing the ring quietly lying inside. Wasn¡¯t this the ring


    she had tossed onto thewn at Noblewood Retreat when they divorced? It was the ring Kieran had


    designed


    Julie looked at Kieran, a mix of surprise and touched.


    ¡°I had a ton of people searching thewn to find it. You better not lose this one again.¡±


    He took the exquisite diamond ring out of the box, held Julie¡¯s hand, removed the diamond ring she


    was currently wearing, and reced it with this meaningful one


    Julie noticed that Kieran was also wearing their old wedding ring. He had kept it all these years¡­.


    The elevator doors opened. Kieran took Julie by the hand and led her to HR


    By the time Julie came to her senses, she was already standing outside the HR office


    The HR manager was surprised to see the CEO showing up in person. He immediately assigned for


    Julie to work in the Legal Department, as per Kieran¡¯s instructions


    As for sry, the HR manager didn¡¯t dare to bring it up with Kieran present, which really ticked Julie off.


    But she also felt it would be awkward to discuss sry in front of Kieran, so she epted the work


    assignment in silence and went to work in Simpo Co¡¯s Legal Department.


    Kieran was in a good mood. As he stepped back into the elevator, he pretended to suddenly remember


    something and said to Julie, Oh! The HR manager forgot to mention your sry:


    Julie resisted the urge to punch him and forced a smile.


    Then he said, ¡®I¡¯ll ask him for youter. I¡¯ll let you know when youe up for lunch.*


    Julie was surprised at Kieran¡¯s generosity. She nodded and smiled, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Only then did she realize. She looked at Kieran wide-eyed, ¡°I¡¯m having lunch with you?¡±


    Their arrival at work together had already drawn a lot of attention. They were actually going to have


    lunch together?


    Fa


    Kieran reached out and ruffled Julie¡¯s hair, then pointing at the elevator doors, he said with an indulgent


    smile, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, we¡¯ve arrived at the Legal Department.¡±


    She didn¡¯t feel like going to the Legal Department at the moment. She wanted to punch Kieran in the


    elevator!


    As Julie walked out of the elevator, she heard Kieran¡¯s voice behind her, ¡°You¡¯re still on probation. If


    you do well, you can be a full-time employee.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Come here, give me a hug, pretend we¡¯re super close. Don¡¯t let my employees think my marriage life


    is unhappy.¡±


    Julie nced at a passing Legal Department employee, reluctantly approached the elevator, and said


    to Kieran in a low voice, ¡°When you tricked me into signing the remarriage agreement, you didn¡¯t say I


    had to pretend¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Kieran grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into the elevator..

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    Chapter 157


    Julie was shocked and confused. Out of the blue, she bumped into Kieran¡¯s chest.


    His fingers tightly clutched her chin. Under his control, she slightly lifted her head. At that moment, he


    bent down and kissed her.


    Although it was just a light kiss, the sudden smooch made Julie¡¯s breath hitch.


    Snap back to reality, she forcefully pushed Kieran away, ¡°I¡¯m not your ex-wife you need to chase after


    anymore, nor do I need you to continue ttering me the way I taught you. This could piss off your


    current wife.¡±


    ¡°Join me for lunch.¡± He patted Julie¡¯s head, then with a smile, he opened the elevator door for her.


    Julie was still ring at him when he simply pushed her out.


    The legal department should have been notified. As soon as Julie arrived, someone came to meet her


    immediately.


    The person who met her was a very capable woman, very beautiful. She had a slim figure, her long


    hair tied in a ponytail, her light red lips weren¡¯t too bold but still eye-catching.


    The woman looked familiar, but Julie could not recall where she had seen her.


    She introduced herself to Julie, ¡°Hello, I am Davina. Legal affairs director at Simpo Co.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Julie.¡± Julie felt that the name Davina was also familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere.


    Davina gave her a smile, ¡°HR just called. You just transferred to the legal department and are not


    familiar with its operations, so you can start as my assistant, is that okay?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°No problem. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    So, Julie became Davina¡¯s assistant. She spent the morning dealing with some misceneous tasks


    with Davina.


    Julie could not remember where she had seen Davina. At lunchtime, Davina suddenly dropped her


    professional facade, walked.up to Julie¡¯s desk, and tapped it twice, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, do you know


    where thepany cafeteria is?¡±


    Suddenly being addressed as Mrs. Hernandez, Julie was stunned.


    ¡°Are you nning on having lunch with Mr. Hernandez, or are you going to the cafeteria with us?¡±


    Davina asked Julie.


    Davina had been very professional all morning, but her sudden warmth caught Julie off guard.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s confused look, Davina looked at her with some surprise, ¡°Joyce, we¡¯re ssmate before,


    you really don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    ssmate?


    Davina was her ssmate?


    When were they ssmates?


    Seeing Julie¡¯s puzzled look, Davina exined, ¡°We were in the same ss in middle school and high


    school. After high school, I studied abroad. You once gave me a nickname, Diva.¡±


    At the mention of Diva, Julie¡¯s memory immediately came flooding back.


    Julie looked at Davina in surprise, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Julie was someone who liked to regrly clear her memory. She was always prone to forgetting people


    and things that weren¡¯t particrly important. Only when someone deliberately reminded her would she


    remember again.


    Davina suggested to Julie, ¡°We can talk over lunch, how about that?¡±


    Julie decisively chose not to have lunch with Kieran. In fact, she had never intended to have lunch with


    him.


    So, in the end, she politely sent Kieran a text message, then went straight to the restaurant with


    Davina.


    Davina only ordered a portion of sd. This surprised Julie a little.


    ¡°Is this your lunch?¡± Julie asked Davina. She herself ordered a te of pasta.


    Davina smiled and said, ¡°When I studied abroad, I got used to have light lunch.¡±


    Davina picked up a fry and said, ¡°After high school, I was admitted to Veridia National University, so I


    went to Veridia to study. Then I interned there for a year. I just returned to the country not long ago, and


    now I¡¯m working at Simpo Co. I didn¡¯t know at the time that Kieran was the CEO of Simpo Co. I


    remember his family¡¯spany was not named this before, right?¡±


    Kieran was from a wealthy family, which was no secret among ssmates. Before Simpo Co. was


    renamed, his family business was Simvar Co., run by Lucian. After Lucian was involved in a ne


    crash, Kieran took over thepany. After that, some seasoned shareholders within Simvar Co.


    launched amercial battle.


    During the business battle, the entire Simvar Co. once copsed, butter Kieran, with his ability, re-


    acquired the family business and renamed thepany Simpo Co.


    Julie did not borate on this to Davina. She just casually replied. ¡°Thepany¡¯s name change is


    probably one of the inevitable processes of its development.¡±


    Davina smiled at Julie, ¡°I remember at first everyone thought you wouldn¡¯t make it. Who would have


    thought your perseverance and hard work finally paid off! I bet the ssmates from then are still


    amazed at your ultimate sess!¡±


    Julie gave an awkwardugh. She wasn¡¯t sure if she really was sessful¡­


    Davina continued, ¡°I saw your press conference. Your child should be five or six years old now, right?¡±


    Talking about Ivan, Julie¡¯s smile grew warmer. She nodded, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s turning six¡±


    Julie always prepared a feast on her child¡¯s birthday every year. Once, it was because she wanted to


    commemorate her deceased child, but now, she could really celebrate Ivan¡¯s birthday


    With the joy of reunion, Julie and Davina became even closer.


    As they were eating and chatting, the entire cafetera suddenly became noisy for a moment, then


    quickly fell silent again.


    Julie and Davina were oblivious to the shift in the cafeteria until Kieran showed up in front of Julie


    Julie only felt a shadow suddenly looming over her. She looked up to see Kieran casting a handsome


    face shrouded in gloom.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Kieran to be bored enough to show up in the staff cafeteria. She was stunned for


    a moment before snapping back to reality


    Kieran gestured to a seat inside with his chin, signaling for Julie to move.


    A chill swept through Julie All the staff around were staring at her


    In the end, she reluctantly shifted to the inside seat


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Kieran casually sat next to Julie. He put one arm behind her chair, a smirk on his face as he doted on


    Julie, Mrs. Hernandez, what are you so happily chatting about?¡±


    Julie kniew Kieran meant she was having fun chatting with others and ignoring him, right?


    To change the subject, Julie pointed at Davina across from her and introduced with a smile. This is our


    ssmate from middle school and high school, Davina Do you remember her?¡±


    Kieran followed Julie¡¯s gesture and saw an elegant and pretty woman


    Kieran had a good memory so naturally, he remembered her


    He nodded at Davina with a smile, ¡®s been years since we met


    Davina was ttered that Kieran still remembered her


    From Julie¡¯s point of view, Kieran¡¯s polite nod was nothing but a flirtatious gesture towards Davina


    She put down her cutlery and said with a smile to Kieran, Mr. Hernander, Im full. I¡¯m going back to the


    office. Can you let me pass?¡±


    Julie was sitting against the wall. She couldn¡¯t possibly jump over the table


    She wasn¡¯t jealous, just genuinely full¡­


    Kieran put one hand on Julie¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s still early Stay with me a bit longer?¡±


    Davina was not someone who couldn¡¯t read the room. Hearing Kieran¡¯s words, she tactfully stood up,


    gave Julie an ambiguous smile and said, ¡°I just remembered I have something to do. See youter


    Before Julie could respond, Davina had already escaped the cafeteria.


    Julie gave Kieran a thumbs up with a grin, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, your acting is getting better and better!¡±


    She lowered her voice and said, ¡°As if we¡¯re super close.¡±


    ¡°You broke our agreement and you have the nerve to say that?¡± He yfully tapped Julie¡¯s nose. To


    others, it was an extremely affectionate gesture. Everyone probably thought the couple was on


    excellent terms.


    Julie had a smile on her face, but she grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand that had tapped her nose and said, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t agree to anything, how can that be breaking an agreement?¡±


    Facing the willful Julie, Kieranughed and held her fingers, then stroked her hair, ¡°Join me for a party


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Julie¡¯s response was straightforward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what the party is?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face


    Julie wasn¡¯t the overly curious type, so she decisively shook her head, ¡°Whatever the party is, it has


    nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a charity auction by Primeval.¡± Kieran revealed the answer.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Julie responded casually, not giving it much thought.


    But it sounded vaguely familiar.


    ¡°Daphne will be attending as Lionel¡¯spanion.¡± Kieran provided another piece of information.


    Julie feigned indifference and replied, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Lionel will publicly announce Daphne as his girlfriend at the dinner. I guess you¡¯re not interested in


    that, right?¡± As Kieran spoke, he stood up and said regretfully to Karl at the next table, ¡°Tell Tina to


    apany melto Primeval¡¯s charity event tonight.¡±


    Julie fell silent.


    Lionel¡¯s going to announce Daphne as his girlfriend at the dinner?


    Julie suddenly grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Tina¡¯s too busy! I¡¯ll go with you!¡±

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    Chapter 158


    Kieran shot Julie a slight smile, asking her, ¡°Are you full?¡±


    Julie instantly shook her head, ¡°I can still eat.¡±


    Julie learned the ability to adapt on the fly from Daphne.


    Kieran forked a piece of tomato and offered it to Julie, asking, ¡°You want some?¡±


    Julie shook her head, pushing away the fork in his hand, ¡°No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Do you want some?¡± he asked again.


    Julie was speechless.


    She bit off the tomato he offered, then looked at him with a cold expression, ¡°So, can you take me to


    the Primeval charity event now?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you reject it just now?¡± Kieran casually asked Julie, while elegantly eating with the fork


    she had just used.


    Julie rolled her eyes, saying, ¡°I changed my mind, okay? Can you take me?¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about taking you?¡± Kieran cut a piece of steak and handed it to Julie..


    Julie took a bite of the steak and mumbled back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted me to be your plus one?


    Of course it¡¯s you who¡¯s taking me.¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡± Kieran looked at Julie unhurriedly, as if asking with interest.


    Only then did Julie realize the crux of the matter¡­


    She thought for a moment and answered without any hesitation, ¡°How would you like me to address


    you?¡±


    ¡°What addresses can you think of?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez? Kieran?¡±


    ¡°Something more intimate.¡± Kieran hinted.


    Julie naturally understood Kieran¡¯s meaning. It¡¯s just a name, she thought. She had called him that


    before. She put on a fake smile, ¡°More intimate? Kerry? Honey? Darling? Hubby?¡±


    ¡°Combine thest two.¡± he instructed.


    Julie put on her usual fake smile, ¡°Darling hubby, can you take me to the Primeval charity event


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°It would be better if you could smile more sincerely.¡±


    ¡°Darling hubby¡­¡± Julie looked at Kieran with a sincere smile, but her tone turned icy when she said the


    next sentence, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not going! Move it!!¡±


    Kieran knew all along that Julie was a feisty one. She was like this in school. Life only hides a person¡¯s


    sharp edges, but it can¡¯t smooth them all out. The hidden edges on Julie, he would be the one to bring


    them all back to the surface.


    Kieran stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After that, he bent over to hold Julie¡¯s hand and walked straight to the elevator.


    In front of the staff, Julie didn¡¯t struggle, letting him lead her.


    Once they got into the elevator, before Julie could do anything, Kieran had already let go of her. This


    left her speechless.


    Julie pressed the floor of the legal department, but it was quickly canceled by Kieran.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, need to go to the legal department. Lunch break is almost over.¡± Julie told Kieran.


    Kieran replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to the Primeval charity event?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going now?¡±


    Julie nced at her watch. It was only one in the afternoon.


    ¡°If you n to go to the party in what you¡¯re wearing now, I wouldn¡¯t mind watching you getughed at.¡±


    Kieranmented on Julie¡¯s outfit.


    Julie looked down at her clothes and replied, ¡°Anyway, they won¡¯t beughing at just me.¡±


    Feeling that her response was a bit arrogant, Julie changed the subject, ¡°Then can you let me go to the


    legal department to take a leave?¡±


    Kieran took out his phone and called Karl, ¡°Go to the legal department and take a half-day leave for


    Mrs. Hernandez.¡±


    Looking at Kieran who hung up the phone, Julie asked him, ¡°How much sry will be deducted for a


    day off?¡±


    ¡°A month¡¯s full attendance bonus, plus the day¡¯s sry.¡± Kieran answered.


    A month¡¯s full attendance bonus!!


    Julie rolled her eyes, ¡°I should really go to the party in this outfit and let everyoneugh at you!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s time. Karl is very efficient. Your leave should be arranged already.¡±


    Kieran took Julie to Daniel¡¯s styling center again.


    This time, Daniel was noticeably more enthusiastic when he saw Julie..


    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s been so long!¡± Daniel was about to give Julie a hug, but before he could get close, Kieran


    stepped in between them and spun Julie around. He pushed her into the dressing room.


    ¡°Send a dress over,¡± Kieran turned to Daniel.


    Daniel rolled his eyes at Kieran, then asked, ¡°What kind of asion do you need the dress for? A


    masquerade?¡±


    ¡°Charity event.¡± Julie¡¯s voice came from the fitting room.


    Daniel immediately switched to a gentle tone, ¡°Darling, then you should wear pink today! Pink is very


    suitable for your skin tone. Can you do off-shoulder? Your skin is very smooth. No one left any marks


    on youst night, did they?¡±


    Julie was used to this kind of teasing, but Daniel¡¯s straightforward words still made her blush in front of


    Kieran.


    Daniel outside the door asked loudly, ¡°Would you like to wear an off-shoulder dress?¡±


    Julie was taken aback by how loud he can be.


    As if it wasn¡¯t embarrassed enough for Julie already, he suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear,


    ¡°Would you like to wear an off-shoulder dress?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, fine!!¡± Julie said it three times, expressing her anger and embarrassment.


    Daniel knocked on the dressing room door. Kieran opened the door, took the evening dress from him,


    and then unceremoniously, shut Daniel out.


    In less than thirty seconds, Kieran was sessfully kicked out of the dressing room by Julie.


    Daniel asked Kieran, ¡°What were you thinking? Why did you announce your rtionship?¡±


    ¡°I want my wife to have a public title.¡± Kieran looked towards the direction of the dressing room.


    They¡¯re quite a distance from the dressing room, so Julie wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him.


    His gaze was deep, seemingly able to pierce through the door to see Julie inside. He spoke earnestly,


    ¡°When I was younger, I was ignorant, thinking that a secret marriage was the best protection for her.


    Now, I realize my mistake. I want to give her the best. I may not know what she truly desires, but I¡¯ll do


    my best to give her what I think is the best.¡±


    Daniel had never experienced a deeply passionate love, but he was moved by Kieran¡¯s words.


    That¡¯s usually how it goes with couples in love. They might notpletely understand each other¡¯s


    thoughts, but as long as they¡¯re willing to give their partner what they think is the best, that¡¯s enough.


    However, sometimes, the other person might feel that what you¡¯re giving isn¡¯t what he or she wants.


    Your judgement might just be your own subjective opinion.


    Love is multifaceted, and those in love usually see the best side of each other.


    Julie came out of the fitting room in her dress.


    Kieran stood there, seemingly seriously sizing Julie up, before turning to go sit on a couch far away. He


    casually picked up a magazine and started flipping through it, acting as if he couldn¡¯t care less.


    Daniel, as usual, said to Julie, ¡°You look perfect.¡±


    Julie responded with a smile, expressing her gratitude.


    In the time that followed, Julie sat on a stool, waiting for Daniel to do her makeup.


    Daniel was quite a chatterbox. He said to Julie, ¡°Bertha was right, you and Kieran are actually getting


    back together.¡±


    Last time, Daniel mentioned that Bertha firmly believed that she and Kieran would remarry, Julie didn¡¯t


    understand why Bertha would say that, but now, hearing it again, she understood.


    Daniel spent about an hour doing Julie¡¯s makeup.


    ¡°All the jewelry I have here isn¡¯t thetest style. Would you like me to have a few new styles sent over,


    or¡­¡±


    Before Daniel could finish, Kieran answered him, ¡°Have some of thetest styles sent over now.¡±


    Soon, Daniel had several jewelry stores send over their pieces.


    After a while of picking, it was almost time for the banquet to start. Julie hurriedly dragged Kieran


    towards the banquet venue, afraid they¡¯d miss Daphne and Lionel¡¯s entrance.


    This was the earliest Kieran had ever arrived at a banquet.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    When they got to the entrance, they found only a few people there. As soon as they arrived, the media


    swarmed over.


    This was their first public appearance together since they went public with their marriage.


    Julie had no interest in the media. She looked around, then made an excuse to go to the restroom.


    Inside, she called Daphne.


    However, as soon as Daphne saw Lionel that evening, he took away her phone¡­


    Lionel told Daphne, ¡°It would be really awkward if your phone rings during the auction.¡±


    Daphne seriously replied, ¡°I can put it on silent!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you turn it off.¡± So, Daphne lost her phone.


    When Julie returned to the banquet, Lionel and Daphne were already at the entrance, being


    interviewed by the media. Kieran was standing not far away, holding a ss of red wine, watching


    them.


    Julie walked over, took the wine from Kieran, took a few sips, then said, ¡°Do you know what crazy


    things you do when you¡¯re drunk?¡±


    ¡°What crazy things have I done to you when I was drunk?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, leaned in close to


    Julie¡¯s ear, his voice carrying a hint of mischief.


    Julie looked up at Kieran, ¡°Not just crazy, but utterly shameless!¡±


    ¡°It must be tough for you, huh? Marrying a man who¡¯s both crazy and shameless, life must be hard,


    right?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t expect Kieran to respond like that. She didn¡¯t know how to retaliate, so she simply turned


    her head to look at Daphne and Lionel.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    Chapter 159


    Media was bombarding Lionel with questions, asking if Daphne was the mystery woman he escorted


    out of the jewelry store that day. Lionel chuckled, turning and gently touching Daphne¡¯s chin, then


    gazing deep into her eyes. He asked back, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s the one?¡±


    The reporters nodded unanimously. Daphne was about to exin, but Lionel wrapped his arm around


    her shoulder and grinned at the reporters, ¡°She¡¯s Daphne, the deputy editor of Gentlemen, an old friend


    of mine. Calling us boyfriend and girlfriend would be too clich¨¦.¡±


    Daphne looked at Lionel. He spoke as if they were quite close. But in Daphne¡¯s memory, she and


    Lionel didn¡¯t interact much, mostly just


    for work.


    But now Lionel was dering them old friends. She couldn¡¯t just contradict him, could she?


    So all she could do was awkwardlyugh it off, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re old friends! Our rtionship is pure


    friendship!¡±


    Daphne was a pro at acting in her everyday life, so Julie wasn¡¯t worried about Daphne¡¯s ability to roll


    with the punches.


    Lionel didn¡¯t announce Daphne as his girlfriend as Kieran implied. And knowing Daphne for many


    years, Julie could tell from Daphne¡¯s eyes that she wasn¡¯t in love with Lionel. Julie felt relieved. That¡¯s


    when it hit her that she¡¯d been¡¯duped by Kieran¡­


    Kieran tricked her into attending this charity event and cost her a month¡¯s full attendance bonus.


    ¡°What a petty boss!¡± Julie grumbled to herself, feeling a little shortchanged.


    Just as Julie was about to yank her arm away from Kieran, he said, ¡°Lionel took Daphne away.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Julie immediately looked towards the door. Sure enough, Daphne and Lionel, who


    were just at the entrance being interviewed, were now nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Julie asked Kieran anxiously.


    Kieran pointed upstairs, a ce off-limits to the media.


    Julie immediately pulled Kieran¡¯s hand and ran upstairs.


    Mr. Hernandez was a bit taken aback. This was the first time Julie had taken his hand since the got


    back together, and it was for


    another woman¡­


    -Mr. Hernandez¡¯s face darkened slightly as he followed Julie upstairs.


    As soon as Daphne and Lionel reached the top, they saw Albertine and Babur.


    Albertine was stunning. Her smile was sincere and straightforward. Daphne had seen plenty of


    fakeness in the entertainment industry. Albertine¡¯s smile was both beautiful and genuine.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Daphne had met Albertine. After all, her former boss via and Albertine were


    very good friends. But strictly speaking, Daphne had never been this close to Albertine before.


    Babur was next to Albertine, arms around her waist. They were both striking, like a match made in


    heaven. Celebrities live in the spotlight, especially married ones. Every little move they make gets


    blown out of proportion.


    Those like Albertine and Babur, who are married for many years without a hint of scandal, are truly few


    and far between.


    Of course, Daphne, who loves gossip, naturally knew Albertine was Lionel¡¯s ex-girlfriend.


    Just as Daphne was thinking about how to handle any awkwardness, Albertine suddenly let go of her


    husband¡¯s hand. ¡°Lion, I missed you! Come here, give me a h¨²g!¡± She ran over to Lionel, giving him a


    big hug.


    Albertinepletely disregarded Daphne, and gave Lionel a big hug.


    While Lionel was making sure Albertine wasn¡¯t hurt, he chuckled, ¡°Your husband is the director of my


    new movie. Tini, you might get me fired!¡±


    Upon hearing Lionel¡¯s words, Albertine immediately let go of Lionel and turned to Babur, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Come here, then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Babur smiled slightly.


    Albertine happily returned to Babur¡¯s side, ¡°What¡¯s the setting for the new film? Early 20th century?


    Contemporary? Sci-fi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the script when we get home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. Who¡¯s the lead actress? Is she pretty? What¡¯s her height, weight,


    measurements? Was she a model?¡± Albertine asked unabashedly.


    Babur stroked Albertine¡¯s hair indulgently, ¡°Why are you asking so specifically?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know Lion likes models with long legs. You should arrange for more intimate scenes between Lion


    and the lead actress! Maybe they¡¯ll have chemistry!¡± Albertine spoke bluntly.


    Babur, hearing Albertine¡¯s words, turned his gaze to Daphne, who had been ignored by everyone.


    Albertine followed Babur¡¯s gaze to Daphne. She was surprised to find another woman standing next to


    Lionel. Her surprised expression made Daphne a little embarrassed. Daphne awkwardly smiled, ¡°Hello,


    Mr. Farrell, Ms. Albertine.¡±


    Albertine looked at Lionel, then at Daphne, finallynding on Daphne¡¯s legs, wrapped in an evening


    gown. She asked, ¡°How high are your heels, they are gorgeous!¡±


    Daphne didn¡¯t expect her to ask such a question.


    Julie, standing with Kieran in the distance, watched it all unfold.


    Hearing Albertine¡¯s question, Julie couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. She turned to Kieran with


    innocent eyes and asked, ¡°So, Mr. Lionel really has a thing for girls with long legs, huh?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like Lionel to you?¡± Kieran retorted.


    Julie got his point: I¡¯m not Lionel, so how the hell would I know if he digs girls with long legs?


    Julie shrugged, ¡°But isn¡¯t Mr. Dn from the same university as Mr. Lionel? You¡¯re buddies with Mr.


    Dn, so I thought you might know.¡±


    Dn was a college student abroad. Julie had heard about this from Dn, so that¡¯s why she asked


    Kieran.


    Much to her surprise, Kieran responded, ¡°I went to the same school as Elliot too, but I didn¡¯t know he


    had a crush on you. Is that weird?¡±


    Julie bit back her anger and shot Kieran a dirty look. His way of speaking was always a mix of hrious


    and infuriating.


    She turned her head to look at Daphne, who was busy lifting her skirt and telling Albertine frankly, ¡°My


    legs really aren¡¯t that long.¡±


    Albertine was amused by Daphne¡¯s blunt character. She patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder cheerfully, ¡°You are


    beautiful! Besides, there¡¯s always high heels!¡±


    Daphne was sure that wasn¡¯t meant to beforting¡­


    Truth be told, Daphne¡¯s legs weren¡¯t short, butpared to the models Mr. Lionel used to date, she


    was indeed a bitcking.


    She awkwardly replied to Albertine, ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll trip in heels. And Mr. Lionel and I are¡­just


    friends!!¡±


    Albertine gave Lionel a quick nce, as if she had figured something out. She said to Daphne with a


    smile, ¡°Friendship can evolve into something deeper, you know!¡±


    Innocent Julie turned to Kieran and asked, ¡°What can friendship evolve into?¡±


    ¡°Love.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡± she shrugged.


    From a distance, Daphne heard Albertine¡¯s words and knew she had misunderstood their rtionship.


    She quickly waved her off and exined, ¡°I only have pure friendship for him, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I get it! You¡¯re more than friends, but not lovers, right?¡± Albertine nodded knowingly.


    Daphne quickly denied, ¡°He and I will never be lovers!¡±


    Babur pulled Ms. Albertine to his side, ¡°Alright, stop scaring the girl.¡±


    Daphne was indeed scared. If she had known she¡¯d not only be attending a charity event with Mr.


    Lionel but also f¨¢cing his ex-girlfriend, she would¡¯ve never agreed.


    Fortunately, Mr. Farrell soon whisked Albertine away.


    Daphne finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Tini wouldn¡¯t bite. Why do you look like you¡¯re about to be eaten alive?¡± Mr. Lionel chuckled.


    Daphne nced at Lionel and seriously replied, ¡°Mr. Lionel, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to


    ask¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lionel leaned in closer, listening carefully to Daphne.


    Unusually flustered, Daphne blushed and quickly blurted out, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the way you interact with


    your ex is a bit¡­¡±


    Daphne was just hinting. Wasn¡¯t it strange that Mr. Lionel and Ms. Albertine were so intimate in front of


    her current husband, calling each other nicknames too?


    Lionel gave a softugh, ¡°And how do you think one should interact with an ex? Completely cut ties?


    Pretend to be polite when you meet?¡±


    Daphne thought to herself, well, isn¡¯t that the case?


    Just as she was wondering how to respond, Lionel suddenly said, ¡°In our life journey, we meet many


    people. Peoplee, people go. Those who stay in your life may not necessarily be your lovers, but


    they¡¯re people you once cared about. Your feelings for them could. be friendship, or family love¡­¡±


    He thought his reflection would provoke Daphne¡¯s deep thought or understanding. However, he didn¡¯t


    expect Daphne to suddenly ask, ¡°So, you and Ms. Albertine never had sex?¡±

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    Chapter 160


    Daphne just straight-up steered the convo to that topic. Mr. Lionel gave Daphne a deep look, went


    silent for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and patted Daphne¡¯s forehead lightly. ¡°What¡¯s your


    idea of love?¡±


    Idea of love?


    Daphne, a woman nearly thirty, had never really thought about her own view on love.


    She cracked a grin, looking at Mr. Lionel. ¡°Mr. Lionel, next time ask me about my money views! Love¡¯s


    tooplicated, I wouldn¡¯t know how to answer.¡±


    Lionel had already expected her reaction. His eyes were filled with amusement.


    For some reason, when Daphne saw Lionel¡¯s smile, she felt a bit uneasy.


    *Daphne.¡± Lionel suddenly said.


    Daphne looked at Lionel in surprise. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mr. Lionel.¡± Lionel said.


    Daphne was taken aback. She thought carefully before saying, ¡°If I don¡¯t call you by your name, then


    what should I call you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends. Mr. Lionel sounds too formal.¡±


    Daphne said impatiently, ¡°But you appear in front of the media that day¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when she saw Mr. Lionel¡¯s face suddenly be serious. Daphne


    almost forgot that Mr. Lionel had helped her that day.


    She quicklyughed and apologized, ¡°Lord Lion!¡±


    Although this was Daphne¡¯s unconsidered choice, Lionel seemed to be quite satisfied with this title.


    He even turned his head to look at Daphne, asking with seeming depth, ¡°What should I call you?¡±


    Was he joking?


    Daphne answered directly, ¡°Just call me Daphne. I think it sounds quite friendly already. My mom said


    there¡¯s a lot of thought put into my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lionel seemed very interested. ¡°What¡¯s so thoughtful about it?¡±


    Daphne¡¯s name didn¡¯t seem to have anything special about it, Lionel wanted to hear how Daphne


    would exin it.


    Daphne confidently started exining to Lionel, ¡°Daphne, I think the name is very nice! Daphne is a


    name of Greek origin, and it carries a beautiful meaning. This name is often linked to nature and nts,


    bringing to mind a sense of freshness, natural beauty, and grace. In Greek mythology, Daphne is also


    the name of a goddess who, while fleeing from the god Apollo, transformed into aurel tree,


    Consequently, this name can also be associated with myths and legends. Anyway, Daphne is a name


    that exudes a poetic and natural charm, conveying a gentle and serene feeling! Maybe this name could


    remind you of the beauty of nature, sweet fruit, delicious dessert¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lionel¡¯s eyes seemed to mock, and he smiled faintly at her. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought this way.¡±


    It¡¯s normal that he hasn¡¯t associated the name Daphne with some sweet dessert before, but his current


    expression looked like he was telling her that he want to taste this ¡°Daphne¡± dessert now!


    A picture floated into Daphne¡¯s mind, that is, she turned into a Daphne cake, and then was eaten by


    Ljonel, one bite at a time.


    She felt extremely embarrassed¡­


    Daphne¡¯s smile became rigid.


    And Lionel still seemed to deliberately say, ¡°well, you have quite the creative imagination. Hope I can


    taste this kind of fresh and sweet dessert like that.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s smile became even more rigid. She always felt that Lionel had ulterior motives when he


    spoke to her.


    She thought carefully and felt it might be because before thest interview, Lionel had said she was like


    Ms. Albertine and asked her if she had a boyfriend.


    Thinking of this, Daphne seriously said to Lionel, ¡°By the way, Mr. Lionel¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she felt Lionel¡¯s stern look.


    So she quickly corrected herself, ¡°Lord Lion, thank you for epting my interview and giving me the


    opportunity to work with you. I¡¯m also very honored to be able to apany you to the banquet today.


    My boyfriend even said that it¡¯s the greatest honor of my life to be able to apany you to the


    banquet!¡±


    ¡°Your boyfriend is really generous.¡±


    Actually, Daphne was just reminding Lionel that she had a boyfriend, so she shouldn¡¯t have any private


    rtionship with him, a person of such high status.


    But he actually praised her boyfriend for being generous! Indeed, which normal boyfriend would allow


    his girlfriend to be taken away by a handsome and rich man, and even feel honored?


    Daphne silently mocked herself. She forced a smile and exined, ¡°What I mean is, my boyfriend is


    also a fan of yours.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I should find an opportunity to meet him.¡± After speaking, Lionel smiled at Daphne. ¡°I


    like to meet with my fans.¡±


    Daphne silently cursed in her heart, ¡°You have so many fans, why do you have to meet my boyfriend?


    The point is, where can she get a boyfriend?¡±


    Just as Daphne was scolding herself for being stupid, she heard Lionel suddenly say happily, ¡°Elliot, I


    thought you weren¡¯ting.¡±


    Elliot?


    Daphne looked up and saw that the person walking towards them was indeed Elliot.


    More importantly, when Daphne looked up, she also saw Julie and Kieran side by side.


    Daphne thought, it seemed that all the people she least wanted to see appeared today¡­


    Elliot came to Lionel and smiled at him, ¡°Here I am, right?¡±


    ¡°Did youe alone?¡± Lionel looked behind Elliot.


    Hearing their conversation, Daphne knew they must be close friends.


    Elliotughed and responded to Lionel, ¡°You brought a plus one today, does that make you think you


    can make fun of me? When you and Albertine broke up, I didn¡¯t make fun of you!¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    It seems that the whole world knows about Lionel and Albertine¡¯s past.


    Lionel now looked very natural when heughed. Heughed and said to Elliot, ¡°You didn¡¯t make fun of


    me at the time because you were busy pursuing your first love abroad, and you had no time to care


    about me.¡±


    His first love¡­


    Daphne was one of the few people who knew that Elliot had proposed to Julie. When Lionel mentioned


    Elliot¡¯s first love, Daphne instinctively looked at Julie and Kieran, and then¡­


    Well, this is awkward¡­


    Because Elliot followed Daphne¡¯s gaze and spotted the picture-perfect couple, Julie and Kieran.


    Regret washed over Daphne as she realized Julie and Kieran were now looking at her too.


    Escape was no longer an option. She prayed for a polite hello between Julie and Elliot, followed by


    them going about their separate lives. But s, reality never lives up to expectations.


    Elliot¡¯s initial reaction to seeing Julie was shock, but he seemed to regain hisposure quickly. A sigh


    of relief escaped Daphne. To think that Elliot could still face Julie calmly after being rejected so firmly ¨C


    it was a good sign.


    Just as Daphne was starting to feel relieved, she noticed the look in Elliot¡¯s eyes as he looked at


    Kieran¡­


    It was a ¡®one of us are going to die today¡¯ kind of look¡­


    In the world of love, the chosen one is never at fault. The third wheel is always the one to me.


    To Elliot, Kieran was the third wheel. And to Kieran, Elliot was. As these two supposed third wheels


    locked eyes, the tension was palpable.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can have a word with you?¡± Elliot asked Kieran straightforwardly.


    Daphne felt her skin crawl. Was this a deration of war? It had to be.


    Regret hit Daphne again. She shot Julie a pleading look, but Julie was even more panicked, clueless


    about what Elliot was nning¡­


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Kieran agreed to Elliot¡¯s request without hesitation, and they headed towards


    the lounge together.


    Lionel mumbled to himself, ¡°What¡¯s going on between Elliot and Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Her, Daphne pointed at Julie instinctively.


    Julie jumped. She knew both Kieran and Elliot were level-headed, but the idea of their emotions


    spiraling was unsettling¡­


    ¡°I better go check on them!¡± As Julie got up to leave, she spotted Adeline Sanches in a stunning red


    evening gown heading their way. Dragging her gown, sheined, ¡°Have I shrunk? Or are all


    designers dating janitors now?¡±


    Daphne looked at Adeline, puzzled. ¡°Why would you


    ¡°If not to please the janitors, why else would they design such long gowns? To sweep the floors?¡±


    Adeline huffed.


    Used to Adeline¡¯s blunt humor, Julie chuckled.


    Daphne didn¡¯t know Adeline, but she heard Lionelugh and say to her, ¡°I thought Elliot came alone. I


    didn¡¯t expect you to be here.¡±


    Spotting Lionel, Adeline in her beautiful gown gave him a small smile. ¡°Darling, where¡¯s Elliot?¡±


    Lionel nced at Julie next to Daphne, ¡°Probably dueling with her husband, I guess. Or maybe they¡¯re


    just having a chat.¡±


    Yeah, right. As if anyone would believe they¡¯re just having a chat.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    Chapter 161


    Everyone thought Kieran and Elliot were out for Julie, but only these two guys knew that Elliot wanted


    to talk to Kieran about Adeline. Elliot was a straightforward man. He asked Kieran, ¡°Were you the one


    who picked up Adeline in Oakhurstst time?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t give a direct answer, but his expression clearly indicated a yes. Besides, Elliot had seen


    with his own eyes Kieran getting out of the car, and then Adeline getting into Kieran¡¯s car and leaving.


    Kieran had even told him, ¡°I have zero chance of telling you where Adeline is. I suggest you chase that


    car. If you can catch up, Adeline is yours.¡±


    In the heat of the moment, Elliot didn¡¯t have time for more chitchat with Kieran. He immediately went


    after Adeline¡¯s car.


    What Elliot said to Kieran next was, ¡°I owe you a thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that,¡± Kieran replied.


    When Julie and Adeline¡¯s group arrived at the lounge, they saw Elliot and Kieran shaking hands and


    exchanging thanks.


    At that time, Daphne, Julie, and Lionel all looked puzzled. Only Adeline, like a bull seeing red, stormed


    towards Kieran. Pointing at Kieran, she roared, ¡°I knew it was you who set me up!¡±


    In fact, Daphne had heard about Elliot¡¯s sister, but no media had reported on Adeline. In contrast, Elliot


    was more well-known. Daphne naturally had no idea that the Sanches family was so careful in


    protecting Adeline because Adeline had no blood rtion with them. Daphne had thought that the


    Sanches family protected Adeline so much because they adored her and didn¡¯t want her to be


    disturbed by the media.


    However, though Adeline was never reported in the media, rumors about her were plentiful.


    Most of the rumors said she was ugly or handicapped, so the Sanches family didn¡¯t want her to appear


    in public. Others said she was a loner, that her appearance would negatively affect the Ray Group, so


    even when Elliot took over as CEO of the Ray Group, and when the Ray Group held family banquets,


    she never appeared.


    Now, she was seeing Adeline in person¡­.


    Not only was she stunning and charismatic, but she also had such a unique personality!


    Daphne thought the person standing next to her was Julie, so she tugged at her sleeve, ¡°Now I get why


    Ms. Sanches is wearing red. -She¡¯s truly fiery. Don¡¯t you think, sweetheart?¡±


    Having said that, Daphne turned around with a smile, seeking agreement, but¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re right, darling,¡± Lionel bent his head and gave a slight smile to Daphne.


    ¡°Darn¡­¡± Daphne was taken aback by this intimate address and tone, and she stepped back two steps,


    almost stepping on Julie¡¯s foot.


    Adeline charged forward, like she was about to duel with Kieran, but¡­ before she could hit her target,


    she was blocked by Elliot¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Really? You want to hit someone?¡± Elliot looked down at Adeline.


    ¡°Let go! I¡¯m dueling with your rival for you, you should be cheering me on!¡± Adeline¡¯s eyes widened, her


    face flushed red with anger.


    Julie stood silently watching this farce.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Kieran nced towards Julie¡¯s direction, frowning.


    Julie walked over and patted Adeline¡¯s back, ¡°Calm down. Anger¡¯s bad for your health.¡±


    Lionel had already instructed his agent not to let anyone elsee to the balcony where they were


    resting, and the second floor was off-limits for media, so this ce was rtively safe.


    Daphne looked at Julie¡¯s actions and gave her a mental thumbs up. She had heard that Ms. Sanches


    had pursued Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Hernandez and Julie got married, but Ms. Sanches¡¯s twin brother was


    in love with Julie.


    Daphne shook her head, thinking to herself how mixed up their rtionships were¡­


    Adeline pointed at Kieran and said to Julie, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your husband, I might be dead now, did you


    know that?¡±


    Julie nodded, then said to Adeline, ¡°Then you should thank my¡­ Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    The word ¡®husband¡¯ that was about to leave her lips was swallowed back by Julie.


    Hearing this, Adeline got even angrier, ¡°Why did your husband have to stop a young girl from


    committing suicide?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of¡­ Mr. Hernandez¡¯s actions.¡±


    ¡°Me choosing death is my freedom. What do you know!¡± Adeline only said this. Julie didn¡¯t know what it


    implied.


    But Adeline had once told her about what that sneaky woman Victoria had done. Julie thought this


    must have something to do with


    Victoria


    But when Adeline mentioned death, Julie¡¯s gaze unconsciously deepened.


    She let go of Adeline¡¯s hand, suddenly looking at Adeline seriously, ¡°Adeline, death is not freedom. I


    don¡¯t know if there are ghosts in this world, but I do know, those who truly love you, those who are


    alive, they¡¯ll suffer more than if they themselves died.¡±


    Perhaps because Julie¡¯s gaze and tone were so serious, Adeline, who was just causing a scene,


    instantly quieted down.


    Adeline didn¡¯t know what Julie had been through, but she could see the weight of the world in her


    determined eyes Julie was like an ancient scroll, the writing on it somewhat faded but clearly hinting at


    profound secrets¡­.


    On that day in Oakhurst, Adeline really did reach out to Kieran first before agreeing to meet with Julie.


    She agreed to spill the beans on Julie¡¯s location, in return for Kieran¡¯s protection from Elliot¡¯s prying


    eyes. And Kieran promised to keep her hideout hush-hush from Elliot.


    Adeline had been butting heads with Victoria for years. She knew very well how sneaky and cunning


    Victoria could be.


    Ray Group¡¯s overseas branch was a brainchild of Kathy Adeline knew that getting that branch back


    was one of Elliot¡¯s pipe dreams.


    Victoria was a pro at ying dirty tricks. Over the years, Adeline had had a taste of just how ruthless


    she could be. She could have spilled the beans to Walker and Elliot, but Victoria yed the part of the


    dutiful wife and mother too convincingly, and Walker wasn¡¯t exactly her biggest fan. If she dered war


    against Victoria, the Sanches family might rally around Victoria and show her the door.


    At that point, not only would she be ousted from the Sanches family, but she would also lose Elliot for


    good.


    Victoria promised that once she was out of the Sanches family, Elliot could get the overseas branch


    back without a hitch.


    Adeline didn¡¯t hesitate a second before taking up Victoria¡¯s offer and hitting the road.


    Nobody knew better than Adeline that she was the thorn in Victoria¡¯s side, because she was the only


    one who knew Victoria¡¯s true colors. The only one Victoria really wanted to get rid of was Adeline.


    There was no bad blood between Victoria and Elliot, and Elliot was, after all, Walker¡¯s own flesh and


    blood. As long as Adeline was out of the picture, Elliot would be safe and sound.


    The reason Adeline said she wanted to die was mainly because she knew all too well that being


    someone who knew Victoria¡¯s true colors, she was very likely to end up six feet under at the hands of


    Victoria¡¯s henchmen. The fact was, even before her coffee date with Julie in Oakhurst, Adeline had


    already noticed she was being tailed.


    Adeline stared at Julie, saying, ¡°You have no idea! If I had held on for just two more days, Elliot could


    have sessfully reimed the Overseas branch my mother founded! You have no idea!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think Elliot would have peace of mind to go abroad without finding you first? Julie¡¯s calm


    tone was like a sharp needle, each word pricking Adeline¡¯s heart.


    Julie didn¡¯t want to get tangled up with Adeline any longer, because the charity auction was about to


    start. Julie looked up, shot Elliot a prating nce, and then walked off towards the auction hall


    alone.


    Kieran quietly followed behind Julie.


    Daphne found the current atmosphere really odd. Although she was a gossipmonger, she couldn¡¯t


    stand the heavy air, so she pointed at the door somewhat nervously and said to Lionel, ¡°Lord Lion, I


    think I should go too¡­¡±


    ¡°Cherish life. No matter what you¡¯re up against, always try to address it with a calm demeanor.¡± Lionel


    said this, took Daphne¡¯s hand, and they both headed into the auction hall.


    Elliot finally let go of Adeline¡¯s hand he had been gripping tightly.


    Her wrist hurt from Elliot¡¯s fight grip. Adeline massaged her wrist and said, ¡°Please, be gentle with your


    sister!¡±


    She shot Elliot a re, then looked in the direction Julie had gone, seemingly provoking Elliot on


    purpose, ¡°You¡¯re not gentle at all, no wonder Julie doesn¡¯t like you¡±


    ¡°That day in Oakhurst, Kieran¡¯s exact words were: The chances I¡¯ll tell you where to find Adeline are


    zilch. I suggest you tail that car. If you catch up. Adeline¡¯s all yours.¡± Elliot suddenly told Adeline.


    Kieran was such a sly. He didn¡¯t directly tell Elliot where she was, but what difference did his hint


    make?


    Elliot had thanked Kieran probably because even though Kieran didn¡¯t spill the beans, the car she was


    in that day must have been going much faster than his cab. The fact that his cab managed to catch up


    to her car must have been due to Kieran telling the driver to slow down.


    So¡­ Kieran was really sneaky!


    Seeing Adeline in a sour mood, Elliot took her hand somewhat helplessly and said, ¡°Come on. I heard


    the auction items tonight are something special. The auction¡¯s about to start, so let¡¯s go take a look. We


    can deal with everything else when we get home.¡±

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    Chapter 162


    Knowing about Albertine and Lionel¡¯s past fling, the thoughtful organizers purposely separated their


    seating arrangements.


    But they were clueless about the beef between Kieran and Elliot. They thought these two guys were


    just partners, so they ced them together.


    Upon learning that there was no awkwardness between Lionel and Albertine, Daphne began to stress


    about Julie.


    She kept throwing nces in Julie¡¯s direction.


    At that moment, Julie was making eye contact with Adeline. The host was delivering the opening


    speech. There seemed to be some sort of unspoken tension brewing between Kieran and Elliot.


    The spat that happened outside earlier didn¡¯t sit well with Daphne. She wanted to ask Lionel to


    convince the organizers to reseat the four of them, but turned around to find Lionel and Albertine in


    deep conversation.


    And Albertine¡¯s hubby, Mr. Farrell, was attentively listening to the host¡¯s speech.


    In the end, Daphne could only look back at Julie, only to find Julie whispering to Adeline.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Maybe she was overthinking.


    She was too far to hear what Julie and Adeline were chattering about.


    Actually, Adeline was gossiping.


    Probably because she was pissed at the rapport between Elliot and Kieran, she said to Julie, ¡°When


    you remarried Mr. Hernandez, did you ever consider how your first love would feel?¡±


    Adeline¡¯sment silenced the three people present.


    But Adeline acted as if nothing happened, telling Julie, ¡°Doing this will upset my brother, you know!¡±


    ¡°Adeline!¡± Elliot¡¯s face turned sour. He shot Adeline a look, signaling her to zip it.


    Although Adeline was a vengeful woman, she knew when to call it quits. Once Elliot spoke up, she shut


    her mouth.


    The atmosphere among the four of them had now be awkward to the extreme.


    Not far away, Lionel finally stopped his cheerful chat with Albertine. He nced at Elliot, then asked


    Daphne, ¡°If I remember correctly, you know the new Mrs. Hernandez, right?¡±


    Lionel had a good memory. Thest time Daphne interviewed him, Julie had shown up and seemed to


    be waiting for Daphne for a long time. From Daphne¡¯s attitude, he guessed she was trying to avoid


    Julie..


    Daphne didn¡¯t expect Lionel to be so attentive. She nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re great


    friends!¡±


    After saying this, she suddenly felt she overshared. She was merely Mr. Lionel¡¯s date for the evening.


    He surely wasn¡¯t interested in her personal life.


    So, Daphne felt embarrassed and let out a few awkwardughs.


    Albertine also looked towards Julie. Having been an agent for many years, her observation and


    sensitivity were definitely not inferior to Daphne¡¯s. She immediately noticed the tense atmosphere over


    there.


    Like an old friend of Daphne for many years, Albertine asked with concern, ¡°Your friend isn¡¯t in trouble,


    is she?¡±


    At first, Daphne was a bit worried, but seeing Julie sitting calmly not far away, she confidently said,


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine! Julie¡¯s never lost a fight since she was a kid!¡±


    Lionel asked Daphne, ¡°So, you guys grew up together?¡±


    It took Daphne a moment to realize Lionel was asking about her rtionship with Julie, so she replied


    with a smile, ¡°We met at university.¡±


    ¡°So how do you know she¡¯s never lost a fight since she was a kid? You two must be very close!¡± Lionel


    said, half-seriously, half-jokingly.


    ¡°Of course. Actually, I went to the same school as Julie in middle and high school, although we weren¡¯t


    in the same ss. I didn¡¯t have the courage to get to know Julie then, or we might have be friends


    earlier. You should know that from middle school to university, Kieran and Julie were always well-known


    figures in school¡­¡±


    As she was speaking, Daphne suddenly stopped.


    She mentally scolded herself, why couldn¡¯t she stop talking once she started?


    Albertine, who was next to her, was very interested, ¡°Why did you stop? Keep going! I was all ears! So,


    Mr. Hernandez and Ms. Abraham have been friends since childhood?¡±


    Lionel gave Albertine a look, ¡°Tini, why do you like gossiping this much?¡±


    Just as Albertine was about to answer, Babur next to her covered her mouth and pointed to the auction


    item on the stage, ¡°This is thest auction item tonight!¡±


    Hearing this, Albertine pped his arm, signaling him to let her go. After he did, Albertine turned her


    attention to the auction stage, curious to see what the night¡¯s showstopper was.


    It was a beautiful ring. The entire ring was a unique yellowish-green color that caught everyone¡¯s


    attention.


    The moment Julie saw the ring, her gaze was fixed on the auction stage. It was the ring her mother


    always wore on her right ring finger since she was a child. Her mother treasured it. But the year the


    Abraham family went bankrupt, her mother and her lover eloped with all the family¡¯s assets. Her father


    died of a stroke. Since her mother¡¯s death in a car ident, she had never seen this ring again.


    Memories flooded Julie¡¯s mind like a tide¡­


    She felt as though she was back in her childhood house.


    Little Julie was more active than boys. She aspired to be the superhero characters she saw on TV. In


    her childhood memories, her parents, Darcey Abraham and Padgett Abraham, had a blissful marriage.


    She remembered when she was a kid, her grandma told her that her mom¡¯s family wasn¡¯t actually dirt


    poor, but her dad was born into a life of poverty. Her mom fell head over heels for her dad when she


    was young, but her family didn¡¯t approve, so she took off with her dad. From then on, she went through


    a ton of tough times with her poor dad.


    Until Padgett tried his hand at ying the stock market. Whether it was luck or skill, he ended up


    making a some money.


    With the money he made, Padgett threw a grand wedding for him and Darcey. Darcey was a real smart


    woman. She took the money her husband made and started a small business, which grew bigger and


    bigger.


    The Abraham family finally shook off the poverty, but couldn¡¯t shake off thebel of ¡°nouveau riche.¡±


    Padgett and Darcey had their pride, so they bought a mansion right next to the Hernandez family.


    Later on, Padgett and Darcey had Sansa, but Padgett always wanted a son. When Darcey was


    pregnant with Julie, everyone in the family had high hopes, hoping Julie would be a boy.


    But unexpectedly, their second child was a girl again. Padgett wanted to keep trying for a son, but


    Darcey wasn¡¯t in good health. Padgett loved his wife and didn¡¯t want to put her through it, so he finally


    gave up.


    Maybe it was because Julie was raised as a boy, but she acted just like one. As a kid, her favorite thing


    was to mimic the superheroes fighting on TV, which earned her more than a few scoldings.


    While other little girls were brushing Barbie¡¯s hair and changing her clothes, Julie was always


    engrossed in someic book, learning how the superheroes fought.


    Back then, the gentle and smart Sansa was the pride of the Abraham family. Darcey had high


    expectations for Sansa. Sansa and Julie were like night and day. While Sansa acted like a littledy


    from a young age, Julie was the exact opposite.


    When Julie was seven, while Sansa was practicing the piano under Darcey¡¯s watchful eye, Julie snuck


    out with heric book and went to practice fighting on thewn in front of their mansion.


    Their frontwn was covered with beautiful shrubs. Julie sat among them, almostpletely hidden by


    the leaves. She opened heric book and started to mimic the poses of the characters. She threw a


    punch at the shrubs.


    To her surprise, the shrubs actually made a loud noise and the green leaves started shaking. Julie was


    thrilled. She stood up, ready to cheer, but then she saw a big brown dog rushing towards her.


    Julie was scared out of her wits and took off running.


    To be precise, it was the dog that led to Julie¡¯s first encounter with Kieran.


    The incident left a deep impression on Julie about her mom¡¯s ring.


    Her mom scolded her harshly because of it. Julie thought it was so unfair, so she went to argue with


    her mom, but then she saw her mom¡¯s favorite ring on the dressing table. When Julie picked it up out of


    curiosity, her mom pped her. It was the first time Julie had ever been hit.


    No matter how naughty she was in the past, her mom had neverid a hand on her. It was also the first


    time Julie realized how important this ring was to her mom.


    But after her mom passed away, the ring seemed to disappear into thin air. Julie searched the scene of


    her mom¡¯s car ident and even turned their mansion upside down before it was taken away by the


    court, but she never found the ring. Who would¡¯ve thought, it showed up at the auction today¡­

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Chapter 163


    The host¡¯s voice echoed around the room, reaching Julie¡¯s ears through the speakers, ¡°What we have


    here is a chrysoberyl ring. Chrysoberyl is known for two special optical effects the color change effect


    and the cat¡¯s eye effect.. It¡¯s quite a rare mineral and is widely considered as one of the most precious


    gemstones in the world. Those chrysoberyls that exhibit both effects are especially rare. The ring we


    have here is made from such a chrysoberyl. If you take a closer look, you can see ¡®Zeus&Queen¡¯


    engraved inside the ring.¡±


    The host exined that since the designer of the ring was unknown, and there were no records on the


    ring, people could only interpret the engraving literally and couldn¡¯t ascertain the actual meaning.


    -3


    The host continued, ¡°In the early 19th century, the Veridia Natural History Museum acquired a piece of


    chrysoberyl named The Hope Emerald. The Hope Emerald is incredibly clear, sparkling, without any


    spots or ws. It¡¯s also quiterge and perfect. It was considered as a rare treasure. Studies have


    confirmed that the ring we¡¯re auctioning today is made from the same chrysoberyl excavated with The


    Hope Emerald. The starting bid for this ¡®Zeus&Queen¡¯ ring is $1.68 million. Let¡¯s start the bidding.¡±


    When the host announced the price, Julie was shocked. She had never dreamed that her mother¡¯s ring


    could be so valuable. She still remembered that before her mother pped her, she did see letters


    inside the ring. Because the letters were so small, she even used a magnifying ss to look at them.


    Despite being pped, she still remembered the spelling of the letters clearly.


    She never knew the ring was so expensive. If a ring was this valuable, why did her mother and father


    live such a long time in poverty? Why did her father end up bankrupt?


    As Julie lost herself in thought, the bidding for the ring had already reached $2.87 million.


    Suddenly, Kieran, sitting next to Julie, quietly raised his bid paddle and calmly said, ¡°Five million.¡±


    Julie looked at him in surprise, her clear eyes full of questions.


    He gave her aforting look, then put down his bid paddle and smiled, ¡°This ring looks familiar. I


    think you¡¯d like it.¡±


    Of course, he would find this ring familiar¡­


    Julie had once told Kieran about the first time she got smacked because of this ring¡­.


    The auctioneer wasn¡¯t surprised by Kieran¡¯s high bid. He picked up the auction hammer and said,


    ¡°No.28, five million for the first time¡­five million for the second time¡­five million for the third time¡­¡±


    ¡°Six million.¡±


    Just as the auctioneer¡¯s hammer was about to fall, suddenly, a strange voice came from a corner.


    Everyone looked towards the source of the voice.


    The man had No.49 card. He wasn¡¯t tall, looked in his thirties. He wasn¡¯t particrly handsome, but he


    had two bodyguards in ck suits standing next to him. He slowly put down his card, staring at the ring


    on the auction stage with determination.


    The auctioneer was about to speak, but Kieran raised his card again, ¡°Eight million.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Julie was shocked once more, she grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve instinctively, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Her beautiful eyes were full of questions.


    But Kieran turned to look at No.49.


    Sure enough, he raised his card again, ¡°Eight million and ten thousand.¡±


    Kieran raised his card again while Julie was distracted, ¡°Eight million and fifty thousand.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Julie turned to Kieran and whispered.


    No.49 must be out of his mind too. He raised his card again, ¡°Eight million and fifty-two thousand.¡±


    Julie¡¯s voice was very low just now, only Elliot and Adeline next to her could barely hear.


    Adeline counted on her fingers and then nodded to Julie, ¡°They must be crazy. Who would pay eight


    million and fifty-two thousand for a rock?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my mother¡¯s ring.¡± Julie whispered to Adeline.


    Just as Kieran was about to raise his paddle again, Adeline boldly took Elliot¡¯s paddle and shouted,


    ¡°Eight million and fifty-five thousand!!¡±


    Everyone in the room turned to look at Adeline in confusion. Everyone thought it was apetition


    between No.28 and No.49. No one expected No.27 to suddenly join.


    Elliot took his paddle back from Adeline and knocked on her head, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Adeline pouted, ¡°I¡¯m helping you! I know how important a mother¡¯s treasured jewelry is to a daughter.


    I¡¯m helping you bid for your girl, you don¡¯t thank me and even hit me! Do you know how to woo a


    woman? You really need to learn from Mr. Hernandez! I¡¯m teaching


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°Nine million. Suddenly, a deep voice came from No.49.


    Everyone gasped.


    Even Albertine not far away couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes and look at No.49. She whispered, ¡°My


    God, he¡¯s really willing to spend!¡±


    Kieran silently looked at No.49¡¯s card and then at No.49¡¯s face. He heard the auctioneer¡¯s voice slowly


    rise, ¡°No.49, nine million for the first time¡­¡±


    He reached out to grab his paddle, but¡­.


    Julie was holding his paddle tightly, refusing to give it to him.


    With a resigned but indulgent smile, Kieran said, ¡°Sweetie, give it to me.¡±


    If she really gave it to him, then she must be crazy!


    Julie shook her head, looking at him seriously, ¡°Stop bidding.¡±


    The other party was clearly determined. If they continued to bid, the price would only go higher and


    higher. Although the proceeds from the auction would all go to charity, Julie felt there was no need to


    go overboard.


    Adeline, seizing the moment when Elliot was distracted, excitedly handed the 27th paddle to Kieran,


    ¡°Here! Bid 10 million! You can definitely beat that 49th guy!¡±


    Kieran took the paddle, hearing the auctioneer¡¯s voice echoing, ¡°Number 49, 9 million for the third


    time¡­¡±


    The deal was about to be sealed. Julie practically threw herself onto Kieran, stopping his arm from


    being raised. She looked at Kieran with sincerity, ¡°That¡¯s something my mother treasured, not me. Even


    if I got the ring back, I wouldn¡¯t get my mother back. Seeing it would just bring back memories. I


    appreciate your kindness¡­¡±


    ¡°SOLD!¡± The auctioneer¡¯s voice came from the stage.


    Julie breathed a sigh of relief, d she didn¡¯t let Kieran pay more than 9 million for her mother¡¯s ring.


    Then, she heard Kieran¡¯szy yet maic voice overhead, ¡°Who said I was buying the ring for you?¡±


    Julie was confused for a good 30 seconds before she finally caught on: Did she misinterpret?


    Did Mr. Hernandez just want to buy an art piece for his collection? He didn¡¯t specifically say he was


    buying the ring for her¡­


    She slowly let go of Kieran, then mentally chided herself: Julie, you¡¯re such a fool!


    Seeing her awkward expression, Kieran pulled out his phone and sent a message to Karl, ¡°Find out


    who number 49 is at the auction.¡±


    Just after sending the message, Kieran turned his head and found the man had disappeared.


    Adeline looked at Julie, ¡°Did you think your husband couldn¡¯t afford it?¡±


    Julie was still feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should¡¯ve said so! If I had known, Elliot would¡¯ve bought it for you.¡± Adeline


    seemed to still hold a grudge against Kieran and Elliot, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be sarcastic at every


    turn.


    Elliot helplessly looked at Julie and Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have brought her.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe with you in the first ce!¡± Adeline red at Elliot.


    Elliot grabbed Adeline, ¡°Let¡¯s go say hi to Lionel!¡±


    Then he led Adeline away.


    Julie stayed silent for a while before turning to Kieran, ¡°I apologize for my rudeness, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    Her tone was cold, as if they were strangers.


    After a few seconds of silence, Kieran looked at Julie with a hint of disappointment, ¡°You cost me a


    collectible. How do you n topensate?¡±


    Julie wanted to curse at him, but held back, ¡°I¡¯m already married to you, what else could I use to


    compensate you?¡±


    He stared quietly into Julie¡¯s eyes, breaking into a small smile, ¡°If I can¡¯t collect the art I love for the rest


    of my life, I guess I¡¯ll just have to collect you.¡±


    Julie remembered a line from a book that stuck with her, ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for someone willing to hold my


    hand and walk with me for the rest of my life. I don¡¯t want to experience meaningless, unclear, and


    unfruitful rtionships. I¡¯ve always longed to be treasured, carefully stored, and meticulously


    preserved. I hope to no longer fear, to no longer worry, to no longer be aimless. But I know, I¡¯ve always


    known, that person will never appear.¡±


    Julie stared nkly at Kieran, who was looking at her with love, lost in thought¡­


    Outside the auction, the man with the number 49 under the protection of two bodyguards, pulled out his


    phone, dialed a number, then spoke respectfully into the phone, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve bought it. The final price was


    9 million¡­ Okay, I know what to do. Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Chapter 164


    Recently, Julie and Kieran seemed to have gone back to a civil and respectful rtionship, but never


    like now. On the journey back to Noblewood Retreat from the charity event, they didn¡¯t exchange a


    single word.


    Kieran was busy with work stuff. Julie didn¡¯t initiate conversation either.


    Not until the car smoothly came to a stop at the entrance of Noblewood Retreat.


    Karl got out of the car, and then opened the door for them. Julie and Kieran walked into the gates of


    Noblewood Retreat one after another.


    ¡°Woof, woof¡­¡±


    Suddenly, arge grey dog charged towards Julie. She didn¡¯t have time to dodge.


    Just as Julie closed her eyes, Kieran reached out to hold her waist and pushed her against the wall


    behind them. Kieran protected Julie¡¯s head. She leaned against his chest, hearing his strong heartbeat.


    ¡°Coco, where are you going!¡± Ivan¡¯s anxious voice came from behind.


    The big dog immediately jumped onto Kieran¡¯s thigh. Ivan wasn¡¯t as tall as the dog. He called out


    Coco¡¯s name while trying to pull the dog off Kieran by holding its waist from behind.


    However, the dog named ¡®Coco¡¯ didn¡¯t respond at all.


    Julie had been terrified by a brown dog when she was a child. Now, she was so scared that she held


    onto Kieran¡¯s waist tightly, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth while hiding in Kieran¡¯s arms.


    Kieran held Julie¡¯s waist with one hand and buried the other in her soft hair, smelling the sweet scent of


    her hair.


    After a struggle, Ivan finally pulled Coco off Kieran¡¯s thigh.


    Ivan, red-faced and panting, looked at Coco and said, ¡°You can¡¯t just pounce on people! This is my


    dad. If he¡¯s not happy, he¡¯ll definitely beat the crap out of you! Look, you scared Mama Julie right into


    my dad¡¯s chick muscle!¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    Hearing Ivan¡¯s words, Julie finally let go of Kieran¡¯s waist with some embarrassment.


    Looking at Julie who was keeping her distance, Kieran pulled Ivan in front of him and corrected


    seriously, ¡°What? it¡¯s called chest muscle!¡±


    Ivan thought for a while, then asked Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, are chest muscles flesh?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Ivan nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Then is chicken flesh?¡±


    Julie nodded again.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s the same!¡± Ivan seemed very pleased with his analysis.


    However, his sophistry didn¡¯t convince the serious Kieran.


    Kieran pointed at the grey Husky and asked Ivan, ¡°Coco? Tell me, where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°Cupid asked me to take care of Coco for a few days. You won¡¯t object, will you, Kerry¡­¡± Ivan looked


    at Kieran innocently, ¡°Cupid¡¯s parents are going abroad tomorrow. Cupid is staying at her


    grandmother¡¯s house. And Coco is usually taken care of by Cupid¡¯s mother¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you? Having the dog stay with her at her grandma¡¯s house, isn¡¯t that


    better?¡± Kieran frowned slightly. He shielded Julie behind him, keeping a certain distance between her


    and the Husky.


    Ivan exined earnestly, ¡°This dog has a name, it¡¯s called Coco. Cupid¡¯s mom and grandma don¡¯t get


    along. You know, like the mother-inw and daughter-inw in the TV shows.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Cupid is worried that Coco might be mistreated at her grandma¡¯s house, so she asked me to take care


    of her for a few days!¡± Ivan replied.


    Kieran frowned, looking seriously at Ivan, ¡°Do you know that Mama Julie is allergic to dogs?¡±


    Ivan was shocked. So that¡¯s why Mama Julie kept her distance as soon as she arrived, and why Kerry


    deliberately hid her behind him. She¡¯s allergic to Coco!


    Ivan immediately ordered Coco, ¡°Coco, go to the balcony!¡±


    The Husky showed a proud expression, then trotted off with a wagging tail.


    Ivan quickly went to Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, are you okay¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Before he could finish his words of concern, Ivan was lifted up by his father.


    ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± After instructing Julie, Kieran directly picked up Ivan and headed for the


    bathroom. After ordering Shannon to give Ivan a bath immediately, Kieran turned to ask Noah, ¡°Where


    has this dog been?¡±


    From the bathroom came Ivan¡¯s angry shout, ¡°It has a name! It¡¯s called Coco, Coco!¡±


    Noah looked helpless, ¡°It¡¯s been almost everywhere in the mansion.¡±


    Kieran couldn¡¯t help but frown. He told Noah, ¡°Clean Ivan up, disinfect the mansion, then send Coco to


    Gilded Gate Residences. Call me when everything is settled.¡±


    After giving the order, Kieran went upstairs to take a quick shower and change his clothes, then


    grabbed the car keys and headed towards the door.


    In the bathroom, Ivan looked worriedly at Shannon, ¡°Will Mama Julie get sick because of Coco?¡±


    If he had known earlier that Mama Julie was allergic to Coco, he would never have brought Coco back.


    He was an innocent and kind-hearted child, although stubborn in speech. In this respect, he was


    somewhat like his mother.


    Shannon smiled and patted Ivan¡¯s head, ¡°With Mr. Hernandez here, Mrs. Hernandez will definitely be


    fine. Besides, she hasn¡¯t touched Coco, so she¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Ivan nodded, half-believing.


    Kieran drove the car out of the garage, stopped next to Julie, wound down the window, and said to


    Julie, ¡°Get in.¡±


    The day had turned into night. Julie gave Kieran a confused look, asking, ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Sleep.¡± Kieran gave a blunt reply.


    Julie was taken aback, then asked, ¡°Sleep in the car?¡±


    Kieran suddenly gave a cheeky grin, ¡°If you¡¯re up for it, I¡¯d be more than happy to keep youpany.¡±


    ¦§


    Julie got into the car and then asked earnestly, ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel okay?¡± Kieran asked Julie with a hint of concern.


    Julie did a quick self-check, ensuring she wasn¡¯t affected by the dog. She then smiled at Kieran, which


    was quite unusual for her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine. My allergies haven¡¯t been as bad these past few years.¡±


    Kieran looked at Julie solemnly, ¡°Back when we first met, you almost died in my arms.¡±


    At the mention of this, Julie¡¯s smile grew brighter. She joked, ¡°I¡¯m a superhero, I¡¯m not that easy to take


    down.¡±


    When the big brown dog lunged at Julie, her first instinct was to run. Little did she know, Kieran was


    right behind her.


    So Julie ended up knocking Kieran to the ground.


    The dog, named Ben, was Kieran¡¯s pet. Back then, Kieran was Julie¡¯s neighbor. That day, Ben¡¯s leash


    broke unexpectedly. Kieran, being about the same age as Julie, was no match for Ben¡¯s strength.


    So Ben ran off. Kieran followed him all the way. When he found the big dog, he hadn¡¯t even managed


    to put the leash on it when he was suddenly bumped into by Julie rushing over.


    Kieran was standing behind Ben, ready to put the leash on, and Julie was standing across from Ben.


    Most people would turn and run away from Ben, but Julie instead headed straight for Kieran.


    Thinking back, Kieran turned to look at Julie, ¡°Most people would¡¯ve turned and ran, why did you


    charge at Ben?¡±


    Julie looked a bit embarrassed, ¡°You might not believe this, but I saw you standing behind Ben and


    thought I could grab you and run¡­¡±


    At that moment, Julie fell silent because Kieran had pulled over to the side of the road. He was looking


    at her intently. In the dark night, his eyes seemed to be filled with stars.


    He just sat there quietly, looking at her, making Julie forget what she was saying and what she was


    supposed to say next.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran slowly leaned in that Julie snapped back to reality. She turned her head to the


    side, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to take advantage of me!¡±


    Only someone like Julie would say something like that at a moment like this.


    Kieran was taken aback for a moment, then heughed. He went back to their previous conversation,


    ¡°In the end, you didn¡¯t manage to drag me away with you. Instead, you knocked me down. You¡¯re


    something else!¡±


    ¡°It was your dog¡¯s leash that tripped me!¡± Julie argued back.


    Kieran, still chuckling, slowly got the car moving again.


    All Julie could remember was knocking Kieran down and then feeling Ben jump onto her back. But Ben


    didn¡¯t bite her, because Kieran, who was pinned underneath her, told Ben, ¡°Easy, Ben!¡±


    Even though Ben didn¡¯t bite her, he did give her neck a good lick.


    Julie couldn¡¯t quite remember what happened after that. She just knew she had an allergic reaction.


    Did she really almost die in his arms?


    Julie turned to look at Kieran and asked, ¡°I had an allergic reaction. When I woke up, I was at home.


    What happened in between?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie shook her head.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me then?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t tell me that I almost died in your arms. I thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Julie


    answered Kieran earnestly.


    When she woke up, Sansa, Padgett, and Darcey were all by her bedside. They told her that she was


    allergic to cats and dogs and that the boy next door had saved her. Julie didn¡¯t think much of it at the


    time.


    Kieran seemed lost in his memories. He paused for a moment, then looked at Julie and said, ¡°Back


    then, I kissed you.¡±

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    Chapter 165


    ¡°What?¡± Julie suddenly turned her head to look at Kieran, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Kieran calmly drove, answering her, ¡°At that time, Ben licked your neck, which led to an allergic


    reaction. Of course, I was just a kid back then. I didn¡¯t know you were having an anaphctic shock.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this got to do with you kissing me?¡± Julie looked at Kieran, waiting for his response.


    Kieran shrugged innocently, ¡°When I was five and learning to swim, I watched a first aid video. And I


    thought mouth-to-mouth could save your life¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°So you performed mouth-to-mouth on me¡­¡± Julie nodded, half understanding, ¡°I¡¯m really d your


    kiss didn¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°You should be thanking Ben for that.¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°Ben?¡± Julie looked at Kieran in surprise, then burst intoughter, ¡°So Ben stopped you from performing


    mouth-to-mouth on me?¡±


    Kieran shook his head, ¡°I still kissed you.¡±


    Julie took a deep breath, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell the story in one go?¡±


    ¡°Then you can¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m telling it.¡±


    Julie put her hand over her mouth, showing she would cooperate.


    Only then did Kieran continue, ¡°When I bent down to give you mouth-to-mouth, Ben ran home and


    brought my grandmother. Just as I was about to kiss you, my grandmother picked you up and handed


    you over to our family doctor. Then my mom called your mom to take you home.¡±


    All Julie remembered was waking up and getting a serious scolding from Darcey. Darcey, in a bid to


    prevent Julie from such dangers, confiscated all heric books.


    And it was precisely because Julie found it unfair that sheter got involved in the incident of getting hit


    for that ring. Since then, Julie frequently brought up the fact that she got hit in front of Kieran.


    After hearing Kieran¡¯s brief and clear description of the entire incident, Julie understood. She turned to


    Kieran and asked, ¡°So, the time after you won the interschool championship¡­ was actually our second


    time¡­¡±


    ¡°It was the third time.¡± Kieran interrupted Julie before she could finish.


    Julie¡¯s counting fingers froze in mid-air.


    ¡°The third time?¡± She extended another finger and looked at Kieran, ¡°When was the second time?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s question, but looked at her and said, ¡°Do you remember the tombstone we


    made for Ben?¡±


    Julie suddenly fell silent. She remembered Ben, the big brown dog, and the hole she and Kieran dug


    for him in the backyard of her vi.


    To Julie, Kieran said, ¡°Would you like to go back and see it?¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran in shock. After her family went bankrupt, their vi was auctioned off by the court.


    At that time, the Hernandez family was mostly under Lucian¡¯s control. She wasn¡¯t sure who the vi


    was eventually sold to.


    After marrying Kieran, he had asked her if she wanted to buy back the vi, but she declined. Firstly,


    she didn¡¯t want Kieran to do such a thing for her. Secondly, the vi held her childhood memories, but it


    was also filled with painful past she didn¡¯t want to relive. She was young and didn¡¯t have the courage to


    face hardships in life, so she chose to run away.


    But now, Kieran suddenly brought up the topic, which surprised Julie. She asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the vi sold


    in an auction years ago?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer her, but stopped the car in front of her old vi.


    Everything here remained the same.


    Kieran helped Julie open the car door, then led her out of the car.


    Holding Julie¡¯s hand, Kieran rang the vi¡¯s doorbell.


    Julie initially thought Kieran had bought back the vi, hence the visit. She didn¡¯t expect him to brazenly


    ring another person¡¯s doorbell. Surprised, she grabbed Kieran¡¯s arm, trying to prevent him from ringing


    the doorbell and asked, ¡°Are you taking me here to trespass?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t we still outside?¡±


    Julie pointed at the door and asked, ¡°If no onees to open, are you nning to take me in?¡±


    Kieran shrugged nonchntly, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Julie held onto Kieran¡¯s arm, pulling him towards the car while seriously saying, ¡°Stop fooling around!


    It¡¯s sote, aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll call the police?¡±


    Kieran looked at Julie¡¯s arm and seriously said, ¡°I thought you were a superhero?¡±


    Julie let go of Kieran¡¯s arm and asked seriously, ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    Kieran admitted, ¡°Yes, I am joking.¡±


    With that, Kieran suddenly leaned down, kissed Julie¡¯s lips, and stroked her long hair.


    At this moment, the door opened.


    Julie came back to her senses, ready to exin to the person who opened the door that she got the


    wrong ce. But when she looked up, she saw a woman in her forties.


    She looked familiar. Julie thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered that this woman was


    Ivan¡¯s former nanny.


    While Julie was still in shock, Kieran had already led her by the hand and walked into the vi with a


    smile.


    Kieran said to the woman who opened the door, ¡°Helga, Mrs. Hernandez and I will be staying here


    tonight. Could you prepare two rooms for us?¡±


    Helga immediately nodded with a smile and turned to prepare the rooms.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran led her into the backyard that Julie remembered what she wanted to say, ¡°Did you


    really buy this vi?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t give a clear answer.


    Julie asked again, ¡°When did this happen? I remember the court sold the vi to an anonymous rich


    man. How did you find him?¡±


    Kieran stood in front of an old locust tree in the backyard, holding Julie¡¯s hand, and calmly replied, ¡°I


    am that anonymous rich man.¡±


    Despite the absence of stars in the sky, it seemed to Julie that she saw twinkle of stardust in Kieran¡¯s


    eyes.


    He said, ¡°I knew I¡¯d bring you home one day, so I bought this mansion.¡±


    ¡°But you were broke back then. How did you manage to buy it?¡± Julie let go of Kieran¡¯s hand and asked


    him.


    Although the question might not sound romantic, at the time of the mansion auction, all the assets of


    the Hernandez family were indeed controlled by Lucian. Though the price of a mansion was a drop in


    the ocean for the Hernandez family, Kieran was in no position to afford it.


    Kieranughed and said to Julie, ¡°I struck a deal with Lucian. He agreed to buy the mansion and then


    transfer it to me, and I promised to take over thepany before I turned 22 to relieve him of his


    burden.¡±


    As for what happened afterwards, Julie was already in the know.


    Kieran crouched down, pointing at the tombstone under the old locust tree and said to Julie, ¡°My dad


    used to say, you can tell a person¡¯s character from their handwriting. One look at your writing and I


    knew you were a super-heroine who could throw a punch.¡±


    Julie gave Kieran a smack on the head, ¡°You¡¯re the one who taught me to write this way! You dare


    make fun of me?¡±


    Although Julie was allergic to dogs, she was very fond of Ben. After getting to know Kieran, Julie,


    though not daring to touch Ben, often went to the supermarket to buy treats for him.


    Ben seemed to recognize Julie¡¯s scent. Once, when Julie was chased by a stray dog, Ben ran out and


    scared it away.


    But the lifespan of a dog is different from that of a human. Ben had lived with the Hernandez family for


    many years, but in the end, he reached the end of his life.


    Ben left this world after being euthanized. Julie insisted on burying Ben. She was young then. She had


    heard that those buried in the ground could go to heaven, so she was convinced that Ben had to be


    buried after his death.


    Padgett Abraham adored Julie. Although Darcey forbade her to bury Ben in their backyard, Padgett still


    dug a hole in the backyard with Julie.


    Ben¡¯s tombstone was actually just a piece of wood that Julie found.


    It read ¡°In Loving Memory of Ben¡±.


    Kieran had held Julie¡¯s hand and taught her to write these words, one stroke at a time.


    Yearster, looking at these childish letters, Julie felt a lump in her throat.


    ¡°I wanted to bring you back home long ago, but you refused me then.¡± Kieran gently brushed off the


    dust on the tombstone.


    Back then, Julie thought Kieran was just asking for her opinion, whether she wanted to buy back the


    mansion, but he didn¡¯t tell her that he had already bought it.


    Kieran always worked in silence. He would quietly make decisions and then quietly carry them out.


    He rarely exined his intentions and ns to others before starting something, which often led to


    unnecessary misunderstandings. But when he finished, it always turned out he was right.


    However, sometimes, even if his decisions were correct, the misunderstandings already caused could


    hurt others, and these wounds were something he couldn¡¯t mend.


    That was the case between him and Julie. They could never tell who was right or wrong, but the


    distance caused by misunderstanding now seemed like a deep chasm that separated them and made it


    impossible to go back to the past.


    After a moment of silence, Julie finally crouched down and caught Kieran¡¯s hand that was wiping the


    tombstone..

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Chapter 166


    Kieran nced back at Julie, figuring she had something important to say since she was holding onto


    him so intently. But to his surprise, before Julie could even open her mouth, a strange sound echoed


    from her stomach.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was¡­


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t eat anything at the party¡­¡± And to make things worse, she hadn¡¯t eaten enough at lunch


    because Kieran had suddenly shown up in the cafeteria, so¡­


    Her hunger was totally justified.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s innocent expression, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit helpless.


    Getting up, Kieran started walking towards the vi without holding Julie¡¯s hand. Whatever Julie had


    intended to say was forgotten. She stood there, staring nkly at the gravestone before finally shifting


    her gaze to Kieran¡¯s retreating back.


    He turned around and asked her, ¡°Why, do you need me to carry you?¡±


    Julie followed Kieran into the vi.


    ¡°Your rooms are ready¡± Helga said, looking at Julie and Kieran as they returned.


    Kieran nodded, telling her, ¡°You should get some sleep.¡±


    Respectfully, Helga nodded at Julie and Kieran before heading to her own bedroom.


    Just as Julie was about to check what food was avable in the refrigerator, Kieran beat her to it. He


    nced at the food inside and asked Julie, ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make something myself,¡± Julie said, pointing to the beef and tomatoes in the fridge.


    With practiced ease, Kieran took out the beef and tomatoes, then suggested, ¡°How about spaghetti


    with tomato and beef sauce?¡±


    While Kieran hadn¡¯t burnt down the kitchen thest time, Julie still had her doubts about his cooking


    skills. Her expression was skeptical.


    Under Julie¡¯s doubtful gaze, Kieran ced the beef and tomatoes on the counter, ¡°Let me try and see if


    I can make something you like.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of my own stomach, thank you very much.¡±


    Standing so close to each other, Julie had to look up at the towering Kieran.


    He looked down at the woman beside him, saying seriously, ¡°I can definitely make spaghetti with


    tomato and beef sauce.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Before Julie could say anything else, Kieran suddenly pulled her into his arms, lifting her onto the


    counter. The sudden change took. Julie by surprise. Instinctively, she gripped his shoulders.


    He had her sitting on the counter, his hands on either side of her, trapping her in his arms. Then he


    sighed dramatically, ¡°Why do you only grow boobs and not height?¡±


    Being so close, Kieran¡¯s breath tickled Julie¡¯s ear.


    Was heining about her height? She remembered being an inch taller than him when they first


    met¡­.


    She held her breath, pushing his shoulders and finally gave in, ¡°You do it!¡±


    His deep, sexy voice asked, ¡°Do what?¡±


    2


    ¡°Do what?¡± Julie echoed, finally realizing the double entendre in Kieran¡¯s question.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was overthinking, but rather Kieran, the horn-dog, leading her astray.


    Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she quickly averted her gaze from his muscr legs, yelling in a


    hushed voice, ¡°I meant cook the damn food!¡±/


    With that, she pushed Kieran away, hopped off the counter, and darted out of the kitchen.


    Kieran leaned on the counter, a slow smile spread across his face.


    Julie sat down on the living room couch and logged into her long-neglected Facebook ount. She


    was surprised to find that the media was up-to-date. Photos of her and Kieran attending the party


    together had already be a hot topic.


    Daphne and Lionel were also being discussed enthusiastically by fans. Not having had a chance to


    chat with Daphne at the event, Julie thought Lionel and Daphne looked quite good together from what


    she could see in the photos.


    However, a whileter, she noticed people were frantically searching for anything rted to Daphne,


    even bringing up old magazine interviews.


    Some praised Daphne¡¯s interviews for their depth, while others criticized her for being overly


    mboyant. Given that Daphne had drawn media attention because of Julie in the past, manyizens


    began questioning Daphne¡¯s educational background on Julie¡¯s page.


    Julie was a bit confused. Lionel had made it clear that he and Daphne were close friends, so why were


    people so curious about her?


    Thinking it over, she reached for her phone to call Daphne and give her a heads up, but just then,


    Kieran walked out of the kitchen with the spaghetti.


    Putting off the call, Julie sent Daphne a quick message before heading over to the dining table.


    Looking at the beautifully presented spaghetti, Julie couldn¡¯t help but look up at Kieran in surprise, ¡°Are


    you sure this fancy dish is spaghetti with tomato and beef sauce?¡±


    Kieran grinned, pulling out a chair for her, ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡±


    The moment Julie sat down, the aroma of the spaghetti hit her, instantly making her mouth water.


    Kieran handed her the cutlery, ¡°Try it.¡±


    As it turned out, she had seriously underestimated Kieran¡¯s cooking skills. The spaghetti tasted way


    better than she had imagined, it was really good. It turned out that not only had she grown over the


    years, but so had the man sitting across from her in certain ways.


    Just as she finished her spaghetti, she heard a clear, deep voice from across the table, ¡°Did you like


    my spaghetti?¡±


    Julie was about to say yes, but then she hesitated. Why did such a simple question make her


    overthink?


    After a few seconds of silence, Julie realized that there was no right answer.


    Did she like his spaghetti?


    Did she not like his spaghetti?


    Was his spaghetti just okay?


    After half a minute of silence, Julie noticed the man opposite her was waiting for her response with a


    curious expression.


    Finally, Julie gave him a smile and replied, ¡°A bit too soft for my liking!¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    The utensils in his hand trembled slightly, then he regained hisposure and said to Julie, ¡°I¡¯ll make it


    harder next time.¡±


    She decided to put an end to the topic, once and for all.


    So Julie quickly packed up the utensils and headed for the kitchen, leaving just one sentence behind,


    ¡°I¡¯m doing the dishes.¡±


    Kieran watched Julie¡¯s escape like expression leisurely, the smile on his lips bing more evident.


    Just as Kieran was about to help with the dishes in the kitchen, his phone¡¯ in his pocket suddenly rang.


    He took out his phone and saw the caller ID was Ivan Hernandez, so he hit the answer button.


    On the other end of the phone, Ivan¡¯s voice sounded a bit guilty, ¡°Kerry, is Mama Julie okay?¡±


    Kieran nced at Julie in the kitchen, switched his phone to speaker mode, then walked into the


    kitchen and handed it to Julie, ¡°Helga will do the cleaning tomorrow.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s concerned voice came over the phone, ¡°Mama Julie, I had no idea you were allergic to Coco¡­¡±


    Ivan sounded quite guilty, Julie felt the need to soothe him, so she took the phone and said to Ivan, ¡°I¡¯m


    fine.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you pick up my calls?¡± Ivan asked innocently.


    Julie looked puzzledly at the phone on the couch, then walked over to it, looked at it and sure enough,


    there were missed calls from


    Ivan.


    She had put her phone on silent at the banquet and forgot to turn the sound back on after getting a


    scare from the dog.


    After turning the sound back on, she exined to Ivan, ¡°I identally turned it on silent. Why are you


    still awake thiste?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right, Mama Julie, I called to tell Kerry about this!¡± Ivan replied as if he had just realized


    something.


    Julie nced at Kieran standing next to her, Kieran asked Ivan, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Kerry, we received a package and it says it must be opened by Mama Julie herself.¡±


    ¡°A package?¡± Kieran asked Julie, ¡°Did you order something online?¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran in surprise, shaking her head to indicate she had no idea where the package


    came from.


    ¡°Send me a picture.¡± Kieran said.


    He hung up and a few minutester, Ivan sent the picture.


    The package had no sender information, only the address of Noblewood Retreat and ¡®For Julie¡¯s eyes


    only¡¯.


    Perhaps it was from watching too much TV, Julie couldn¡¯t help but think of some unpleasant


    possibilities when she saw this mysterious package.


    She looked at Kieran, ¡°Could it be a bomb?¡±


    Julie immediately called Ivan, ¡°Ivan, get everyone away from the package!!¡±


    Although confused, Ivan on the other end of the phone yelled at Noah, ¡°Mama Julie says everyone


    needs to stay away from the package!¡±


    Noah¡¯s voice came over the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the package has been scanned, there¡¯s no danger.¡±


    Julie was silent.


    How could she forget Noah¡¯s previous profession? And since Noah is primarily responsible for


    protecting Ivan, he would definitely check the safety of the package first¡­


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Since it¡¯s not dangerous, what could be in the package, Julie really couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    After a moment of silence, she said to Noah over the phone, ¡°Noah, I¡¯ll facetime you!¡±


    chat


    With that, Julie hung up and sent a video chat request to Ivan.


    The moment the chat connected, Ivan showed the package to Julie, ¡°Mama Julie, look, this is it.¡±


    The package wasn¡¯t big, Julie couldn¡¯t guess what was inside, after ncing at the ¡®For Julie¡¯s eyes


    only¡¯, she directly said to Noah, ¡°Noah, could you please open the package and see what¡¯s inside¡­¡±

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    Chapter 167


    Since it was Julie¡¯s request, Noah didn¡¯t hesitate a bit to rip open the courier package, revealing a


    beautifully wrapped purple box inside. ¡°Keep going,¡± Julie urged.


    Noah opened the purple wrapping, revealing a delicate ck velvet box that looked pretty fancy.


    It reminded him of a ring box.


    Julie nced at Kieran, as if asking if he had anything to do with the package. After all, apart from


    Kieran and Elliot, no one else had ever presented her with a ring. And her name was clearly written on


    the box.


    But Kieran just shrugged and said, ¡°Anonymity ain¡¯t my style.¡±


    Well, figures¡­


    A guy like Kieran, confident and unapologetic, when he gave her a ring, he¡¯d put it directly on her


    finger, leaving no room for refusal.


    While Julie and Kieran were talking, Noah had already opened the box.


    Inside, there was a stunning ring.


    The very emerald they had seen at the auction earlier that day.


    After being stunned for a moment, Julieughed and said, ¡°Who¡¯s so boring to send a fake over.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a certificate of authenticity,¡± Noah held up the gem certificate to the camera.


    Julie nced at it and chuckled, ¡°They¡¯ve done a good job, even prepared a fake certificate.¡±


    She casually teased, looking at Kieran with a yful smile, but his expression was serious. Her smile


    froze¡­


    Kieran was usually confident, rarely showing such a serious look. Did this mean¡­


    ¡°What is it?¡± Julie asked hesitantly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the ring bought at the auction? That can¡¯t be the real one,


    right?¡±


    She was partly asking Kieran¡¯s opinion, partlyforting herself that it must be a fake. After all, who


    would spend 9 million dors on an emerald ring for her¡­


    But Kieran¡¯s expression seemed to suggest the ring wasn¡¯t a fake.


    Instead of answering, he dialed a number on his phone.


    Half an hourter, at Kieran¡¯smand, Karl delivered the ring from Noblewood Retreat to their vi.


    Julie took a good look at the ring, then turned to Kieran with a serious look, ¡°It looks the same as my


    mother¡¯s. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s real or not¡­¡±


    Kieran nced at his watch. It was 9:30 PM.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere,¡± he handed the ring box to Julie.


    She put the ring back in the box and asked him with a puzzled look, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Kieran just took her hand and led her out.


    ¡°I need to find a ce to hide this ring!¡± Julie tried to break free from Kieran¡¯s grip.


    Before it was auctioned, she didn¡¯t realize the value of the ring. Now she felt like holding 9 million


    dors in cash, feeling anxious, hoping to deposit it in a bank vault as soon as possible.


    Now she finally understood why her mother had pped her for merely touching the ring-a ring that


    valuable¡­.


    Seeing the panic on Julie¡¯s face, Kieran leaned in close, ¡°My face is worth 9 million dors too, but that


    doesn¡¯t stop you from hitting me, does it?¡±


    Julie smartly chose to skip this topic and managed a forced smile, ¡°Where are you taking me thiste?¡±


    And they were going on foot. Where on earth was he taking her?


    The neighborhood was safe, but Kieran didn¡¯t strike her as the type who¡¯d patiently take her for a walk


    to bond.


    And sure enough, he wasn¡¯t just taking her for a walk. He led her to a vi and rang the bell.


    Following the previous experience with Kieran ringing a bell, Julie wisely chose to stay silent.


    Soon, the door was pushed open from inside.


    Ajwoman in her fifties greeted Kieran with a warm smile, ¡°What brings you here thiste?¡±


    Is he home?¡± Kieran asked bluntly.


    The woman knew who ¡®he¡¯ referred to and nodded, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s home. But he¡¯s been busy, didn¡¯t even


    have dinner yet. He told-us-not-te


    disturb him. Are you here to see him?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go up.¡±


    With that, he led Julie inside.


    Julie had never been here before, didn¡¯t know who lived here, nor who ¡®he¡¯ Kieran was referring to. But


    judging from Kieran¡¯s tone and attitude, he must know the person well.


    Kieran led her upstairs and stopped in front of a closed door. Without knocking, he pushed the door


    open.


    Inside, a man was typing rapidly on a keyboard, surrounded by fourputers, each running different


    programs, screens filled with codes that Julie couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°Get lost! I¡¯m busy! I refuse to believe I can¡¯t beat this jerk trying to track my IP. Just you wait!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Hearing his confident words, she guessed who the man was. She¡¯d heard about Kieran¡¯s cousin,


    Payne Hernandez, a brilliant hacker. Even the National Security Agency had tried to recruit him. But he


    loved his freedom and didn¡¯t like constraints, so he publicly rejected their offer.


    Then he went to assist aic artist named Mister L, learning aboutic creation. Later it was


    confirmed that the so-called Mister L was actually the eldest son of the Lamont family. Because they


    were so close, there were rumors that they were actually in love. But when Mister L got married and


    had kids, those rumors came to an end.


    After Mister L got hitched and had a kid, Payne quit his job as aic assistant. She recalls people


    saying that Payne quit because he felt betrayed by Mister L, unable to ept that he married someone


    else.


    Of course, most of the gossip was heard from Daphne.


    During her years of chasing Kieran, Julie had bought off almost everyone around him, but for Payne,


    this legendary figure, she only heard the name, never met the person.


    Today, when she saw him, she was kinda disappointed.


    Because after Payne finally hit the enter key to deal with the ¡°bastard¡± he was talking about, he turned


    to: Kieran and said, ¡°Kieran, people say let bygones be bygones, why do you keep digging up the


    past?¡±


    This was the first time Julie heard someone refer to her as a bygone, a past that Kieran dug up again¡­


    ¡°As someone who doesn¡¯t even know the basics, stop envying my past,¡± Kieran took out the emerald


    ring from Julie¡¯s pocket and put it in front of Payne, ¡°Check if this is real.¡±


    Payne was about to speak when Julie shook Kieran¡¯s arm and seriously asked Kieran, ¡°Your cousin


    doesn¡¯t even know anything about this ring, are you sure he can tell if this is real or fake?¡±


    Payne was speechless.


    Was she retaliating against his remark about her being a thing of the past?


    ¡°You really are the woman who married my cousin, your spirit of revenge is just like him!¡± Payne rolled


    his eyes.


    Julieughed in response, ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡±


    Kieran said to Julie, ¡°His parents, one¡¯s an archaeologist, the other¡¯s a jewelry appraiser. He¡¯s been


    influenced by this since he was a kid, always been a genius. If he can¡¯t even tell if this is real or not¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overrate me. If I really can¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    Before Payne could finish, Kieran continued, ¡°Then I¡¯ll smash hisputer, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    Thatputer was his life, how could it be smashed!


    Payne stood up, reaching for the magnifying ss while saying to Kieran, ¡°Last time you threatened to


    smash myputer was to have me investigate donation issues, now you want me to appraise


    jewelry. What¡¯s your next move?¡±


    ¡°Donation? Julie caught the key point from Payne¡¯s words.


    When Payne mentioned donation, Julie immediately thought of the unidentified donation someone


    made to Sansa Abraham.


    But before Julie could ask Kieran, Payne had already taken the ring to Julie and told Julie and Kieran,


    ¡°It¡¯s real, it¡¯s very valuable. Whose is this?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Julie looked surprised at the ring in Payne¡¯s hand, and asked again, ¡°You mean¡­ this ring is


    real? It¡¯s not a fake? Not a knockoff?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting me? You should know, I¡¯ve never been doubted since I was a kid!¡± Payne stuffed the


    ring into Julie¡¯s hand, nonchntly saying, ¡°Believe it or not.¡±


    Kieran handed a USB drive to Payne and said, ¡°Check what¡¯s in No. 49 here.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°You want a favor, right?¡± What Payne really meant was, what was Kieran going to give in return?


    Kieran answered straightforwardly, ¡°Come back to me for payment after you find out.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Payne put down the keyboard and looked at Kieran.


    Kieran nodded, then left with Julie¡­


    -15

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    Chapter 168


    From Payne¡¯s ce to where Julie and Kieran are staying tonight, it¡¯s just a short stroll that takes less


    than ten minutes.


    Having just hung out at Payne¡¯s for a while, they stepped out to find it was already frosty. The chill of


    late autumn hung in the air. The dim streetlights glowed hazily through the frosty mist, casting a blurred


    light on the surrounding vis, making them appear vaguely visible.


    When they left, Kieran casually grabbed a coat for Julie. Now, she draped it over her shoulders, but it


    didn¡¯t do much to ward off the cold. The night wind carried a deste chill that seemed especially


    piercing.


    They walked side by side, maintaining a small distance between them.


    After leaving Payne¡¯s, they had been walking like this for about half a minute. You could tell that Kieran


    had deliberately slowed down to match Julie¡¯s pace.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Kieran asked out of the blue.


    Julie paused before answering, ¡°At first, I was wondering if you had anything to do with No. 49, but now


    I¡¯ve dismissed that idea.¡±


    ¡°Can you guess what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Kieran asked, inching closer to Julie without her noticing.


    Julie, too engrossed in the conversation, replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to guess.¡±


    Kieran seemed to anticipate her response, a yful smile ying on his lips. ¡°I was thinking¡­ what


    would have happened if you hadn¡¯t stopped me from bidding for that ring. Who would have ended up


    with it and for how much? If you hadn¡¯t interfered, who do you think would have gotten the ring?¡±


    Julie nced at the ring box in her hand and then smiled at Kieran, ¡°I guess, in the end, it would still be


    mine.¡±


    Kieranughed, ¡°My wife¡¯s got a point here.¡±


    Julie shot him a look, ¡°You seem quitefortable calling me your wife. You don¡¯t have to be in


    character all the time, there¡¯s no one else here.¡±


    ¡°True, my wife is definitely not a stranger.¡± Kieran reached out and yfully ruffled Julie¡¯s hair, a


    casually affectionate gesture.


    Julie dodged to the side, a bit ufortable. ¡°You can talk, just don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    She took a step away from him, adding, ¡°Never mind, you don¡¯t even need to talk. I can¡¯t out-talk you


    anyway!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s change the subject.¡± Kieran suggested cooperatively.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Julie fell silent, unable to fathom what his next topic might be.


    ¡°Do you know about tonic love?¡± Kieran asked out of nowhere.


    Julie didn¡¯t answer.


    So Kieran started rambling, ¡°tonic love, also known as spiritual love, named after the philosopher


    to, is a kind of spiritual love between people. It seeks soulfulmunication, rejects carnal desire,


    and is a rational, pure love¡­¡±


    Before Kieran could finish, Julie interrupted him, ¡°Actually, ording to the Symposium, tonic lov¨¦


    refers primarily to love between people of the same sex, which was in line with the social mores of


    ancient Greece. Greek schrs believed that love between the same sex was the true love, and


    heterosexual marriage was just for societal construction. So, the core of tonic love is homosexuality.


    So, let¡¯s leave it there.¡±


    ¡°Joyce,¡± he looked at Julie, asking earnestly, ¡°In your eyes, I¡¯m a man, right?¡±


    What a profound question!


    ¡°Do you not know whether you¡¯re a man or not?¡± Julie quickened her pace, trying to get away from this


    crafty and mysterious man. But he caught up easily, grinning cheekily, ¡°You just said that the core of


    tonic love is homosexuality, so since you acknowledge that I¡¯m a man, why do you want to have a


    tonic love rtionship with me?¡±


    What Kieran meant was: if he were a woman, then Julie should have a tonic love rtionship with


    him. But since he was a man, they should have a deeper rtionship. Basically, whether he was a man


    or a woman, Julie was his.


    So Julie sidestepped Kieran, who was blocking her way, and retorted, ¡°When did I acknowledge you as


    a man?¡±


    Kieran kept pace with Julie, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t see me as a man?¡±


    -¡°Get lost!¡±


    ¡°My wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me by my name!¡±


    ¡°My dear¡­¡±


    ¡°My name is Julie!!¡±


    ¡°My sweetheart¡­¡±


    Finally, Julie had had enough. She stopped, turned to look at him, ¡°What are you up to? Weren¡¯t you so


    cold and aloof when I was pursuing you? Where¡¯s that aloofness now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, probably fed it to Coco,¡± he shrugged innocently.


    Julie retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t me Coco, Coco is only interested in your conscience.¡±


    He took the hint, she was mocking him for being conscienceless.


    ¡°Joyce¡­¡± Before Kieran could finish, Julie suddenly screamed, clutching his shoulder tightly, and threw


    herself into his arms.


    It was then that Kieran saw a ck fat cat dart out from god knows where, run past Julie¡¯s feet, and


    quickly disappear into the bush.


    The cat had scared the living daylights out of Julie. She clung tightly to Kieran, her body trembling


    slightly.


    Kieran put one arm around Julie¡¯s waist, and with the other, gently patted her back, reassuring her, ¡°It¡¯s


    okay, I¡¯m here.¡±


    His voice was deep and soothing, it hit her eardrums and seeped into her brain, giving her a sense of


    security.


    She felt so safe that she forgot why they were arguing in the first ce.


    While Julie was still lost in thoughts, Kieran bent down and scooped her up in his arms.


    Julie instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, not because she wanted to, but just to prevent


    herself from falling. When she finally came back to her senses, she said to Kieran, ¡°I can walk on my


    own.¡±


    ¡°I want to hold you.¡± His calm words echoed in the quiet night.


    Julie didn¡¯t resist any further, they were already near the vi entrance. She was genuinely scared of


    small animals popping out of nowhere in the dark. The bright eyes of these small creatures seemed


    very terrifying in the dark. As someone who learned to fight by readingics since childhood, this


    was the only thing that the fearless Julie of the past was afraid of.


    Kieran carried her into the vi and expertly led her to the bedroom she used to live in as a child.


    What surprised Julie was that everything looked the same as before, with the same bed, the same


    wardrobe, the same small sofa¡­


    The whole room was pink, which was not in line with Julie¡¯s character, but her bedroom had always


    been this way. In Padgett¡¯s heart, Julie and Sansa were his beloved daughters, his little princesses.


    Darcey had always been dedicated to raising them as elegant girls. Kieran ced Julie on the soft


    round bed. The pink color didn¡¯t quite fit with Julie¡¯s character, but the woman wrapped in the beige


    coat, with her hair scattered, blended into this pink bed, looking as peaceful as a Barbie doll.


    Kieran squatted in front of Julie, looking up at her sitting on the round bed, ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    Julie thought he would act pitiful, even if he didn¡¯t sleep with her in the bed, he would at least sleep on


    the sofa to stir up her sympathy. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to get up and walk out.


    Not until the door closed did Julie¡¯s frown rx¡­


    tonic love? Julieughed.


    The door was suddenly pushed open by Kieran from the outside, and Julie¡¯s smile froze on her lips.


    ¡°Helga said they just disinfected the room today, remember to open the window, don¡¯t suffocate


    yourself.¡± Kieran said.


    Julie responded grumpily, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s hand was on the doorknob, ready to close the door when he suddenly turned back and looked


    at Julie sitting dumbly on the bed, ¡°Joyce, let¡¯s take it slow¡­¡±


    This time, Kieran really closed the door.


    Julie suddenly let out a sigh, realizing that she had been holding her breath when Kieran was talking to


    her.


    The sudden ring of her phone made Julie shudder a bit, and it took her a while to find her phone.


    Seeing that it was Daphne calling, she guessed it was because of the message she had sent earlier, so


    she promptly answered the call.


    ¡°Julie, I got your message. You were right, as soon as Lord Lion and I exited the party venue, we were


    surrounded.¡± Daphne¡¯s innocent voice came from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Why do you have time to call me?¡± Julie asked.


    Daphne replied, ¡°I¡¯m in Lord Lion¡¯s car!¡±


    Hearing Daphne¡¯s lowered voice, the understanding Julie suggested, ¡°Shall we switch to WhatsApp?¡±


    Daphne on the other end of the phone agreed enthusiastically, ¡°I sent you a message on WhatsApp,


    but you didn¡¯t reply!¡±


    ¡°I was out just now, we can move the chat to WhatsApp.¡±


    Julie hung up the phone and opened WhatsApp, looking at the messages Daphne had sent. The first


    message read, ¡°I¡¯m in Lord Lion¡¯s car, and he is taking me to his house. What if I can¡¯t control myself


    and do something inappropriate? Please reply ASAP!¡±


    The second message, ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m hiding in the bathroom! Reply when you see this!¡±


    The third message, ¡°I¡¯m already in Lord Lion¡¯s car, and there are too many fans outside, I can¡¯t escape,


    can youe and save me?¡±


    The fourth message, ¡°If you don¡¯t answer the phone, I¡¯ll have no choice but to give up!¡±


    Julie quickly replied to Daphne, ¡°Do you need me toe and rescue you now?¡±


    Daphne took a while to reply, ¡°It¡¯s okay, he will drop me home in a bit.¡±


    After reading this message, Julie finally rxed.


    However, she didn¡¯t know that the person who replied to her message was actually Lionel..

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    Chapter 169


    Julie hadn¡¯t had a nightmare in ages.


    Maybe it was because she was back in a familiar environment, which triggered some scenes from her


    subconscious mind.


    She dreamt of teenaged Sansa in a white ballet dress, dancing elegantly in the living room, as Darcey,


    with a gentle smile on her face, guided Sansa¡¯s dance moves with satisfaction.


    Julie sat by practicing her handwriting with a pen, making a mess of it, and even sshing ink on


    herself. Darcey frowned and scolded her while Sansa continued to spin gracefully.


    Padgett came back from work and said to Darcey, ¡°Honey, you must be tired from all that scolding.


    Have some water, I¡¯ll take over.¡±


    Then he turned to Sansa and said, ¡°Sansa, get your mom a ss of water.¡±


    Sansa, who finally got a break from her dance practice, winked happily at Julie and ran to the kitchen to


    get some water.


    Darcey sat on the sofa drinking water in a huff, while Padgett put his hands on his hips and looked at


    Julie sternly, ¡°Little Julie, why do you always make your mother worry?¡±


    Padgett winked at Julie and said, ¡°You¡¯re being naughty, now go clean up the weeds in the garden!¡±


    Little did he know that Julie would rather pull weeds than practice writing. So, she happily picked up a


    comic book, tucked it into her pocket, and ran cheerfully towards the garden.


    However, when she pushed the backyard gate open, the scene changed dramatically.


    Instead of a beautiful garden, there was a winding tarred road.


    Julie turned around instantly. The sunlit living room turned pitch ck, with no end in sight. Sansa¡¯s


    gentle and serene smile gradually disappeared.


    Suddenly, heavy rain started to pour, and raindrops sshed on her face, her body¡­.


    A thunderp roared in the sky, causing Julie to jolt in fear.


    Then, there was a loud bang behind her.


    Frightened, Julie spun around. She saw two cars colliding at the turn of the road. The screeching


    sound of brakes pierced through Julie¡¯s eardrums. She clearly saw the bloody faces of Sansa and


    Darcey¡­.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A scream suddenly echoed in the vi.


    Julie sat up in bed, drenched in sweat.


    Kieran, who was sleeping lightly next door, heard Julie¡¯s scream and immediately got up and opened


    her bedroom door.


    In the faint moonlight, he saw Julie curled up in a corner of the bed, hugging her legs, and trembling


    slightly.


    ¡°Julie.¡± He called her name softly and slowly approached her.


    Despite his gentle approach, Julie was startled and moved away quickly, murmuring, ¡°Don¡¯te


    over¡­¡±


    Her voice was trembling with strong resistance, obviously terrified of Kieraning closer.


    Still, Kieran held her hand and pulled her into his arms, ¡°Joyce, it¡¯s me, Kieran¡­¡±


    His familiar voice finally reached Julie¡¯s ears.


    Under the moonlight, she lifted her pale face. The sweat on her forehead was especially clear in the


    moonlight.


    He wiped the sweat from her forehead andforted her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Julie¡¯s trembling body gradually calmed down.


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± He covered her tiny body with a nket, gently cradled her in his arms,


    and adjusted the nket for her.


    Julie finally found her voice and nodded gently.


    ¡°Go back to sleep¡­¡± Kierany down holding Julie, cing her head on his chest. His arm was on


    Julie¡¯s back, gently soothing her.


    Julie, lying in Kieran¡¯s arms, felt like a child being carefully held in the palm of his hand. His steady


    heartbeat rhythmically echoed in his chest. With her ear pressed against his chest, she heard it very


    clearly.


    As a child, Julie always fantasized about a prince riding a white horse and giving her a passionate love


    story. But now she realized that the person who was there for her when she neededfort, however


    in it may be, could make her heart flutter.


    Her mind was a mess, but for some reason, listening to his steady breathing and smelling the familiar


    scent deeply ingrained in her memory, she fell into a deep and sweet sleep.


    The nightmare didn¡¯t bother her again that night. It was only when she woke up the next morning that


    she realized she had overslept and


    was half an hourte for work.


    And it wasn¡¯t just her who waste, it was Kieran too!


    Her head was resting on his arm and she was curled up peacefully in his arms. Kieran had his eyes


    closed, seemingly asleep. Looking at the time on her phone, Julie felt like giving up on going to work.


    But eventually, she managed to wriggle free from Kieran¡¯s hand around her waist.


    But before she could get up, the hand returned to her waist.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, we¡¯rete!¡± Julie said helplessly.


    But the man beside her, as if he hadn¡¯t heard her, kept his hand on her waist and continued sleeping.


    Julie didn¡¯t believe that a man who could be woken up by the sound of footsteps could not hear her


    loud voice.


    She grabbed Kieran¡¯s ear and shouted louder in his ear, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, we¡¯rete!¡±


    Before Julie could pull her hand away, the man next to her suddenly rolled over, pinning her


    underneath him.


    Frightened, she opened her eyes wide to look at the man on top of her. Before she could say anything,


    he suddenly leaned down and kissed her lips.


    His tongue gently probed past her teeth, his breath mixed with hers, his rough thumb caressed her skin


    around the waist. Julie was wearing a thin T-shirtst night, which had slid up to her waist during their


    tussle.


    Kieran¡¯srge hand held her waist, as if lighting a fire on her skin.


    Her breath became erratic, and a moan escaped from her lips¡­


    Until his passionate kiss began to trail down¡­


    ¡°Kieran!!¡± Julie suddenly yelled out.


    Kieran reluctantly halted his movements, his gaze blurred as it fell on her smooth neck. His morning


    desire was pressing against her leg. Julie was having some trouble breathing, a hint of what seemed


    like shyness immediately blushed her face¡­


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°tonic love?¡± Kieran didn¡¯t seem willing to let go ofst night¡¯s topic. He had just woken up, his voice,


    sexy and slightly hoarse


    Julie remained silent for about two or three seconds before finally blushing and speaking, ¡°This has


    nothing to do with tonic love¡­¡±


    Julie¡¯s sweet voice swept over Kieran¡¯s heart like a feather.


    He continued to press against the woman in his arms, his deep voice slightly raised, ¡°Then what does it


    have to do with?¡±


    ¡°Tampax,¡± Julie quietly replied.


    Kieran frowned, looking at Julie displeased, ¡°What¡¯s Tampax?¡±


    ¡°Poise,¡± Julie mumbled, looking down.


    Kieran furrowed his brows, grabbed Julie¡¯s delicate chin, raising her exquisite face, asked angrily,


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Kieran thought for a moment and then asked Julie, ¡°Is that another name for Daphne? What does your


    refusal to see me have to do with Daphne?¡±


    Daphne, who was far away in Lionel¡¯s bed, sneezed loudly.


    Julie couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, shouted into Kieran¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s a sanitary pad!¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    Ten minutester.


    Julie came out of the bathroom after changing her sanitary pad. Kieran had already changed his


    clothes. His handsome appearance looked especially dashing, but the surrounding gloomy atmosphere


    couldn¡¯t be broken no matter what.


    Julie had a feeling that she should definitely avoid Kieran at this time. She felt like this man could tear


    her apart at any moment¡­


    Julie¡¯s periods were irregr, which Kieran knew better than anyone. Back when they were still


    married, Kieran had even thought about calcting a form for her irregr periods¡­


    He picked up a tie and put it around his neck, walking towards Julie.


    Julie decisively stepped back two steps, eventually backing up against the wall.


    ¡°Help me tie my tie,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands?¡± she replied.


    ¡°I slept with youst night, consider this as a thank you gift!¡± he said calmly, then suddenly leaned


    down, one hand propped on the wall next to her ear, his mouth turned up in a wicked smile, ¡°Or¡­ you


    can sleep with me once?¡±


    ¡°You climbed onto my bed yourself, I haven¡¯t even med you yet!¡± Julie was more than willing to y


    the rogue.


    Kieran changed from propping up with one hand to both hands, ¡°My arm was numb from you using it as


    a pillow all night, I can¡¯t even


    tie a tie now¡­¡±


    He really knew how to make an excuse¡­


    Considering that she really did sleep in his arms all night, Julie wasn¡¯t that heartless. Even though she


    knew he was joking, she still reached out to grab his tie.


    As she expertly tied his tie, she said to him, ¡°Last night¡­ did I scream really loud?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s question, instead he said to her, ¡°Let me sleep with you in the future, I¡¯ll just


    sleep on the bed, I won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    Julie suddenly rememberedst night, ¡°Sleeping with a normal person, what a sacrifice for you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that arrogant, I don¡¯t feel wronged.¡±


    Julie was speechless. He was so good with words,plimenting himself while admitting she was


    ordinary. No one from the Hernandez family is easy to bully.


    He lowered his head, lovingly looking at the woman in his arms, ¡°Holding me, you won¡¯t have


    nightmares, isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    Julie nced at him, tugged his tie hard, ¡°You think you¡¯re some kind of bedroom guardian?¡±


    ¡°Bedroom guardian?¡± Kieran held onto Julie¡¯s hands that were pulling his tie, his deep pupils revealing


    a wicked light.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    Chapter 170


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure how she came up with such a phrase, and now she could hardly suppress her


    laughter at work.


    Not until her colleague nced at her did she regain herposure.


    She awkwardly fetched a sanitary pad to the restroom. The image of Kieran¡¯s surprised face upon


    hearing ¡°Bedroom Guardian¡± this morning was still reying in her mind.


    He mulled over the phrase ¡°Bedroom Guardian¡±, looking down at Julie, his voice teasing, eyes sly,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared that this Bedroom Guardian might do something inappropriate?¡±


    Julie struggled to hold back herughter, ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t know what to do with Julie. He sighed, leaned down, and yfully nipped at Julie¡¯s red


    lips, ¡°Remember this, I¡¯ll keep my promise, but it won¡¯t be forever. So you better behave!¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He let go of her appetizing lips, his eyes narrowed, adding, ¡°I definitely will!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    While Julie was reminiscing about this morning, gossip from outside the door started to get louder.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez is really something, taking a day off yesterday,ing inte today, who knows what


    trouble she¡¯ll stir up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Mrs. Hernandez. Since she suddenly came to our department, it was all thanks to Mr.


    Hernandez anyways. Why are you so serious about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. She managed to get into Mr. Hernandez¡¯s bed and even gave birth to a kid. That must


    make her feel quite entitled, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you think Mr. Hernandez sees in her?¡±


    ¡°She knows how to please Mr. Hernandez in bed!¡±


    Sitting on the toilet, Julie just chuckled at their sharp tongues.


    Julie was scrolling through Facebook and had no intention of confronting these hypocrites at that


    moment.


    Then, a familiar voice came from outside, ¡°Spreading rumors in the bathroom during work hours, do


    you think thispany is your


    own?¡±


    Several timid female voices came from outside, chorusing, ¡°Ms. Davina¡­¡­¡±


    Then came Davina¡¯s authoritative voice, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez have known each other since


    school. They grew up together. Instead of discussing Mr. Hernandez¡¯s love life, why not calcte if


    your bonus this month is enough to buy a set of makeup in your bags!¡±


    Outside, there was silence.


    Julie didn¡¯t realize that Davina, who usually seemed gentle and pretty, could be so domineering.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be getting back to work?¡± Davina said coldly.


    Then, the sound of high heels gradually faded.


    Julie silently praised Davina in her heart. So tough!


    ¡°Julie,e out!¡± A soft voice came from outside, it was Davina,pletely different from her stern


    tone moments ago.


    Julie was a little surprised. Davina knew she was here. She furrowed her eyebrows, put away her


    phone, went out, washed her hands, and asked Davina with augh, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    ¡°I saw your seat was empty, so I thought you might be here. I actually came to use the restroom and


    overheard them talking nonsense. It¡¯s all untrue, don¡¯t mind them.¡± Davinaforted Julie, her tone


    very gentle, making Julie feel as if she was being softly stroked by feathers.


    In contrast to Davina¡¯s caution, Julie¡¯s behavior seemed a bit casual. She smiled at Davina in the


    mirror, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve never been afraid of rumors. Let them talk, it doesn¡¯t bother


    me.¡±


    Davina paused for a moment beforeughing, ¡°You¡¯re too nice, that¡¯s why people always take


    advantage of you.¡±


    Hearing Davina¡¯s words, Julie burst intoughter, ¡°Me, nice? Haha, seems like you have a bias against


    me!¡±


    Davina immediatelyughed, and they walked towards the office side by side. On the way, Davina


    asked Julie, ¡°Shall we go to the cafeteria for lunch?¡±


    Julie remembered that Kieran had sternly told her this morning that she would have lunch with him


    today.


    So she had to refuse Davina with a smile, ¡°No, I¡¯m having lunch with a man.¡±


    ¡°Are you unting your husband to me? Stop showing off!¡± Davinaughed and entered the office with


    Julie.


    The task¡¯s Davina assigned to Julie were not particrly important, mainly photocopying some


    documents, and other trivial things.


    After finishing her tasks, Julie realized it was almost noon. She quickly texted Kieran, asking him,


    ¡°Where are we having lunch?¡±


    She thought Kieran would only reply after work, but to her surprise, he replied immediately, ¡°Cafeteria.¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    ¡°Are you asking me to go to the cafeteria with you? Mr. Hernandez, are you out of your mind?¡± Julie


    quickly sent a message back to Kieran.


    She thought: going to the cafeteria together is gonna draw everyone¡¯s attention¡­


    Not only would they feel ufortable, but the employees would also feel the same. With the


    imposing Mr. Hernandez there, who could eat and drink without restraint?


    Kieran texted back, asking her, ¡°Or do you want toe to my office? We can have a nap after eating.¡±


    Just this morning she called him a Bedroom Guardian, and now she would be alone with him at noon.


    Although she was still menstruating, Julie was a bit scared of Kieran¡­


    So, she suggested, ¡°Maybe we can choose a restaurant near thepany?¡±


    Soon, Kieran¡¯s domineering and dictatorial text came back, ¡°Choose between the cafeteria and my


    office.¡±


    In the end¡­


    Julie chose the cafeteria. After all, it was crowded, and he probably wouldn¡¯t tease her in front of


    everyohe, right?


    Five minutes had passed, it was 11:55 a.m. Julie tidied up her documents neatly and handed them to


    Davina¡¯s desk.


    Davina looked up and shot her a small smile.


    Just as Julie was settling back into her seat, a suddenly crisp and loud voice rang out from the


    entrance, ¡°Juliebelle.¡±


    That voice¡­


    Julie turned towards the door and saw Adeline Sanches standing there.


    Adeline was usually such a knockout that it was hard to look away, but today she was even more


    stunning. Her red lips were the focal point of her makeup, her skin looked like it was glowing.


    Her long hair was half up and half down, she wore a ck and whitece mermaid dress. The low-cut


    neckline and the whitece wrapping around her upper body made her even more attractive. The high-


    waisted ckce wrapped around her hips and the mermaid-style skirt red out below her knees,


    making Adeline look even more enchanting.


    Standing at the doorway, Adeline was like a goddess.


    Her call of ¡°Juliebelle¡± sessfully drew everyone¡¯s attention to her, including Julie.


    Adeline was so breathtakingly beautiful that it was hard to look away. Her arrival gave the legal


    department a fresh new vibe.


    Julie was stunned by Adeline, but she forgot to respond.


    Adeline, who didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, went straight to Julie, ¡°Juliebelle, shall we have lunch


    together?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve booked a French restaurant, my brother¡¯s favorite,¡± Adeline didn¡¯t even give Julie a chance to


    speak.


    Julie had to find an opportunity to speak, ¡°Well, I¡¯m a¡­¡±


    Before she could say ¡®I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t¡¯, Adeline cut her off, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for half an hour,


    I¡¯m starving, I could eat your husband! Let¡¯s go have some escargot!¡±


    Julie was practically dragged out of the office by Adeline¡­


    It wasn¡¯t until they got on the elevator that Julie finally had a chance to say, ¡°Shall we go another day? I


    made ns with Kieran for lunch today¡­


    ¡°You guys eat together all the time, why do you even have to eat lunch together?¡± Adeline said in a


    straightforward manner, as if having lunch with her was a given.


    !


    So Julie was dragged to the French restaurant by Adeline, not knowing what Adeline wanted from her.


    It wasn¡¯t until Adeline made sure Julie was seated that Julie finally had a chance to take out her phone.


    She was nning to text Kieran to tell him that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it today, but to her


    surprise, her phone was dead¡­ She was too engrossed in thinking about the origin of the ringst


    night andpletely forgot to charge it.


    Julle was about to ask Adeline to lend her phone, but before she could speak, Adeline suddenly said,


    ¡°Elliot is really into you, you know that, right?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t know why Adeline suddenly wanted to have lunch with her. If she knew it was because of


    Elliot, she wouldn¡¯t havee


    even if Adeline dragged her.


    But since she was here, she might as well stay. Julie helplessly answered Adeline¡¯s question.


    So she asked, ¡°If I answer your question, can we skip this meal?¡±


    ¡°Juliebelle, your cold attitude is gonna break my heart!¡± Adeline ate elegantly and looked beautiful, but


    her tone was very firm and upromising.


    Julie thought for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, my rtionship with Mr. Sanches can be considered a


    private matter.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not talk about Elliot.¡± Adeline smiled and handed Julie a ss of red wine.


    Just as Julie sighed in relief, Adeline continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Kieran then!¡±


    Julie, who was holding the red wine, suddenly paused¡­ dealing with Adeline was indeed not easy¡­

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    Chapter 171


    Julie and Adeline looked at each other, the air between them thick with tension.


    Finally, Adeline was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to re at me like that! I promise, I¡¯m not here to steal your man,¡± Adeline said, her


    laughter filled with allure.


    If anyone else wore that smile, Julie would have been put off. But on Adeline, it was nothing short of


    captivating. It was strange how beautiful women seemed to have a certain privilege, regardless of their


    audience..


    With a smile, Julie turned to Adeline, ¡°Shall we continue talking about Elliot?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to discuss Elliot with me?¡± Adeline raised an eyebrow. She answered Julie¡¯s


    question, ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to.¡± ¡°Did you really mean it when you said you liked Elliotst time?¡±


    Julie asked.


    Julie believed Adeline¡¯s confession from before. Even though Adeline had confessed her feelings for


    Elliot in a rather nonchnt way, both intuition and logic told Julie that Adeline was telling the truth.


    If Adeline didn¡¯t really love Elliot, she wouldn¡¯t have decided to run away from home, even knowing the


    dangers. All this just for Elliot¡¯s


    sake.


    In the face of Julie¡¯s question, Adeline responded freely,ughing, ¡°Absolutely! If I didn¡¯t care for Elliot,


    would I be concerned about you and Kieran getting back together? I sought you out for Elliot¡¯s


    happiness.¡±


    Truth be told, Adeline hadn¡¯t asked her to meet, she had just dragged her out without considering her


    opinion.


    ¡°So, Ms. Sanches¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Ms. Sanches, I was never meant to belong to the Sanches family,¡± Adeline said, ¡°You


    can call me Adeline. Consider it a privilege for being so pretty.¡±


    Julie fell silent.


    ¡°Alright, Adeline,¡± Julie looked at Adeline, conceding, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer your questions and I


    don¡¯t have the answers myself. Also, I don¡¯t think I owe you any exnations, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Do you really¡­ not like Elliot at all? I mean, in the way between a man and a woman?¡±


    Just as Julie was about to reply, the door to their private room was abruptly pushed open.


    Both Adeline and Julie turned towards the entrance, finding Elliot standing there. Dressed in a well-


    tailored ck suit, his deep gaze focused on Adeline. He walked straight up to Adeline, and with a hint


    of apology in his eyes, he turned to Julie, ¡°Has she been causing trouble for you again?¡±


    Seeing that Elliot was about to take her away, Adelineughed, ¡°We¡¯re just having a friendly chat, how


    can that be causing trouble! Right?, Juliebelle.¡±


    Adeline thought, since she had made her intentions so clear to Julie, if Julie still acted like she didn¡¯t


    know her at all, it would be a clear sign of disrespect. And since she was here for Elliot, Julie should


    feel a bit guilty. So, there¡¯s no way Julie would let her down.


    But before Julie could respond, Elliot had already walked over to her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift back to


    your office.¡±


    Not wanting to stay and answer Adeline¡¯s question, Julie apologized to Adeline before leaving with


    Elliot.


    Just as Adeline was about to follow them, Elliot turned around and asked, ¡°Adeline, do you want me to


    take you back to the Sanches family?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Adeline fell silent and stopped following after them.


    Stepping out of the restaurant, Julie turned to Elliot with a smile, ¡°Thanks, Elliot, but I can get back on


    my own. You may go andfort Adeline.¡±


    ¡°If I go back w, she might be upset. I¡¯ll drop you off at your office, let her cool down.¡± Elliot looked at


    Julie, adding, ¡°I also have something to tell you.¡±


    Not wanting to refuse him, especially since he hade mainly to help her out, Julie agreed.


    ¡°Julie, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you.¡± Elliot suddenly turned to look at Julie, who was slowly


    following behind him.


    Julie, who had been looking down at her own feet, looked up at him in confusion when he spoke, ¡°What


    is it?¡±


    Elliot fell silent for a moment, during which Julie could clearly see the change in his expression.


    Thinking that he wasn¡¯t going to say anything else, Julie walked silently beside Elliot without


    questioning him further. However, she then heard his somewhat heavy voice, ¡°Do you still love Kieran?¡±


    Julie¡¯s response was a long silence.


    Julie wasn¡¯t intentionally avoiding Elliot¡¯s question, she was contemting. If she were to answer


    ording to her initial gut reaction, she thought, the answer would be yes.


    She had never denied the fact that she loved Kieran, but she couldn¡¯t quite exin how much she


    loved him.


    Over the past years, she even had the extreme thought that all her miseries were because of her love


    for Kieran.


    Despite enduring so much pain, she was still unable to erase that initial spark of love for him from her


    heart.


    But Julie knew better than anyone that her love for him was mixed with many other factors. While she


    loved him, she also hated him and med herself.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if this still counted as love.


    So, she didn¡¯t immediately answer Elliot¡¯s question.


    By the time she had figured out how to answer, Elliot no longer wanted to know it.


    He said, ¡°I should wish you happiness.¡±


    Julie silently watched Elliot, lost in thought.


    Elliot¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°I like you, admire you, love you, all from the heart. I want to marry


    you, propose to you, all genuine. When I first came back home, I heard you were divorced. I really


    thought about giving you a stable home. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a passionate love, but at least I could be


    with you through the mundane. But I know, love that is forced is not sweet¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Julie¡¯s voice was low.


    Elliot watched as the wind swept up Julie¡¯s long hair, it reminded him of her short, neat hair when she


    was in school.


    Elliotughed, ¡°Loving someone doesn¡¯t require an apology, and neither does not loving someone. I


    remember when I first transferred


    to your ss, you had short hair. By the time I left, your hair had grown to your shoulders.¡±


    Julie alsoughed, ¡°Back then, Bertha Stewart told me that boys like girls with long hair.¡±


    ¡°So, you grew your hair long to be the type Kieran liked?¡± Elliot and Julie both avoided mentioning the


    deep topic of ¡®love¡¯.


    Julie casually tossed her tied-up hair, her smile sweet.


    Elliot nced at Julie, ¡°Actually, I find it a bit of a pity, the girl I liked was short-haired, independent,


    unique, resilient Julie. You had the courage to love and hate.¡±


    ¡°Then your taste is terrible!¡± Julie¡¯s smile was very carefree.


    Elliot nodded in agreement, ¡°I was young then, didn¡¯t have good taste. Now I see clearly, the person


    you like should be prettier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    As they chatted, Elliot dropped Julie at her office.


    Julie gave Elliot a smile, she thought Adeline was a good person, and Adeline¡¯s personality was


    somewhat simr to her in the past. She wanted to say something for Adeline in front of Elliot, but in


    the end, Julie didn¡¯t say anything, instead, she turned and left, parting ways with Elliot.


    Throughout the journey, Julie and Elliot were chatting, unaware that Adeline had taken a taxi and was


    slowly following them.


    Adeline had just eaten with Julie at a restaurant not far from Simpo Building. Now, she gave the cab


    fare to the driver, walked up to Elliot and said, ¡°If I were you, even if she¡¯s married and has entered


    someone else¡¯s home, I¡¯d still snatch her and bring her back to my home.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your home my home?¡±


    Elliot rolled his eyes at Adeline, then he looked down at what Adeline was wearing today, frowning,


    ¡°What¡¯s up with youtely? Look at your clothes, might as well not wear any.¡±


    ¡°This


    ¡°This is thetest design from a famous designer, hollowce, sexy and pretty, very charming. Don¡¯t I


    look like a celebrity going out? Elliot, what if I join the entertainment industry?¡±


    ¡°You want to be a princess throwing tantrums?¡± Elliot immediately hailed a taxi and shoved Adeline into


    it.


    Adeline pouted, ¡°If I be a celebrity, I would work very seriously.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother her anymore.¡± Elliot said.


    Adeline knew of course that the ¡®her¡¯ Elliot was referring to was Julie.


    ¡°Getting protective before I even do anything? When Julie left just now, I should have taken a picture of


    your longing gaze.¡± Adeline said disdainfully.


    Elliot was silent for a while before saying to Adeline, ¡°In one¡¯s life, there are always some people that


    are destined to be missed.¡± ¡°Do you think Kieran loves Julie?¡± Adeline suddenly changed the topic, her


    tone bing serious from the previous frivolousness. Elliot frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If Kieran loves Julie, Julie wouldn¡¯t be unhappy. If Julie¡¯s marriage to Kieran is happy, you would be


    able to let go, right?¡±


    Adeline¡¯s tone gave Elliot a bad feeling.


    His frown deepened, he turned to look at Adeline, ¡°What exactly are you trying to do?¡±

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Chapter 172


    It was a pity that Adeline ordered so much food, and Julie didn¡¯t even get time to eat before she was


    sent back.


    She nced at her watch, still half an hour to go to work, so Julie went to the cafeteria.


    Her tummy was screaming for food and she totally forgot about her lunch date with Kieran, leaving him


    hanging.


    As Julie walked into the cafeteria, she saw Davina chowing down with some colleagues. She shed


    Davina a smile but noticed she was acting a bit squirrelly.


    Following Davina¡¯s gaze, she saw Kieran in the employee dining room, staring at her with a poker face.


    It never crossed her mind that Kieran would be waiting for her here. Julie could feel a shiver running


    down her forehead as she approached him. Only then did she remember her phone had died, and she


    completely forgot to text Kieran back.


    She didn¡¯t grab any food, just plonked down opposite Kieran and started, ¡°Look, I can exin¡­¡±


    ¡°Curry potatoes, bacon rolls, what else tickles your ¡± Kieran cut Julie off, pointing at her favorite dishes,


    ¡°Eat up before the food


    gets cold.¡±


    Julie mped her mouth shut, the words she was about to say stuck in her throat.


    Shaking her head, she said, ¡°No need, this is more than enough.¡±


    Realizing she screwed up, Julie started to dig into the bacon rolls.


    Kieran sat back in his chair, looking all chill but with a vibe of nobility, making Julie feel like she was


    being looked down upon. The bacon roll felt stuck in her throat.


    ¡°What did you say to Adeline?¡± he asked, his voice low and husky.


    Adeline had dragged her out of the office earlier, with lots of colleagues around. But no one should


    know about Adeline, so Julie was surprised and asked, ¡°How did you know I went out with Adeline?¡±


    ¡°I also know Elliot dropped you off at the office,¡± he said.


    Julie looked puzzled, not speaking but just staring at him, trying to figure out what he was ying at.


    But she couldn¡¯t read him.


    Kieran was always good at ying his cards close to his chest, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have tricked her


    into thinking their child died during surgery years ago.


    A good marriage requires bnce, but in their marriage, Kieran always held the upper hand.


    He picked up a bacon roll with his fork and offered it to Julie.


    But Julie didn¡¯t take it, just gave him the cold shoulder, waiting for him to exin himself.


    Finally, Kieran said, ¡°Your bag might have a mini camera.¡±


    His gazended on Julie¡¯s ck handbag.


    Julie¡¯s eyes darted, doubting his words. But his serious look convinced her. She clutched her bag and


    checked it, only to find no camera. She looked up at Kieran, frowning, ¡°Are you pulling my leg?¡±


    She actually fell for it.


    Kieran put down the bacon roll and said, ¡°Check the strap of your bag.¡±


    ¤È


    Julie was torn, not sure whether to believe him.


    But Kieran grabbed her bag and found a hidden camera on the strap.


    The camera was the same color as the strap, and Julie never paid attention to it. She certainly never


    imagined Kieran would bug her bag, so she naturally overlooked it.


    It was only when Kieran took out the hidden camera that she frowned, ¡°Are you spying on me?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t reply.


    Julie grabbed her bag back and demanded, ¡°Since when?¡±


    She had carried that bag for a while, not knowing it was bugged. This meant that as long as she had


    the bag with her, Kieran knew her


    every move.


    Furious, Julie stood up, clutching her bag and walked away.


    Kieran watched Julie¡¯s receding figure, furrowing his brows, then stood up and followed her.


    In the stairwell, Kieran grabbed Julie¡¯s hand but she shook him off.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just stalking me, you¡¯re also bugging my stuff. How are you any different from a peeping


    Tom?¡± she said, her face flushed with anger.


    She looked at him, choking on her words, and let it all out, ¡°You never ask me what I want! You always


    tell me after you¡¯ve done it. You always say it¡¯s for my good, even when you lie to me! Even when you


    wanted a divorce, you never said it, instead you forced me to say it. I was the one who loved you,


    chased you, proposed to you, and I was the one who said let¡¯s divorce! Besides the ¡®I love you¡¯, was


    everything else part of your n?¡±


    She said it all in one breath.


    Tears welled up in Julie¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t let them fall.


    With tears in her eyes, she looked at him and said, ¡°For all these years, do you know how many times I


    wished I had never met you? Do you know how much I wished all this was a dream and when I woke


    up, there would be no Kieran in my life? Do you know how much I hated you¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it!¡± Julie yelled at him, ¡°You never will! You only know that all your decisions are right,


    that your choices are protecting the ones you love. But you don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve deprived me of


    being a mother, deprived Ivan of having a mother. You¡¯ve made me lose the man I was willing to


    cherish with my life!¡±


    She eventually lost control over her tears, but stubbornly wiped them away, sobbingly asking him, ¡°Did


    you ever think that if you trusted me from the start, if you were honest with me from the start, I wouldn¡¯t


    have missed out on Ivan¡¯s growth, we¡­ wouldn¡¯t have missed out on so many years¡­ What do you


    want me to do now? What can I do?¡±


    ¡°Stay with me. Bertha stayed with me all these years¡­¡± Kieran¡¯s deep eyes glimmered with a cold light,


    but they were also filled with profound emotions. Yet his words were cold as ice.


    He asked her, ¡°How should I keep you with me? As a tombstone or a handful of ashes?¡±


    Over the years, he and Hayden had been tracking down Lucian. Because Lucian was operating in the


    shadows and they were in the spotlight, they had to be extra careful.


    Before Bertha gave birth, she confessed to Kieran about Lucian. At that time, Kieran didn¡¯t know much,


    only that Lucian mistakenly thought that Julie forced him into marriage and framed Kieran, leading to


    Kieran having to marry Julie. Therefore, Lucian was determined to get rid of Julie for Kieran.


    Because Kieran didn¡¯t know where Lucian was, he couldn¡¯t tell Lucian in person that he truly loved


    Julie. So, he had to divorce Julie first, letting Lucian see his deep hatred for Julie, and he wanted to


    punish Julie himself.


    That¡¯s why over the years, despite Julie¡¯s hard life, Kieran never directly helped Julie, but instead


    helped Julie under the guise of Daphne. He indirectly had Daphne asionally win the lottery, get


    promotions, and increase sries. Because he knew about Daphne¡¯s friendship with Julie and knew


    that Daphne would definitely help Julie.


    And he continued to look for Lucian.


    Not long ago, Kieran finally found Lucian¡¯s exact location. He and Hayden hadn¡¯t had time to act when


    Bertha suddenly fell from a building and died¡­


    Sometimes, idents happen faster than ns. Kieran couldn¡¯t let Julie be another ident in


    his ns. Because he knew better than anyone that Julie, with her unchanging love for him, could even


    give up her life for him. When he couldn¡¯t protect her, he¡¯d rather painfully push her away.


    Even if she hated him, he wanted her to be alive to hate him.


    Julie was silent for a long time before she looked up at Kieran, ¡°You knew a long time ago that I¡¯m a


    fool, that I would die for you. But what about you? Would you do that? Tell me, if you were in my shoes,


    what should I do now? Pretend that nothing happened, continue to be Mrs. Hernandez, and keep


    dreaming that we¡¯ll be together forever?¡±


    Julie¡¯s eyes filled with tears, yet sheughed mockingly.


    She pushed Kieran away with all her might, turned around, and slowly climbed the stairs. She knew


    she needed to calm down. She¡¯d finally said what¡¯s been on her mind for a long time, and she felt a bit


    relieved, even though she still didn¡¯t know how she¡¯ll face the future. But the heavy stone in her heart


    seemed to have moved a bit.


    This time, Kieran didn¡¯t immediately follow her.


    He took out his phone, dialed a number, and pressed the call button.


    Hayden¡¯s calm voice came from the other end, ¡°Kerry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken off the mini camera you had your woman install on my wife¡¯s bag. Have her exin it to my


    wife herself! If she can¡¯t exin it, have her ready to be sent to the most deste ce to build some


    snowmen!¡±


    Hearing Kerry¡¯s tone, Hayden knew he was pissed. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have thought about sending


    Julien to the most deste ce in the world, where even the airport often can¡¯t be used.


    Hayden on the other end of the phone couldn¡¯t help but frown. |


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Julie knew she looked a mess, so she nned to freshen up in the bathroom before going to the office.


    But just as she walked into the bathroom, a handkerchief suddenly wrapped around from behind her,


    covering her mouth and nose.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    Chapter 173


    Kieran hung up the phone right after giving Hayden a heads up.


    Hayden stared at his phone, the one Kieran just hung up on, for a couple of seconds before he


    pocketed it and headed toward Julien¡¯s


    room.


    Julien¡¯s room was next door to Hayden¡¯s. The door was shut but unlocked.


    Hayden knocked twice. No answer. So, he let himself in.


    He heard the sound of running water from the bathroom as soon as he walked in. He nced at the


    bathroom out of the corner of his eye, furrowed his brows, and then emotionlessly sat down on Julien¡¯s


    bed.


    Across the bed was Julien¡¯s bathroom. But because the room wasn¡¯t an open floor n, he could only


    hear the sound of the water, not see the graceful figure of the woman inside.


    The bed was a hard wooden one with a thin mattress. The dark grey bedsheet matched Julien¡¯s


    personality. On the bed was a dark blue silk pajama set, shirt-style. Something spongy was wrapped in


    the middle of it, with ck straps sticking out.


    Hayden took a quick look. His long fingers followed the straps and picked up the spongy thing. It was


    Julien¡¯s bra, a modest deep ck, simple and elegant, but irresistibly seductive.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    After her shower, Julien realized she¡¯d left her pajamas outside. So, she just wrapped herself in a towel


    and stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Hayden holding up her bra by the strap, studying her dark


    undergarment.


    Their eyes met. Neither of them said anything.


    Hayden, still holding the strap, couldn¡¯t decide if he should let go or keep holding it.


    ¡°You do realize that¡¯s my underwear, right?¡± Julien managed to talk a calm voice, her icy gaze fixed on


    Hayden.


    Hayden, back to his normal self, casually put down her bra, not avoiding another look, and then said,


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a


    Julien didn¡¯t respond.


    To her silence, Hayden added, ¡°Ten years ago, you wore a size B. Now, you wear a C.¡±


    Indeed, ten years ago, Julien had willingly crawled into Hayden¡¯s bed.


    Growing up, Julien had always been putting up with humiliation for her younger sister, silently growing


    up by Miles Simson¡¯s side. She owed her life to a sentence from Hayden. Later, Hayden stood up for


    her in front of Miles, teaching her how to survive, how to fight, how to remain uncorrupted in a dark


    world.


    She used to think being by his side would make her feel safer and happier than being with anyone else.


    He was the only man she ever wanted to spend her life with, the only man she had ever loved with all


    her heart and soul, and the only man she had never gotten despite all her efforts.


    When she slept with him ten years ago, it went so smoothly that she thought she had finally won him


    over. But the day after their night together, he flew to another country to find the woman he loved.


    That¡¯s when Julien realized how cheap her fantasy of love was.


    She reached out and grabbed her bra, not expecting Hayden, who had just let go, to-grab the other end


    of the strap again.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Julien demanded.


    But Hayden wasn¡¯t a man to take orders from Julien. So, naturally, he didn¡¯t let go.


    Julien wasn¡¯t a patient woman, either. She aimed a kick at Hayden¡¯s head. But he was quick and


    caught her ankle with his other hand.


    She put all her weight on her one leg, pressing it against Hayden¡¯s shoulder, pinning the hand that was


    holding her ankle to his shoulder as well.


    Hayden was still holding onto Julien¡¯s ankle. He let go of her bra,ughed, and said, ¡°Your flexibility has


    improved a lotpared with ten years ago/


    Julien threw her bra at Hayden¡¯s head, ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep it as a souvenir? Maybe even frame it in


    gold!¡±


    Hayden rarely smiled, but today, his smile was even wider after hearing Julien¡¯sment.


    He replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Then, he let go of Julien¡¯s ankle.


    Julien quickly pulled her leg back, only to hear Hayden suddenly ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t they match?¡±


    Just as Julien was trying to figure out what he meant, she looked up to find Hayden staring intently at


    the area below her belly button and above her thighs.


    Then she remembered that she¡¯d just wrapped herself in a towel. The moment she did the splits, her


    target was Hayden¡¯s face, so¡­ The bra she threw at Hayden¡¯s face was ck, but her panties were


    white. They indeed didn¡¯t match.


    ¡°Would you like me to change into a matching set for your viewing pleasure?¡± Julien kicked open the


    door to her walk-in closet and asked Hayden. Her face was as cold as ever.


    Hayden pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and tossed it to Julien, ¡°Recent call recording.¡±


    The recording was the conversation Kieran had with him earlier.


    After listening to it, Julien¡¯s face darkened a bit. She shook Hayden¡¯s phone and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to call


    Mr. Hernandez back.¡±


    Hayden gave his permission, still sitting on Julien¡¯s bed.


    The call connected.


    Julien asked Kieran, ¡°How did you know I put a mini camera in Julie¡¯s bag?¡±


    The reason why Julien did this was for Julie. Compared to Lucian, who was a ticking time bomb, Julie


    was just a fragile woman.


    Kieran respected Julie, so he would never do something like this. Before he remarried Julie, Kieran had


    people secretly protecting her. But after they remarried, Julie spent most of her time at thepany


    with Kieran during the day and stayed with him at night, so Kieran called off her secret protection.


    But Julien, being someone who was used to living under pressure and in danger, was naturally more


    cautious than Kieran. She didn¡¯t care if Julie would hate her for her disrespect. Because as someone


    who lived in darkness, Julien knew better than anyone else that staying alive was the most important


    thing.


    Julie was her lifesaver and one of the few people she could genuinely consider as a friend. So, no


    matter what Julie thought, she had to do what she did.


    However, Julien was also a rational person. Even though she had installed cameras, she knew very


    clearly what she should not hear and what she should not see.


    For instance, when Mr. Hernandez was flirting with Julie at night, she didn¡¯t watch the footage.


    But, on the other side of the phone, Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t exin how he found out about the cameras.


    Instead, he directly told her, ¡°Give all the tapes to Julie, and then you exin it yourself. You¡¯re


    adaptable, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to live in the most deste ce forever.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Julienughed, ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡±¡±


    Hayden got up, elegantly snatched the phone from Julien¡¯s hand, and told her, ¡°Go find Julie and


    exin everything.¡±


    It was amand.


    Julien didn¡¯t argue, but turned around and dialed Julie¡¯s number.


    But the phone was off.


    Julien tried again, but it was still off.


    She turned her head, took her phone back from Hayden, and asked Kieran, ¡°Is she at the office now?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Kieran questioned.


    ¡°Her phone is off. You better check if she¡¯s at the office.¡± Julien said as she headed towards the


    cloakroom, ¡°You find her, and I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Julie usually only turned off her phone when it ran out of battery, and she hadn¡¯t charged itst night.


    So, Kieran figured her phone might be dead.


    It had been a while since they parted, and Julie should be calmer. Kieran, who grew up with Julie, knew


    that her mood swings were quick toe and go.


    So, if he showed up in front of Julie now, even considering the potential gossip, she probably wouldn¡¯t


    avoid seeing him.


    Kieran felt that he should exin the camera situation. Since the major conflicts couldn¡¯t be resolved,


    he decided to start with the minor


    ones.


    So, Kieran directly dialed the office number of Davina, the head of the legal department.


    But it was Teague, the assistant director, who answered.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Davina?¡± Kieran asked in a heavy tone.


    Teague hesitated for a long time before saying, ¡°She went out to find someone¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Kieran frowned, suddenly having a bad feeling.


    Seeing that the truth was about to be revealed, Teague nervously told Kieran, ¡°She seems to have


    gone to find Attorney Abraham¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? Exin!¡± Kieran¡¯s voice raised.


    Teague was sweating cold sweat. The wholepany was spreading rumors that Mrs. Hernandez had


    gained her position through her


    son, and that Mr. Hernandez didn¡¯t like such a scheming woman as Mrs. Hernandez. But hearing the


    agitated tone of Mr. Hernandez on the phone, Teague suddenly felt that these rumors were baseless


    nonsense.


    Judging by Mr. Hernandez¡¯s tone, if anyone said he didn¡¯t care about Mrs. Hernandez, they¡¯d be joking.


    Afraid that Mr. Hernandez would vent his anger on him, Teague hurriedly started exining, ¡°After


    lunch today, Attorney Abraham didn¡¯te back to work. More than half an hourter, Ms. Davina


    realized that Attorney Abraham hadn¡¯t arrived, and she hadn¡¯t taken a leave either. So, Ms. Davina


    tried to call Attorney Abraham to find out the situation. But she couldn¡¯t reach her. Ms. Davina felt that


    Attorney Abraham wasn¡¯t the type to casually skip work, so she was very worried and finally decided to


    go see if Attorney Abraham was still in the canteen¡­¡±


    Ms. Davina¡¯s analysis was correct; Julie was not someone who would skip work for no reason.


    And now, not only did Julie skip work without reason, her phone was also unanswered, and she had


    lost contact with everyone. Kieran¡¯s uneasiness was growing..

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    Chapter 174


    On her way to Simpo Co., Julien was trying to reach Julie but her calls went unanswered. Even when


    she arrived at Simpo Building, she couldn¡¯t get hold of Julie.


    She walked into the Simpo Co. lobby, nning to go upstairs directly to find Julie, but was stopped by


    the receptionist.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± The receptionist asked Julien politely.


    Julien responded coldly, ¡°Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°I said, I¡¯m looking for Kieran.¡± Julien, clearly an impatient person, responded with a bad attitude.


    The receptionist, having seen many women trying to see Mr. Hernandez, gave Julien a cold look, ¡°If


    everyone could just walk in to see Mr. Hernandez without appointments, how can we run Simpo Co.?


    Security!¡±


    The security guard was summoned by the receptionist. Julien exuded a presence that couldn¡¯t be


    ignored. Despite the fact she looked tough, the guard still, due to job responsibilities, reached out to


    guide her.


    The guard didn¡¯t realize who he had messed with until Julien grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm behind


    his back, and pushed him onto the reception desk.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± the guard yelled in pain.


    Julien lifted her head to look at the receptionist and repeated coldly, ¡°I need to see Kieran.¡±


    Suddenly, apuse echoed in the lobby.


    Julien turned around and saw a man in a ck hoodie and dark athletic pants, pping with admiration


    in his eyes.


    The receptionist recognized the man and immediately addressed him respectfully, ¡°Mr. Payne.¡±


    Payne didn¡¯t expect to encounter Julien here today, but he was pretty impressed by how she handled


    the guard.


    Payne had seen Julien once at a wedding.


    That brief encounter left a deep impression on him. He had been tracking her whereabouts since then.


    The fact that he couldn¡¯t find her proved how mysterious Julien was.


    ¡°Payne and thisdy¡­¡±


    Hearing how the receptionist addressed Payne with respect, Julien let go of the guard. Although she


    didn¡¯t know this man named Payne, she directly told him, ¡°Take me to Kieran.¡±


    She needs his help? Nice!


    Payne winked at the receptionist and said to Julien with a smile, ¡°Follow me, gorgeous.¡±


    The receptionist didn¡¯t stop Payne, so all she could do was watch as Julien and Payne entered the


    elevator together.


    In the elevator, Payne introduced himself to Julien, ¡°I¡¯m Payne, Kieran¡¯s cousin.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Julien nodded politely at Payne. The only reason she spoke was that Payne had allowed her


    in.


    But Payne extended his hand warmly and asked with a smile, ¡°So, Lady Knight, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Lady Knight?


    This was the first time Julien had been called as this.


    She just nced at Payne and didn¡¯t respond.


    Payne wasn¡¯t surprised by Julien¡¯s rejection. It was all within his expectations.


    ¡°Did I just help you out?¡± Payne asked with a smile.


    Julien, annoyed, watched the elevator floor number rise. Right now, she was thinking that she shouldn¡¯t


    have been so naive to think she could just waltz into the Simpo Co. building. She should have taken a


    simpler approach, so she wouldn¡¯t be stuck in the elevator with this annoying guy.


    Payne took Julien¡¯s silence as an agreement and continued, ¡°Since I helped you, you must be grateful


    and might even agree to marry


    me.¡±


    Julien felt she had encountered a weirdo, and a horny one at that.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just joking. I know you wouldn¡¯t think of me like that,¡± Payne said.


    At least he has some self-awareness, Julien thought.


    ¡°But¡­ Rayne continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to show any gratitude towards me?¡±


    ¡°I already said thank you,¡± Julien said.


    >


    Payne wasn¡¯t offended. He just continued to smile at Julien and said, ¡°Normally, people would


    exchange contact information and express their gratitude politely under these circumstances. We could


    even grab a meal together if we had the chance. Babe, you¡¯re giving people the impression that you¡¯re


    not normal.¡±


    ¡°Do normal people punch you when you talk too much?¡± Julien suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Payne responded immediately.


    ¡°Then listen carefully. If you say another word, I¡¯ll punch you.¡±


    Payne fell silent.


    Julien went straight to the CEO¡¯s office in the elevator. Tina, seeing Julien¡¯s furious demeanor, quickly


    stepped forward to stop her.


    Payne made a throat-shing gesture at Tina, ¡°Don¡¯t block her, she might punch you.¡±


    While Tina was stunned, Julien had already kicked open the door to the CEO¡¯s office.


    Tina was shocked.


    Payne patted Tina on the shoulder, ¡°Go do your thing. If the door is broken, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    At that moment, Kieran was still on the phone. Right when Julien kicked the door open, she heard


    Kieran say, ¡°Send the surveince footage over immediately!¡±


    Julien stormed into the office and mmed the door shut, nearly hitting Payne who was following her.


    And just like that, Julien had sessfully shut out the person who had helped her.


    Annoyed, Payne pushed the door open again, ¡°Babe¡­¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Julie?¡± Julien asked Kieran.


    Kieran didn¡¯t look at her, but instead focused on hisputer screen where he was watching the


    surveince footage that had just been sent over from security.


    He sessfully ignored Julien, which was great. It seemed like everybody had their kryptonite.


    Julien walked over to Kieran and watched the screen with him.


    A perplexed Payne came over to have a look, only to find in theputer video a man in a ck


    hoodie, pushing a cleaning cart and following Julie from behind. The man saw Julie enter thedies¡¯


    room, immediately put two ¡°under maintenance¡± signs at the door, and


    then went in himself.


    In thest shot of him entering thedies¡¯ room, you could see him pulling out a snow-white


    handkerchief from his pocket.


    Minutester, he dragged an unconscious Julie out, took something from the cleaning cart, stuffed Julie


    inside, covered her with a few white towels, pulled down his hood, and pushed the cart away.


    The whole process was super smooth, obviously premeditated.


    Payne said seriously, ¡°Should we call the cops? Isn¡¯t this kidnapping?¡±


    Kieran and Julien turned around at the same time, looking at Payne as if he was an idiot.


    ¡°Have we identified the man?¡± Julien asked Kieran.


    Only then did Payne realize, ¡°So you called me here for this?¡±


    Without answering, Kieran took theptop bag from behind Payne and put it on the desk, saying, ¡°Find


    this man.¡±


    Julien had some understanding of Payne¡¯s abilities.


    Payne¡¯s gaze fell on Julien¡¯s face and then turned to Kieran, ¡°Kieran, tell me the name of this hottie,


    and I¡¯ll help you find the suspect. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the kidnapped person is?¡± Kieran¡¯s eyes were sharp, like a sharp knife pointing


    directly at Payne¡¯s neck.


    In fact, when Payne proposed this condition, he had already turned on hisputer using the Biotrack


    System to trace the man¡¯s whereabouts. He had developed this system a long time ago. As long as the


    suspect¡¯s features in the surveince video werepared, any ce covered by the city¡¯s CCTV


    could be quickly found throughputer analysis. The reason he proposed this additional condition


    was just for the sake of it, he of course knew how important finding Julie was.


    Because he was the first one to find Lucian¡¯s whereabouts in Veridia, everyone knew Julie was in


    danger at this point.


    While Payne relied on technology, Julien chose to rely on connections.


    She watched the surveince video again carefully, then asked Kieran, ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡±


    Because Julie went into the bathroom crying, and before that, Kieran had harshly asked her to


    apologize, so she guessed there might have been a fight between the two.


    Kieran admitted to this fact.


    He said, ¡°Let¡¯s give Daphne a call and ask if there¡¯s anyone close to Julie who might have a motive.¡±


    Julien was thinking the same thing because from the surveince video, Julie randomly entered a


    bathroom on some floor, not the legal department¡¯s bathroom. However, the kidnapping side was very


    clear about her actions, which means they must have spent a lot of


    time around Julie.


    There was a knock on the door, and Kieran casually responded, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Karl entered and told Kieran, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked all the coworkers who knew Mrs. Hernandez well. No


    one has seen her since lunch in the cafeteria. Also, we¡¯ve sent the surveince video to the police as


    evidence, once they have any news about Mrs. Hernandez, they will notify us immediately.¡±


    Kieran nodded, and Julien dialed Daphne¡¯s number.


    She cut to the chase, ¡°Julie was kidnapped. Can you think of anyone who might kidnap Julie?¡±


    However, a man¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    Julien lowered her head to check her phone, making sure she dialed Daphne¡¯s number. She frowned


    and asked the man on the other end, ¡°Who are you?¡±

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    Chapter 175


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    Before Lionel could finish his sentence, Daphne suddenly sat up from the bed, grabbing the phone


    from him. Like a startled animal, she asked the person on the other end of the line, Julien, ¡°Julie¡¯s been


    kidnapped?¡±


    Julien, usually quick to react, paused for a moment before responding, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not the one


    who¡¯s been kidnapped?¡±


    Daphne stayed silent.


    She wasn¡¯t the one who had been kidnapped, but her current situation was even worse than being


    kidnapped. Honestly, she wished she


    had been.


    ¡°Who kidnapped Julie?¡± Daphne decided to ignore Julien¡¯s question.


    Julien¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Think about anyone around you who might have a motive. Call


    me back when you figured it


    out.¡±


    And with that, she hung up.


    Daphne felt like Julien was trying to help, so she got up from the bed, looking frantic.


    With her feet on the soft carpet, she looked at Lionel with an apologetic expression, ¡°Lord Lion, we are


    both adults now. We should think more maturely. I won¡¯t make you take responsibility. We¡­¡±


    ¡°You slept with me. Of course you can¡¯t ask me to take responsibility! This is how adults think.¡± Lionel,


    only wrapped in a towel, was leaning against the door frame, raising an eyebrow at Daphne.


    Daphne¡¯s face must have been awkward.


    She nodded reluctantly, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    She knew it would end up like this. She knew she shouldn¡¯t have followed Lionel home. When did her


    IQ drop to zero?


    Lionel, looking at Daphne picking up her scattered clothes, narrowed his eyes, ¡°Are you nning to


    leave now?¡±


    What else could she say?


    ¡°Lord Lion, you heard it too. My good friend Julie is missing. I need to find her. Once I do, I¡¯lle back


    to apologize!¡± Daphne quickly


    said.


    Lionel raised an eyebrow, then pulled out his phone to dial Elliot¡¯s number, ¡°Any lead on her? Isn¡¯t Julie


    Elliot¡¯s old me? His resources should be better than yours.¡±


    Daphne knew about the rtionship between Lionel and Elliot. So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Lionel


    suggested Elliot. Elliot indeed had


    more resources.


    So, when Lionel called Elliot, Daphne didn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°Elliot, your old me has been kidnapped. Are you involved in this? Did you do it out of jealousy


    because she rekindled her romance with your love rival?¡± Lionel said to Elliot in a teasing tone.


    Elliot¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Make it clear!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your old me has been kidnapped. I just want to ask if you know about it.¡± Lionel


    continued to tease, ¡°If you really did kidnap Julie, I must say you are impressive.¡±


    Elliot finally got it, ¡°Julie¡¯s been kidnapped?¡±


    Hearing the excitement in Elliot¡¯s voice, it was clear that Elliot had nothing to do with Julie¡¯s kidnapping.


    Ignoring Lionel, Daphne snatched the phone and asked Elliot, ¡°Mr. Sanches, are you sure you don¡¯t


    know about Julie¡¯s kidnapping? Could it be someone she knows¡­¡±


    Before Daphne could finish her sentence, Elliot hung up the phone.


    Hearing the phrase ¡®someone she knows¡¯, Elliot immediately thought of Adeline.


    He remembered something Adeline had once said.


    ¡°Do you think Kieran loves Julie?¡±


    ¡°If Kieran loves Julie, Julie won¡¯t be unfortunate. If Julie marrying Kieran is a blessing, can you let go


    then?¡±


    So, what Adeline had wanted to do back then was to prove whether Kieran really loved Julie?


    Ellot dialed Adeline¡¯s number as he opened the door of the CEO¡¯s office.


    He thought Adeline wouldn¡¯t pick up, but surprisingly she did.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Elliot asked directly.


    Aughing Adeline answered, ¡°You sound anxious. Did you find out about Julie¡¯s kidnapping?¡±


    Elliot was silent.


    As expected, Adeline was involved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t harm her. I¡¯m at Lavender Club,e over.¡± Adeline said and hung up.


    When Elliot tried to call her back, she was already on another call.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Adeline called the kidnapper, ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In ten minutes at most, I¡¯ll deliver her to you safely.¡± The kidnapper confidently replied.


    Lavender Club was just across from the Ray Consortium building. In less than five minutes, Elliot was


    there.


    Upon seeing Adeline, his first words were, ¡°Where¡¯s Julie?¡±.


    Adeline shrugged, smiling as she asked Elliot to sit on the sofa, ¡°Why the rush? I won¡¯t harm her. Since


    I¡¯ve brought her here, let¡¯s discuss how to prove a man¡¯s love for a woman, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Adeline, you¡¯re digging your own grave!¡± Elliot red at Adeline. This woman had never done anything


    that gave him peace of mind.


    Adeline always acted like an older sister, but it was always Elliot who cleaned up her messes.


    Sometimes he wondered if his twin sister, who looked nothing like him, was a gic mutant. It turned


    out that they were not blood-rted.


    Elliot shot Adeline a somewhat irritated look, ¡°So you want to know how much Kieran loves Julie, huh?¡±


    Adeline nodded, retorting, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to know how much Kieran loves Julie, then just wait and see how you¡¯re going to die


    when Kieran finds out the truth!¡± Elliot snapped.


    Adeline fell silent.


    Sometimes, Elliot really had a sharp tongue.


    Adeline had considered the possible consequences when she decided to kidnap Julie. She had


    prepared herself to face the oue even before she took actions.


    In the matter of falling for Elliot, Adeline had done a lot of stupid things. She knew in Elliot¡¯s heart, she


    was just family to him, blood-rted or not, there was no way they could develop a romantic


    rtionship.


    So, she had tried hard, attempting to like other people, trying to see their good points.


    Kieran was an amazing guy, this had always been Adeline¡¯s belief. Therefore, for a long time, she had


    tried to make herself fall for this outstanding man.


    Then Elliot came back home, for his first love.


    It wasn¡¯t untilter that Adeline found out that Elliot¡¯s first love was Kieran¡¯s ex-wife.


    At first, Adeline had genuinely tried to push Julie and Elliot together. But from the moment Julie and


    Kieran got back together, as an observer, she knew Elliot and Julie could never be together.


    If Julie could bring happiness to Elliot, she might genuinely smile and bless them.


    But now, she couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Elliot get more and more entangled in this emotional mess.


    She had gotten used to telling herself that she and Elliot could never be together. So even if Elliot didn¡¯t


    love her and didn¡¯t end up with her in the end, she could ept it with grace.


    But Julie was special in Elliot¡¯s heart, the girl he had been deeply in love with for many years.


    Adeline couldn¡¯t exactly put into words what she was doing. She just thought, if Kieran truly loved Julie,


    if Julie was happy, perhaps Elliot would feel a bit better!


    What Adeline didn¡¯t know was that the person who was truly stuck in the triangle between Elliot and


    Julie was herself.


    Elliot pulled Adeline to sit by his side, his gaze calm as never before.


    ¡°Adeline, there¡¯s something I may never have told you.¡± He looked at Adeline deeply, ¡°Julie is the one I


    like, but not the one I must have.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Adeline had never seen this look in Elliot¡¯s


    eyes before.


    Elliot said, ¡°If I had to be with her, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to study abroad back then. The first time I


    kissed her, Kieran was there. Since then, I knew their feelings for each other were mutual. I knew they


    would eventually be together. If she and Kieran are happy, I can ept it. But I know her life after


    divorcing Kieran isn¡¯t good, she isn¡¯t happy. So, I came back. I came back hoping to give her a happy


    family, and I proposed to her. But it turns out, she doesn¡¯t need me.¡±


    Elliot gave a helpless smile, gently holding Adeline¡¯s shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ve tried, I¡¯ve done my best. Even if I


    failed in the end, I won¡¯t regret it.


    Lionel used to say, we¡¯ll meet many people in life. Not everyone who stays will be your lover, but


    they are certainly the ones you love, whether it¡¯s friendship or family¡­ For Julie, I still have feelings,


    but not necessarily to be with her, so there¡¯s no need to test whether Kieran truly loves her. At least I


    know, the one she truly loves, is definitely not me.¡±


    After all this, it seemed like Adeline finally got it¡­


    After a moment of silence, she took out her phone and dialed the kidnapper¡¯s number, ¡°Send her back


    to Simpo Co., I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    However, as soon as Adeline finished speaking, a hesitant voice came from the other end of the line,


    ¡°Someone else took her away¡­¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Chapter 176


    In a pitch-ck room.


    Julie woke up, all muddled up, only to find herself tied to a chair. Her limbs were sore and her head felt


    like it was about to split up, filled with pain.


    Her eyes were covered with a blindfold, and her hands and feet were firmly tied to the chair. The air


    was filled with a damp, moldy smell that was


    nauseating.


    In the absence of sight, a person often feels more insecure. Julie was no exception, particrly when


    she heard the dull sound of chains, which made her get goosebumps.


    She tried to break free, but a deep voice came from not too far away, ¡°Babe, if I were you, I¡¯d just sit


    tight.¡±


    Julie felt like she was suspended in mid-air, and any movement would trigger the sound of chains. She


    probably figured it out: although she was sitting on a chair, the chair was likely chained up. And the


    sound of water was probably from beneath her feet.


    Julie calmed down, stopped struggling, and tried to maintain bnce. Just as she was about to speak,


    she heard another man¡¯s voice, ¡°It¡¯s such a waste for such a beautiful woman to be tied up¡­¡±


    ¡°Quit your daydreaming, we¡¯re here for the money, not her. Once our employer pays up, we¡¯re out of


    here. Don¡¯t get greedy andnd us in trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this woman looks familiar?¡±


    ¡°Familiar? How?¡±


    ¡°You remember Mrs. Hernandez from Simpo Co., the one on the news a while back? Don¡¯t you think


    she looks like her?¡±


    From the kidnappers¡¯ conversation, Julie was sure they didn¡¯t know she was Mrs. Hernandez. If the


    kidnappers had known, they would have kidnapped, her for her wealth. But they didn¡¯t know her identity


    and yet still kidnapped her. What were they after?


    They had mentioned there was a real employer. What was their purpose?


    ording to one of the kidnappers, she was brought here by them. Did that mean there was another


    group of people also after her?


    These questions threw Julie¡¯s thoughts into a whirl.


    But the most important thing right now was that these two guys seemed to have been ordered to not


    harm her. So¡­


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°How much is your employer paying you? I can double it!¡± Julie suddenly blurted out to the kidnappers.


    The kidnappers were taken aback for a moment, and then oneughed and responded, ¡°You? Double


    our pay?¡±


    ¡°I am Mrs. Hernandez!¡± Julie replied firmly.


    From their conversation, Julie deduced that these two men seemed to be more interested in money


    than her life. Hence, dealing with this situation would be a lot simpler..


    The two kidnappers clearly didn¡¯t believe Julie.


    One kidnapper frowned and snapped at the other, ¡°What are you bbering about, Mrs. Hernandez


    from Simpo Co.? She heard you!¡±


    Then he turned to Julie, ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to believe you¡¯re Mrs. Hernandez? Well, I can im


    I¡¯m the next in line to be President!¡±


    Julie had a sudden idea and excitedly said to the two kidnappers, ¡°In my pocket, I have a credit card


    with no limit, and it can be used to withdraw cash anytime. It was given to me by my husband and can


    prove my identity.¡±


    Julie cleverly used the unlimited credit card as bait, knowing her current predicament. For the


    kidnappers to get the card, they would have to untie her as she was sitting tightly bound to the chair.


    One kidnapper was still hesitant, while the other one had already taken out his phone to check the


    news, ¡°Look at this woman. Doesn¡¯t she look like Mrs. Hernandez? I think she¡¯s about the same height


    as Mrs. Hernandez, it must be her!¡±


    The other kidnapper looked in Julie¡¯s direction. As their employer¡¯s instructions, the two men had tied


    Julie to a chair and suspended it mid-air using chains. Julie was not only blindfolded but also hanging


    in the air.


    She was in an abandoned factory, suspended a dozen meters in the air. If she were to fall from there,


    she would be severely injured if not killed.


    Although Julie¡¯s eyes were covered, she could clearly sense the distance between herself and the


    kidnappers and knew she was hanging in the air. But she couldn¡¯t tell how high she was, so the only


    option was to find a way to get down.


    One of the kidnappers seemed to have confirmed Julie¡¯s identity and excitedly told the other, ¡°We can


    use this situation to our advantage and ask Mr. Hernandez for a ransom. Didn¡¯t she bear him a child?


    Mr. Hernandez would definitely pay up, right?¡±


    The other kidnapper was still hesitating.


    Julie seized the opportunity and spoke again, ¡°Yes, my husband loves me. He won¡¯t refuse to pay the


    ransom. You guys can let me down first. I have a credit card with no limit; you can go withdraw cash


    now. I¡¯m blindfolded and haven¡¯t seen your faces; you guys can escape after getting the money!¡±


    ¡°Thatdy does have a point.¡± One of the kidnappers¡¯ excited voices echoed from the ground.


    However, the other kidnapper pped him on the head, ¡°Are you out of your mind? That credit card is a


    supplementary card. If this woman really is Mr. Hernandez¡¯s wife, he would know our location as soon


    as we swipe the card. We wouldn¡¯t be able to escape!¡±


    The man stopped talking.


    Julie fell silent.


    Damn, real kidnappers are so much smarter than the ones on TV.


    Julie told the kidnappers, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys after money? You can go to the bank, then call my husband


    toe and rescue me. As soon as he hears I¡¯ve


    been kidnapped, he¡¯ll rush over without a second to spare, giving you guys plenty of time to withdraw


    cash. If you¡¯re worried, n your escape route in advance. Money solves problems. You guys should


    know that better than I do.¡±


    Upon hearing Julie¡¯s words, the kidnappers fell silent. Because this was indeed a good n. By the


    time Mr. Hernandez rescues his wife, they would have already escaped.


    Seeing the kidnapper hesitate, Julie seized the moment and said, ¡°I have no idea who your boss is, nor


    what beef he¡¯s got with me. I heard you just want the money and then get out of here safe and sound.


    But let me tell you, with kidnapping, there¡¯s no such thing as a safe getaway¡±


    ¡°My daughter is sick¡­ I need the money to pay for her medical bills¡­


    Upon hearing this, Julie immediately grabbed onto the kidnapper¡¯s weak spot and started exining.


    ¡°Kidnapping is a serious crime. ording to our criminalw: kidnapping with the intention of extortion,


    or taking hostages, can result in more than ten years of imprisonment or life imprisonment, and fines or


    confiscation of property; if the kidnapping results in the victim¡¯s death, or if the victim is killed, it could


    mean the death penalty, and confiscation of property; if the situation is less severe, it could still mean


    five to ten years of imprisonment, and fines.¡±


    One of the kidnappers pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense! Shut up!¡± Another kidnapper was starting


    to freak out.


    Julie knew they wouldn¡¯t really kill her, so she dared to continue, ¡°The sentence for kidnapping doesn¡¯t


    change depending on the ransom amount. If you let me go now, take the money, and leave, I can go


    back to my husband, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize any of you. If you¡¯re lucky, you might get


    away; even if you¡¯re not, if you rat out your boss and cooperate with the police, and didn¡¯t hurt me,


    you¡¯d be lightly sentenced to just five to ten years. You¡¯d still have your lives, and you could start over


    in ten years.¡±


    Julie¡¯s tone became serious and she told the kidnappers directly, ¡°If your boss really wants me dead,


    do you think my husband would let you off the hook? You¡¯d be sentenced to death!¡±


    Julie started to persuade them again, ¡°If not for yourselves, think about your families! I¡¯m a mother, too.


    If something happens to you, think about how your mothers would feel?¡±


    ¡°I think she makes sense. Look¡­¡± One of the kidnappers showed the other the legal information he


    found.


    The other kidnapper nced at it, his brows furrowed even tighter.


    The younger kidnapper said again, ¡°Look, the boss told us to hang her this high. If she falls, do you


    think she¡¯ll survive? Should we put her down first and check if the bank card is real?¡±


    The older kidnapper started to think. Since she was Mrs. Hernandez of Simpo Co., there must be


    money in that bank card. They were just trying to make some money, toplete the task and get


    paid.


    They originally thought they were kidnapping an ordinary person, and didn¡¯t expect her to be someone


    so prominent. If something really happened¡­


    They were just trying to make some money but didn¡¯t anticipate their own lives could be at risk.


    The older kidnapper was still hesitating.


    Julie had been spinning around in the air for a while, her head starting to get foggy. She pinched the


    flesh of her palm with her nails. The pain kept her


    conscious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take off my blindfold. I promise my credit card has no limit. There¡¯s no harm in


    putting me down to check. If I lied to you, you could just hang me up again. I don¡¯t have any weapons


    on me, what are you afraid of?¡±


    The older kidnapper finally said, ¡°Neal, go, put her down.¡±


    Julie¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat.


    Hearing themand, Julie breathed a sigh of relief. Then she heard footsteps in the open space,


    although she couldn¡¯t see, she knew that must be Neal preparing to put her down.


    But just as Julie heard the sound of the chains, feeling a rush of excitement, suddenly, a very familiar


    voice came from the door, ¡°Whoever dares to put her down, I¡¯ll make sure they die today!¡±


    Chap

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    Chapter 177


    At Lavender Club.


    Adeline was fuming, ring at the two trembling men before her and cursing them out. ¡°You guys are


    completely useless! I asked you to kidnap a woman and you couldn¡¯t even manage that!¡±


    Elliot gave Adeline a nce, furrowing his brows. ¡°Just what the hell happened?¡±


    This was certainly unexpected.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The two men had a pretty solid n. One of them pretended to be a janitor, knocked Julie out, and


    stuffed her into a cleaning cart before wheeling her out of Simpo Co. The other guy was supposed to


    meet him at the door.


    Next, they were supposed to deliver Julie to Adeline, but on their way, a sedan appeared out of


    nowhere and blocked their path. Two armed men got out of the car.


    Their job was just to bring Julie to Adeline. They never signed up to kill anyone, let alone face armed


    guys. So, to save their own skins, they ditched Julie. Elliot had suspected from the get-go that Adeline


    was behind this. That¡¯s why he came to her first, instead of exining everything to Kieran Hernandez.


    Now they were in a real pickle. They had no idea who the two men that appeared out of nowhere were.


    But one thing¡¯s for sure, it was quickly spiraling out of control.


    Adeline knew how serious this was.


    Frowning, she dialed Kieran¡¯s number.


    Twenty minutester, Adeline and Elliot arrived at Simpo Co. They weren¡¯t alone. Dn was with them.


    After listening to Elliot¡¯s side of the story, Dn turned to Adeline, clearly unhappy. ¡°I just finished


    dealing with a suicide case. Are you trying to keep me busy?¡±


    Although this wasn¡¯t Adeline¡¯s intention, she knew she was the one who started all this. So, she kept


    quiet, letting Dn chastise her for once.


    Elliot informed Payne Hernandez about the location where the kidnappers grabbed Julie. Payne was


    reviewing the traffic department¡¯s surveince footage. Just like the two men had said, Julie was taken


    by two masked men, one tall and one short.


    Having seen the footage, Kieran was already on the phone with the police. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Two


    men, one tall, one short. The tall one¡¯s about 174 cm, the short one¡¯s around 168 cm. I¡¯ll send you the


    footage right now¡­¡±


    Payne sent the suspects¡¯ snapshots to the police station.


    Dn, still not entirely convinced, asked Kieran, ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Dn suspected Lucian Hernandez, but didn¡¯t voice his suspicion. Kieran knew what he meant.


    The room fell silent, save for the clicking of Payne¡¯s keyboard.


    Finally, Payne broke the silence. He pointed at hisputer screen and said to Kieran, ¡°The suspects


    were driving a car without a license te. I managed to track it down using the surveince footage.


    The car ended up in the northern suburbs. But there¡¯s a stretch of road there without surveince. I


    skipped that part, checked all the possible routes, and confirmed that the car ended up in an


    abandoned parking lot in the northern part of the city¡­¡±


    Elliot immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to check it out!¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Two voices spoke simultaneously. One was Kieran¡¯s, the other came from the doorway.


    Everyone turned to look at the door following Kieran¡¯s gaze.


    Hayden Simson, dressed all in ck, stood by the doorway. He looked at Kieran and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already


    checked the car. No one¡¯s inside.¡±


    Kieran continued, ¡°The suspects must have switched cars on the stretch without surveince.¡±


    Everyone anticipated this. Payne continued to work swiftly on hisputer. ¡°ording to my records


    and analysis, 48 cars passed through the stretch without surveince.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ she could be in any of these 48 cars?¡± Elliot asked, furrowing his brows deeply.


    Adeline stood up and looked at Payne. ¡°Give me all the te numbers!¡±


    Payne wrote a program to automatically capture and print the te numbers. He then turned to Adeline


    and said, ¡°The quickest way now is to take these te numbers to the police. Let them check all the


    car owners¡­¡±


    Adeline, clutching the printed te numbers, quickly dragged Elliot out of the room.


    Just as Payne was about to shut down hisputer, Dn stood up and told Payne, ¡°First, track the


    final parking location of the 48 cars. Then find the missing car without surveince. After that, list all the


    suspicious cars for me. I want to check the videos myself.¡±


    Payne followed Dn¡¯s instructions, but he was confused. ¡°There are 13 suspicious cars in total. They


    all ended up in ces without surveince. So what?¡±


    ¡°Pull up the surveince video of each car for me.¡± Dn had already taken a seat next to Payne.


    As Payne was scratching his head in confusion, he heard Dn, his face expressionless, watching the


    video of a suspicious car and saying, ¡°Julie¡¯s not in this car. Next one.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Julie¡¯s not in this car? It passed through the stretch without surveince and also


    ended up in a ce without surveinde. We can¡¯t be sure if Julie was in this car!¡±


    Dn couldn¡¯t exin how he knew.


    Julien hung up her call with the police and turned her attention to Dn. This was the forensic scientist,


    Dn, that Hayden had mentioned. He had incredible observation skills. He was better at psychology


    and deduction than autopsies. He was quick, able to spot every detail in an instant, and his wealth of


    knowledge made him a master at reasoning.


    As long as the owner¡¯s face is caught on the surveince footage, Dn would have Payne zoom in,


    and then make urate judgments based on the micro-expressions on the driver¡¯s face.


    Julien has some skill in this area too, just not as precise and quick as Dn.¡±


    Hayden looked at Kieran. He was just sitting on the sofa, unusually calm.


    Kieran didn¡¯t say a word, didn¡¯t show any expression, but Hayden knew, the more calm this man


    seemed, the deeper his thinking was.


    He kept staring at the phone on the table, for a long time.


    Hayden didn¡¯t pay attention to Kieran, but turned to Julien and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to participate in


    today¡¯s mission.¡±


    Julien felt like she had heard wrong. She gave Hayden a cold look, ¡°What?¡±


    Hayden obviously wouldn¡¯t repeat what he had said.


    Payne on the side hurriedly repeated for Hayden, ¡°I think this gentleman is making a lot of sense. This


    mission to rescue Julie is very dangerous. Even though you look so cool when you fight that I want to


    lie in your arms right away, I think you really shouldn¡¯t participate in this mission.¡±


    ¡°No one has ever dared to lie in my arms.¡± Julien said this, her eyes fixed on Hayden.


    Hayden¡¯s cold gaze fell on Julien. He said, ¡°This is an order.¡±


    About rescuing Julie, Julien would neverpromise, so she calmly contradicted Hayden.


    She said, ¡°The only one who can give me orders is me!¡±


    This was the first time Julien had disobeyed Hayden¡¯s orders since she had been following him, and it


    was for his friend¡¯s woman.


    Hayden had a reason not to let Julien participate in this mission. He wasn¡¯t worried about Julien¡¯s


    safety like Payne was. But rather, he was more worried about the safety of the kidnappers.


    Just as Hayden and Julien were at a stalemate, Dn suddenly spoke up and broke the silence


    between the two, ¡°Except for the five cars where the driver¡¯s face can¡¯t be seen in the surveince


    footage, the other forty-three cars are all clear.¡±


    Payne immediately understood what he meant, ¡°I¡¯ll call Adeline and Elliot.¡±


    -He was about to take out his phone, but suddenly realized, ¡°If you can determine which cars are


    suspicious, then why would you let Adeline and Elliot run


    around for nothing? ording to this search speed, Adeline and Elliot should have already searched


    two cars by now, right?¡±


    Dn calmly replied, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t those who do wrong be punished?¡±


    Payne was speechless.


    He¡¯d better just call Elliot honestly¡­


    Payne sent the license te numbers of the only five suspect cars to Elliot.


    Dn stood up and looked at Hayden and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Elliot¡¯s situation. You


    asionally need to interrupt Kerry¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    Dn was about to leave, when he suddenly heard the always silent Kieran ask him, ¡°Stop!¡±


    This shout scared Dn enough to stop him in his tracks.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who the suspect might be?¡± Hayden asked Kieran.


    Kieran didn¡¯t exin why he asked Dn to stop, but turned his head to ask Karl, ¡°What¡¯s the name of


    the woman who had lunch with Julie yesterday and spoke to Julie first in the canteen today?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, are you referring to Davina Field, the head of the legal department?¡± Karl looked


    confused, not understanding why Mr. Hernandez suddenly brought her up


    ¡£,,,,,, ???¡£-


    ¡°Where is she now? Kieran asked.


    Karl frowned, and then replied, ¡°After Mrs. Hernandez disappeared at noon, Ms. Davina has been


    looking for her. I guess she¡¯s still looking¡­¡± Kieran suddenly walked over to Payne, took Payne¡¯s


    laptop, opened a surveince video, then looked at Dn and said, ¡°Come and see!¡±


    Even though Dn didn¡¯t understand Kieran¡¯s intention, he still walked towards Kieran.


    1. aske


    Kieran pointed to the surveince video of Julie and Davina having lunch yesterday, then asked Dn,


    ¡°Take a close look at this woman. Can you notice


    anything?¡±

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    Chapter 178


    ¡°When someone¡¯s not hiding anything at all, their disgust and anger can be expressed through micro-


    expressions like furrowing their brow, squinting their eyes, lifting their upper lip, and forming nasbial


    folds. If jealousy is very restrained, it is almost imperceptible. When anger is more prevalent, it usually


    manifests as wide-open eyes, unconscious staring, and keeping the rest of the face serious; when


    disgust is more prevalent, it usually manifests as giving the side-eye, and the rest of the face doesn¡¯t


    have any significant expression.¡±


    As Dn started his analysis, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted towards Davina. Indeed, every micro-expression


    of jealousy that Dn mentioned was reflected on Davina¡¯s face.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Payne asked, ¡°Any woman would be jealous of Julie marrying Kerry. It¡¯s


    normal for this Davina chick to be jealous too.¡±


    ¡°But in Davina¡¯s eyes, there¡¯s not just jealousy, there¡¯s also hatred!¡± Dn pointed at the video and


    said, ¡°Expressions of hatred areplex. It¡¯s a mix of fear, anger, sadness, and self-me for being


    powerless.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Payne asked, curiosity piqued.


    Hayden got it. The reason Kieran was not in a rush was that he knew who had kidnapped Julie. The


    only thing he didn¡¯t know was her motive for kidnapping Julie. But since she chose to kidnap her


    instead of directly hurting her, this Davina chick in the video would definitely contact him soon. He was


    sitting on the couch, lost in thought, probably waiting for the kidnapper to contact him.


    Dn continued, ¡°The fear is because Davina knows she can¡¯t bepared with Julie. The anger is


    because she wants to eliminate herpetition. The sadness is because she can¡¯t do anything about


    the harm that¡¯s already been done. See, her lower lip is tightly closed due to muscle contraction,


    causing her lips to be tightly drawn together. Her upper lip is slightly lifted, added to the downward pull


    of the corners of her mouth, making the entire line of her lips curve downwards. Tight lips are a sign of


    self-restraint. If she actually loses control and starts screaming, her emotions wouldn¡¯t just be hatred,


    but total rage. So, in front of Julie, Davina is always restraining herself!¡±


    This profound exnation was indeed harder for Payne to grasp than hisputer.


    But after hearing Dn¡¯s conclusion, Payne frowned, ¡°So, the person who kidnapped her is this


    woman?¡±


    As Dn was speaking, Kieran had already grabbed his car keys.


    Julien was not one to just sit and wait. She moved to follow Kieran, but Hayden grabbed her arm and


    pulled her back.


    Compared to arguing, Julien preferred to take action. Almost as soon as Hayden pulled her back,


    Julien kicked at him.


    Hayden nimbly jumped up, avoiding Julien¡¯s attack. Julien swung a punch at Hayden¡¯s handsome face


    with her left hand, but Hayden easily dodged it. Then, he grabbed Julien¡¯s swinging arm.


    Taking this opportunity, he pulled her into his arms.


    Payne, watching from the side, was bbergasted. Not until he saw Julien in Hayden¡¯s arms did he


    react, ¡°Could you guys just talk it out?! Why are you suddenly fighting?¡±


    A peaceful conversation between Julien and Hayden? That¡¯s a joke.


    Just as Julien was getting ready to continue resisting, Kieran¡¯s phone, who was about to leave,


    suddenly rang.


    An unknown call made both Hayden and Julien stop.


    Payne immediately sat down at hisputer, ¡°Answer it. If it¡¯s the kidnapper, try to buy some time!¡±


    Given enough time, he could track the caller¡¯s location.


    Kieran had a hunch about who was on the other end of the line. He calmly answered the call.


    The voice on the other end was indeed Davina¡¯s, but all she said was, ¡°Julie¡¯s with me. If you don¡¯t


    want anything to happen to her, sign all the documents in my desk. You have ten minutes.¡±


    After saying that, Davina seemed to realize that Payne might trace her phone, so she immediately


    hung up and smashed her phone against a distant wall. Julie never expected the person who appeared


    at the door to be Davina.


    She had already persuaded the two kidnappers. If Davina hade a littleter, the kidnappers might


    have let her go. But, Julie never expected that the cold voice at the door would be so familiar.


    Perhaps because her eyes were blindfolded, Julie¡¯s hearing was particrly sensitive. Davina¡¯s voice


    in Julie¡¯s memory was not sweet, but at least it was gentle. But the sentence she just said to the two


    kidnappers, ¡°If anyone dares to let her go, I¡¯ll kill him immediately¡±¡­


    Her voice was truly terrifying when she said this.


    Davina seemed to have brought a lot of people. Julie was blindfolded, so she wasn¡¯t sure what


    happened, until Davina made that phone call to Kieran. Then Julie heard the sound of the phone


    shattering.


    ¡°What documents are there in your desk?¡± After the shock, Julie asked Davina calmly.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Davina snorted coldly, and said to someone next to her, ¡°Go take off her blindfold.¡±


    When Julie¡¯s blindfold was taken off, she found herself hanging about ten meters high, below her was


    hard concrete.


    If she fell from this height, even if it wasn¡¯t fatal, she would definitely be seriously injured. Moreover,


    she was tied to a chair,


    There was a crane nearby. Julie guessed that the two kidnappers might have used the crane to hang


    her up when she was unconscious.


    And the two kidnappers¡­


    Julie looked to the corner of the ground. The two kidnappers were tied back to back by Davina¡¯s


    people, with objects stuffed into their mouths, unable to speak, only struggling helplessly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Julie did suspect at one point that Lucian was the one who kidnapped her, but it never crossed


    her mind that it would be Davina.


    She thought it was a reunion when she bumped into Davina at thepany, but this was quite a


    unique way to reunite.


    Davina sneered. She arched her eyebrows and looked at Julie with contempt, ¡°You want to know why?


    You¡¯re not worth it!¡±


    The hatred in Davina¡¯s eyes was so intense that it seemed to have scorched her eyes.


    Julie was even more baffled. She didn¡¯t have a strong impression of Davina, but she could at least


    remember that they didn¡¯t have any bad blood between them. So where did this deep hatrede


    from?


    Davina looked up at Julie, ¡°Julie, I¡¯m really curious¡­ what do you see in Kieran?¡±


    Julie wasn¡¯t afraid of heights, but being hung in mid-air like this, even with strong mental fortitude, she


    felt dizzy.


    She knew that her own strength was useless at this point, so sheplied and looked at Davina,


    responding lightly, ¡°Yeah, what do I see in him? How did I end up falling for him? Why don¡¯t I love


    myself more?¡±


    Davina didn¡¯t want to hear this kind of answer from Julie.


    Her eyes were red with anger, ¡°Why do all men have to chase after a frivolous woman like you?¡±


    Frivolous?


    Julie had a hard time epting that word. Often, she wished she could be as frivolous as Davina


    described. But she only cared about Kieran, whether she loved or hated him¡­


    ¡°Frivolous? Is that how you¡¯ve seen me all these years?¡± Julie looked down at Davina from above.


    What Davina hated the most was Julie¡¯s calm demeanor. Even if she knew that she might die in the


    next second, she could still converse with her so calmly.


    ¡°You chased after Kieran when you were in school, but why did you have to seduce Rankin? Do you


    know how disgusting and hypocritical you are?¡± Davina¡¯s veins in her neck protruded due to her rage.


    Julie¡¯s vision was blurring. She was a bit far from Davina, so she couldn¡¯t see her clearly, but she could


    feel Davina¡¯s anger.


    Rankin?


    That was a name Julie hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.


    Back in school, she had used all her tricks to make him tutor her. In the end, he had no choice but to


    agree.


    She used to call him Rank affectionately, but Rankin was aloof, much like Kieran. Thanks to Rankin,


    Julie and Kieran ended up in the same high school. Looking back, if they hadn¡¯t been in the same high


    school, things might not have turned out the way they did.


    Even though Rankin didn¡¯t smile often, he was a very gentle person in Julie¡¯s memory.


    She remembered something Rankin once said: whether lovees first orst, many people will try to


    cut in line.


    Back then, they were about the same age. Girls usually mature earlier than boys, but Rankin seemed


    to understand some things earlier than her.


    Davina was in the same ss as Julie in high school, so she should know that the person Julie was


    pursuing was Kieran. Why would she think Julie seduced Rankin?


    Julie frowned at Davina, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®seduce¡¯? If I remember correctly, Rankin transferred to


    Veridia for studying abroad before high school graduation. We haven¡¯t been in contact all these years.


    When did I seduce him?¡±


    ¡°Rankin¡¯s dead! It¡¯s all because of you! You¡¯re the one to me!¡± Davina shouted at Julie in rage.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    Chapter 179


    Karl had brought a batch of documents from Davina¡¯s desk to Kieran¡¯s office.


    Dn picked up one of them, his expression turning dangerous. ¡°This is against Simpo Co.! How


    audacious.¡±


    Payne, intrigued, took the paper from Dn. His eyes widened as he read.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Payne handed the document to Julien, ¡°Does it mean this woman wants Kerry to transfer


    all his shares to her?¡±


    Just as Julien was about to lean in, Hayden grabbed the paper from Payne. After a quick nce, he


    passed it to Kieran, ¡°If she¡¯s after yourpany shares, wouldn¡¯t kidnapping your son be more


    effective than snatching Julie?¡±


    Dn nodded in agreement, ¡°Kerry has already made Ivan¡¯s identity public, and rumors say Julie


    gained her status because of her son. This indicates that Julie isn¡¯t highly regarded by Kerry in the


    eyes of the public, so if they want to ckmail you, kidnapping Ivan would be more useful than taking


    Julie.


    ¡°Unless¡­ Julie was their real target all along!¡± Julien suggested, pulling Payne¡¯s hand and shoving him


    onto a chair.


    ¡°Check this woman¡¯s background!¡± Julien ordered.


    Payne quickly pulled up Davina¡¯s file. ¡°Kerry, take a look. It¡¯s quite surprising!¡±


    The screen disyed all of Davina¡¯s records.


    It clearly stated that Davina¡¯s father, Latham Field, was once a partner of the Abraham Group.


    Payne continued, ¡°Padgett Abraham, Julie¡¯s father, had a bad rtionship with his adulterous wife,


    Darcey Abraham. Padgett nned to make some money behind Darcey¡¯s back through some illegal


    transactions with Latham, which included smuggling. However, Darcey ran away with her lover and the


    money. Most people who dare to be involved in smuggling are fearless. Knowing the deal might fall


    through, and he could be silenced by the smugglers, Latham had to embezzle money from the


    company to cover the shortfall¡­¡±


    Dn went on, ¡°But then Darcey died in a car crash, and Padgett suffered a stroke. That escted


    things. The police eventually caught Latham.¡±


    Payne pulled up Latham¡¯s records. ¡°Latham¡¯spany got shut down. His wife, Gevena, sent Davina


    to Veridia National University to keep her, unaffected. Latham couldn¡¯t afford awyer. Multiple charges


    and severe criminal behavior got him a life sentence. He¡¯s still in prison.¡±


    Dn was staring at theputer screen, his brows furrowing, ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. The key is¡­


    The man in Veridia was violent towards Gevena and Davina. If this led to Davina¡¯s twisted mentality¡­¡±


    ¡°Davina would me everything on Julie.¡± Julien¡¯s eyes hardened as she turned to Payne, ¡°Do you


    have Elliot¡¯s number? Call and check on him!¡±


    To sum


    up, Julie¡¯s life was in danger!


    Dn had already dialed Elliot¡¯s number before Payne.


    Meanwhile, Kieran was opening the three-part contract with a pen from the table.


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Payne pped his hand on the contract, staring at Kieran in disbelief.


    Theoretically, shareholders transferring shares to non-shareholders should gain the consent of more


    than half of the other shareholders. If they don¡¯t agree, they should buy the shares themselves. So


    even if Kieran signed the contract, it would still be void.


    But Kieran owned more than 50% of thepany¡¯s shares, he was the controlling shareholder. Once


    he signed the contract and got it notarized, it would take effect!


    Payne pressed his hand on the contract firmly, ¡°It¡¯s clear she nned this all along. Once you sign, her


    next demand would be for you to get it notarized. Although this isn¡¯t Simvar Co., although you founded


    this group¡­¡±


    ¡°Hayden.¡± Kieran nced at Hayden.


    Just a look was all it took for them to understand each other.


    Hayden stepped forward, lifting Payne¡¯s hand off the contract and tossing him aside. Julien reacted


    faster, drawing a dagger and pointing it at Payne¡¯s


    throat.


    Her voice was cold, ¡°I don¡¯t care who owns this group. But if Julie dies because of you, you¡¯re going


    down with her.¡±


    Payne realized he had been misunderstood¡­


    He wasn¡¯t asking Kieran not to sign. Of course, he wanted to save Julie too.


    Payne¡¯s neck was now against the dagger. He had seen Julien¡¯s decisiveness and had just witnessed


    confrontation between Julien and Hayden. So, he didn¡¯t dare to move, but he still insisted to Kieran,


    ¡°You can¡¯t sign this contract!¡±


    Before Julien could stab him with a dagger, Dn quickly exined, ¡°The reason Davina hasn¡¯t killed


    Julie yet is because she hasn¡¯t gotten Simpo Co. yet! If you sign and notarize, you increase the chance


    of Davina harming the hostage!¡±


    Since Payne thought of it, wouldn¡¯t Kieran think of this too?


    Since Davina dared to kidnap Julie, it showed that she was ready to risk everything, and she must have


    prepared for the worst. That means, there must be people watching them right now. If he didn¡¯t sign the


    contract, even if Davina didn¡¯t kill Julie, she would definitely torture her.


    In other words, every extra minute they waste, Julie would suffer for an extra minute. Only by


    cooperating with Davina could they quickly move on to the next step set by Davina.


    So, Kieran signed his name on the contract without hesitation.


    Payne felt as if he had lost all his strength¡­


    After hanging up with Elliot, Dn told Kieran, ¡°There are three ces left to search, and they¡¯re all a


    bit away from the city. The police have sent three teams¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Kieran¡¯s phone suddenly received a message.


    It was a picture of Julie hanging in the air. She looked like she was on herst breath¡­ There were


    bloodstains on her body, terrifying to see.


    The phone rang again. Kieran answered.


    It was Davina¡¯s familiar voice, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, please have someone put the contract in the ck car


    parked at the back door of thepany. You have five minutes, or¡­ this rope might break.¡±


    Davina hung up again.


    Seeing this terrifying picture, everyone knew what would happen to Julie if the rope broke.


    Kieran¡¯s face was as gloomy as it could be. He handed the contract to Julien, ¡°Do you know what to


    do?¡±


    ¡°I want to tear that woman apart myself!¡± Julien didn¡¯t take the contract. Clearly, she wanted to be part


    of the rescue mission to give Davina a taste of hell.


    However, Hayden took the contract from Kieran and handed it to Julien, ¡°Deliver the contract or stay by


    my side. Your choice.¡±


    If it came to a fight, Julien knew she was no match for Hayden.


    Hayden nced at his watch and reminded Julien, ¡°You have four minutes and twelve seconds left.¡±


    In the end, Julien took the contract and strode out of the CEO¡¯s office. She kicked the door open,


    startling the employees outside.


    Then, Hayden followed her out.


    ¡°The contract is signed. The next step is notarization, but Julie¡¯s whereabouts are still unknown. Kerry,


    what do we do next?¡± Payne asked. It felt good not to be threatened with a knife¡­


    Just as Payne was worrying, Kieran¡¯s phone rang again.


    Payne thought it was another message from Davina, so he quickly moved towards Kieran.


    However, what they saw was an address sent from a strange number, with a message, ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Kieran gripped his car keys a bit tighter and said to Karl while walking towards the door, ¡°Tell Elliot, the


    kidnapper is in the old factory in Enchanted Pathway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going there with you!¡± Dn caught up with Kieran.


    As Kieran moved toward the elevator, he said to Dn, ¡°Notify the medical team to Enchanted


    Pathway. Have them bring their best doctors!¡±


    With that, Kieran headed to the parking lot alone.


    After starting the car, Kieran received a call from Davina, ¡°You can only go to the old factory in


    Enchanted Pathway alone. If I see anyone else, I guarantee your beloved woman will die!¡±


    Davina hung up without giving Kieran a chance to respond.


    She looked up at Julie smugly, ¡°You¡¯re really lucky. That man actuallyes for you¡­ He signed the


    transfer paper of all the shares for you. Aren¡¯t you happy? There¡¯s a man who¡¯s willing to give up


    wealth and power, give up the position of Simpo Co.¡¯s CEO for you!¡±


    Julie remained silent.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Davina burst intoughter, ¡°Once my people have notarized it, your beloved man will be penniless,


    haha¡­ He probably doesn¡¯t know, once he¡¯s penniless, you¡¯ll abandon him just like you abandoned


    Rankin, right? You and your mom are the same; you can abandon your loved ones for money. All you


    have in your heart is greed!¡±


    Davina is insane¡­


    Julie¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Davina¡¯s twisted face. She managed to say, ¡°Yes, I will


    abandon him. Let him see what kind of woman I am. Are you satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°Satisfied?¡± Davinaughed madly, staring maliciously at Julie, ¡°I want you to wish you were dead! I


    want all of you to wish you were dead!¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    Chapter 180


    Davina¡¯s got a remote in her hand, hooked up to a tiny time-bomb strapped to the rope binding Julie.


    All it¡¯ll take is one click of that button and boom! The bomb detonates, rope snaps, and Julie takes a


    plunge.


    We¡¯re talking a good dozen meters up. A fall from this height, Julie¡¯s either a goner or she¡¯s looking at


    some serious injuries.


    Davina¡¯s gripping the remote like her life depends on it, staring down Julie like a hawk, ¡°Ever watched


    someone you love die right before your eyes?¡±


    She lets out a heartyugh, her face twisted into a cruel smile, ¡°You¡¯re about to find out! Kieran¡¯s on his


    way. You¡¯re head over heels for him, right? You¡¯ll know what it feels like soon enough!¡±


    Despite Davina pushing her to the edge, Julie, tied up and all, keeps her cool.


    ¡°Davina, we¡¯re bothw students. You know what you¡¯re doing has consequences, Julie said, her


    brows furrowed in concern. ¡°Is it worth it? You¡¯re throwing your future away. What¡¯s going on between


    us doesn¡¯t worth destroying both you and me¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Davina snatches a gun from a guy standing nearby, pointing it straight at Julie. ¡°If it weren¡¯t


    for your parents, my dad wouldn¡¯t be in prison; my mom wouldn¡¯t leave him and take me to Veridia. If it


    weren¡¯t for you, Rankin wouldn¡¯t be dead! This is all on you! You started all this!¡±


    ¡°Your father¡­ is Latham Field?¡± Julie¡¯s jaw dropped.


    A few years back, Darcey took off with a bunch of cash, Padgett died of a stroke. Julie and Kieran were


    newlyweds. Sansa Abraham got into a car crash chasing after Darcey, and was fighting for her life in


    the hospital. The Abraham family was on the brink of bankruptcy. Kieran even had to handle Padgett


    and Darcey¡¯s funerals. Julie spent her days by Sansa¡¯s side, refusing to ept that she was practically


    a vegetable.


    It wasn¡¯t untilter that she found out her dad was involved in smuggling. The cops tracked down the


    smuggling gangs, and the Field family got caught up in the mess. The media only reported on Latham,


    keeping his family out of the limelight as they weren¡¯t involved in the smuggling or embezzlement.


    Julie only connected the dots today when Davina brought it up.


    Being tied up like this, Julie didn¡¯t exactly expect Davina to let her down easy.


    So she fired back at Davina, ¡°The person responsible for your dad¡¯s prison sentence is himself.


    Smuggling and drug dealing are serious crimes!¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your dad, my dad wouldn¡¯t have resorted to smuggling and embezzling!¡± Davina¡¯s


    clearly lost her marbles, spitting out words filled with years of resentment.


    Julie¡¯s eyes shed with anger. ¡°My dad¡¯s dead, Davina. Your dad at least has a chance to turn his life


    around. I didn¡¯t get to say goodbye to my dad, who should I me for that? Your dad¡¯s in prison for


    smuggling and drug dealing because hemitted a crime! Look at yourself! How are you any


    different from a criminal?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You have no right to judge me!¡±


    Suddenly, a gunshot echoes through the empty warehouse.


    It felt like the bullet whizzed past Julie¡¯s ear, shattering the window behind her. The sound of broken


    ss filled the air.


    Julie¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Kieran¡¯s on his way. Do you think he¡¯ll be devastated to see you fall?¡± Davina¡¯spletely lost it,


    seemingly finding some twisted pleasure from hurting Julie and Kieran.


    Julie stayed silent for a moment, then she said, ¡°My life isn¡¯t as perfect as you think, Davina. Kieran


    doesn¡¯t love me. Even the child he announced on the news a couple of days ago isn¡¯t mine. It¡¯s


    Kieran¡¯s and Bertha Stewart¡¯s. Kieran betrayed me when I was pregnant. We¡¯ve even been divorced


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe that?¡± Davina scoffs. ¡°If Kieran didn¡¯t love you, he wouldn¡¯t have signed that


    contract today. You know, that represents his life¡¯s work and wealth. Without his shares in Simpo Co.,


    he¡¯d be left with nothing. You say he doesn¡¯t love you? A man who doesn¡¯t love you wouldn¡¯t give up


    everything he¡¯s worked for to save your life.¡±


    Davinaughs in disdain, ¡°No man who¡¯s loved you has had a good ending. Rankin¡¯s dead, and Kieran


    won¡¯tst long either.¡±


    ¡°Rankin just went to study abroad!¡± Julie refused to ept the news of Rankin¡¯s death.


    In her memory, Rankin was a cool, aloof boy, but when he smiled, he had charming dimples. Whenever


    she got a question wrong, he¡¯d tap her head lightly with his pen, showing his disapproval. To Julie,


    Rankin was like a brother.


    ¡°To study abroad?¡± Davinaughs coldly. ¡°You just didn¡¯t care enough about him to know the truth. He


    didn¡¯t go to study abroad!¡±


    The sarcasm in Davina¡¯s eyes confused Julie. If he didn¡¯t go to study abroad, why did he go to Veridia?


    ¡°Rankin was diagnosed with leukemia. He went to Veridia for treatment. If it weren¡¯t for you getting my


    father locked up, if it weren¡¯t for us having to gatherwyer¡¯s fees for my dad, if it wasn¡¯t for you,


    Rankin wouldn¡¯t be dead! You killed him, it was you!¡±


    Davina couldn¡¯t keep her calmness. She med all her misfortunes on Julie.


    At this moment, Julie hoped that Kieran wouldn¡¯t show up, let alonee alone following Davina¡¯s


    suggestion. Davina held the remote control. Julie¡¯s fate was in Davina¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t until the


    moment of life or death that Julie finally saw through her own heart.


    ¡°Ever heard the story of Romeo and Juliet?¡± Davina chuckled.


    A sweet smile, but it looked twisted and ghoulish on Davina¡¯s face.


    ¡°Romeo and Juliet, their love was so deep! To be together, Juliet took a cebo, woke up to find


    Romeo killed himself because of her, so she couldn¡¯t bear it and killed-herself too. Why do you think


    this story has been passed down? Because it¡¯s Shakespeare¡¯s work? No, because the lovers went


    through pain, but still couldn¡¯t end up together. That¡¯s how you and Kieran will end.¡±


    Julie seemed to have predicted what Davina was about to do. Davina¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred and


    determination.


    Julie couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and shouted towards Davina, ¡°Davina, it¡¯s me who you should hate! I¡¯m


    the one who took everything from you. Kieran has


    already signed the stock transfer contract. If you hurt me and Kieran, do you think you¡¯ll survive?¡±


    ¡°Survive? Why should I? I¡¯ve left a will. I¡¯m gonna die, and take you with me. After I die, thepany


    will belong to my mom. She won¡¯t be tortured by that man in Veridia anymore, wonderful! Hahaha, the


    really pitiful ones should be your kid! The kid without parents, will have it worse than me! That¡¯s what


    you deserve!¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    After Davina yelled out these words, Julie had a pretty good idea of what she was about to do.


    From the moment she nned to kidnap Julie, she had no intention of surviving. She was ready to go


    down with Julie from the start.


    ¡°Davina, the one you really want to punish is me; the one you hate is also me. Kieran has nothing to do


    with this. He¡¯s innocent!¡± Julie suddenly started to struggle, her eyes red as she looked at Davina..


    Davina burst outughing, ¡°What? Scared now? Weren¡¯t you acting nonchnt just now?¡±


    ¡°Davina¡­¡±


    Before Julie could finish, the warehouse door was kicked open from outside. Julie and Davina both


    looked towards the doorway.


    Two men behind Davina immediately aimed their guns at Kieran, then shielded Davina behind them.


    Three men in ck by the door each held a knife, blocking Kieran¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Julie shouted at Kieran. She was tied to a chair and struggling hard.


    Davina shot a bullet towards Julie and shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Kieran shot a piercing re at Davina. Davina felt like she was dying under Kieran¡¯s gaze. Kieran


    snatched a knife from his bodyguard and threw it towards Davina. The knife uratelynded on the


    arm of one of Davina¡¯s bodyguards who was holding a gun.


    After a muffled groan, the bodyguard squatted down in pain.


    ¡°If you touch her again, I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t get a proper burial!¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was chillingly cold,


    like it came from hell.


    Davina was past the point of any concern. She raised the remote control in her hand, then pointed to


    the other end of the rope, ¡°If you make another move, I¡¯ll make sure Julie shatters instantly!¡±


    Davina shot a cold nce at the bodyguard beside her, whispered something to him, though Julie


    couldn¡¯t hear what it was. Then, two trained men in ck walked in from the door, one of them holding


    a vest filled with bombs handed it to Kieran.


    ¡°Put on this vest, or watch her die in front of you!¡± Davina¡¯s smile twisted, as if her inner madness was


    bloating.


    Instinctively, Julie shouted at Kieran, ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t wear it!¡±


    Normally calm and collected, Julie was now like a runaway train, shouting at Davina, ¡°Davina, no! If you


    have the guts/press it! Kieran won¡¯t wear it!¡±


    Davina ignored Julie¡¯s roar, instead she turned the gun towards Julie, and then looked at Kieran


    mockingly, ¡°Did you know that Rankin died in my arms for her? You didn¡¯t know, did you! If you love her,


    why can¡¯t you die for her? What a cheap love!¡±

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Chapter 181


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± Julie struggled against the ropes, ¡°Don¡¯t put it on! Cheap love, noble love, I don¡¯t


    need your love! Even if you put on that vest, Davina won¡¯t let me go!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t put it on, I¡¯m going to kill her right now!¡± By the time Davina said this, she had already


    loaded her gun.


    Julie was right. Whether or not Kieran put on that vest, Davina would absolutely not let Julie go.


    Simrly, if Kieran didn¡¯t put on that vest, he would lose her right now, before the rescue team arrived.


    Kieran bent down and picked up the vest from the ground..


    ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t do it!¡± Julie struggled desperately, but still couldn¡¯t break free from the ropes. The rope on


    her arm had worn through the fabric of her clothes, scraping her skin raw and staining her white shirt


    red.


    ¡°Kieran, I don¡¯t love you. My life and death have nothing to do with you, so you don¡¯t need to do this for


    me. Even if you die for me, I won¡¯t shed a tear for you. I hate you, Kieran, I hate you!¡± Julie¡¯s voice


    echoed from above, but it still couldn¡¯t stop Kieran from putting on the bombden vest.


    Looking at Julie hanging in mid-air, Kieran¡¯s heart ached. His mind was suddenly flooded with a long-


    forgotten memory¡­


    He remembered her look before the divorce, and the way she had looked at him with expectation, her


    eyes moist.


    ¡°Joyce, do you remember the question you asked me before our divorce?¡± He looked up into her eyes.


    Tears blurred her vision, sticking her long eyshes together, her long hair messy against her cheeks.


    She shook her head.


    Despite being strapped with explosives, Kieran was calm.


    He said slowly, ¡°You asked me then, if the person on the operating table wasn¡¯t our child but you, would


    I be upset. I said I wouldn¡¯t be. That might be true. If you died, I wouldn¡¯t allow myself the chance to be


    upset.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Julie shook her head, feeling as if her heart had been dug out with a knife.


    A cold smirk shed in Davina¡¯s eyes as she looked at Julie and said, ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I? Any man


    who loves you is doomed to misfortune. You should die!¡±


    Julie finally understood why Davina had brought up the story of Romeo and Juliet¡­


    Maybe from the beginning, Davina didn¡¯t want to kill her, but Kieran, the man Julie loved. She wanted


    Julie to watch as the man she loved died in front of her. If the rope broke, Julie might not die, but she


    would definitely be hurt.


    She wanted Julie to watch as the man she loved died in a bomb explosion in front of her, destroying all


    her hope and life¡­


    Julie watched as Davina took the bomb timer from another bodyguard¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t press it! Davina, don¡¯t press it!¡± Julie¡¯s voice shook as she tried to stop her, but Davina had


    already put her thumb on the button.


    ¡°Kieran, take it off!¡±-Julie screamed in despair, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Kieran, ¡°Kieran, I beg you,


    Kieran¡­¡±


    It would take less than a second for Davina to press the timer. Kieran wouldn¡¯t have time to take off the


    vest. Besides, he never nned to remove it, as Davina held the timer in one hand and the button


    controlling Julie¡¯s life in the other..


    ¡°What a touching love story!¡± Davinaughed sarcastically, ¡°Shakespeare said, one¡¯s sorrow can be


    healed by another¡¯s. How true! I want to watch as you throw yourselves into despair, wishing for death!


    Hahaha¡­¡±


    Davina turned to look at Julie, who was spinning in mid-air, her hand on the button that controlled


    Julie¡¯s rope¡­.


    But just as she was about to press it¡­


    A gunshot rang out, echoing through the sky.


    The hand Davina was holding the controller with was hit by a bullet from above. The intense pain


    caused her to drop the controller instantly and she fell to her knees in pain.


    The door behind Kieran was suddenly kicked open. Dozens of SWAT officers rushed in, shielding


    Kieran, and shot the two bodyguards in front of Davina.


    At the same time, the bodyguards also opened fire, aiming at Kieran.


    Davina picked up a gun from the ground and aimed at Julie¡¯s head, pulling the trigger straight away.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Kieran, strapped with a bomb, couldn¡¯t move. Davina¡¯s shooting skills were not urate. The


    bullet ended up hitting the chair that Julie was tied to. Julie had a narrow escape.


    Davina¡¯s people/rushed out from inside the factory, protecting Davina.


    ¡°Rescue the hostages!¡± Elliot led the SWAT team over, shouting orders at the team leader.


    The SWAT team leader gestured to the officers behind him: Team A cover, Team B approach Julie from


    both sides of the factory.


    ¡°Save Kieran! He¡¯s got a bomb on him! Where¡¯s the bomb disposal expert?¡± Julie shouted from mid-air.


    Seeing the situation turn against her, Davina quickly picked up the controller from the ground.


    ¡°Dn!¡± Kieran, strapped with a bomb, couldn¡¯t move. He shouted at Dn, who was still holding a


    gun. The person who had shot Davina¡¯s hand earlier was him. Hearing Kieran¡¯s shout, Dn


    immediately turned to look at Davina, then quickly pulled the trigger.


    However¡­


    Davina was too quick and managed to press the controller¡­


    The SWAT team was still fighting with Davina¡¯s people. No one had time to get close to the bound


    Julie. The bomb under the rope exploded with a bang. The rope snapped, and Julie, hanging in mid-air,


    dropped rapidly.


    The ground was hard concrete¡­


    ¡°Kieran¡­.¡± In the second of her rapid fall, Julie called out Kieran¡¯s name. In the less than two seconds


    that it took for her to fall, Julie seemed to review her


    entire life.


    If¡­ if it were possible¡­ she probably shouldn¡¯t have dwelled on whether to forgive Kieran. Maybe only


    in the face of death can one truly understand their own heart.


    If there was a next life¡­


    In that moment of falling, Julie¡¯s long hair billowed in the wind. The tears in the corners of her eyes felt


    like they were scorching her skin. But just as she braced herself for the impact¡­ suddenly, it was as if


    time stood still and Julie was once again hovering in mid-air¡­


    After a moment of panic, Julie turned her head in astonishment.


    Daphne Flores and Lionel had somehow appeared out of nowhere, before the SWAT team could even


    get close. They held the rope tight, bearing Julie¡¯s weight.


    Kieran, strapped with a bomb, finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Dn was also stunned at the sight of Mr. Lionel and Daphne. How did these two, who had been


    absent from the start, suddenly appear in a ce the SWAT team had no time to reach?


    showed


    As Dn watched in shock, Julien and Hayden showed up with reinforcements.


    Just as Davina was struggling to her feet, a bullet hit her right in the knee.


    The pain made her drop instantly to the ground.


    With a bang, Davina¡¯s other knee was shot too..


    Julien pointed her gun at Davina emotionlessly, as if she wasn¡¯t shooting a person, but a lifeless target.


    Davina was now on her knees. Her face, which was already kinda ugly, was now more twisted than


    ever.


    Hayden¡¯s men quickly restrained Davina. Since Kieran was strapped with a bomb, no one dared to


    shoot him. Dn, having been briefed by Kieran on the possibilities, brought a fire brigade and a


    medical team.


    Firefighters rushed in to ce an air cushion beneath Julie. The cops that Adeline brought managed to


    get close to Lionel and Daphne with Hayden¡¯s help.


    Everyone quickly rescued Julie. She ended upnding safely on the cushion.


    With less than five minutes left until the bomb on Kieran exploded, Davina had nned for Julie to


    suffer as much as possible, hence the time bomb.


    After saving Julie, Kieran told Dn in a deep voice, ¡°Only the bomb disposal expert stays. Everyone


    else, leave!¡±


    Julien fired two more shots at Davina¡¯s shoulders. They weren¡¯t fatal, but painful enough. He dragged


    her away from the factory as though she was a


    beast.


    Julie had been tied up for too long. Now that she was rescued, her body waspletely numb.


    Everyone was shooed away by Dn, including Lionel and Daphne. Adeline was supporting the numb


    Julie, while Elliot was about to carry her away.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    But Julie shook her head resolutely, and instead, shuffled towards Kieran.


    ¡°Tailie Julie¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out of here. Go!¡± Julie told Elliot, her voice a bit hoarse.


    The bomb disposal expert was busy around Kieran, his face extremely serious.


    ¡°Take her away!¡± Elliot told the others.


    Julie turned back, her face already calm. She looked at Elliot and said, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, Elliot. I¡¯m not


    leaving!¡±


    With her unsteady body, she finally made it to Kieran¡¯s side. She looked at him with her bright eyes, her


    eyes reddening as she told him, ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m not leaving¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she knelt in front of Kieran. Elliot rushed forward to lift her up.


    ¡°You go!¡± Julie shouted at Elliot.


    To let the bomb disposal expert concentrate, Hayden came back and took away Adeline and Elliot.


    Julie held Kieran¡¯s hand tight, crying, ¡°Why are you so foolish? You knew it was a trap, why did you still


    come?¡±


    ¡°Because the bait was you.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    Chapter 182


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Kieran¡¯s hands were a bit rough. He touched Julie¡¯s face gently, his voice softer than ever, ¡°Sweetheart,


    wait for me outside.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go¡­¡± Her stubbornness was just like when she was a kid. She tightly held his hand and


    ignored everyone else¡¯s orders.


    He nced at the timer. Four minutes and twelve seconds left.


    The bomb disposal experts were sweating bullets, their drops falling onto the concrete floor. Things


    didn¡¯t look too promising.


    ¡°Joyce, I don¡¯t know if my decision back then was right or not. I knew it would hurt you. I knew my


    choices would make you hate me. But, Joyce, I¡¯d rather you hated me alive. ¡±


    Between Julie and Kieran was a bomb disposal expert. Even if she wanted to hug him now, it was


    impossible.


    She knew the bomb strapped to Kieran¡¯s back could blow them to smithereens. She knew if she didn¡¯t


    let Kieran speak now, he might never get another chance.


    But she still covered his mouth.


    She cried.


    Tears blurred her vision, she couldn¡¯t see him clearly, so she wiped her tears with her free hand,


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Kieran, you¡¯re wrong¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have kept things from me. We shouldn¡¯t have


    missed all those years. Why didn¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Then prove it to me, show me you can take care of yourself. Get out of here now!¡± Kieran was getting


    emotional.


    Julie tightened her grip on his hand, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ Kieran, I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Ivan is waiting outside for you. Sweetheart, be a good girl, go wait for me outside.¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was


    hoarse.


    The mention of Ivan was a stab to Julie¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made you miss the most important five years of Ivan¡¯s life. I can¡¯t let you miss the next five


    years. Joyce, prove it to me, get out of here!¡± From his initialforting words to his current yelling,


    each word was a dagger to Julie¡¯s heart.


    She knew someone outside would stop Ivan. She knew she should obey, but¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Kieran, don¡¯t! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Her eyes were red, her legs felt like lead.


    She shook her head forcefully, crying and stuttering, ¡°Next Saturday is Ivan¡¯s birthday. I promised him


    we would go for a pic¡­ We never had¡­ never¡­¡±


    Julie was no longer making sense. Kieran, swallowing his pain, pried her fingers off one by one,


    ¡°Joyce, I love you¡­ I¡¯ve been loving you in all the ways I know, foolishly trying to have you, to protect


    you. I never even asked if you wanted this kind of love. Honey, I never stopped loving you, it just went


    from passionate to silent. Please, tell Ivan that I love him¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it!I don¡¯t need that kind of love! I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡±


    Kieran pried off Julie¡¯s fingers one by one, but Julie stubbornly grabbed his arm again.


    He looked at the timer again. Less than two minutes left. Kieran pressed the button on the walkie-talkie,


    ¡°Get Julie out of here!¡±


    Soon, Julien arrived.


    She tightly grabbed Julie¡¯s arm, forcefully prying off her hand and dragged the weakened Julie towards


    the door. Julie was gripping so tightly that when Julien pried off her hand, her nails scratched Kieran¡¯s


    skin.


    ¡°Julien, I don¡¯t want to leave him! I love him, Julien, I love him¡­¡± Julie looked up, tears streaming down


    from her helpless big eyes onto Julien¡¯s hand.


    Julien swallowed, her eyebrows deeply furrowed, but she still took Julie out of the factory.


    ¡°Mama Julie!¡± Ivan¡¯s voice was choked with sobs. He ran as fast as he could towards Julie and threw


    himself into her arms.


    Julie fell to the ground due to herck of strength, but she still tried to crawl back to Kieran.


    Daphne grabbed Julie, crying, ¡°Julie¡­¡±


    ¡®Mama Julie¡­¡± Ivan¡¯s voice was weak.


    Julie¡¯s fingers were deeply embedded in the mud¡­


    Three seconds left till the explosion.


    Three¡­ two¡­ on¨¦¡­


    A loud explosi¨®n, the deafening sound echoed in the air. The roof of the entire factory was shattered


    into pieces, a burst of mes lighting up Julie¡¯s


    eyeo:


    ¡®Tailie Julie!¡±


    ¡°Julie!¡±


    Julie¡¯s head hit the ground and she passed out¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Harding? Where¡¯s Harding?!¡± Dn¡¯s desperate voice rang out.


    Elliot picked up Julie from the ground, Julien turned around to see Harding and a nurse running


    towards them with a stretcher.


    Lionel held Daphne in his arms. Daphne stared in shock at Harding by the stretcher. He was Daphne¡¯s


    former boss, also via¡¯s husband¡¯s cousin. He was a good friend with Payne and a world-renowned


    genius doctor.


    Wasn¡¯t he vacationing in d with Mr. Watson?


    Julien was also surprised to see Harding.


    Harding calmly looked at Elliot, ¡°Do you n to carry the patient all the way to the hospital, or put her


    on the stretcher and drive her there?¡±


    After the explosion, Hayden immediately led a team to the scene. After handing Julie over to Harding,


    Dn also turned to run towards the devastated factory.


    Worried, Daphne followed Harding into the ambnce. Lionel also got on, concerned about Daphne.


    Possibly because of the stubbornness and adventurous spirit he inherited from his mother, Ivan


    actually turned around and ran towards the factory.


    Adeline and Elliot hauled the unconscious Davina and her gang onto the police van. Only Julien


    remained standing. She furrowed her brows, then went over and yanked Ivan by the cor.


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t y hero.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me! I need to save Kerry!¡± Ivan¡¯s voice was soft and nasal. He was vulnerable, but stubbornly


    stared at Julien.


    Julien seemed to see a reflection of Kieran in Ivan¡¯s face¡­


    But after all, he was just a kid.


    ¡°Save Kerry? How? With your short arms and legs?¡±


    Ivan red at her, full of indignation and anger, but¡­ he also looked kind of cute.


    Julien couldn¡¯t believe she found anything cute. She shook her head, flicked Ivan¡¯s forehead, ¡°If


    anything happens to Kerry, I¡¯ll avenge him!¡±


    With that, disregarding Ivan¡¯s willingness, Julien simply picked him up and tossed him into the car.


    Harding gave Julie a full-body check-up, confirming she was okay.


    ¡°She just fainted.¡± Harding wasn¡¯t one for exnations, so he left the rest to his assistant.


    Julie had rope burns. After ordering other doctors to give Julie an 1.V., Harding treated her wounds,


    and then had her moved to a ward.


    During this time, Julie had a dream.


    In the dream, she held Ivan¡¯s hand in pitch-ck darkness. There was a glow in the distance. From the


    light, a tall shadow was visible.


    She held Ivan¡¯s hand tightly, step by step, moving towards the light. She could hear the sound of


    howling wind and heavy rain.


    Just as they were about to reach the light, her legs felt as if they were being held down.


    Thunder roared above. Lightning illuminated the dark surroundings.


    Ivan had disappeared from her grip.


    Underneath her was an endless desert. An infinite number of sand dunes stretched out.


    Skeletons reached out from the sand dunes, grabbing her ankles. There was no escape. The wind and


    rain grew louder. The light gradually faded¡­


    Faded¡­


    The shadow under the light also gradually disappeared.


    ¡°Kieran¡­ Kieran!!¡± Fear washed over her.


    Julie sat up abruptly, soaked in sweat.


    Only when the light above shrouded her did shee back from the terrifying dream.


    After a few seconds of confusion, she saw Daphne sleeping in front of her bed, covered in Lionel¡¯s


    jacket.


    Lionel was dozing off in a chair.


    She didn¡¯t see Ivan or Kieran¡­


    All the painful memories came rushing back.


    Kieran!!


    She threw off the quilts, tried to get out of bed, but was held back by the I.V. bag connected to her arm.


    Without hesitatj¨®n, Julie yanked out the needle and barefoot, headed toward the door.


    Lionel woke up first, standing, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Daphne was startled awake by Lionel¡¯s voice. She hurriedly held Julie, ¡°Julie, where are you going?¡±


    Seeing Daphne awake, Julie clung to her arm, ¡°Where¡¯s Kieran? How is he?¡±


    Julie¡¯s anxious behavior reminded Daphne of the day after Julie gave birth. She too had clung to


    Shannon¡¯s arm, expressing her despair.


    That time had scared Daphne. She didn¡¯t have the courage tofort Julie, because she also thought


    Julie¡¯s baby didn¡¯t survive.


    And now, it was about Kieran¡­ the man Julie had loved for half her life.


    Daphne didn¡¯t know where he was. Since Julie was brought to the hospital, she hadn¡¯t received any


    news about the crime scene. She had no idea if Mr. Hernandez was dead or alive¡­


    Julie suddenly let go of Daphne, barefoot, step by step, she walked towards the door. Blood was still


    flowing from her arm, dripping onto the hospitat floor¡­

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    Chapter 183


    ¡°Julie!¡± Daphne called out as she chased after her.


    Lionel, left with no choice, pulled his hoodie over his head, picked up his shoes, and followed.


    When did he start fetching shoes for other people¡¯s wives?


    Daphne followed Julie, calling her name. She watched as Julie walked past the operating room and


    stopped outside.


    ¡°Is this the patient from the explosion at the old factory at Enchanted Pathway?¡± The doctor asked the


    nurse at the entrance of the operating room.


    The nurse nodded, her expression serious.


    ¡°Has the victim¡¯s identity been confirmed?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°The victim is six foot two, the CEO of Simpo Co¡­¡± The nurse began to reply.


    Before she could finish, Julie copsed by the bedside, startling the nurse and the doctor.


    Daphne, who was about toe over, was shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°No way¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°The victim has been burned beyond recognition¡­¡±, The nurse gently reminded Julie, whose hand was


    resting on the edge of the white bedsheet.


    She didn¡¯t say a word, but tears kept falling like pearls off a broken string.


    Her hand remained on the sheet, but she didn¡¯t lift it.


    Her hands were trembling, the fingertips of the hand gripping the sheet turning white. Tears streamed


    down her face.


    She bit her lower lip until thest bit of color faded.


    Seeing Julie like this broke Daphne¡¯s heart. After all, the victim was the man Julie loved the most¡­


    ¡°Julie¡­¡± Daphne choked out, stepping forward to support Julie. Sheforted her gently, stroking her


    back.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to look anymore, Julie¡­ okay?¡± Daphne said, freeing one hand to gently hold the one


    gripping the sheet.


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not him!!¡± Julie growled out. Ignoring Daphne¡¯s attempt to stop her, she yanked off the sheet


    covering the body.


    A strong smell of blood hit their noses instantly. Daphne quickly turned her face away. She couldn¡¯t


    bear to face this scene, let alone look at the charred body of Kieran.


    Seeing the unrecognizable man didn¡¯t stop the tears welling up in Julie¡¯s eyes. She tried to touch his


    face with her trembling fingers, but she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Julie shook her head. She grabbed Daphne, her voice hoarse as if someone


    was choking her. ¡°Daphne, tell me it¡¯s not him, right?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, unable to utter a word.


    Watching Daphne¡¯s expression, Julie suddenly lost all her strength. Turning back to the man on the


    bed, she dug her nails into her palm. The pain kept her awake, but the more awake she was, the less


    she wanted to face reality.


    Her mind was filled with memories of him, ying out like a slideshow.


    She had imagined countless endings, but she never thought it would end like this. She had loved him.


    She was willing to give everything for him, even her own life. She had also hated him, hoping he could


    die in ce of her child.


    She was torn between love and hate, struggling on the edge of the abyss. She med him for pushing


    her into the abyss, but she forgot that she didn¡¯t want to climb out.


    Because of the past falls, she became afraid¡­


    But it wasn¡¯t until this moment that she realized what she was truly afraid of.


    It was just a dream, right?


    When she woke up, she would find herself still in thepany¡¯s restroom. She had just had a big fight


    with him¡­


    She wouldn¡¯t be troubled anymore. She should apologize to him; tell him personally that she forgave


    him. She should tell him how much she loved him.


    3


    She shouldn¡¯t dwell on their past mistakes, nor should she punish each other for them. She should


    cherish every moment.


    The ending shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­


    It¡¯s said that when a person is extremely sad, the words they want to say be inexpressible. It feels


    like a fishbone stuck in the throat¡­


    Tears flowed uncontrobly. Though her gaze was fixed on the body on the bed, her eyes were empty.


    Daphne was so heartbroken that words couldn¡¯t describe it. She stepped forward gingerly, trying to call


    Julie¡¯s name, but received no response. Julie was like a lifeless puppet.


    Helpless, Daphne could only stay with Julie, sharing her pain.


    Lionel was about to step forward, but the shoes were snatched from his hand.


    ¡°You once said you wouldn¡¯t cry for me even if I died. I guess your tears were meant for someone else,¡±


    a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside Julie.


    Like a puppet, Julie turned her head mechanically at the sound.


    Kieran, holding her shoes in one hand, walked up to her, gently wiping away her tears with the other.


    ¡°Little liar. Didn¡¯t we agree not to cry?¡±


    He put the shoes on the floor, but Julie didn¡¯t react. She just stood there stiffly, her nose sniffling. She


    even started crying harder.


    Kieran handed the shoes back to Lionel helplessly, then bent down to pick up the rigid little woman and


    headed for the ward.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    10:59


    Lionel was speechless.


    Was he just a shoe-fetcher?


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez isn¡¯t dead?¡± Daphne asked in shock, watching Julie and Kieran¡¯s retreating figures.


    Lionel smirked, looking at the shoes in his hand. ¡°He¡¯s not dead!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± An excited Daphne threw herself into Lionel¡¯s arms, shouting in celebration.


    Lionel couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    After Daphne calmed down a bit, she turned to the nurse. ¡°If Mr. Hernandez is alive, then who is this


    person? Didn¡¯t you say he was six foot two and the CEO of Simpo Co.?¡±


    The nurse looked at Daphne somewhat awkwardly. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t finish. I meant to say that this person


    was brought in by the CEO of Simpo Co., but we don¡¯t know his identity¡­¡±


    Daphne went silent.


    Poor Julie had cried so needlessly!


    Julie kept crying, nonstop.


    From the initial despair, to theter grievances, to the present relief and joy.


    Kieran gentlyid her on the hospital bed, picked up a cotton swab to tend to the wound left on the


    back of her hand from the 1.V., and with a smile filled with fondness and helplessness said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m


    not injured, am 1? Why are you crying? If you don¡¯t want me to¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Mrs. Hernandez who was sitting by the bed suddenly reached out, grabbed his


    face and shut him up with a kiss.


    Her action was hasty and unskilled.


    It was more like a symbolic punishment and a chaotic expression of love.


    After going through a life and death challenge, she finally understood a truth that Kieran had known


    long ago.


    Only by being alive, can one talk about love. Life is the prerequisite and foundation for all emotions.


    In the past, she was always torn between loving him and hating him, mentally conflicted. It was not until


    death almost separated them that she realized, loving someone is a very selfish and stupid act.


    Everyone who falls in love is stupid. They just love another person in their own way, foolishly wanting to


    possess and protect them, without ever asking if that¡¯s what the other person needs. Like today, if Julie


    could choose, she would definitely not let Kierane to save her. Even if such a choice would make


    Kieran feel guilty for a lifetime, she would still make this choice without hesitation.


    Suddenly, she remembered what Julien once told her. She said, ¡°Julie, a person¡¯s luck is limited, and


    your luck was exhausted the moment you met Kieran.


    This time, Julie believed without a doubt.


    In the past, she hated herself for loving Kieran too much, and for her love never being reciprocated.


    However, if someone is willing to give up all their wealth and life for you, if this is not love, then what is


    it?


    Thinking of this, Julie suddenly pushed Kieran away.


    Kieran, who was about to deeply kiss her, was caught off guard and retreated two steps.


    He frowned at Mrs. Hernandez.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the money?¡± Julie asked Kieran eagerly, ¡°Where¡¯s the share transfer contract? Did Davina


    really take the contract for notarization?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Kieran gently wiped the corner of his lips and looked at Julie, ¡°Have I lost my charm, or have you


    be greedier than before?¡±


    Embarrassed, Julie smiled, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about the results of your hard work over the years¡­¡±


    ¡°For you, I¡¯m willing to give up everything.¡± He sat next to her, somewhat displeased, pulled her hand,


    and continued to wipe the bloodstain with a cotton swab, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be a total pauper. You


    support me! I¡¯m not picky about food, don¡¯t eat much, can work, and can keep youpany in bed!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    She pulled her hand back. Her brain finally started functioning normally. She was awyer!


    ¡°ording to the Contract Law, if a contract is reached due to serious misunderstanding, or if the


    conditions of the contract are obviously unfair, such as one party using fraud, coercion or taking


    advantage of the other¡¯s difficulties to make them sign the contract against their true intentions, then


    the victim has the right to request the court or arbitration institution to change or cancel the contract¡­¡±


    Mr. Hernandez¡¯s face darkened.


    Julie was indeed his good student.


    ¡°Could you also remind me what the Marriage Law stiptes about sexual obligations between


    spouses?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow and asked Julie. Looking at Kieran¡¯s serious expression with a


    hint of smugness, Julie thought for a moment, and then replied seriously, ¡°ording to the Marriage


    Law, if a couple is forced to marry, the forced party can request to annul the marriage. The request to


    annul the marriage by the party under duress should be made within one year from the date of


    marriage registration. If the party whose personal freedom is illegally restricted requests the marriage


    to be annulled, it should be made within one year from the day the freedom is restored.¡±


    ¡°So Mrs. Hernandez wants to divorce me?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of danger.


    This time, Julie shook her head quickly, ¡°No divorce! Never, even if it kills me!¡±

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Chapter 184


    When Kieran heard what Julie had to say, he let out a rare chuckle.


    Something seemed to cross Julie¡¯s mind and she asked Kieran, ¡°The dead guy earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°The one tied up in the factory. Their mouths were sealed so we didn¡¯t notice them during the rescue,¡±


    Kieran exined.


    A frown creased Julie¡¯s forehead as she thought about the two kidnappers. They were going to let her


    go, weren¡¯t they?


    ¡°So how did you escape?¡± When Julien forcefully yanked her out of the factory, the bomb only had two


    minutes left. How did Kieran manage to get out in such a short time?


    If the bomb expert was sessful, why did it still go off?


    Kieran recalled the situation at the time. He thought he was a dead.


    With a minute and a half left to the explosion, the bomb expert had no other choices. Any move Kieran


    made with his bulletproof vest on could trigger the explosion.


    Unable to stop the timer, the expert could only try to disable the bomb¡¯s stabilizer. With forty seconds


    left, he finally managed to remove Kieran¡¯s vest.


    Since they couldn¡¯t stop the explosion, Kieran had no choice but to ditch the vest and run. The expert


    and Kieran were closest to the side door, so he dragged the expert out through there. When the bomb


    went off inside the factory, everyone at the front door didn¡¯t see Kierane out, so they naturally


    thought something had gone wrong¡­


    Kieran briefly exined the whole story without going into much detail, but it was still enough to give


    Julie a heart attack. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would¡¯ve happened if Kieran hadn¡¯t escaped¡­.


    Knowing what Julie was thinking, he gently pulled her into his arms, hisrge hand gently patting her


    back tofort her.


    He leaned down and nted a tender kiss on her forehead.


    Before they could enjoy this sweet moment, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside¡­


    Harding walked in, followed by a nurse. Seeing Kieran and Julie¡¯s actions, he awkwardly cleared his


    throat, then he asked in a friendly manner, ¡°Do you need me to step outside and knock again?¡±


    Kieran stood up, vacating the spot next to Julie so the nurse coulde over and give her an injection.


    Julien, holding a contract in his hand, appeared in the room and handed it to Kieran, ¡°This contract is


    void.¡±


    It was the stock transfer contract Kieran had signed with Davina. Harding was quite surprised when he


    saw Julien outside the factory. Now, they finally had the chance to have a proper chat, ¡°I heard via


    mention you a couple of days ago, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be in town.¡±


    ¡°Have you and Mr. Watson returned from your honeymoon?¡± Julien rarely showed such interest in other


    people¡¯s personal lives.


    Harding was speechless.


    Daphne was back to her normal self. Now, she was excitedly watching Harding. As a magazine


    reporter, she really¡­had a soft spot for this kind of gossip.


    Under Daphne¡¯s influence, Julie also became curious. After all, the idea of Harding and Mr. Watson,


    two attractive men, together was inarguably intriguing. Especially since Julie often heard Daphne


    mention stories about their ambiguous rtionship.


    Therefore, Julie, who was currently undergoing treatment,pletely forgot about the pain in her hand.


    With her recently-teared red eyes, she stared at Harding, waiting for him to speak.


    The spotlight in the room instantly focused on him.


    Julien unintentionally remarked, ¡°So you¡¯re not on your honeymoon?¡±


    Daphne really wanted to give Julien a thumbs up right then and there!


    Just as Harding was about to respond, the door to the room was once again pushed open from the


    outside. Dn¡¯ and a man wrapped up from head to toe appeared in the room.


    ¡°Mr. Watson?¡± Daphne excitedly looked at Marlon Watson.


    Marlon yanked off his hat and sunsses, ¡°Wow! You recognized me even dressed up like this?¡±


    Daphne excitedly nodded. Marlon was Daphne¡¯s another idol, aside from Kieran.


    Lionel furrowed his eyebrows and kindly reminded Daphne. ¡°You¡¯re drooling!¡±


    Daphne wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand, then¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re the one drooling!¡± Daphne red at Lionel.


    Marlon winked at Daphne with his charming eyes, ¡°Yo, is this your boyfriend? He¡¯s quite a looker! Just


    a tiny bit¡­less handsome than me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Harding interjected, shaking his head in disbelief.


    Marlon winked at Lionel, ¡°Young man, you should thank me for not actually taking Ms. Flores to a hotel


    room back then, otherwise¡­


    ¡°The version I heard was Daphne turned you down, Julien said, her face expressionless.


    Marlon turned silent.


    He still remembered the time Julien had kidnapped him and he nearly died at her hands. He took a


    deep breath, ¡°Because you have a good figure, Lwon¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    Harding looked at Marlon speechlessly, then he turned to Julie, ¡°You didn¡¯t suffer from any serious


    injuries. Make sure not to get the wound wet. You¡¯ll need another dose of antibiotics tomorrow and then


    you can be discharged in the afternoon.¡±


    Dn stepped forward and looked at Kieran and Harding, introducing, ¡°Kerry, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°We know each other.¡± Kieran looked at Harding and gave a small smile.


    Harding gave Kieran¡¯s shoulder a pat, ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Dn was a bit confused. Harding was his college buddy. They were both well-known at school so it


    wasn¡¯t surprising they knew each other. But how did Kieran and Harding know each other?


    Julie also looked at Kieran in surprise and asked, ¡°How do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°The hospital where you gave birth, was opened by Harding, Kieran said.


    Harding chuckled as if recalling a memory, ¡°Back then I was overseas attending a medical conference.


    Your hubby almost wrecked my hospital. Our director was so scared that he quit.¡±


    Kieran also cracked a smile, a rare sight.


    Suddenly, Kieran¡¯s phone rang. He had nned to stay with Julie but was interrupted by a call from


    Hayden. The first thing Hayden said was, ¡°Davina¡¯s gone missing.¡±


    Kieran was silent for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Where did she disappear?¡±


    ¡°Regal Heights Drive. Get over here.¡± With that, Hayden hung up.


    Kieran¡¯s face turned grave. Julie sensed something was up and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Davina¡¯s missing. I need to go. Ms. Daphne¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of Julie!¡± Daphne chimed in quickly. She was on leave and would


    naturally want to stay with Julie who had just experienced a horrifying incident.


    Kieran looked at Daphne gratefully.


    Julien got up from her chair and walked over to Kieran. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Kieran rejected her offer. ¡°Elliot and Adeline are on their way to the hospital. Wait for them to wake up


    and ask the details.¡±


    Kieran then turned to Harding, ¡°Take care of Julie, or you might have to find a new director again.¡±


    ¡°Why did I let your patiente to my hospital?¡± Harding felt like he was just asking for trouble.


    Mr. Watson patted Harding on the shoulder with a warm smile, ¡°Harding, you¡¯re such a fool.¡±


    Harding shot back at Marlon, ¡°Buzz off!¡±


    Lionel shook his head helplessly, ¡°I thought you guys would change your interaction style after the


    honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°Sort out your singlehood first. Then we can discuss this.¡± Mr. Watson haughtily replied, then turned to


    Harding, ¡°Let¡¯s go, save some lives!¡±


    Lionel was speechless.


    Daphne tried to suppress herughter.


    Julien gave Daphne a pat on the shoulder, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Daphne felt ted.


    ¡°Julien praised me! Hahaha!¡± Daphne shared her joy. Seeing Lord Lion¡¯s cold face, she quickly


    returned to Julie, asking with concerns, ¡°Julie, does the wound hurt? Your skin is so delicate, will it


    leave a scar?¡±


    Lionel Was speechless again.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Daphne seemed to be infatuated with everyone, except him.


    Kieran and Dn left. Mr. Watson, Harding, and Julien also left. Lionel, Daphne, and Julie were the


    only ones left. Lionel stood still, brooding for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m off to an event.¡±


    He was talking to Daphne, but she was busy checking Julie¡¯s arm. Julie noticed something was off


    between the two.


    She smiled at Lionel, ¡°I owe Mr. Lionel a big thank you for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°You should thank your husband! He¡¯s the one who told me to go to that ce with Daphne in


    advance.¡± Lionel said before lowering his hat and leaving the hospital.


    Julie frowned and pulled her arm away from Daphne, ¡°Stop pretending. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    Daphne took a deep sigh of relief.


    Julie squinted at Daphne, ¡°Spill it! What¡¯s going on between you and Lionel? There¡¯s some weird


    tension.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask how Lionel and I managed to catch the rope in time to save you?¡± Daphne rolled


    her eyes at Julie.


    Julie nodded, ¡°Alright, first tell me how you managed to catch the rope in time to save me, and then tell


    me what¡¯s going on between you and Lionel.¡±


    Daphne went silent.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    Chapter 185


    Between the two questions, Daphne found the first one easier to answer.


    *Julien called me today asking where you were. Lord Lion and Mr. Sanches are good buddies, so Lord


    Lion gave Mr. Sanches a ring too¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on. How did Julien¡¯s call to you get to Mr. Lionel?¡± Julie cut in.


    Daphne shot Julie a stern look: ¡°Still want to know how I saved your ass?¡±


    ¡°Alright, go on.¡± Julie said.


    Since the IV drip would take a while, she had time to listen to Daphne¡¯s story.


    Daphne recounted the whole story.


    In reality, when Dn and Payne figured out the vehicle the suspect might have used, one of the


    locations was close to Daphne and Lionel¡¯s, the Enchanted Pathway factory. Worried about Julie,


    Daphne took it upon herself to go there. Lionel had no choice but to follow her, unless he nned on


    knocking her out cold.


    In the end, Daphne had to promise Lionel she wouldn¡¯t act rashly, even if Julie was really in the factory.


    Only then did Lionel, while contacting Kieran, follow Daphne to the factory.


    As a public figure, Lionel¡¯s life was worth a pretty penny, so even if captured, he wouldn¡¯t be in


    immediate danger. If Julie really was in the factory, Lionel could notify Kieran before getting nabbed.


    Besides, the cops were on their way, so Lionel dared to take the risk with Daphne.


    Turns out, Julie was indeed in the old factory. As nned, Lionel sent a message to Kieran, while he


    and Daphne kept a close eye on the situation with


    binocrs.


    It wasn¡¯t until the cops arrived that Davina¡¯s people split into two groups to keep them away from Julie¡¯s


    location. Lionel and Daphne were ready to make a break for it when Hayden¡¯s crew showed up. As the


    rope snapped, Daphne and Lionel were conveniently at the closest point.


    So, they quickly grabbed the rope and saved Julie.


    Even though Julie was now safe and sound in her hospital bed, the story still gave her the chills.


    Daphne looked at Julie and said, ¡°You owe me big time! Next time my mom sets me up for a blind date,


    you have to cover for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still curious about you and Mr. Lionel¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was a nightmare!¡± Daphne looked at Julie bitterly, ¡°I never should have agreed to that


    magazine¡¯s invitation to interview him. That¡¯s where my misfortune began!¡±


    Seeing Daphne¡¯s bitter face, Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°How did it be a tragedy? Mr. Lionel is


    handsome and talented¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a yboy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a great body¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a yboy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got good character too¡­¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s a yboy.¡±


    ¡°I heard that since breaking up with Ms. Albertine, he¡¯s stopped ying around!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too big¡­¡±


    Julie looked at Daphne, whose face was turning red, and instantly understood her meaning. She


    seemed to have stumbled upon a big secret¡­.


    ¡°Daphne, did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, we did have sex. Lionel is a beast! Oh God, that night¡­ in the middle of the night¡­ Oh


    my God, when I woke up the next morning¡­ Oh my God!¡±


    Seeing Daphne rambling, Julie quickly reached out with her hand to grab her, ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ continue


    discussing Lionel¡¯s yer habits¡­¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Daphne sat by Julie¡¯s bedside, ¡°His ex-girlfriend was Ms. Albertine. And before her, who was


    it? Oh, it was Crystal, one of the top five supermodels in the world. You know her, right? She¡¯s young


    and beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And before her was the one whose father is the mayor, her mother a socialite¡­¡±


    ¡°Callie, the Victoria¡¯s Secret model.¡± Julie helpfully reminded.


    Daphne nodded excitedly, ¡°Yes, yes! And then there¡¯s Daisy, the Chanel model. Plus Caroline¡­¡±


    ¡°The one who only shoots big brand ads?¡± Julie asked.


    Daphne nodded, ¡°Yes, and also Iris, Jennifer¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ Lionel sure loves his supermodels.¡± Julie had run out of excuses to salvage Lionel¡¯s image in


    Daphne¡¯s mind.


    Daphne, looking at Julie as if she¡¯d found an ally, said, ¡°I think I should just go along with my mom. I¡¯ve


    decided to go on that blind date tomorrow!¡±


    With that, Daphne pulled out her phone and dialed Edda.


    Julie admired Daphne¡¯s initiative, but truth be told, she admired Lionel more. Ever since she met


    Daphne, she¡¯d been wondering what kind of guy could capture Daphne¡¯s heart.


    Lost in thought, Daphne suddenly turned to Julie, ¡°Oh crap, babe, I forgot to take my pill!¡±


    Julie was silent for a moment, before saying with a frown, ¡°Well, it probably, maybe, shouldn¡¯t just¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows with him? His love life is a mess. Oh God, I hope I didn¡¯t catch anything from him!¡±


    Daphne said and sat next to Julie, pulling out her phone to look up the early symptoms of AIDS.


    Julie found it both funny and helpless. She thought Daphne was talking about forgetting to take her


    birth control, but¡­ Daphne¡¯s thought process was truly unique! It¡¯s just unclear whether Mr. Lionel


    would strangle Daphne upon finding out. Julie only knew if she were a man, she¡¯d definitely want to


    strangle Daphne.


    She nced at her IV bottle, and then gently lifted the nket, telling Daphne, ¡°Daphne, I wanna check


    on Elliot and Adeline. They should be awake by now, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you know the one who originally kidnapped you was Adeline?¡± Daphne suddenly put down her


    phone, looking at Julie.


    Julie really had no idea that it was Adeline who nned to kidnap her¡­


    She looked at Daphne with a puzzled face, ¡°Do you know why she wanted to kidnap me?¡±


    Daphne shrugged, ¡°Pretty people think weirdly. We normal folks don¡¯t get their thinking process.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drop-dead gorgeous then.¡±


    ¦§


    ..¡±Was Julieplimenting her or suggesting that her thoughts were the weirdest?


    Daphne moved ahead to hold the IV bottle for Julie, walking and talking, ¡°Are you nning on


    confronting Adeline?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any good suggestions?¡± Julie asked with a smile.


    After some thought, Daphne seriously responded, ¡°Don¡¯t hit her face. She¡¯s so pretty¡­ Do whatever


    you want with the rest!¡±


    That was Daphne, always resorting to violence!


    When Julie arrived at Elliot and Adeline¡¯s ward, they were just waking up.


    Upon seeing Julie, Adeline¡¯s gaze faltered, but she didn¡¯t look away. Instead, she told the nurse by her


    side, ¡°You guys can leave us alone.¡±


    Seeing the IV bottle in Julie¡¯s hand, Elliot patted the bed beside him, ¡°Come sit down, Julie.¡±


    Julie sat down beside Elliot, and Daphne hung the IV bottle on the hook by the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adeline began to apologize to Julie. It wasn¡¯t insincere, but very earnest.


    Without making any excuses, she added, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°So, when you nned to kidnap me, did you think about hurting me?¡± Julie asked Adeline.


    Adeline¡¯s response was quick and straightforward, ¡°I never intended to hurt you. I just wanted to kidnap


    you, to test whether Kieran truly loves you¡­ Never mind, I ended up hurting you anyway. I¡¯m sorry. You


    can tell me how you want me to make it up to you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Davina hurt me. She was the one who kidnapped me. What you did was wrong, but regardless of


    whether you kidnapped me or not, Davina would¡¯ve done it anyway.¡± Julie looked at Adeline rationally.


    She didn¡¯t me Adeline, because even if she didn¡¯t, Adeline wouldn¡¯t easily forgive herself. She


    believed that Adeline didn¡¯t mean any harm.


    ¡°I came here to ask you, how did Davina disappear?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°At that moment, everything was chaos. When Julien found Davina, she was extremely weak. The


    nurses took Davina, who had been shot, onto the ambnce. There were three cops in there. Elliot


    and I got on board, nning to personally take her to the police station. But then¡­¡±


    Adeline started coughing halfway through her exnation, and Elliot continued, ¡°The vehicle suddenly


    stopped halfway. Before we could react, we passed out. When we woke up, we were already in the


    hospital¡­¡±


    Just then Julien walked into the VIP ward while on the phone, ¡°I¡¯ve pulled up the footage from the


    vehicle. The driver was shot. Among the policemen who got on the vehicle with Elliot, one was a fake.


    He used some method to knock everyone in the back of the vehicle out, including himself. Davina was


    carried out by a few men in ck. Payne is checking the surveince footage from that route. I¡¯ll let you


    know if there are any new clues.¡±


    After finishing, Julien hung up the phone.


    Julie furrowed her brow, and guessed cautiously, ¡°Could it have been Davina¡¯s people?¡±


    Julien shook her head decisively, ¡°The people Davina hired weren¡¯t professional, but the ones who took


    her away today were obviously well-trained. If Davina had such a top-notch team, she wouldn¡¯t have


    hired amateurs to kidnap you today!¡±

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    Chapter 186


    On Regal Heights Drive.


    Hayden sat in the car, unseen from the outside. The crime scene, cordoned off by the police, was


    where Davina was taken. Kieran stared at the parked ck sedan and knocked on the car door twice.


    Hayden unlocked the door. Kieran pulled it open and slid into the passenger seat, ¡°What¡¯s the


    situation?¡±


    ¡°Some people have been to the crime scene already. These guys are seriously professional, organized


    and disciplined. Payne¡¯s sent over the surveince footage. They brought a medical team along, guess


    they didn¡¯t want to hurt Davina,¡± Hayden replied.


    Kieran asked, ¡°Are they Davina¡¯s aplices?¡±


    After thinking for a couple of seconds, Hayden responded, ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    Finished speaking, he handed theptop over to Kieran.


    In the surveince footage, Hayden had zoomed in on Davina¡¯s face when she was taken. Dn


    turned to look at theptop in Kieran¡¯s hands, then definitively stated, ¡°Her mouth and eyes are wide


    open, eyebrows raised, nostrils ring. Davina is clearly scared. Judging from her terrified facial


    expression, it¡¯s unlikely that this was Davina¡¯s partner, but it¡¯s likely someone she knew.¡±


    Dn paused before asking, ¡°Could it be Lucian?¡±


    Hayden and Kieran look at Dn.


    ¡°Judging from your expressions, are you doubting me¡­¡± Dn leaned over the front seat to look at


    them: ¡°Am I the only one who thinks this could have. something to do with Lucian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the only one who thinks so,¡± Kieran replied bluntly.


    Dn was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to investigate.¡± Hayden turned to Kieran, ¡°How¡¯s Joyce?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Kieran asked Hayden, ¡°What¡¯s Payne up to? Did he find out where the people who


    kidnapped Davina went?¡±


    Hayden shook his head, ¡°He said he had an important discovery and went off to make a call. He¡¯s over


    there.¡±,


    He pointed towards the woods outside the car window. Just as Kieran turned his head, he saw Payne


    running excitedly towards the car.


    Dn rolled down the window and looked at Payne, ¡°Did you win the lottery? You seem pretty thrilled!¡±


    Payne red at Dn before turning to Kieran, ¡°I found out who donated money to Julie.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°You¡¯re still investigating that?¡± Dn looked at Kieran incredulously. After all, it¡¯s been so long since


    that happened, it was surprising he was still looking into it. Wasn¡¯t itmon for charities to donate to


    patients? What was so special about this?


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Kieran asked Payne.


    ¡°It was the Fitzgerald family. The primary heir, Simon, started a fund for global special cases, mainly for


    typicalplex diseases and special cancer patients.¡±


    Dn added a fact, ¡°But Sansa¡¯s condition isn¡¯t special, it¡¯s just from a car ident.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the strange part!¡± Payne suddenly looked at Hayden, ¡°Hayden, aren¡¯t you and the Fitzgerald


    family enemies?¡±


    Hayden was familiar with the name Fitzgerald. They were a century-old wealthy family, quite


    mysterious. People only knew that most of the Fitzgerald Banks in Europe were owned by the


    Fitzgerald family. These banks¡¯ main business was mergers and acquisitions helpingrge corporations


    acquire otherpanies or restructure their assets.


    Hearing this, Hayden frowned and replied to Kieran, ¡°That¡¯s Miles Simson¡¯s personal business. Since


    Miles passed away, I haven¡¯t had any conflicts with the Fitzgerald family.¡±


    After that, Hayden asked Kieran, ¡°Do you want to check out who this Simon is?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Kieran said thoughtfully, ¡°If they have a purpose, they¡¯lle to us. What we need to do


    now is find Davina.¡±


    Although Kieran said there was no need to investigate, Payne was very interested. He looked even


    more focused on theputer.


    Hayden had called Kieran over to confirm the crime scene, to see if it might be someone they knew.


    Now that Kieran had confirmed it, he told Hayden, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the hospital to be with my wife. I¡¯ll


    contact you if anythinges up.¡±


    Hayden nodded, ¡°Tell Julien toe see me.¡±


    Kieran agreed.


    Dn said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to catch up with Harding.¡±


    After that, Dn was also ready to leave.


    Ever since Payne first saw Julien at via¡¯s wedding, he had been deeply impressed by this icy


    woman. He hadn¡¯t expected Julien to know his cousin, and his cousin¡¯s good friend seemed to have a


    good rtionship with Julien.


    Although Payne had heard a lot about Hayden, he had rarely seen him.


    Payne had been studying abroad since he was a child. It wasn¡¯t until he attended Kieran¡¯s wedding that


    he became close to Kieran, so he didn¡¯t know much about Kieran¡¯s private life. He also didn¡¯t know that


    Kieran and Hayden were good friends. Given this¡­


    ¡°Hayden, are you close with Julien?¡± Payne asked with a smile.


    Kieran and Dn, who were about to leave, stopped and looked at Payne.


    Hayden looked at Payne coldly and replied, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask what kind of rtionship you have with Julien?¡± Payne looked at Hayden. He felt Hayden¡¯s


    gaze was very cold, giving him goosebumps.


    Kieran admitted that he stayed to watch the show. He nced at Hayden and then heard him ask


    Payne, ¡°What do you think the rtionship between me and her is?¡±


    Payne mulled it over, then blurted out his most desired answer, ¡°A good friend!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hayden raised an eyebrow, asking Payne, ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tight with her, maybe you could put in a good word for me. I¡¯d be forever in your debt!¡± In


    Payne¡¯s eyes, Julien was pretty much Aphrodite, but she was so cold. He hadn¡¯t even had the chance


    to get close to her before she might shut him out, so he had to look for other ways.


    But all Hayden did was retort, ¡°Why should I help you?¡±


    Payne thought carefully, then solemnly said, ¡°Because I fell for Julien at first sight. Her icy demeanor


    drew me in. I hope to have a shot at being her man¡­¡± ¡°I do too,¡± Hayden cut Payne off before he could


    finish.


    Both Kieran and Dn couldn¡¯t help but crack up. They left cheerfully, leaving Payne confused and


    innocent-looking at Hayden, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys partners?¡± Hayden replied, ¡°Yes, we are. In bed.¡±


    Payne was speechless.


    Suddenly, he felt like all hope in life was lost. How could hepete with Hayden for a girl? After all,


    Hayden had single-handedly bought off all of Miles¡¯s trusted aides and climbed to his current position


    stepping over others¡¯ dead bodies¡­


    He gave Hayden a sheepish smile, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to wait for her to fall for me willingly.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Hayden gave Payne a cold look.


    Payne finally decided to pack up hisptop and hail a cab home. Looks like he needed to go home and


    come up with a n to win over Julien!


    After receiving a message from Kieran, Julien returned to Paradise Cove Vi as Instructed by Hayden.


    At Paradise Cove Vi, only Hayden¡¯s attendant Raines was downstairs, instructing the butler some


    things.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Julien asked coldly.


    Raines had always thought of Julien as a woman who brought disaster to the country, stunning and


    lethal. But she was a woman associated with Hayden, a woman he cared about, plus¡­ a woman of


    incredible power. So, he always maintained a respectful yet slightly distant attitude towards her.


    ¡°Mr. Simson is in the study.¡±


    Julien knocked on the study door.


    A muffled response came from inside, ¡°Come in.¡±


    As soon as she entered; Julien smelled the strong scent of smoke. She frowned, asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± Hayden pointed to the couch opposite him.


    Julien was not a woman to meekly follow orders, so she stood her ground, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll be


    going.¡±,


    ¡°I have new information on Lucian to share with you. You can put your National Security Agency work


    on hold for a bit,¡± Hayden spoke up just as Julien was about to turn and leave.


    Although Julien didn¡¯t understand herself as deeply as Hayden did, she knew that Hayden wouldn¡¯t


    lightly agree to share information on Lucian with her, given that she represented the National Security


    Agency. Lucian was a person both the National Security Agency and Kieran wanted. Hayden wouldn¡¯t


    betray Kieran, so there must be a catch.


    Therefore, as a woman not easily fooled, Julien tly refused, ¡°I can find the information I need on my


    own, without anyone¡¯s charity.¡±


    ¡°For a woman as unlikable as you, you¡¯ve managed to attract quite a few men,¡± his deep eyes stared


    meaningfully at Julien.


    Intuition told Julien that this was not apliment.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like me, you can¡¯t stop others from liking me, right?¡± Julien suddenly gave up on


    leaving, instead sitting down opposite Hayden, her eyes shimmering with a cold light as she stared


    back at him.


    The atmosphere instantly became tense.


    Suddenly, Hayden reached out and encircled her neck, pulling her towards him¡­

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    Chapter 187


    The distance between the two was abruptly closed by Hayden¡¯s move. Julien was caught off guard and


    quite repulsed. But being a master of concealing her emotions, she maintained a brief silence before


    addressing Hayden in aposed manner, ¡°I don¡¯t find our current distancefortable. What about


    you?¡±


    ¡°Do you genuinely want to know my feelings?¡± Hayden¡¯s chiseled features resembled a meticulously


    crafted work of art, his usually icy gaze now warmed.


    His rough fingertips gently trailed along the back of her neck, the coarse sensation causing a shiver to


    run down her skin. Julien was always on guard against men, but this one¡­ she could only mask her


    unique feelings towards him with disgust.


    She grabbed his arm tightly, ¡°Are you trying to seduce me?¡±


    He neither confirmed nor denied.


    In response, Julien retorted, ¡°Being seduced feels disgusting.¡±


    She used the word ¡°disgusting,¡± probably the deepest form of repulsion a woman can feel towards a


    man. However, this man, who had experienced life and death, seemed unfazed. Instead, he revisited


    her previous topic, ¡°You asked what distance I findfortable. Lien, I prefer a negative distance.¡±


    ¡°Wait till the day I reach into your heart, rip it out, and see howfortable that distance feels,¡± she


    forcefully shook off the arm resting on her neck, took a step back, and leaned against a chair,


    maintaining a safe distance from him.


    She of course understood what he meant by ¡°negative distance¡±.


    He didn¡¯t engage in an argument, but looked at her with a somewhat dominant gaze, ¡°Lien, I¡¯ll give you


    a choice. Temporarily abandon your mission from the National Security Agency, or permanently


    abandon your identity given by the National Security Agency. I think, Klein will listen to me.¡±


    Klein, the previous deputy director and current director of the National Security Agency, had earned his


    position through the sessful capture of Miles, a featrgely attributable to Hayden¡¯s assistance.


    Julien¡¯s parents were both victims of Miles, and Klein had been secr¨¦tly looking after the Julien sisters


    since childhood. If Hayden were to exert influence to force Klein to fire her, he would likely have no


    choice but toply.


    In the end, Julien merely averted her gaze, murmuring as though talking to herself, ¡°Then tell me, what


    can I do for you? Apart from my own life, I have nothing else to offer.¡±


    Her tone was sharp, direct, and cold.


    Hayden cut to the chase, ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯ve had contact with the Fitzgerald family.¡±


    Julien had once been an undercover agent for the National Security Agency, working under Miles.


    Although he didn¡¯t fully trust her, he would assign her to handle many important matters, including


    those rted to the Fitzgerald family.


    ¡°Since Miles¡¯ death, I no longer have any ties with the Fitzgerald family,¡± Julien stated earnestly,


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know the grudges between Miles and them; you just need to tell me about the


    Fitzgerald family.¡±


    ¡°The family is known for their secrecy, I only know they own banks and wineries¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in their wealth. Tell me about the people,¡± Hayden cut her off.


    Julien suddenly looked at Hayden, ¡°Are you asking about the second young miss of their family?¡±


    ¡°Second young miss?¡± Hayden asked, puzzled.


    Julien chuckled, ¡°Are you curious about that? As expected, all you men care about is beauty.¡±


    ¡°Beauty?¡± Hayden looked at Julien, his gaze subtly shifting.


    Julien didn¡¯t think much about it and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never met the second young miss of the Fitzgerald


    family. All I know is that her name is Beatrice. She is said to be extremely beautiful, with a great figure


    and an aura of elegance and mystery. No one has ever seen her photo.¡±


    ¡°Simon, the first heir to the Fitzgerald family, have you met him?¡± Hayden interrupted again.


    Julien was surprised, ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Hayden didn¡¯t doubt her words. He knew that if even Julien hadn¡¯t met someone, then that person must


    be extremely mysterious.


    ¡°Simon and Beatrice are siblings. I only know that Simon once had a secret lover, but they broke up.


    Simon also had a younger brother, but he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°A family feud?¡± Hayden asked.


    Even though he proposed this guess, he was well aware that the brother¡¯s death had nothing to do with


    Miles. Otherwise, ording to the tradition of the Fitzgerald family, they wouldn¡¯t have given up on


    revenge after Miles¡¯ death.


    However, Jutfen shook her head, ¡°He died of a terminal illness. Simon started a charity project to


    provide free treatment for people with rare diseases in memory of his brother. The feud with Miles


    involved the head of the Fitzgerald family and had nothing to do with his children.¡±


    ¡°Look into this Simon, the more detailed the better, Hayden said.


    Julien didn¡¯t ask why, but instead told Hayden, ¡°I might not be able to find much. I¡¯m more interested in


    the matter with Davina.¡±


    Hayden was aware of Julien¡¯s thoughts. She originally didn¡¯t want to hand Davina over to the police,


    having her own ways to make her feel worse than death. But today, he stopped Julien from handling


    the situation privately and voluntarily handed Davina over to the police.


    Who would have thought the police would be so unreliable, they actually lost her. Hayden said, ¡°If I get


    a lead on Davina, I¡¯ll let you know right away.¡± Julien was taken aback for a moment, then stood up


    from Hayden¡¯s study and left.


    At Kieran¡¯s urging, the police station sent out several teams to look for Davina, but to no avail.


    Davina was jolted awake with a bucket of cold water. She¡¯d been shot multiple times, mostly by Julien,


    but none had hit a vital spot. After she was carted onto an ambnce, her bleeding stopped.


    After being kidnapped, she passed out from exhaustion. When she came to again, she found herself in


    an operating room with doctors and nurses around, but they weren¡¯t operating on her. They seemed to


    be waiting for instructions.


    It wasn¡¯t until someone sshed cold water on her that she truly woke up. She squinted her eyes open,


    seeing an IV needle in the back of her hand. Seems like they weren¡¯t nning to kill her.


    Just then, a deep voice suddenly came from a corner of the operation room: ¡°Begin the operation!¡±


    When Davina heard this voice, her body started convulsing on the operating table. She realized she


    was tied down and couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t!¡± Her voice, filled with fear, was so weak it could hardly be heard a few meters away.


    Her eyes wide open, her pupils constricted.


    The doctors and nurses, dressed in scrubs, the surgical knife gleaming silver under the operation light.


    Davina¡¯s right hand had been hit by Dn, and both her knees had been shot by Julien.


    Knowing who the voice belonged to, Davina was overwhelmed with fear. She weakly yelled at the


    indistinct figure in the corner, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! It¡¯s Julie! She killed Rankin!¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, Davina let out a piercing scream.


    The doctor was operating on her, but they hadn¡¯t given her any anesthesia! The pain of the scalpel


    cutting through her hand left her speechless. The sound of her flesh being cut open felt like the cruelest


    punishment.


    And this was just the beginning of her punishment.


    Before one wave of pain had passed, she felt another doctor slicing open her knee. Davina finally


    understood why there were three attending doctors.


    Because she had three wounds, and none were anesthetized. The bone-deep pain felt like a trip


    through hell, and the intense pain made Davina feel like she was about to pass out. But this was just


    the beginning¡­.


    The bullet was lodged in her kneecap. To remove it, they had to use a medical drill. The sharp sound of


    the drill filled the room. The sensation was far more terrifying than lying on a dentist¡¯s chair. Combined


    with the intense pain, she fainted from the pain before the drill even touched her knee.


    After Davina lost consciousness, the nurses around her tried to bring her back. She kept fainting, again


    and again. Davina even tried to bite her own. tongue to end it all, but the nurses had already filled her


    mouth. She was gagged, like a goldfish.


    In the end, Davina didn¡¯t know how she held on. She was surprised she didn¡¯t die. After drifting in and


    out of sleep for several hours, she woke up again.


    Davina knew, this wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning of her nightmare¡­.


    When she woke up, she found herself not in the operation room, but pushed into another room. The


    room was dark, with only a bit of lighting in from the window. It was already dark outside, like a


    dark curtain was covering everything, making her feel suffocated. She hadn¡¯t received any pain


    medication, only left to deal with the post-operative pain.


    She was strapped to the bed, not even given a chance to struggle.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Kill me¡­ please, kill me¡­¡± Davina looked at the man standing-in front of the window, crying. Therge


    figure, under the faint moonlight, looked like it had a pair of devil¡¯s wings¡­

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    Chapter 188


    The figure by the window drew a cigarette and then found a lighter. In the dim room, the me flickered


    to life, igniting the cigarette. The fire died, leaving only a twinkling ember behind.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re still alive?¡± The voice was as cold as ice.


    Davina Fieldid on the bed, unable to move. She felt like a zombie that had just crawled out of a


    grave; even breathing was a chore, let alone answering questions. She wished this would all end


    quickly, but it seemed like an extravagant hope.


    The figure was a bit far away, and his voice was unclear, but she thought she heard him say, ¡°You don¡¯t


    have the right to die.¡±


    Tranquil Care Hospital.


    When Kieran Hernandez returned to the ward, he found Julie Abraham and Daphne Flores chatting


    away happily.


    As he entered, he overheard Daphne discussing a shocking topic with Julie.


    Daphne clearly didn¡¯t expect Kieran to return at this time. She didn¡¯t even have time to retract her


    words, ¡°So, Julie, do you think Mr. Hernandez has been a two-timer in spirit and body over these


    years? Or just physically and not emotionally? Or has he been repressing his desires?¡±


    Julie had already coughed a few times and tried to signal with her eyes for Daphne to stop talking. But


    Daphne was too engrossed in the topic to notice Julie¡¯s hints.


    So, Julie failed to stop Daphne from asking this profound question.


    Seeing that Julie was not responding, Daphne continued analyzing seriously, ¡°I personally think that


    Kieran only did it physically. It¡¯s unlikely that he cheated emotionally too!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Daphne, maybe you could ask me directly?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind Daphne,


    startling her.


    She spun around and was shocked to see Kieran right behind her, making her feel extremely


    embarrassed. She shot Julie a ming look. The look seemed to say, ¡®why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡¯


    Julie shrugged innocently, indicating she had tried her best. She had almost gone cross-eyed trying to


    signal Daphne.


    Daphne obviously wouldn¡¯t really ask Kieran this question face-to-face; her immediate reaction was to


    grab her stuff and leave. She put her phone into her pocket and waved goodbye to Kieran and Julie,


    ¡°See ya! I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow; bye!¡± Daphne blew a kiss to Julie, gave Kieran an awkward smile,


    and then made a quick exit.


    Kieran walked towards Julie¡¯s bed and leaned on the headboard with one hand while looking down at


    her somewhat pale face, ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want to eat!¡± She replied.


    ¡°What I want to eat isn¡¯t being served recently; we can have it in a few days.¡± Kieran said, with a deep


    meaning, then asked Julie again, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Julie thought about it seriously for a moment, then replied, ¡°Just anything will do! As long as I¡¯m full.¡±


    In the end, it was Kieran who made the decision. He called Shannon and asked her to bring some


    soup.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ivan?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow. He¡¯s staying with Dn Pierson tonight.¡±


    In reality, Ivan was very independent. But Julie still looked out the window worriedly; it seemed like it


    was going to pour. She remembered that the kid was afraid of thunderstorms, so she nudged Kieran¡¯s


    chest, ¡°You should go home to be with Ivan; I¡¯m fine here alone.¡±


    Julie actually felt there was no need for her to stay in the hospital, but she followed the doctor¡¯s orders.


    However, the man sitting by her bed didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving.


    ¡°Thest time there was a thunderstorm was the night I injured my foot. It was raining cats and dogs,


    and you left Ivan home alone. I got a call from him; he said he was really scared. When I got there, he


    was crouched in a corner, hugging his knees.¡± Julie suddenly realized something mid-sentence and


    looked at Kieran, That night wasn¡¯t a coincidence, was it?¡±


    What were the odds?


    On the night she injured her foot, after getting a cast, she insisted on not letting him send her home.


    She waited for a cab for ages, but none came. As soon as Kieran left the hospital, there was a taxi.


    When she got back to the apartment and found she couldn¡¯t unlock the door, Ivan called to say he was


    scared of the storm. When she limped over to Ivan¡¯s vi, Ivan called Kieran in front of her. Then he


    deliberately caused a misunderstanding. She was going to exin, but then Kieran suddenly


    announced that he was going on a business trip and asked her to look after Ivan for two months.


    Were all these coincidences part of his n?


    Julie looked at Kieran with suspicion, and Kieran in front of her didn¡¯t deny anything. He simply


    epted it.


    ¡°So from the start, I was living ording to your n, huh?¡± Julie¡¯s eyes flickered, looking somewhat


    dangerous.


    Kieran seriously considered this question, ¡°Not entirely.¡±


    Julie suddenly felt there were many issues between her and the man in front of her that needed to be


    resolved.


    ¡°The day I was helping Daphne photograph Elliot Sanches, when I came out, there was a taxi right


    there, and you were in it. Was that a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°I and the taxi driver waited for you at the door for a good half hour. Do you think that was a


    coincidence?¡± Kieran lifted his hand from Julie¡¯s side and sat next to her on the bed with his long legs


    crossed, admitting everything frankly.


    ¡°Then there was the time Edda Flores set me up on a blind date. The time I met Jeremy Ford.¡±


    ¡°How do you still remember his name?¡± The man turned his head as his imprable gaze fixed on


    her.


    This wasn¡¯t the point; it seemed like another one of his traps.


    ¡°And the time I identally bumped your car with Adeline Sanches¡¯s car?¡± Julie asked again.


    ¡°Babe, you really need to brush up on your driving skills.¡± He gently patted her head and said with a


    serious tone.


    It seemed that the car ident wasn¡¯t intentionally nned. Julie thought that she might be


    overthinking things. Kieran wouldn¡¯t do something that dangerous.


    ¡°You definitely did that on purpose at the school celebration!¡± Julie was talking about the dinner party


    where they yed rock-paper-scissors and she lost badly.


    She asked, ¡°Was it because of you that I can get into Porter¡¯spany?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t me everything on me. Wasn¡¯t it Daphne who pulled the strings for you?¡±


    Julie thought for a moment; it seemed like that was indeed the case.


    ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m telling you seriously, don¡¯t set up traps like this again!¡± Julie said sternly, pointing her


    slender index finger at his nose.


    He caught her white finger and hid it under the covers, ¡°Are you done with your questions? Can I ask


    you one now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡±


    Under the covers, Kieran let go of Julie¡¯s finger and intertwined his fingers with hers. This time Julie


    didn¡¯t avoid him but nced at Kieran and then silently withdrew her gaze, waiting for him to start


    asking.


    His other hand suddenly reached over, gently pinched her chin, and made her face him, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss


    that question you and Daphne were just talking about.¡±


    Was he referring to the question about emotional and physical cheating?


    Julie took the opportunity to withdraw her hand, which was just tightly sped with his, crossed her


    arms over her chest, and didn¡¯t n to give him another chance to hold her hand.


    Just as Kieran was a bit stunned, Julie proudly responded, ¡°Is there a need to discuss this question?¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a need for discussion?¡± Kieran pulled her into his arms, making her rest on hisp.


    He lowered his head, quietly staring at her clear and proud eyes, ¡°Tell me, what do you think?¡±


    Leaning against him gave her a sense of security.


    After a day of exhaustion, it was nice to have a shoulder to lean on. Julie didn¡¯t sit up but looked up at


    him and said, ¡°That time at Majestic Peaks International Hotel, when I sold the condom¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment, organized her words, and then continued, ¡°That woman in the ckce


    nightgown, the one who made me demonstrate how to put on a condom, isn¡¯t she the answer to the


    question?¡±


    He gently smiled at her, ¡°I admit. That was a trap.¡±


    Julie wanted to skip this question, so she asked, ¡°Is it my turn to ask you now?¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything else you want to ask?¡± His slender fingers stroked her smooth hair as he asked


    her.


    This was a question that had bothered Julie for a long time, ¡°Are you really a lightweight?¡±


    In the past, Julie had never seen Kieran drink. When Lucian Hernandez was in charge, Kieran didn¡¯t


    need to socialize. After Kieran took over, he managed to abstain from drinking. Therefore, Julie didn¡¯t


    know about Kieran¡¯s tolerance, but he recently got drunk twice, and Julie happened to be there both


    times.


    The first time was when she hit his car, and he shamelessly climbed into her bed. Although he didn¡¯t do


    anything excessive, his behavior was definitely unreasonable.


    The other time was in front of Dr. Brice; he was in so much pain that he called her ¡®wife¡¯ in front of Dr.


    Brice.


    Kieran seriously responded, ¡°Not so good.¡±


    ¡°Kieran.¡± She grabbed his hand, then turned over and sat up, straightened her body, and sat face to


    face with him, looking seriously at him, ¡°No matter what happens in the future, don¡¯t hide things from


    me. I don¡¯t want to be the person who¡¯s kept in the dark.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he seriously replied to her, ¡°Okay¡±


    ¡°So, what else have you been hiding from me?¡±


    He was silent for two seconds, then said, ¡°I was pretending to be drunk those two times.¡±


    What an annoying man!


    ¡°Anything else?¡± She asked.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    Chapter 189


    Julie realized she shouldn¡¯t pry into what Kieran was hiding from her because the answer might give


    her insomnia tonight. So she decided to ask the question she¡¯d always wanted to know.


    ¡°So, if Ivan survived, how¡¯s Bertha Stewart¡¯s kid?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She¡¯d always wanted to know the answer to this but never had the nerve to ask. After all, Bertha¡¯s child


    was Lucian¡¯s only kid, and Kieran had once said that he¡¯d treat the child as his own. So, if the kid


    hadn¡¯t survived, it would have been a deep blow to Kieran too.


    Kieran had been waiting for Julie to ask this question because that kid was like a thorn in her heart.


    Only if she asked him directly would he tell her the answer without hesitation.


    He pulled out his phone, opened his photo album, and found a picture to show Julie.


    In the picture, there was a little boy wearing a ck hoodie. He was as tall as Ivan, sitting on a floor full


    of puzzles, staring nkly at Animal on TV. His long eyshes shadowed a pair of deep ck


    eyes that seemed mncholic beyond his years.


    ¡°Phoebe Hernandez.¡± He said.


    ¡°Phoebe.¡± Julie repeated softly, her fingers gently tracing the child¡¯s picture, seemingly lost in thought.


    He knew she was pondering why Bertha named the child Phoebe.


    Then it dawned on Julie. ¡°Where is the kid now?¡±


    Bertha hadmitted suicide by jumping off a building. The cause of her death was still under


    investigation. Lucian was a dangerous man and was incapable of taking care of a child. If the kid


    wasn¡¯t with Kieran, where could he be?


    ¡°Switzend.¡± Kieran said, ¡°Bertha wanted Phoebe to be with Cami Stewart. Phoebe was sent to


    Switzend right after she was born.¡±


    Cami was Bertha¡¯s sister, or, in other words, Phoebe¡¯s aunt. It made sense for Bertha to decide to let


    Cami take care of Phoebe.


    Whenever Julie thought of Phoebe, she thought of Lucian.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t found Lucian?¡± She asked with worry.


    While looking at Julie¡¯s frowning face, Kieran gently stroked her cheek but eventually shook his head.


    All he could say to her was, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know the moment there¡¯s any news about Lucian.¡±


    ¡°Promise you¡¯re not lying to me?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    Julie stuck out her pinky finger. Even though it was a childish gesture, Kieran still hooked his pinky with


    hers. ¡°You know, you can¡¯t always trust a man¡¯s


    words in bed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that!¡± Sheughed, pulling back her hand with a smile on her face. ¡°All I know is that if a


    man lies to a woman in her bed, it might be easier for him tond on the moon than get back in her


    bed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating space technology.¡± He pulled her into his arms as he yfully raised an


    eyebrow. ¡°I suddenly remembered a saying.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She asked casually as she yed with his fingers.


    ¡°Experience is the mother of wisdom.¡± He answered.


    Before Julie could figure out what he meant, he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you test me? After you¡¯ve recovered


    from your ordeal, I¡¯ll prove to you whether or not I¡¯ve cheated on you physically. What do you say?¡±.


    The room fell silent.


    ¡°It started raining.¡± She suddenly let go of his hand, pointing to the heavy rain outside. That was a


    unique way to change the subject.


    His face seemed to ask, ¡®It¡¯s raining, so what?¡¯


    As Julie was staring at him, she randomly grabbed her phone from the bedside table, found Daphne¡¯s


    number, and said, ¡°It¡¯s pouring heavily outside, and Daphne might not have an umbre. I wonder if


    she¡¯s reached home. I should give her a call.¡±


    1


    With that, she dialed Daphne¡¯s number with a serious look on her face.


    The phone rang a few times before it was answered.


    ¡°Daphne, are you home yet?¡± She asked with concern.


    Daphne nced at Lionel, who was driving, and twitched the corner of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m home; I¡¯ve been


    home; stop worrying about me and rest well. I¡¯ll pick you up from the hospital tomorrow.¡±


    With that, Daphne hung up without waiting for Julie¡¯s response.


    It had started raining when she left the hospital.


    Daphne had only remembered that she was penniless when she walked out of the hospital door. Julie¡¯s


    sudden kidnapping that day had left her in a hurry to reach the old factory at Enchanted Pathway for an


    ambush. All she had with her was her phone and nothing else.


    As it was raining, she was debating whether to go back and ask Mr. Hernandez for a favor when a


    ck Passat suddenly stopped in front of her. Daphne hadn¡¯t seen this car before, so she curiously


    stared into the dark window, only for it to be rolled down unexpectedly.


    She was shocked to see the man in the driver¡¯s seat. Who else could it be but Lionel?


    No exaggeration, Daphne almost ran into the rain, pretending not to see the man in the car. Her acting


    was worthy of an Oscar.


    But obviously, the owner of the car had no intention of letting her escape like that and swerved the car


    in front of her.


    Daphne¡¯s heart pounded in fright, but sheposed herself, pretending as if nothing had happened,


    and continued to walk in the rain.


    Knowing that Daphne was determined to avoid him, Mr. Lionel was not in a hurry. He just drove his car,


    following Daphne at a leisurely pace.


    It was weird to see a person and a car slowly moving forward on the road in the dark night.


    Daphne had a strong feeling that if she didn¡¯t get in the car, this patient man would follow her all the


    way home.


    Luckily, Tranquil Care Hospital was not far from her single apartment. So Daphne just kept on


    pretending that she had no idea who was in the car tailing her and sprinted all the way back to her


    ce.


    But then disaster struck.


    She showed up at her apartment door looking like a drowned rat, and only when she was about to dig


    for her keys in her bag did she have the sudden realization, ¡°Oh crap, my bag is still¡­¡±


    Yes, her bag was still at Lionel¡¯s ce.


    At this point, Lionel casually rolled down his car window again and looked at the woman standing at the


    apartment door with a troubled face, ¡°Did you leave your keys at my ce? Daphne, you¡¯re really lucky


    that I happened to drive by, or else you might be spending the night on the streets!¡±


    Daphne was amazed at how easily Mr. Lionel could lie. She responded grumpily, ¡°You¡¯ve been


    following me all the way, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    After she said this, she regretted it.


    ¡°You realized that I was following you, and yet you still didn¡¯t get in the car? Did you really forget your


    keys at my ce, or were you nning to let me see you homeless and then kindly take you to a


    hotel?¡± His eyes were sparkling and his longshes were quivering slightly, carrying a hint of danger


    that literally made her heart race.


    Daphne forced a smile at Lionel, ¡°Even if I were homeless, I definitely wouldn¡¯t bother you to get a


    room; you can rest assured about that!¡±


    ¡°So who are you nning to bother then? Mr. Watson?¡±


    Why did his words give her a sense of unease?


    ¡°How could that be? Mr. Watson is Dr. Ladd¡¯s guy, how could I possibly have anything to do with him?¡±


    Daphne had just finished saying this when she suddenly realized that what was her rtionship with


    Lionel? Why did she have to exin this to Lionel?


    While Daphne was in a daze, Lionel pushed the passenger side door open from the inside.


    ¡°Get in! Your stuff is taking up space at my ce.¡±


    Daphne looked at Lionel¡¯s handsome profile and pondered for a moment before realizing that she was


    being slighted. So she still didn¡¯t get in the car.


    ¡°Are you waiting for me to haul you in?¡±


    Daphne felt wronged. She was hoping for a handsome man to carry her into the car, not to be hauled in


    like some cargo. She felt this was unfair.


    ¡°Could you please have your assistant send my bag over tomorrow?! I don¡¯t want to disturb youte at


    night.¡± Daphne said weakly, now keeping Lionel at arm¡¯s length. Although she really wanted to get her


    stuff back, she rationally decided to keep her distance.


    Lionel was a very patient man, so he patiently said, ¡°My assistant is not your assistant. Does he also


    have to take responsibility for delivering your luggage? Are you going to pay half his sry?¡±


    Daphne would have to be nuts to confront Mr. Lionel head-on.


    She stood under the eaves, looking at him somewhat innocently, and said, ¡°I¡¯m all wet. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll


    dirty your car.¡±


    Innocent Daphne really didn¡¯t realize the other implications of this sentence, nor did she realize how


    likeable her innocent and pathetic look was.


    Not until Lionel¡¯s gaze fixed on her chest, and then he kindly reminded her, ¡°Daphne, ck underwear


    is very sexy.¡±


    ¡°You pervert!¡± Daphne immediately covered her chest with her hands, ¡°Where the hell are you


    looking?¡±


    Lionel nced at the passenger seat, ¡°Daphne, if you don¡¯t hurry up and get in, I¡¯m going to be all wet


    too. Hurry up!¡±

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    Chapter 190


    In the end, Daphne decided to hop in Lionel¡¯s car because he threatened her, saying, ¡°You can get in


    the car and pack your stuff yourself, or I¡¯ll have Skyler Rex toss your stuff out.¡±


    Skyler is Mr. Lionel¡¯s assistant. Daphne gave Lionel a cute look and asked, ¡°Can you give me Skyler¡¯s


    phone number?¡±


    ¡°If you call me in an intimate way, such as Lion, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Lionel responded with a teasing grin,


    looking quite devilish. Without another word, Daphne opened the door, sat in the passenger seat, and


    buckled her seatbelt.


    How much did she not want to call him? Wasn¡¯t she pretty chummy with Skyler?


    ¡°Got your tongue?¡± Lionel wasn¡¯t about to let the topic slide. He didn¡¯t start the car, but instead turned


    to Daphne.


    Daphne gave a fake smile and said, ¡°In my mind, you¡¯re like a god. Casually calling you by your name


    would totally diminish your status!¡±


    ¡°Then call me ¡®Mr. Ideal.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ideal!¡± Daphne called out in a low voice.


    Only then did Mr. Lionel start the car, satisfied.


    Lionel¡¯s apartment had left a deep impression on Daphne, so when she stepped foot in the room, her


    legs were shaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you!¡± Lionel opened the shoe cab and handed Daphne a pair of pink slippers.


    Daphne remembered there were no women¡¯s slippers in the house that morning, and she could tell


    these were new..


    Seeing Daphne staring at the slippers, Mr. Lionel smirked, ¡°I bought these for you. Feeling touched?¡±


    Daphne wasn¡¯t about to tell Lionel that she was staring at the slippers because she was thinking about


    how much effort Lionel put into trying to move her. She viewed him as a typical maniptive man.


    Being someone with integrity, Daphne wasn¡¯t easily swayed by sweet talk. So, she said, ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m


    so moved!¡± but she told herself not to believe a word from this man.


    Seeing through Daphne¡¯s insincere ttery, Lionel caught the wariness in her eyes.


    Just as Daphne was about to walk further into the house, Lionel blocked her way.


    They were too close, so Daphne could smell his cologne, the same scent as his bedsheets. The smell


    reminded her of their past intimacy.


    So, she stepped back, pressing her back against the door.


    Lionel bent down, leaning his hand against the door next to Daphne¡¯s head.


    Lionel was tall, tall enough to envelop Daphne in his arms. Daphne saw this as a dangerous move, so


    she didn¡¯t dare look up. She knew if she did, he might mistake it for her being cute.


    But, Daphne not looking up didn¡¯t mean Lionel was going to let her off.


    He lifted her chin, forcing her to look up. Daphne¡¯s heart raced, before she could say anything, she


    heard him ask, ¡°Daphne, have you ever been dumped?¡±


    She wished she had been.


    Before she could answer, he started talking to himself, ¡°Am I not your only man? Were your previous


    rtionships only emotional? Or were you dumped before you could get to know the other guy?¡±


    She found that when this man was silent, he seemed like a yboy. But when he opened his mouth,


    she wanted to punch him! His ¡®get to know¡¯ was too suggestive!


    ¡°How did you figure out that I¡¯ve been dumped before?¡± She red at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been


    the one getting dumped!¡±


    Facing this quick-witted woman, Lionel found himself speechless for the first time.


    He let go of Daphne¡¯s face, took a step back, and looked at her solemnly, ¡°You didn¡¯t get what you


    wanted because you deserve better.¡±


    This solemn and slightly mncholic Lionel was new to Daphne. She felt he wasn¡¯t trying tofort


    her, but himself.


    Under the dim light, he seemed to be surrounded by a glow, reminding Daphne of his appearance


    under the spotlight. But few people really knew the story behind the star Daphne knew about Lionel¡¯s


    past rtionship with Albertine, how they didn¡¯t end up together, and that Albertine was now happy.


    While the man adored by countless fans shone in the spotlight, no one knew how he got over that


    rtionship.


    All Daphne knew was that after he broke up with Albertine, he took a whole year off. She would never


    tell Lionel that she was always checking his social media. During his break, she asionally saw his


    posts, pictures of him around the world.


    Back then, she thought Albertine was just one of his many girlfriends. But then, he never had another


    rumored girlfriend, and without the rumors, he focused on his acting career and quietly rose to


    superstar status.


    Lionel was sessful and well-off, while Daphne was just a journalist and a fan. She remembered


    jokingly discussing with Julie that the ideal love story was like her former boss via and Kenton


    Jenkins, who, after hardship, reunited and lived happily ever after. A tragic love story, she thought, was


    like Lionel and Ms. Albertine¡¯s.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    At that time, Julie didn¡¯t know about Lionel and Albertine¡¯s situation, so she asked Daphne, ¡°Lionel and


    Ms. Albertine broke up, and does that mean their love was a tragedy?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°Nah, the real tragedy is that he became a better man for her, but she ended


    up marrying someone else. Isn¡¯t that tragic?*


    Julie nodded that time, and Daphne felt pretty pleased with her point.


    Back then, Daphne never thought she¡¯d end up with the guy they often talked about, let alone share a


    tiny space with him.


    After a moment of silence, Daphne suddenly looked up at Lionel and boldly asked, ¡°Why did you break


    up with Ms. Albertine?¡±


    As an onlooker, Daphne thought Ms. Albertine was quite a catch, a bit blunt, but if Daphne were a guy,


    she¡¯d totally spoil her.


    Daphne was nervous after asking the question, especially when she saw Lionel¡¯s gaze deepening. She


    realized how foolish a question it was. But the cat was out of the bag now, and there was no taking it


    back.


    She cautiously watched Lionel¡¯s deep eyes, and softly said, ¡°Sorry, you don¡¯t have to answer that.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t break up.¡± Just as Daphne thought Lionel wouldn¡¯t answer, he suddenly cut her off. His deep


    gaze fell on her pale face and said, ¡°We just missed each other.¡±


    His love story with Ms. Albertine was always about missed chances. When she had a crush on him, he


    was still living the life, treating her as his best agent and friend. When he realized her feelings, he


    hesitated and backed off. When he finally decided he wanted to be with her, she had given up and


    moved on.


    So they always missed each other.


    Lionel took a deep breath, turned to Daphne and said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired, I won¡¯t walk you home. It¡¯ste so


    you might not get a cab here. You can stay here tonight and leave tomorrow. If you want, you can stay


    in my room, I can share half of the bed, or you can stay in the guest room.¡±


    Before he could finish, Daphne rushed to the guest room like she was shot from a cannon, thanking


    Lionel for his hospitality on her way.


    ¡°Being a t-chested has advantages since at least no one can say you¡¯re a bimbo.¡± With that, Lionel


    gracefully retreated into his bedroom.


    Left alone, Daphne almost burned a hole through the master bedroom door with her gaze, ¡°Who are


    you calling t-chested, you jerk!¡±


    Daphne returned to her room, locked the door, and patted her chest in relief. Then she felt she might


    be overthinking it. After all, she was the one who initiated the contact with Mr. Lionel, was she really


    worried he would retaliate?


    She looked down at her own chest, and self-mockingly said, ¡°Daphne, you¡¯re not too bright, are you?¡±


    The next morning, Daphne was on her way to pick up Julie from the hospital as agreed, but got a call


    from Julie saying she had already arrived at Noblewood Retreat.


    ¡°Daphne,e straight to Noblewood Retreat! I have something to ask you.¡± Julie told Daphne on the


    phone.


    Daphne felt Julie¡¯s tone was a bit serious, and she had no idea what she wanted to ask. So she had no


    choice but to take a cab to see Julie.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    Chapter 191


    When Daphne arrived at Noblewood Retreat, it was just mealtime.


    Watching Julie¡¯s family of three in their happy bubble, she couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelming warm, as


    if she was even happier than Julie herself. Because of Julie¡¯s poor health. Shannon made squid soup


    and all the dishes were nutrition-focused. Kieran was helping Julie serve the soup and Julie looked up


    and said, ¡°If I keep eating like this, I¡¯m gonna turn into a pig.¡±


    ¡°Kerry likes eating pork.¡± Ivan wiggled his utensils and innocently replied.


    This was actually the first time Daphne had met this little guy. She¡¯d always heard Julie talk about this


    clever and lively boy. Due to special circumstances yesterday, she only caught a glimpse of Ivan before


    he was taken away by Julien. Looking at him now, Daphne couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Little guy, you¡¯re


    super handsome!¡±


    Hearing thepliment, Ivan replied without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s definitely because my parents have


    good genes. You¡¯re pretty too, Daphne. Find a handsome partner and you¡¯ll have smart and cute kids.¡±


    ¡°My little cutie, how can I like you so much!¡± Saying this, Daphne bent down and nted a kiss on the


    boy¡¯s face.


    Although the little boy wiped his face with a slightly annoyed expression, he still kept a smile and said,


    ¡°It might be because I¡¯m handsome that you like me.¡±


    ¡°Your parents aren¡¯t narcissists. Where did you learn to be so full of yourself?¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t help


    butugh at Ivan¡¯s words, feeling extremely happy.


    Julie chuckled and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s in his blood.¡±


    Daphne looked at Julie and asked, ¡°You mentioned on the phone that you had something to ask me?¡±


    Julie¡¯s tone on the phone had been very serious, which made Daphne worry all the way.


    Upon mentioning this, Julie¡¯s lips curved into a gentle smile, ¡°I just wanted to ask, would you like to


    have a son?¡±


    Hearing Julie¡¯s words, Daphne quickly clutched her stomach, ¡°No way! Don¡¯t jinx me!¡±


    When Julie asked this question, the first person that came to Daphne¡¯s mind was Lionel.


    Seeing Daphne¡¯s somewhat exaggerated reaction, Julie squinted and looked at Daphne meaningfully,


    as if forcing her to admit what had happened between her and Lionel.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m feeling bitter!¡± Ivan¡¯s soft and pitiful voice suddenly rang in Daphne¡¯s ear.


    Daphne turned to look at the tomato in Ivan¡¯s bowl and asked, ¡°How can a tomato be bitter?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    11


    ¡°It¡¯s my heart that¡¯s bitter!¡± The little boy put on a grown-up tone and sighed, ¡°Ah, my mom originally


    wanted you to be my godmother, but you said you didn¡¯t want a son.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Daphne quickly interrupted Ivan and turned to Julie, ¡°You should¡¯ve made it clear! I didn¡¯t say


    I didn¡¯t want a godson. Such a clever and handsome son, I would dream of having! I want to be his


    godmother right now!¡±


    She turned excitedly to Ivan, ¡°Sweetie, regard me as your godmother! I¡¯ll give you a reward!¡±


    All Julie could do was marvel at how quickly Daphne¡¯s mood changed.


    Julie gave her a sidelong nce and asked subtly, ¡°So when you said so emphatically that you didn¡¯t


    want a son, did you really not want a son, or did you just not want to have a certain someone¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t quite catch that! I¡¯m gonna call my mom right now!¡± Without even finishing her meal,


    Daphne put down her utensils, took out her phone and dialed Edda¡¯s number.


    The phone was answered after two rings, ¡°Oh, you still remember your own mother?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said I was picked up from a trash can?¡± Daphne replied weakly, then quickly


    changed the subject, ¡°Mrs. Flores, I actually have something I need your advice on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m broke!¡±


    Daphne had her phone on speaker, and Julieughed when she heard Edda¡¯s voice. They were always


    teasing each other. Julie had gotten used to their dynamic and even found it quite warm.


    ¡°Do I look like I need money, seriously?¡±


    ¡°I know my own daughter. You¡¯re not short of money, you¡¯re short of love. Tell me, when are you


    coming home to go on a blind date?¡± The conversation smoothly transitioned to the topic of blind


    dating, which was exactly what Daphne had anticipated.


    ¡°Mrs. Flores, why do you think I called you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve got a screw loose! Ace of hearts!¡±


    Daphne finally realized that Edda was ying poker on the other end of the line. What a popr


    pastime.


    Daphne lowered her voice and said to Edda, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for dating right now, can we drop this


    subject?¡±


    ¡°You may not have time for dating now, but you¡¯ll eventually have to go on blind dates. You¡¯ll learn the


    hard way. You¡¯re so stubborn.¡± Edda¡¯s tone became increasingly excited. Then Daphne heard the


    person on the other end of the line say, ¡°I just remembered that there¡¯s a young man in my son¡¯s


    company who¡¯s pretty good. He works in the natural gas industry. His parents run a small business,


    and he¡¯s about the right age to get married. I heard he¡¯s looking for a partner! Daphne, maybe you


    could meet him when you have time? It¡¯s always good to meet young people. If you hit it off, great; if


    not, no harm done.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, you never know with these things, maybe it¡¯ll be love at first sight?¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s always better to find someone you know, so she won¡¯t end up with some unreliable guy and


    get cheated.¡±


    ¡°We mothers don¡¯t expect our daughters to live a luxurious life, but at the very least, they should marry


    someone dependable, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The woman who suggested Daphne go on a blind date spoke up again, ¡°Exactly! If she gets a difficult


    mother-inw, she will suffer a lot. Nowadays, children are the apple of their parents¡¯ eye, so they are


    pampered and spoiled. How could they stand being bullied?¡±


    Daphne suddenly had Lionel¡¯s parents on her mind. Even though Lionel never openly admitted


    anything about his parents, there were lots of whispers and rumors suggesting he was a silver spooner.


    Having witnessed theplicated love affair between Kieran and Julie, Daphne now had an instinctive


    dislike towards rich kids. Whenever she heard about impossible mother-inws on the other end of the


    phone, she suddenly realized, what did it matter to her whether Lionel was a rich kid or not?


    ¡°Mom, enough already. Just tell me when the blind date is, I promise I¡¯ll show up on time, okay?¡± On a


    whim, Daphne shot back at Edda on the other end of the line.


    Edda was so surprised that she even forgot about her poker game. After confirming that it was indeed


    Daphne on the phone, she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Daphne said, ¡°I called to ask you, what do I need to do to be a godmother?¡±


    ¡°Spruce yourself up, make sure to invite family and friends properly, arrange a meal, and the


    godmother also needs to prepare a set of clothes and a gift for the child. If the child is still young, some


    jewelry like bracelets can be prepared. It would be best if the child also prepared a set of clothes for the


    elders.¡±


    After saying all this, Edda asked Daphne, ¡°Who are you going to be the godmother for? Didn¡¯t you say


    you would only be the godmother for Julie¡¯s child in this lifetime? You can¡¯t go back on your word! If you


    be someone else¡¯s godmother, Julie will be so upset.¡±


    Over the years. Edda¡¯s concern for Julie had even surpassed that for Daphne.


    Julie stood up, took the phone and said to Edda on the other end with a smile, ¡°Edda, it¡¯s my son.¡±


    Edda on the other end of the phone was obviously still not getting it, and was silent for a while. Daphne


    immediately took the phone and said to Edda, ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you slowly when I get home. You should


    worry about my blind date first! I¡¯m free recently, so it¡¯s best to arrange it as soon as possible! I¡¯ll bring


    my godson home to show you!¡± Without another word, Daphne hung up the phone. Then she turned to


    Julie and said, ¡°No need to make it soplicated, let¡¯s keep it simple. I¡¯ll buy a nice set of clothes for


    my godson and prepare some gifts.¡±


    It was only after saying this that Daphne realized that Kieran, the child¡¯s father, was standing behind


    Julie. So she looked at Kieran with a smile, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    Since Julie had made the decision after discussing with Kieran the night before, she naturally didn¡¯t


    need to worry about Kieran objecting. But at this moment, instead of answering for Kieran, she turned


    to look at Kieran along with Daphne, wondering how he would respond.


    Kieran walked over and stood beside Julie, gently putting his arm around her shoulders. Then he said


    to Daphne, ¡°My wife has spoken, aside from me, everything in our family can be shared with you.¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran with surprise, not expecting him to respect her wishes so much.


    Daphne shook her head, went back to Ivan, picked up a te of nuts and offered it to the child, ¡°Here,


    have some snacks!¡±


    Ivan scooped up a nut with a spoon and handed it to Daphne, ¡°Godmother, you eat first. Kerry says we


    should respect our parents.¡±


    Daphne silently looked at Ivan, then she ate the nuts.


    Finally agreeing to go on a blind date, Edda was extremely excited and immediately started making


    arrangements. Not long after Daphne hung up the phone, Edda called back, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged everything


    for you. Tomorrow noon, at the Seaside Hotel. I¡¯ll send you the guy¡¯s details.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Daphne didn¡¯t even finish her sentence before an overzealous Edda hung


    up.


    Julie, on the other hand, wore a smug look, ¡°Great timing! Tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll take Ivan to buy your


    clothes first, then you go on your date at noon, and I¡¯ll pick you up in the afternoon toe back


    together.¡±

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Chapter 192


    Daphne figured Julie was just talking smack, but she did indeed invite her to stay the night.


    Because of Julie¡¯s ident yesterday, Daphne straight up asked herpany for annual leave. The


    interview she did with Lionel sold out as soon as it hit the inte, which got the editor-in-chief pretty


    stoked. So, they gave her the go-ahead for the leave.


    Daphne always worked her butt off. Pretty much every year, she didn¡¯t take her leave and just cashed it


    in for a bonus. But this time she decided to give herself a break and took a whole week off. So, she


    agreed to crash at Julie¡¯s ce tonight.


    After dinner, Kieran holed up in his study, leaving Julie, Daphne, and Ivan watching TV in the living


    room.


    Ivan was seriously studying his ABCs. Daphne looked at Ivan and asked Julie, ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, and


    he¡¯s already hitting the books this hard?¡±


    Julie shook her head. ¡°We just follow his interests. If he likes it, we support it, and if he doesn¡¯t, we


    don¡¯t push it.¡±


    Daphne admired, ¡°You¡¯re a genius mom. You handle everything so well.¡± Ever since Daphne met Ivan,


    he had grown on her.


    Julie got up to use the bathroom.


    Ivan suddenly put down his iPad and called out to Daphne, ¡°Godmother Daphne!¡±


    Daphne turned to look at Ivan. His voice was so soft and sweet, it melted her heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, kiddo?¡± Daphne moved over and hugged Ivan.


    ¡°Do you know who Julien is?¡± Ivan asked suddenly.


    Daphne was surprised, wondering why Ivan would bring up Julien.


    Ivan thought Daphne was having trouble remembering who Julien was, so he quickly exined, ¡°You


    know, the short-haired woman who always wears ck. She¡¯s gorgeous and a total badass. Don¡¯t you


    know her?¡±


    Daphne replied, ¡°Yeah, I know her. But why are you asking about the queen?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ivan nodded, ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s the queen. The kind of woman who holds a scepter and


    is super powerful?¡±


    Daphne thought for a moment. Her impression of Julien did indeed match that of a strong woman, a


    type she admired. There were three kinds of women she admired: powerful women like Julien who


    seemed capable of ruling the world, beauties like Adeline who could dazzle you with a mere blink of an


    eye, and women like Julie. Julie didn¡¯t have the aura of a powerful woman, nor the extreme beauty of


    Adeline, but she had a special charm. She had the ability to make Kieran pamper her unconditionally,


    which made her seem like she deserved the best of everything in the world.


    Compared to them, she was just in Jane.


    She reached over and stroked Ivan¡¯s adorable face, ¡°Julien is the kind of woman who can be a badass


    even without a scepter. Because if she wanted to, she could create a world of her own. But you may


    not understand that yet. Just know that Julien is an incredibly attractive and charismatic woman.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be my godmother,¡± Ivan suddenly said, looking very serious.


    Even though Ivan was still a kid, he was so serious when he spoke. It was like looking at a mini Kieran.


    Daphne, a little puzzled, nced at Ivan, ¡°But Julien would be your godmother. She¡¯s your mom¡¯s


    friend.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me how to contact her?¡± Ivan asked Daphne hopefully.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°Not unless you tell me why you don¡¯t want Julien to be your godmother.¡±


    Ivan seemed to be contemting whether or not to tell Daphne the reason.


    Daphne was clear about Ivan¡¯s reaction. She said firmly, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the reason, I definitely


    won¡¯t tell you Julien¡¯s contact info. I won¡¯t just spill her beans!¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± It seemed Ivan really wanted Julien¡¯s contact info.


    He looked at Daphne earnestly and said, ¡°Because I want to marry her! How can I let her be my


    godmother?¡±


    Daphne was still reeling from the shock when she heard Kieran¡¯s voice from behind the couch, ¡°If you


    want to marry Julien, you need to get the green light from your godfather.¡± Julie had juste out of


    the bathroom and overheard their serious discussion.


    She walked over to Kieran, ¡°Ivan¡¯s godfather is Hayden, right?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Hayden?¡± Daphne asked.


    Julie replied, ¡°Hayden Simson.¡±


    Daphne gave Ivan a serious pat on the shoulder, ¡°Sorry kiddo, but I can¡¯t help you with this one.¡±


    She took Ivan¡¯s phone, typed in Julien¡¯s number and said, ¡°Here¡¯s Julien¡¯s number. As your godmother,


    this is as far as I can help.¡±


    After that, Daphne and Shannon headed to the guest room.


    ¡°Julien will eventually be your another godmother, now off to bed,¡± Kieran said. He then asked


    Julie as they walked hand in hand towards their room, ¡°Are we sleeping in your room or the master


    bedroom?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Definitely the master bedroom,¡± he responded.


    Julie nodded, ¡°Alright then. You sleep in the master bedroom. It¡¯s settled.¡±


    The crafty woman spun on her heel and went into her room.


    Kieran stood at the door with a smile, then turned to open the door to the master bedroom, grabbed his


    bathrobe, and headed for the bathroom. He didn¡¯t push to follow Julie into her room.


    In fact, Julie¡¯s bedroom door was not even locked. It wasn¡¯t until ten minutester, when there was no


    sound of Kieran opening the door, that Julie turned to go to the bathroom. However, when she came


    out, she found that Kieran had already made himselffortable on her bed.


    Julie wasn¡¯t surprised. As she dried her hair, she asked, ¡°What are you doing on my bed?¡±


    ¡°Warming it up for you, and waiting for you to get in,¡± he replied nonchntly.


    Julie nced at the room¡¯s air conditioner, ¡°The room¡¯s warm enough as it is. What if I don¡¯t need the


    bed warmed?¡±


    ¡°I feel cold,¡± he confessed.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You should see a doctor for that.¡±


    ¡°What if I feel lonely?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense,¡± Julie said, sitting on the edge of the bed drying her hair.


    Kieran suddenly sat up, pushing the quilts off him. He pressed the button that connected the two


    rooms, and then turned to leave.


    ¡°So, Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re just gonna warm up the bed and bail?¡± Julie was surprised by Kieran¡¯s


    abrupt move. She tossed him a question while drying her hair.


    He paused, turned back and said, ¡°Go to sleep, babe.¡±


    Julie stared at his retreating figure, baffled. ¡°Kieran, are you just trying to tease me?¡±


    The phrase ¡°tease¡± was spot on. Kieran turned back again, ¡°Stop provoking me. You¡¯re still recovering.


    I don¡¯t want to overdo it.¡±


    His words were filled with ambiguity.


    ¡°Then get out of here!¡± Julie chucked a towel at him and burrowed under the covers, wrapping herself


    up like a cute burrito.


    Kieran chuckled and went back to his room. Julie peeped out from under the covers, watching Kieran.


    Rather than getting into bed, he was rummaging around in the dark.


    Just as she was about to ask what he was doing, he came back with a medical bag.


    Under her intense gaze, he sat on her bed, took out two tubes of ointment from the bag, unscrewed the


    tops and pulled her fair arm out from the covers.


    Julie then realized he was going to apply medicine on her.


    ¡°You got all your wounds wet in the shower, and you didn¡¯t even flinch. You¡¯re tough.¡± He scolded her in


    an affectionate tone.


    Julie knew this wasn¡¯t apliment.


    She wordlessly held out her arm, watching him as he carefully examined her wound. Suddenly, she felt


    that this man truly cared for her.


    ¡°Do you remember when I got hit by a basketball in sophomore year?¡± Julie asked, looking at Kieran.


    Kieran nodded. Back then, Julie had volunteered to be the school basketball team¡¯s manager just to


    get closer to Kieran.


    She said, ¡°I still remember that the guy who hit me was named Peyton Tyler. He was nicknamed


    Peanut, remember?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°You were knocked out cold, but you have a good memory.¡±


    Why did she feel like Mr. Hernandez was hinting at something?


    ¡°This is a deep-seated memory, okay?¡± She said seriously.


    He teased, ¡°Why is it so memorable? Because of Peyton?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Because that was her first real contact with him.


    Julie didn¡¯t say it out loud, but as she thought about it, her cheeks turned red, reminded of her innocent


    and sweet high school days.


    ¡°Yes, because of Peyton!¡± Julie gave Kieran a small smile. Peyton was from their high school, but not


    from their ss. She reminisced, ¡°I heard Peanut got into Harvard. I always thought he¡¯d continue


    ying basketball.¡±


    ¡°If he did, god knows how many people he would¡¯ve injured, considering he had a habit of chucking


    balls at people¡¯s chests.¡±

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    Chapter 193


    Yeah, what Peanut did was totally out of the blue, he just bumped into Julie Abraham¡¯s chest out of


    nowhere.


    Kieran Hernandez said to Julie, all serious like, ¡°Maybe your chest is t because¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Julie looked up at Kieran. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you still have a chance to find a woman with bigger


    boobs and a better feel. Trust me, there are enough women willing to marry you that they could line up


    all the way to France.¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°I prefer how it is now. Having a petite wife is not a bad thing.¡± He seemed a bit


    reluctant.


    He was totally different from the man who risked his life strapping a bomb to himself for her.


    1


    Julie kept her smile, ¡°That¡¯s your problem. You should have chosen not to get married again after your


    divorce, but you chose this difficult path.¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Maybe because people do stupid things when they¡¯re confused.¡± He carefully treated


    Julie¡¯s arm that was hurt by the rope.


    Julie pulled her hand back, ¡°So getting back with me is a stupid thing?¡±


    Kieran responded, ¡°I am willing to do stupid things.¡± He pulled her arm back again, continuing to apply


    the medicine.


    Julie was silent for a while, but couldn¡¯t help but ask Kieran, ¡°Did you mean what you just said?¡±


    Kieran obviously didn¡¯t understand Julie¡¯s question, ¡°What?¡±


    Julie looked down at her chest andughed awkwardly, ¡°Actually, my mum¡¯s breast is quite full. You


    said my breast is poor, could it be because of Peyton Tyler?¡±


    Kieran looked at her and paused his actions, ¡°What does he have to do with it? Your chest is t, that¡¯s


    my fault.¡±


    Julie was speechless, ¡°So why am I worrying about this?¡±


    She said to Kieran, ¡°I guess it¡¯s your fault. Maybe you scared me so much that my estrogen secretion


    was poor, resulting in my small chest.¡±


    The story of Kieran scaring her actually goes like this.


    Remember the day Kieran organized a party, the whole team was invited to lunch. After getting the


    team¡¯s consent, Julie chose her favorite takeaway. The delivery guy just brought the food. Julie was


    talking to him when Peyton threw a basketball at her.


    She couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was knocked down by the basketball. The most embarrassing part was


    that the basketball hit her right in the chest. Julie almost fainted on the spot after getting hit.


    Peyton was frightened, he ran to Julie and asked with concern, ¡°Joyce Abraham, are you okay? I really


    didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    ¡°If you shake me again, I really can¡¯t take it.¡± Julie looked at Peyton weakly. He was a vibrant young


    man, still sweating from the basketball game. His rushed appearance made his cheeks flush, looking


    very cute.


    Maybe because he was scared, he didn¡¯t think much and directly reached out to touch Julie¡¯s chest.


    Julie was in so much pain she forgot to roll over. Just in the nick of time, Kieran, who was standing the


    furthest away, silently walked over to Peyton and Julie and grabbed Peyton¡¯s wrist.


    Peyton finally realized that Julie was a girl and his face turned even redder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her to the infirmary, you guys continue.¡± After saying that to Peyton, Kieran turned to Julie,


    ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    Julie was lying on the ground, feeling like her life was over. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t speak.


    In the end, Kieran put down the basketball, bent down to pick her up and headed straight for the


    infirmary.


    ¡°Easy!¡±


    Kieran¡¯s movement in picking up Julie was not gentle, causing her to feel like her chest was vibrating,


    and the pain was unbearable. After she spoke up, he seemed to be much gentler.


    Being held in Kieran¡¯s arms like a princess was something Julie had always dreamed of. But she


    wasn¡¯t happy at all, as she was worried about whether her developing chest had been ttened by the


    basketball. The infirmary wasn¡¯t far from the gym, but it was lunchtime and there was no one there. Not


    even the school doctor.


    He put Julie on bed. This girl had always looked malnourished since she was little. Lying on the


    hospital bed made her look even more pitiful.


    ¡°Bro Kieran, do you think I might have internal injuries?¡± She was in so much pain that she wanted to


    check the injured area but was afraid that it would hurt more if she touched it. So, she sounded quite


    upset.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you practicing boxing since you were little? How could you get injured so easily?¡± He took out


    his phone and dialed the school doctor.


    Lying in bed, Julie came to her senses and started to chatter again, speaking to Kieran with a pained


    expression, ¡°I practiced offensive moves but I didn¡¯t practice how to defend. Plus, I was hit in the heart.¡±


    ¡°Your heart has your chest to cushion it, right?¡± Kieran responded casually while listening to the busy


    tone on the other end of the phone.


    This topic should have ended there, but he unintentionally added, ¡°Your chest isn¡¯t thick enough, so it¡¯s


    understandable if you have internal injuries.¡±


    Julie immediately blushed and was about to get angry at Kieran. But then the school doctor answered


    the phone, and Kieran turned to exin the situation to the doctor, saying that his basketball teammate


    had been hit in the chest by a basketball.


    The doctor¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°My son had an ident so I¡¯m at the


    hospital now. Is your friend seriously injured?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran looked back at Julie who was lying in front of him, frowned, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Then you check the injured area first and tell me how it is now.¡± The doctor said.


    Kieran looked at Julie, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Check?¡±


    ¡°See if there¡¯s any bleeding from the injury!¡±


    Kieran had the speaker on, so Julie also heard the doctor¡¯s voice. She immediately shook her head at


    Kieran, firmly saying. ¡°There¡¯s no bleeding.¡± ¡°She said there¡¯s no bleeding.¡± Kieran told the doctor.


    ¡°Check around the skin for any swelling or bruises, see how bad it is,¡± the school doctor said again.


    The injury is on the chest!


    Almost reflexively, Julie said to Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Originally, Kieran had no intention of helping her check, but seeing Julie dodge him like the gue,


    Kieran squinted thoughtfully and asked her back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get any internal injury?¡±


    ¡°You might not believe it, but I suddenly remembered that I might have practiced some self-defense


    martial arts when I was a kid.¡±


    Although Julie didn¡¯t believe it herself, she still confidently said this.


    ¡°Any swelling or bruise?¡± The school doctor¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Kieran answered the school doctor, ¡°Let me take a look first.¡±


    Then he hung up the phone.


    Julie watched Kieran walk to her bed. He was in a white uniform, with neatly cut short hair, and his


    exquisite features seemed carved out.


    He just sat there by Julie¡¯s bed, his deep and cold eyes staring at her, smiling and asking. ¡°Scared?¡±


    Kieran was used to seeing Julie unreservedly in front of him, but he had never seen her blush like a


    shy girl. It was quite a novelty for Kieran then.¡±


    With Kieran looking at her like that, Julie¡¯s face got redder and redder. This obvious provocation was


    intolerable to Julie.


    Although her chest was still in pain, her expression was very firm. She said to Kieran, ¡°Who¡¯s scared? I


    just think men and women should be treated differently. After all, I¡¯m a girl. I¡¯m not offering my body for


    art, and the injury is there. You have to take responsibility if you take a look, still want to?¡±


    Her words grew more defiant towards the end. She was sure he wouldn¡¯t want to look, because the


    person who least wanted to take responsibility for her in the world was undoubtedly Kieran.


    He sat by the bed, corners of his mouth slightly raised, and asked Julie. ¡°Are you provoking me or


    using reverse psychology?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, if you look, you have to marry me!¡± she brazenly stated. Seeing Kieran retreat a few steps


    from her words, Julie¡¯s triumph grew.


    Her chest hadn¡¯t suffered a heavy blow that much, it was just that she hadn¡¯t reacted at the time. Now,


    with her senses back, Julie seized Kieran¡¯s weakness and triumphantly lifted her shirt corner. Although


    she didn¡¯t reveal anything, she still mockingly asked him, ¡°Want to look? Opportunity knocks but once!


    Anyway, I¡¯m willing to marry you.¡±


    She approached him triumphantly, simply because she rarely had the upper hand in front of him and


    wanted to show off a little. She didn¡¯t expect him to grab her hands impatiently.


    At that time, her hands were tightly clutching the shirt corner. The man¡¯s initiative made her heart skip a


    beat. She clenched her fists harder, clutching the shirt corner even tighter.


    At that time, Kieran was annoyed by Julie¡¯s sudden approach. He felt her natural shampoo scent in his


    nostrils. So, he just wanted to grab her arms and push her back onto the sickbed.


    But, he didn¡¯t expect her to hold onto the shirt corner so tightly. So when he lifted her hands over her


    head a bit angrily and pushed her down onto the sickbed, her chest was exposed in front of him.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    Chapter 194


    At that moment, it felt like the air in the whole ward had frozen.


    She was just being all sassy and provocative, knowing full well that he was not the kind of guy to make


    such a move on her. On the other hand, he was just trying to stop her childish act, but no one saw it


    coming, a simple action would escte to this level.


    Excited, her breath became rapid, and Kieran¡¯s gaze involuntarilynded on her chest. At that moment,


    he held his breath.


    The sun outside the window was bright and warming, but on their faces, it was like hot coals, making


    them blush. It was only when a small birdnded on the window sill and knocked the curtain open, did


    he snap out of it and quickly withdrew his hand.


    Then, pretending to be calm, he pulled out his phone and called the doctor again, ¡°The center of the


    patient¡¯s wound is greenish-yellow, the middle is reddish-purple, the surrounding area is dark purple,


    the color contrast is not high, and there are no obvious signs of bleeding.¡±


    Julie suddenly came to her senses, hiding her entire body under the nket, leaving only her eyes


    peeking at his back, feeling ayer of sweat on her forehead.


    Julie didn¡¯t know what the doctor on the phone was saying, she just saw Kieran talking and walking out


    of the ward.


    It took Julie about five or six minutes to realize that Kieran had left.


    She then zoned out for another ten or so minutes before Bertha pushed open the door of the ward with


    some bruise healing meds in her hand and said, ¡°Your team member asked me to bring you these. Are


    you okay?¡±


    ¡°Was it Kieran who sent you?¡± Julie looked at Bertha expectantly.


    But Bertha shook her head, ¡°Seems like it was Peanut.¡±


    Peyton, Julie got it.


    From that day on, she resigned from her position in the school basketball team. In her school, junior


    high was straight to high school. She had been the manager of the school basketball team since junior


    high, but due to this incident, her basketball career came to an end.


    After her resignation, Peyton seemed to feel guilty. But after Peyton graduated from high school, he


    went abroad for college and probably had forgotten about Julie.


    Looking at Kieran, Julie said nostalgically, ¡°Back then, you took advantage but ran away, and in the


    end, it was Peyton who brought me the medicine. Now thinking back, you were quite shameless back


    then!¡±


    ¡°Peyton brought you medicine?¡± Kieran frowned and let go of Julie¡¯s hand.


    After bandaging her, he sat next to her, his obsidian-like eyes staring intently at Julie¡¯s face.


    Julie nodded, replying, ¡°Yes, bruise healing medicine, quite a variety.¡±


    ¡°It seems all the credit goes to Peanut.¡± He nced at her and said, ¡°I gave Peanut some bruise


    healing medicine to give to Bertha.¡±


    She turned her head in surprise, asking, ¡°Why did you have to go through Peyton?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to misunderstand and make you feel awkward.¡± He exined.


    ¡°So you were afraid I would misunderstand that you actually like me?¡± Julie suddenly smiled, ¡°To


    prevent me from falling in love too early, you really put a lot of thought into it. But Kieran, being so


    arrogant, aren¡¯t you afraid of losing me?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    His response surprised her, simple and sincere. She hadn¡¯t expected an answer when she asked the


    question.


    They looked at each other for a while, and then Julie suddenly said seriously to the man, ¡°Kieran, let¡¯s


    just live a good life!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He pulled her into his arms, smelling the scent of her long hair.


    ¡°I promised Ivan that I¡¯d go on a pic with him on his birthday.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°How about a barbecue?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Can you say anything other than okay?¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sleep in the other room? Okay?¡± She looked up at him and asked with a smile.


    The man looked down at her, and kissed her red lips, leaving her unable to speak.


    He had nned to just give her a light kiss, but upon contact with her soft lips, his hormones exploded


    instantly, invading every cell of his body. It wasn¡¯t until her tiny fingers were tightly sped with his, did


    he finally control his breathing.


    Gently, he reluctantly let go of the woman in his arms, ¡°Give you another two days of rest.¡±


    He tried hard to control himself, then kissed her forehead, ¡°Goodnight, honey.¡±


    The man¡¯s back at this moment seemed a bit lonely, Julie suddenly blurted out, ¡°Hang in there, hubby,


    you still have your hand.¡±


    The man turned around, his eyes shining a bit in the dark, ¡°So you really don¡¯t want to sleep tonight?¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    Julie quickly covered her head with the nket, still able to hear the man¡¯s voice outside the nket,


    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep with your head under the nket.¡±


    Hearing the sound of Kieran turning off the light, Julie slowly stuck her head out of the nket. Not only


    did she smell the fresh air, but also the lingering scent of that man on the pillow, she felt very


    comforted.


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Julie woke up energized the next day.


    Kieran had just returned from morning training, dressed in all white sports gear, with a white towel


    around his neck. Seeing the woman on the bed stretching, he put a cup of water on her bedside, bent


    down and kissed her forehead, ¡°Good morning, my wife.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The still drowsy woman took the cup of water and sipped it.


    After drinking a whole cup of water, it was as if her soul had returned to its ce.


    With thest sip of water in her mouth, she looked up at Kieran¡¯s room. There was no wall in between.


    She could clearly see the man changing his pants.


    She swallowed thest sip of water, and then identally choked on it.


    Julie lying on the bed started coughing as if her lungs were about toe out.


    Kieran quickly put on his pants and ran barefoot towards the woman¡¯s bed. He gently patted her back


    while scolding, ¡°Trying to choke yourself to death as the first thing in the morning?¡±


    After coughing for a while, Julie finally recovered,ining while wiping her tears, ¡°Who told you to


    change clothes in front of me first thing in the morning?¡±


    She was already being reserved by not having a nosebleed!


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve seen it.¡± Kieran whispered, obviously realizing his behavior was over the


    top.


    Julie coughed a couple more times, ¡°You need to be more reserved in the future.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Julie suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at the man seriously, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I


    need a favor.¡±


    ¡°As long as you change what you call me, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He sat next to her, smiling slightly, and said


    confidently.


    ¡°You¡¯re agreeing without even knowing what I need help with?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be, am I going to have to strap a bomb on again?¡± He chuckled nonchntly.


    Julie nodded, ¡°That¡¯s actually rted to this.¡±


    ¡°I only have one requirement, no time bombs this time. Those things are a real pain, darling.¡± His voice


    softened as he spoke.


    Hearing this, Julie felt herself going weak.


    ¡°Stop kidding around. What I meant was, one of the men who died in the explosion the day before


    yesterday, his name was Neal. He had a sick daughter, Nina. I don¡¯t know his full name, but he


    kidnapped me to get money for his daughter¡¯s treatment. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Karl look into it.¡± Knowing what she was going to say next, he agreed right away.


    Julie grabbed his face and nted a hard kiss on him. Then she turned around to put on her robe and


    head to his bathroom.


    The man stood stunned for a moment before following her, ¡°Are you a woodpecker or something?¡±


    He was referring to her pecking at his face and then leaving. Julieughed as she brushed her teeth,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having a woodpecker?¡±


    The man thought about it and said, ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    He then headed to the walk-in closet. Julie, wearing a white cotton bathrobe, leaned against the door


    and asked the man in the closet, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, did you forget to shave?¡± From inside the closet, the


    man¡¯s voice replied, ¡°What are you wearing today? I had Daniel bring new clothesst week.¡±


    Julie finished brushing her teeth and excitedly ran to the closet.


    But as soon as she pulled back the curtain, she was pushed against the wardrobe by the man.


    He kissed her passionately until their breathing synchronized, then slowly let go of her.


    With one hand around her waist and the other supporting her head, he leaned down to kiss her slightly


    flushed face, asking, ¡°How about red?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m apanying Daphne on a blind date today. Red is too shy.¡± She said, gently pushing the man


    away and taking out a yellow dress, asking Kieran, ¡°What about this one?¡±


    ¡°Too bright.¡±


    ¡°What about ck?¡±


    ¡°Too low-key.¡±


    ¡°What about white?¡± She held up a white knit dress to ask him.


    He thoughtfully replied, ¡°The simpler, the more eye-catching. Are you trying to upstage her?¡±


    ¡°I get it, you¡¯d prefer if I wore nothing at all!¡± Julie put the white dress back.


    The man wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her away from the wardrobe, and picked out a khaki


    trench coat for her. ¡°Back in the bedroom, you can wear nothing at all, but I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be able to


    control myself.¡±


    He smiled and leaned down. Julie thought he was going to kiss her forehead, but to her surprise, he


    kissed her neck instead, then gently ruffled her hair like she was a pet. ¡°Ms. Daphne has been waiting


    for you downstairs for a long time, call me after you¡¯re done shopping.¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    Chapter 195


    After getting Ivan all dolled up, Julie and Daphne nced at their watches and realized it was almost


    time for their rendezvous. So, Julie and Daphne took Ivan and headed to the restaurant a bit early.


    ¡°Julie, you and my godson just chill at this table, if things get too heavy,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll jump in to help!¡± Ivan said, ncing at the menu while talking to Daphne.


    Daphne and Ivan high-fived in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re awesome!¡±


    ¡°Fix your cor!¡± Julie stood up to fix Daphne¡¯s outfit.


    Daphne gave Julie a bear hug, saying, ¡°Darling, if the guy turns out to be a total dog,e over and


    pretend to be my true love, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I just don¡¯t swing that way.¡± Julie patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Go get ¡¯em, brave girl!¡±


    ¡°Hold the fort!¡± Daphne, clutching her newly bought mini skirt, gracefully walked over to the table next


    door and ordered a lemonade.


    Truth be told, Daphne wasn¡¯t too hopeful about this blind date. She had read too many horror stories


    online and was pretty much prepared for the worst.


    Yet, to her surprise, the guy her mom¡¯s friend set her up with wasn¡¯t bad at all.


    He was dressed casually in a white shirt, a dark grey zer and ck cks. Not exactly a knockout,


    but he was neat and tidy. He seemed to recognize Daphne and gave her a slight smile.


    Then he walked over to Daphne, holding a single red rose, and offered it to her like a true gentleman.


    One rose, a polite gesture, not too over the top.


    Based on the first impression, Daphne was quite pleased with him.


    Julie also quietly observed the man across Daphne, he was way more promising than herst blind


    date.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Daphne, I¡¯m Nigel Ted.¡± The man shed a set of pearly whites as he spoke, instantly


    winning brownie points.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Daphne.¡± She took the rose from him, giving him a slight smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Julie thought it was a good start. She was about to order when she saw Ivan engrossed in his phone.


    ¡°Ivan, what are you doing?¡± Julie asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m chasing a girl!¡± Ivan said proudly.


    ¡°What?¡± Julie looked over and saw Ivan trying to add Julien as a friend on his phone.


    Julie thought for a moment, and then said to Ivan, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit too young for this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Mommy knows best!¡±


    ¡°So, you and Julien?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting in line. Who knows if she and my godfather might break up?¡± He suddenly looked


    hopeful and reached out to Julie, ¡°Mommy, I heard godmother say you know Julien, right?¡±


    Julie nodded, a bit confused. The kid had only met Julien once when Julie was kidnapped, how did he


    be so fond of her already? But then she remembered that the little guy called her mommy the first


    time they met. That didn¡¯t seem so weird anymore.


    She reluctantly took out her phone, but instead of giving it to Ivan, she asked, ¡°Can you tell me why you


    like Julien so much?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s cool! She can protect me!¡±


    This unique perspective left Julie speechless.


    Ivan took Julie¡¯s phone. ¡°Thank you, mommy!¡±


    Julie knew that based on Julien¡¯s personality, the kid was in for a disappointment, so she didn¡¯t stop


    him. It might be more effective to talk to him after he got rejected.


    So Julie simply turned to look at Daphne and Nigel. But to her surprise, they were suddenly acting quite


    chummy. They were chatting away like old friends, so much so that anyone who didn¡¯t know better


    might think they were a couple!


    Julie was taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect Daphne to warm up to her blind date so quickly. Just as Julie


    thought Daphne was quite satisfied with Nigel, she saw Daphne actually taking the initiative to hold his


    hand. Looks like she really liked him!


    However, the truth was, Daphne was patting Nigel¡¯s hand in sympathy, asking him, ¡°Mr. Ted, be honest,


    do you have some sort of problem in the bedroom?¡±


    Nigel gave Daphne an embarrassed look, then smiled, ¡°You misunderstood, I¡¯m perfectly normal.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ted, don¡¯t get me wrong. I think it¡¯s okay, modern life is stressful! Having issues in that department


    is quite normal. Anyway, you don¡¯t mind my past. I think you¡¯re very honest, which is a good thing. If


    you really have problems in the sack, no worries, I know a great doctor.¡±


    Seeing that Daphne was about to go off on a tangent, Nigel quickly held her hand, exining, ¡°I¡¯m


    perfectly normal, you can rest assured. Like I said, I had two girlfriends and we didn¡¯t sleep together


    because I believe in not rushing into things. I think people should have principles, maybe I just didn¡¯t


    think they were the right ones for me!¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    He looked at Daphne seriously, ¡°Although I have my own principles about this, what I just said was


    from the heart. I don¡¯t mind about Ms. Daphne¡¯s past, given the chance, I¡¯d rather get to know you in


    my own way, not through rumors and gossip.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you¡¯ve seen the tabloids?¡± Daphne had a hunch when Nigel mentioned rumors and gossip.


    Nigelughed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the media can be quite imaginative. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d rather hear


    your story from you when the time is right.¡±


    Daphne was actually quite interested in such a gentlemanly and elegant man. It wasn¡¯t until they were


    holding hands that she realized it. She quickly pulled her hand back, then looked at Nigel with a full


    smile and said, ¡°Of course, if I have the chance, I would also like to get to know Mr. Ted personally.


    Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°No need to be so formal. I¡¯ll call you Daphne, and you can call me Nigel, okay?¡± He proposed.


    Daphne immediately agreed happily.


    The meal was quite enjoyable. Nigel works in investment and financial management and had work in


    the afternoon. After the meal, he insisted on taking Daphne home, but she declined, saying she had


    made ns with friends. So she sent Nigel to his car.


    1/2


    10:45


    Chapter 195


    Only after Nigel had turned around and left did Daphne run over to Julie and put her arms around her


    shoulders. ¡°What do you think of Nigel?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who held his hand. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you think of him?¡± Julie retorted.


    Daphne reminisced. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy, and he doesn¡¯t mind my past rtionships. I think I can try


    dating him.¡±


    ¡°You need to get to know him more to understand his true character. But I have to warn you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Daphne looked at Julie, puzzled.


    Julie pointed to the billboard across the street and said, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve cleared things up with the


    guy on the billboard?¡±


    Seeing Ivan beside Julie, Daphne had been holding back for a long time but ultimately didn¡¯t dare to


    mention the one-night stand. She looked at Julie and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen ugly ducklings turn into swans,


    but I¡¯ve never seen a pheasant turn into a phoenix. The ugly duckling can be a swan because it


    was a swan to begin with. Cindere could marry the prince because she was from a wealthy family.


    Just like you and Mr. Hernandez, you two were meant to be. But Mr. Lionel and I are not suitable.¡±


    Rejecting herself? Although Julie thought Daphne¡¯s thinking was wrong, she didn¡¯t refute her. Because


    she understood, if her own financial condition was not good, she might not have the courage to pursue


    Kieran for so many years.


    The economic foundation determines the superstructure. This saying is not without reason.


    But she sincerely said to Daphne, ¡°Daphne, I think your analysis is quite reasonable. But you only


    considered the status of the two people and forgot to consider your own feelings. In your heart, what


    kind of person is Mr. Lionel?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a good personality, a good body, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ivan, who had been ying with his phone, suddenly looked up at Daphne, ¡°Godmother, do all


    you girls like guys with good personalities and good bodies?¡±


    Julie gave Daphne a look.


    Daphne quicklyughed and exined to the little guy, ¡°I mean he¡¯s good-tempered, has a nice


    personality!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what she meant.¡± Julie gently touched Ivan¡¯s head.


    Ivan seemed a bit confused, then he nodded, ¡°No wonder Kerry is always so popr.¡±


    ¡°Kerry is indeed a heartthrob!¡± Daphneughed happily as she dialed her mom¡¯s number.


    Julie nced at the time on her phone, worried that Kieran might be busy, so she chose to text him,


    ¡°We¡¯re done here, should I take Ivan home first?¡±


    ¡°Bring Ivan to the office! And bring me lunch.¡± Kieran replied quickly.


    Julie didn¡¯t expect it was sote, and Kieran hadn¡¯t eaten yet.


    So, after saying goodbye to Daphne, Julie gave Kieran a call..


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be but you?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Julie was taken aback, unsure how to respond. Then the man¡¯s voice came over the phone again, ¡°Karl


    actually asked me who has the final say on hiring a secretary.¡± So he was answering Karl¡¯s question


    just now, not hers?


    Julie stood in ce, stunned.


    ¡°What did you just ask me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Could you bring me a sd? Youe to the office. I have some news to tell you.¡± The man finished


    speaking, hung up the phone, the smile on his lips deepening.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Chapter 196


    On the way to Simpo Co., Julie picked up a veggie sd and then hopped a taxi with Ivan to the


    company building.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the entrance that Julie realized that it was here that Ivan¡¯s identity was


    revealed.


    She held onto Ivan¡¯s hand tightly.


    Ivan on the other hand, seemed to be feeling particrly proud, strutting into thepany with her


    hand in his, asionally turning his head back to say to Julie, ¡°Kerry¡¯s always worried that I might


    snatch hispany away, so he never lets mee here!¡±


    ¡°Kerry is just looking out for you.¡± Julie found herself saying these words naturally, especially when it


    came to Kerry, which gave her a feeling of being married for a long time.


    Ivan, stili holding Julie¡¯s arm, suddenlyughed even more happily, ¡°I¡¯m Kerry¡¯s favorite boy, you¡¯re


    Kerry¡¯s favorite woman, and you¡¯re holding Kerry¡¯s favorite sd. He¡¯s definitely going to be happy


    later.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t deny Ivan¡¯s words, just smiled more softly. It still felt unreal, holding his hand, knowing he


    was her biological son.


    Under the gaze of everyone, Julie and Ivan walked into the elevator. Although Ivan knew from a young


    age that Bertha was not his biological mother, and he didn¡¯t have much contact with Bertha, he was


    well-educated by Kieran.


    He was smart and cheerful, like a beautiful gift from God. Even though she had encountered many


    setbacks along the way, as long as he could be with her now, all the difficulties were worth it.


    Since it wasn¡¯t rush hour, Julie took the regr staff elevator with Ivan. Despite the elevator operator


    present, Ivan still tiptoed to press the elevator button, looking utterly adorable.


    When the elevator stopped at the president¡¯s office, everyone couldn¡¯t help but look at her and Ivan.


    The moment she appeared downstairs with Ivan, thepany¡¯s working group chat had already


    spread the news.


    Ivan, however, was full of confidence, wearing a joyous smile all the way, which made Julieugh.


    ¡°Mrs. Abraham.¡± Karl nodded to Julic, finally he could call her by her name.


    When Ivan saw Karl, he immediately eximed excitedly, ¡°Karl!¡±


    Karl¡¯s face turned sour, he lowered his head and muttered, ¡°Ivan.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you go feed dad! I want to chat with Karl.¡± Ivan said with confidence.


    Julie didn¡¯t have the chance to refuse, because Ivan had already pulled Karl and turned away.


    She smiled helplessly, holding the sd in her hand, and walked towards Kieran¡¯s office.


    Kieran was staring intently at hisputer.


    When Julie knocked on the door, the man only answered with a e in¡±, without even lifting his head.


    So she quietly put the sd on the coffee table and turned to leave. But at the moment she turned


    around, she was suddenly grabbed by the man¡¯s wrist and pulled back to his side.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julieughed and patted his wrist, ¡°I ordered some afternoon tea for staffs. Can¡¯t just let the boss eat


    and neglect the staffs, right?¡±


    This was actually Daphne¡¯s suggestion. She thought it was a good idea to buy afternoon tea for the


    company¡¯s employees, so she did. The takeout should be arriving soon, it was afternoon tea time and it


    wouldn¡¯t affect the employees¡¯ work.


    He held her hand, looked up at her face, and found it more and more pleasing to the eye, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    He let go of her hand, watched her turn and leave the office, then slowly stood up, adjusted his clothes


    and followed her.


    Just then, the takeout arrived. Julie had the delivery guyy out the pastries. All the employees thanked


    her with surprise, and ttery naturally followed. Although some people may gossip about her behind


    her back, those working in the president¡¯s office were naturally diplomatic when face-to-face.


    Julie smiled, just about to speak, when she saw Kieran push open the door of his office, walk straight


    towards her, and then naturally put his arm around her shoulder and said to thepany employees,


    ¡°Praising her is useless. I¡¯ll give you a raise if you praise me in front of her.¡±


    Seeing Kieran suddenly appear, Julie¡¯s expression was a bit stiff. If she was treating everyone to


    afternoon tea, it was actually kind of sucking up to them, but if Kieran came out, the meaning would be


    completely different.


    Actually, in Daphne¡¯s words, buying something for the office was a workce courtesy, even if normal


    employees were announcing a rtionship they should do so. Plus she had previously worked in the


    president¡¯s office, so everyone was rtively familiar with her. She just followed the courtesy and did


    this, not expecting Kieran to step in.


    He also said to Tina who was enjoying the food not far away, ¡°Go check for me, whether the welfare for


    other departments has arrived?¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Actually Julie only treated the employees of the president¡¯s office, that was because she forgot to bring


    Kieran¡¯s card when she went out, and her own financial resources could only treat the people in the


    president¡¯s office.


    Understanding Kieran¡¯s hint, Tina who had been his secretary for many years, immediately put down


    the cake in her hand and said with augh, ¡°It might be because Mrs. Abraham¡¯s cake is too delicious.¡±


    After she finished, Tina elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth, and gave Julie a thumbs-up, ¡°Mrs.


    Abraham, Mr. Hernandez is very good to the staff, and he¡¯s


    super hot!¡±


    Tina cleverly looked at Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, remember to give me a raise.¡±


    Having been a personal secretary for many years, Tina naturally knew what she could say and what


    she couldn¡¯t.


    After she finished speaking, she turned to distribute welfare to other departments.


    With Tina¡¯s opening remarks, the employees in the office immediately understood her meaning. Even


    though they had no hope of getting a raise, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to butter up the boss.


    ¡°Yeah, Ms. Abraham, not only is Mr. Hemandez hot, he¡¯s also very disciplined. He wouldn¡¯t meet with


    female presidents from otherpanies.¡±


    Still calling her Ms. Abraham, didn¡¯t you hear that Tina is now Mrs. Abraham? Mrs. Abraham, Mr.


    Hernandez is not only disciplined but also responsible and wise, such a rare gem!¡±


    ¡°Such a man is a real catch, Mrs. Abraham, you must¡¯ve saved the gxy in your past life, huh?¡±


    ¡°The gxy? She saved the entire universe.¡±


    Kieran looked at the increasingly exaggeratedments from his employees, ¡°Alright, save these


    compliments for my wife when I¡¯m not around. Get back to work after your meal.¡±


    Kieran nced at the clock. They still had a few minutes before the afternoon tea break. He led Julie


    straight to their office, closed the door, and only then did Julie turn to Kieran and couldn¡¯t help but


    laugh, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, your employees really take after you.¡±


    ¡°I only praise what¡¯s important.¡±


    Julie opened the packaged sd, ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    She handed him the utensils, ¡°Tell me what you wanted to talk about on the phone after you¡¯re done


    eating.¡±


    Julie leaned against the table while Kieran took the utensils, started eating and spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve looked into


    what you asked me about this morning. The two victims in the explosion were Neal Luther and Laird.


    As you said, Neal has a seven-year-old daughter named Nina Luther who has leukemia. His wife ran


    off with another man, and he couldn¡¯t afford his daughter¡¯s medical bills. Laird has an old mother with


    Alzheimer¡¯s.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s words made Julie who was leaning against the table furrow her brows.


    Just as Julie was about to speak, Kieran said, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to take care of their


    families.¡±


    The reason she told Kieran about this was in hopes that if it was true, Kieran could provide some help


    for the child. But Kieran had already arranged everything, so she took a vegetable slice with her spare


    utensils and handed it to him, ¡°Thank you, the noble and kind Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He stared at the slice of vegetable, but didn¡¯t eat it.


    Julie held it up, and retorted, ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Let me think.¡± He said coldly, but she¡¯d already put the vegetable slice in her mouth and started


    chewing like a rabbit.


    ¡°I held back my urge to kiss you, and kindly remind you. Madam, you¡¯re making me very hungry.¡± He


    said, staring at her ever-moving mouth.


    Julie was speechless for a moment, then she said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, could you be less direct and a little


    subtler?¡±


    ¡°I refrained from an impulse, and kindly remind you. Madam, you remind me of a feast.¡±


    This man¡¯s subtlety was unparalleled!


    Julie took a tissue from the side and wiped her mouth, ¡°Is what you wanted to talk about on the phone


    this?¡±


    Speaking of this, Kieran¡¯s eyes seemed to instantly be more serious, he put down his utensils,


    raised his head and asked Julie, ¡°Do you remember the donation from Sansa Abraham?¡±


    ¡°The one with an unknown source?¡± At first, Julie thought it was from Kieran, and Daphne thought it


    was from Elliot.


    When they both denied it, Dr. Brice told her that it was a grant from a charity, so Julie didn¡¯t ask any


    more questions. She just didn¡¯t understand why Kieran suddenly brought it up.


    She answered, ¡°I remember, why do you ask?¡±

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    Chapter 197


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ever heard of the Fitzgerald family?¡±


    Even if Julie was thest person to catch up with thetest gossip, she had heard of this well-known


    family. She nodded, but was clueless about the connection between the Fitzgerald family and Sansa¡¯s


    donation.


    ¡°The first heir of the Fitzgerald family is Simon, does he ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a super mysterious gal? There are no pictures of his in the newspapers. I¡¯ve heard her name,


    but never met her,¡± Julie replied.


    Kieran gazed at her thoughtfully, ¡°Simon set up a fund to aid special global cases, targeting challenging


    diseases and specific cancer patients. The donation Sansa received came from the Fitzgerald family.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Dr. Brice that it was a donation from a charity organization, and the donor requested


    anonymity. How could it possibly be rted to the Fitzgerald family?¡± Julie was puzzled. She tried to


    retrieve all the information rted to the family from her memory, but couldn¡¯t find a reasonable answer.


    ¡°After learning about the untraceable funds, I had Karl investigate the charity organization and track it


    down. The final conclusion was that the donation was rted to Simon from the Fitzgerald family. Think


    hard, do you have any info about this person?¡±


    Despite Julie¡¯s careful recollection, her mind was still a nk te.


    ¡°My understanding of this family mainlyes from newspapers, websites, and mentions by Daphne.


    The name Simon is also unfamiliar to me, I¡¯ve only heard it once or twice,¡± Julie stated.


    Kieran mused, and Julie thought carefully for a while before speaking, ¡°Sansa¡¯s condition isn¡¯t unique,


    it¡¯s not a typical challenging disease. Although I believe Karl¡¯s investigation, Simon wouldn¡¯t just donate


    money to amon patient, right?¡±


    Sansa was in a vegetative state. Doctors said she could potentially wake up, but the odds were slim.


    The reason Julie was unwilling to pull the plug was because she always thought Sansa was the only


    person in the world rted to her by blood. It was Sansa who orchestrated Julie and Kieran getting


    together. Though what she did was despicable, Julie, as the victim, could not hate her. Sansa was the


    only one who knew the Abraham family was going bankrupt yet still cared about Julie wholeheartedly.


    =


    After pondering for a long time, Julic finally said to Kieran, ¡°If helping Sansa was Simon¡¯s idea, could it


    possibly be because Simon and Sansa knew each other? Otherwise, theoretically, an heir busy


    handling family affairs wouldn¡¯t single out a vegetative patient for support, especially when she isn¡¯t a


    special case.¡±


    ¡°Maybe!¡± Kieran had no obligation to tell Julie this, but he did anyway.


    Julie was grateful for Kieran¡¯s honesty and sharing, just that the sudden mention of Sansa made the


    topic heavier.


    She leaned on the desk, hesitated for a while, and finally looked at Kieran, ¡°I actually have something


    to confess to you as well.¡±


    As Julie stuttered, Kieran knew she had something to say that made her feel guilty. So heforted


    her by patting her shoulder, silently giving her the courage to speak.


    Finally, Julie looked at Kieran and revealed something shecked the courage to say many years ago,


    ¡°On your birthday that year, you were drugged at the Starlight Haven Hotel. The person who drugged


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°Was Sansa, I know.¡± He stood in front of Julie, gently moved his hand from her shoulder and ced it


    on the desk behind her, bent over slightly, and trapped her in his arms.


    At the moment Kieran said the answer, Julie was shocked. Years ago, she thought about telling Kieran


    the truth, but it was all Sansa¡¯s careful design, and the result of the design was just to give herself a


    good ending. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen after Kieran knew the truth, so she started


    hiding it, gradually turned into self-deception and didn¡¯t dare to speak up. Until now, when she finally


    mustered the courage to confess, he suddenly told her that he knew from the beginning.


    At this moment, Julie didn¡¯t know how to react.


    But he just said to her from less than ten centimeters away, ¡°How could I not check someone who


    drugged me right under my nose? And if I checked, how could I not find out?¡±


    So, he knew from the beginning that everything was Sansa¡¯s careful design, knew from the start that


    the two of them being caught in bed at the hotel was a setup.


    ¡°Why would you willingly jump into a trap knowing it was a trap?¡± He could have chosen not to marry


    her and not take responsibility, because all this was just a y directed by the Abraham family.


    If Kieran had made the truth public back then, it wouldn¡¯t have affected the Hernandez family¡¯s


    reputation at all, but it would surely have pushed the Abraham family into an irreparable situation.


    But he didn¡¯t expose Sansa¡¯s lie, instead, he brought Julie home. During the first two years of their


    marriage, she and Kieran were really happy, whether it was because she was easily satisfied or


    because Kieran was indeed good to her, his small gestures made her feel happy and satisfied.


    When Julie asked Kieran why he willingly jumped into the trap, Kieran simply said, ¡°Because of love.¡±


    A in and straightforward answer, simple yet it warmed her heart.


    Julie was silent. Kieran reached out and gently touched her forehead, asking her indulgently, ¡°What¡¯s


    on your mind?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I had been a bit more reserved that night at Starlight Haven Hotel, would you have


    had some fun with that sexy long-haired woman, especially when her dress was already down to her


    waist.¡±


    ¡°That woman was called by Annalise Hansen,¡± Kieran exined, he himself found it hard to imagine


    what he would have done if Julie hadn¡¯t shown up that night.


    Julie suddenlyughed, ¡°Your aunt really cares about you, blocking your admirers when you were little,


    and even helping you pick girlfriends when you grew up. She¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Even she couldn¡¯t block you,¡± he gently pinched her face.


    As a child, Julie did look like a promising boxer, so skinny she seemed malnourished. In her twenties,


    she put on some weight, and after marrying him, she packed on even more pounds. It felt good to


    pinch her face then, but at this moment she had lost weight


    Julie caught his hand, it didn¡¯t hurt when she had more weight, but with less weight, it kind of stung.


    She looked up at him and said, ¡°The reason I wasn¡¯t blocked is because I¡¯m one of the special kind.¡±


    He silently listened to Julie¡¯s exnation.


    Julie was just saying it casually, and quickly turned serious again, ¡°I¡¯m nning to go to the hospital


    later, and then go straight home. Should I take Ivan with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him hometer. I¡¯ll have Karl take you to the hospital,¡± Kieran suggested.


    Julie quickly shook her head, ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine going by myself. Karl is your secretary, not mine.¡±


    ¡°Should I assign one for you?¡± he proposed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a small employee in the Legal Department, leave the luxury of having a secretary to you!


    Remember to hire a slim beauty.¡± Julie seemed to remember something and asked Kieran, ¡°Does


    Simpo Co. pay a lot for overtime?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°It¡¯s decent.¡±


    ¡°No wonder, even though it¡¯s Saturday, thepany doesn¡¯t seem any different from a weekday.¡± Julie


    originally thought since it¡¯s Saturday, not many people would be working overtime, so bringing Ivan


    along wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention, but there were more people in thepany than she


    expected.


    Kieran knew another reason Julie asked this was because he just asked Tina to distribute benefits to


    the employees who were working overtime.


    Speaking of which.


    ¡°Honey, where¡¯s the card I gave youst time?¡± He was referring to the card Julie used to pay for the


    damage she caused to his car.


    ¡°At home.¡± She thought for a while and asked innocently, ¡°Do I still have to pay for the car damage?¡±


    ¡°Do you still owe me a child? Will you give it to me?¡± He counter-asked.


    Julie was momentarily speechless.


    ¡°How about you use my card from now on and your paycheck goes into your own bank ount, sound


    good?¡± he proposed.


    Julie thought for a moment, ¡°I can ept that. Well, I should get going now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Kieran stood straight, making room for Julie to leave.


    Julie turned around, paused for a second or two, then suddenly turned back, tiptoed to peck his cheek,


    then immediately turned around, grabbed her purse, and ran


    off.


    The shy and surprising feeling was like going back to the time when she was just learning about love.


    On the way to the hospital, she couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about her wonderful yet vague childhood


    memories. She was so engrossed that when she got out of the taxi and walked into the hospital, she


    didn¡¯t even have time to dodge a child rushing towards her.


    Side Story:


    Daphne: Mr. Hernandez, considering that I saved your wife¡¯s life, could you ept a small interview


    with our magazine? I promise it won¡¯t take long!


    Kieran: I don¡¯t have time.


    Daphne: Then we can do it over WhatsApp, just a few short conversations, I promise!


    Kieran: Alright then.


    Daphne: So, what¡¯s the Mr. Hernandez¡¯s WhatsApp ount name?


    Kieran: Special Her.


    Daphne: So speechless.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    Chapter 198


    A little boy in a dark blue baseball cap bumped into Julie, like hitting a brick wall. He lost his bnce


    and sat down on the ground. Just as Julie was about to bend down to help him up, the little boy pulled


    down the brim of his cap to hide his face. He picked up a dark blue pendant that had fallen to the


    ground and clutched it


    to his chest as if it were a precious treasure.


    Julie extended her hand to the little boy, but he didn¡¯t look up. Suddenly, a tall man burst out of the


    hospital. He scooped up the boy from the ground without a word to Julie, then turned and headed


    towards a ck SUV parked outside the hospital.


    The little boy didn¡¯t cry or struggle, he just kept his head down. Julie couldn¡¯t see his face, only his


    small hands clutching the pendant.


    She watched the man get into the car with the little boy in his arms until the car door closed. Inside the


    car, she saw a pair of red pointed heels, authoritative and imposing. Her eyes followed the woman¡¯s


    ankle up, until they were obscured by the car door.


    All she could see was the woman¡¯s hand, with dark red nail polish, reaching out for the boy.


    The boy hesitated, then ced the delicate blue pendant in the woman¡¯s hand.


    The car door closed. Julie watched the ck SUV drive away.


    It wasn¡¯t until her phone buzzed in her pocket that she snapped out of her reverie and picked up the


    call.


    It was Dr. Brice¡¯s voice on the other end, ¡°I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me. Turns out it was


    really you.¡±


    The familiar voice not only came from the phone, but also seemed to being from behind her.


    She turned around, and sure enough, Dr. Brice was standing right behind her. He was wearing his


    white doctor¡¯s coat, phone in hand.


    They locked eyes. He ended the call, then walked towards her, ¡°Last time I saw you, it was in the


    newspaper.¡±


    Julie smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. Ever since he had bluntly expressed his affection


    for her, things between them had be a bit awkward. Even though they still asionally chatted on


    WhatsApp, most of the time they talked about Sansa Abraham, no longer asionally caring about


    each other¡¯s lives as friends.


    Feeling the shift in their rtionship, Dr. Brice took the initiative to speak, ¡°Did youe to see your


    sister?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Why are you here at the hospital entrance?¡±


    ¡°I just finished a consultation.¡± Dr. Brice led Julie towards Sansa¡¯s ward, ¡°Sansa¡¯s treatment fee was


    delivered by Mr. Hernandez three days ago. In fact, you and Mr. Hernandez remarried¡­ it is very


    good.¡± Julie looked at Dr. Brice in surprise.


    Dr. Briceughed, ¡°I¡¯ve been dating recently, but I haven¡¯t found the right person yet. My family asked


    me if I had someone in mind. After thinking about it, I thought! might have some feelings for you, but


    I¡¯m more focused on myself. So¡­just like we discussedst time, let¡¯s keep a pure doctor-patient


    rtionship, how about that?¡±


    Julie nodded with a smile, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I personally prefer us to be friends. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in a married woman, and


    I won¡¯t have any thoughts beyond friendship towards you.¡±


    Dr. Brice¡¯s humor made Julieugh, ¡°Dr. Brice, you really have good taste.¡±


    At the entrance of Sansa¡¯s ward, Dr. Brice said to Julie, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, feel free to contact me


    anytime.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± After watching Dr. Brice leave, Julie turned and pushed open the door to Sansa¡¯s ward.


    Sansa lying on the hospital bed was so thin that her cheeks were sunken. That year, Sansa drove to


    find Darcey. She was speeding on the highway.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Her speeding car suddenly hit Darcey¡¯s car. Then, arge truck full of stones hit them, crushing both


    cars under its chassis. The huge impact caused the stones on the truck to slide off,pletely burying


    the small car.


    When the firefighters dug through the stones by hand, everyone else at the scene of the ident had


    already died, only Sansa still showed signs of life. At that time, Julie and Kieran were not divorced yet.


    With Kieran¡¯s help, Julie managed to rush Sansa, who was hanging on by a thread, to the Tranquil


    Care Hospital for emergency treatment. After 28 hours of rescue, Sansa miraculously survived. But she


    was left in a vegetative state.


    Since then, her condition had been up and down, often suffering from heart attacks, central circtory


    failure, or traumatic myocarditis. She had brushed past death many times. It wasn¡¯t until more than four


    monthster that she gradually regained the ability to breathe on her own, and her body temperature


    returned to normal. She no longer needed a venttor, and the drainage tube on her chest was


    removed, but she remained unconscious.


    Julie couldn¡¯t imagine how she would have faced the drastic changes in her family without Kieran by


    her side during her toughest times. She had watched her closest people pass away one by one, and


    Sansa suffer from illness time and time again. She had thought about ending Sansa¡¯s life herself in


    despair, but Kieran grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the darkness step by step.


    But the person who pushed her back into the abyss was also him.


    After their divorce, Julie couldn¡¯t afford the high medical expenses at Tranquil Care Hospital, so Sansa


    was transferred to Oakhurst Hospital. Over the years, Julie had lost hope of seeing Sansa wake up, but


    no matter how tough life got, she never thought about giving up on Sansa¡¯s treatment. It had be


    an obsession.


    She walked over and held Sansa¡¯s hand, feeling the stiffness. It was nothing like Sansa¡¯s hand in her


    childhood memories, but she held it tightly. When she was a child, she loved watching Sansa dance.


    She would spin and jump gracefully in her ballet shoes, like a real swan, like an angel.


    ¡°I got back together with Kieran. She held Sansa¡¯s hand, leaned on the bed and used her arm as a


    pillow.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d remarry him, let alone¡­our kid would survive.¡± She said, a smile ying at the


    corners of her mouth, but her eyes were brimming with tears.


    ¡°Our kid¡¯s name is Ivan Hernandez. I never dare to think about what we might have missed all these


    years. We went through a lot before we finally realized¡­


    She knew she was talking to herself, but she still said seriously, ¡°Only those who are alive have the


    right to love or hate. What¡¯s past is past. If we have a chance to correct our mistakes, we should


    cherish it. We may have made mistakes, but at least we¡¯re still alive. Sansa, I¡¯ll bring Ivan to see you


    someday, okay?¡±


    Julie spoke her mind, then, as if she remembered something, she said to Sansa, ¡°By the way, Sansa,


    do you know the Fitzgerald family? Their first in line, Simon, started a charity for rare diseases. I wasn¡¯t


    back with Kieran then and was short on funds. If I had used the money, it could¡¯ve solved our urgent


    problem, but we ended up not needing it.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Kieran asked me if I knew Simon. I thought, if he made the donation because he knew


    us, maybe he knew you? Too bad you can¡¯t wake up to tell


    me if you know him, but I think anyone who would donate to us must be a good person¡­¡±


    Just then, Julie¡¯s phone rang. She saw it was Kieran and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you outside. Call me when you¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    Julie was nning to take a taxi home, but Kieran was there in person.


    She looked at Sansa lying in the hospital bed, then asked Kieran on the phone, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll


    head out now.¡±


    After hearing where Kieran was, Julie gave Sansa a hug and left the ward.


    Kieran was parked in the parking lot. It was a low-profile ck business car, with a license te


    number that stood out to Julie. She nced at it and asked Kieran, ¡°627?¡±


    ¡°Your birthday.¡± He pinched her cheek and grinned, ¡°Thanks for being born.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not touched at all,¡± She held his hand proudly.


    He pulled her closer, then leaned down and said, ¡°I heard the worst kind of love is when you¡¯re moved


    but the other person isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Who said that!¡± she said firmly, ¡°First move yourself, then move the other person, doesn¡¯t mean we


    can¡¯t be happy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Why does Julie feel like she¡¯s fallen into his trap again?


    Julie let go of his hand, and then suddenly looked at him with a smile, ¡°How about I drive?¡±


    Kieran was skeptical about Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s driving skills, but he handed over the keys without


    hesitation and moved to the passenger seat.


    Julie excitedly opened the car door and got in. After adjusting her seat, she realized Kieran¡¯s legs were


    much longer than hers.


    She was about to buckle her seatbelt when her phone rang.


    Kieran took out the phone from her bag. The screen showed ¡°Dr. Brice¡±.


    Kieran nced at it, didn¡¯t answer directly, but handed it to her, ¡°It¡¯s Dr. Brice.¡±


    ¡°You answer it!¡± Julie replied casually.


    Only after getting the go-ahead from Julie did Kieran answer and put it on speaker.


    Julie turned the key in the ignition and started the car.


    Suddenly, a strange voice came through the phone, ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Abraham? Your sister Sansa is


    being resuscitated. Dr. Brice is in the ER. Pleasee to the hospital as soon as possible!¡±


    Julie, who had just started the car, suddenly hit the brakes.


    Due to inertia, both of them were thrown forward in the car.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    Chapter 199


    Kieran and Julie rushed back to the hospital.


    After more than half an hour of intense rescue efforts, they finally saw Dr. Brice appear at the door of


    the emergency room.


    The moment Dr. Brice saw Julie, he quickly reassured her. ¡°Chill out. Sansa is OK.¡±


    Julie¡¯s inner tension was finally relieved. Standing on her tiptoes to peek into the emergency room, she


    asked Dr. Brice, ¡°She was alright when I left. What happened all of a sudden¡­?¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Sansa was wheeled out of the emergency room by a nurse.


    Sansa had a respirator on, but her eyes were open.


    Julie was so shocked that she could hardly speak. Her legs felt weak¡­


    Fortunately, Kieran was quick to catch her body and prevent her from falling. ¡°Sansa¡­¡± Her eyes


    quickly welled up with tears. She rushed to Sansa¡¯s bedside, surprised and overjoyed. But Sansa, lying


    on the bed with her eyes open, seemed to be unresponsive, as if she heard nothing.


    Julie anxiously looked at Dr. Brice.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s move her to the ICU.¡± After saying this to the nurse, Dr. Brice turned to Julie and Kieran.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk more in my office.¡±


    In Dr. Brice¡¯s office, he said, ¡°After you left, Sansa had a cardiac arrest. After the resuscitation, she


    opened her eyes. But she is now paralyzed, unresponsive and unable to speak or think. We noticed


    some brain activity, but we¡¯re not sure why. Did you say anything important to her?¡±


    After letting out a sigh, Dr. Brice continued, ¡°As long as her heart doesn¡¯t go into sudden cardiac arrest,


    this is a good sign.¡±


    ¡°Although she is paralyzed and unresponsive now, there have been cases where patients like her woke


    up with the efforts of their families. Don¡¯t give up hope.¡± Dr. Brice said.


    Julie was ted to hear this.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Brice!¡± Julie bowed to him, her face full of gratitude and excitement.


    Dr. Brice nodded with a smile, modestly saying, ¡°I just did what I had to do. To prevent her from having


    a sudden cardiac arrest, I¡¯ve transferred her to the ICU. You can go see her now. Also, it would be wise


    to hire a professional nurse to take care of her. If anything changes, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Kieran said.


    Dr. Brice smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Kieran and Julie headed to the ICU together. Every time she thought of the possibility of Sansa waking


    up, Julie couldn¡¯t help but tear up. In her excitement, she tightly clutched Kieran¡¯s fingers and said,


    ¡°Honey, did you hear that? Dr. Brice said¡­Sansa might wake up! She might wake up!¡±


    Kieran nodded, giving her reassurance and support with his eyes, ¡°Stay hopeful. I¡¯m always here for


    you.¡±


    Julie nodded, then entered the ICU with Kieran while wearing sterile clothes.


    Sansa opening her eyes was unbelievable. Although Dr. Brice had said that Sansa was still


    unresponsive, and wouldn¡¯t react to her surroundings, Julie still couldn¡¯t resist waving in front of Sansa.


    As expected, Sansa didn¡¯t react, but Julie didn¡¯t give up. She kept waving and calling her name.


    The rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor echoed in Julie¡¯s ears. She turned her head to see Kieran


    standing by, quietly watching her.


    Kieran said, ¡°I¡¯ll go sort out the nurse.¡±


    Julie nodded, but then remembered what Dr. Brice had said. She looked at Sansa again and asked,


    ¡°Sansa, can¡¯t you really hear me?¡±


    The only reply was the silence of the room. Julie-figured she was probably overthinking.


    Kieran arranged for the most professional nurse to take care of Sansa. Julie had intended to stay


    overnight with Sansa at the hospital, but the hospital rules stated that family members could only visit,


    not stay overnight, in the ICU. So, in the end, Kieran took Julie home.


    On the way home, Julie didn¡¯t volunteer to drive. She looked at Kieran, thought for a moment, and


    finally said, ¡°Before I left today, I mentioned the Fitzgerald family and Simon¡¯s name to Sansa. Dr. Brice


    said that before Sansa woke up, her brain had shown activity. I wonder¡­ could this have anything to


    do with Simon?¡±


    Julie paused, then said, ¡°The Fitzgeralds are a big family. As an heir to the Fitzgerald family, Simon


    couldn¡¯t have made a mistake about who he wanted to sponsor¡­ so if he didn¡¯t know Sansa before,


    why would he sponsor her?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer her, but it was clear he was thinking about the same thing.


    After a moment of silence, Julie frowned and said, ¡°But before Sansa¡¯s incident, she never mentioned


    the Fitzgeralds to me. If they really knew each other, why would Sansa hide it from me?¡±


    Kieran gave her aforting look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.¡±.


    At that point, Julie chose to trust him. If it weren¡¯t for him telling her about Simon, maybe Sansa


    wouldn¡¯t be able to open her eyes now. Although she hadn¡¯t regained consciousness, it was, as Dr.


    Brice said, a good sign.


    As soon as Kieran got back to the vi, he immediately dialed Hayden. Being an enemy of the


    Fitzgerald family, Hayden¡¯s father, Miles Simson, would surely know the Fitzgeralds best. Julien used to


    work for Miles, so naturally, Kieran went to Hayden first.


    Kieran told Hayden exactly what happened, to which Hayden bluntly responded, ¡°I asked her ages ago.


    The Fitzgerald family¡¯s first in line, Simon, and the second, Simon¡¯s sister Beatrice, are both


    ridiculously mysterious. Even Julien has never met them.¡±


    ¡°Everyone leaves a trace in the world,¡± Kieran stared out the window into the night, his voice as deep


    as a demon¡¯s in the dark.


    Hayden knew exactly what Kieran meant, ¡°I¡¯ve already got Julien on it. The moment I get anything, I¡¯ll


    let you know¡±


    After hanging up, Kleran found Julie¡¯s not in her room.


    When he opened the door to go out, he saw Shannon looking at ivan¡¯s door. ¡°Is Julle in there?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s telling Ivan a story.¡±


    Intrigued by Shannon¡¯s words, Kieran took a curious nce at Ivan¡¯s room. The idea of Julie telling


    Ivan a story was quite appealing.


    Shannon felt a bit uneasy. She remembered that out of the 46 nannies who got the boot from Ivan, 12


    were kicked out because they tried to tell him stories.


    Patting Shannon on the shoulder, Kieran said, ¡°You go get some rest first. I¡¯ll go check.¡±


    As Kieran opened the door and walked in, he found Ivan lyingfortably in Julie¡¯s arms. With a copy


    of The Little Prince in hand, Julie was softly reading to him, ¡°I drew my first picture with a colored


    pencil. My masterpiece number one. It looked like this¡­¡±


    She ced the book in front of Ivan and pointed at a drawing that looked like a hat, asking, ¡°Do you


    know what this is?¡±


    ¡°A snake that swallowed an elephant.¡±


    Julie was taken aback because the drawing really looked like a small hat. Surprised, she asked Ivan,


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? Look, this is the elephant¡¯s body, and this is the snake¡¯s tail¡­¡±


    Julie had to admit, this little boy indeed had a unique way of thinking.


    Ivan, not interested in The Little Prince anymore, picked up another book from the bedside table and


    asked Julie, ¡°Mum, can you read this story to me?¡±


    Julie looked at the book. It was titled The Shadow Thief.


    She opened the book and began to read softly, ¡°Shakespeare said: some only kiss shadows, hence


    they only possess the illusion of happiness. What love needs most is imagination. Romain Gary said:


    everyone must use all their efforts and imagination to shape the other person, without bowing to reality.


    So, when the fantasies of both parties meet¡­there¡¯s no more beautiful scene.¡±


    As she was reading, she noticed a familiar handwriting on the edge of the page. It was Kieran¡¯s.


    ¡°The most beautiful scene is meeting you, my Julie.¡±


    When Julie finished reading, Kieran, standing at the doorway, suddenly realized what was written in the


    book. He quickly stepped forward and snatched The Shadow Thief from Julie.


    Stunned, Julie looked up at Kieran who was hiding the book behind him.


    For a man who was usually so smooth with words, he seemed a bit ufortable now.


    ¡°Give it back!¡± Julie reached out to Kieran.


    Instead of returning the book, Kieran turned around to leave..


    Excited, Ivan sat up and urged Julie, ¡°Mum, go after him!¡±


    Julie threw off the covers and chased after Kieran. Ivan sat on the edge of the bed, covering his mouth


    and giggling. So the usually arrogant Kerry would hide in his study every night and write these things¡­


    Ivan figured his mom probably didn¡¯t know that Kerry had an old phone he¡¯d been using for years.


    Every day, he would write a message he never intended to send, and then save it in the draft box.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what those messages said, he decided there and then, he¡¯d secretly let his


    mom know¡­

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Chapter 200


    Julie found herself blocked outside the door by Kieran.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    By the time she managed to open the door, the book in Kieran¡¯s hand had already disappeared.


    ¡°I bet you won¡¯t tell me where you hid the book!¡± She stood in front of him, looked around at the same


    time.


    He looked down at her, giving her a nod. ¡°You¡¯re spot on.¡±


    ¡°I really wish I could pretend I don¡¯t care, really!¡± She tiptoed to nce behind Kieran. After all, the most


    dangerous ce is often the safest.


    Without hesitation, Kieran turned around, giving her a full view, then turned back, grabbed her


    shoulders and asked, ¡°Ready for bed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± She shrugged off his arm and moved closer to him, backing him into a


    corner, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that there would be no more secrets?¡±


    Her determined gaze had him sitting down on the bed. He looked at the serious Julie, responding


    seriously, ¡°This isn¡¯t our secret. More precisely, it¡¯s my¡­secret.¡±


    With that, he gave up resisting, sprawling onto the bed, ¡°Babe, ready for bed?¡±


    She stood firmly by the bed, not taking the bait, but instead kicked his leg lightly, ¡°Why The Shadow


    Thief?¡±


    ¡°Probably because there is no The Heart Thief!¡± The man lying on the bed looked thoughtful.


    Clearly, that was an evasive answer. Julie blurted out, ¡°Did you badmouth me in the book?¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Kieran suddenly sat up, grabbed her wrist and fell back onto the


    bed. Julie, pulled by his weight, copsed onto him.


    With her hands on either side of his head to avoid crushing him, she tried to get up, but he circled her


    waist with his big hand.


    His sexy voice echoed in her ear, ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be upset after reading it. People


    shouldn¡¯t read books.¡±


    Seriously? These words were from a top student? Julie wasn¡¯t buying it.


    ¡°Stop messing around and let me go. I need to talk to you.¡± She positioned her hands on his body, the


    position a bit too intimate.


    He still held her waist. She had just taken a shower and was only wearing a thin silk nightgown. His


    burning hand was like a branding iron on her waist, impossible


    to ignore.


    With one hand on her waist and the other grabbing the nket, he wrapped them both up.


    ¡°How about we chat under the nket?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Julie realized that he had easily changed the subject.


    She stated, ¡°I won¡¯t read it.¡±


    It sounded serious, not at all flirtatious or feigned anger. She looked into his deep eyes and said, ¡°If the


    book contains insults to me, I would be hurt. If it contains your love for me, I fear those promises will be


    forgotten. So, I don¡¯t want to read it.¡±


    For those things you¡¯re curious about, time will give you a satisfactory answer.


    Hearing Julie¡¯s words, Kieran reached out and pulled her into his arms. Theyy on the bed, him


    holding her gently, his chin on her head, softly caressing her back.


    ¡°Joyce, you¡¯re the only one in my life¡­I dare not make any promises to.¡±


    She understood his words.


    She hugged his waist and buried her head deep in his chest.


    She remembered what her mother once told her, a mature but burdened person usually wouldn¡¯t make


    promises easily as those oaths often disregard life and death. A person who truly loves you would


    value your life above all else.


    After a while, she finally broke the silence, looking at him and asking, ¡°Haven¡¯t you showered yet?¡±


    She tried to roll over and get off him, but somehow, she was pressed back onto the bed. He avoided


    her injuries, looking at her somewhat frightened face, ¡°How about we do some sit-ups, and then take a


    shower together?¡±


    Sit-ups and push-ups had a special meaning in her dictionary.


    Her face turned red, ¡°Get lost! I¡¯ve already showered! Who wants to do sit-ups with you?¡±


    She pushed Kieran¡¯s shoulder away, looking very stern.


    He just mentioned it casually. Julie¡¯s wound had just started to scab, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t do


    anything to her. But Julie¡¯s expression was a bit too serious¡­.


    Kieran didn¡¯t think much of it. He kissed her forehead and then headed to the bathroom.


    It was then that she realized her hands were trembling. As Kieran closed the bathroom door, she let out


    a sigh of relief, but her brows furrowed even deeper.


    After a long hesitation, she finally pulled out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and sent a message.


    When Kieran came out of the bathroom, he went straight to her bed, sat next to her, held her, and then


    turned off the light.


    ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ?? ?? ? ?


    She should have been tired after a long day, but instead, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, concerned.


    She was silent for a while, then asked, ¡°Do you remember what you said about tonic love?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± He answered, then asked, ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Suddenly, Lthink that kind of love is pretty good.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the light turned


    on.


    She looked at him innocently, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± He countered. In the middle of the night, she suddenly told him that tonic love


    was great¡­ His expression was pretty calm, all things considered.


    Chapter 200


    Julie pushed Kieran away, turned off the light, and said, ¡°I get it. It¡¯s not me you like, but the physical


    intimacy with me!¡±


    Kieran looked a bit innocent. He turned on the light again, stroked Julie¡¯s face, and said, ¡°If you think I


    value physical contact more, then I should be sleeping with you right now, otherwise I¡¯m missing the


    point.¡±


    Julie pushed Kieran¡¯s hand away, turned off the light, and said, ¡°Can we try tonic love then?¡±


    Kieran leaned down and gently kissed Julie¡¯s lips, saying, ¡°I can ept any form, except tonic love.


    I can assure that our rtionship is fresh every day. Today we can try sit-ups, tomorrow push-ups, the


    day after squats¡­ Also, nks, yoga¡­¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t take it anymore and quickly covered Kieran¡¯s mouth, ¡°Sleep!¡±


    Kieran turned the light on again, then flipped over, pinning Julie beneath him.


    He leaned down and started kissing Julie. Her lips were like soft pudding, totally irresistible. He kissed


    her hard, as if trying to steal away her breath. What started off as a punishing kiss turned hotter and


    deeper.


    Julie pushed against his chest with both hands, but her body melted into him.


    Just when they were about to suffocate¡­


    The door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Ivan was innocently standing at the entrance,


    holding a pillow, looking pitifully at the two on the bed and said, ¡°Kerry, there¡¯s a monster in my room!¡±


    Julie, startled, shoved Kieran to the side with a swift kick. She said hurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. There


    are no monsters in the world, only bad people!¡±


    Kieran frowned. Why didn¡¯t he lock the door tonight? Why?


    Kieran looked at Ivan standing by the door and asked, ¡°Howe the monster didn¡¯t eat you?¡± He


    knew this little boy seemed independent but was actually very dependent on them.


    Ivan grinned and said, ¡°I defeated the little monster, but I¡¯m afraid the police might catch me. I got


    scared, so I got up for a drink of water. When I got up, I saw the light in your room shing.¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t believe him, but Julie,ughing, scooped Ivan up into her arms, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with you then!¡±


    Ivan curled upfortably in Julie¡¯s arms and blew a kiss to Kieran. Seeing Kieran¡¯s annoyed face, he


    told Julie, ¡°Daddy looks so pitiful. Should we let him sleep with us?¡±


    Kieran was speechless.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    Chapter 201


    Julie distinctly remembered falling asleep with Ivan in-between her and Kieran, but when she woke up


    in the morning, she found herself in Kieran¡¯s arms instead.


    The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Kieran¡¯s chin. She was nestled in the crook of


    his arm, and looking up she could see the faint stubble on his face with a hint of sex appeal.


    She carefully reached over for her phone to check the time. It was still early for work. She tried to get


    out of bed quietly, but Kieran¡¯s long arm pulled her back.


    ¡°If I get up now, I¡¯ll have time for breakfast before heading to the office. Why didn¡¯t you go for your


    morning run?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I already did. I just wanted to sleep in a bit longer with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to get up now. How about you join me?¡± she suggested, y fully rubbing his nose.


    In the early moming, his voice slightly hoarse and nasal, he asked, ¡°Have you heard the story of


    Sleeping Beauty?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What about Snow White?¡±


    ¡°Neither!¡± She let go of Kieran¡¯s nose, gave his face a gentle pat, and said, ¡°Come on, get up, Mr.


    Hernandez.¡±


    Kieran took her hand, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and said, ¡°Do you know what Sleeping Beauty


    and Snow White have inmon?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both women, and you¡¯re a man. I¡¯m not going to kiss you awake, but you¡¯ll wake up anyway!¡±


    sheughed, prying his fingers off her one by one.


    Unexpectedly, he flipped her onto her back and nted a kiss on her before letting go, ¡°Are you going


    to the office today?¡±


    ¡°Today marks the start of a new month. I lost my perfect attendance bonusst month because of you. I


    can¡¯t make the same mistake this month.¡± With that, she got up from the bed and headed to the


    bathroom to freshen up.


    Kieran picked out a ck and white formal suit for Julie, ¡°How about you wear this today?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with this,¡± Julie pulled out a clean outfit from the corner, a dress she used to wear often.


    It was from a budget brand, not too fancy but not too shabby either.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Kieran simply nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Daniel to send over some budget brandster.¡±


    ¡°No need. As long as I have enough clothes to wear. I¡¯ll dress up all pretty on my off days for you.¡± She


    put on the casual dress suitable for everyday wear.


    Kieran stood there, arms crossed, watching the woman change and asked, ¡°Need a hand?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Yes, could you please leave and close the door. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I refuse, because I have an eye for beauty. I want to appreciate beautiful things, so I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Kieran replied straightforwardly.


    Julie was unfazed. She took off her pajamas, threw it over Kieran¡¯s face, and said, ¡°As long as I cover


    your ¡®beauty-spotting¡¯ eyes, you won¡¯t be able to see anything.¡± ¡°Even if my eyes weren¡¯t covered, I still


    wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything.¡± Kieran removed the pajamas from his head and purposely stared at


    Julie¡¯s chest.


    Julie had already changed. She red at him, ¡°Are you going to say my chest is like two beans on an


    airne runway again?¡±


    ¡°Beans¡­¡± Kieran replied thoughtfully, ¡°Beans are delicious.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Kieran chased after herughing, ¡°Darling, wait for me! Let¡¯s go to the office together!¡±


    Julie rode with Kieran to the office.


    It was peak hour, so the staff elevator was packed. Julie was led by Kieran straight to the private


    elevator. She frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided not tomute with you anymore. I want to keep a low


    profile.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t join you for lunch in the cafeteria then.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Julie happily nodded and patted his shoulder as if praising a child, ¡°You¡¯re such a


    good boy!¡±


    ¡°Then join me for lunch in my office!¡±


    As they were approaching the legal department in the elevator, Julie looked up at Kieran, her


    expression suddenly serious, ¡°Still no news from Davina Field?¡±


    ¡°None.¡± He patted her back, ¡°Hayden is investigating.¡±


    Julie had no doubts about Hayden¡¯s abilities. She held Kieran¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Rankin¡­ Davina said,


    Rankin is dead.¡±


    Kieran was silent.


    Julie continued, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, maybe the reason why Davina hates me so much is more because of


    him¡­ When she kidnapped me, from her tone, she seemed to think that Rankin¡¯s death was my fault.¡±


    She mumbled to herself, ¡°I always thought he just went abroad to study. We used to email asionally.


    Then he stopped replying and I didn¡¯t think much of it. I thought he was just busy with school¡­ If I had


    dug deeper then, maybe Davina¡­


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t need to take any responsibility or me yourself for the mistakes Field


    or Davina made. I¡¯ll investigate Rankin¡¯s death.¡± Heforted her, patting her head.


    The elevator arrived at the legal department. He said, ¡°Go on. We¡¯ll have lunch together.¡±


    ¡°I have a date with Daphne at noon. She stated confidently.


    Kieran sighed andughed, ¡°Can you guys take me along?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Julie walked into the Legal Department. The normally bustling office suddenly fell silent. Julie silently


    returned to her seat. Before she entered the Legal


    Department, she clearly heard everyone discussing Davina¡¯s whereabouts.


    As the only person who knew the truth, she didn¡¯t say much. Now that they knew Julie¡¯s current status,


    no one dared to confront her directly, so the office was unusually quiet.


    Davina¡¯s ce was taken by another senior staff member. Julie managed to call Dr. Brice before work


    started.


    ¡°Sansa¡¯s condition is stable now, but she¡¯s still out of conscious. I heard Mr. Hernandez brought in Dr.


    Ladd to check on Sansa, which kinda took me by surprise. Don¡¯t worry though, if Dr. Ladd is willing to


    help, that would be the best shot for Sansa.¡± Harding Ladd is a general practitioner. Even though he¡¯s


    young, he¡¯s incredibly skilled. His medical team is top-notch too. If even he can¡¯t save Sansa, then no


    one else stands a chance.


    Julie thanked Dr. Brice and hung up the phone.


    Newly appointed Hagan, before starting the workday, encouraged everyone in the office, ¡°Don¡¯t be so


    uptight. It¡¯s not even work hours yet! You guys can prepare your stuff. At half past nine, we¡¯ll have a


    meeting. Also, I know having Mrs. Hernandez here might put some pressure on you guys, but besides


    being Mrs. Hernandez, Attorney Abraham is also our coworker. Right, Attorney Abraham?¡±


    Julie nodded with a smile, ¡°Exactly, Hagan. Here, I¡¯m just a regr assistant. I¡¯ll do my best. And thank


    you all for your help and understanding.¡±


    Hearing Julie¡¯s humble words, everyone wasn¡¯t as tense as before, but they still kept a respectful


    distance. No one dared to brown-nose her.


    The office tension eased up a bit.


    Some employees started to chat before work.


    ¡°Did you guys catch the news about Mr. Watson yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I did! You¡¯re talking about the fan photo of Mr. Watson and Mr. Ladd having BBQ, right?¡±


    ¡°I want to be the meat in Mr. Watson¡¯s mouth¡­¡±


    ¡°Honey, give it up! The whole world knows Mr. Watson and Mr. Ladd are the perfect match!¡±


    ¡°I have big breasts, but can¡¯t evenpete with a man!¡±


    The office broke intoughter. Even Julie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°And speaking of Mr. Lionel¡¯s so-called ¡®female friend¡¯, turns out she has a boyfriend. I thought she was


    sneaking around with Mr. Lionel!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself. Mr. Lionel was Ms. Albertine¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Ex-boyfriend.¡± Another person interjected, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s good enough for Mr. Lionel. Didn¡¯t she


    get bashed online by Mr. Lionel¡¯s fans? Everyone didn¡¯t believe they were just friends, but today we


    suddenly learned she has a boyfriend. Finally, Mr. Lionel¡¯s fans can rest easy. Yesterday they took


    photos of her and her boyfriend at a restaurant. They looked super close!¡±


    ¡°As a fan of Mr. Lionel, I was one of those bashing her, haha¡­¡±


    At this point, someone nced at Julie. Everyone suddenly realized the magazine editor who held the


    press conference with Julie was Lionel¡¯s ¡®female friend¡¯.


    So, everyone instantly shut up and started focusing on their own work.


    Julie called Daphne, wanting to share the good news about Sansa.


    After several rings, Daphne finally picked up.


    ¡°Daphne, my sister woke up!¡± After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°Though she¡¯s not fully conscious yet,


    she can open her eyes now. I believe she¡¯ll get better.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Daphne¡¯s excited voice came through the phone, ¡°That¡¯s a miracle!¡±


    Julie was equally excited, ¡°Despite her cardiac arrest yesterday, her vital signs are stable now. Are you


    free for lunch? I¡¯d like to treat you.¡±


    ¡°I think we might have to postpone it until tomorrow¡­¡± Daphne sounded a bit down, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to


    lunch tomorrow and then we can visit her together, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Julie thought for a moment, then said, ¡°By the way, you yesterday on Twitter¡­¡±


    ¡°I gotta hang up now. I¡¯m having a showdown with a monster!¡± After that, Daphne hung up..


    Julie naively thought Daphne was ying a game, but the reality was¡­

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    Chapter 202


    Daphne, on her rare day off, finally had the chance to sleep in. But her beauty sleep was interrupted by


    a phone call. On the other end was Nigel Ted, her blind date. The gentleman who¡¯d left quite an


    impression on her.


    They¡¯d swapped WhatsApp details already and Nigel knew she had a few days off work, so he called


    bright and early to invite her out to lunch. Considering their mutual good impressions, and Daphne


    feeling like it was about time she got a boyfriend, she happily agreed.


    She slipped into a nude fishtail maxi, paired with a beige coat. After applying a full face of makeup and


    choosing her favorite pair of heels, she grabbed her handbag and left her apartment.


    But she sprained her ankle on the first floor because¡­


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t hide her surprise as she saw Lionel, sitting across from


    her mom. She quickly steadied herself on the staircase railing, ncing at the TV show ying in the


    living room. It was Lionel¡¯s movie. She looked at the TV, back to Lionel, rubbed her eyes and jokingly


    asked her mom, ¡°Did he step out from the TV?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?Stop talking nonsense!¡± Edda quickly waved her off. ¡°Come sit down. Mr.


    Lionel has been waiting for you!¡±


    The only thing Daphne wanted to know was why Lionel was at her house.


    Lionel seemed to have read her mind. He turned to Daphne and said, ¡°You left your keys at my ce


    last time. I happened to be filming nearby today, so I thought I¡¯d drop them off.¡±


    So that¡¯s why you had to knockst night when you got home! You lost


    Daphne looked innocently at the keys in Lionel¡¯s hands. No wonder she Edda said with a sigh. ¡°Why


    didn¡¯t you lose yourself too?¡±


    Ouldn¡¯t find them anywhere yesterday. She¡¯d left them at his ce.


    Edda ushered her to sit down, her eyes beaming with joy.


    he was a huge fan of Lionel. Ever since she saw him on the entertainment news saying he and Daphne


    were good friends, Edda had been hoping that Daphne would invite Lionel over. She even wanted a


    few signed photos.


    Having a mom like this left Daphne helpless. But since she didn¡¯t live at home, Edda had no choice but


    to give up on her dream. But what she never expected was that Lionel woulde to her door. How


    did he even know her address?


    After mentally cursing Lionel a hundred times, Daphne forced a smile and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°How did your keys end up at Mr. Lionel¡¯s ce?¡± Edda asked with a puzzled look.


    Lionel sitting opposite didn¡¯t seem to want to help exin, but rather seemed to enjoy Daphne¡¯s


    difort.


    Daphne thought of countless excuses in her mind. Just as she was about to use work as an


    excuse, Julie called her at the right moment.


    Daphne immediately bolted to the balcony with her phone, like she was escaping, to answer Julie¡¯s


    call.


    Back in the living room, Lionel seemed to be hosting a fan meeting for Edda. Edda nced at Daphne


    on the balcony and said to Lionel with a smile, ¡°Did you and Daphne n to go out together? She


    usually doesn¡¯t wear those heels unless it¡¯s a special asion.¡±


    Lionel nced in Daphne¡¯s direction and said meaningfully, ¡°Special asion?¡±


    ¡°Never mind about her. Let¡¯s talk about you. I heard you¡¯re releasing a new single?¡±


    Lionel responded with a bright and polite smile, nodding, ¡°Yes, I have ns for that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Daphne used to love boys who could sing when she was a kid. There was a boy in her


    ss who could sing really well. She always said she would marry him when they grew up.¡± Edda


    recalled Daphne¡¯s childhood, her smile sweetening.


    Daphne¡¯s dad, ric Flores, came out of the kitchen with a te of fruit and smiled at Edda, ¡°Stop


    making things up. Mr. Lionel already said on TV that he and Daphne are just friends! Don¡¯t spread


    rumours.¡±


    ¡°I forgot!¡± Edda red at ric, motioning him to shut up.


    ric could only warmly look at Lionel and say, ¡°Have some fruit. My wife is pretty straightforward. I


    hope you won¡¯t mind, Mr. Lionel.¡±


    Lionel smiled, ¡°I like straightforward people.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Daphne is pretty straightforward too. Mr. Lionel, she must have upset you quite a bit, huh?¡±


    Eddaughed.


    Indeed, Daphne knew how to get on his nerves, but Lionel still smiled, ¡°Mrs. Flores, please, there¡¯s no


    need for formalities. You can just call me by my name.¡±


    Hearing this, Edda was overjoyed, ¡°Then, can I call you Lionel?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Lionel, how did you and Daphne meet?¡± Edda asked curiously.


    Thinking back to when he first met Daphne, Lionel smiled and said, ¡°At a friend¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°A wedding?¡± Daphne, who just got off the phone, walked in and heard Lionel¡¯s conversation with her


    mom. She¡¯d only attended via¡¯s wedding. When Julie and Kieran got married, there was no wedding


    because¡­


    ¡°You mean via¡¯s wedding?¡± Daphne excitedly ran over to Lionel and asked. Shepletely forgot


    about the impression she was making on her parents by sitting so close to Lionel.


    Until ric, sitting across from her, suddenly coughed twice, she snapped back to reality and like a


    spring, immediately bounced away from Lionel.


    Edda not only didn¡¯t mind, she even seemed pretty pleased. She took the initiative to remind Daphne,


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to go out with Lionel? Make sure toe back early.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a date with him. I¡¯m meeting¡­¡± The name Nigel got stuck in Daphne¡¯s throat as she


    suddenly noticed the other three in the room watching her with a mix of anticipation and caution.


    Finally, ric broke the silence. He asked Daphne, ¡®Are you going on a date with Nigel, the guy your


    mom set you up with?¡±


    Daphne kept silent.


    ric said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked out thatd. He¡¯s a good guy. You should seize this opportunity. You¡¯re not


    getting any younger. If you think he¡¯s a fit, go ahead and date


    S


    10:46


    him. I heard from your mom yesterday, Julie¡¯s son is already grown up. If you guys hit it off, you should


    bring him home for us to meet, let your mom and I give you some feedback.¡±


    Even though this was directed at Daphne, Edda felt he wasying it on a bit thick. After all, Lionel was


    still here! And he¡¯s not usually such a busybody!


    Edda shot ric a re, then turned to Daphne and said, ¡°You have to be careful when choosing a


    boyfriend. There¡¯s no need to rush it.¡±


    Daphne gawked at Edda. Was this the same mom who was always nagging her to find a boyfriend,


    now telling her not to rush?


    ¡°Why not hurry? Invite Nigel over for lunch today. Since Mr. Lionel is here, as a good friend, you should


    also consider his opinion.¡± ric said.


    This pissed Edda off. She sneakily pinched ric behind the sofa, then reluctantly smiled at Daphne,


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your dad. Lionel is so busy, how could he have time to help you pick a boyfriend?¡±


    Daphne agreed with this. She turned to look at Lionel as if to ask ¡®why are you sticking your nose in


    this?¡¯


    ¡°Lord Lion, aren¡¯t you shooting a movie nearby today? Where exactly? Meadowview Park? I was just


    about to go out. Maybe I could give you a ride?¡± Daphne kindly


    offered.


    Unexpectedly, Lionel just leaned back on the sofa and casually said, ¡°I¡¯ve already finished shooting.¡±


    Daphne was speechless.


    Lionel calmly looked at Daphne and said, ¡°Your parents are right, you should be careful when choosing


    a boyfriend. No one unworthy deserves you. What does he look like?¡±


    Hearing Lionel say this, Edda and ric exchanged nces. Edda then finally smiled at Daphne,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have his picture? Show it to Lionel, see what he thinks.¡±


    Daphne weakly nced at Lionel. He was still calmly looking at her, as if waiting for her to show the


    picture.


    ¡°Why are you still dawdling? Call Nigel right now and invite him over for lunch.¡± ric seemed


    particrly keen on inviting Nigel over today.


    Daphne thought, if Nigel really came over for lunch, what would she do? So she pretended to check


    her phone, then looked disappointed, ¡°Oh no! Nigel just messaged me on WhatsApp, he has to work


    overtime at the office, so our date is cancelled.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The usually silent Lionel suddenly chimed in. He raised an eyebrow, his arm casually thrown


    over the back of the sofa, and said, ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±


    Daphne made a face, turned away from Lionel, and apologized to Nigel on WhatsApp, saying she


    couldn¡¯t make it today.


    She thought she¡¯d be safe as long as she didn¡¯t show the picture, but Edda somehow found one and


    handed it to Lionel sitting next to her. Lionel leisurely took the photo, then gave Daphne a deep look¡­


    Daphne thought: I¡¯m done for¡­

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    Chapter 203


    Edda took ric into the kitchen, leaving Daphne and Lionel alone in the living room.


    Edda hissed at ric, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you today? Didn¡¯t you see my favorite celeb sitting out there?


    Are you jealous or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been jealous for the past forty years.¡± ric was never one foreback, so he shut up after one


    sentence, ncing in the direction of the living room. He whispered to Edda, ¡°Look, this Lionel is a


    yboy, plus he¡¯s pretty good-looking. Our daughter is not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. She¡¯s


    inherited your fangirl genes. If she gets seduced by Lionel, she¡¯s gonna be heartbroken! Don¡¯t you


    know he changes girlfriends like he changes his clothes?¡±


    Edda was left speechless by ric¡¯s words, finally mumbling, ¡°They¡¯re just good friends¡­¡±


    ¡°Good friends? Do you even know what ¡®friends¡¯ of the opposite sex mean to young people these


    days?¡± ric frowned in disgust.


    Edda shouted, ¡°You know everything! You¡¯re always right!¡±


    ric was speechless.


    Living Room.


    Lionel was examining a photo of Nigel in his hand. Daphne promptly covered the photo with her hand,


    ¡°Lord Lion, you¡¯ve gone out of your way to bring me the key. I¡¯m so embarrassed. Couldn¡¯t you just


    have called me?¡±


    ¡°Daphne.¡± Lionel looked up at her, his deep, beautiful eyes sparkling like a crystal-clearke..


    Daphne hurriedly closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was determined not to be swayed


    by him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this guy¡¯s name?¡± he asked.


    Feeling Lionel¡¯s intense gaze, Daphne blurted out, ¡°Nigel.¡±


    As soon as her words fell, Lionel suddenly looked towards the kitchen and said, ¡°Nigel, that¡¯s a nice


    name.¡±¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Who was he putting on this show for? His words clearly didn¡¯t sound genuine.


    As expected, Lionel turned back to her after saying this and whispered, ¡°So, do you think Nigel is a nice


    name, or is Lionel a better one?¡±


    With Lionel himself right in front of her, Daphne, ever the opportunist, didn¡¯t hesitate to answer, ¡°Of


    course your name is better! Lionel, Lord Lion. What a powerful


    name!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Lionel patted Daphne on the shoulder,mending her.


    Daphne was shaking in her boots.


    He then looked towards the kitchen again and said loudly, ¡°This Nigel is quite good-looking.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s face waspletely frozen. Lionel turned back to her, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°He is


    quite handsome, but not as handsome as me. What do you think, Daphne?¡±


    ¡°What do I think?¡± Daphne looked at Lionel, ¡°All the guys better looking than you are already married.


    And I¡¯m so ugly, how could I be their girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°I agree with that.¡± Lionel smiled at Daphne¡¯s reply.


    Daphne resisted the urge to throw him out. He raised his voice again towards the kitchen, ¡°I think he¡¯s


    a good guy, but I¡¯m not sure about his financial situation. If he¡¯s not well-off, I¡¯m afraid he


    won¡¯t be able to support you.¡±


    Daphne had had enough, she shook her body, ¡°Am I handicapped? Can¡¯t I support myself?¡±


    ¡°How about I support you?¡± Lionel said suddenly, not looking up from Nigel¡¯s photo. His tone was


    serious, and it didn¡¯t sound like he was joking.


    Daphne had never imagined hearing these words from a man, let alone Lionel, a heartthrob idol and an


    internationally awarded actor.


    More importantly, her heart was beating out of control. What was happening?


    Just as she was thinking about how to respond, Lionel said again, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m afraid my Daphne will


    get jealous.¡±


    Lionel had a husky dog named Daphne¡­ Daphne remembered the night she went to his house, how


    he happily called out ¡®Daphne¡¯ to his husky, and how the husky wagged its tail joyfully.


    Daphne only found out from Julie that Albertine also had a husky. After breaking up, they couldn¡¯t be a


    couple but managed to have matching dogs! Daphne didn¡¯t understand their thinking.


    But was he treating her like a dog now? All her flutters were for nothing!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fight for attention with your Daphne!¡± Daphne red at Lionel.


    Lionel suddenlyughed, ¡°Do you really want me to take care of you?¡±


    ¡°Lord Lion, yourprehension skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll reluctantly take care of you.¡± He cut off Daphne¡¯s words, patting her head, ¡°Next time you


    find a new date, tell me in advance. As benefits, I have a duty to help you make decisions.¡±


    Daphne swatted his hand away, ring at him, ¡°How do you know my current date won¡¯t work out?¡±


    And what did he mean by ¡°friend with benefits¡±?


    Lionel looked at Daphne, ¡°Just a hunch.


    your friend with


    Simpo Co.


    After being turned down by Daphne, Julle had no choice but to mooch off Kieran¡¯s lunch in his office.


    Kieran seemed to have anticipated Julie¡¯s arrival, he had prepared an extra lunch for her early on.


    Sitting across from Kieran, Julle chatted while eating, ¡°I asked Ivanst night. He said he doesn¡¯t want


    to go on a trip for his birthday this year.


    ¡°What does he want to do?¡± This year was really strange. The kid had never shown interest in his


    birthday in the past, barely mentioning it. Even when Shannon threw him birthday parties, he would act


    indifferent, even finding them childish. But this year, he suddenly started caring about his birthday,


    appearing to take it very seriously.


    Julie had brought it up with him before she started telling him a bedtime storyst night.


    ¡°Ivan said he wants to throw a big party at home, inviting all his best mates and our friends. It has to be


    a grand one.¡± Julie said.


    Not sure what he was up to, Kieran agreed right away, ¡°I¡¯ll get Karl on it.¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hernandez!¡±


    Kieran forked a piece of potato and put it in front of Julie. The sudden affectionate gesture took Julie by


    surprise.


    After she swallowed the potato, the man across from her said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve eaten my food, shouldn¡¯t


    we be less formal?¡±


    Julie nced at Kieran and decided to continue her lunch.


    Suddenly, she seemed to remember something. She looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°Dr. Brice told me


    yesterday that you¡¯ve paid for Sansa¡¯s medical expenses¡­¡±


    ¡°It was the right thing to do.¡± He put down his cutlery, looking at Julie lovingly, ¡°Dear¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the office door was suddenly pushed open, ¡°Kerry, I need to talk to


    you¡­¡±


    Julie felt that what Kieran was about to say was quite important, yet it was abruptly interrupted by the


    sudden appearance of Payne Hernandez.


    ¡°Why is my secretary sox these days, letting people in so easily?¡± Mr. Hernandez showed clear


    displeasure at being interrupted.


    Payne innocently nced at the door, then reminded Kieran, ¡°Kerry, your secretary went out for lunch.¡±


    Kieran let go of Julie¡¯s hand and gave Payne an unhappy nce, ¡°You better have something really


    important to say!¡±


    ¡°Or else you¡¯re going to toss me out the window, I know!¡± Payneughed, saying to Julie, ¡°Julie, you¡¯re


    getting more beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Are you so eager to experience flying?¡± Kieran looked at the window, then at Payne.


    Payne immediately put on a serious face, ¡°I¡¯m here to collect my reward.¡±¡±


    ¡°Did you find who bought the ring?¡± Kieran asked Payne directly.


    Payne immediately gave a thumbs up to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, you¡¯re a real mind reader.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap. Get to the point!¡±


    ¡°After my thorough investigation, I finally found the real identity of the person who bought that ring. You


    guys should know him too. He is¡­¡± Payne paused, looking at Julie, ¡°Julie, guess who?¡±


    Kieran tossed a fork in Payne¡¯s direction, ¡°Spit it out or get lost!¡±


    Payne caught the fork, only then did he say, ¡°It¡¯s Kyle, the one who almost became Julie¡¯s brother-in-


    law.¡±


    ¡°Kyle?¡± Julie looked at Payne in shock, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake? How could it be


    him?¡±


    In the past, Julie always saw Kyle as her future brother-inw. He was engaged to Sansa. Everyone


    thought they would surely get married, but surprisingly, two years after their engagement, they still had


    no ns for the wedding. In the end, they slowly drifted apart.


    It was said that they broke up amicably. Sansa was always more rational than Julie, understanding


    others better. She was never ambiguous about her own feelings. Even though they broke up, they


    remained friends. However, Julie could feel Sansa¡¯s deep love for Kyle, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have


    given up her job as awyer to help her parents manage theirpany after breaking up with Kyle.


    ¡°I heard that after breaking up with Sansa, he went to Veridia and became awyer. We haven¡¯t heard


    from him for years. It can¡¯t be him, can it?¡± Julie said to Payne.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    Chapter 204


    ¡°Julie, are you doubting my abilities?¡± Payne walked up to Julie, took a seat and said, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a


    hundred percent sure, do you think I would dare toe after Kerry¡¯s reward? Do I look like I have a


    death wish?¡±


    Julie¡¯sck of trust in Payne wasn¡¯t the issue, it was just that ever since Sansa and Kyle broke up


    amicably, she hadpletely lost touch with him. She knew that Sansa had deep feelings for Kyle and


    that he had genuinely cared for Sansa in the past. But back then she was young, she only knew that


    Sansa and Kyle suddenly broke up, not knowing the exact reason why. The normally candid Sansa


    never mentioned the cause of their breakup.


    All she remembered was one day, Sansa held her and cried her heart out without saying a word. It was


    only after her persistent questioning that Sansa finally revealed the reason. She seemed to have used


    all her strength to say, ¡°Joyce, it¡¯s impossible for Kyle and me¡­¡±


    Back then, the naive Julie encouraged Sansa to win back Kyle. She thought that persistence would


    definitely yield a result, and even if it didn¡¯t, there would be no regrets because at least she tried. But


    looking back now, whether two people can end up together isn¡¯t something that can be decided by one-


    sided effort, is it?


    She thought that Kyle would appear after something happened to Sansa, but he didn¡¯t.


    So much so that Juliepletely forgot about Kyle¡¯s existenceter on. Now he¡¯s appeared again, and


    even paid a high price for her mother¡¯s most treasured jewelry. What does this mean?


    Julie looked at Payne and asked, ¡°Is Kyle in Veridia now?¡±


    Payne furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, ¡°Veridia? Kyle is a British citizen. After returning to


    Britain, he didn¡¯t continue to practicew, but opened aw firm. S&J International Law Firm now has


    branches in thirteen countries around the world.¡±


    After Payne finished, he turned to Kieran and said, ¡°Kerry, tell me, how could he have established such


    arge enterprise in such a short period of time if he didn¡¯t have strong connections supporting him?¡±


    ¡°Kyle¡¯s parents are both locals. I met them when he and Sansa got engaged. His family is very simple.


    How could he be a British citizen? Did they immigrate?¡± Julie asked.


    Payne shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. ording to the electronic records, Kyle was born and


    raised in London, Britain. He came to our country because he was working as a foreign affairswyer.


    Although I haven¡¯t found any information about his parents yet, but¡­


    Payne handed his tablet to Julie and pointed at Kyle¡¯s face on the screen, ¡°Julie, do you think his facial


    features look exactly like ours?¡±


    Julie had seen this face many times. At first, she just thought he was handsome, with deep-set features


    and clear contours, especially his cheekbones, which did look a bit mixed.


    She said somewhat helplessly, ¡°I do seem to remember him saying he¡¯s a quarter British. Even Sansa


    didn¡¯t care about it at the time, how could I remember?¡±


    ¡°Julie, you¡¯re so naive, how did you manage to catch such a cunning guy like Kerry?¡± Payne asked this


    question, and the entire office immediately fell silent.


    A few secondster, Kieran sitting across from him finally said grimly, ¡°I set the trap too perfectly. Mrs.


    Hernandez has poor vision, so once she¡¯s in, she can¡¯t get


    out.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, teach me how to set traps!¡± Payne patted Kieran¡¯s shoulder trustingly.


    ¡°You better stick to your keyboard.¡± Kieran brushed Payne¡¯s hand off his shoulder, then asked him,


    ¡°What do you want as a reward?¡±


    Payne seemed to have already thought about what he wanted and answered very quickly, ¡°Reward me


    with a date with Julien.¡±


    ¡°Julien?¡± Julie raised her eyebrow.


    Payne nodded vigorously.


    Julie kindly reminded, ¡°Julien might not be gentle with you¡­¡±


    ¡°For her, I¡¯m willing to give it all!¡± Payne made a determined face.


    Julie originally thought Kieran would definitely reject Payne¡¯s ridiculous request. After such a date, it¡¯s


    uncertain whether Payne would be dead or alive.


    But he actually nodded and said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, you can¡¯t fool me!¡±


    ¡°And what if I do?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow and looked at him deeply.


    Payne thought for a long time, and finally said, ¡°I know, Kerry would definitely not fool me!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± What a wimp.


    Payne happily took hisptop and left. Julie stood up and asked Kieran in confusion, ¡°Are you really


    going to help him ask Julien out?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t Ivan say he¡¯s going to throw a big birthday party and invite everyone?¡± Kieran


    reached out and stroked Julie¡¯s long hair.


    Julie gave him a thumbs up, ¡°People often say women are crafty, but I think Mr. Hernandez is craftier


    than any woman!¡±


    ¡°Are you praising or criticizing me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The first half is praise, the second half is criticism.¡± After joking, she looked at Kieran and asked, ¡°If the


    ring really is from Kyle, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°What are your ns?¡± Actually, Julie always had her own ideas. He thought, she must have had a


    n before she asked this question.


    Sure enough, after two seconds of silence, Julie looked up at him and said, ¡°If we get the chance, let¡¯s


    try to contact him first¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    As soon as Julie finished speaking, Kieran took out his phone and dialed Karl¡¯s number, ¡°Arrange a


    meeting with the CEO of S&J International Law Firm, Kyle.¡± When Kieran hung up the call, Julie said, ¡°I


    have his email, but it seems like he hasn¡¯t used it since he broke up with Sansa. I tried to contact him


    when Sansa had a car ident, but he didn¡¯t respond, I was nning to try emailing him again when I


    get home tonight¡­¡±


    ¡°You could try that. Just because he didn¡¯t reply doesn¡¯t mean he stopped using that email.¡± He said.


    Julie nodded. While lunch break was not over yet, she pointed at Kieran¡¯sputer and said, ¡°Let me


    use yourptop for a bit.


    Kleran helped Julie unlock theptop. Julie sat down at the desk and logged into her email. Kieran


    stood behind her, hand on the desk, focusing on theputer


    screen.


    After Julie entered her password, she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head and ask, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I don¡¯t


    mind you standing behind me, but could you stop breathing?¡±


    ¡°If I stop breathing, I¡¯ll die.¡± Kieran¡¯s answer sounded a bit aggrieved, ¡°Keep your thoughts pure. Hurry


    up and send the email, or you¡¯ll bete for work this afternoon.¡± ¡°Am I not pure? I¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why can¡¯t I breathe behind you?¡± He interrupted her, causing her to forget


    what she was about to say.


    After holding her breath for a while, she finally said, ¡°I feel ticklish, okay? If I blow on you, you¡¯d feel


    ticklish too!¡±


    ¡°Honey, keep your thoughts pure. This is a public ce. How do you want me to help you stop feeling


    ticklish?¡±


    Julie elbowed Kieran in the chest, ¡°Kieran, you¡¯re such a scoundrel!¡±


    ¡°What, so I¡¯m a scoundrel because I breathe?¡± He deliberately blew a puff of air behind Julie¡¯s ear,


    teasing her.


    Julie turned her face to theputer and pped herself on the face. With her back to Kieran, she


    deliberately murmured to herself, ¡°Julie, keep your thoughts pure!¡±


    Kieran couldn¡¯t help butugh. Julie deliberately ignored him. She found the email address that she


    hadn¡¯t contacted for many years, then hesitated and turned to Kieran, ¡°What should I write in the


    email? Should I ask him if he is willing to meet with me? Or should I directly ask him about the meaning


    of that ring?¡±


    ¡°Shall I do it?¡± Kieran asked for Julie¡¯s opinion.


    Julie nodded and made room for him to sit down.


    Kieran sat down and pulled Julie into hisp.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She pped Kieran¡¯s hand around her waist.


    Kieran answered her with a deliberate snort, ¡°Don¡¯t move! A tiny spark can start a huge fire.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better not give me a chance to spark then! Just let go of me now, and I guarantee there


    won¡¯t be any sparks!¡± Despite their bantering, Julie still sat on hisp, not daring to move.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t move, the fire won¡¯t start.¡± He said while his fingers swiftly tapped on the


    keyboard.


    Julie watched theputer screen attentively, ¡°Kyle, did you give my mother that ring? If so, could you


    tell me why you did that? If possible, could we meet? I¡¯d like to thank you in person.¡±


    The email was signed off as ¡°Joyce Abraham¡±.


    Kieran leaned close to Julie¡¯s ear and asked softly, ¡°Do you think this is okay to write that?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that not only can you flirt with women, but you can also lure men.¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    He hit the send button, then turned Julie to face him, ¡°When did I ever flirt with you?¡±


    ¡°Right now! Look at our position! Thank goodness the curtains are closed, otherwise the staff outside


    might think I¡¯m here to distract you from work.¡± Julie said.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond to herment but said directly to her, ¡°Sweetie, take off your clothes.¡±


    Julie was just joking, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so serious¡­


    Julie instantly went on alert, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I want you to take off your clothes for?¡± He winked at her mischievously, ¡°Or should


    I help you?¡±


    Julie crossed her arms and struggled to stand up, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, this is an office! You should keep


    your thoughts pure!¡±


    Kieran pulled her back into his arms and unbuttoned her suit. He asked righteously, ¡°How am I not


    pure?

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    Chapter 205


    ¡°If you were so pure-minded, why did you ask me to take my clothes off?¡± She grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand


    and red at him questioningly.


    Kieran put on an innocent face, ¡°I asked you to get undressed so I can apply some medicine on you.


    How is that impure?¡±


    ¡°What kind of medicine?¡±


    As soon as Julie finished speaking, she saw Kieran take out a tube of ointment from his desk drawer.


    ¡°Dr. Ladd said this is a wound repair ointment that can prevent scars. It was just delivered this


    morning.¡±


    Now, Julie waspletely speechless¡­


    ¡°Dear, you¡¯re such a rogue!¡± He returned her previousment to her verbatim.


    Eventually, to prove her innocence, Julie took off her suit jacket, rolled up her sleeves, and exposed the


    scabbed wound on her arm. ¡°Well, you should¡¯ve said you were going to apply medicine on me. You


    suddenly asked me to undress, so it¡¯s normal for me to misunderstand you¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I have no principles?¡± The man applying the ointment on her looked up at her.


    Julie fell silent. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Kieran casually responded, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Karl walked up to Kieran with his phone. Even when he saw Julie, he didn¡¯t seem embarrassed. He


    handed the phone directly to Kieran and said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, it¡¯s Mr. Kyle¡­¡±


    Mr. Kyle? Julie looked at Karl in shock. The only Mr. Kyle she could think of was Kyle.


    Kieran took the phone, pressed the speakerphone button, and then said, ¡°Mr. Kyle?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, hello. I heard from your assistant that you were looking for me?¡± A mature, elegant


    voice came from the other end of the phone.


    This familiar voice reminded Julie of Kyle¡¯s image in her memory, especially when he was wearing a


    dark blue suit, delicate cufflinks, and speaking fluent foreignnguage with the Abraham family¡¯s


    business partners at Sansa¡¯s engagement dinner.


    At that time, Kyle was just a foreign affairswyer with a monthly sry. Although his sry was high,


    after all, the Abraham family were wealthy businessmen, and Sansa was their eldest daughter. There


    was a certain social disparity between them.


    But Kyle¡¯s decent performance and elegant conversation made all the rtives believe that the


    Abraham family had found a good son-inw. Mrs. Abraham was somewhat vain. Whenever someone


    praised her son-inw, Julie could feel her mother¡¯s pride.


    Hearing Kyle¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, Karl quickly exined in a low voice, ¡°I only


    contacted Mr. Kyle¡¯s assistant. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Kyle to answer the phone¡­¡±


    Kieran gestured to Karl to be quiet.


    Then Kieran slowly said to Kyle on the other end of the phone, ¡°My wife received an expensive gift from


    you, so we should express our thanks to you.¡±


    There was a two-second pause at the other end of the phone, and then Kyle said with a slight smile, ¡°If


    it¡¯s a thank you, shouldn¡¯t it be expressed by your wife herself?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Karl immediately felt some hostility between the two men.


    Kieran handed the phone to Julie. If she was willing to talk, he would let her speak; if not, he had his


    own ways to deal with it.


    In the end, Julie took the phone and said to the other end, ¡°Kyle, it¡¯s Joyce.¡±


    ¡°The other day, I asked my subordinates to bid for that ring. I didn¡¯t know that it was Mr. Hernandez


    who was bidding against me. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have let my subordinates be so rude.¡± Kyle


    began to exin.


    However, they all knew that even though Kyle had his subordinates operate, how could they dare to


    compete with Kieran at a high price without Kyle¡¯s instructions?


    So, Kyle¡¯s exnation was just to find an excuse to make everyone less awkward.


    Julie remained silent and did not respond to Kyle¡¯s apology. However, Kyle didn¡¯t feel awkward and


    continued, ¡°I heard from Sansa before that this thing is very important to your mother. I saw her


    wearing it back then and didn¡¯t expect it would end up at an auction. I bought this ring for Sansa, but I


    couldn¡¯t contact her,


    so¡­¡±


    ¡°Sansa had a car ident and became a vegetable¡­¡± Julie interrupted Kyle.


    This time, Kyle was silent for a long time on the other end of the phone.


    Just when Julie thought he had hung up, Kyle¡¯s voice came over again, ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago. I sent you an email. The only way I could contact you was by email.¡±


    ¡°That email¡­ since I broke up with her¡­¡± He stopped halfway through.


    Hearing his words, Julie felt a bit sad too. She frowned and said softly, ¡°I just wanted to inform you. I


    didn¡¯t mean to disturb your life¡­¡±


    After a brief silence, Julie said again, ¡°If Sansa were awake, I think she would thank you for bidding for


    our mother¡¯s inemento. On behalf of her, thank you, Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Joyce¡­ Kyle suddenly called out from the other end of the phone. Julie was silent, waiting for him to


    speak.


    In the end, he said a string of numbers, ¡°This is my phone number.¡±


    Kieran took Julie¡¯s phone and noted down the phone number Kyle had given.


    ¡°I have a meeting to attend. Goodbye.¡± After saying this, Kyle bung up the phone.


    Julie¡¯s emotions were slightly fluctuating, her brows furrowed. She nced at the time on her phone.


    There were less than ten minutes left before she had to get back to work. She looked up at Kieran, ¡°I


    have to go to work.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me after work.¡± Kieran watched Julie leave the office.


    He wrote down the phone number on a sticky note and stuck it on hisputer, then looked up at Karl,


    ¡°Keep an eye on Kyle¡¯s schedule.


    Chapter 205


    As Julie walked from the CEO¡¯s office to the Legal Department, her eyes were a bit red. She thought


    the old wounds had healed, but they were just ripped open again without any warning.


    She always assumed that Kyle knew about Sansa¡¯s ident. The fact that the Abraham family went


    bankrupt and lost everything was no secret in their social


    circle.


    She figured that even though Kyle and Sansa had broken up, he would still care enough to check in on


    her, right?


    But the truth was, Kyle just told her that he had no idea about what happened to Sansa after they broke


    up. She once thought Kyle and Sansa were on the road to marriage. When Sansa first broke up with


    Kyle, she cried almost every day¡­


    Maybe because Sansa and she were sisters with stubborn personalities, they both felt the same


    intense pain when they lost their loved ones.


    She remembered how Sansa pulled herself together because she wanted to be a woman worthy


    of Kyle. But then¡­


    Well, there was no ¡®then¡¯ after that.


    Sansa was lying to herself. She said she and Kyle had a peaceful breakup. She said they could still be


    friends after breaking up.


    But,e on, who has a friend they haven¡¯t contacted in years?


    After Sansa¡¯s car ident, Julie frantically searched all of Sansa¡¯s messages for any trace of Kyle. She


    knew that the person Sansa wanted to see the most was Kyle. But it was then that she realized that


    everything rted to Kyle was gone, all that was left was an email address.


    While Sansa was in the operating room, Julie saw the emails Sansa had sent to that address. The


    emails mostly contained mundane life stuff, but every word revealed her love and longing for Kyle.


    From then on, Julie stopped believing that they had a peaceful breakup.


    In the end, Sansa became a vegetable.


    Julie finally gave up on looking for Kyle. She thought, maybe Kyle knew about Sansa¡¯s ident but


    deliberately ignored it.


    But now, he reappeared like a ghost. This reminded Julie of that painful night, the night when she lost


    three family members overnight¡­


    Ever since Julie entered the Legal Department office, everyone kept quiet. After all, it was an open


    secret that Julie was going to lunch with Kieran. Now, seeing here out of the CEO¡¯s office with red


    eyes, everyone¡¯s imaginations ran wild.


    And just as everyone was lost in their thoughts, Annalise Hansen arrived.


    She practically stormed towards Julie¡¯s seat. Her presence was like a wife catching her husband


    cheating.


    This frightened the office staff, who automatically made way for her.


    After all, before Julie, Annalise was the only woman who could freely enter the CEO¡¯s office. Everyone


    thought she would be Kieran¡¯s wife.


    Looking at Annalise¡¯s demeanor¡­


    Everyone gasped¡­


    ¡°Julie!!¡± Annalise yelled.


    Startled, Julie immediately stood up from her seat.


    ¡°Ms. Annalise?¡± Julie looked at Annalise, frowning.


    Annalise pointed at Julie¡¯s nose and said, ¡°You liar!¡±


    Julie was confused and looked innocently at Annalise, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You promised mest time that as soon as there¡¯s a chance to see¡­never mind, I¡¯m not here to settle


    old scores. I heard from Payne that you were kidnapped a few days ago. I just got back from a


    business trip and rushed over. I heard you were injured? Kieran is too much! You¡¯re injured, how could


    he still let youe to


    work?¡± As she spoke, Annalise quickly looked Julie over and then asked, ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Why did she feel that the enthusiastic Annalise was scarier than the one who was using her?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Julie quickly grabbed Annalise¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Ms. Annalise, can¡­can we talk outside?¡±


    After all, the office staff were all looking at them like they were watching a zoo exhibit.


    Annalise smiled and replied, ¡°Just call me by my name. I¡¯m your husband¡¯s aunt, which makes me your


    aunt too, got it?¡±

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    Chapter 206


    Everyone in the office was gobsmacked.


    Julie was surprised herself. Weren¡¯t her and Kieran¡¯s rtionship supposed to be a secret? When did it


    be so public?


    Just as Julie was puzzled, Annalise took her by the hand and said, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to the restroom


    together.¡±


    Julie was practically dragged away by Annalise.


    While dragging Julie, sheined, ¡°Kieran is so inconsiderate. I just got off the ne¡­¡±


    Annalise took Julie to the balcony, and then said to her, ¡°I was actuallying to confront you, you


    know?¡±


    She knew Annalise was referring to the matter about Hayden. She had promised Annalise that if she


    saw Hayden, she would definitely tell her.


    Thest time Julie saw Hayden was on the day she was kidnapped by Davina, but she didn¡¯t think to


    notify Annalise.


    Fortunately, Annalise, although looking serious, ended up patting her shoulder,ughing, saying, ¡°It¡¯s


    fine. I was just poking fun. I came mainly today to clear up some rumors.¡±


    ¡°What rumors?¡±


    ¡°The love triangle between you, Kieran, and me. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Annalise asked in surprise.


    Julie shook her head in confusion, ¡°What love triangle?¡±


    ¡°The news reported it, saying you¡¯re the third party interfering in me and Kieran¡¯s rtionship, and that


    Kieran and I have been a couple since school. They even said you shamelessly ruined our


    rtionship.¡±


    As she took out her phone and said, ¡°Someone even leaked a photo of Kieran biking me home. You


    were standing right in front of us. I found out that the photo was uploaded by that bitch Davina.¡±


    While Annalise was speaking, she turned on her phone¡¯s front camera, aiming it at her and Julie faces,


    saying, ¡°Smile.¡±


    Julie obediently smiled. It wasn¡¯t until Annalise took the photo that Julie realized how silly she had


    been.


    ¡°Why did you take a picture?¡± Julie was confused.


    Annalise posted their selfie, and the previous photo of her sitting on the back of Kieran¡¯s bike, on


    Twitter.


    Julie took out her phone, and saw the two photos and the text that Annalise had just posted.


    ¡°Left: Ms. Annalise and her niece-inw. Right: Ms. Annalise and her nephew.¡±


    This was her way of clearing up the rumors?


    Annalise said, ¡°You retweet it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Julie was just about to retweet it when she saw Kieran had already retweeted Annalise¡¯s tweet,


    and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even give us a wedding gift, how dare you call her your niece-inw?¡±


    Julie simply retweeted Kieran¡¯s tweet without adding any text.


    Annalise gave Julie¡¯s shoulder a light tap, saying, ¡°To help you clear up this rumor, now everyone


    knows I¡¯m part of the Hansen family. I reached my sess today through my own abilities, but now


    people might think I got famous because of my family background. I¡¯ve done you a solid, right?¡±


    Julie could only awkwardly smile and nod.


    ¡°So, considering all I¡¯ve done for you, remember: if you see Hayden again, you must tell me his


    whereabouts, okay?¡± When Annalise mentioned Hayden¡¯s name, her eyes sparkled with unyielding


    determination and strong anticipation.


    Julie suddenly remembered what Kieran had said to Payne. Everything suddenly clicked.


    She nodded at Annalise,ughing, ¡°In two days, it¡¯s Ivan¡¯s birthday, and we¡¯re throwing a party. Hayden


    is his godfather, so he should being. I¡¯ll let you know then, okay?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Annalise¡¯s face lit up, ¡°That¡¯s a deal! Don¡¯t trick me!¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°I definitely won¡¯t trick you, but¡­¡±


    Sensing Julie¡¯s hesitation, Annalise asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hayden is Ivan¡¯s godfather, and you¡¯re Ivan¡¯s aunt. If you and Hayden¡­ won¡¯t that mess up the family


    rtions?¡±


    ¡°No problem! Why not let him upgrade from dad to grandpa?¡±


    Julie said quietly, ¡°That depends if he wants to upgrade¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Annalise suddenly leaned in close to Julie.


    Julie quickly shook her head and replied, ¡°Upgrading sounds great!¡±


    Satisfied, Annalise bent down and gave Julie a big hug, ¡°Go back to work! Be sure to tell me the


    location of your birthday party!¡±


    After sending Annalise away, Julie finally rxed. Thanks to Annalise¡¯s fuss, Julie didn¡¯t think about


    Kyle again until she got off work.


    After work, as agreed, Julie waited for Kieran at thepany¡¯s entrance.


    She got in the car, buckled up, and then said to the man in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°I invited your aunt to


    Ivan¡¯s birthday party.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re married now. She¡¯s your aunt too,¡± he kindly reminded her.


    Julie felt that Annalise was too young. She couldn¡¯t think of her as someone from the older generation.


    Kieran seemed to see what Julie was thinking, so he changed the subject, ¡°Annalise wants to use this


    opportunity to see Hayden, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­¡±


    ¡°You set a trap for Hayden, didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked, with a smirk.


    Julie nced at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you taught me?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t deny that he did intentionally mislead Payne.


    The car was silent for a while. Julie carefully said to Kieran, ¡°I¡­ have a question to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch you tonight. Let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± She looked at Kieran anxiously. ¡°I wanted to ask you, is Hayden falling for Julien?¡±


    Kieran raised an inquisitive eyebrow. ¡°What makes you think so?¡±


    ¡°Sixth sense, do you believe in it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying your sixth sense tells you that he¡¯s in love with Julien? Then why couldn¡¯t it tell you that I


    was in love with you all those years ago?¡± he quipped with a grin.


    Julie replied matter-of-factly, ¡°You hid your feelings too well. I only have a sixth sense, I¡¯m not a God!¡±


    Getting the answer she wanted, Julie quickly changed the topic. ¡°The uing birthday party will


    surely be a st. Who should we invite? Are you inviting your business partners?¡±


    ¡°We can throw the party at home or at a hotel. Ivan is still young, so it¡¯s not appropriate to invite


    business partners. Jot down a guest list. When we get home, we can have Noah send out the


    invitations.¡±


    Julie took out a pen and notebook.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran began to list names. ¡°Hayden and Julien, Payne and Annalise, and QuadDn. We should also


    send an invite to Mr. Watson and Harding, although I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re avable. Oh, and you¡¯ll be


    inviting Ms. Daphne, right?¡±


    Julie nodded. ¡°Of course, Daphne muste. But I was thinking¡­


    ¡°Invite Adeline Sanches and Elliot Sanches too!¡± Kieran, as if reading her mind, voiced out her


    thoughts.-


    Julie immediately agreed with augh. ¡°Alright.¡±


    *


    3


    Ignoring the fact that Adeline had once kidnapped her, Julie genuinely liked Adeline. She probably liked


    Adeline¡¯s personality. She saw a reflection of her younger self in Adeline.


    Even though Adeline had kidnapped her, Julie still believed that Adeline meant no harm, and would


    never hurt her like Davina did.


    The reason she wanted to invite Adeline was because she had been too busy dealing with chaos since


    the incident, and hadn¡¯t had the chance to catch up with


    Adeline.


    After arriving home, Julie prepared the guest list and gave it to Noah.


    Ivan, who had just finished his homework, raced downstairs and jumped into Julie¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom, did Kerry bully you?¡± he asked, looking up at Julie.


    Caught off guard, Julie smiled. ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to bully you?¡± Kieran scooped Ivan up, tossed him onto the couch, and asked, ¡°Done


    with your homework?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ivan replied proudly.


    Kieran extended his hand. ¡°Hand it over, let me check.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ivan shook his head firmly.


    Just then, a small figure dashed down the stairs, clutching two notebooks. ¡°Sillyvan, you made


    mistakes again! The teacher said if you mess up again, she¡¯s gonna have a talk with your parents!¡±


    MoMo, holding Ivan¡¯s notebooks, rushed down the stairs.


    Julie had met MoMo. She knew she was an exceptionally bright and quick-witted kid.


    As soon as Ivan heard MoMo¡¯s voice, he became uneasy. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about! I¡¯ll


    ace it next time!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bluff! You only scored ten points in thest test!¡± MoMo threw the notebooks in front of Ivan.


    Julie was taken aback. ¡°Only ten points?¡±


    Ivan red at MoMo. Noticing Julie standing nearby, MoMo quickly covered her mouth, her beautiful


    eyes wide open in surprise. ¡°Give me that eraser!¡±


    MoMo hurriedly handed over the eraser. Ivan erased the wrong answers, reced them with the right


    ones, and sternly looked at MoMo. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to solve a problem, you can ask me! Why do


    you have to smear me? How could I possibly not know how to solve such a simple problem? The


    reason I only scored ten pointsst time was so you could rank first in the ss. Get it?¡±

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Chapter 207


    Ivan turned to chat with MoMo. Julie pulled Kieran aside and asked, ¡°Does Ivan usually score this low


    in tests?¡±


    ¡°You mean like a 10?¡± He raised an eyebrow.


    Julie nodded.


    ¡°A 10 is a high score for him,¡± he nced back at Ivan.


    Julie instantly felt guilty, covering her face, ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s just like me¡­¡±


    Since childhood, Julie often flunked her exams. She was only interested in learning how to fight and


    dreamed of bing a superhero when she grew up.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran came along that she thought being his wife was more important than being a


    superhero, and that was when she started to study hard. Seeing Ivan now, she felt like she was looking


    in a mirror¡­


    Kieran couldn¡¯t help butugh, and patted her on the shoulder, ¡°Our son is not like you.¡±


    Julie looked up, ¡°How is he not?¡±


    ¡°Our son doesn¡¯t know how to fight.¡±


    Julie went silent.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Julie pushed Kieran aside, went over to the couch, and sat next to Ivan,


    affectionately stroking his face.


    ¡°Ivan¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, Cupid is talking nonsense! Look, I got all these questions right!¡± Ivan showed his exam paper to


    Julie.


    To express her trust in him, Julie didn¡¯t even look at the exam paper and said, ¡°Ivan, it¡¯s okay if your


    grades aren¡¯t good. You¡¯re still young. We¡¯ll work hard together and catch up with the other kids, okay?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with your studies and teach you how to do practice problems, okay?¡± Julie gently stroked


    Ivan¡¯s head, feeling guilty.


    Ivan had intended to confess that he deliberately scored low to attract Kerry¡¯s attention, but to his


    surprise, Mom offered to tutor him!


    He immediately nodded excitedly, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Then, he clenched his fists and made a vow, ¡°I will work hard to surpass Cupid!¡±


    Julie gave Ivan a trusting look and held his hand, ¡®Shall we go upstairs and study now?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Ivan happily held Julie¡¯s hand, a satisfied smile on his face.


    Julie looked back at MoMo, ¡°Do you want to join us?¡±


    Amora shook her head, ¡°No need. My mom has already sent someone to pick me up. They¡¯ll be here


    soon.¡±


    Just as MoMo finished speaking, her bodyguard had reached the door. Ivan waved at MoMo, ¡°See you


    tomorrow, Cupid!¡±


    Then, he ran upstairs with Julie.


    MoMo picked up the test paper Ivan had just corrected, frowning, ¡°Huh¡­ Why is everything correct?


    Mr. Hernandez, am I seeing this wrong?¡±


    Kieran took the exam paper from MoMo¡­


    There wasn¡¯t a single mistake!


    Kieran arranged for two bodyguards to apany MoMo¡¯s bodyguard to escort her to the car.


    He guessed that Ivan might want to spend more time with Julie, so he didn¡¯t expose Ivan¡¯s pretense.


    Instead, he went into the study to work.


    After dinner.


    Julie went to the kitchen to get a drink. Kieran had Ivan sit next to him, ¡°Tell me, why did you suddenly


    change your mind this year and want to have your birthday party at home instead of going out?¡±


    Ivan was still hesitating whether to tell him the truth.


    But he didn¡¯t expect Kerry¡¯s next sentence to be, ¡°If you can¡¯t find a reason, then I think we¡¯d better go


    for a pic.¡±


    ¡°How can I not have a reason? I just¡­ I just wanted to see¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see Julien?¡± Kieran leaned back on the couch, looking at the back of Ivan¡¯s head.


    Ivan coughed twice, turned to look at his father, ¡°You really get me!¡±


    *Not only do I understand you, but I¡¯ll also disappoint you!¡± Kieran poked Ivan¡¯s forehead, ¡°Do you


    know, Julien is your godfather¡¯s woman?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Ivan said, ¡°Hayden and my Julien are not married, and they don¡¯t have children, so


    why can¡¯t Ipete with him fairly?¡±


    Seeing Ivan, Kieran couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°Yourpetition with him can never be fair.


    Given that I¡¯m your biological father, I¡¯d like to remind you that your godfather is at least twice your


    height.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already one meter tall! Hayden is only 1.8 meters, less than twice my height!¡± Ivan pouted, looking


    very serious.


    Kieran suddenly sat up, leaning close to Ivan¡¯s face, ¡°If you can count so clearly, why do you need your


    mom to tutor you?¡±


    ¡°Mom, your husband is bullying your son!¡± Ivan shouted towards the kitchen, then ran to Julie.


    Julie, who was holding a ss of water, quickly raised the ss, letting him hug her waist.


    She nced at Kieran, who was sitting leisurely on the couch, then asked, ¡°How did he bully you?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t let you tutor me!¡± Ivan pouted, looking wronged.


    Julie was too naive. Seeing Ivan¡¯s upset face, she immediately felt sorry for him. She said to Kieran,


    ¡°Why would you joke about something like that?¡±


    ¡°My dad has been bullying me like this since I was born! He won¡¯t let me see you, and every time I do


    poorly on a test, he punishes me!¡± Ivan became more and more


    upset.


    The innocent Julie looked at Kieran and asked, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Ivan nodded vigorously like he was pounding garlic.


    Kieran didn¡¯t refute, but looked at Ivan and asked, ¡°Then why did I punish youst time?¡±


    Ivan hung his head. He would never tell Julie that the reason he was punishedst time was that he


    showed off a photo in front of his father, and that photo was of Julie kissing him.


    Julie looked at the father and son, not sure who to believe. In the end, she helplessly put down the


    ss, took Ivan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go upstairs and study for a while, then you should go to


    bed.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a sec.¡± Kieran suddenly stood up, addressing Julie and Ivan.


    Fearful of getting hit, Ivan quickly hid behind Julie, ¡°Look, Mom, Kerry¡¯s gonna smack me!¡±


    Even though Julie didn¡¯t believe Kieran would really hit their kid, she instinctively shielded Ivan behind


    her.


    ¡°What are you hiding for? When have I ever hit you?¡± Kieran looked at Ivan.


    Ivan peeked out from behind Julie, ¡°You¡¯ve hit me over ten times! I¡¯ve even had a nosebleed!¡±


    Hearing this, Julie immediately froze, looking up at Kieran with a frown, ¡°Bro Kieran, did you really¡­¡±


    ¡°We were just ying a game. The King of Fighters. He lost to me thirteen times. He didn¡¯t just have a


    nosebleed when he lost, he was spitting up blood too!¡± Kieran interrupted Julie. It was only after


    exining this that he reacted, suddenly looking at Julie, ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    Julie suddenly felt the atmosphere tense up.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that in this situation, she¡¯d blurt out ¡°Bro Kieran¡±.


    Ivan suddenly stood in front of Julie like a superhero, defending her, ¡°Even if I bleed again, you¡¯re not


    allowed to bully my mom!¡±


    A warm current surged through Julie¡¯s heart. She never thought the day woulde when her son


    would protect her like a superhero, giving her a sense of security. This was a unique kind of warmth


    and moved feeling, different from love or friendship.


    Kieran picked up Ivan, then faced Julie, saying to Ivan, ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s gonna protect your mom


    with you, got it?¡±


    Ivan nodded without hesitation. He thought this version of Kerry was really cool!


    Kieran did not look at the moved Julie, but looked down at Ivan and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask you a


    question. If you answer it correctly, I¡¯ll let Mom continue being your tutor and sleep with you tonight. If


    you get it wrong, she¡¯ll sleep with me tonight, deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal?¡± Ivan asked excitedly.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Julie watched the father and son. Did they ask her how she felt before treating her like a prize?


    Ivan excitedly grabbed Kieran¡¯s arm, ¡°What question do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Five times five times five, plus one hundred and twenty-five. What¡¯s that equal to?¡±


    Ivan thought seriously for a moment, thenughed and said to Kieran, ¡°It¡¯s two hundred and fifty! Did I


    get it right? Haha, Mom, you can be my tutor now!¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie nced at Kieran, pondered for a moment, then looked at Ivan with confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you not


    know what five plus five is before?¡±


    Ivan looked innocently back at his father¡­


    Was he tricked?


    Kieran let go of his goofy son, walked up and wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s waist, ¡°Come on, honey.


    Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    Ivan watched as his father carried his mother upstairs, leaving hirm alone and innocently standing


    there, yelling at the backs of Julie and Kieran going up the stairs, ¡°You can¡¯t treat me like this!¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Chapter 208


    When Kieran brought Julie back to his bedroom, she finally realized, ¡°So, Ivan tricked me, huh?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, we can rule out the ¡®this kid looks like you¡¯ possibility. Your failed exams were because


    you genuinely didn¡¯t know the answers, but this kid¡¯s fails were on purpose.¡±


    Julie was left speechless. She had seen people with bad grades strive to improve, but never someone


    with good grades purposefully fail.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bad habit to lie all the time?¡± she asked.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Definitely, that¡¯s why from now on, we¡¯re gonna teach this kid to stop lying.¡±


    Suddenly, Julie felt a mountain of responsibility on her shoulders.


    ¡°Who¡¯s taking the first shower, you or me?¡± He looked at the bathroom and added, ¡°Or do we shower


    together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Julie grabbed her nightgown and went into the bathroom.


    Kieran reminded her from behind, ¡°Don¡¯t get your wound wet.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Even though Julie replied quickly, how could she prevent her arm wound from getting wet?


    So, she eventually came out of the bathroom with a damp wound.


    Kieran, who was waiting outside, had apparently anticipated this. He had already prepared ointment.


    Seeing Julieing out, he directly pulled her to sit by the bed.


    She was wearing her champagne-colored robe, with a somewhat low neckline.


    Kieran squatting in front of her, could easily see her enticing figure with a nce.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Julie covered her neckline andined, ¡°Daniel probably likes this


    style¡­¡±


    ¡°I like it too.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in the quiet room.


    His casual response left her stunned. She looked up and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I like it too. I like this nightgown, and I like you.¡± He gently rolled up her sleeve.


    He looked at her wound, frowned, then went into the wardrobe and took out a strap nightgown for her,


    saying, ¡°Long-sleeved nightgowns aren¡¯t breathable and can


    rub the wound. Put this on!¡±


    Julie held the strap nightgown in a daze.


    Kieran nced at her and said, ¡°This is a more conservative style. Don¡¯t you like it? I can get you a


    sexier one.¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to take back the nightgown from her hands.


    Julie quickly grabbed the nightgown and went into the bathroom to change.


    Just like Kieran said, this nightgown was more conservative, only revealing above her chest and below


    her knees. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt a mix of


    emotions.


    Her face in the mirror was a bit red, obviously flustered by his words.


    She didn¡¯t know what she was holding onto. She knew that some things were bound to happen sooner


    orter. Kieran¡¯s current behavior was respecting her, she understood that. But for some reason, she


    always felt some doubts and always felt like something was missing¡­


    Taking a deep breath, Julie pushed the bathroom door open.


    Kieran sitting by the bed, ointment in hand. Julie walked straight to Kieran.


    While Kieran sitting on the bed hadn¡¯t reacted yet, Julie suddenly pushed him, making him fall back on


    the bed, then she directly pressed him under her.


    To Julie¡¯s sudden initiative, Kieran didn¡¯t feel surprised but rather a bit panicked.


    He reached out to support her waist, afraid she might identally fall and get hurt. She sat on him,


    looking down at him, feeling her face getting hotter. She gathered up courage to ask Kieran, ¡°How do


    you feel?¡±


    Holding the ointment tightly in his hand, Kieran asked, ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°Is my face very red?¡± Her voice was very soft.


    Kieran nodded. She looked like a ripe red apple, surprisingly attractive.


    She gently closed her lips, propped her hands beside his ears, then suddenly leaned in and bent over


    to kiss his lips. She bit his lip softly. Julie¡¯s heart pounded as if it was about to jump out. Her hands


    clenched into fists.


    Suddenly, the man under her reached out to grab her shoulders, separating her lips from his.


    Julie opened her eyes, innocently looking at Mr. Hernandez lying under her, her face turning even


    redder.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked her. His breathing seemed a bit difficult, and his voice sounded a bit hoarse.


    After a long silence, she nodded slightly, then said, ¡°Will you betray me?¡±


    He had said before that she was the only one he couldn¡¯t promise. After asking this question, Julie


    regretted it. She suddenly covered his mouth, not letting him. speak


    He gently held her wrist, removed her hand from his mouth, and interlocked fingers with her.


    He said, ¡°As long as I live, I won¡¯t betray you.¡±


    This was not a promise, but what he knew he could truly do.


    ¡°If one day, I betray you¡­¡±


    She covered his mouth with her hand, suddenlyughed. She looked seriously into his eyes and


    answered, ¡°If you do betray me one day, I promise, what you lose will be more than just me.¡±


    He gently removed her hand, then bent down, pressing on her, lightly kissed her red lips. He said, ¡°Wait


    a minute.¡±


    After saying that, he got up from the bed, went to the door, and locked it.


    Having learned from the interrupted experiencest time, Mr. Hernandez finally learned his lesson.


    Julie sat on the edge of the bed, her heart beating even faster. She was more nervous now than the


    first time they made love on his birthday.


    But Kieran didn¡¯t give her a chance to be nervous. Just when she was still a bit uneasy, he had already


    walked over to her, turned around and pressed her on the


    mattress.


    He kissed her rosy lips, taking away all her breath.


    She actively wrapped her arms around his waist, responding to him.


    Things she hadn¡¯t done for a long time, felt natural because of him. He controlled her breath, her


    movements, even every nerve of hers¡­


    He gently lifted her waist, letting her clearly feel the change in his body.


    The temperature in the room suddenly rose, even the white light seemed to have turned into a gentle


    orange.


    Her hands clutching his back slowly tightened¡­


    The passionate kiss, from his fervent lips extended to her ear. She could even hear his deep breathing,


    extraordinarily charming.


    His big hand touched her nightgown, about to reach in¡­


    Suddenly, there was the sound of a vase falling from the balcony. Although it was soft, Kieran and Julie


    still heard it¡­


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Kieran quickly pulled the nket over himself and Julie, and then shouted towards the


    balcony!


    Julie, scared out of her wits, clung to the nket.


    A shadow quickly swept past the window, then stopped at the doorstep.


    Julien, decked out in ck, coughed awkwardly, saying, ¡°Carry on.¡±


    ¡°Julien?¡± Julie¡¯s head popped out of the nket, surprised to see the ever-so-handsome Julien


    standing at the door.


    Kieran quickly shoved Julie¡¯s head back under the nket. Then he frowned at Julien, ¡°why are you


    creeping around my balcony in the middle of the night?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hayden asked me to bring something over. Your vi has too much security. I didn¡¯t want to wait for


    them to notify you, so¡­¡±


    Julie, huddled under the nket, thought to herself that delivering things in such a burr-like manner


    was so¡­Julien! After all, Julien was always marching to the beat of his own drum. They were only on


    the second floor, which was a piece of cake for Julien.


    Nobody expected that Julien¡¯s first time scaling Kieran¡¯s balcony would end up in such an awkward


    situation. She swore she just wanted to drop off the thing and


    go¡­


    Of course, Kieran and Julie never expected that locking the door would invite a window climber!


    Julien acknowledged her blunder, but who could anticipate that she¡¯d stumble upon this scene?


    When she realized the awkward situation on the balcony, her first instinct was to get out of there. But


    while turning around, she identally knocked over a vase. Although she steadied it immediately, the


    slight sound was caught by Kieran.


    As the situation was already awkward, Julien decided to y it cool like nothing happened, and told


    Kieran, ¡°He said he found Simon¡¯s recent itinerary. Simon will be back in the country these days.


    And¡­¡±


    Julien handed over some photos to Kieran, ¡°These were taken in Switzend three days ago.¡±


    Kieran took the photos from her.


    Julie, excited, got up from the bed, walked over to Kieran, and looked at the photos with him.


    If they weren¡¯t mistaken, the man in the photo was¡­


    ¡°Your brother?¡± Julie took the photo from Kieran and scrutinized it. Who else could it be if not Lucian


    Hernandez?


    Even though it was a profile shot, Julie could see it clearly. If she could recognize it as Lucian, wouldn¡¯t


    Kieran be even more likely to do so?


    In the photo, Lucian was sitting in a wheelchair, facing a ne, ready to board. Two burly men in ck


    suits stood by his side.


    ¡®Did you find out any info on that ne?¡± asked Kieran, his tone serious. He furrowed his brows,


    appearing somewhat anxious.


    Julie hadn¡¯t noticed the ne at first. It was only when Kieran asked that she realized it was a private


    business jet.


    Julien handed another file to Kieran, ¡°Yes. Four years ago, this ne was bought by a mysterious


    buyer in London. The flight route was found too, It¡¯s heading straight for Whispering Pines. It arrived at


    Whispering Pines at noon the day before yesterday.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already in Whispering Pines. Kieran stated. This wasn¡¯t a question, but a fact.


    Julien nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I needed to.¡±


    With that, she nced at Julie and then left through the window again.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    Chapter 209


    Julie stared at the photo. The man in the picture was indeed Lucian, and ording to Julien¡¯s


    investigation, the ne was purchased by a mysterious buyer from


    London¡­


    ¡°Do you think the person who bought the ne could be Lucian?¡± Julie asked.


    And that was exactly the question Kieran was pondering.


    Looking at Kieran¡¯s thoughtful expression, Julie said, ¡°After Lucian¡¯s ne crash, Simvar Co. was up to


    its eyeballs in debt, right?¡±


    Even though Julie didn¡¯t care about Kieran¡¯s work, she wasn¡¯t unaware of such big problems the


    company had faced. Thepany of the Hernandez family used


    to be Simvar Co.


    After Lucian¡¯s ne crash, the shareholders of Simvar Co. came out of the woodwork. It was only then


    that Kieran found out that under Lucian¡¯s management, Simvar Co. had racked up a whopping financial


    deficit.


    The reason Lucian boarded that ne was to tackle thepany¡¯s financial deficit.


    But the ident on the ne didn¡¯t be expected. After Lucian¡¯s ident, Simvar Co. plunged into a


    severe crisis. All responsibilities fell on Kieran.


    All the shareholders demanded Kieran ¨C on behalf of the Hernandez family to give them a decent


    exnation.


    It was not until Kieran had the books checked that he realized Simvar Co. had been in the red for over


    a year. Later, a group of old-timersunched a business war in thepany.


    Simvar Co. was torn apart. Kieran resigned as the CEO ordingly.


    All this showed that, most importantly¡­


    Later, he established Simpo Co., and only then managed to buy back Simvar


    Even if Lucian¡¯s ne crash was premeditated, even if Lucian survived that ident, he could only


    start afresh penniless.


    If Lucian was the mysterious rich man who bought the ne in London back-then, where did he get the


    money?


    Even if the ne wasn¡¯t Lucian¡¯s, based on this photo, Lucian surely had a close connection with the


    ne¡¯s owner.


    So, what on earth had Lucian been up to all these years since he disappeared?


    These were the questions Julie was wondering about, and they were also the questions Kieran had


    contemted.


    Looking at Kieran, Julie asked, ¡°Have you been looking for Lucian all these years?¡±


    Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand and sat down by the bed, nodding, ¡°When I reappeared in your life a while


    ago, when Berthamitted suicide by jumping off the building, I had just tracked him down.¡±


    ¡°If Lucian didn¡¯t have a solid background all these years, he couldn¡¯t have stayed off the radar for so


    long under your and Hayden Simson¡¯s scrutiny, right?¡± Julie said.


    Kieranughed and caressed her face, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re really smart.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re messing with me. I¡¯m dead serious!¡± Julie stared at Kieran with a serious look.


    Kieran seriously replied, ¡°So am I. Shall we go on?¡±


    ¡°Go on with what?¡± Julie looked a bit lost now.


    Kieran arched an eyebrow, looking at her slipping shoulder strap, ¡°The thing we were interrupted just


    now. Shall we continue?¡±


    He was not affected by what had just happened at all!


    Julie reached out to Kieran, ¡°I need to apply some medicine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle so you won¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°I mean I¡¯m gonna apply medicine on my arm!!!¡± Julie held out her arm to Kieran, raising her voice a bit.


    Kieran smirked, satisfied, ¡°Darling, don¡¯t forget, keep your thoughts pure.¡±


    Julie went silent.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran knelt on one knee by the bed, grabbed Julie¡¯s arm, and carefully applied the medicine.


    ¡°What are you kneeling for? Get up!¡± Julie patted the side of the bed. She felt a bit heartbroken seeing


    Kieran in such a devout posture.


    He said seriously, ¡°Actually, I feel tormented if I don¡¯t do something with you at night. Let me just kneel


    and train my willpower and patience.¡±


    He talked like she was torturing him.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not bad to restrain a bit,¡± Julie said weakly.


    Kieran paused and looked up, ¡°Are you referring to asional restraint or long-term restraint?¡±


    ¡®How about changing the subject?¡± Julie squinted her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Your smile is fake!¡± he pointed at her smile.


    Julie pursed her lips. Wasn¡¯t it enough that she stopped smiling?


    ¡°What did you say you wanted to change the subject to?¡± Kieran held her other arm and continued


    applying ointment.


    Julie told him what she had thought about during the day, ¡°You call Creative Nexus Media and have


    them drop thewsuit! I¡¯ve thought it over, I don¡¯t think I should work in the legal department of your


    company.¡±


    ¡°Okay.


    Are you not going to ask me why?¡± she looked at him curiously.


    He looked up, smiled rarely, ¡°Are you willing to tell me why?¡±


    ¡°I want to spend more time with Ivan, and also do what I have always wanted to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Have another child?¡± he added.


    The woman who was just full of anticipation red at him, ¡°That¡¯s what you want to do, not me!¡±


    ¡°What I want to do is the process of getting you pregnant, not the result.¡± He said earnestly.


    Julie was silent for a few seconds before pulling the conversation back on track, ¡°Once you sort out the


    Creative Nexus Media stuff tomorrow, I¡¯ll hand in my resignation to thepany. I¡¯m just a gofer in the


    legal department, not even a full-time employee. I only signed the contract with Creative Nexus Media


    before, but never with Simpo Co. So, if we can get the Creative Nexus Media stuff sorted tomorrow


    morning, I want to head back to de Law Firm in the afternoon.¡± ¡°You just go straight to the


    company and quit tomorrow, then go to de Law Firm to wrap things up. I¡¯ll pick you up at


    de Law Firm after I get off work in the afternoon.¡± Kieran suggested.


    Julie naturally had no objections. She nodded cheerfully.


    Early next morning, Julie handed in her resignation at Simpo Co. and then headed to de Law


    Firm.


    She had this feeling, maybe just


    that her colleagues seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when she resigned from the legal department.


    When Julie arrived at de Law


    she ran into Porter and Viviana.


    Porter didn¡¯t lie to her. Viviana was in tight clothes, her belly obviously showing. Porter was by her side,


    helping her along very considerately..


    Viviana was smiling, greeting thepan


    staff. The first person to spot Julie was Grant.


    He immediately stood up, looking excited at Julie, ¡°Wow, what brings the CEO¡¯s wife from Simpo Co.


    here?¡±


    Julie chuckled, ¡°Grant.¡±


    Them Dom youn


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so courteous. After my screw-upnded you in the hospitalst time, Mr.


    Hernandez almost killed me. Mrs. Hernandez, you sure know how to keep a low profile!¡± Grant teased.


    Julie justughed it off. Grant was actually a great guy, and he treated her kindly back then..


    Viviana had a friendly smile, but her eyes held an apology when looking at Julie.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office,¡± Porter suggested to Julie.


    Julie followed Porter and Viviana into the office.


    Suddenly Viviana bowed apologetically to Julie, ¡°Joyce, we owe you an apology. Porter told me


    everything he did. He shouldn¡¯t have forced you to do what you didn¡¯t want to do. You saved us, you


    gave the baby in my belly a chance to live¡­¡±


    Julie quickly helped Viviana up, considering she was pregnant.


    Viviana gave Porter a kick. Porter quickly knelt before Julie, ¡°Thank you, Joyce. If it weren¡¯t for you¡­ if


    it weren¡¯t for you, I might be in jail now. For the sake of Viviana¡¯s child, for the second chance you¡¯ve


    given me, I will never do such stupid things again. I promise, whenever you need our help, we will


    never refuse!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely never refuse!¡± Viviana took Julie¡¯s hand and promised. Julie quickly helped Porter up,


    laughing, ¡°I do have something that needs your help!¡±


    ¡°What is it? Just tell me!¡± Porter said seriously, ¡°As long as I can do it, I will try my best!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Porter, it¡¯s something you can definitely do.¡±


    Julie pulled out a letter of resignation from her bag and handed it to Porter.


    Porter epted it with a regretful look, ¡°I really hate to lose such a valuable talent! But I know, my small


    company definitely can¡¯t keep the president¡¯s wife of Simpo Co., haha¡­¡±


    Porter epted the resignation letter graciously. The only thing Julie needed to hand over was the


    case rted to Kieran, so the whole resignation process went quite swiftly. By the time she finished all


    the paperwork, it was only about 11am.


    Julie had originally expected this to end around 4 or 5 pm, so she told Kieran to pick her up in the


    afternoon. But since the resignation was done ahead of time, she had to call Kieran early.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of my part, so you don¡¯t need to pick me up in the afternoon. Tomorrow is Ivan¡¯s


    birthday party. I¡¯ll go home and ask Noah what I can help with.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together! Tina is already on her way to pick you up.¡± Kieran nced at his watch,


    ¡°She should be there in about ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some stuff to handle here. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Kieran hastily hung up the phone.


    Julie watched as the phone screen went dark, then sat at the bus stop to wait for Tina.


    At Feliz Gastro House.


    Kieran stood in the middle of the restaurant, looking at a server and asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Karl?¡±


    As soon as he finished, Karl appeared in front of him. He was dressed in a server¡¯s uniform,


    ufortably tugging at his bow tie, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, do I really look okay dressed like this?¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer to be in the female server¡¯s uniform?¡±


    Karl broke into a sweat, ¡°Actually, I think this uniform looks quite good on me..

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Chapter 210


    Not long after Kieran hung up the phone, Tina pulled up in front of Julie in her car. She got out and


    courteously opened the passenger door, saying respectfully, ¡°Hop in, Mrs. Hemandez.¡±


    Julie got in the car, thenughed, saying to Tina, who was driving, ¡°Just call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hemandez, you¡¯re really a good person, Tina praised.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You are not arrogant at all, but very close to the people, and also very kind. You and Mr. Hernandez


    are a great match,¡± Tina said with a grin.


    Julie could tell that Tina was sincere.


    Julie responded with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re the exception on thepany forum.¡±


    ¡°Do you also read thepany¡¯s forums?¡± Tina asked, a little embarrassed, as she scratched her chin.


    ¡°Simpo Co. has an official forum where everyone posts under their real names, mainly discussing work.


    But there¡¯s also a gossip forum where everyone posts anonymously. Which one do you usually to


    read?¡±


    Of course, Julie was on the anonymous one.


    ¡°There was a time when I showed up in Kieran¡¯s office with Annalise. I heard about thepany¡¯s


    anonymous gossip forum, so I logged in and checked it out. I found out that 98% of the people were


    rooting for Kieran and Annalise. People even voted, K&A Couple versus K&J Couple, right?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, you sure know what¡¯s up¡­¡± Tina thought, relieved that she hadn¡¯t badmouthed Julie


    on the forum.


    At that time, the overwhelming majority supported the K&A Couple, and only a few people supported


    the K&J Couple. Julie remembered a post firmly supporting the K&J Couple. She looked at Tina and


    asked, ¡°The person with the username ¡®IN¡¯ who posted on the forum supporting the K&J Couple, that¡¯s


    you, right?¡±


    That user had posted a tirade supporting her and Kieran. Julie¡¯s first thought was, this person must be


    Tina.


    However, Tina denied it, saying, ¡°No, my username is¡­¡±


    At this, Tina fell silent, a little bashful.


    ¡°You¡¯re not iN?¡± Julie looked at Tina, puzzled, and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t iN mean the middle two letters in


    Tina? From the tone and content of that post, it seemed like the poster knew Kieran well¡­¡±


    Tina shook her head awkwardly, ¡°Um¡­ my username is ¡®KickYourDick¡±.¡±


    Julie went silent.


    Now that¡¯s¡­ quite imaginative.


    Then who is this iN who seemed to know Kieran so well?


    Tina dropped Julie off at the entrance of Feliz Gastro House. The person who opened the door for Julie


    was¡­ Karl!


    He was still dressed in his waiter uniform.


    Julie was surprised to see Karl standing before her. He managed to pull off a butler¡¯s air with his vest


    and bow tie. She couldn¡¯t help but approach Karl and ask, ¡°Karl, can Simpo Co. employees moonlight?¡±


    Karl was speechless.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°Are you role-ying?¡± Julie continued to ask.


    Karl¡¯s face turned even redder. Before it was just Mr. Hernandez messing with him, and now there was


    Mrs. Hernandez¡­


    ¡°If you¡¯re really role-ying, you should wear a waitress uniform. That would be more appealing,¡± Julie


    seriously suggested to Karl.


    At this moment, Karl just wanted to hand Mrs. Hernandez off to Mr. Hernandez as quickly as possible.


    But Mrs. Hernandez stopped suddenly after walking a few steps, then turned around and looked at him


    seriously.


    Karl stepped back in fright. He put his hands to his chest, saying earnestly, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, I swear I


    won¡¯t cross-dress. Please spare me¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to cross-dress. I just want to ask you a question,¡± Julie said.


    Relieved, Karl quickly dropped his hands and regained his professional demeanor, ¡°What¡¯s the


    question?¡±


    ¡°Do you visit the Simpo Co. gossip forum?¡±


    Karl nodded, then hurriedly exined, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, I swear I only go on the forum after work. I


    never chat online during work hours.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you that. What¡¯s your username?¡± Julie asked.


    Karl found the question a bit odd.


    your username IN?¡±


    Karl shook his head.


    ¡°What is your username?¡± She asked again.


    Just as Karl was considering whether to answer, Julie suddenly said, ¡°Karl, do you really want to cross-


    dress?¡±


    ¡°My username is hot secretary!¡± To refuse the cross-dressing, Karl answered Julie¡¯s question almost


    without thinking.


    It took Julie a moment to recover after hearing Karl¡¯s answer. She gave Karl a meaningful look and


    said, ¡°I see, hot secretary¡­.


    Mrs. Hernandez made that name sound a bit provocative.¡±


    Karl decided, it was time to take her to see Mr. Hernandez!


    Julie entered the restaurant. It was supposed to be peak dining hours, but the ce was deserted. She


    looked at Karl, puzzled, and asked, ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez book the entire restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, we¡¯re here,¡± Karl pointed to the dining table across from Julie and told her.


    Julie looked at the dining table. Kieran was seated there. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with two


    buttons undone at the cor. He was reclining in his chair, on


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    the phone.


    Karl stepped forward to pull out a chair for Julie.


    Julie settled in. Karl fetched a bottle of well-decanted red wine. Judging by the vintage, it was a pretty


    penny.


    After pouring the wine into two lovely sses, Karl pped his hands. Immediately, dish after dish of


    exquisite food was wheeled over on a cart. The variety was enough to make Julie¡¯s head spin.


    Julie decided to stop eyeing the dishes and instead focused on Kieran, who was seated across from


    her. He was on the phone, seemingly discussing work matters.


    When he caught her gaze, he shed her a smile, acknowledged her, and then quickly ended the call.


    Karl nodded at the pianist. The sheet music was set aside, and the pianist¡¯s fingers began to dance


    across the keys.


    The white grand piano filled the room with the beautiful melody of Greensleeves. Julie had fond


    memories of this tune. It was a ssic and elegant folk melody, mncholic and melodious.


    ¡°Did you book out the whole restaurant?¡± she looked around and asked Kieran.


    ¡°Nope,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    ¡°Try these three dishes,¡± he pointed at three exquisite tes on the table.


    Julie took a closer look. The three dishes were identical, just ted differently.


    ¡°Do you want me to spot the difference?¡± Julie asked while picking up her fork, but sheplied and


    tasted each dish. Then she asked, ¡°Did you bring me here to be your taste tester?¡±


    ¡°You could say that,¡± he said, raising an eyebrow, giving an ambiguous response.


    ¡°Why did you ask the pianist to y such a sad song like Greensleeves?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to y this song for me back then?¡± He pointed at the dishes and asked Julie, ¡°Which


    one suits your taste the most?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the second one. What do you think?¡± Julie frowned, ¡°Back then, it was just me being hopeful. In


    the end, you didn¡¯t even hear me y Greensleeves, did you?¡±


    She felt incredibly embarrassed. She had been such a fool back then.


    Kieran turned to Karl, who was standing by, ¡°Reassign the other two chefs to other restaurants.¡±


    Julie looked up at Kieran with a piece of broli still in her mouth.


    ¡°Give the main course a try,¡± Kieran pointed to three identical dishes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the real reason you want me to taste test?¡± Julie asked, bing wary.


    ¡°To better cater to our customers¡¯ tastes.¡±


    ¡°I can only represent my own taste. I¡¯m not a food critic, I can¡¯t represent everyone,¡± Julie put down her


    fork, saying earnestly.


    ¡°As long as it suits your taste,¡± he cut a small piece of steak and offered it to her, ¡°Give it a try.¡±


    In the end, Julie took a bite.


    From the appetizers to each subsequent dish, Julie tasted them all. Eventually, she was so full she had


    to wave her hands, ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m stuffed.¡±


    ¡°Karl,¡± Kieran called.


    Karl pulled out his tablet and tapped a few times.


    Suddenly, a white screen dropped from above behind Julie. The piano music reached its climax. The


    curtains of the restaurant¡¯s floor-to-ceiling windows also descended. The whole restaurant instantly


    plunged into darkness, with only the piano music echoing.


    When everything turned dark, one¡¯s hearing and smell would suddenly be sharper.


    Just as Julie was about to speak, a warm yellow light shed by. Then, the restaurant was once again


    engulfed in darkness.


    On the white screen that had just dropped behind her, a video started ying. The pianist who had just


    finished ying had already left the white grand piano under the dim light.


    Karl, dressed as a waiter, pressed a button, and the projector started.


    A huge image was suddenly projected onto the white screen.


    On the screen, apuse thundered. A ck grand piano sat on the huge stage. The champagne-


    colored curtain made the ck piano even more elegant. The words ¡°Graduation Party¡± hung on the


    curtain, shimmering in gold.


    In the frame, Julie was dressed in a white long-sleeve chiffon blouse with an elegant bow at the front,


    paired with a light blue pleated skirt. She wore a pair of white canvas shoes. Her pure and serene look


    was almostpletely different from the little girl who was once obsessed with superheroes.


    She stood on the stage, bowed respectfully to the audience below, and then slowly walked towards the


    piano.


    Sitting at the piano, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her slender fingers lightly jumping on the


    ck and white keys¡­


    ¡°How did you get this video?¡± Julie turned around in surprise to ask Kieran, only to find that all the


    restaurant staff had disappeared. Kieran had also stood up without her noticing and had quietly moved


    to her side. As she turned, he gentlynded a kiss on her lips.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    Chapter 211


    ¡°This is your high school graduation video, from the school¡¯s prom,¡± Kieran gently touched her long


    hair, leaning on the table, watching the video with Julie who was sitting in the chair.


    On the screen, Julie was intently ying the piano.


    Julie looked up at Kieran behind her, recalling the past, ¡°Back then, you went abroad for a piano


    competition, and I could only show off at the prom. You know, besides being a bit clever, I don¡¯t have


    any special talents, even ying the piano¡­¡±


    The reason she learned the piano was because Darcey forced her to learn from a young age. Sansa


    Abraham learned ballet, moving like an elegant swan. Her choice of the piano was purely because it


    was too big to carry around. She didn¡¯t have to worry that Darcey would make her practice anywhere


    and anytime with


    the instrument.


    She didn¡¯t finish what she was saying, but instead told Kieran with a hint of regret, ¡°Even though I knew


    you wouldn¡¯t attend the prom, the truth is¡­ I yed this


    piece for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mncholic piece¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I wanted to y it for you!¡± Julie said, ¡°Do you remember the holiday in the first


    term of senior year? I asked you what your dream was. Do you remember what you answered?¡±


    Mr. Hernandez seemed unwilling to recall this.


    Julie looked at Kieran seriously, ¡°You said your dream was to uphold social justice!¡±


    Mr. Hernandez thought, that must have been something he said offhandedly to appease her.


    This was the umpteenth time Julie entered Kieran¡¯s house with the same excuse. The Hernandez


    family vi was right next to Julie¡¯s. Julie often came to Kieran with the excuse of not being able to do


    her homework.


    And because Kieran¡¯s mother had killed his father when he was young, he was a bit cold and aloof.


    Therefore, Lucian was very happy to have Julie apany


    Kieran.


    With homework help as an excuse, Julie asked Kieran, ¡°What is your future dream?¡±


    ¡°Uphold social justice,¡± Kieran, who was doing math problems at the time, casually answered.


    But Julie took it seriously, ¡°How are you going to uphold social justice? By bing awyer?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kieran, who was doing calctions attentively at the time, didn¡¯t hear Julie¡¯s question. He


    answered casually.


    What she really wanted to do was subtly ask him which university he was nning to apply to. She


    didn¡¯t expect to get his answer so easily.


    She continued the topic, mentioning all the well-knownw schools, then said, ¡°Actually, Pinnacle


    University in Whispering Pines is pretty good. What do you think? If you really studyw, would you


    consider Pinnacle University?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Kieran answered casually, but Julie took it seriously.


    Later, Julie studied like crazy, with her heart set on getting into Pinnacle University.


    Kieran came back to reality, looking at Julie, ¡°I thought your dream was to be an excellentwyer,


    just like your sister.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to Pinnacle University, so I worked so hard!¡± Julie said in a small voice,


    feeling a bit wronged, ¡°How was I supposed to know you would deceive me so heartlessly? Not only


    did you tutor me, but you also helped me get a special rmendation letter from the teacher! In the


    last semester, I was admitted to Pinnacle University early because of my outstanding performance.¡±


    In fact, even though Julie was admitted early, she still took the college entrance exam to prove her


    ability. She thought Kieran would definitely apply to Pinnacle University, so she didn¡¯t hesitate and


    epted the early admission to Pinnacle University.


    But she didn¡¯t expect that after the college entrance exam, Kieran chose Futuro Business College¡­


    ¡°So, just because I told you before leaving for the pianopetition abroad that I wouldn¡¯t go to


    Pinnacle University, you gave me this sad piece?¡± Shortly after Kieran divorced Julie, he heard from


    Daphne Flores that Julie had yed such a piece for him at the high school prom.


    At the time, Daphne was convinced that Kieran had betrayed Julie, so when she found out he ¡°killed¡±


    Julie¡¯s baby and divorced Julie, she stormed into his house.


    She said, ¡°Julie must have been blind to fall for a jerk like you! She should have given up on you a long


    time ago, so she wouldn¡¯t have given you a chance to hurt her today. She should have been as


    decisive as she was at the high school prom. Your rtionship with her, just like the piece she yed


    at the prom, is a tragedy! Your life is a tragedy! You jerk!¡±


    It was because of Daphne¡¯s reprimand that Kieran found out that Julie had attended the school¡¯s


    graduation party. He donated over three million dors to their high school and finally got this video


    from the principal.


    During the years of his divorce from Julie, he watched this video over and over again, listening to this


    piece she yed countless times.


    On the screen, Julie, who had finished ying this piece, picked up the microphone on the piano and


    suddenly stood up.


    The host walked up, looked at Julie, and joked with a smile, ¡°Thank you for Julie¡¯s performance of


    Greensleeves, Now, you are about to leave this beautiful campus. Do you have anything to say to your


    teachers or ssmates?¡±


    Julie, the one with the microphone, stood on stage, silent for about thirty seconds. Just as the host was


    about to say something to ease the awkwardness, she picked up the microphone and said, ¡°There are


    some things I really want to say, but the person I hope to hear them the most is not here. The song I


    just yed was actually for him¡­¡±


    ¡°Kieran! Kieran!¡± The students below the stage chanted in-unison.


    Julieughed, saying, ¡°I never imagined that one day, I would get into Pinnacle University, let alone get


    epted early with a schrship.¡±


    ¡°A year ago, my grades were bad, and everyone knew it. I spent a year relearning everything from


    middle school to high school, just to get into the university of my dreams. I made it. The person who


    tutored me¡­ I know that he sincerely hoped that I could get into Pinnacle University. He knew that I


    genuinely admired him. But what he didn¡¯t know was that I wanted to get into Pinnacle University


    simply because I thought he would go there. And what I didn¡¯t know was that he helped me get into


    Pinnacle University to avoid me, but then chose another school¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Perhaps because of Julie¡¯s humorous way of expressing herself, the students belowughed.


    Julie continued, ¡°When we go to university, we be adults and can start to seriously date. But what


    about those who lose their lovers before university?¡±


    The previouslyughing students instantly fell silent.


    ¡°I was so focused on following his footsteps that I forgot what I really liked. I don¡¯t actually like studying


    law. When I was a kid, I thought about opening a restaurant full of delicious food when I grew up. I


    wanted to learn to make cakes, beautiful cakes that would attract many customers. But in the end, I


    forgot my initial dream.¡±


    The students didn¡¯t expect her to say such serious words. The hall fell silent.


    Julie took a deep breath, continuing, ¡°I want to tell everyone here: Don¡¯t fall in love easily, don¡¯t love


    someone easily, especially don¡¯t love someone who doesn¡¯t love you, or someone you can never have.


    Just like the story behind the song I yed.¡±


    Having said that, Julie on the stage bowed deeply.


    After a brief silence, the hall erupted in thunderous apuse.


    Perhaps it was the emotions that drove Julie to say these things at the time. Now, sitting here with


    Kieran listening to her past words, Julie felt a bit embarrassed¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the story behind this song?¡± Kieran asked Julie.


    Julie looked at herself on the screen who was busy leaving the stage and said, ¡°It¡¯s said to be a love


    story about King Henry VIII. This man, who was notoriously tyrannical in legends, fell genuinely in love


    with amon girl. The girl wore a green dress. One day, in the countryside, the sun was shining. The


    king rode on a horse, looking handsome and imposing. The girl¡¯s golden hair shone in the sunlight, and


    her green dress fluttered in the wind¡­¡±.


    ¡°Love at first sight?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me! Yes, love at first sight. But the girl knew that the man was the king and that there


    could be no result between them, so she rejected him. The king had seen countless beauties, but no


    woman could walk into his heart in an instant like she did. From then on, he never forgot her, but he


    could never find her again. Later, he ordered everyone in the court to wear green clothes, trying to ease


    his longing for her. At that time, I felt that the story was telling me not to love someone I couldn¡¯t have.


    Whether I was the king or the woman in the green dress in the story, there wouldn¡¯t be a good ending


    between us¡­¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said you wanted to drop out of Pinnacle University and reapply to the same


    university as me?¡±


    Kieranughed. Julie had just yed a sorrowful song at the graduation party and publicly imed she


    shouldn¡¯t love him, but turned around and insisted on going to the same university as him.


    ¡°Bertha told me that you didn¡¯t go to Futuro Business College to get away from me. She said you


    wanted to help Lucian share his troubles. So¡­¡± Julie paused here, feeling a bit awkward, so she


    changed the subject, ¡°But in the end, I didn¡¯t drop out of Pinnacle University. Enough about that!¡±


    She stood up and unplugged the projector, ¡°Let¡¯s go, or you¡¯ll bete for work this afternoon!¡±


    She reached out to hold his hand, but he pulled her back into his arms. He gently ced his chin on


    her hair and whispered, ¡°Honey, I have a surprise for you.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    Chapter 212


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s gazend on the table next to them, Julie asked him with a touch of surprise, ¡°You


    didn¡¯t hide the diamond ring in the cake, did you?¡±


    ¡°If I did that, you¡¯d probably swallow the diamond ring thinking it¡¯s a piece of chocte. Do you really


    think I¡¯d do something that dumb?¡± He wrapped an arm around her waist and looked down at her.


    Julie was a little embarrassed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what happens in the TV shows?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d just copy what they do on TV?¡±


    Julie nodded seriously. ¡°Good point! So what¡¯s the surprise?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any other customers in the restaurant. Not because I rented the whole ce, but


    because¡­¡± He paused, then said, ¡°I bought this restaurant.¡±


    After Kieran finished, the curtains in the entire restaurant instantly drew back. Karl, dressed as a waiter,


    approached Julie with arge folder in his hands. ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, these are all the necessary


    paperwork. You just need to sign.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always dream of owning a restaurant filled with delicious food? Didn¡¯t you want to learn how


    to make all kinds of beautiful cakes?¡± Kieran pointed to a line of people in chef uniforms standing


    behind Karl, smiling. ¡°These are all the pastry chefs and cooks you just picked out, your favorites.¡±


    So, that¡¯s why he just gave her a taste test? Turns out, in his eyes, the focus of the video wasn¡¯t the


    song Greensleeves, but her original dream.


    Julie gazed at Kieran, dumbstruck.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, I¡¯m not fooling you this time. You can sign without worry.¡± He handed her a pen,


    grinning.


    She held the pen but didn¡¯t move, until Kieran took the contracts from Karl and spread them before her.


    ¡°My dear, I¡¯m entrusting my stomach and my future to you.¡±


    Finally snapping back to reality, Julie wiped her moist eyes andughed. ¡°Who wants your stomach?¡±


    She signed. Before Kieran could even put away the documents, Julie had already thrown herself into


    his arms.


    ¡°Thank you, Kieran.¡± She thanked him, not just for the restaurant.


    What made her feel grateful wasn¡¯t just bing the owner of the restaurant from that moment on, but


    also forgiving him after all the hardships, and forgiving


    herself.


    What can¡¯t be forgotten are memories. Only what¡¯s been forgiven can be the past.


    Julie was grateful that Ivan was growing up safely; that the man she¡¯d loved since she was a girl was


    standing before her, and her friends were still apanying her; that although Kieran¡¯s cruel choice


    had brought her some difficulties, at least she was still alive. Dr. Brice said, even though the chances


    were slim, if they persevered, Sansa could wake up.


    She had just lost a few years, endured a few years of hardship, but didn¡¯t need to remember the painful


    past for the rest of her life¡­


    Kieran held her tight. He wanted to give her the best things in the world.


    ¡°Joyce, I love you¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his heartfelt confession, Julie¡¯s phone suddenly rang¡­


    Mr. Hernandez¡¯s expression instantly stiffened.


    Julie emerged from Kieran¡¯s arms, smiled apologetically and quickly pulled out her phone. She


    originally nned to hang up, but when she saw the caller ID was Daphne, she hesitated.


    ¡°Go ahead and answer!¡± Kieran ruffled her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    Julie immediately shot him a thankful look. Before answering the call, she tiptoed up and nted a kiss


    on Kieran¡¯s lips, then walked away while taking the call.


    ¡°Karl, what are you standing here for? Want to try on a dress?¡± Kieran turned to Karl.


    Karl quickly packed up the contracts and left with the chefs.


    Julie picked up the phone, hearing Daphne¡¯s somewhat low voice on the other end. ¡°Julie, I¡¯m


    screwed¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t panic, tell me slowly.¡± Julie tried tofort her.


    After a while, Daphne¡¯s voice came through again. ¡°Is Kieran with you?¡±


    Julie looked back at Kieran, who was far away, and replied, ¡°No, he¡¯s not. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s doomed¡­¡± Daphne just repeated.


    Worried, Julie quickly asked, ¡°What exactly is happening? Where are you? I¡¯lle find you right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at home. Don¡¯t bring Kieran!¡±


    Hearing Daphne was about to cry, Julie quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t overthink. I¡¯lle find you


    right now!¡±


    Julie hung up and hurried back to Kieran. ¡°Daphne seems off, I need to check on her. Thanks for the


    surprise! I really appreciate it. I love it.¡±


    After saying that, she quickly hugged Kieran, grabbed her bag and said, ¡°I need to go¡­¡±


    Seeing Julie¡¯s flustered state, Kieran grabbed her arm and picked up his coat. ¡°Where to? I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll take a cab.¡± She kissed Kieran¡¯s cheek again. ¡°Bye, darling. See you tonight!¡±


    Just as she took a step, Kieran pulled her back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Daphne?¡±


    She shook her head and said seriously, ¡°I truly appreciate the surprise you gave me. I can hardly


    express how moved I am right now, but, darling¡­ I really have to go¡­


    Her calling him ¡°darling¡± made Kieran overjoyed.


    I don¡¯t feel relieved with you going alone. I¡¯ll have Karl take you,¡± Kieran said.¡±


    Daphne only mentioned not to bring Kieran, not Karl. Julie knew Kieran was just worried about her,


    especially since Lucian was in Whispering Pines too.


    So she nodded.


    Kieran held Julie¡¯s hand as they entered the elevator, then had Karl wait with the car downstairs.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie and Kieran were shoulder to shoulder in the elevator. She felt like she should say something.


    Watching Kieran hang up his call, she finally plucked up the courage to say, ¡°Kieran, I actually¡­¡±


    Her words were cut off by his sudden kiss. One hand cradling her head, the other around her waist, he


    pinned her against the elevator wall. The passionate kiss was like a raging storm¡­


    She barely had a moment to breathe. It wasn¡¯t until the elevator was about to reach the first floor that


    he gently let her go.


    Kieran hid the desire in his eyes, but his voice was still a bit husky.


    ¡°Next time if you don¡¯t know how to respond, just answer me like this. I¡¯m cool with it.¡± His rough finger


    gently brushed her red lips.


    Julie held her breath, staring at him nkly, then¡­ the elevator doors opened.


    Karl had already brought the car around to the front of the building.


    Only then did Julie snap back to reality, quickly running towards the elevator exit. Kieran sauntered out


    of the elevator. After a few steps, Julie spun around and said to Kieran, ¡°Tonight¡­ I¡¯ve got a surprise


    for you too!¡±


    With that, she bolted out of the building.


    Mr. Hernandez¡¯s mouth curved into a smug smile. He pulled out his phone and dialed Tina, ¡°Get me


    some colognes, ones that smell good, nothing too strong. Oh, and help me send over that bottle of red


    wine Dn Pierson giftedst time to the Noblewood Retreat.¡±


    After hanging up, Kieran took a detour to the nearby mall. He instantly spotted a ne at a jewelry


    counter and had the salesperson wrap it up.


    Tonight? A surprise?


    Sounds promising.


    Karl had just dropped Julie off at Daphne¡¯s apartment when she shooed him away.


    This was where Daphne usually lived. For the past few days, Daphne had been on vacation, so she


    had been staying with her parents. Why was she suddenly back at this apartment?


    Julie hurriedly knocked on the door, ¡°Daphne, it¡¯s Julie.¡±


    The door swung open.


    Julie almost fell on her butt in surprise at the sight of Daphne, wearing a huge apron, her short hair a


    total bird¡¯s nest, and clear evidence of panda eyes.


    ¡°Are you cooking?¡± Daphne never ventured into the kitchen. The sight of her in an apron left Julie


    puzzled.


    With a slumped head, Daphne pulled Julie into the room, ¡°Do I look like I know how to cook?¡±


    Julie shook her head without hesitation.


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡± Julie asked.


    I¡¯m surfing the.¡± Daphne pointed to the whiteptop on the sofa¡­


    Julie was even more puzzled, ¡°Why would you want to put on such a¡­ peculiar¡­ apron while surfing


    the?¡±


    ¡°To protect against radiation, duh!¡± She replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Julie was speechless, ¡°If you want to avoid radiation, you can just put some nts next to your


    computer. What radiation can this giant apron protect you from? It¡¯s barely covering your belly¡­¡±


    ¡°I wear it to cover my belly¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to¡­¡± Halfway through her sentence, Julie stared wide-eyed at Daphne, ¡°Why do you


    need to cover your belly?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m gonna be a mom, can you believe it?¡±


    ulie finally understood why Daphne had said on the phone that it was doomed. After a while, she came


    back to her senses and looked at Daphne, ¡°Is it Lionel¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Daphne copsed onto the bed, ¡°God is punishing me, J¨²lie!!¡±


    Julie also sat down next to Daphne, it took her a long time to close her mouth, which was wide open


    from shock.


    ¡°Maybe this is indeed God¡¯s will, how else could you get pregnant in one go?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, actually, it was three times!¡± Daphne managed a weak smile, holding up three fingers.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    Chapter 213


    Three times!!


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that!¡± Daphne covered her face with a pillow from the side.


    Julie cautiously asked, ¡°Can I ask when this happened¡­¡±


    Daphne shot Julie a warning nce.


    Julie made a zip-your-mouth gesture.


    Exasperated, Daphne yelled at the ceiling, then said, ¡°The first time was the night of the charity g.


    After you and Kieran left, Albertine started pouring me drinks. She was such a go-getter, kept pushing


    me to drink, saying she wanted to catch up with Lord Lion. The baffling thing is, her hubby didn¡¯t even


    stop her! He actually let her go to Lord Lion¡¯s ce. But that¡¯s not the point. The point is, why on earth


    did they have to drag me into it?¡±


    Fuming, Daphne said, ¡°Then I was forced into their car!¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± Julie sounded interested.


    Daphne red at Julie, ¡°I texted you after I got in the car! Do you remember?¡±


    Julie recalled the events of that night and suddenly remembered, ¡°Oh right, I think I got a message


    from you but I didn¡¯t check it right away. You said Lord Lion was taking you to his ce and you were


    afraid you might not resist sleeping with him. Are you talking about that message¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one! I even made up an excuse to use the restroom to call and text you, but you ignored


    me!¡±


    In Daphne¡¯s second message, she did mention that she was in the restroom.


    ¡°Then, Ms. Albertine came to the bathroom to fetch me, so I had to bite the bullet and get back in Lord


    Lion¡¯s car. Then you texted me saying the fans had surrounded the g. I told you I was in Lord Lion¡¯s


    car, asking if you were going to rescue me, but you ignored me again. Then I sent thest message,


    saying I was ready to give up on myself!¡±


    ¡°I only saw those messages when I got home. Then I asked you if you needed rescuing and you said


    no because Mr. Lionel would take you home soon. And then you didn¡¯t reply anymore¡­¡± Julie said.


    Daphne, ¡°That message was sent by Ms. Albertine! She said it¡¯s not good to be on the phone all the


    time during the party. Let me tell you, I thought I had a decent tolerance for alcohol, but Ms. Albertine


    got me drunk so easily¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Apparently, I was the one who asked him to sleep with me. From what I can remember¡­ that seems


    to be the case¡­ I was drunk, I thought I was dreaming, haha¡­¡±


    Julie gave Daphne a thumbs-up, saying, ¡°Respect!¡±


    Daphne went silent.


    ¡°So, how did your second time happen? The first time could be an ident, but surely the second time


    wasn¡¯t?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°Well, the second time naturally happened the next morning¡­ I thought, he¡¯s such a big shot, I better


    not mess with him! So I proposed that we should deal with this situation rationally¡­¡±


    ¡°How are you going to handle this rationally?¡± asked Julie.


    Daphne cornered her mouth, ¡°That¡¯s what Lord Lion asked at the time¡­¡±


    All she remembered was waking up that morning with her body aching all over, only to find herself in an


    unfamiliar environment. The deep-blue satin sheets under her had a familiar cologne scent.


    This scent startled Daphne into opening her eyes, only to see Lionel in a bathrobe, drying his hair by


    the bed. The bathroom was full of steam. Clearly, he had juste out of the shower.


    A few secondster, Daphne realized what might have happened the night before. She swallowed


    hard. Lionel had just finished drying his hair, turned his head and saw Daphne wrapped in the nket.


    Her bright eyes were wide open, obviously trying to figure out something.


    Daphne believed that ying dumb was her best option at the moment.


    So, she took the initiative to say, ¡°Good morning, Lord Lion! I had too much to drinkst night. If I


    offended you in any way, I hope you can forgive me!¡±


    Afterwards, she tried to get out of bed wrapped in the nket, but heard Lionel¡¯s deep voice saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard for me to forgive what you didst night.¡±


    Looking at his handsome face, Daphne momentarily forgot what she was going to say next. She closed


    her lips, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t actually remember what happenedst night, but I believe, as adults, we


    should handle whatever happened rationally. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°So, how do you n to handle this rationally?¡± Lionel said, suddenly undoing the belt of his bathrobe


    and taking it off.


    Daphne screamed in fright. Before she could close her eyes, she saw that Lionel was actually wearing


    boxers. And most importantly¡­ his body was covered with scratches, pinches, even bite marks¡­


    Without a doubt, those were her ¡°achievements¡± fromst night.


    So¡­


    She exposed one arm from the nket, forced a smile and said, ¡°Or¡­ you can pinch me too?¡±


    ¡°Take off the nket. His body was as perfect as a Greek sculpture, making it impossible for Daphne to


    take her eyes off him.


    She knew she was naked, so she held the nket tightly, ¡°I¡¯m not dressed¡­¡±


    ¡°You said let me pinch you in the same way, then we¡¯re even. How can I pinch you if you¡¯re covering


    yourself with the nket?¡± He said it as if it made perfect sense, with a hint of a smile on his lips.


    Daphne extended her other arm and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t two arms enough?¡±


    She looked quite pitiful.


    Lionel was quite straightforward, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try exposing your legs as well?¡±


    Daphne had no choice but to expose one foot from the nket, ¡°We must agree first, you can only


    pinch, no tickling.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Lionel sat down by the bed, Daphne quickly pulled her foot back!


    Lionel smiled and said, ¡°Is this your idea of handling things rationally? Hiding in the nket like a child?


    Can you guarantee that you won¡¯t fight back when I pinch you?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t fight back, will you forget about this?¡±


    ¡°Alright, wherever you pinched mest night, I¡¯ll pinch you there now. As long as you don¡¯t retaliate,


    we¡¯ll call it even, deal?¡± Lionel raised an eyebrow at Daphne.


    Daphne simply closed her eyes, ¡°¡­Okay! Once you¡¯ve had your revenge, let¡¯s never see each other


    again¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Lionel suddenly pounced on her. The proximity and posture made Daphne


    momentarily too scared to breathe.


    ¡°Then what happened?¡± Julie asked Daphne excitedly, ¡°Did he really pinch you?¡±


    ¡°Pinch me? He said wherever I pinched him that night, he¡¯d pinch me there. Do you know where I


    pinched him that night? Haha, I pinched his inner thigh¡­¡±


    Julie once again looked at Daphne with admiration.


    Daphne didn¡¯t feel like exining anymore, ¡°Long story short¡­ I ended up pregnant.¡±


    She looked down at her t belly, then suddenly looked up at Julie, ¡°If I told my mom this baby was


    sent by an angel from God, do you think she¡¯d believe me?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re carrying Jesus?¡±


    Daphne instantly lowered her head¡­


    After a while, she finally looked up and said, ¡°Actually, I have some good news.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said I don¡¯t have any STDs! Hahaha¡­¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Julie grabbed theputer next to her, ¡°Let me book you an appointment with a psychiatrist, okay?¡±


    As Julie was about to search for a reputable psychiatrist nearby, she noticed Daphne¡¯s recent search


    history. Each page clearly read ¡°Painless Abortion¡±.


    ¡°You¡¯re nning to just abort? Aren¡¯t you going to tell Mr. Lionel?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell him? The baby¡¯s in my stomach, not his. It¡¯s my blood the baby¡¯s drinking, not his.¡±


    Daphne argued.


    Julie tried to reason with her, ¡°But he is a partner¡­¡±


    ¡°You reminded me! As a partner, how could he not chip in? I¡¯ll ask him for the operation fee tomorrow! I


    can¡¯t be the only one ying the viin, right?¡± Daphne seriously asked Julie.


    Julie thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right! You must demand the money confidently! Don¡¯t


    back down when the timees!¡±


    She gently patted Daphne¡¯s back.


    Daphne nodded, ¡°Right, I can¡¯t back down! Julie, sleep with me tonight! I¡­ I just watched a video of an


    abortion procedure. Now every time I think about it, my¡­ my legs turn to jelly¡­¡±


    What happened to her bravado just now?


    Julie hugged Daphne sympathetically and agreed to her request,pletely forgetting her promise to


    surprise Kieran tonight.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran called her that Julie remembered her promise. She apologized to Kieran on the


    phone, ¡°Daphne¡¯s not in a good state, so I¡¯m¡­ nning to stay with her tonight¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have a date with him?¡± Daphne, who was eating an orange, stuffed a slice into her mouth


    before speaking to Julie, ¡°I¡¯m fine! You go back!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, honey¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Kieran¡¯s voice came from the phone, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll pick you up first thing


    tomorrow.¡±


    Looking at the rose petals on the bed, Mr. Hernandez couldn¡¯t help but smile helplessly.


    Julie stayed with Daphne overnight. Early the next morning, she received a call from Kieran. Today was


    Ivan¡¯s birthday, and since Daphne was Ivan¡¯s godmother, Kieran came to pick them up for the party.


    Hearing the doorbell, Daphne kicked Julie who was on the couch, ¡°Your hubby¡¯s here!¡±


    Julie gave Daphne a helpless look, then got up to open the door. However, the person standing outside


    was not Kieran.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214


    Chapter 214


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez? Daphne¡¯s not home?¡± Lionel, dressed in a beige coat and peering down at Julie,


    politely removed his sunsses to ask.


    Julie called out to Daphne on the sofa, ¡°Daphne, someone¡¯s here for you.¡±


    With that, she hurried over to Daphne, lightly nudging her and encouraging her with her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t


    chicken out!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Daphne turned around to find Lionel heading towards her.


    She immediately stood up, ¡°Lord Lion? What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Your mom just called me, said you¡¯re not answering your phone or replying to texts. She¡¯s worried


    something happened to you. I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I¡¯d swing by to check if you¡¯re still


    breathing.¡±


    Man, does he have a sharp tongue!


    Daphne smiled, ¡°Thanks for your concern, I¡¯m fine. Can I walk you out?¡±


    Julie thought to herself: Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t back down?


    ¡°Daphne, he just got here and you¡¯re sending him away? Go get your stuff. Kieran will be here soon.¡±


    Julie directed Daphne with her eyes.


    Lionel took the initiative to ask, ¡°Are you heading out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my son¡¯s birthday today, so we¡¯re going to his party. By the way, Mr. Lionel, are you free? How


    abouting with us?¡± Julie invited him.


    Daphne quickly interjected, ¡°Lord Lion is busy shooting all day! He probably doesn¡¯t have time¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m off today. I¡¯d be honored to attend Ivan¡¯s birthday.¡± And just like that, Lionel epted the


    invitation.


    As soon as Kieran pulled up, he saw Julie, Daphne, and sunsses-d Lionel standing at the door.


    ¡°Daphne, why don¡¯t you take Mr. Lionel¡¯s car?¡± Julie suggested, opening Kieran¡¯s passenger door and


    turning to Lionel, ¡°Please take good care of Daphne, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, rest assured, I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°Julie! Mr. Lionel is our guest! We can¡¯t make him do things¡­¡± Before Daphne could finish, Julie had


    already had Kieran drive off.


    ¡°Did Daphne and Lionel sleep together?¡± Kieran asked Julie while driving.


    Julie nodded, then looked worriedly at Kieran, ¡°I think Daphne and Mr. Lionel need to have a serious


    talk, but¡­ was it wrong of me to just throw her at him like that?


    Should we turn back?¡±


    Kieran slowed down, asking, ¡°Why do you think it was wrong? Shouldn¡¯t they have a serious talk?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just feel, Mr. Lionel¡¯s romantic history is a bitplicated¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean he¡¯s not faithful.¡±


    Kieran really got her. Julie nodded, ¡°Do you think someone like Mr. Lionel would sincerely care for


    Daphne?¡±


    ¡°You hope Lionel truly cares for Daphne, or else you wouldn¡¯t let her be alone with him, right? If they


    really need to talk, then you did the right thing. As for whether Lionel truly cares for Daphne, that¡¯s


    another discussion. But he¡¯ll definitely bring Daphne safely home, that you can trust.¡± Kieran analyzed


    seriously.


    Julie thought about it and found Kieran¡¯s words reasonable.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    If this opportunity could give Daphne the courage to tell Lionel about her pregnancy, that would be


    great. If she didn¡¯t have the courage, that was okay too, because at least Lionel would safely get her to


    their destination.


    With this thought, Julie felt much calmer.


    Daphne, who had promised not to back down, didn¡¯t dare to say a word in Lionel¡¯s car.


    Until Lionel took the initiative to ask her, ¡°Did you have a fight with your parents?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you suddenly disappear?¡±


    ¡°I felt like it.¡±


    ¡°Answer my question!¡±


    Daphne went silent.


    She gathered her courage to look at Lionel, ¡°It¡¯s my business. Lord Lion, you work hard every day! You


    don¡¯t need to worry about my personal affairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so busy that I can¡¯t find time to care about you.¡± He said.


    Daphne felt as if she had lost her freedom. She didn¡¯t know what got into her, but she blurted out, ¡°Why


    do you care about ine? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡±


    After saying that, she immediately covered her mouth and pped herself.


    Lionel suddenly looked at her seriously, asking, ¡°Daphne, what am I to you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a movie star! A celebrity!¡±


    ¡°I mean, what am I to you?¡± He rified.


    Daphne was naturally quick-witted. She immediately answered without thinking, ¡°You¡¯re my idol!¡±


    That¡¯s all?¡± He pressed.


    Daphne thought to herself, what else could he be? But her intuition told her that wasn¡¯t a good


    answer¡­


    Before Daphne could answer again, Lionel suddenly locked his gaze on her face. While waiting for the


    traffic light, he asked her seriously, ¡°Do you want to know what you are to me?¡±


    The concept of ¡°a friend with benefits¡± shed through Daphne¡¯s mind. Of course, she didn¡¯t have the


    courage to say it out loud.


    She didn¡¯t have the courage to ask him such an ambiguous question either. She quietly pointed at the


    traffic light ahead, saying, ¡°You can drive now.


    Lionel waspletely ignored. He stepped on the gas in anger.


    The car shot off like an arrow, scaring Daphne into gripping the handle tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how I see you?¡± Lionel asked.


    At this point, Daphne was only worried about dying in a car crash!


    She answered, ¡°Aren¡¯t we just friends?¡±


    ¡°Do you think ¡®just friends¡¯ would sleep together?¡± He retorted.


    Daphne red at him, ¡°Who says they can¡¯t? What¡¯s wrong with friends getting a little intimate once in


    a while?¡±


    Lionel frowned at her, ¡°Is that really what you think?¡±


    Daphne swore that was not what she really thought!


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to understand? That you n on marrying me, having kids with me? You


    must be joking! I¡¯d be drowned in your fans¡¯ drool before I could even give birth!¡± Daphne felt utterly


    dismayed.


    Yet, Lionel in the driver¡¯s seat, slowed down and chuckled¡­


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Daphne felt brave all of a sudden but also like she was inches from death.


    But to her surprise, Lionel reached over to pat her head, grinning, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you. I won¡¯t


    let you drown in drool.¡±


    Daphne was dumbstruck,pletely at a loss for what he meant.


    Until he spoke again, ¡°Daphne, shall we try it?¡±


    ¡°Try what? No need! I know you¡¯re a Casanova, but I prefer my men inexperienced. You¡¯re not my


    type!¡± Daphne blurted all this out in one breath.


    Lionel didn¡¯t get angry, instead, heughed even harder, ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do. I might not be your


    type, but my genes are top-notch. Our son would be a stunner and our daughter, a beauty.¡±


    Hearing him mention children, Daphne was instantly fuming. She instinctively ced her hand on her


    belly, asking, ¡°Do you have any hereditary diseases?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lionel looked at Daphne,pletely baffled.


    Daphne quickly removed her hand from her stomach, ¡°Like heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia¡­¡±


    Lionel stared at Daphne, ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Are you cursing my whole family to


    die young?¡±


    Daphne knew he misunderstood, so she quickly waved her hands, ¡°No, no! I¡¯m just¡­ concerned about


    you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hereditary diseases or bad habits. Apart from my bedroom skills which you dislike, I


    reckon I meet your standards in all other aspects.¡± Lionel said. Daphne thought it necessary to reject


    him outright, so¡­


    ¡°Though what I¡¯m about to say might sound arrogant, Lord Lion, I really don¡¯t want to be someone


    else¡¯s substitute¡­¡±


    ¡°Who? Albertine?¡± Lionel chuckled lightly, patting Daphne¡¯s head, ¡°She¡¯s one of a kind. You can¡¯t


    rece her.¡±


    She¡¯d rather he called her a substitute!


    ¡°Because with me, you¡¯re unique. I can clearly distinguish between you and her.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s gloomy mood was instantly lifted by his words.


    Daphne understood, ¡°Lord Lion, is this sweet talk how you lure all those models?¡±


    Lionel red at Daphne. She had sessfully ruined the flirty atmosphere they just established.


    Daphne promptly changed the topic, smiling at Lionel, ¡°Lord Lion, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    ¡°Among your many girlfriends¡­ none has had an ¡®ident¡¯, right?¡± she asked gingerly.


    ¡°What ident?¡±


    ¡°You know¡­ unexpected pregnancies¡­¡± she trailed off.


    Lionel immediately hit the brakes. He pulled over, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, and turned


    to Daphne in shock, ¡°Are you pregnant?¡±

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Chapter 215


    ¡°Pregnant? Hahaha, how is that possible? I¡¯ve been popping birth control pills all along!¡± Daphne


    looked at Lionel a bit guiltily, ¡°I was just curious about your private life as a fan, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She was taken aback. TV dramas were so misleading. In dramas, women always tried to test their men


    in various clever ways, but the men never understood their true intentions. In reality, before she could


    even attempt to test him, Lionel had already seen through her.


    She quickly asked Lionel, ¡°Have any of your past girlfriends ever had an unexpected pregnancy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded.


    It felt like a needle had pierced Daphne¡¯s heart. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Not only that, there were quite a few!¡± Lionel said, with a hint of regret.


    Hearing this, Daphne didn¡¯t even have the nerve to ask further¡­


    He took the initiative to say, ¡°Among my ex-girlfriends, one had a child after getting pregnant. Another


    one had an abortion after an unexpected pregnancy. Yet another one got pregnant and married my


    friend.¡±


    Daphne was utterly shocked.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re¡­. a father of two now?¡± Daphne¡¯s mouth twitched uncontrobly. She had long heard that


    Lionel was a yboy, but she didn¡¯t expect his love history to be so rich! She was curious about how


    Lionel had managed to keep this secret under the tight scrutiny of the media.


    After hearing Lionel¡¯s words, Daphne decided that she could never let him know about her pregnancy.


    After all, the weak can¡¯t fight against the strong. Once Lionel found out about her pregnancy, whether


    she could keep her baby may not be her decision anymore.


    Lionel had only intended to joke, but he didn¡¯t expect her to take it so seriously.


    He decided to tease her some more, ¡°Of course. If you want to be with me, you have to ept the fact


    that I already have two children.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Daphne¡¯sughter was strained.


    Lionel asked, ¡°What¡¯s your decision? Do you want to be my girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Daphne was very firm, ¡°I don¡¯t like men who are good in bed, but I like even less those who leave


    children all over.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve concluded that I wouldn¡¯t be responsible for you?¡± He raised an eyebrow, his tone a bit


    dangerous.


    But Daphne still pressed on, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t take responsibility for the ex-girlfriends who got


    pregnant, why should I believe you would take responsibility for me? Lionel, are you doing this on


    purpose? Did you pursue me just to seek revenge after catching me off guard that night¡­¡±


    ¡°You have such a wild imagination, why don¡¯t you be a scriptwriter?¡± Lionel responded to Daphne,


    ¡°I can y the male lead for free, how about it?¡±


    Daphne stopped talking.


    Lionel lightly poked Daphne¡¯s head, ¡°The plot you described is quitemon, but in most cases, the


    male lead ends up genuinely falling in love with the female lead in the process of carrying out his


    revenge n.¡±


    He exined, ¡°I do have two children, but they are my godchildren. I mentioned earlier that one of my


    ex-girlfriends got pregnant unexpectedly. That ex-girlfriend was Albertine. She did get pregnant


    unexpectedly, but the child¡¯s father wasn¡¯t me. Another ex-girlfriend who got pregnant unexpectedly


    was Daisy, a full-time model for Chanel. You should know her.¡±


    ¡°You heartless man! Did you pay for her abortion?¡± Daphne asked.


    Lionel shook his head, ¡°The child wasn¡¯t mine, so why should I pay?¡±


    ¡°Your woman cheated on you?¡± Daphne covered her mouth in surprise.


    Lionel asked, ¡°Are you gloating?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m just wondering who would dare to steal a woman from Mr. Lionel?¡±


    ¡°The child was her ex-boyfriend¡¯s.¡±


    Daphne thought to herself: What a karma!


    She asked onest question, ¡°The woman who ended up marrying your friend, did she cheat on you


    with him?¡±


    ¡°Caroline? I was the one who introduced her to my friend.¡± Lionel answered.


    Daphne was shocked, ¡°Your social circle is so messy!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked enough. Daphne, will you ept me or reject me?¡± Lionel looked at Daphne and asked.


    Pointing to the vi ahead, Daphne smirked, ¡°Lord Lion, can you step on it? Julie is still waiting at the


    door!¡±


    Upon arriving at the Noblewood Retreat, Daphne got out of the car like she was escaping. Julie looked


    at her high heels and frowned, ¡°I told you to wear ts, but


    you wouldn¡¯t listen! Are you here to walk the red carpet? Why do you have to wear heels?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen me in ts? Lionel is very picky and always catches every detail. If I wear ts, he


    won¡¯t be pleased.¡±


    ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t told him¡­ Before she could finish, Daphne covered Julie¡¯s mouth.


    Julie immediately understood and signaled Daphne to let go of her hand.


    Daphne let go of Julie¡¯s mouth, then said, ¡°He asked me to be his girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said before, I won¡¯t marry a rich man.¡±


    Just as Daphne finished her sentence, a low voice came from behind her, ¡°Smart move.¡±


    Julie and Daphne turned around to find Julien standing there. Today, she wasn¡¯t dressed all in ck as


    she usually was. Instead, she was wearing a red jumpsuit with ck heels, looking both stunning and


    intimidating.


    Daphne immediately eximed, ¡°Julien?¡±


    ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Julien nced at Daphne¡¯s belly.


    Daphne immediately covered her belly and stared at Julien in shock, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face ¡®I¡¯m pregnant¡±.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡°Daphne quickly ran into the house.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Slow down! What are you in such a hurry to do?¡±


    ¡°Wash your face!¡± Daphne¡¯s voice came from inside the house.


    Julie and Julien turned around to see Daphne almost bump into Hayden. The person she admired most


    was Julien, and the one she was most afraid of was Hayden, who could even charm Julien. The sight


    of him made her back off several steps.


    Hayden, who had never spoken to her, frowned at Daphne, ¡°If you¡¯re knocked up, don¡¯t bump into me.


    If you fall, it¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    Daphne went silent.


    Was her pregnancy that obvious? If so, why couldn¡¯t Lord Lion see it?


    After an awkwardugh, Daphne detoured to the bathroom.


    Regardless of whether Julien wanted it or not, Julie turned around and gave her a big hug, ¡°I thought


    you wouldn¡¯t show up today!¡±


    Julien nced at Julie and replied, ¡°If I didn¡¯t show up, how would you and Mr. Hernandez exin to


    Payne?¡±


    Julien was really smart. She even knew that Julie and Kieran had sold her out. This made Julie feel


    guilty.


    Julien pointed her finger at Julie¡¯s head, ¡°We will need Payne again in the future.¡±


    Suddenly, Julie felt a little sorry for Payne.


    Just as Julien finished speaking, they saw Payne Hernandez standing at the door with a bunch of


    bright roses, staring at Julien non-stop. He excitedly said, ¡°Julien, you¡¯re here too? What a


    coincidence!¡±


    Payne didn¡¯t expect Hayden and Dn to be standing behind Julien. Dn nced at the roses in


    Payne¡¯s hand, looked at Hayden uneasily, and thenughed, ¡°Indeed a coincidence. Not only she¡¯s


    here, we¡¯re here too! Right, Hayden?¡±


    Hayden¡¯s gaze fell on Julien. Julie felt a bit uneasy.


    Payne finally reacted. Kieran was indeed a sly fox! He promised to arrange a meeting with Julien, but


    also added these ¡®extras¡¯.


    But this didn¡¯t affect Payne¡¯s mood. He walked towards Julien with the roses, looking suave.


    He had already thought about what to say, but just as he held out the roses to her, Ivan jumped out


    from somewhere. Ivan took Julien¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I have a surprise for you! Come, let me show you!¡±


    With that, he ran off with Julien¡¯s hand.


    Payne¡¯s confession n was instantly ruined.


    While Julie was trying hard not tough, Dn had already burst into heartyughter. He pped


    Hayden¡¯s shoulder mercilessly, ¡°You¡¯ve got so many rivals,


    haha¡­¡±


    Hayden sneered and walked into the house. Dn shrugged at Payne and Julie, ¡°We better stay away


    from this jealous guy.¡±


    A little embarrassed, Payne stuffed the roses into Julie¡¯s arms, ¡°Julie, congrats on your second


    marriage!¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    She felt like she had be the center of conversation innocently.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hayden?¡± Annalise, who just arrived at the door, asked about Hayden¡¯s whereabouts as soon


    as she saw Julie.


    Dn and Julie both pointed inside the house. Annalise gave Julie a big hug, then took a rose from her,


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m borrowing a flower to give to him, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    But Hayden might, because after all, the rose was originally intended for Julien by Payne¡­


    Kieran walked to the door and hugged Julie, ¡°What are you doing standing at the door? Come in!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Adeline Sanches.¡± Julie looked up at Kieran and asked him somewhat worriedly, ¡°Do


    you think she wille?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran pinched her face with a smile, ¡°It depends on whether you want her toe or not.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a white Maserati stopped in front of the door.


    Elliot Sanches got out of the car, then gentlemanly helped Adeline open the car door.


    The first thing that caught everyone¡¯s eyes was a pair of white strap heels. Adeline was wearing a red


    chiffon jumpsuit just like Julien¡¯s..

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Chapter 216


    Adeline and Julien, both bombshells, showed up wearing the exact same outfit. Julie was having a hard


    time telling who looked better. Everyone knew Adeline had a thing for red, but for some reason, Julien


    also showed up in an all-red outfit today.


    Kieran turned to greet Mr. Watson and Harding. Adeline nced at Julie, looking a bit guilty.


    But Julie took the initiative to walk up and gave Adeline a hug, ¡°Next time you want to talk, just hit me


    up. No need to kidnap me anymore.¡±


    i


    The atmosphere lightened up. It was like they found their old groove.


    Adeline nodded seriously at Julie, ¡°Next time I want to kidnap someone, it¡¯ll be Mr. Hernandez, not


    you.¡±


    ¡°You might as well kidnap me¡­¡± Julie rubbed her forehead.


    Almost everyone had arrived. Everyone started to head inside.


    In the living room, Ivan was showing Julien a puzzle he hadpleted. The puzzle was a picture of


    Julien, he got it from god knows where. Even though Julien was poker-faced, Ivan was still excitedly


    chatting her up.


    Payne obviously still wanted to get close to Julien, but Hayden upied the seat next to her.


    Annalise came up to Hayden with a rose, ¡°Even if you¡¯re trying to avoid me, you didn¡¯t have to fly all the


    way back from abroad, did you? This is for you. I haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡±


    Julien nced at Hayden and Annalise, gave Ivan a hug and moved away a bit.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Ivan was over the moon because Julien hugged him.


    Seeing the gap between Julien and Hayden, Payne quickly slid in between them.


    Hayden gave Payne a cold stare, full of murderous intent. Payne felt like he could be killed by Hayden


    any second. He just wanted topete with him! He didn¡¯t want to die!


    ¡°Julien, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll grab some snacks for you.¡± With that, Payne stood up and headed


    for the kitchen.


    Hayden shifted towards Julien, avoiding Annalise.


    Annalise moved closer again, still holding the rose, ¡°Why? You can¡¯t even ept my flower?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Hayden asked.


    Dn burst outughing and said to Hayden, ¡°This is Annalise, Kerry¡¯s aunt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hello Ms. Annalise.¡± Hayden replied, then turned to Julien, ¡°Kerry and I are like brothers, so she¡¯s


    my aunt too.¡±


    Julien replied, ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±


    The rtionships between these people were tooplicated, Julien didn¡¯t want to get involved.


    Dn quietly analyzed. In this room, the only woman who could stand up to Hayden was Julien.


    Unexpectedly, Hayden didn¡¯t get angry, he calmly said to Julien, ¡°Of course it involves you. Since she¡¯s


    my aunt, she¡¯s your aunt too. Say hello to your aunt.¡±


    When Hayden spoke to her in that tone, it always took her back to their childhood. Julien suddenly felt


    that he was still the boy from her past, and she was still the little girl he protected.


    Julien didn¡¯t want to prolong the conversation with him, so she emotionlessly said to Annalise, ¡°Hello


    Ms. Annalise.¡±


    Annalise¡¯s face turned red because of her suppressed anger, ¡°If I¡¯m your aunt, then Hayden is your


    uncle!¡±


    Without hesitation, Julien turned to Hayden and respectfully said, ¡°Hello, dear uncle.¡±


    Hayden¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. He squinted at Julien, with a hint of threat.


    Annalise had heard of Julien, but she didn¡¯t expect Julien to go along with her game!


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly well-behaved!¡± Annalise said, bypassing Hayden, trying to pat Julien¡¯s shoulder, but


    Hayden suddenly stopped her.


    ¡°Why? Who is she to you? I can¡¯t even touch her?¡± Annalise looked displeased at Julien, then at


    Hayden. Her lips tightened, clearly unsatisfied.


    Just then, Julie came in with Adeline and Elliot.


    In the living room, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted to Julie. They all looked at Adeline, then their gaze bounced


    between Adeline and Julien.


    ¡°What a coincidence with so few people?¡± Dn looked at Hayden and Julien.


    Julien just nced at Adeline, seemingly indifferent. She looked down again, silently watching Ivan


    y with the puzzle.


    As soon as Adeline walked in, she saw Julien. The red chiffon jumpsuit looked flirty and elegant on her,


    but it looked mysterious andpetent on Julien. That style was actually what Adeline preferred.


    ¡°Miss, we are wearing the same outfit!¡± Adeline walked straight to Julien and sat next to her, elbowing


    Hayden aside.


    Dn retracted his previous analysis. It seemed that there was another woman who dared to confront


    Hayden head-on¡­


    Julien ignored Adelinepletely, but Adeline seemed particrly interested in Julien. She waved her


    hand in front of Julien, then repeated, ¡°Miss, we¡¯re wearing the same outfit! Don¡¯t you have any


    comments?¡±


    Julien nced at Adeline, ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    Adeline immediately brightened up. She turned to Julie and asked, ¡°Dear, is this your friend?¡±


    Julie really admired Adeline. She just straight-up split Hayden and Julien apart, and boldly showed her


    curiosity towards Julien, totally ignoring Hayden right there¡­ Elliot stepped up and pulled Adeline


    away, saying, ¡°There are plenty of empty seats. Why did you have to sit in between them?¡± He kept his


    voice low, so only Adeline could hear.


    Adeline picked up on Elliot¡¯s tone, as if he knew the two. She remembered having met the beautiful


    woman once when Julie was kidnapped. At that time, the beauty seemed to hold some grudge against


    her, probably because Julie¡¯s kidnap was due to her fault. She could feel that the woman cared a lot


    about Julie.


    Turning her head towards Elliot, Adeline nodded, ¡°Got it.¡±


    With that, she enthusiastically extended her hand towards Hayden, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry for identally


    separating you and your girlfriend! Your girlfriend is so gorgeous, I couldn¡¯t control myself!¡±


    ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Annalise¡¯s eyes widened. She immediately stood up, pointing at Hayden, I am his


    girlfriend!¡±


    Adeline was taken aback, then she looked at Hayden and said, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not doing it right! You¡¯re


    supposed to enjoy two women¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Elliot covered her mouth. He apologized to Hayden, ¡°My sister can be a bit


    cheeky. Mr. Simson, don¡¯t mind her.¡±


    Julie stepped forward and introduced Adeline, ¡°This is my friend Julien. This is Kieran¡¯s good friend,


    Hayden. And this is Annalise.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Annalise from the Hansen family?¡± Adeline asked, suddenly realizing.


    Annalise raised an eyebrow, ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who ys with mud?¡± Adeline asked curiously.


    Elliot frowned and tugged at Adeline¡¯s sleeve, ¡°She¡¯s a pottery master!¡±


    ¡°A pottery master is a mud yer, right?¡± Adeline retorted.


    Dn, who was standing by, couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You got that right!¡±


    Adeline then asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your rtionship with this gentleman¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my boss.¡± Julien took over without hesitation.


    Adeline nodded, ¡°So your rtionship is pure?¡±


    Elliot tugged at Adeline again. It seemed like she came specifically to stir up trouble.


    Kieran came in with Marion Watson and Harding. He noticed the awkward atmosphere in the living


    room, frowned, then wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s waist and asked her, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Julie replied with a smile. She knew that with such arge crowd, there were bound to be


    some minor conflicts.


    Adeline was chatting with Julien, and Mr. Watson was giving Julien flirty looks, ¡°Why are you two


    wearing the same clothes?¡±


    To prevent the situation from escting, Kieran said straight away, ¡°Today¡¯s n is a barbecue in the


    garden. The food is all prepared, but¡­ we didn¡¯t hire any chefs or waiters today. My son said everyone


    should serve themselves, so if you don¡¯t want to starve, get grilling.¡±


    Dn immediately got up from the sofa, ¡°You¡¯re such a lousy host!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re no great guest.¡± Kieran patted Dn on the shoulder, then led Julie towards the garden.


    Ivan happily took Julien¡¯s hand and ran towards the garden. Payne followed with a piece of brownie


    cake, ¡°Julien, wait for me!¡±


    Marlon stepped forward, wrapping his arm around Daphne¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Come on, if you get drunkter,


    I¡¯ll take you to a hotel.¡±


    Lionel looked at Harding with a frown, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. If Mr. Watson gets sick, I¡¯ll treat him.¡± Harding said with augh, patting Lionel on the


    shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go, my friend.¡±


    To avoid any further trouble from Adeline, Elliot quickly pulled her away.


    Dn approached Hayden, ¡°Hayden, you know I can only cut up corpses. I don¡¯t know how to grill!¡±


    ¡°And all I know is how to y with mud!¡± Annalise shot Adeline a re, then clung to Hayden¡¯s other


    arm.


    Hayden nced at her, ¡°I only know how to p women.¡±


    Annalise weakly let go of him, pouting unhappily, ¡°When Julien was so close to you just now, why didn¡¯t


    you p her?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s my woman, and you¡¯re not.¡± He turned around coldly, without a second nce.


    Hayden just took off, leaving Dn and Annalise behind.


    Annalise stood there, unsure whether to stay or go.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217


    Chapter 217


    Though Hayden¡¯s rejection was firm, it was also the most hurtful kind.


    Dn was worried that Annalise might crumble, so he waved his hand in front of her and asked


    worriedly, ¡°You okay? I¡¯m not good atforting people, but if you. ask me, only a guy like Julien could


    handle someone like Hayden. You¡¯re no match for him! The best kind of love is equal. Your one-sided


    love and devotion won¡¯t


    end well.¡±


    ¡°The best kind of love is equal?¡± Annalise snapped back to reality, giving Dn a look of disdain. ¡°In my


    opinion, the best kind of love is when the two people support each other.¡±


    ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really hurt.¡± Annalise sighed. ¡°I think a man like him shouldn¡¯t be with a dominant woman like


    Julien. Two dominant people being together might not end well.¡±


    For some reason, Dn suddenly felt like Annalise made a good point, but¡­.


    ¡°Even if Hayden and Julien don¡¯t end well, it¡¯s still better than you and Hayden having no chance at all,


    right?¡±


    Annalise red at Dn. ¡°Are you trying tofort me or rub salt in my wounds?¡±


    With that, she walked off towards the garden, clearly annoyed.


    Dn was taken aback. He had stayed tofort Annalise!


    He shook his head in frustration. He had to admit that he really sucked atforting people.


    Annalise first ran into Julien.


    Julien was busy helping Ivan grill. Payne was eagerly assisting her, praising her, ¡°Julien, you¡¯re not only


    a martial arts master, but you can also grill! A woman like you is so rare!¡±


    Ivan nodded, ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°You both are hopeless!¡± Annalise grabbed the skewer from Payne¡¯s hand.


    Ivan turned to Annalise and said, ¡°Ms. Annalise, she¡¯s the woman of my dreams!¡±


    ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t have dream women!¡± Annalise told Ivan. ¡°Your dream woman is your godfather¡¯s


    woman, you know?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Ivan pouted, showing his disbelief.


    Annalise smiled, ¡°Your godfather told me. I went to put my arm around him, and he said he¡¯d hit me. I


    asked why he didn¡¯t hit Julien when she was sitting so close to him. He said, ¡¯cause Julien is his


    woman, and I¡¯m not! Do you believe me now?¡±


    Her words were meant for Julien, who was listening in.


    Julien paused her grilling, then looked up at Annalise. ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Annalise was a bit annoyed. She put down what she held and stared at Julien.


    Julien smirked and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Exin yourself!¡± Annalise tugged Julien¡¯s sleeve, identally causing the skewer in her hand to drop


    to the ground.


    She didn¡¯t mean to. Annalise looked apologetic, but she was too embarrassed to apologize.


    Julien didn¡¯t mind the mishap. She thought Annalise was just being childish and impulsive. Annalise


    quickly let go of Julien¡¯s sleeve.


    Julien rolled up her sleeve and presented her arm to Annalise.


    It was covered in bruises, which looked pretty intimidating.


    Annalise frowned. These bruises were clearly from someone¡¯s grip, the finger marks were obvious.


    Julien smiled at Annalise. ¡°Next time Mr. Simson hits me, I¡¯ll take a pic and show you!¡±


    Annalise was speechless.


    ¡°But he just said, ¡®because she¡¯s my woman, and you¡¯re not¡­¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe that he did this to me?¡± Julien nced in Hayden¡¯s direction.,


    Annalise followed Julien¡¯s gaze to Hayden. He was chatting with Adeline, obviously very familiar with


    each other. They looked perfect together.


    Adeline¡¯s beauty was well-known. Next to her, Hayden¡¯s usual aloofness and elegance seemed to


    soften a bit.


    Julien¡¯s voice reached Annalise¡¯s ears, ¡°Are you blind? How could you fall for such a yboy?¡±


    ¡°Are you blind? How could you agree to be his woman?¡± Annalise retorted defiantly. In her heart,


    Hayden was untouchable.


    Julien thought for a moment, then seriously said to Annalise, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Annalise couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Seeing Annalise no longer in need offort, Dn turned to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, when did you learn to


    grill?¡±


    ¡°His skill is great.¡± Julie handed Dn a chicken wing skewer with a smile.


    Dn took a bite, then remembered something. He looked at Kieran, ¡°Oh right, how was that bottle of


    wine I gave yourst time?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tasted it yet.¡± Kieran replied.


    Dn stared at Kieran in surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t Tina say yesterday that you had her deliver the wine to your


    house?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    After a pause, Dn nodded, ¡°Oh, right. I heard that Julie was quite bold when she was pursuing you.


    You guys probably don¡¯t need wine to spice things up!¡±


    ¡°Man, you¡¯re lucky you¡¯ve been abroad all this time, otherwise you¡¯d be toast by now. Mr. Hernandez


    squinted at Dn. If looks could kill, Dn would be chopped into pieces already.


    Dn looked up at Mr. Hernandez, reading the truth from his expression, ¡°Did Julie turn you downst


    night? Haha¡­you¡­wait! What did you just stuff into my mouth?¡±


    Before Dn could finish his sentence, Mr. Hernandez shoved a piece of raw beef into his mouth.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with me? Do you have any idea how many germs and bacteria can be in raw


    meat? Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll stuff this whole te of raw steak into your mouth.¡± Kieran waved the te in


    his hand.


    Dn quickly covered his mouth, then muttered, ¡°You¡¯ve got a star chef at home and yet you insist on


    us grilling our own meat. And you¡¯re making me eat raw meat¡­¡±


    Julie chuckled and handed him a bottle of water, ¡°I bet if you say one more word, you¡¯ll have to finish


    the whole te.¡±


    ¡°Are you two ganging up on me?¡± Dn rinsed his mouth, then turned to Kieran, ¡°If you have the guts,


    let¡¯s have a one-on-one duel!¡±


    ¡°How do you want to duel?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow at Dn..


    Mr. Watson, who had been listening by the side, suddenly ran over, ¡°What¡¯s the fun in a one-on-one


    duel? Let¡¯s allpete! I want to be on Kerry¡¯s team! Harding, go help QuadDn.¡±


    Hearing this, Harding came over and kicked Marlon away, ¡°Kerry, wouldn¡¯t you rather have me on your


    team?¡±


    Elliot suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll pick a ce. After Ivan¡¯s birthday party, you guys can have a drinking contest


    there, how about that?¡±


    ¡°I like this n!¡± Marlon patted Elliot on the shoulder, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    ¡°Kerry, don¡¯t you dare chicken out!¡± Dn red at Kieran.


    It was rare for all of them to gather together, and Elliot¡¯s proposal was good. At least Payne was very


    supportive of it. To be precise, as long as Julien was involved in the activity, he would never refuse.


    Elliot set the location at Adeline¡¯s bar.


    Julie found out that Adeline also ran a bar called Tempting Chroma Club.


    The name was very Adeline. Julien had changed out of her shy red jumpsuit and put on Julie¡¯s white


    coat and ck jeans, looking more like herself.


    Payne stayed by Julien¡¯s side all afternoon, even though Julien had only said one word to him, ¡°Buzz


    off!¡±


    Julie, watching the people ahead, whispered to Kieran, ¡°Why did you have Tina deliver that bottle of


    red wine to our housest night?¡±


    ¡°First, tell me what surprise you had nned for mest night? Once in the room, Kieran wrapped his


    arms around Julie and sat down. He whispered in her ear, close to her neck.


    The room was dimly lit. Julie knew Kieran probably couldn¡¯t see her face clearly, which gave her more


    confidence to lie, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    She thought Kieran would persist, but he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s savest night¡¯s surprise for tonight. When


    we get hometer, I¡¯ll punish you properly, how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Kerry, are you challenging me to a drinking duel or trying to break me mentally?¡± Dn asked, looking


    at Kieran unhappily.


    Kieran held Julie a little tighter and raised an eyebrow.


    Marlonughed and patted Dn on the shoulder, ¡°Kerry¡¯s trying to break your mental defenses before


    the duel. What a cunning move!¡±


    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯m determined to get Kerry drunk, or else I¡¯ll let down that bottle of red wine I gave him!¡±


    Dn turned to Hayden, ¡°Whose team are you on tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neutral.¡±


    Dn was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°What¡¯re you guys nning to drink tonight?¡± Adeline pped the table and stood up.


    Hayden came up with a friendly suggestion, ¡°Don¡¯t y Rock-Paper-Scissors, else Kerry will get you all


    drunk.¡±


    Dn thought this was a good idea, so he suggested, ¡°How about we y ¡®I love you¡¯ VS


    ¡®Shameless¡¯?¡±


    Annalise asked innocently, ¡°How do you y this game?¡±

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Chapter 218


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know this game? It¡¯s super easy!¡± Daphne stood up and exined to Annalise, ¡°We all form


    a circle. You say ¡®I love you¡¯ to the person on your left and ¡®shameless¡¯ to the person on your right. You


    cannot say more than three sentences consecutively between two people. If someone messes up, they


    have to drink!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still confused¡­¡± Annalise pointed at Daphne, ¡°Can you show me how it¡¯s done?¡±


    Daphne gave Annalise a helpless look, and turned to the person on her left, ¡°I love you!¡±


    However, she had forgotten that Lionel was the one sitting on her left.


    The room was dimly lit, and Lionel¡¯s eyes were sparkling under the light. He smiled at Daphne, who


    was standing on his right, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    The expressions in the room instantly becameplicated.


    Daphne¡¯s face turned red. She angrily told Lionel, ¡°Wrong! You should have said ¡®shameless¡¯!¡±


    Lionel seemed to enjoy seeing Daphne angry. He nodded obediently, ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡±


    ¡°Not ¡®you¡¯re shameless¡¯, just ¡®shameless¡¯! Just say it like that!¡± Daphne wondered if Lionel was


    genuinely clueless or if he was messing with her. She preferred to believe that Lionel was just being


    silly.


    Finally, Lionel cooperated and said to Daphne, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Daphne turned to Julie sitting next to her, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Sure, I was indeed shameless back in school.¡±


    ¡°Julie, can¡¯t you just y along?¡± Daphne red at Julie.


    Julie looked at Daphne with a smile, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Daphne didn¡¯t have the courage to turn to Lionel and say ¡®I love you¡¯ again, so she turned to Julie again


    and said, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Then she exined to Annalise, ¡°Because Julie and I have already exchanged three sentences, Julie


    now has to turn to Kieran and say ¡®I love you¡¯. Do you get it


    now?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Annalise suddenly understood. She pped the table like Adeline usually does, ¡°I got it! Let¡¯s get


    this party started!¡±


    ¡°Are we


    going with the current seating arrangement?¡± Dn asked.


    ¡°This seating is perfect. My wife loves me, Kieran immediately replied.


    ¡°Disgusting!¡± Dn looked at Kieran coldly.


    The current seating arrangement indeed seemed interesting. Dn suggested, ¡°How about we do a


    trial run? Starting from Mr. Watson, okay?¡±


    Marlon turned to Lionel on his right, ¡®Shameless.¡±


    Lionel raised an eyebrow at Marlon, ¡®I love you¡±


    Marlon nced at Harding on his left, but decided to turn to Lionel again, ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Lionel turned to Daphne with a bigugh, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Daphne turned to Julie on her right, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Julie turned to Kieran, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Kieran, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Julie, ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Kieran, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Dn eximed, ¡°Are you two messing around? You guys have already exchanged more than three


    sentences! Bottoms up! Kieran, you keep telling her ¡®I love you¡¯ tonight! I don¡¯t believe you two won¡¯t


    get wasted!¡±


    Dn handed two drinks to Julie and Kieran, ¡°I propose they toast each other. Any objections?¡±


    Everyone unanimously said, ¡°No objections.¡±


    Kieran looked at Julie helplessly, ¡°Darling, are you going to toast with me?¡±


    ¡°Or should I give you my drink, and you can toast yourself?¡± Julie raised her eyebrows, a naughty smile


    on her face.


    Kieran¡¯s lips curled up in a smile. He leaned in and whispered, ¡°What was that surprise you promised


    mest night?¡±


    Julie smiled slightly, clinked her ss against Kieran¡¯s, and downed her drink in one go.


    Round two.


    Dn turned to Adeline on his left, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Adeline, who had Elliot on her left, looked into Elliot¡¯s eyes and said with a smile, ¡°I love you.¡±


    This ¡®I love you¡¯ didn¡¯t sound like it was part of the game, but rather like a confession that had been


    suppressed for years. This left Elliot stunned. He knew that even if he called Adeline ¡®shameless¡¯ now,


    it would just be part of the game, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He turned to Annalise


    on his left and said, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Annalise, without a second thought, turned to the person on her left and quickly said ¡®I love you¡¯,


    because she clearly remembered that Hayden was on her left. But at some point, the person on her left


    had quietly be Payne. Annalise¡¯s cheerful mood instantly dropped.


    Payne, on the other hand, was thrilled since Julien was on his left.


    He grinned and loudly said to Julien, ¡°I love you!!¡±


    Julien didn¡¯t want to engage with Payne, so she tumed to the person on her left and said, ¡°¡­am


    shameless!¡±


    Julien originally wanted to say ¡°I love you,¡± but suddenly realized that the person on her left was


    Hayden.


    Everyone in the room burst intoughter.


    Hayden calmly handed a ss of red wine to Julien and looked down at her arrogantly. Under the dim


    light, his eyes seemed to have a special prating power.


    Julien knew very well, this man was getting back at her!


    She picked up the ss, downed the wine in one go, then shot Hayden a re.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you love me.¡± He whispered in her ear.


    Hayden¡¯s voice was very soft. He thought only he and Julien could hear what he said, but Payne, who


    had excellent hearing, heard it loud and clear. So, he also said to Julien shyly, ¡°Julien, I don¡¯t mind you


    calling me shameless either, but why would you call yourself shameless?¡±


    ¡°Next round, next round!¡± Dn turned to Harding on his right, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Harding turned to Marlon, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Marlon said to Lionel, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Lionel turned around and said to Marlon, ¡°I love you.¡±


    The game was picking up pace. Marlon, following the rules, turned to Harding on his left and said, ¡°I


    love you!¡±


    Harding was taken aback. After about a second, Marlon poked his waist lightly, and Harding snapped


    back to reality. He looked at Marlon and said in a daze, ¡°I love¡­ shameless¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing, ¡°You love shameless? What does that mean?¡±


    Everyone else tried to stifle theirughter.


    Harding red at Daphne and said to Marlon, ¡°I support you taking her to a hotel room. Otherwise,


    she¡¯ll never learn her lesson!¡±


    With that, he gazed on Daphne, picked up his ss, and downed it in one go. Daphne was left


    speechless, remembering how close she came to being dragged into a hotel by Mr. Watsonst time.


    She didn¡¯t dare say anything this time¡­


    I


    Lionel pointed at Marlon and Harding and asked, ¡°Are you two actually having an affair?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I¡¯m so handsome and witty, how could I ever like a tailor like him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a surgeon!¡± Dn, as a forensic expert, couldn¡¯t help but defend Dr. Ladd. How dare Mr.


    Watson call a surgeon a tailor?


    Marlon waved his hand and said, ¡°I think this rule is too simple, it¡¯s not interesting. How about we


    change it to this: everyone must say one good thing about the person on their left, or one bad thing


    about the person on their right. If you can¡¯te up with anything, you have to drink. And you can¡¯t


    repeat what¡¯s been said.


    ¡°Interesting! But the first three people in each round can¡¯t quit voluntarily. If you want to quit, either you


    have to kiss the person on your left, or let the person on your right kiss you. That¡¯s challenging enough,


    right?¡± Dn seemed to have a lot of bad ideas. He looked at Adeline and said, ¡°Also, madam, please


    change all the wine here to liquor! Wine is not enough!¡±


    Adeline ordered the waiter to rece the wine with liquor.


    Payne looked excited. He raised his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    He wanted topliment Julien, so he immediately turned to Julien on his left and said, ¡°You¡¯re


    beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ugly,¡± Julien retorted.


    ¡°You¡¯re very honest,¡± Payne admitted, looking hurt.


    Since they had already exchanged three sentences, Julien had to turn to Hayden topliment him.


    Hayden seemed to enjoy it, as if he was waiting for Julien topliment him. The first three people in


    each round can¡¯t quit voluntarily, or she¡¯d have to either kiss Hayden or let Payne kiss her. Clearly,


    neither option appealed


    to her.


    Payne said excitedly, ¡°Julien, quit! Let me kiss you!¡±


    In the end, Julien turned to Hayden and said, ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡±


    Hayden agreed. He said to Julien, ¡°You don¡¯t love me. That¡¯s a w that needs to be corrected.¡±


    Although Hayden said this, she had to continueplimenting him, ¡°You¡¯re tall!¡±


    Hayden couldn¡¯t tease her anymore. He turned to Kieran and said, ¡°You¡¯re trustworthy.¡±


    Kieran turned his head and looked at Julie, saying, ¡°You¡¯re delicious.¡±


    If Kieran wasn¡¯t so strong, Julie would have kicked him into outer space. In the end, she responded,


    ¡°You¡¯re full of yourself!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, and you¡¯re always right.¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Everyone thought that probably only Julie would dare to talk to Mr. Hernandez like this.


    Julie turned her head to Daphne and said, ¡°Daphne, you¡¯re a good friend.¡±


    Daphne responded to Julie, ¡°You¡¯re always a brown-noser.¡±


    Julieughed, ¡°Daphne, you¡¯ve always taken good care of me.¡±


    Julie¡¯s sincerity touched Daphne. Now it was her turn topliment Lord Lion. The usually sharp-


    tongued Daphne turned her head and found Lionel¡¯s face almost ash¡¯s length away from her own.


    So, she forgot everything she had prepared to say. The only thing left in Daphne¡¯s brain was, ¡°Great in


    bed!¡±


    Luckily, Daphne had enough sense not to say that out loud.


    She boldly reached for the drink in front of Lionel, ready to down it. At this moment, Julien, sitting


    across from her, suddenly frowned and said, ¡°Can pregnant women drink?¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    Chapter 219


    Dn shot back, ¡°No shit, Sherlock. Pregnant women can¡¯t drink spirits, but there are no pregnant


    women here.¡±


    He barely finished speaking when he noticed the change in Daphne¡¯s expression. Dn was known for


    his sharp observation skills, he stood up immediately, pointing at Daphne in shock, ¡°Holy crap, you¡¯re


    pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Daphne snapped back at Dn, her tone as harsh as if she was wrongly used,


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s pregnant!¡±


    Seeing Daphne¡¯s reaction, Julien felt guilty and turned to Hayden for help, ¡°So this is a secret?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Lionel isn¡¯t the father.¡± Julien and Hayden were whispering, keeping their voices low. But they


    didn¡¯t expect a sudden eerie silence in the room after Daphne spoke, making Hayden¡¯s voice stand out.


    His words echoed in the room, everyone¡¯s eyes were on Lionel.


    At that moment, Lionel was staring at Daphne. To Daphne, Lionel was always polite, gentle to his fans,


    handsome and charming. He could be a bit of a scoundrel around her, but she had never seen him look


    at her like this.


    It felt like a knife was held at her throat, one wrong word from her could lead to a disaster.


    Daphne was determined,e hell or high water, she would not reveal the truth in front of everyone.


    Especially when she couldn¡¯t keep the baby!


    ¡°Pregnant women can¡¯t drink spirits, but I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± Daphne¡¯s hand holding the ss was


    slightly pale due to the force she used. She gathered her courage, ready to down the drink.


    ¡°Daphne!¡± Julie suddenly yelled, startling Daphne.


    She knew what Julie was worried about. She also knew the consequences of drinking this spirit. But


    she knew she couldn¡¯t keep the baby!


    So she turned her head and stared at Julie firmly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t try to stop me, a bets a bet. I have to


    drink this or I¡¯ll look like a coward.¡±


    Julie knew that once Daphne made up her mind, it was hard to change it. If Daphne really drank this, it


    would mean she was determined to abandon the baby.


    But Julie knew Daphne. If Daphne was really determined to give up the baby, she wouldn¡¯t be wearing


    a radiation suit while using theputer.


    So, Julie grabbed Daphne¡¯s arm, clutching her stomach, ¡°Daphne, my stomach hurts. Can you


    apany me to the bathroom?¡±


    Daphne finally understood. What a good excuse, why didn¡¯t she think of it?


    Daphne immediately put on a smile and said to everyone, ¡°Sorry, nature calls.¡±


    She put on an impatient face looking at Julie, ¡°Ah, Julie, always causing a fuss, spoiling the fun, right?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Right, always me!¡± Julie quickly agreed, hoping to get Daphne out of this dangerous ce. In fact, she


    should not have let Daphne join tonight¡¯s event. However, just as Daphne was about to get up from the


    couch, a hand suddenly held her shoulder, pushing her back.


    Daphne knew her n was futile. She gently tried to remove Lionel¡¯s hand from her shoulder, ¡°Lionel, I


    need to use the bathroom, I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°The bathroom isn¡¯t going anywhere. You can drink first and then go.¡± Lionel¡¯s tone was always calm,


    but anyone could feel his mood was far from calm. Daphneughed and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll drink after I


    come back from the bathroom, the drink won¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°But you have legs, you can run!¡± Lionel pushed the ss back to Daphne, ¡°Drink it!¡±


    Julie was about to reach for the drink in front of Daphne when Kieran suddenly pulled her into his arms.


    He whispered in her ear, ¡°Lionel won¡¯t let her drink.¡± Julie looked at Kieran doubtfully. Although she


    couldn¡¯t be sure if he was right, she eventually decided not to stop Daphne because she wanted to see


    Lionel¡¯s true intentions. Besides, she would never let Daphne drink it no matter what.


    Most importantly, she hoped Daphne and Lionel could honestly resolve their issues, instead of


    repeating her past mistakes.


    Daphne looked at Lionel with her beautiful eyes.


    Seeing she made no move, Lionel helped her put her hand on the ss, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would


    honor the bet? Then drink!¡±


    Today, Lionel was clearly determined to oppose her!


    Daphne was also determined to fight him to the end. She took a deep breath and lifted the ss, ¡°Fine,


    I¡¯ll drink!¡±


    Just as she was about to drink, her lips hadn¡¯t touched the ss when she heard Lionel¡¯s voice, ¡°Once


    you¡¯re finished, I¡¯ll take you to Harding¡¯s hospital for a check-up to see if Dn misunderstood you.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s hand holding the ss trembled. She asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I believe in your integrity. I believe you when you said you¡¯re not pregnant.


    Usually eloquent Daphne was left speechless by Lionel¡¯s words. After a while, she finally made up her


    mind and mmed the ss down on the table.


    The room fell into an eerie silence again.


    If you don¡¯t perish in silence, you explode in silence.


    Just when everyone thought Daphne was about to explode, sho


    spirits?¡±


    quietly sat back on the couch, then turned to everyone and asked, ¡°Can I use juice instead of


    What a surprise! Julie looked at Daphne, but remained silent, unable to help her.


    Adeline, however, was quite bold. She pped her hands and called the waiter, Get a dozen fresh


    orange juices, they must be 100% fresh. Gol¡±


    The waiter went out to prepare the orange juice.


    Lionel stood up, holding Daphne¡¯s hand, and told everyone, ¡°We have some issues to deal with. You


    guys carry on.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lionel!¡± Julie suddenly stood up, grabbing Daphne¡¯s other hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get her home safe and sound tomorrow, won¡¯ty a finger on her!¡± Lionel knew what


    Julie was fretting about.


    Daphne was even more panicked, knowing Lionel didn¡¯t need toy a hand on her, just his gaze alone


    was enough to scare her, and she held this belief true.


    But not wanting to cause trouble for Julie, and knowing this issue had to be dealt with sooner orter,


    Daphne finally gave Julie a reassuring look, ¡°I promise, I¡¯lle back alive to find you tomorrow!¡±


    It was Lionel who led Daphne out of the private room by the hand. It was clear, despite Lionel¡¯s slight


    anger at Daphne¡¯s secrecy, he still cared about her. Even when holding her hand, he didn¡¯t angrily drag


    her along..


    This action eased Julie¡¯s worries slightly.


    Daphne¡¯sst words when leaving the room were whispered to Lionel, ¡°If I said the baby inside me isn¡¯t


    yours, would you believe me?¡±


    The people in the room couldn¡¯t help but feel tense for Daphne.


    ¡°How did Lionel and Daphne end up together?¡± Mr. Watson suddenly turned to Julien with great


    interest.


    Julien once kidnapped Marlon, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. They had a pretty good


    rtionship, but Julien didn¡¯t mince words when answering Marlon¡¯s question.


    He coldly replied, ¡°I have no idea how you and Dr. Ladd ended up together, how would I know how


    Daphne and Mr. Lionel did?¡±


    Mr. Watson was stumped by his words, and instead became more spirited. He pped Dn¡¯s


    shoulder and said, ¡°Tonight¡¯s goal is to bring down Kerry first, then target Julie! I want to see how many


    good points she can say about the second brother tonight!¡±


    In the private room, a new round of games began..


    Outside the private room, after being led out by Lionel, Daphne was still in shock when a suit jacket


    was thrown over her head. Then she suddenly felt weightless as Lionel straight picked her up.


    She reached out and lifted the suit jacket off her head, ¡°What the hell are you doing? Didn¡¯t you say


    you wouldn¡¯t hurt me?¡±


    ¡°Just scream your lungs out, better yet, call out everyone in the private room. Maybe you¡¯ll even run


    into some paparazzi if you¡¯re lucky. I¡¯ve already thought of tomorrow¡¯s headline for the gossip column:


    Mr. Lionel spends hours entwining with a mysterious woman in KTV, and the woman¡¯s identity


    suspected to be¡­¡±


    Before Lionel could finish, Daphne obediently covered her head with the jacket, wrapped up tightly,


    without leaving a single gap.


    How much did she detest being in the news with him?


    ¡°Daphne, do you know how many actresses want to be scandalous with me?¡± Lionel¡¯s disgruntled voice


    came from above.


    Daphne¡¯s innocent voice came from under the jacket, ¡°Lord Lion, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Daphne was definitely the most carefree person he¡¯d ever met, yet someone you could truly rely on.


    The naive Daphne thought Lionel would take her out, but the further they went, the quieter it got.


    A bad feeling rushed into her heart, Daphne quickly lifted the jacket off her head.


    The waiter stood respectfully in front of Lionel, ¡°Mr. Lionel, here¡¯s your room card.¡±


    Lionel took the room card and opened the door, before Daphne could understand what had happened,


    Lionel took her straight into the room, then mmed the door shut with a bang.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    Chapter 220


    Daphne lifted her head, but before she could see Lionel¡¯s angry face, he already had her pinned


    against the door, looming over her. They were so close she could almost make out the fine fuzz on his


    face.


    ¡°Is the kid not mine?¡± he asked in a very gentle tone, his face rxed.


    Daphne gave a nervousugh. ¡°What if it is?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get an abortion then. I¡¯ll pay for the procedure and the recovery. We¡¯re still young and don¡¯t


    really know each other that well. Having this kid now isn¡¯t a good choice for either of us. If in the future


    we find that we¡¯re really suited for each other, there will be plenty of chances to have kids, don¡¯t you


    think?¡± Lionel straightened up, giving Daphne a deep look, then took a step back, giving her some


    space.


    Daphne was taken aback, thenughed and pped her hands, nodding at Lionel. ¡°You¡¯re so right,


    Lionel. We¡¯re still young, and you, a handsome and rich guy, are in your prime. In the future, you¡¯re


    bound to achieve great things. How could we let something trivial like love and a child affect your


    judgment and future? Having this kid is not beneficial for either of us! We are indeed in sync!¡±


    Daphne reached out her hand for a handshake to show their agreement.


    But Lionel just stared at her coldly. ¡°In sync? Daphne! What¡¯s going on in that head of yours? An


    abortion? I will pay for the procedure? I will pay for the recovery? Am I hiring a hitman to kill my own


    child? Am I fucking crazy?¡±


    Daphne quickly shrunk her neck in fear, worried that Lord Lion might hit her if he got angry.


    Did Lionel just curse? Sure did, he even used foulnguage.


    She had known Lionel for a long time, but had never heard him use suchnguage before. Daphne


    huddled by the door, her heart a mess of indescribable pain.


    After listening to Lionel¡¯s angry words, Daphne decided to remain silent.


    But Lionel wasn¡¯t about to let her off the hook. He reached out, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look


    at him. ¡°Speak up, you¡¯re usually so chatty. If we hadn¡¯t brought this up tonight, would I be erecting a


    tombstone for my daughter in a few days? Have you already found a hospital?¡±


    ¡°How did you know it¡¯s a girl?¡± Daphne blurted out innocently, immediately regretting it. She quickly


    covered her mouth and gave Lionel an innocent grin.


    ¡°I want a daughter, is there a problem with that?¡± he said defiantly.


    Daphne pouted. ¡°My mom says I¡¯m built to have boys. We¡¯re not a good match, Lord Lion.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to raise you as my daughter?¡±


    Lionel¡¯s interpretation was beyond imagination!


    Daphne shook her head. ¡°Having a daughter like me would give you lots of trouble, so you don¡¯t need


    to worry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your limited wit to change the subject. I¡¯m asking you, which hospital are you nning to


    have the procedure at?¡±


    ¡°Hope Hospital,¡± Daphne quickly answered.


    Seeing Lionel¡¯s expression, Daphne immediately changed her answer with augh. Haven¡¯t decided


    yet.¡±


    She carefully looked at Lionel¡¯s expression, and realizing that he didn¡¯t really care about the answer,


    she immediately shut up.


    ¡°You seem to love Hope Hospital so much, why don¡¯t you give birth there?¡± Lionel said, turning and


    heading towards the bed.


    Daphne stood there stunned for a moment, then realizing what he meant, she immediately ran towards


    Lionel.


    ¡°Could you run any faster? Why don¡¯t you fly over here?¡± Lionel¡¯s disgruntled voice came from the bed.


    Daphne immediately slowed down, then sat next to Lionel. ¡°Lord Lion, what did you mean by giving


    birth? You want this child?¡±


    ¡°Daphne, you seem like you¡¯re scared of trouble, but you¡¯re quite daring in your actions,¡± Lionel said,


    turning to look at Daphne sitting next to him.


    Intimidated by Lionel¡¯s gaze, Daphne immediately stood up. ¡°If I were daring, this child would be long


    gone!¡±


    Lionel was lost for words.


    Daphne was telling the truth. She had initially used a pregnancy test, and after finding out she was


    pregnant, she went to the hospital. The results were the same- she was pregnant!


    Upon confirming her pregnancy, she knew she couldn¡¯t keep the child, so she immediately booked an


    abortion.


    While waiting for the procedure, she looked up videos of painless abortions to encourage herself.


    Seeing the cold instruments, she decided to flee the hospital.


    That night, she had several nightmares in her apartment.


    But she knew the child was an ident, the so-called unnned pregnancy. Even though she knew


    Lionel was a decent person, she couldn¡¯t ept his womanizing ways.


    Even if the child were to be born, they wouldn¡¯t be able to form aplete family. Thinking about the


    scenes from TV shows, the phndering father having affairs, the mother struggling to raise the child,


    and the child being neglected by the father, it was too painful to imagine.


    So, Daphne decided to go for the operation the next day and booked another specialist at Hope


    Hospital.


    While waiting for the operation, she downloaded a video of a cesarean section to encourage herself.


    Seeing the bloody scene, she keptforting herself that an abortion was better, at least there would


    be no scar on her stomach and it wouldn¡¯t be as bloody as a cesarean section. If she really had to give


    birth, with a cesarean section, no good father for the child, and possibly no ability to raise the child, it


    would be even worse.


    So, under the stimulus of the cesarean section video, she finally made up her mind and was ready to


    go into the operation room.


    However, the patient before her had severe bleeding and was carried out. The scene was shocking,


    and seeing the woman¡¯s pale face and bloody sheets, Daphne quickly fled.


    In the end, she helplessly returned to her apartment from the hospital, even buying a radiation


    protection matemity dress on the way home.


    Later, she felt very helpless and could only go home to search for the most reliable gynecological


    hospital online while calling Julie, never expecting things to turn


    out like this.


    Daphne plucked up the courage and spilled the beans about her considering having an abortion. She


    then heaved a sigh and sat next to Lionel, ¡°Lionel, what should I do? I¡¯ve never been sick but my mom


    predicted during a fortune telling session that I might face life-threatening danger! What if I bleed


    heavily during the abortion?¡±


    ¡°You bleed heavily every month and you are still alive and kicking, right? Did the fortune teller also


    predict that you will meet a benefactor, and that benefactor is me, Lionel?¡±


    Bleed heavily every month? Isn¡¯t that a reference to menstruation?


    Lionel is a benefactor? Are you sure he¡¯s not a jinx?


    Wouldn¡¯t she have avoided being pregnant out of wedlock if not for him?


    Daphne was brimming withints but kept them to herself. Instead, she asked Lionel, ¡°Can you


    help me find a reliable hospital? I don¡¯t want to be a single mom. I can¡¯t even support myself, let alone


    raise a child!¡±.


    ¡°I will raise the child if you give birth.¡± Lionel had not initially said this, but now he had given it serious


    thought.


    However, to Daphne, Lionel¡¯s words were pure nonsense!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you only interested in having a daughter? The fortune teller said I would only have sons!¡±


    ¡°Daphne, are you trying to test my patience?¡± Lionel squinted at Daphne.


    She quickly shook her head, ¡°So, you mean I should give birth to this child? Then what? We¡¯ll take


    turns taking care of the kid?¡±


    ¡°How about this, on rainy days, the child stays with me, and on sunny days with you, what do you


    think?¡± Lionel suddenly proposed his suggestion.


    Daphne was puzzled, looked up at him, ¡°Why does the child have to be with you on rainy days and with


    me on sunny ones?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the child will get water on the brain like you if he steps out in the rain.¡±


    Daphne mustered up the courage to re at Lionel, ¡°Lionel, you have a way of insulting people without


    swearing!¡±


    1


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t understand if I used swear words.¡± Lionel helplessly looked at Daphne, then


    ced his hand on her shoulder, very seriously saying, ¡°Daphne, give me some time. The child in your


    belly can¡¯t have any problems, nor can you.¡±


    ¡°Do you want this child?¡± Daphne also looked at Lionel very seriously, seemingly with some


    expectation.


    Lionel nodded, ¡°Indeed, things happened so suddenly, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t take enough precautions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m to me too. I was only thinking about taking STD preventatives and forgot the birth control.¡±


    Daphne immediately shut up and smiled at Lionel, ¡°Lionel, go on,


    I¡¯m all ears!¡±


    ¡°Daphne, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Daphne had once again interrupted their serious


    conversation.


    Daphne quickly waved her hands, innocently saying, ¡°Haha, I know you¡¯re clean, I trust you, really! The


    doctor told me there¡¯s no such thing as STD preventatives, didn¡¯t take any, really!¡±


    Forget about it, it¡¯s a blessing from heaven if you can have a conversation with Daphne without getting


    pissed off.


    Lionel frowned at Daphne and said, ¡°Indeed, this situation was unexpected, but I will take responsibility


    for you and the child in your belly. Trust me, give me some time to handle this.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh. So, do you still want the child?¡±


    ¡°Daphne!¡±


    ¡°Got it, no surgery! You¡¯ve shouted my ears deaf.¡±


    Story


    Lord Lion: Daphne, you¡¯re a dumbass.


    Daphne: Even a dumbass isn¡¯t safe from you, what does that make you?


    Lord Lion: A retard!


    Daphne: I concede defeat.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    Chapter 221


    Even though Daphne was whisked away by Lionel early, the game in the private room was still going


    strong. Probably because Mr. Hernandez always had the upper hand in his daily life, so this time,


    everyone seemed to subtly gang up on him and sessfully got him drunk.


    Julie hasn¡¯t had a drink like this in a long time. While she didn¡¯t end up as wasted as Kieran, she was


    still a bit fuzzy.


    The only ones left sober at the scene were Harding and Hayden. Everyone else was pretty much


    passed out drunk.


    Annalise Hansen was leaning on Hayden, non-stop shouting, ¡°Julien, don¡¯t you dare try to steal


    Hayden from me. Hayden is my hubby since childhood, oh no, I mean hubby-to-be. You don¡¯t stand a


    chance against me!¡±


    If Julien was sober at this point, she wouldn¡¯t bother to retort. But instead, she grabbed Annalise and


    shoved her aside, then looked down at Annalise who fell on the couch and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your hubby?¡±


    Hayden¡¯s face was slightly grim.


    Annalise pouted innocently at Hayden, ¡°Him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Hayden helped Julien steady herself.


    Julien nodded, looking at him approvingly, ¡°I know, if she marries you, she must be blind.¡±


    Harding, just back from the bathroom, couldn¡¯t help but snicker at this, then told Hayden, ¡°I¡¯ll take care


    of the others, can you and Julien take this couple and Annalise home?¡±


    Hayden nced at Annalise, then turned to Harding with a frosty look, as if to say ¡®are you kidding me¡±.


    Hardingughed, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll handle Annalise, you take the couple home!¡±


    As soon as Harding finished speaking, Marlon, like a zombie, grabbed Harding¡¯s hand, ¡°Drink, keep


    drinking!¡±


    Harding shook his hand off, ¡°You damn fool!¡±


    ¡°Fool? You¡¯ve got no shame,e have a few more drinks with me!¡±


    Hayden gave them a meaningful look, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t bunk with Marlon tonight, watch out for his


    antics when he¡¯s drunk.¡±


    After saying that, he bent down to pick up Julien and instructed his men to bring Julie and Kieran to the


    car.


    He nced at Annalise and finally said to Harding, ¡°I¡¯ll drop her off on the way, you take care of the


    rest.¡±


    Harding turned and poured Marlon another drink, ¡°Impressive, why don¡¯t you drink till you puke!¡±


    In the limousine, Julie wasn¡¯t out of control after drinking, just a bit dizzy.


    Kieran didn¡¯t go crazy after drinking either, he fell asleep in the car after he finished his drink. Annalise,


    on the other hand, was especially excited after drinking, grabbing Hayden¡¯s hand and yelling, ¡°Kerry,


    how did you and Hayden end up looking so much alike?¡±


    ¡°Kerry¡¯s over there.¡± Hayden pointed to Kieran lying next to Julie.


    Annalise was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly punched Kieran in the shoulder, ¡°Kieran, beat


    it, Hayden and I have business to take care of!¡±


    Seeing Kieran open his eyes with a frown, Hayden grabbed the hand that Annalise was using to hit him


    and pushed her away, ¡°Beat it.¡±


    Hayden frowned, looking somewhat relieved at Julien, who was leaning against the window looking a


    bit drunk, ¡°At least you¡¯re quiet when you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Julien suddenly grabbed his hair and mmed him onto the


    mini fridge in the car, ¡°Beat it! You left my life once, don¡¯t think abouting back now!¡±


    Annalise, who had just been making a fuss, was scared into silence and quietly hugged Julie¡¯s arm.


    Hayden rubbed his forehead. He could have stopped her just now, but was afraid of hurting her. She,


    on the other hand, was more than happy to let him go, causing him to bump into the mini fridge!


    ¡°Alison, give me the rope!¡±


    Alison, in the front seat, heard her boss¡¯s words and was a bit puzzled, ¡°Sir, no rope, but will handcuffs


    do?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Hayden sat back next to Julien, holding her in his arms, finally understanding why Kerry


    wanted to hold Julie.


    After all themotion, Hayden first dropped off Annalise at the Hansen family, then took Julie and


    Kieran back to Noblewood Retreat Noah quickly came forward to steady Kieran, ¡°Oh my, young master,


    how much have you drank?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Hayden took Kieran and Julie back to their room.


    Just as he was about to leave, Julie suddenly stood up, rubbing her long hair in a daze, ¡°Don¡¯t I live


    next door?¡±


    .With that, she walked towards the next room in front of Hayden.


    Hayden turned to look at Kieran lying on the bed, ¡°So you guys are still living separately?¡±


    Kieran turned his head, gave Hayden an unhappy look, got up from the bed and said, ¡°I¡¯m going next


    door too!¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Then he staggered to the door of the next room and pushed it open.


    Hayden stood at the door for a moment, gave a wry smile, then turned and left.


    As soon as Julie threw herself on the bed, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside.


    Kieran walked in, wearing only a in ck shirt and ck trousers, supporting himself against the


    door frame. He didn¡¯t look at Julie lying on the bed.


    His slender fingers undid the buttons of his shirt one by one, then he staggered towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Kieran?¡± Julie stood up, it took a lot of effort to stand steadily, her mind was hazy, but she was


    absolutely sure the man in front of her was Kieran.


    In the bathroom, Kieran looked up, his gaze locked on Julie. His deep eyes, like a vast starry sky, were


    filled with Julie¡¯s reflection.


    He stood there, leaning quietly against the door frame, sharing a tender gaze with her from a distance


    of four to five meters away.


    Her face was slightly flushed from the alcohol. The sudden downpour from the shower blurred Kieran¡¯s


    vision. Due to the alcohol and the shower, the girl across from him appeared dreamlike. Kieran pped


    his face, shook his head, and started undressing.


    Outside the door, Shannon was about to knock with a hangover remedy in hand, but Noah grabbed her


    and said, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez is in there!¡±


    What about this remedy?¡±


    ¡°Let them have it in the morning when they wake up!¡± Noah said, grinning with some satisfaction.


    Shannon thought about it, handed the hangover remedy over to Noah, and then put her ear against the


    door to listen to the sounds inside.


    It was eerily quiet inside.


    ¡°I saw that Mrs. Hernandez wasn¡¯t terribly drunk when she came back. You shouldn¡¯t worry too much.


    They¡¯re getting along well. Why would you bring a hangover remedy to their door?¡±


    Shannon agreed with Noah¡¯s point, smiling and nodding, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wake up early tomorrow to serve


    them then!¡±


    With that, she left with Noah.


    Inside the room.


    Finally gathering her courage, Julie suddenly rushed into the bathroom.


    Already a bit tipsy, Mr. Hernandez was startled by Julie¡¯s sudden-intrusion. He lost his bnce and fell


    back into the bathtub.


    Feeling guilty, Julie reached out to help him, but she was too light and was pulled into the tub with him.


    With Julie practically lying on top of Kieran, her lips pressed against the man¡¯s corbone. The bathtub,


    previously empty, now held Julie and Kieran.


    Julie, still somewhat sober, quickly propped herself up and looked at Kieran with a touch of


    embarrassment, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡±


    The man¡¯srge hand was against her neck, pushing her head down.


    Her lips sealed by his, she was rendered speechless. Her hands, propped against the edge of the


    bathtub, clenched as a cold sensation washed over her, clearing her thoughts significantly.


    Their frantic breathing intertwined, Julie shivering intensely.


    Their kisses moved from their lips to their necks, her soft skin brushing against his stubble. The


    alternating intensity of their kisses felt like a warm shower washing over their bodies.


    Julie¡¯s breath quickened, her hands propped against the edge of the bathtub weakened, and she fell


    onto him. Her fingers identally turned the faucet on, and the sudden rush of cold water sent shivers


    down Julie¡¯s spine, sobering her up somewhat


    She pushed against the man¡¯s shoulders, lifting herself up.


    With somewhat hazy eyes, she looked at him, her voice hoarse, ¡°Kieran, you remember I still owe you


    a surprise, right?¡±


    Kieran was truly drunk, his lips lingering on her shoulders as her clothes slid off.


    She lifted his face once more, ¡°You take your bath, while I¡¯ll prepare the surprise, okay?¡±


    A sudden pain in her shoulder made Julie turn her gaze to find a bright mark left by the man.


    ¡°Okay?¡± She asked again, a slight pout in her voice.


    The cold water washing over the man¡¯s back brought him back to his senses, and he let go. The


    bathtub was indeed ufortable for a tall man, especially with a woman on top of him. Kieran let go,


    and Julie quickly grabbed a towel nearby and rushed out of the bathroom.


    After drying off, she hesitated for several seconds before walking into the walk-in closet.


    The closet was filled with many beautiful, delicate nightgowns, including a pure ckce chemise with


    a matching silk robe in the corner. The gown had been in the wardrobe for a long time, and she had


    noticed it the first time she saw the closet.


    Her hand, chilled from the cold water, Julie licked her lips, lightly biting her lower lip before taking out


    the nightgown.


    She carefully took off her wet clothes, dried off with a white towel, and quietly changed into the


    nightgown.


    She stared at the ck robe for a long time, then at her reflection in the mirror. In the end, she decided


    not to put on the robe, instead turning around and walking


    towards the bedroom.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    Chapter 222


    Kieran had just hopped out of the shower, currently standing on the balcony, d in a white towel. The


    cold breeze blew past, clearing his mind considerably. Julie was standing not too far from Kieran,


    quietly observing the man leaning against the balcony railing. The moon outside the window was half


    hidden by clouds as if he was standing right beneath it. Even though his delicate features were


    obscured, his elegant silhouette had deeply imprinted itself in her mind.


    A gust of cool wind drifted in from the window, causing Kieran to turn around.


    1


    He saw a woman dressed in a ckce lingerie, barefoot, standing there. Her smooth skin contrasted


    against the ckce, tempting one to touch. Her long, slightly curled hair fell down her back like


    seaweed, covering the skin that was exposed.


    She lowered her head shyly, her long eyshes clearly defined, attracting more than just a second


    nce.


    In that moment, she was as beautiful as an angel, surreal and enchanting.


    She gently tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her neck. The red mark left from the bathtub had


    turned a bit purple, reminding one of the forbidden fruit from


    the bible.


    ¡°Do you want toe in, or should I go out?¡± she asked softly.


    Kieran had had a few drinks and was a bit slow to respond. Before he could answer, she had already


    stepped out.


    She tip-toed and wrapped her arms around his neck, asking, ¡°Are you sober now?¡±


    Julie had always been quite clear-headed, but seeing


    Kieran¡¯s sluggish state after too many drinks tonight, she couldn¡¯t help but ask uncertainly.


    He tilted up her chin, his voice hoarse with desire, ¡°Do you want me to be sober or dazed?¡±


    ¡°I want you to be mine,¡± she replied, head held high, proud and stubborn.


    Hearing her reply, he turned her around, pushing her against the balcony railing. He shielded her body


    with his hand, preventing the cold marble from chilling her waist, then buried his nose in her neck,


    taking in her unique scent.


    His hair had just been washed in the bathtub and was still slightly damp.


    ¡°I grew my hair long for you, though I once cut it short,¡± she said.


    Her voice was soft and sweet, as pleasant as a wind chime.


    ¡°You said you liked girls with long ponytails,¡± Julie said.


    Kieran remembered and smiled slightly, ¡°Did I say that?¡±


    The gentle woman suddenly pushed him away, grabbed his shoulders and pinned him against the


    marble railing, grabbing his sturdy arm and saying, ¡°Of course you did, you said it yourself. I¡¯ve been


    growing my hair out for you for years, and now you¡¯re ying dumb?¡±


    The effects of alcohol were apparent as she was acting whimsically, just like the fearless little girl from


    her childhood.


    Mr. Hernandez was a bit confused, he thought about it carefully, and finally, with his captivating eyes,


    shook his head and said, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°It was on the graduation card we wrote in high school!¡±


    This event was something Julie could never forget. Back then, it was popr to write memorial cards


    during graduation. Everyone would send one, and after the exams were over, they would collect them


    and see what their ssmates thought of them and what they wanted to say.


    Julie was not interested in this kind of thing at first, but the enthusiasm of the other ssmates made


    her feel like she would be left out if she didn¡¯t participate. So, in the end, Julie bought a greeting card,


    the real reason being she wanted to see if Kieran would leave any words on the card she sent.


    There was a lot of information customized for each person¡¯s greeting card. Julie filled out all she could,


    such as Kieran¡¯s name, address, phone number, birthday, zodiac sign, blood type, email, height,


    weight, and nickname. She diligently wrote everything down.


    She also wrote down his favorite sports, food, and animals. Basically, she filled in everything she could,


    leaving only two sections ¨C favorite type of the opposite sex and the biggest life goal.


    Then she gave that page to Kieran.


    When everyone had filled out their cards and returned them to her, Kieran¡¯s card was thest one to be


    returned. In the end, she found his card in his bag.


    He wrote:


    Favorite type of the opposite sex: less smart than me, shorter legs than me, longer hair than me.


    The biggest life goal: marry the woman who¡¯s less smart than me, has shorter legs than me, and has


    longer hair than me.


    When Julie mentioned this, Kieran remembered. He sobered up a lot, leaned on the marble railing,


    reached out to hold the woman¡¯s waist and pulled her into his


    arms.


    ¡°So my biggest life goal was to marry you,¡± his voice was deep and attractive, with a faint scent of


    toothpaste.


    He had already brushed his teeth, so the smell of alcohol had faded quite a bit.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and suddenly asked him, ¡°Can you carry me to the bed?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just stay here?¡± he suggested.


    Julie, hanging on to the man¡¯s neck like a sloth, her legs wrapped around his waist, her voice sweet


    and gentle, ¡°Carry me inside.¡±


    ¡°You still owe me a big meal,¡± he suddenly said.


    She buried her cute face in his neck and softly promised, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back tonight.¡±


    Kieran grinned and, holding the woman¡¯s perky butt, headed inside.


    The only problem was, being tipsy, he tripped after only a few steps, causing them both to fall.


    Theynded together on the soft carpet, with Juliending on top of him instead of the other way


    around.


    Kieran winced in pain, and Julie quickly supported his head and checked, ¡°Did you hurt your head?¡±


    The concern from Mrs. Hernandez was certainly unique and helped sober him up quite a bit.


    She held his head worriedly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not as clever as you, another fall wouldn¡¯t do much, but your


    head can¡¯t be injured. I can¡¯t afford that!¡±


    She was babbling on top of him, her rosy lips like cherries, and he finally couldn¡¯t help but kiss her.


    His arms wrapped around her waist, he kissed her lips again and again, breathing in her unique scent,


    making their hearts race.


    Her hands that were holding his head slipped into his short, thick hair and her slender fingers gently


    stroked his hair.


    This casual motion caught his eye, causing his Adam¡¯s apple to bob involuntarily. In an instant, he


    rolled her over, propping himself up next to her.


    His warm hands wandered around her waist, her nightdress bunched up at her waist from the rolling.


    Their consciousness became more blurred under the touch of


    her delicate skin.


    In an instant, she grabbed his hand, whispering in his ear, ¡°Not on the floor, it¡¯s ufortable.¡±


    He tried to control his swirling thoughts, picking her up andying her on the bed.


    His eyes reflected the silvery sheets, setting off her skin in a breathtakingly beautiful way.


    He paused for a moment before grinning and lunging towards her, but¡­.


    Just as he was about to pounce, she suddenly rolled aside and innocently looked at him with big bright


    eyes, ¡°I¡¯m going to turn off the lights.¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± He quickly turned around to hide his embarrassment, but just as his hand reached the switch,


    she grabbed it.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± His gaze was intense, carrying a deep wickedness that was almost piercing.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Her face reddened slightly, ¡°Do you have condoms?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have bullets, the kind that never miss.¡±


    Maybe it was because she had a bit of alcohol, her mind ran wild, and she blurted out, ¡°What bullets?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see?¡± He put his hand on his bathrobe belt and smoothly drew it loose.


    Julie instinctively shook her head, covering her eyes, peeking through her fingers, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh, leaning on the bed and said. ¡°There are no condoms at home.¡±


    ¡°Should I take the pill then?¡± Her mind was unusually clear, We have both been drinking, and alcohol


    can affect sperm quality, so we need to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, when did I ever let you take the pill?¡± He suddenly asked her


    Julie thought about it, and it seemed like he never let her take the pill after the first time


    She felt warm inside but had to ask him, ¡°Howe you don¡¯t have condoms? You¡¯d probably wear


    one 24/7 if you could, howe you don¡¯t have one?¡±


    Looking at the woman before him, his gaze deepened, carrying a dangerous glint, he asked her, ¡°There


    are 48 hours in a day?¡±


    Alcohol does boost courage, that¡¯s a fact


    ¡°What I mean is, don¡¯t men usually carry condoms with them, so howe you don¡¯t have one?¡± She


    turned her head away, not looking at him anymore.


    He gently turned her face towards him, rifying. ¡°That¡¯s other guys I like the thrill of risk¡±


    He paused slightly, his eyes squinting, ¡°It¡¯s morefortable for me¡±


    ¡°Just remember to be careful!!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t promise that!¡± He knew what she wanted to say, so he cut her off before she could finish, ¡°Risk-


    taking can lead to big trouble!¡±


    ¡°How about we wait till we have condoms to continue?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± He kissed her cheek, ¡°Wait for me!¡±

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    Chapter 223


    Julie curiously looked at Kieran, just wanting to see how he was going to solve the current issue. But


    she was surprised to see him rummaging around for his phone. Once he found it, he dialed a number


    and ordered loudly, ¡°Vi 3, Block A, Noblewood Retreat, send over two boxes of condoms.¡±


    Julie sat on the edge of the bed, totally stunned. She nced at the rm clock on the bedside table. It


    was already 1:20 a.m. Ordering condoms delivered in the middle of the night? This was the first time


    Julie wished she could crack Kieran¡¯s head open to see what was going on inside.


    Before she could say anything, Kieran was talking to the person on the other end of the phone again.


    ¡°Yeah, the biggest size.¡± After finishing his call, he calmly turned to Julie, ¡°Babe, he¡¯s asking what type


    you prefer?¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Before she could reply, Kieran handed her the phone.


    Julie immediately hung up, ¡°I thought I was shameless, how can you be even more shameless than


    me?¡±


    ¡°Who were you calling?¡± Julie asked him.


    He sat down next to her and replied, ¡°The 24-hour supermarket at Noblewood Retreat


    He nced at the top of Julie¡¯s robe and said, ¡°Nice outfit.¡±


    She smiled and asked him, ¡°Is it me who looks nice or the outfit?¡±


    ¡°Your bust,¡± he replied bluntly.


    Julie threw a pillow at Kieran, ¡°Are you sober yet?¡±


    Kieran shook his head, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dreaming, does that count as sober?¡±


    ¡°Dn mentioned earlier that you had a bottle of wine ready for us to share?¡± Julie wasn¡¯t really drunk,


    and she had sobered up quite a bit since the drive home.


    She brought up the wine because Dn had mentioned it earlier. Kieran had nned to surprise her by


    having Tina deliver the wine to their house. So she wanted to make up for the surprise she¡¯d missed.


    Another reason was that it had been a long time since they¡¯d been intimate. Since giving birth, she felt


    like she needed a bit of liquid courage. And boy, did she need it! Even though it was something they


    both wanted.


    When she mentioned the bottle of wine, Kieran probably sobered up a bit. He pointed towards their


    bedroom and said, ¡°It¡¯s on the wine rack in my room. Go get it.¡±


    Julie nodded and was about to get up when Kieran suddenly said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll go get it!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Julie patted the bed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Kieran leaned against the wall as he walked towards the bedroom. Julie sat in a daze for a


    moment, then started rummaging around for a camera to capture her beautiful nightgown. Just then,


    her phone rang.


    She put the camera on the dressing table and quickly answered the call.


    It was Kieran calling. She asked with a smile, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the wall separating the two rooms suddenly opened.


    The master bedroom was filled with roses that Kieran had prepared but didn¡¯t get a chance to give her.


    The white bed sheets were covered in red roses. It looked! quite enticing and full of passion.


    Kieran was holding two sses of wine.


    He stood by the bed and said to her, ¡°Honey, I love you!¡±


    His sudden confession was like a hot cup of water poured into a cold cup. It instantly warmed her


    heart..


    She slowly walked towards him, her smile growing wider.


    She said, ¡°Me too.¡±


    Just at that very moment, Kieran¡¯s phone rang. He put one of the wine sses on the bedside table


    and picked up his phone, not too happily. It was the supermarket employee, saying the condoms were


    at the vi¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get it, I¡¯ll wait for you here,¡± Julie said to Kieran with a smile.


    Kieran nodded and told the person on the other end of the phone to leave the condoms at the


    entrance, then he went downstairs to get them.


    Kieran was very familiar with theyout of the house. He didn¡¯t turn on the lights, probably to avoid


    disturbing the other servants.


    Julie looked at the roses on the bed. They obviously couldn¡¯t have been found by Kieran just now, so


    they were probably what he had preparedst night.


    He had prepared the wine and roses to surprise her, and it was clear he had been nning it for a


    while. But she didn¡¯te homest night because she was with Daphne


    When she told him she was going to be with Daphne, he didn¡¯t show any dissatisfaction or mention the


    wine and roses.


    Julie felt a bit touched. She picked up a rose and was quiet for a while. Then she suddenly


    remembered something, took out her phone, opened the search engine, and searched, ¡°What should I


    do for the first time after not having sex for a long time after giving birth?¡±


    Netizens responded.


    [Are you nning to cheat?]


    [It depends on whether you have psychological trauma from childbirth or psychological issues with the


    man.]


    [How long has it been since you and your husband had sex?]


    Julie responded: [Many years.]


    Thements below exploded immediately.


    Is your husband a ninja turtle?]


    [He might be having an affair.]


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Julie nced at thements and replied without hesitation: [You¡¯re the one having an affair!]


    Netizenmented: [Your husband might be having an affair. To win back a man¡¯s heart, you need to


    win back his body first.]


    Julie thought for a while and asked: [Any good advice?]


    [Preparation is important. If you can¡¯t generate interest, you can watch porns with your husband, drink


    sorne wine, y some games. I¡¯ve provided some resources, good luck!)


    He also left a link.


    Julie curiously hovered the cursor over the link, wondering if it was a virus. Just as she was debating


    whether to click it, Kieran suddenly pushed open the bedroom door. This startled Julie, and she


    clutched her phone tightly.


    She didn¡¯t originally n to click the link, but in that moment, she clicked on it.


    In a panic, she tried to exit the webpage, but in her flustered state, she identally knocked over the


    wine ss that Kieran had just set down. The wine spilled all over the bed and her clothes.


    She put down her phone and stood up, trying to clean up the mess.


    But before she could start, a sound that made her blush came from her phone.


    Just took a stroll outside, got a bit of chill air, and Kieran woke up quite a bit. The noise instantly knitted


    his brows as he stood by the door.


    He looked meaningfully at a flustered Julie, opened his lips slightly, and asked in a deep, nice voice, ¡°Is


    this your idea of a surprise?¡±


    Julie looked up, waved her hands in a hurry and grinned goofily, reaching for her phone, ¡°This is a


    surprise to me too!¡±


    She picked up her phone, trying to exit the webpage, but it seemed like the phone was really infected.


    No matter how she tried, she couldn¡¯t exit, nor could she mute the sound. Her face turned redder by the


    second and she quickly hid her phone behind her, hitting the power button.


    Yet, as if to spite her, the phone refused to turn off.


    Kieran was already walking towards her, waving something in his hand with a meaningful expression,


    ¡°Did you n some entertainment in advance?¡±


    Julie¡¯s mind waspletely messed up by the noise from the phone. Her smile was so stiff, it looked


    worse than crying. Who invented this virus?


    phone


    He tossed something onto the bed, reaching for Julie¡¯s phone hidden behind her back, Julie clutched


    her phone tightly, stepping back.


    His head, which was supposed to rest on her shoulder, identally bumped into her chin due to her


    retreat.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ve never seen this before, do you believe me?¡± Julie¡¯s face was so red, it was almost


    bleeding.


    The corner of Kieran¡¯s mouth curved upward, ¡°Can¡¯t turn off your phone?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s infected.¡± She brought out her phone, desperately covering the speaker, blushing so


    hard she couldn¡¯t even look at his face.


    ¡°Just smash the phone then.¡± He reached out to grab her phone.


    ¡°No!¡± Julie clutched the phone to her chest seriously, ¡°This phone was bought by Sansa!¡±


    This phone was quite old and Julie had repaired it a few times. It was a smartphone from a few years


    back, thetest model at the time, with no issues making calls or browsing the inte. She hadn¡¯t


    reced her phone all these years.


    Kieran naturally knew this. Seeing her protective expression, he suggested helplessly, ¡°Then let it make


    noise all night.¡±


    Julie¡¯s face turned even redder. She suddenly remembered what the gentleman had said earlier about


    apanying her husband for drinks and watching movies to spice things up.


    After hesitating for a while, she finally mustered the courage to look up at the man and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    we watch it together?¡±


    ¡°Watch what?¡± The man suddenly felt a bit tipsy.


    She held up her phone in front of the man, then shyly looked up at him, curiously asking, ¡°Do you think


    this woman has a good figure?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only a man on the screen right now,¡± he said.


    Julie fell silent, thought for a moment, then quietly asked, ¡°What about the man¡¯s figure?¡±


    ¡°Not as good as mine,¡± he said.


    Upon hearing this, Julie was about to lower her hand to confirm for herself. But before she could shift


    her gaze to the phone, Kieran suddenly grabbed her hand. Then, the man stared intently at the phone,


    then praised the character in the video with a face full of admiration, ¡°This woman has a great figure,


    really great!¡±

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Chapter 224


    Upon hearing her husband praising another woman¡¯s figure, a normal woman would usually get a bit


    jealous. But for Julie¡­.


    ¡°A great figure, huh? How great? Let me see!¡± Julie moved next to Kieran, her hand resting on his arm


    as she curiously peered at his phone.


    But the video only showed a man¡¯s satisfied face. Kieran promptly held his phone higher.


    Julie couldn¡¯t see the woman with the supposedly fantastic figure. She stood on her tiptoes again, her


    eyes following the direction of the phone, ¡°Why won¡¯t you let


    me see?¡±


    Kieran tossed his phone on the bed and covered Julie¡¯s eyes, ¡°What do you want to see?¡±


    ¡°The woman with the great figure.¡± Julie reached for the phone, but Kieran pinned her down on the bed.


    Rose petals on the bedsheet fluttered with their movement.


    Julie felt something damp behind her. She realized she had identally spilled red wine on the


    bedsheet.


    ¡°Get up! You made me wet!¡± She pushed him away, her gazending on his profile.


    His hand moved to her waist, gently lifting her, then he leaned down to whisper in her ear, ¡°Where¡¯s it


    wet?¡±


    ¡°My clothes!¡± She blushed, pushing him away, then flipped over, pointing to the red wine stain. ¡°I


    identally spilled red wine on the bedsheet.¡±


    Finishing her sentence, she saw Kieran¡¯s attention was on her dress hem, so she quickly turned and


    lunged for the phone.


    But Kieran suddenlyid on the phone, so she didn¡¯t grab the phone but grabbed Kieran¡¯s pectorals


    instead.


    Julie wanted to withdraw her hand as if she¡¯d been burned. But before she could, she heard Kieran


    say, ¡°Do you know why your clothes are wet?¡±


    Julie answered, ¡°Because of the spilled wine.¡±


    He gently caressed her wrist, ¡°Wrong.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°How¡¯s it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Your clothes got wet, not because of the wine, but because they¡¯re not ¡®waterproof. The man somehow


    pulled out those two boxes of condoms again and opened the packaging.


    ¡°Shall I undress you, or will you do it yourself?¡± He let go of her wrist, one arm around her waist to


    prevent her from escaping. His other hand held the condom wrapper, biting it with his teeth and


    expertly tearing it open.


    Julie swore, the sexiest thing she¡¯d ever seen was no longer this man loosening his tie or unbuttoning


    his shirt, but him casually opening a condom wrapper. She was feeling a bit feverish.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her blushing face immediately betrayed her emotions, especially as the female lead¡¯s constant panting


    in an adult film yed nearby. She suddenly remembered that interestingment from earlier. She


    looked down at him and asked, ¡°Have you watched this before?¡±


    She was referring to the video currently ying on the phone underneath him.


    Kieran, who had just opened the condom wrapper, paused and looked up, ¡°How do you want me to


    answer that?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, did you watch it alone, or with a bunch of people?¡± What she really wanted to ask was,


    who did he watch it with?


    Seeing Julie¡¯s indecisiveness and curiosity, Kieran suddenly became interested, ¡°If you say ¡®I love you¡¯


    three times, I¡¯ll tell you who I first watched it with.¡±


    That¡¯s so unfair!


    Julie decided to go for it. She bit her lip and said without hesitation, ¡°I love¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Before she could finish the first sentence, he suddenly changed his mind, ¡°Change ¡®I love


    you¡¯ to ¡®Honey, you¡¯re amazing¡¯. Go ahead.¡±


    He looked at her leisurely, seemingly looking forward to hearing that sentence from her.


    That sentence was much harder to say than ¡®I love you¡¯.


    Suddenly, Julie pushed Kieran¡¯s hand away, sat up, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s y rock-paper-scissors! If I lose,


    I¡¯ll say it!¡±


    She remembered losing miserably to Kieran in rock-paper-scissors during a high school reunion. This


    time, she was determined to get her revenge while he was drunk!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mrs. Hernandez had this hobby.¡± He sat up and looked at Julie, raising an eyebrow,


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry if you loseter.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯m throwing rock!¡± After saying this, Julie suddenly remembered her camera was still on, so


    she cheekily tugged at Kieran¡¯s arm, ¡°Let¡¯s y on my bed.


    This one¡¯s all wet from the wine.¡±


    She led Kieran with one hand and grabbed the wine with the other, ¡°Get a ss!¡±


    Kieran grabbed a ss and followed Julie to her bed.


    She poured two sses of wine and handed one to him. She remembered the erotic game mentioned


    in thements, so she looked at him with a rarely seen coquettish smile, ¡°Can you feed me a sip of


    wine?¡±


    How could Kieran deny Julie¡¯s request?


    He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He held his ss of wine, deliberately


    brushing against her face, then brought it to her lips. His eyes never left Julie¡¯s face, who was so close.


    Julie felt a bit hot from his gaze. Her lips touched the ss in Kieran¡¯s hand and she drank it all in one


    go.


    Thepetition started. She clenched her hand into a fist, but at thest moment, she threw scissors.


    Kieran, perhaps truly drunk that night, threw paper. Kieran lost the first round. Julie was so thrilled that


    she almost jumped, ¡°Who did you first watch adult videos with? Dn Pierson? No, Dn was abroad


    at the


    time. Was it Lucian Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°I choose to drink. The man poured a ss of wine and drank it all in one go before Julie could react.


    ¡°How can you choose to drink? That makes the game meaningless. Next time, you can¡¯t choose to


    drink!¡± She didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted, so she said seriously.


    Kieran cooperated because in the second round, Julie lost.


    She hung her head, muttering softly, ¡°How can I not even win against a drunk man?


    She epted the result of the bet, holding her face in her hands and looking at the man, ¡°Honey,


    you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I know.¡± Kieran nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.


    Just as Julie was about to say it for the second time, she heard him saying, ¡°You lost this round, right?¡±


    ¡°I know. Two more to go. Honey, you¡¯re amazing, honey, you¡¯re amazing. Is it over then?¡± Herst two


    sentences were clearly perfunctory.


    However, Kieran didn¡¯t care about her attitude and said directly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start making demands.¡±


    ¡°What demands? Isn¡¯t your demand for me to say ¡®honey, you¡¯re the best?¡± Juli¨¦ instantly felt duped by


    him!


    Kieran rubbed his temples and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink, so my reaction is a bit


    slow. I¡¯m telling you. The first time I watched¡­ I was with Hayden.¡±


    Hayden?


    The poker face?


    He watched adult videos with Hayden?


    Julie couldn¡¯t even imagine what the scene would look like. It might feel the same as her watching adult


    videos with Julien. Julie couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    Looking at Julie, who couldn¡¯t stopughing, Kieran calmly asked, ¡°Had enoughughs?¡±


    Julie covered her mouth and nodded.


    ¡°Then start taking off your clothes. You lost!¡± He propped his chin with one hand, admiring her in an


    elegant posture.


    So this was his real demand!


    Drinking can indeed make people bolder, it¡¯s true. Julie, who was already quite sober picked up the


    wine ss and took another two sips. She undressed very neatly even making the man sitting across


    from her involuntarily swallow.


    Kieran was staring at her. Only then did Julie realize what she had just done. She covered her chest


    with her hand and stuttered, ¡°Again!¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t believe she would keep losing to him tonight!


    However, the fact proved that Ms. Abraham really overestimated herself. Losing to Kieran was


    inevitable.


    ¡°You lost, Mrs. Hernandez.¡± His eyes fell on her chest, his intentions very clear.


    With a cunning smile on his face, Kieran reminded her, ¡°Of course, you can start undressing from the


    bottom. I¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    Firmly covering her chest, Julie proudly said, ¡°I¡¯m a good sport, but if you loseter, you can¡¯t deny it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Kieran¡¯s gaze fell on her chest, raising an eyebrow.


    Taking a deep breath, Julie mustered up the courage to reach behind to unhook her bra. She was so


    shy that it took her a long time to undo it. She wished she could bury her head in the sand like an


    ostrich. Suddenly, a breath of fresh air hit her face.


    The man sitting across from her suddenly leaned in. His hand naturally wrapped around her back. With


    just one hand, he skillfully undid theplicated hook. The feeling of the hook being undone made her


    heart suddenly speed up. She swallowed slowly and hard, her breath filled with his unique faint scent.


    His scent mixed with the smell of red wine, as if specially blended, was rich.


    His fingers brought a touch of coolness, lightly stroking her back. Her body involuntarily shivered


    slightly.


    She grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand, and Kieran was holding her bra. She pulled his hand to her front, so the


    bra also slid down with his hand. The passion in Kieran¡¯s eyes suddenly intensified¡­

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    Chapter 225


    ¡°Keep going!¡± Julie protected her chest with one hand and focused on Kieran¡¯s hand with the other, ¡°I


    can¡¯t believe I won¡¯t win tonight!¡±


    Mr. Hernandez was anxious at this sight. ¡°Darling, I give up,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then strip!¡± she demanded.


    At this point, he was only wearing a bathrobe.


    Kieran took off his bathrobe and quenched his thirst with a ss of red wine. After downing it, they sat


    quietly, looking deep into each other¡¯s eyes. The panting from the phone next to them grew louder. Just


    as Julie thought she had grown ustomed to the noise, the phone ran out of battery.


    Finally, there was silence in the room. Julie looked up at Kieran¡¯s body, ¡°We¡¯re both down to ourst


    piece of clothing. Victory or defeat depends on this. Do you want to continue?¡±


    Mr. Hernandez hadn¡¯t expected her to be so determined. He was on the verge of giving in, but for her


    sake, he took a deep breath, ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    ¡°Can the winner make a request?¡± she asked, staring expectantly at him, a n forming in her mind.


    Kieran nodded without thinking, the wine starting to hit him.


    He knew this silly girl had a habit of always picking rock. Kieran obligingly chose scissors, so he lost.


    Julie was thrilled at her victory, but even more excited was the man sitting across from her. In a sh,


    he stripped himself bare.


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re looking fitter and fitter!¡± Drunk Julie suddenly got bold, grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡±


    ¡°No dancing!¡± he pulled her into his arms. Despite being drunk, he seemed to have a surprising amount


    of strength, he held her waist tightly and silenced her chattering mouth with a kiss.


    Their passionate kiss was like a step on the edge of a cliff, one false move and they would fall.


    She clung tightly to him, humming softly. His kisses trailed downwards, stopping at her corbone. To


    his surprise, at this crucial moment, Julie abruptly grabbed his hand and said, ¡°I want to dance! You


    didn¡¯t dance with me at the graduation ball!


    Back then, he was overseas and couldn¡¯t dance with her. His desire overwhelmed Julie¡¯s


    stubbornness. He held her waist tightly, pulling her closer.


    Drunk J¨²lie grabbed something and slid it over his head, demanding, ¡°I want to dance! Dance with me!


    Tango, waltz, samba!¡±


    Mr. Hernandez reached up to feel what was on his head. It was a soft, curved sponge pad, quite


    pleasant to touch. What was it?


    He pulled it off his head. It was the sexy ck bra he had taken off her!


    Possibly due to his drunkenness, he put it on his head and red at her, ¡°You want me to dance like


    this?¡±


    Julie burst intoughter. She flicked the ck bra on Kieran¡¯s head, ¡°Honey, you look so handsome!¡±


    Kieran proudly swung the bra on his head, looking somewhat like Mickey Mouse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worn like this!¡± Julie took the bra from his head and pped it onto his muscr chest, ¡°Honey,


    you¡¯re so sexy! Button it up!¡±


    She smiled at him, making a backward hand motion.


    Kieran twisted his hand behind his back with a confused expression. He found the hook, but couldn¡¯t


    fasten it.


    ¡°You¡¯re so clumsy!¡± Julie turned the bra around so the hook was in front, then patted his head saying,


    ¡°Kieran, once you manage to fasten this, we can discuss how to ¡®waterproof¡¯ it.¡±


    It was a contraption he could undo with one hand. He didn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t fasten it with two


    hands.


    But!!


    Mr. Hernandez seemed to have overestimated his abilities.


    He tried to fasten it, but after a while, he still couldn¡¯t.


    The woman across from him wasughing so hard she was rolling. She pointed at him, asking, ¡°Kieran,


    you¡¯re so stupid! Are you rted to pigs?¡±


    He looked at Julie, calmly responding, ¡°I¡¯m the husband of a pig.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no wonder you¡¯re so dumb¡­¡±


    Even drunk, Mr. Hernandez could still outwit Julie. Drunk Julie didn¡¯t understand the meaning of what


    Kieran just said. She was getting a kick out of watching her husband struggle with her bra.


    In a fit of rage, Kieran pulled too hard and ripped her bra!


    He looked innocently at the expectant Mrs. Hernandez across from him, admitting like a child who had


    done something wrong. ¡°Honey, I messed up.¡±


    ¡°Humph, now you understand how hard it is to be a woman, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°Now you understand that being a woman isn¡¯t easy, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    Will you bully me again in the future?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After admitting his mistake, he looked up and solemnly said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you new bras,


    ¡°I want one of every color!¡±


    ¡°Do you still want me then?¡± Kieran asked, a bit aggrieved.


    She thought about it seriously, then nodded with a child-like grin, ¡°Yes,¡±


    of them!¡±


    She jumped into his arms, her hands hooked around his neck, pushing him down onto the mattress.


    Her lips were as tender as cherry blossoms, gently covering his.


    Her hands gently cradled his head, her fingers running through his thick hair.


    Hisrge hand began its exploration from her shoulder de, gradually moving downwards. His fingers


    traced her waist, causing her body to tense involuntarily. Her grip loosened slightly out of


    embarrassment and sobriety, but he anticipated it and gently shifted their positions.


    The soft mattress beneath her felt like feathers brushing against her skin. His deep gaze and cool lips


    moved inch by inch down her body. The alternating deep and shallow kisses left several noticeable


    marks on her skin, until his lips lingered around her waist.


    Her lips tingled from his gentle, moist kiss. Her grip around his neck loosened involuntarily. Clinging to


    the bedsheet, she shut her eyes tight, making all her other senses razor sharp.


    His kiss was back on her lips again, his hips gravitating towards hers slowly.


    Tightly clutching the sheet, she draped her arm over his back. Kieran¡¯s shoulder des felt like a pair


    of angel wings, giving her something solid to hold on to.


    Her thoughts and feelings were amplified to the point where she couldn¡¯t think straight. She could hear


    his breath, feel him holding her close.


    She dug her nails into his back, moving in sync with him. Her nails sunk into his skin as he kissed her


    forehead gently, filled with tenderness and affection.


    She couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft moan and bit his shoulder.


    He winced slightly, but a smile appeared on his lips.


    She left a bite mark on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her tightly.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Her chest pressed against his. His heartbeat calmed her herves. His kisses left her gasping for air. She


    clung to him like a vine wrapped around a tree.


    It was like they were back in their old rhythm. Each movement blended into a melody that was etched


    deeply in their minds.


    They messed around the whole night.


    He whispered in her ears. She answered some of his words, some she couldn¡¯t quite catch, but in the


    end, she forgot them all. She didn¡¯t know if she had passed out, or if he had finally let her go.


    All she knew was that it was already daylight when she woke up.


    She woke up with a splitting headache, feeling as if her body had been taken apart and put back


    together. Her mind was nk for a good half minute before she managed to gather her thoughts.


    Looking at the mess on the bed, her mind drew a nk.


    She could only remember bits and pieces, all before the rock-paper-scissors gamest night. The


    bottle of wine was from Dn. After she drank it, she lost all rationality.


    Julie lifted her head and saw the camera on the counter, and immediately sobered up. She nced at


    the man sleeping next to her, then cautiously slipped out from under the covers, grabbed Kieran¡¯s


    bathrobe fromst night, wrapped it around herself and tiptoed across the plush carpet to tuck the


    camera away.


    Only when she saw the empty wine bottle on the floor did she register what had happened. Last night


    was wild! They had drunk a lot at the KTV, then downed a bottle of wine when they got back home. No


    wonder they were passed out!


    She looked at the man on the bed. Hey there quietly, not moving at all. She could only imagine how


    exhausted he must be.


    Julie quickly tidied up the room, then saw the remnants of her lingerie. She had no clue how it got


    ripped, so her gazended on the camera¡­

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226


    Chapter 226


    Hiding out in the bathroom, Julie was shook to the core after watching the video recordedst night.


    She couldn¡¯t believe the wild things she did. Finally, she emerged from the bathroom, face flushed with


    embarrassment.


    The guy inst night¡¯s video was clearly pooped. She sneakily researched about booze-induced sexual


    behavior. Studies show that men can still perform sexually after drinking, but usually, they suck at it.


    After a certain level of alcohol, though, they mightst longer. Judging from the video¡­.


    Julie didn¡¯t dare to reminisce that scene. After sprucing up her room a bit, she did another shocker and


    then¡­ took off.


    Ivan was already off to school. When Julie went downstairs, Shannon approached her, ¡°Mrs.


    Hernandez, you¡¯re up? Let me get you some lemon tea!¡±


    Shannon could tell Julie was walking a bit stiff. Julie awkwardly told Shannon, ¡°No need¡­ I have to run


    an errand. If Kieran wakes up¡­¡±


    She paused, then said, ¡°Just tell him you have no idea where I went.¡±


    With that, she took off with her virus-infected phone fromst night.


    Watching Julie¡¯s retreating figure, Shannon hurried to Noah, ¡°Honey, something has happened!¡±


    ¡°Why are you freaking out? What happened?¡± Noah frowned.


    Shannon nced at the direction Julie left in, then at Kieran¡¯s master bedroom upstairs, and said to


    Noah, ¡°Do you think Mr. Hernandez has been holding back for so long that he¡¯s impotent? Mrs.


    Hernandez was fine when they went to the roomst night, so why is she denying it this morning?¡±


    ¡°These things take time. Your panic won¡¯t help, Noah quickly advised Shannon, ¡°Mr. Hernandez might


    wake up soon. You better prepare some lemon water.¡±


    Julie found a phone repair shop, handed her phone to the clerk and asked, ¡°Sir, my phone¡¯s been


    infected by a virus. Can you check it out?¡±


    Borrowing the clerk¡¯s phone, she called Daphne. It took a while for Daphne to pick up. Julie quickly


    asked, ¡°Daphne, are you okay? I got hammeredst night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Daphne replied with a carefree tone, ¡°You¡¯re so concerned about me, wouldn¡¯t Kieran


    mind?¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± The thought of Kieran¡¯s expression when he woke up was too much for Julie. She didn¡¯t know


    how to exin to Daphne, so she took the easy way out, ¡°Daphne, I have work to do. I gotta go!¡±


    Just as she hung up, she heard the clerk say, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve never seen this virus before and your phone is


    an old model. I can¡¯t fix it. Your phone is outdated, how about getting a new one?¡±


    This phone meant a lot to Julie and she couldn¡¯t just toss it.


    So, she thanked the clerk and took her phone to leave.


    The clerk added, ¡°If you know any hackers, perhaps they could help.¡±


    Hearing this, Julie shot the clerk a grateful look, ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Julie hopped in a cab to Payne¡¯s house.


    She rang the doorbell a few times. The same nanny asst time opened the door. The nanny


    recognized her from thest time Julie came with Kieran, and let her


    1.


    Julie thought Payne would be resting since he drank a lotst night. But he was already sitting at the


    computer, fingers flying over the keyboard.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be sleeping in!¡± Julie said, looking at Payne¡¯s back.


    Payne would¡¯ve lost his temper at anyone barging in, but it was Julie so he calmed down instantly. He


    turned to Julie, his face lighting up like he just struck gold,¡± ¡°Julie, what brings you here?¡±


    Payne¡¯s enthusiasm was suspiciously exaggerated.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± Julie said, pulling out her phone.


    But before she could say her next sentence, Payne cut her off, ¡°Great! I need your help too.¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t think of how she could help Payne, so she just blurted out her problem and handed him


    her phone.


    Payne took the phone, had a look, and said confidently, ¡°Leave it to me! I promise I¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    With that, he put Julie¡¯s phone aside, looked at her excitedly, and said, ¡°Now you help me with


    something, okay?¡±


    That depends on what it is,¡± Julie was level-headed.


    Payne nodded, certain, ¡°You can! It¡¯s a small thing. Do you know where Julien lives? Or her phone


    number would do. Even her email would work.¡±


    Julie looked at Payne apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t help with that.¡±


    She told Payne, ¡°I only know Julien lives with Hayden, but I don¡¯t know where. Julien is in a special


    situation, so I don¡¯t actually know these things about her.¡±


    ¡°How do you guys keep in touch then?¡± Payne didn¡¯t buy it.


    Julie responded seriously, ¡°If I tell you wemunicate through telepathy, would you believe me?¡±


    Actually, she and Julien didn¡¯t contact each other that often. Some friends, even without regr


    contact, are like family. She and Julien were that kind of friends.


    However, Payne obviously didn¡¯t buy it. He pointed at his nose and asked Julie, ¡°Do you think I look like


    an idiot?¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Seeing Julie didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Payne eventually picked up her phone with a sigh of resignation,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fix your phone for you. But you better not tell Kieran I¡¯ve been giving you a hard time.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, he suddenly turned to Julie, ¡°Hey, speaking of which, where¡¯s Kieran? Why


    didn¡¯t hee with you today? Isn¡¯t he usually glued to your side?¡±


    Mentioning Kieran, Julie didn¡¯t dare to continue imagining the things she did before leaving¡­.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave him home alone, did you? You know, he may seem tough, but he¡¯s aplete mess


    when he¡¯s drunk.¡±


    ¡°I know all too well,¡± Julie muttered under her breath.


    Not hearing her clearly, Payne looked at Julie, puzzled, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Julie shook her head.


    Payne continued, ¡°He¡¯s pretty solid, except¡­ if he drinks too much, he¡¯ll forget everything that


    happened the night before by the next morning. If he¡¯s lucky, he might remember some bits and


    pieces.¡±


    Julie was curious, looking up at Payne, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you! If you hadn¡¯t divorced him, he wouldn¡¯t be drinking like a fish every day, and I wouldn¡¯t


    have known.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Julie didn¡¯t ask any further, but just smiled at Payne.


    Now, she could only hope that Mr. Hernandez wouldn¡¯t remember a thing.


    At the Noblewood Retreat¡­


    Kieran never felt so tired after waking up. Blinking his sleepy eyes, it took him a while to fully wake up.


    He found himself alone in bed, with his hand¡­ on his lower


    half.


    The side was empty. His phone and rm clock were on the bedside table. The room was spotless,


    except for¡­ the tissue balls on the carpet.


    Hey there stark naked under the covers. Once he woke up, he quickly withdrew his hand.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He sat up and lifted the covers, looking at the marks on the sheets, his mind a nk te!


    What happenedst night? His memory was like it was locked in a cage. He thought for a while, but


    couldn¡¯t recall a thing. He remembered his position when he woke up. What had he done after getting


    drunkst night? Why was he in that position when he woke up?


    Where was Mrs. Hemandez?


    Who brought him homest night? Why couldn¡¯t he remember anything? He shook his head hard,


    discarded the thoughts in his head, and got up to go to the bathroom. He sshed water on his face,


    and then some fragmented images suddenly flooded into his mind.


    Why did he imagine himself wearing a bra?


    He must be crazy!


    Kieran grabbed a towel to dry his face, then quickly took a shower. After getting dressed, he rushed


    downstairs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Julie?¡± Kieran asked Shannon.


    Shannon wasn¡¯t sure what was going on between the two. She quickly replied, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez left


    early this morning to run errands.¡±


    Kieran took out his phone to call Julie, but couldn¡¯t get through.


    ¡°Shannon, do you know how I got homest night?¡± Kieran pped his forehead. Usually sharp as a


    tack, he looked quite clueless now.


    Shannon replied, ¡°Mr. Simson brought you home.¡±


    Kieran immediately took out his phone to call Hayden, but no one answered. Finally, he gave up and


    turned to Noah, ¡°Please bring up the surveince footage from


    the hall.¡±

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227


    Chapter 227


    The surveince system had recorded everything crystal clear.


    As Shannon had mentioned, it was indeed Hayden who had dropped him and Julie offst night. It


    seemed that Julie was way more sober than him. They had first entered the master bedroom together


    after getting home, then he followed Julie into the bedroom again.


    He remembered going downstairs wrapped in a towelst night. Watching the surveince footage, it


    all came back to him. In the video, he was on the phone while opening the bedroom door, then he went


    downstairs to grab a bag and went back upstairs.


    The night vision footage was a bit blurry, but he could clearly see himself entering the master bedroom.


    During this time, Julie didn¡¯t leave the secondary bedroom to go to the master bedroom, but he woke


    up in the secondary bedroom this morning. This meant that the two bedrooms were connectedst


    night. However, when he woke up today, the two rooms were separated again.


    There were no cameras in the bedrooms, so he really had no idea what happened in the bedroomst


    night, but he did clearly remember wearing a bra on his head.


    The only person who might know the truth was Julie, but he couldn¡¯t get a hold of her now.


    He was worried something had happened to Julie. Just as he was about to start looking for her, his


    phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Julie¡¯s number, he was relieved.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Julie¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    He asked directly, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the shop.¡±


    ¡°What shop?¡±


    ¡°The shop you gave me. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± She countered.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten. He furrowed his brow, then hesitated before saying to Julie on the other


    end of the phone, ¡°Last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you still hungover?¡± She suddenly interrupted him.


    He rubbed his temples. He hadn¡¯t been this drunk in years. It would be strange if he wasn¡¯t hungover.


    Julie said, ¡°You drank too muchst night. When we got home, you kept saying you wanted more


    booze, so you drank half of the red wine that Dn had sent over, even spilling it on the sheets in the


    master bedroom. I had someone take the sheets to be washed. I also drank too much. When I woke


    up, you were still asleep, so! didn¡¯t wake you. I¡¯ll pick Ivan up from school in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I went downstairs to getst night?¡± He asked. He didn¡¯t find the bag he was


    seen carrying in the surveince footage in either of the


    bedrooms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Julie responded immediately. ¡°I fell asleep before you didst night.¡±


    That¡¯s not a lie. She really did fall asleep before him, and that was before he had finished making love.


    Suddenly blushing, Julie quickly said, ¡°I got something to do. I gotta go.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Julie put a hand to her chest. She had no idea how to face him after


    setting such a trap for him. Should she tell him that after they got drunkst night, he had tried on her


    bra and even worn it on his head like a hat?


    And during their game of Rock Paper Scissors, she said a lot of sweet nothings she thought she would


    never say.


    She still had her dignity!


    Julie ran a hand through her hair. Being drunk was such a hassle! Especially for someone who can¡¯t


    handle alcohol like her.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as Kieran hung up the phone, he received a call from Dn, ¡°Kerry, are you still alive?¡±


    Dn was obviously joking, but Kieran on the other end of the phone was silent.


    ¡°Kerry, are you okay?¡± Dn suddenly asked with a hint of worry.


    Kieran was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°You didn¡¯t drug my drinkst night, did you?¡±


    ¡°Drugged? What kind of drug?¡± Dn was startled, ¡°Am I that kind of person? Mr. Watson and I barely


    managed to get you drunk. In the end, we were both carried home! If I really drugged you, would I have


    been carried home?¡±


    Mr. Hernandez coughed ufortably, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about date rape drugs.¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Oh my god! Is Julie okay?¡± Dn suddenly caught on, ¡°Alcohol can prolong the effect!


    With your constitution.


    ¡°Bring a scalpel when youe over this afternoon. A sharp one.¡±


    ¡°For what? I¡¯m not going to your ce this afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want tomit suicide with a knife? Then you can hang yourself.¡± Kieran abruptly hung up


    the phone. He shouldn¡¯t have bothered talking to that idiot!


    But Dn¡¯s call came through again very quickly.


    Kieran hung up.


    Dn called again.


    With a resigned sigh, Kieran answered the phone.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Kieran¡¯s tone was not pleasant.


    Dn tried to hold back hisughter, ¡°I just wanted to ask, in what position did you guys wake up?


    Hahaha! Never mind, don¡¯t tell me. I can imagine it myself.¡±


    Kieran thought for a moment. Though Dn was always so unprofessional, his professional knowledge


    was very solid, especially his study of basic deduction methods. So after thinking for a long time, he


    said to Dn on the other end of the phone, ¡°When I woke up, Julie was already gone. And my


    position¡­


    ¡°What position?¡± Dn¡¯s eager voice came from the other end of the phone.


    In the end, Kieran said, ¡°I was lying naked on the bed. The bed was covered in paper. My hand was on


    that part. What do you think might have happenedst night?¡±


    ¡°You masturbated all night?¡± Dn¡¯s voice instantly went high. Kieran quickly moved the phone away


    from his ear.


    Even without Dn saying it, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but think the same. After all, the position he woke up


    in was really strange. Coupled with the nk memory fromst night¡­ he¡¯d rather believe he had


    masturbated all night long than believe that he had danced around with a bra on his headst night.


    Dn was still excitedly talking on the other end of the phone, but Kieran had already hung up.


    Dn knew Kieran wouldn¡¯t pick up his call again, so this time he chose to text him.


    Kieran swiped his phone screen and looked at the text message Dn had sent, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with


    you! A man can¡¯t always hold it in! You need to see a doctor!¡± Kieran threw his phone aside, sat on the


    sofa in silence for a while, then picked up his phone again and opened the call history. In the


    surveince footagest night, he was clearly holding the phone in the middle of the night, but he


    couldn¡¯t find the corresponding call record on his phone. Weird!


    He picked up his car keys and drove to Feliz Gastro House.


    This restaurant was right across from Simpo Co., just one street away. It¡¯s smack dab in the middle of


    downtown, so it¡¯s always packed. Julie loved the decor, but we needed to switch out a couple of chefs


    and hire two dessert masters. Tina had got all that squared away, and Julie¡¯s here today to sample


    some sweets.


    i


    When Kieran rolled in, Julie was in a pickle deciding which two dessert chefs to hire. Without giving


    Kieran a chance to chime in, she plopped him down on the sofa and said, ¡°Give these a whirl! Out of all


    these desserts, which of them do you think is better?¡±


    She practically shoved the desserts into his mouth.


    1-


    After being forced to do a taste test, Kieran made his decision on the dessert chefs. Then he turned to


    Julie and asked, ¡°How did you get so steredst night?¡± The woman sitting next to Kieran looked a


    bit guilty as she answered, ¡°After we got home, we polished off the wine that Dn had gifted us, so we


    got drunk.¡± ¡°When we got drunk, we went straight to bed, you know? Do you remember what went


    downst night?¡± he asked tentatively.


    Julie didn¡¯t remember a thing, but the security cameras did! The vivid footage and the things she said in


    her excited state, she¡¯d rather forget. So, she shook her head and shot back, ¡°Do you remember what


    happenedst night?¡±


    The only image in his head was of him dancing with a ¡°straw hat¡± on. It felt like a wild dream.


    So, Kieran shook his head firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Julie breathed a sigh of relief. If he brought up what happened, it would be the most awkward thing


    between them.


    ¡°Did I do anything to you after I got hammeredst night?¡± Kieran probed. The image was too real, yet


    too bizarre, like something that would only happen in a


    dream.


    Julie thought about the pose she deliberately set up for him in the morning and felt even more guilty.


    But she tried to keep her cool, ¡°Think about what you didst night. When I woke up this morning, I was


    sprawled out on the carpet. I was worried about Daphne, so I went to look for her and didn¡¯t bother


    waking you up.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you check if I was still alive before you bailed?¡± he asked.


    Looking into his deep eyes, Julie replied with a guilty conscience, ¡°Aren¡¯t you alive now? I was only


    thinking about Daphne at the time and didn¡¯t pay any attention to you¡­ What¡¯s going on with you


    anyway?¡±


    Kieran seemed lost in thought. After a deep breath, he suddenly turned to Julie and said, ¡°Honey, I


    think I might be sick.¡± ¡°What?¡± The sudden shift in topic caught her off guard. Julie thought this lost and


    helpless look didn¡¯t suit Mr. Hernandez. He looked up suddenly and beckoned to her. Julie, utterly


    confused, bent over and cautiously brought her ear close to his mouth.


    ¡°I had a dreamst night, I dreamt I was wearing a¡­¡­never mind.¡± he said quietly, before abruptly


    closing his mouth. Julie had an inkling of what he was about to say. Holding back herughter, she


    feigned curiosity, ¡°What dream was it?¡±

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    Chapter 228


    ¡°No worries.¡± Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand, suddenly pulled her into his arms, then lowered his head to look


    into her beautiful eyes. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to confirm.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She pushed against his


    chest. ¡°Put me down and we can talk properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tonight.¡± With that, he took advantage of her distraction, leaned down to kiss her forehead


    lightly, then stood up. ¡°I have work to deal with. Need to take a trip to the office.¡±


    Just as Julie was waving Kieran goodbye, she received a call from Ivan¡¯s teacher. Thest time she


    picked Ivan up from school, she¡¯d left her number with his teacher. As soon as she got the call from his


    teacher, Julie rushed to the school.


    Half an hourter, in Ivan¡¯s homeroom teacher Andie¡¯s office.


    Ivan was sitting in a chair across from Andie, who looked at the test paper in his hand, then at Ivan.


    ¡°Did youplete this test paper on your own?¡±


    Ivan shot Andie a cold look, replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, my pen did.¡±


    Andie was speechless.


    There was no mistake in this answer. Just as Andie was about to speak, there was a knock on the


    door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Hearing Andie¡¯s voice, Julie pushed the door open and walked in.


    As soon as Ivan saw Julie; he sat much more upright. He looked at Julie with a big smile. ¡°Mom!¡± Andie


    naturally knew about the stir caused by Julie and Kieran¡¯s wedding news. Seeing Julie, he immediately


    stood up to greet her. ¡°You must be Mrs. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie nodded with a smile.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing.¡± Andie handed two test papers to Julie. ¡°This one is from thest exam, and this one


    is from the most recent exam. Last time, Ivan scored only eight points, but this time, he scored full


    marks. Ivan has always been one of the lowest scorers in the ss since he started school. His sudden


    improvement¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you suspect Ivan cheated?¡± Julie instantly grasped Andie¡¯s implication.


    Even though that was indeed what Andie was hinting at, seeing Julie¡¯s expression, he chuckled


    awkwardly. ¡°I was just wondering, did you recently hire a tutor for Ivan? Of course, a child¡¯s grades are


    important, but the most important thing is character. Ivan may not always score well, but he¡¯s very


    smart and sharp. I believe as long as he studies hard, he can certainly achieve such results.¡±


    Clearly, Andie doubted the authenticity of Ivan¡¯s progress. Julie could understand. This was his sense


    of responsibility showing.


    Just as Julie was about to speak, Ivan suddenly stood up. ¡°Yes! My mom is my tutor. Andie, look, isn¡¯t


    my mom both smart and beautiful?¡±


    This was typical braggadocio! Andie nced at Julie and immediately nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes,


    maybe I was overthinking.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Andie.¡± Julie nodded at him, then patted Ivan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wait for me outside, okay?¡±


    Having such a gentle and beautiful mom was indeed better than having a strict father like Kerry. Ivan


    strutted out of the office with hands behind his back, pride stered on his face.


    Julie stayed behind to chat with Andie for a while and exchanged WhatsApp contacts with him so she


    could keep up with Ivan¡¯s progress. Only then did she leave


    the office.


    Andie looked at his phone, couldn¡¯t help butment to his fellow teacher Carmel. ¡°See, mothers are


    generally more attentive than fathers.¡±


    Carmel couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Did you really expect Mr. Hernandez to add you on WhatsApp?¡±


    Andie alsoughed. ¡°Good point. But look at Ivan! He did so well in this exam. If he¡¯s got the talent,


    why did he y dumb before?¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, do you? Apparently, Mrs. Hernandez has been pursuing Mr. Hernandez


    since high school, but then Mr. Hernandez had an affair with a woman named Bertha Stewart. After Mr.


    Hernandez and Mrs. Hernandez divorced, Ivan has been living with his father. Maybe the reason why


    this child from a single-parent family pretended to be a poor student was to get his father¡¯s attention!


    Berthamitted suicide a while ago, so Mr. Hernandez and Mrs. Hernandez got back together.


    Maybe they announced their marriage for the sake of the child!¡± Carmel seemed to know it all.


    Andie was enlightened. ¡°So, Ivan¡¯s sudden progress was to make his mom like him?


    Carmel looked out of the window. Julie was sitting next to Ivan, appearing to be patiently teaching him


    something. Carmel shook her head and sighed, ¡°Possibly! There might not be much love between the


    couple, otherwise why wouldn¡¯t they ever pick up their child from school together? Even if they are


    busy with work, they


    can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Carmel¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Everything I said has a basis. No matter how busy, parents can¡¯t be absent from their child¡¯s


    growth! Every family has its issues. Seems like the lives of the rich aren¡¯t easy either!¡±


    ¡°No! Carmel, look outside.¡± Andie pointed out of the window.


    Carmel followed his finger and saw the infamous Mr. Hernandez who had somehow appeared on the


    school yground. He was holding Ivan¡¯s hand with one hand and gently tucking Julie¡¯s loose hair


    behind her ear with the other.


    Jutre caught his hand and smiled at him, saying something. They looked natural together.


    Andie¡¯s temple twitched. He looked at Carmel, ¡°Seems like we can¡¯t believe everything we read on the


    inte¡­¡±


    Carmel was speechless.


    Outside of the door.


    Julie asked Kieran, ¡°Do you need to go back to the officeter?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll go with Ivan¡¯s idea and head to the food street in the south of the city! I¡¯ll give Shannon a call


    to let her know we¡¯ll be homete.¡±


    Ivan suggested getting some BBQ, but Mr. Hernandez shot that idea down straight away.


    ¡°We need to get home early today,¡± Kieran said seriously.


    Ivan lifted his head, looking disappointed at Julie.


    Ivan knew how to tug at Julie¡¯s heartstrings. He knew if he pulled the puppy dog eyes, she¡¯d be


    softhearted.


    Juliepromised. She tugged at Kieran¡¯s sleeve, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s take him to the food street today! It


    might not be the cleanest, but we¡¯re not going every day. An


    asional visit won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kerry, I want to go to the food street!¡± Ivan whined, tugging at his dad¡¯s sleeve. He looked up to


    see Kieran¡¯s cold stare, he gave a quick, clever cry, ¡°Dad¡±.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±


    Julie thought for a moment, then mimicked Ivan, tugging at Kieran¡¯s sleeve and pleading, ¡°Kieran, I


    want to go to the food street too!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand and started walking towards the car.


    Ivan stood there in shock for a few seconds before scampering after his parents.


    Ivan and Julie ended up sitting in the back seat together, but Ivan didn¡¯t look happy. After a bit of


    silence, he pouted at his mom, ¡°Mom, tell me the truth. I¡¯m not Mr. Hernandez¡¯s real son, am I?¡±


    ¡°And how do you think you came about?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, asking.


    ¡°My ssmates say some kids are given away when shopping, or found in trash bins, or fall from the


    sky,¡± Ivan said seriously, counting off on his fingers.


    From the front seat, Kieran¡¯s deep voice chimed in, ¡°Freebies from the mall are usually worthless.


    Trash bins are for trash. If you fell from the sky, you¡¯d be dead. Which one would you prefer?¡±


    After a moment of thought, Ivan confidently turned to Julie, ¡°Mom, I must be Kerry¡¯s real son! I must


    have inherited my bad habits from him!¡±


    Ivan was being so ridiculous that Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I agree with you.¡±


    The food street was a bit far from Noblewood Retreat, but close to Julie¡¯s university. It was full of local


    snacks. Julie remembereding here for spicy wings with Daphne when she was in college.


    The wings ce was still there. Julie held Ivan¡¯s hand, asking, ¡°When I was in college, I loved the spicy


    wings from here. Dare to eat?¡±


    Ivan patted his belly, ¡°Real men aren¡¯t afraid of chili!¡±


    Howey¨¦r¡­


    Ten minutester.


    Ivan was wiping away tears while chugging a bottle of water. His little face was red from the spice,


    making him look adorable.


    Kieran picked up the remaining wing and took a couple of bites. Then he patted the still-panting Ivan,


    saying, ¡°Only a brave man like me is worthy of a hot woman like your mom. Got it?¡±


    Ivan turned his head stiffly, continuing to gulp down water.


    Julie chuckled, patting Kieran¡¯s hand, ¡°Are you a kid too?¡±


    Kieran looked up and winked at her, ¡°So you¡¯re a pedophile?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Eat your chicken wings.¡±


    They spent this pleasant time together, chatting like an average family. After strolling around the food


    street, they were ready to head home.


    Ivan spotted an ice cream shop. Julie told Kieran, ¡°You go start the car. We¡¯ll get some ice cream and


    wait for you at the intersection.¡±


    Kieran nodded and went to get the car.


    After buying ice cream, Julie led Ivan to the agreed ce to wait for Kieran to drive up.


    In the distance, a van without a license te suddenly sped towards them¡­

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229


    Chapter 229


    The van came at high speed, straight in Julie¡¯s direction. Julie reacted quickly and immediately took


    Ivan in her arms. When the van was only about fifty meters away, it turned on its high beams.


    Julie couldn¡¯t evade in time and could only instinctively protect the kid in her arms.


    At the eleventh hour, a ck Bentley Mulsanne zoomed in from the parking lot. It was aimed straight


    for the van. The sound of the Bentley Mulsanne elerating echoed in Julie¡¯s mind. The van, which


    was only ten meters away from Julie and Ivan, was suddenly knocked into a nearby telephone pole by


    the Bentley


    Mulsanne.


    The friction between the tires and the ground caused dazzling sparks. The shrill sound traveled through


    the air to Julie¡¯s ears. The van was knocked to the side by the Bentley Mulsanne with a loud bang.


    Then, both cars came to a halt.


    The severe impact triggered the Bentley Mulsanne¡¯s airbags, protecting Kieran¡¯s head.


    Still in shock, Julie quickly picked up Ivan from the ground and shouted towards the Bentley Mulsanne,


    ¡°Kieran!¡±


    Holding the child, she didn¡¯t even get close to the car when the van suddenly revved up, dragging its


    battered body towards the river.


    ¡°Kerry!!¡± Ivan pointed at the Bentley Mulsanne.


    Kieran unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed away the airbag, and got out of the car.


    The front of the car was deformed. He got out and saw ¨¤ stupefied Julie and Ivan, letting out a deep


    sigh of relief. He quickly ran to them, checking them with concern, ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Julie quickly shook her head. It was then that she noticed Kieran¡¯s arm moving stiffly, so she put down


    Ivan and hurried to grab Kieran¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± he sucked in a breath.


    ¡°Did you hurt your arm?¡± she frowned.


    Kieran, however, suddenly extended his other arm and tightly embraced her.


    Ivan, scared, also clung to his leg. Kieran dropped a passionate kiss on Julie¡¯s forehead, then quickly


    took out his phone to call the police.


    The police arrived quickly at the scene and immediately dispatched people to salvage the van that had


    just fallen into the river. The police searched extensively, but


    in the end only the van was retrieved, and the van driver who had fallen into the river was not caught.


    Karl was notified and came to handle the aftermath. Noah also rushed over and took van home. Then,


    despite Kieran¡¯s protests, Julie took him to a nearby hospital.


    Luckily, his arm was not seriously injured, just a strained muscle.


    He couldn¡¯t even think about what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t shown up just in time when the


    van hit Julie and Ivan. Now that he thought about it, he was still a bit scared.


    Julie wanted to scold him, but she couldn¡¯t find the words. She understood why Kieran had to do it, and


    she understood his actions.


    If she had been the one driving that day, she would have done the same. Still, such actions, willing to


    risk their lives¡­


    In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything reproachful, but suddenly hugged him tightly, burying herself deeply


    in his arms.


    Kieran gently stroked her back,forting her, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Dn arrived just in time to witness this tender moment. He stood at the door, unsure whether to enter


    or leave. However, he understood the urgency of the situation and decided to interrupt the couple¡¯s


    moment.


    ¡°The driver of that van is a great swimmer, he escaped. The car was unlicensed. The police


    investigation might take some time.¡± Dn frowned at Kieran, ¡°You¡¯re really ballsy. How could you just


    ram your car like that? If something happened to you¡­¡±


    Upon meeting Kieran¡¯s gaze, Dn suddenly realized that Kieran¡¯s actions at the time were the only


    viable options. The target of that car was Julie and Ivan. One was his wife, the other his son. Any


    ident to either of them would be unbearable for Kieran.


    So in the end, Dn could only sigh helplessly, then looked at Kieran and asked, ¡°Do you think this


    was an ident, or¡­?¡±


    Dn didn¡¯tplete his suspicion. If this was indeed premeditated, the first suspect he thought of was


    Lucian.


    ording to reliable sources, Lucian returned to Whispering Pines a few days earlier, but he had been


    quiet. The van was obviously headed for Julie, so it was hard


    not to think of Lucian.


    However, although the car was indeed heading straight for Julie, the moment Kieran hit the van, he


    clearly felt the van driver hit the brakes. Even before he hit the van, the driver had slightly turned the


    steering wheel.


    Rather than saying Kieran knocked the van into the telephone pole, it would be more urate to say


    the van chose to hit the telephone pole.


    Then, while Kieran was getting out of the car, the driver simply drove the van into the river.


    Dn had obviously seen the surveince video from the scene. He frowned, looking at Kieran in


    confusion, ¡°I found a big question mark.¡±


    Julie responded, ¡°When Kieran got out of the car, the van went straight into the river. If the van was


    really after me, since it could still start, why didn¡¯t ite at me again?¡±


    What Julie said was exactly what Dn wanted to ask. If the van could still move, why did the driver


    choose to go into the river instead of hitting Julie again? Kieran obviously wouldn¡¯t miss this detail.


    Dn suddenly proposed a bold guess, ¡°Unless, this incident was just a warning to Julie. The van


    driver is obviously a top-notch swimmer, otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have disappeared Immediately after


    falling into the river.¡±


    Just as Dn¡¯s words fell, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Kieran uttered coldly.


    Julien was standing at the door, her face expressionless.


    *Julien, you¡¯ve learned to knock?¡± Dn looked at Julien and joked. Julien had always been quite the


    lone wolf. As far as Dn could remember, she¡¯d never


    politely knocked before.


    Of course, Julien wouldn¡¯t tell Dn that thest time she didn¡¯t knock, she almost caught Kieran and


    Julie in an intimate moment.


    Ignoring Dn, she shifted her gaze to Julie, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Julie shook her head, her eyes on Kieran¡¯s arm.


    After a brief nce, Julien turned to Kieran, ¡°Lucian is in room 1423 at Opulent Skyline Suites. The


    room is registered under the name Bruce.¡±


    She nced at her watch, ¡°If all goes ording to n, the National Security Agency will be there in


    twenty minutes.¡±


    Kieran was caught off guard by the sudden news. He left Julie in Julien¡¯s care, ¡°Please look after her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you, Julie grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve, her eyes determined.


    Kieran hesitated for two seconds, then took Julie into the elevator.


    Julien followed them into the elevator.


    That¡¯s when Dn turned to Julien, ¡°Aren¡¯t you working for the National Security Agency? Whose side


    are you on?¡±


    ¡°Do I owe you an exnation for my actions?¡± Julien retorted coldly, her re silencing Dn.


    After a moment of silence, Dn said, ¡°How the hell does Hayden put up with you?¡±


    Julie turned to Julien, ¡°Dn has a point. Julien, if you leaked this information to us¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve already left the National Security Agency,¡± Julien interrupted.


    Kieran added, ¡°Did Hayden snatch you from Klein?¡±


    ¡°As a pawn, I have to y my part. Hayden needs me, so he doesn¡¯t want me to be distracted. He


    saved my sister¡¯s life, so I owe him. Between the National Security Agency and him, is there really a


    choice?¡±


    It was rare for Julien to say so many things at once.


    ¡°As a pawn¡­¡± Kieran repeated, seemingly thoughtful.


    Dnughed, ¡°If all pawns were as tough as you, the chess yer would have a real headache.¡±


    Julien shot Dn a warning look.


    ¡°What, I can¡¯t even speak in the same elevator as you?¡± Dn walked up to Julien, ¡°I suggest you treat


    Hayden well. With him, you could live a princess¡¯ life without a worry. Without him, you¡¯d just have to


    fend for yourself. Who doesn¡¯t want to be pampered like a princess, right, Julie?¡±


    Dn looked at Julie, hoping for her agreement.


    Ignoring Dn, Julien turned to him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you be the princess then?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ Screw you! If you don¡¯t want to hear the truth, I won¡¯t repeat it.¡±


    The elevator doors opened, and Julien kicked Dn out without hesitation.


    Dn was mortified. Just as he was about to retort, he heard Julien tell Julie and Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m not going,


    I don¡¯t want to run into anyone from the National Security Agency


    Kieran and Julie got in the car. Dn didn¡¯t have time to snap back at Julien and quickly took the


    driver¡¯s seat. They headed for Opulent Skyline Suites.


    They drove very fast. Ten minutester, Dn parked the car at the entrance of Opulent Skyline Suites.


    The valet took the keys and parked the car for them.


    Perhaps it was theirmanding presence, coupled with Kieran¡¯s familiar face, they were allowed into


    the hotel without any hassle. They went straight to room


    Standing at the door, Kieran positioned Julie behind him and turned to Dn, ¡°Call the manager to


    open the door.¡±


    Dn immediately phoned the manager, asking him toe open the door under the guise of the


    president of Simpo Co. He then told the manager, ¡°Could you open the door for us? Bruce is a friend of


    Mr. Hernandez. We¡¯ve knocked several times, but no one¡¯s answered. I hope nothing¡¯s happened.¡±


    With Kieran around, the manager didn¡¯t dare ck off. He¡¯d personally received Mr. Bruce that


    morning, so he didn¡¯t doubt Dn¡¯s story. He quickly retrieved the room card and was about to open


    the door.


    However, just as he was about to swipe the card, the door was pushed open from the inside..

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    Chapter 230


    Standing at the door was ady. She was wearing ck seven-inch stilettos, a white shirt paired with a


    formal skirt suit. Her long hair hung straight from her head to her waist. She wore ck-framed


    sses, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she stared at the crowd at the door.


    ¡°Who are you guys looking for?¡± thedy asked.


    Dn nced behind her. ¡°Isn¡¯t Bruce here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong room,¡± thedy responded coldly, but still managed a polite smile.


    ¡°But our check-in record shows that the guest is Bruce. Are you his¡­¡± the manager queried her.


    Thedy nced at the manager¡¯s badge, ¡°Does your hotel always disturb guests like this? Tracy,


    could you double-check with the front desk? We just checked in ten minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The manager was somewhat taken aback, turning to look at Kieran.


    ¡°Go check,¡± Kieran told the manager, then gave Dn a look.


    Dn got the message and left with the manager. As soon as they entered the elevator, he


    immediately called the general manager of the hotel, instructing him to lock down the entire hotel and


    monitor everything.


    After Tracy called the front desk and confirmed, she turned to Kieran apologetically, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    Bruce was indeed staying here earlier, but he checked out half an hour ago. Miss Lisa checked in ten


    minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys have any other business?¡± Thedy named Lisa politely nodded at Kieran.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, a maic voice came from inside the room, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lisa?¡±


    Before Lisa could answer, a man wearing a ck shirt and light-colored gold-rimmed sses came out


    of the room. He was wearing white cloth slippers, his short hair looking neat and tidy.


    He walked up to Julie and Kieran, then stopped.


    Julie¡¯s eyes darkened. She looked at the man, asking in disbelief, ¡°Kyle?¡±


    Kyle also appeared taken aback that Julie was at the door. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then a look of


    joy appeared on his face, ¡°Joyce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Kyle, what are you doing here?¡± Julie looked inside the room, as if searching for something.


    Kyle nced at Lisa, ¡°You can go back in.¡±


    Lisa gave Julie and Kieran a look before turning to leave.


    Kyle grinned at Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re Mr. Hernandez? We met years ago. Do you remember


    me?¡±


    Kyle was now in his thirties. He looked mature and cultured, each word he uttered carried the air of a


    gentleman. The way he looked at Kieran and Julie was kind.


    Kieran did remember this man named Kyle. In his second year of high school, the school organized a


    trip. Julie insisted on dragging him to the supermarket to buy some necessities for the trip. It was in that


    supermarket that Kieran and Kyle first met. It was also their only encounter.


    Even though Julie and Kieran were neighbors back then, Julie¡¯s so-called brother-inw rarely visited


    Kieran¡¯s house. He only heard about Kyle asionally from Julie. In Julie¡¯s eyes back then, Kyle was


    the typical good boyfriend. From the details Julie used to tell him, he could tell that Kyle spoiled Sansa


    Abraham rotten!


    He didn¡¯t understand why they suddenly broke up, even canceling their engagement.


    Kyle extended his hand to Kieran, indicating he wanted to shake hands.


    Kieran put on a formal smile. He shook hands with Kyle, saying, ¡°I was young then, can¡¯t remember


    much.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, you and Julie were in high school then! Those were the wildest years,¡± Kyle


    opened the door, smiling at Julie and Kieran, ¡°Come in and have a


    seat?¡±


    Julie nodded, then hooked her arm in Kieran¡¯s, chuckling as they walked towards the room, ¡°Why do


    you sound so mature now? You were only a few years older than us when you just graduated from


    college.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s a generation gap every three years. We can be considered people from different


    generations,¡± Kyle set his phone on the coffee table, then pointed to the sofa across, ¡°Please, sit. I just


    arrived at Whispering Pines. I was nning to contact you guys after settling down. What happened


    just now?¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran, who responded with a smile, ¡°We had an appointment with someone to discuss


    business here in this room. We got a bit dyed on the way here, so he might have left because he


    couldn¡¯t wait. We didn¡¯t expect you to be staying here as well


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Kyle looked at Julie and Kieran, starting to chat with them. After a while, he


    turned to look out the window. The lights outside were bright.


    ¡°Whispering Pines has changed a lot,¡± he said somewhat nostalgically.


    Julie smiled and calmly responded, ¡°You¡¯ve changed quite a bit too.¡±


    Hearing Julie¡¯s voice, Kyle turned his head, his gaze sharp.


    Kieran watched Kyle intently. Those familiar with Kieran knew he was, sizing up Kyle and the


    surroundings.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door Kyle furrowed his brows, gave Kieran a slight smile and said,


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the person you were supposed to do business


    with


    With that, Kyle stood up and opened the door.


    Standing at the door were a few men in casual clothes. They showed their IDs, ¡°National Security


    Agency.¡±


    The people at the doorpletely ignored Kyle, entering the room to start their search. They didn¡¯t find


    the person they were looking for, only saw Kieran and Julie sitting on the sofa.


    Kieran stood up, arm around Julie¡¯s waist, smiling at Kyle, ¡°Seems like he won¡¯t being back. Sorry


    for the disturbance. We¡¯ll visit another time.¡±


    Kyle smiled at Julie and Kieran, nodding his head.


    Kieran, with Julie in his arms, stepped into the elevator, then pulled out his phone to call Dn, ¡°The


    folks from the National Security Agency are here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got the surveince footage. I¡¯m waiting for you guys downstairs,¡± Dn answered.


    Once Julie and Kieran were in the elevator, Kyle in the room turned his gaze to the few agents from the


    National Security Agency, ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we got the wrong room.¡± After searching the room, the lead agent apologized to Kyle before


    leaving.


    ¡°Go get the hotel¡¯s surveince footage, see how Lucian left.¡±


    The agent¡¯s voice came through the closed door.


    Kyle¡¯s eyes were slightly narrowed. He removed his gold-rimmed sses from the bridge of his nose,


    and his eyes became sharper, like those of a vulture¡­ In the


    car.


    ¡°Have you checked the surveince footage?¡± asked Kieran to Dn.


    Dn nodded, ¡°I nced through it just now. The footage hasn¡¯t been tampered with. Someone did


    enter room 1423. It was a stranger who brought Lucian upstairs, and he was also the one who checked


    in. He¡¯s probably Bruce. Looks like they¡¯re not nning to keep things on the down-low. The car


    ident tonight probably wasn¡¯t a coincidence.¡±


    The car was filled with only Dn¡¯s voice, creating a certain silence.


    Julie¡¯s attention was fully on Kyle¡¯s sudden appearance.


    She suddenly pulled out her phone and started browsing the inte.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kieran asked.


    As Julie typed ¡®President of S&J International Law Firm overseas visit¡¯ into the search bar, she


    answered Kieran¡¯s question, ¡°I have a feeling that Kyle has a special reason foring back this time,


    but I can¡¯t figure out what it is. I¡¯m trying to search online to see if he came back for work or personal


    reasons.¡±


    While driving, Dn asked casually, ¡°Kyle?¡±


    ¡°I once thought he would be my brother-inw,¡± Julie replied.


    Kieran exined to Dn, ¡°Kyle, the founder of S&J International Law Firm.¡±


    ¡°Kyle almost became your brother-inw?¡± Dn suddenly seemed a bit excited.


    With a puzzled look, Julie raised her head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Kyle¡¯s back?¡± Dn asked again.


    Julie nodded.


    ¡°In a way, I can be considered Kyle¡¯s schoolmate,¡± Dn said, ¡°We went to the same high school. In


    university, I chose to be a forensic scientist, while he chosew. He was pretty well-known in our


    school. He had a girlfriend named Jessica back then. Kyle was brilliant. Some said he was a rich


    second generation, others said his parents were government officials, but we didn¡¯t know any details


    about his family. All we knew was that he was a good guy. Later we heard that because of his rigorous


    thinking, meticulous writing, and solid legal foundation, he finished all his major courses ahead of time


    and became a foreign affairswyer right after graduation. Of course, I heard all this from Kelly, my


    ssmate and a big fan of Kyle.¡±


    Julie found the most important information, ¡°You said he had a girlfriend named Jessica? Did they


    break up after he became a foreign affairswyer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t interested in his personal life,¡± Dn thought for a moment, ¡°But I can ask Kelly.¡±


    With that, he immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialed Kelly¡¯s international number, and


    asked straightforwardly, ¡°Kyle used to have a girlfriend named Jessica, right? Are they still together?¡±


    ¡°Jessicamitted suicide a long time ago due to depression, didn¡¯t you know?¡± Kelly on the other end


    of the phone was obviously surprised that Dn didn¡¯t know about this.


    Dn, who had the phone on speaker, was also a bit surprised, ¡°Jessicamitted suicide?¡±


    ¡°Jessica¡¯sst wish was to set up aw firm that would help poor people who couldn¡¯t afford to go to


    court while making money. That¡¯s why Stefan founded S&J International Law Firm. Stefan and Jessica,


    the initials of their names. Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Kelly asked.


    Dn¡¯s brow furrowed even more. He made brief small talk, then hung up the phone.


    Julie looked a bit perplexed. She turned her head to look at Kieran, ¡°If the woman Kyle has always


    been deeply in love with is Jessica, then what does my sister


    mean to him?¡±

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231


    Chapter 231


    Julie suddenly realized she didn¡¯t know a thing about Kyle, the guy who was nearly her brother-inw,


    and she didn¡¯t really know Sansa either.


    Looking back, she noticed that Sansa always had her back whenever she was in a jam, but she never


    really had a heart-to-heart about Kyle with her.


    Even when the whole Abraham Group was going belly up. Sansa still managed to set Julie up with


    Kieran. Although she was using Kieran, she was always looking


    out for her sister.


    These thoughts sent Julie into deep contemtion.


    Kieran knew what was going on in Julie¡¯s head. He put his arm around her, pulling her close, ¡°We¡¯ve


    still got a ways to go before we reach Noblewood Retreat. You can take a nap. I¡¯ll wake you when we


    get home.¡±


    Julie leaned on Kieran¡¯s shoulder, closed her eyes and began to speak slowly, ¡°The news said that the


    president of S&J International Law Firm went abroad this time to set up a new office here. If he¡¯s in love


    with Jessica, why would he shell out big bucks to buy Sansa my mother¡¯s ring?¡±


    ¡°That depends on whether he knows Sansa is in a vegetative state now.¡± Kieran¡¯s words left Julie


    somewhat puzzled.


    All she knew now was that no matter what happened in the future, she had to face it bravely.


    Maybe it was due to theck of sleep the previous night, Julie dozed off unknowingly.


    On their way home, Dn whispered, ¡°Bertha once said that Lucian bears a grudge against Julie


    because he thought you were forced to marry her and that she ruined your happiness. But now, you


    and Julie are always so lovey-dovey, both in public and in private. He must know that if he watches the


    news. So why would he still want to get rid of Julie? I mean, if tonight¡¯s van was really targeting Julie¡­¡±


    ¡°Before we puzzle over that, shouldn¡¯t we also ponder why he¡¯s reluctant toe back to us?¡± Kieran,


    holding Julie in his arms, asked Dn.


    Dn found this question very reasonable and nodded in agreement, ¡°If he really survived the ne


    crash by sheer luck, why wouldn¡¯t he acknowledge you, his only kin?¡±


    ¡°And before we ponder that, shouldn¡¯t we also wonder how a person could possibly survive a ne


    crash like that?¡±


    Dn eximed excitedly. ¡°Exactly! How did Lucian, who¡¯s disabled in both legs, survive that ne


    crash? There¡¯s a lot of suspicion there!¡±


    But no matter how many questions there were, as long as he was still alive, all the questions would


    eventually be answered.


    Dn smoothly parked the car at the entrance of Noblewood Retreat.


    Kieran said, ¡°It¡¯s kindate now. You can crash here for the night.¡±


    Dn nodded, then got out of the car to open the door for Kieran.


    Julie was sound asleep. Even when the car had stopped, she didn¡¯t open her eyes.


    ¡°Do you need to wake her up?¡± Dn asked.


    Without responding, Kieran picked Julie up and started heading towards the house.


    Following behind them, Dn couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Kieran, you¡¯re going to spoil her rotten.¡±


    Kieran, carrying Julie, suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯ll understand some day.¡±


    Dn caught up and asked, ¡°Understand what?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Understand the feeling of extreme guilt when your woman is wronged even a little bit.¡±


    Dn asked, ¡°Then why did you let her suffer for so many years?¡± Although he knew about Kieran¡¯s


    love for her, the facts of the past few years were undeniable.


    Kieran, holding her, suddenly stopped, smiled slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I feel guilty.¡±


    Dn said, ¡°Even so, everyone has their own unique way of loving someone. No matter the method, at


    least your intentions were good.¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°Men always have endless excuses when consoling themselves.¡±


    Dn looked at Kieran in surprise, ¡°Kieran, did you touch yourself too muchst night that you¡¯re not in


    your right mind today?¡±


    As Kieran carried Julie upstairs, he said, ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you to not make the same mistakes that I


    did and end up regretting it.¡±


    Dn followed asking, ¡°Where am I sleeping tonight?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°The room where Coco stayedst time. Ask Shannon.¡±


    Being the sensible guy he was, Dn decided not to disturb Kieran and Julie any longer. He went


    downstairs to Shanpon and asked her with a smile, ¡°Shannon, I need to stay here tonight. Which room


    did Coco stay inst time?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shannon looked out the window with a weird expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dn looked at her innocently.


    Shannon pointed to a dog house in the garden outside the window and said, ¡°You mean there?¡±


    Dn asked in surprise, ¡°Coco is a dog?¡±


    Shannon nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Coco is Ivan¡¯s ssmate¡¯s dog.¡±


    Dn stomped his feet in anger. Kieran actually wanted him to sleep in a dog house!


    Kieran ced her on the side of the bed, covered her with a nket, and then sat by her side, quietly


    watching her. He gently reached out to brush the stray hair from her forehead, but she opened her eyes


    and asked, ¡°Are we home?¡±


    Before Kieran could answer, she realized she was already in their familiar bedroom. She didn¡¯t even


    know when they had gotten there.


    She looked at the man who had been watching her, realizing she had been sleeping in his arms. She


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He leaned down and, taking her by surprise, kissed her forehead, ¡°My wife is beautiful¡±


    Julie should have been moved. His serious expression and sincer


    But when her gentle words came to her lips, they turned into ¡°are you blind?¡±.


    Julie wouldn¡¯t exactly qualify as a total knockout. Inparison, she thought Kieran¡¯s look was the real


    deal.


    Holding his face, she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you get dazzled by your own reflection when you look in the


    mirror?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t look in the mirror that often,¡± he answered seriously.


    ¡°I was initially smitten by your looks,¡± Julie admitted in a whisper. Seeing Kieran¡¯s warning look, she


    quickly added smartly, ¡°I fell for your looks, then got hooked on your talent, and finally stayed for your


    character.¡±


    ¡°Do you know your best feature?¡± he suddenly asked.


    Instinct told Julie this was a trap, but she risked being made a fool of and replied with a smile, ¡°None of


    my features canpare to yours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting smarter.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then you better stop trying to make a fool of me!¡±


    Kieran nodded sincerely, then asked Julie, ¡°Do you think I look this good because we have good genes


    in our family?¡±


    Julie had met Kieran¡¯s parents. His mother was really beautiful before she became mentally ill, her


    graceful and generous demeanor was unforgettable. His father was also quite handsome. Kieran¡¯s


    parents looked like a perfect match, a match made in heaven.


    Both Kieran and Lucian had inherited their parents¡¯ advantages and were quite handsome..


    So when Kieran asked this question, Julie didn¡¯t hesitate and nodded, ¡°Of course! If your parents didn¡¯t


    have good genes, how could they have a kid like you?¡±


    ¡°Then my genes must be good too, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have a child like Ivan.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Julie lifted her head andughed at Kieran, ¡°Are you blowing your own trumpet?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, if we had a daughter, would she look like you or me?¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran helplessly, ¡°You went around in circles just to ask me this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep, babe.¡± Kieran held her tightly in his arms and turned off the light.


    She naively thought they were really going to sleep, but when the light went off, she realized it was just


    a smokescreen.


    Kieran¡¯s hand slowly moved up to her waist.


    Julie caught his hand, ¡°I thought you said we were going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Close your eyes.¡± He stopped moving, ying along.


    As soon as Julie closed her eyes, warm lipsnded on her neck.


    Julie shrank back, her heart rate sped up, ¡°Are you trying to catch me off guard?¡±


    ¡°I just discovered a red¡­ mark here,¡± Kieran¡¯s deep voice echoed in Julie¡¯s ear. He poked her neck


    with a cool finger, ¡°It¡¯s a hickey.¡±


    ¡°Becausest night you¡­¡± Before she could finish, Julie suddenly closed her mouth.


    Kieran probed, ¡°So do you remember how it got there?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not remember anything aboutst night?¡± Julie opened her eyes, turned around, andid


    her head on his chest, asking curiously.


    ¡°I remember thatst night I was on the phone and went downstairs to get something I checked the call


    history this morning and called back that number.¡±


    In other words, he knew that he had condoms deliveredst night.


    ¡°Did we use those things?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie didn¡¯t answer.


    After about ten seconds of silence in the room, Kieran¡¯s thin lips suddenly brushed against her ear. He


    said, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, shall we reenact the scene?

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    Chapter 232


    ¡°Reenact the scene?¡±


    This might be the most terrifying words Julie had ever heard.


    She abruptly opened her eyes, craning her neck to stare at Kieran in the dark, asking, ¡°How do


    you reenact?¡±


    ¡°First, think back to when you started losing memoryst night,¡± he answered.


    Julie remembered the process of going home. She knew it was Hayden and Julien who apanied


    her home. She returned to her room and then Kieran came


    over


    Kieran stripped, then walked into the bathroom. She seemed drunk, so she followed him into the


    bathroom, and then¡­


    ¡°I remember, you barged in while 1 was bathing. I was knocked down by you into the bathtub.¡±


    ¡°Nope, you sank yourself in the tub. I tried to hold you up, but I was dragged into the tub with you,¡± Julie


    rushed to rify.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Oh? So you remember this part.¡±


    Was she fooled by him again?


    ¡°Then¡­ I kissed you,¡± Kieran¡¯s memory of this part was crystal clear.


    Julie kept quiet. Suddenly, the lights in the room turned on. Before her eyes could adjust, Kieran had


    picked her up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Julie, startled, quickly clung onto Kieran¡¯s neck, only to find him firmly carrying


    her towards the bathroom.


    He asked her, ¡°Was I down belowst night?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Before Julie could answer, Kieran had put her down and sat in the tub himself. He patted hisp,


    looking at her, ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sit on me,¡±


    Julie chuckled, turning to leave. She didn¡¯t intend to spend midnight with him in the bathtub. Her


    wounds fromst night weren¡¯t healed yet!


    Just as she took a step, Kieran caught her wrist. She practically fell onto him.


    Kieran¡¯s lips instantly met hers. His kiss was like a storm, seizing her. Hisrge palm gently pressed


    against her waist. His hot kiss seemed to suck all the air from her lungs, making her head spin.


    Images of their intimacyst night shed through her mind. Julie immediately sobered up, reaching


    out to turn on the faucet. Cold water gushed into the bathtub.. Kieran snapped out of the intense


    entanglement. Looking at his wife, he seemed both confused and innocent.


    Julie licked her lips, unabashedly saying. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want a reenactment? It was like thisst night. I


    identally hit the faucet, then you bathed here, and I changed into my sleepwear.¡±


    After that, she took advantage of Kieran¡¯s distraction to quickly climb off him.


    Julie, who was originally nning to escape, had just taken a step when Kieran caught her wrist,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to give me a surprisest night?¡±


    He was drunk, wasn¡¯t he? How could he remember such details?


    Julie kept quiet, lowering her head as he asked, ¡°Did you really give me a surprise?¡±


    ¡°Let go of me first, let me think,¡± Julie said.


    He knew Julie had be more cunning, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t let go of her.


    He filled the bathtub with warm water, warming both their bodies a lot. He deliberately looked at the


    marks on Julie¡¯s neck, asking, ¡°So nothing really happenedst night?¡±


    Julie looked at him, not knowing what to say.


    He continued to prompt her, ¡°Or maybe, we had a little bit of intimacy?¡±


    Not just a little bit!


    He thought again. If something did happen, he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with brief intimacy. So, Kieran


    smirked, asking her, ¡°Was it intense sex?¡±


    Haha! Julie gritted her teeth, cursing him silently.


    ¡°I did have a surprise for youst night. I¡¯ll reenact it now. After you finish bathing, wait for me on the


    balcony Julie said, then broke free from his grip and ran out. Julie ran to the dressing room. She


    remembered clearly that she had specifically picked the sexiest dressst night. It was a ckce slip


    dress, deep V-neck style, with a high slit at the bottom. Unbelievably, Julie wasn¡¯t shy at all when she


    put on that dress while drunkst night.


    But today¡¯s Julie, of course, didn¡¯t have that courage. She dug out an old sleepwear from the bottom of


    her wardrobe. It was a cute long dress with round dots,pletely covering Julie from head to toe.


    Then, after dawdling and thinking about her strategy, Julie turned and headed towards the bedroom.


    Kieran was standing on the balcony wrapped in a bathrobe, just as Julie told him.


    Julie, dressed in her cute sleepwear, entered the room. Hearing her footsteps, he turned around.


    Last night, they shared an intimate gaze.


    Today, his first words when he turned around was, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside now, right? What was I thinking


    last night, why would I freeze myself out here?¡±


    Julie knew she was on the balconyst night too. Strangely, she didn¡¯t feel cold at the same


    temperature yesterday.


    Kieran shivered as he came inside, only to find Julie wearing an old sleepwear from who knows how


    many years ago, wrapped up tightly from head to toe, even wearing socks.


    Seeing him staring at her white socks, Julie smiled faintly, ¡°The floor¡¯s a bit cold.¡±


    ¡°Is this how you surprised mest night?¡± He had been gradually losing memory from around this time


    last night.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Julie was sober. She remembered they had a discussion about long hair then.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Julie looked up at Kieran, ¡°Do you remember our high school


    yearbook? You wrote your criteria for a wife on one of the pages.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we reenactingst night¡¯s scene?¡± Kieran embraced her waist, closing the distance between


    them.


    ¡°We discussed this issuest night, Julie also hugged his waist, leaning into his arms.


    She said, ¡°You hope to marry a woman who has a lower IQ than you, shorter legs than you, and longer


    hair than you. Do you remember?¡±


    Kieran thought back to the scene,ughing, ¡°I took a long time toe up with these three


    characteristics to hint at you. I was afraid that you, this silly girl, wouldn¡¯t understand, but I was also


    afraid that you would.¡±


    Julie looked up at Kieran, ¡°Yeah, I totally got what you said literally, but I didn¡¯t catch your implied


    meaning.¡±


    Kieran pondered for a moment, then brought the conversation back, ¡°What did we talk about after


    that?¡±


    His memory seemed to havepletely cked out at that point. He just couldn¡¯t recall what


    happened next.


    But Julie remembered clearly, ¡°After that, you said I still owed you a fancy meal. I said I¡¯d pay you back,


    then you took me to the bed, and then¡­ I don¡¯t remember .either.¡±


    Julie felt her lying skills were getting stronger and stronger. She didn¡¯t even blush when she lied now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the condoms I had sent over?¡± There was suspicion in Kieran¡¯s eyes.


    She answered shamelessly, ¡°If you can¡¯t remember, how could I?¡±


    ¡°I drank more than you did. Try to remember, did we use those condoms?¡±


    Ha!


    Julie had watched the video recordedst night. They not only used the condoms, but also yed with


    them! It was the first time she found out Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    thinking could be so lively.


    Last night¡­


    Kieran failed to fit into her bra, so he got pissed and started to make love to her.


    During the break, he suddenly ran back to the closet and brought out another piece of lingerie. It was


    pink, withce trim, a runway model gifted by Daniel. Julie never wore such brightly colored and


    complicated lingerie.


    He stubbornly insisted on putting it on himself. Finally, with Julie¡¯s help, he managed to get it on. Drunk


    Julie touched Kieran¡¯s t chest,ughed out loud, and took two pears on the table and stuffed them in


    the bra. She winked at Kieran like a rascal, ¡°Shake it a bit, let me see!¡±


    Julie was very obedient at that time. After shaking twice, one of the pears fell out of the bra. He


    touched the other pear still stuffed in his chest discontentedly, then touched Julie¡¯s chest, looked up


    innocently and asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t mine soft?¡±


    ¡°Because yours is fake! Hahaha¡­¡± Julie held her chest andughed so hard that she almost fell over.


    Mr. Hernandez pushed her down, ¡°If you keepughing, I¡¯m gonna eat you up.


    ¦§


    Julie picked up the pear that had fallen aside and stuffed it into his mouth, ¡°If you can make your chest


    soft, I¡¯ll let you eat me anytime. Hahaha!¡±


    The incredibly smart Mr. Hernandez suddenly got up, grabbed something, and staggered towards the


    bathroom.


    Julie followed him, leaning against the door frame, watching the man in the pink lingerie in the


    bathroom.


    Julie¡¯s video showed that a few minutester, she and Kieran came out of the bathroom together.


    Kieran was holding a water balloon. More urately¡­ it was a condom filled with water. He tied a knot


    on the condom proudly, bent over to give Julie a kiss, then stuffed the condom in his bra. He looked at


    Julie triumphantly, ¡°My chest is soft now too! Feel it, it¡¯s quite nice!¡±

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    Chapter 233


    Julie denied these memories in her mind, then said to Kieran, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Did I do anything weird when I was drunk?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie shook her head.


    Kieran finally breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled Julie close, holding her waist tightly, and said


    contentedly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    Julie felt like she had just received a pardon. She happily snuggled up to Kieran and they went to bed.


    Compared to the previous night, this one was pretty chill. They slept in each other¡¯s arms. Upon waking


    up, the first thing they saw was each other¡¯s faces. Their hearts were full of joy.


    Julie stretched, then went to wash up.


    Kieran followed suit, wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands sneaking under her pajamas. Julie


    squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, then shoved the toothbrush into his mouth, ¡°Brush your teeth!¡±


    ¡°Do I get a reward after brushing?¡± Kieran asked, toothbrush in mouth, bending down to look at her, a


    mischievous twinkle in his eyes.


    His hair was all over the ce from sleep, hiszy appearance filled the bathroom with pheromones.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you¡¯re done, Julie pinched Kieran¡¯s cheek lightly. She was about to turn around when


    he lifted her up and settled her on the counter.


    This way, he didn¡¯t have to bend down to look at her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ever look up when I¡¯m with you,¡± he said, lightly touching her nose, a smile ying on his lips.


    While brushing his teeth, he never took his eyes off Julie. Sleepy andnguid, she was like a cat


    showing her ws, ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m short? Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hear that!¡±


    Kieranughed, showing off his white teeth, ¡°You can make up for yourck of height with actions.¡±


    ¡°What actions?¡±


    ¡°Make love to me.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Julie pushed Kieran away, jumped down from the counter and went to change.


    Kieran looked at his reflection in the mirror, a smile on his face.


    After brushing his teeth, he headed straight for the closet, ¡°Honey, didn¡¯t you say there was a reward?


    I¡¯ve brushed my teeth.¡±


    Kieran came over and tried to kiss her but Julie put up her hand to stop him, ¡°Your reward is¡­ I won¡¯t


    use your toothbrush to clean the toilet anymore!¡± Kieran grinned, pretending to be disappointed, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t know you had such a hobby. It¡¯s okay, you can continue to use my toothbrush for the toilet. I only


    kiss you anyway. If you don¡¯t mind, then I don¡¯t either.¡±


    Julie lost that round.


    She pulled out a bra from the drawer, about to change, when she saw Kieran staring intently at her


    underwear.


    ¡°Do you want to try this on?¡± Julie asked casually, thinking of his drunken antics.


    Mr. Hernandez¡¯s reaction was instant. He turned and walked out quickly, as if he was running away.


    Julie looked at the underwear in her hand, silent for a few seconds, then burst intoughter. She


    remembered him when he was drunk, holding a condom and grinning foolishly at her, ¡°I¡¯ll sing a song


    for you.¡±


    ¡°What song?¡±


    ¡°Little Red Riding Hood!¡± Kieran cupped his chest with his hands.


    ¡°Why are you singing Little Red Riding Hood?¡± Julie asked innocently.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Mr. Hernandez suddenly threw the condom from his bra andughed, ¡°Because Little Red


    Riding Hood¡¯s grandmother was eaten by a wolf! Guess what kind of wolf?¡±


    ¡°What kind of wolf?¡± A tipsy Julie yed along, ¡°A big bad wolf?¡±


    Kieran shook his finger, ¡°A big horny wolf.¡±


    Then he began to sing, ¡°I¡¯m little red riding hood, I can¡¯t wait to give this bread to grandma¡­¡±


    After that, he held up a water-filled condom and asked, ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, would you like to taste this


    bread?¡±


    Julie dared not recall anymore.


    If it weren¡¯t for the video footage, she would never have known that Mr. Hernandez could be as silly as


    her.


    After dropping Ivan off at school, they went to Simpo Co..


    Julie¡¯s resignation was official, so Kieran dropped her off at Feliz Gastro House across the street.


    Julie stepped out of the car and asked Kieran, ¡°Are youing here for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I get a lunchbox made with love?¡± he asked curiously.


    Julie agreed seeing his good behavior, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you lunch. See you at noon.¡±


    Julie was about to leave when Kieran suddenly reached out from the car window and grabbed her


    sleeve. He asked, ¡°No kiss goodbye?¡± ¡°Sorry, sir, I deliver lunches, not kisses.¡± Julie snatched her hand


    back haughtily, waved goodbye to Kieran, then walked into the restaurant.


    Kieran chuckled helplessly, then drove off to the office.


    Just as Julie entered the restaurant, someone grabbed her arm, startling her so much she almost


    pped them. She turned around to see a person bundled


    up


    in a


    scarf, hat, and sunsses, looking around mysteriously.


    ¡°Daphne? What are you doing here?¡± Julie asked with concern.


    ¡°Damn! I¡¯m all wrapped up and you still recognize me?¡± Daphne took off her scarf, her eyes wide in


    surprise.


    Julie nodded, ¡°No matter how you dress up, I¡¯ll always recognize you. Because you¡¯re a unique woman


    in my heart. But why are you here?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you know how to contact Julien? Daphne gripped Julie¡¯s arm tightly, ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for help.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to find Julien? Julie asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I need her to help me kill someone! It¡¯s all your fault. Didn¡¯t you say you were always learning to be a


    superhero when you were little? Why didn¡¯t you keep at it? If you were a superhero, I wouldn¡¯t need to


    ask her!¡± Daphne gave Julie a sidelong nce, ¡°Do you have any food here? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Julie ordered the kitchen to prepare some food. Watching Daphne eat heartily, she couldn¡¯t help but


    ask, ¡°Who do you want to kill?¡±


    ¡°The father of my baby.¡± Daphne answered with a mouth full of food, her voice filled with hatred.


    ¡°Lionel Kemp?¡± Julie asked, ¡°You¡¯ve changed your mind from wanting to kill the baby to wanting to kill


    the baby¡¯s father now? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Lord Lion said he¡¯s gonna put his showbiz career on hold to be with me during childbirth.¡±


    ¡°Slow down with the food,¡± Julie felt like Daphne was eating as if she hadn¡¯t seen food in ages. She


    asked Daphne, ¡°From a normal person¡¯s point of view, shouldn¡¯t you be touched by what Lionel is


    doing?¡±


    ¡°Touched? He said he¡¯s gonna tell my parents I¡¯m pregnant tomorrow, then have us pretend to get


    married, then go abroad for the birth. Tell me, isn¡¯t that just awful?¡± Daphne pped the table in anger,


    ¡®Have you ever seen such a bastard?¡±


    Daphne thought she was angry enough, but then Julie suddenly stood up, almost knocking the table


    over. She turned to leave.


    Daphne was rmed, thinking that Julie was going to duel Lionel herself, so she quickly grabbed Julie,


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Julien and have her kill Lionel!¡± Julie patted Daphne¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Julien will


    definitely make it clean.¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding around. I was just venting¡±¡± Daphne pulled Julie back down onto the stool.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Lionel ask you to pretend to be his wife? Julie sighed in relief.


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°Everything I said was true. Only the part about wanting to kill him was a joke.


    Actually, I¡¯m not upset.¡±


    Julie frowned and suddenly moved to Daphne¡¯s side, pulling her head into her chest, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Crying


    it out will make you feel better. If Lionel¡¯s as bad as you say, he¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to him. No matter


    what happens, I will¡­¡±


    Daphne pushed Julie away, ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say, but I¡¯m really not upset. I knew from the


    start that Lord Lion was a fickle in love, so I was mentally prepared. Actually, I was kind of surprised


    that Lord Lion was willing to put his work on hold for me. I thought he would insist that I have an


    abortion!¡±


    Whether it was Daphne¡¯s open-mindedness or Lord Lion¡¯s image had hit rock bottom in her mind, if


    Lord Lion knew how she viewed him, he might be so mad he¡¯d spit blood.


    Daphne looked up at Julie and said, ¡°I came to see you today because I need your advice.¡±


    ¡°What kind of advice?¡±


    ¡°Sit down first!¡± Daphne pulled Julie to sit down, then stroked her belly, ¡°I want to have an abortion, but


    I don¡¯t have the courage. I want to keep the baby, but I don¡¯t have enough money. I want to marry a


    man, but I can¡¯t find a suitable fool. What do you suggest I do now? I don¡¯t want Lord Lion to take a


    break from work for months for the baby in my belly and then take my baby away. He wouldn¡¯t even


    take contraceptive measures, let alone how bad his character is. Think about it, this baby is something


    I worked hard to bring into this world. If my baby is taken away from me in the future, wouldn¡¯t I be at a


    loss?¡±

 Chapter 234

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    Chapter 234


    Julie nodded, ¡°You got a point there.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! This is my baby we¡¯re talking about. If he took my baby away¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re right about that.¡± Julie cut off Daphne, pulled up a chair next to her, took her hand


    and began to analyze, ¡°Think about it, if Mr. Lionel is really the womanizer as you think, why didn¡¯t he


    just let you get an abortion? Why didn¡¯t he let you drink that night? Why did he take you away? Why did


    he even go through the whole fake wedding thing, and even put his work on hold for you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why indeed? He could have just dragged me to the operating table and have the baby removed,


    couldn¡¯t he?¡± Daphne covered her belly as she spoke, growing


    more anxious.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Julie said. ¡°What I mean is, now that Mr. Lionel doesn¡¯t want to marry you,


    but wants you to have the baby, even willing to put his career on hold, what do you think his motive is?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want me, but he wants my baby!¡± Daphne suddenly had a realization.


    Julie also thought that was the only possibility.


    She looked at Daphne, speaking earnestly, ¡°This is just my personal opinion. It¡¯s possible that Mr.


    Lionel doesn¡¯t think this way. Men and women think differently, and I¡¯m biased towards you, so I might


    just be painting Mr. Lionel in a bad light.¡±


    ¡°So, why would Lord Lion agree to apany me through childbirth if not for this reason? Isn¡¯t he just


    afraid I¡¯ll run away with the baby, or kill the baby in a fit of rage? I bet that¡¯s what he¡¯s thinking.¡± Daphne


    quickly covered her belly, ¡°Men are so cunning!¡±


    ¡°Julien might have a clearer, more objective perspective. Maybe I should ask her?¡± Julie took out her


    phone and made a video call to Julien.


    Daphne didn¡¯t expect Julien to pick up, but she did immediately.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked coldly. In the video, instead of her face, there was a ceiling with vintage murals,


    like the inside of a European castle.


    Julie exined their predicament and then asked Julien, ¡°Do you think¡­


    ¡°Julien, do you think Lord Lion wants to take my baby away from me?¡± Before Julie could finish her


    question, Daphne excitedly asked Julien on the other end.


    There was silence for a moment, then the phone was suddenly picked up. They heard Julien¡¯s voice,


    ¡°Let me find a jerk to answer your question.¡±


    With that, Julien tossed the phone to Mr. Watson.


    -¡°Hello?¡± Daphne started tentatively.


    ¡°You¡¯re calling me a jerk? I¡¯m the only good man in the world!!


    ¡°What about Harding?¡± Julien asked.


    Mr. Watson thought for a moment, holding up two fingers, ¡°The only two.¡±


    Then he said to Daphne, ¡°In my opinion, no man is good, especially those who are irresponsible!


    You¡¯re better off having a baby for me than for Lionel!¡±


    Daphne nced at Julie, ¡°Honey, hang up!¡±


    Then she took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to first find a way to stop Lord Lion from meeting my


    parents tomorrow. This is the most urgent matter right now.¡±


    Marlon Watson¡¯s voice came from the still-connected video, ¡°That¡¯s easy! Just move!¡±


    ¡°That makes sense!¡± Daphne pped her hands in realization.


    Julie watched Daphne, who was excitedly leaving, with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re not serious, right? You¡¯re


    actually listening to this bad advice?¡±


    Daphne¡¯s voice came from the door, ¡°I¡¯m going to book a tour for my parents right now, send them


    away for a few days, and then we¡¯ll n long-term.¡±


    This method was indeed feasible. Julie didn¡¯t stop Daphne, but after she left, she texted Kieran, ¡°I want


    to call you. Are you busy?¡±


    Soon, Kieran called her back, ¡°Miss me?¡±


    His maic voice was dizzying. Julieposed herself and asked, ¡°I just wanted to ask, what kind of


    person do you think Mr. Lionel is?¡±


    Kieran knew instantly that Julie was asking for Daphne, so he gave her a practical suggestion, ¡°About


    that, you might want to ask Elliot. Elliot and Lionel are close.¡±


    If Kieran hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Julie would have forgotten. Elliot and Lionel had attended the Primeval


    charity event together. They seemed to be very good friends.


    Julie excitedly said to the man on the other end of the phone, ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll have the chef make you a


    beautiful love bentoter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Kieran replied in a deep voice from his couch.


    Julie found Elliot¡¯s phone number and dialed it. Elliot was surprised to receive Julie¡¯s call. Their


    rtionship was awkward now. They wouldn¡¯t contact each other unless it was really important. That¡¯s


    why Elliot was surprised when Julie called.


    *Tailie Julie, what¡¯s up?¡± Elliot took the initiative to speak.


    ¡°Nothing much, just.. I wanted to ask about someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lionel. Last time I saw you two seemed to get along really well, like you¡¯ve known each other for


    years¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Elliot said, ¡°Daphne¡¯s pregnant with Lionel¡¯s haby, isn¡¯t she? You want to help Ms. Daphne


    find out Mr. Lionel¡¯s true feelings towards her and the baby. right?¡±


    Julie admitted directly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°His family background is a bit of a hot mess. Have you ever heard of Fabian Kemp from


    Stonemeadow?¡± Elliot asked.


    Julie had heard of him, Fabian was a big shot in the global news and media industry. Rumored to be a


    media mogul, his relentless pursuit of business interests put him at the top of the chain.


    But his love life was a dumpster fire. He¡¯d been married four times. His first wife died of illness when he


    was 34. After that, he married three more women, and the


    gossip about him and other women never stopped during his marriages.


    The mention of Fabian¡¯s name gave Julie a bad feeling.


    1


    On the other end of the line, Elliot¡¯s voice came through, ¡°As you might¡¯ve guessed, Lionel is Fabian¡¯s


    son with his first wife, Thelma. Their father-son rtionship has always been on thin ice. Fabian¡¯s third


    wife was a French socialite named Sandrine, who had a son named Chris with her ex-husband,


    Thomas. Among all the siblings, Chris and Lionel have the rockiest rtionship.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Daphne?¡± Julie was totally lost.


    Elliot chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m getting to the good part!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lionel doesn¡¯t seem to have any ns to marry Daphne¡­¡± Julie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m teaching you how to help Daphne give Lionel the boot,¡± Elliot said seriously.


    Julie was taken aback, ¡°Really?¡±


    Elliot replied, ¡°Absolutely. Although Chris and Lionel have a rocky rtionship, Chris knows Lionel


    better than anyone. You catch my drift?¡±


    The confused Julie finally got it, ¡°I see now! Thanks, Elliot.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Elliot hung up the phone.


    Adeline, who was sitting next to him munching on chips and glued to the TV, finally spoke, ¡°Elliot,


    you¡¯re a piece of work. Even though Chris and Lionel have a rocky rtionship, they grew up together


    and their brotherly bond is strong. Why would Chris betray Lionel to help a stranger?¡±


    ¡°Chris wouldn¡¯t help Daphne, but he wouldn¡¯t help Lionel either. Those two brothers are always at each


    other¡¯s throats. How else would we know if they really care about each other if we don¡¯t test them?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You make a good point, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a piece of work.¡±


    Elliot tapped Adeline¡¯s forehead, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you yet! When did you open that bar?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the other night that Elliot discovered that his ¡®twin¡¯ who seemed to do nothing all day had


    secretly opened a bar, and not just one. Last time, he did some digging and found out that Adeline now


    owns five high-end VIP clubs.


    Adeline winked at Elliot, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Then, she kicked Elliot who was sitting next to her, ¡°This is my ce! When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°When I figure out a good excuse to take you back home.¡±


    ¡°Easy! Just kill me, put my ashes in your pocket, and you can take me back home. So I won¡¯t have to


    see that disgusting old woman Victoria.¡± She continued munching on her chips, clearly not taking the


    idea of going home seriously.


    Elliot suddenly said, ¡°I have another way to take you back home.¡±


    ¡°None of your tricks will work! I don¡¯t want to go back!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elliot said with a hint of regret, ¡°I was going to say, if I married you, you¡¯d be a real part of the


    Sanches family!¡±


    Adeline paused for a good three or four seconds before tossing the chips in her hand into the trash


    can.


    ¡°You got the guts? Let¡¯s go! To the city hall!¡±


    ¡°What for? ording to official records, you¡¯re still a part of the Sanches family.¡±


    Adeline realized, ¡°So that¡¯s why you dare to say that, huh?¡±


    She plopped back down on the couch, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued watching TV.


    ¡°Adeline.¡± Suddenly, Elliot spoke seriously, ¡°Have you ever thought about finding your biological


    parents?¡±

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    Chapter 235


    ¡°Parents?¡± Adeline chuckled coldly, devoid of emotion. ¡°Are you asking about my biological parents, or


    the ones who dumped me in the trash can?¡±


    Elliot remained silent.


    At Feliz Gastro House.


    The information Elliot had shared wasn¡¯t immediately passed on to Daphne by Julie. Instead, she


    began scouring the inte for news about Chris.


    As she was deep in her reading, her phone suddenly buzzed.


    The number was one she had jotted down in Kieran¡¯s office earlier. It was Kyle¡¯s number. Kyle calling at


    this time puzzled Julie, but she picked up the call anyway.


    ¡°Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Joyce, it¡¯s me.¡± His voice was low and steady on the other end of the line.


    Julie asked, ¡°Kyle, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Sansa¡­¡± Upon mentioning the name, Kyle paused before asking, ¡°Which hospital is she in?¡±


    ¡°Kyle, you want to see her?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± His response was monotone, void of emotion. But Julie could imagine that he must be quite on


    edge right now.


    After a moment, he asked, ¡°Would youe with me? Where are you? I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±


    If what Dn had said was true, then Kyle already had a girlfriend before he met Sansa. But he ended


    up with Sansa, almost marrying her. After they broke up, disappeared.


    he


    Julie wasn¡¯t sure whether Kyle was a good guy or not, and she didn¡¯t know why he suddenly wanted to


    see Sansa ¨C whether he was genuine, or had other motives. But she knew Kyle was stubborn. If he


    really wanted to see Sansa, he would, even if she tried to stop him.


    So, Julie asked Kyle, ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the building opposite you. ck BMW, license te ends with 23. Kyle provided detailed


    information.


    Julie looked out the window and indeed, across the street, there was a parked ck car. Although she


    couldn¡¯t clearly see the license te number, her gut told her it was Kyle¡¯s car.


    His previous response was ¡®I¡¯m in the building opposite you. He had already 100% confirmed his


    location, but redundantly asked her where she was again.


    Julie told Kyle on the other end of the phone, ¡°Hold on a sec, I need to go to the restroom.¡±


    After hanging up, she turned towards the restroom.


    Just as she stepped into the restroom, she dialed Kieran¡¯s number.


    As soon as he picked up, his voice came through, ¡°A ssic steak from Feliz Gastro House, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I have a strong feeling your wife won¡¯t be joining you for lunch today,¡± Julie said.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond, waiting for her to continue.


    Julie said, ¡°Kyle wants to see Sansa. I might apany him to the hospital. He¡¯s currently downstairs


    at your office building, in a ck BMW. License te ends in


    23.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful on the road.¡± Without asking for more details, Kieran hung up and turned to Karl,


    ¡°That ck BMW, license te ends in 23, have someone tail it. Make sure Julie is safe.¡±


    In reality, this was the goal of Julie¡¯s call to Kieran.


    All in all, she didn¡¯tpletely trust Kyle at the moment. She felt that he was a far cry from the person


    she knew back in the day. He¡¯d be more mature,plex, and unpredictable.


    After hanging up, Julie left the restaurant. She saw the ck BMW parked in front of the restaurant.


    As she approached the car, ready to knock on the window, the passenger door was opened by a


    woman. It was Lisa, the woman she¡¯d seen at the hotel the night before.


    Julie got in the backseat, nodded at Lisa with a smile and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The car started slowly, left the restaurant, and headed onto the road.


    The car was extremely quiet, only filled with the sound of the soft piano music. Neither Kyle nor Julie


    initiated conversation.


    It wasn¡¯t until the car stopped at a red light that the driver finally broke the silence with an awkward


    question, Excuse me, Ms. Abraham. Which hospital are we going to?¡±


    Oakhurst Hospital,¡± Julie answered.


    Breaking the slightly awkward silence, Kyle¡¯s gentle voice suddenly spoke, ¡°Julie, do you not trust me


    anymore?¡±


    What?¡± Julie looked back into Kyle¡¯s eyes, confused and unsure of what he meant.


    Kyle nced at the car tailing them in the rearview mirror but didn¡¯t borate. He turned to Julie and


    asked, ¡°Do you think I would hurt you?¡±


    Julie found the question dangerous, but after some thought, she replied without fear, ¡°If someone wants


    to hurt another person, they must have their reasons. If you really want to hurt me, I hope you tell me


    why first.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± He said firmly.


    Julie froze for a moment, thenughed, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you either.¡±


    She brushed off the tense moment with a joke, then changed the subject, ¡°Kyle, you¡¯ve matured a lot


    since the old days. You¡¯re still young, but I feel like you¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°Every day brings change to a person. Especially considering we haven¡¯t seen each other in years,¡±


    Kyle said calmly.


    Julie nodded, ¡°I heard your business is doing well. Have you been all work and no y these years?¡±


    ¡°Starting a business isn¡¯t easy.¡± He summarized his past and then asked, ¡°And you, how have you


    been?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Julie answered, ¡°It¡¯s indescribable.¡±


    I


    Throughout the journey, the two chatted but didn¡¯t exactly grow closer. They were like old friends who


    hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time. Julie was no longer the little girl who dreamt of conquering the


    world with her martial arts skills. And he was no longer the boy who would gently stroke her head,


    teaching her to be a sensible boy.


    When the conversation between them became less one-sided and superficial, Julie finally turned to


    Kyle and asked, ¡°Kyle, why did you name yourw firm S&J International Law Firm? Does it have any


    special meaning?¡±


    She wanted to indirectly verify whether what Dn¡¯s friend Kelly said was true that Kyle once had a


    girlfriend named Jessica.


    However, when Julie asked this question, she didn¡¯t expect that Kyle wouldn¡¯t answer. Instead, he


    suddenly turned around and looked at her in a direct way, as if he was quietly observing.


    Feeling a bit nervous under his gaze, Julie slowly lowered her head, not asking any further.


    But then Kyle suddenly said, ¡°Joyce, you and Sansa are a lot alike.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Julie casually replied, ¡°She¡¯s gentle, understanding, persistent in what she likes and always


    puts others before herself. I¡¯m not even half as kind as her. The only consistent thing I¡¯ve done from a


    young age is probably chasing after Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He confirmed, ¡°You two have the same approach to digging deep into things.¡±


    After Kyle beat around the bush, Julie understood that Kyle was warning her not to dig too deep.


    At this point, a normal person would stay silent. But Julie had always had her own unique way of


    handling things.


    So, after Kyle said that, she confidently lifted her head, smiled and subtly replied, ¡°Seems like people


    who dig too deep don¡¯t always end up well. My sister is an example. What do you think, Kyle?¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s question, but instead gently adjusted his gold-rimmed sses, gave a slight


    smile and said, ¡°Joyce, you¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    He used this sentence to end their conversation. He didn¡¯t speak again until the car stopped in front of


    Oakhurst Hospital. Julie then got out of the car and led Kyle


    1.


    Just as Dr. Brice finished examining Sansa, he saw Julie and Kyle appear at the door of the ward. He


    knew Julie but had never seen Kyle.


    ¡°Sansa¡¯s condition is still the same.¡± Dr. Brice said to Julie.


    Julie smiled at Dr. Brice and nodded, ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Dr. Brice asked, looking at Kyle.


    After a moment of hesitation, Julie didn¡¯t know how to introduce Kyle.


    But Kyle took the initiative and introduced himself to Dr. Brice, ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Sansa¡¯s. My name is


    Kyle. Can Ie in and see her now?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Dr. Brice nodded.


    Julie nodded in thanks to Dr. Brice and followed Kyle into the ward.


    Sansa was lying on the hospital bed, pale and weak.


    Shey there, with white sheets slightly raised. A breathing tube was inserted into her nose, and


    although her eyes were open, there was no expression in them, making her look like a corpse.


    Julie clearly felt Kyle pause for a moment, then slowly walked up.


    Lisa wanted to follow, but was waved off by Kyle.


    Following behind Kyle, Julie watched him carefully.


    She wanted to tell Kyle that Sansa had been like this for many years, but she couldn¡¯t get the words


    out.


    Instead, Kyle suddenly turned around and looked at her with a slightly deep gaze, ¡°Julie, can I be alone


    with her for a while?¡±


    Outside the ICU ward, there was arge transparent ss, so even from the outside, one could clearly


    see what was happening inside.


    So Julie didn¡¯t refuse Kyle¡¯s request, but paused for a few seconds before turning around and leaving.


    She knew the chances of Sansa waking up were slim, but she still held onto hope, expecting Kyle to


    have some influence on Sansa¡¯s recovery¡­

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    Chapter 236


    Outside the ICU, Julie watched as Kyle walked up to Sansa, gently taking her hand, but whatever he


    was saying to Sansa was beyond her view.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    After all, Julie was no Dn, and couldn¡¯t read a man¡¯s emotions from his back.


    She tumed her gaze to Kyle¡¯s assistant, Lisa.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Lisa.¡± Lisa politely smiled, not missing a beat.


    Julie casually asked Lisa, ¡°You¡¯ve been in this line of work for a while? Been with Mr. Kyle for many


    years?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lisa answered the question sinctly, not revealing any specific years. Clearly, she was on


    guard with Julie.


    ¡°I think Mr. Kyle has changed a lot.¡± Julie mused more to herself than to Lisa. She continued softly,


    looking at Kyle¡¯s back, ¡°The day my sister was diagnosed as being in a vegetative state, I tried to


    contact Mr. Kyle. But he told me not long ago that he hasn¡¯t used that email since he and my sister


    broke up. Lisa, do you have someone you fancy?¡±


    This shift in topic caught Lisa off guard. She replied, ¡°My personal life is quite ordinary, you probably


    wouldn¡¯t be interested.¡±


    This woman was really clever, her responses were so precise, leaving no room for rebuttal.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a foreign ent at all.¡± Julie said, smiling.


    Lisa looked like a local so she didn¡¯t understand why Julie would suspect she was foreign. In reality,


    she was, having grown up overseas.


    All she could think was that Julie had really good hearing. She spoke better than some locals, but Julie


    still noticed it.


    ¡°How did you know I was foreign?¡± Lisa asked.


    Julieughed, ¡°So, I was right.¡±


    Lisa was speechless.


    Inside the hospital room, Kyle stood up and walked out. His face looked off, there were no obvious


    emotional fluctuations, but his presence seemed to make the atmosphere colder.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Kyle asked Julie, ¡°Did the doctor say there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯ll wake


    up?¡±


    As Kyle asked this, Julie¡¯s mind started racing. In the end, she didn¡¯t tell him the whole truth, instead


    she told Kyle, ¡°The doctor said there¡¯s almost zero chance she¡¯ll wake up. He told me not to get my


    hopes up.¡±


    She watched Kyle¡¯s sharp eyes behind his gold-rimmed sses carefully, hoping to catch a hint of his


    feelings. But even with herplete focus, she couldn¡¯t detect any emotional fluctuations.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if his control of his emotions was too good, or if her observation skills werecking.


    When Kyle offered to take Julie home, she declined.


    ¡°I want to stay with Sansa a bit longer.¡± Julie told Kyle.


    Kyle nodded and left with Lisa.


    Watching Lisa and Kyle¡¯s retreating figures, Julie nced at Sansa in the ICU, she remained as if there


    were no signs of life.


    She turned to find Dr. Brice.


    ¡°Here?¡± Dr. Brice had two takeout boxes on his desk, he was opening the packaging.


    Julie apologized to Dr. Brice, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were eating, you go ahead. I¡¯ll sit with Sansa, and


    come find youter.¡±


    Dr. Briceughed, grabbing Julie¡¯s hand as she turned to leave, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see I got two meals? You


    haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Come on, let¡¯s eat and chat.¡±


    Julie was touched that another box lunch was prepared for her. Then she heard Dr. Brice saying, ¡°Don¡¯t


    be touched, your husband ordered it.¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Sitting across from Dr. Brice, she picked up her utensils, feeling it was inappropriate to ask about


    Sansa¡¯s condition while eating, so she kept quiet.


    Dr. Brice suddenly said, ¡°That Mr. Kyle earlier, he looked familiar.¡±


    ¡°Kyle, he¡¯s the founder, chairman, and CEO of S&J International Law Firm.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Dr. Brice picked up the cutlery,menting, ¡°This man is not simple.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    *The headquarters of S&J International Law Firm is in Britain, right? I remember they have branches all


    over the country. My dad needed his help before, I heard my dad talking about him. He said that the


    younger generation is more outstanding than theirs. The president of S&J International Law Firm is a


    tough guy, quick and precise, not easy to deal with. How did Sansa meet him?¡± Dr. Brice asked


    casually.


    Julie remember Dr. Brice mentioning that his father was a mayor, so it¡¯s not surprising that he has


    ess to Kyle from S&J International Law Firm.


    After Dr. Brice¡¯sment, Julie realized that she really didn¡¯t know how Sansa and Kyle met.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about my sister¡¯s affairs.¡± Julie told Dr. Brice, ¡°But when he asked me about my


    sister¡¯s condition earlier, I may have said something¡­¡±


    Before Julie could finish, a nurse rushed to the office door, shouting, ¡°Dr. Brice, Dr. Brice!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Walk steadily, talk steadily, where did your training go?¡± Dr. Brice started scolding


    the new nurse.


    The nurse took a deep breath before saying, ¡°The patient in room -24, her heart rate is increasing,


    blood pressure is rising!¡±


    Room 24, that¡¯s Sansa!


    By the time Julie realized, Dr. Brice had put down his utensils and was rushing toward the room.


    Julie followed immediately, but could only anxiously watch through the ss door.


    After some intense resuscitation measures, Sansa¡¯s heart rate finally stabilized. Time and again, Sansa


    had brushed with death.


    Dr. Brice stepped out, looking somewhat exhausted. He lightly patted Julie¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    she¡¯s fine now.¡±


    ¡°What just happened?¡±


    Julie suddenly lifted her head, looking at Dr. Brice, ¡°Kyle went in there just now! I don¡¯t know what he


    said to Sansa, but, could this have something to do with him?¡±


    Previously, Sansa was sent to the hospital and after some time of treatment, she was diagnosed as


    being in a vegetative state. At that time, Dr. Brice wasn¡¯t Sansa¡¯s primary doctor. The doctor who was,


    had said that Sansa¡¯s condition was severe. She wasn¡¯t conscious, couldn¡¯t hear people around her


    and the chances of her recovery were next to none.


    But what happened today, made Julie believe that it had something to do with Kyle.


    She expectantly looked at Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice said, ¡°When Sansa was first handed over to me, her brain had suffered severe damage. But


    looking at her recent recovery, considering her brain activity, it seems that she¡¯s aware of changes


    around her. I believe she¡¯s fiercely battling against her condition. If it really is because of Kyle, then it


    must be something he said¡­¡±


    Before Dr. Brice could finish, Julie suddenly ran out of the hospital, taking out her phone. Brice knew


    that Julie would do anything for Sansa, or she wouldn¡¯t have insisted on her treatment alone, so he


    guessed that she must now be going to Kyle. Just as his father had said, Kyle was no ordinary man. Dr.


    Brice, aware that Julie had just been through a kidnapping ordeal, didn¡¯t want her to face any more


    danger, so he immediately dialed Kieran¡¯s number.


    Julie ran impulsively out, stopping at the hospital¡¯s entrance, phone in hand, with Kyle¡¯s number on the


    screen.


    After hanging up on Kyle, Kieran immediately dialed Julie¡¯s number, expecting it to be busy, but to his


    surprise, she picked up.


    ¡°Joyce, where are you right now?¡± Kieran¡¯s slightly agitated voice came through, revealing his concern


    for her.


    In fact, Kieran had already stood up and walked over to the French windows, hoping to spot Julie.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital entrance,¡± Julie¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    She knew that Dr. Brice must have told Kieran because he was worried about her, so Julie reassured,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t go after him.¡±


    Truthfully, Julie had impulsively run out to ask-Kyle what he had said to Sansa. She had even thought


    of threatening him with a knife to get the truth out of him, to know why he had broken up with Sansa


    and what he had said to Sansa that had caused a reaction in her. She believed that he might be the


    key to waking Sansa


    up


    She watched as Kyle and Lisa got into a car, Kyle¡¯s number disyed on her phone. She could have


    easily hailed a cab to follow them or call Kyle to confront him.


    But at the critical moment, she didn¡¯t.


    She learned a lesson from her encounter with Davina Field. Sometimes, people around you are wolves


    in sheep¡¯s clothing, only thinking about how to hurt you. They¡¯re often more dangerous than actual


    wolves.


    She recalled their conversation in the car.


    That man with gold-rimmed sses, dressed in a deep blue suit, with exquisite cufflinks, said in a low


    voice, ¡°Joyce, you¡¯re very much like Sansa.¡± What if Kyle wasn¡¯t just saying that?


    What if what he said meant exactly what she thought it did? Then the next person lying in a hospital


    bed could be her. So this time, she didn¡¯t impulsively do anything.


    Kieran on the other end of the line breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent a car to follow Kyle,


    but¡­ I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be of much use. I¡¯m sending someone to pick you up back to the office.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go back by myself,¡± Julie said.


    In Kyle¡¯s car.


    Lisa nced at the car following them in the rearview mirror and asked Kyle, ¡°Mr. Kyle, should we


    shake them off?¡±


    ¡°Let them follow,¡± Kyle took off his sses, his gaze suddenly bing deeper.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Chapter 237


    Kieran¡¯s guess was correct, and although the men he sent follow Kyle¡¯s whereabouts, they ended up


    with no information.


    Aside from meetings withpany staff and partners, Kyle was holed up in his hotel all the time.


    Kieran and Julie were left in the dark.


    At Opulent Skyline Suites, Kyle was lounging on a big leather couch, legs crossed, cradling a gray


    laptop. He asked Lisa, ¡°Are Kieran¡¯s guys still here?¡± in a chilly


    tone.


    ¡°They¡¯re still downstairs.¡± Lisa answered, ¡°Mr. Kyle, do we need to get rid of them?¡±


    ¡°No, did you get any results on what I asked you to look into?¡± Kyle asked.


    Lisa nodded, ¡°Mr. Hernandez has been in touch with Professor Fredtely.¡±


    Fred was a world renowned neurosurgeon who had focused onatose cases for nearly 30 years.


    Ten years ago, he had a grisly car ident, causing him to lose both his legs. The incident hit him


    hard, and he¡¯d been in therapy ever since. It wasn¡¯t until two weeks ago that he got back on the horse.


    Before the ident, Fred sessfully woke up several patients from a vegetative state using modern


    treatments and some unique methods.


    Kieran reaching out to Fred was likely due to Sansa.


    ¡°Does Julie know about Kieran contacting Fred?¡± Kyle asked.


    Lisa shook her head, ¡°Mr. Hernandez probably didn¡¯t want to give Ms. Abraham false hope, so he didn¡¯t


    tell her until he was sure Fred could help Sansa.¡±


    ¡°Get in touch with Fred.¡± Kyle simply said, then got up and left.


    Lisa was always good at reading people and understanding their thoughts. Most of the time, she could


    get what Kyle was driving at, even without a detailed exnation.


    But this time Kyle asked her to contact Fred, which made Lisa feel a little confused. ¡°Mr. Kyle, do you


    mean you want Professor Fred to turn down Mr. Hernandez¡¯s request?¡±


    Kyle nced back at her, his gaze icy.


    After a while, he said, ¡°No, we want him to take Kieran¡¯s request, but¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He beckoned Lisa over, then whispered something in her ear.


    After hearing him out, Lisa turned and left.


    Not wanting to disturb Kieran¡¯s work, Julie went straight to Feliz Gastro House after leaving the


    hospital.


    Once Kieran wrapped up his work and grabbed his coat to head to Feliz Gastro House, Karl knocked


    on his office door.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kieran opened the door to see Karl standing there.


    ¡°Professor Fred¡¯s assistant called. They¡¯ve agreed to your terms. The Professor will be flying in tonight


    and wants to meet with you for dinner tomorrow to discuss, the details.¡± Karl said.


    A week ago, Kieran had reached out to Fred, but there had no response. Kieran even offered to send


    Sansa to Britain for treatment, but Fred didn¡¯t ept the patient.


    Yet, a weekter, Fred suddenly agreed to treat Sansa and was flying in from Britain. This caught


    Kieran off guard.


    Taking Kieran¡¯s coat, Karl followed him into the elevator and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see that corning. Fred t-


    out rejected us when we first approached him.¡±


    ¡°How did he reject us?¡± Kieran pressed the elevator button, then turned to Karl.


    Karl thought for a moment and said, ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t take on any moreatose patients unless


    we threatened his daughter. Apparently, Fred lost his legs because of a paper he wrote onatose


    patients.¡±


    ¡°So, why do you think he suddenly agreed to treat Sansa?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Maybe he had a change of heart?¡± Karl looked at Kieran uncertainly, confusion written all over his


    face.


    Kieran clearly didn¡¯t buy that. Looking at Karl¡¯s reflection on the elevator¡¯s mirrored walls, he said, ¡°I


    think it¡¯s more likely that someone threatened his daughter.¡±


    Karl quickly waved his hands, ¡°I¡¯m a straight shooter. I may feel sorry for what happened to Sansa, but


    I¡¯d never stoop to kidnapping someone¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°I wish you were capable of that.¡± The elevator reached the ground floor and Kieran stepped out.


    Catching up to Kieran, Karl asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We need to counter his move.¡± Kieran took his coat back from Karl, ¡°Find out what time Fred¡¯s flight is


    and pick him up yourself.¡±


    Kieran crossed the street and walked straight into Feliz Gastro House.


    Julie was in the office, engrossed in the restaurant¡¯s financial reports from the past two years, oblivious


    to Kieran at the door.


    ¡°Why not leave this to the finance department?¡± Kieran approached Julie, dressed in a dark grey sult


    and a ck woolen coat.


    Julie looked up at Kieran standing next to her and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m just curious about the restaurant¡¯s


    earnings these past two years.¡± She nced at the time on herputer and looked up at him, ¡°You¡¯re


    ying hooky, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°Yep, might dock my pay.¡±


    Julie chuckled, ¡°I can keep it a secret, but I want something in return.¡±


    ¡°How about no periods for a year? What about it?¡± He looked at her fondly and nted a kiss on her


    forehead, ¡°Let¡¯s go, time to pick up our son from school.


    He draped her white coat over her shoulders and walked out of the office with his arm around her.


    Julie was about the same height as Kieran¡¯s shoulder, making her look like a little girl standing next to


    him.


    Just as Julie turned to say something to Kieran, she noticed that many of the restaurant¡¯s patrons were


    snapping pictures of them with their phones, having a field day.


    She turned her head, swallowing down her words, then lowered her gaze and quickened her pace. The


    man behind her, in the moment of leaving the restaurant, opened his coat and directly wrapped his


    arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace.


    The cold wind suddenly felt warm to her, the first cold snap of winter making her feel a bit hot. She


    reached out and lightly poked the man¡¯s waist, ¡°Can you only see the top of my head from this


    distance?¡±


    ¡°I can also see your dandruff.¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes.


    Peaceful coexistence is still possible, right?


    The man,ughing, held her even tighter and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your hand?¡±


    She extended her delicate hands, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Which hand poked me just now?¡± He asked.


    She immediately put both hands into her pockets, cleverly changing the subject, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I grow


    taller in high school? I was this tall in middle school, why am I still this height in high school?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because the burden of your crush was too heavy, it bent your spine.¡± He joked.


    Yet, she found it quite reasonable!


    As they crossed the street, he suddenly held her hand, their fingers tightly inteced.


    The cold of winter made her hands somewhat chilly, but his palms were warm. He ced her hand in


    the pocket of his coat and walked towards the parking lot.


    The man had long legs and big strides, but walked very slowly, deliberately matching her pace. She


    looked up at his profile, his smile was captivating.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? You¡¯re grinning like an idiot.¡±


    Just as she was about to say he was actually a gentleman, his words made her thoughts flip. She


    wiped off her smile and said, ¡°If I weren¡¯t an idiot, why would I have fallen for you?¡±


    He thought about it seriously, then nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    He unlocked the car, suddenly turned to her and asked, ¡°Do you want to drive?¡±


    Looking at the expensive car, and then at the car keys in his hand, she felt a bit uneasy. She wanted to


    try, but was afraid something might go wrong.


    Kieran simply pushed the car keys into her hand and reassured her, ¡°What are you scared of? I¡¯m in


    the passenger seat.¡±


    After saying that, he already opened the door, sat in the passenger seat, and even fastened his


    seatbelt.


    She thought, one should always learn to be independent. She already had a driver¡¯s license, but she


    had hardly ever driven.


    ¡°With so many cars at home, you should help me out by driving one of them,¡± he said, poking his head


    out of the car window and calling to her, ¡°Get in.¡±


    This time, she didn¡¯t hesitate, opened the car door straightaway, adjusted the seat, fastened her


    seatbelt, and started the car.


    Once they had left the garage, she asked Kieran, ¡°Which way to the school?¡±


    ¡°Turn left.¡±


    ¡°Which side is left?¡±


    He nced at her with deep eyes, and she immediately turned the wheel to the left, know which side is


    left, I¡¯m just a bit nervous. Tell a joke to lighten the mood!¡±


    Although the car was moving slowly, she felt a bit nervous. She wasn¡¯t familiar with the car¡¯s


    capabilities, and every time arge truck passed by, she would instinctively steer towards the sidewalk.


    Kieran quickly grabbed the wheel to prevent an ident.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m very rich, I can¡¯t use money to rece people¡¯s lives, darling, you need to be more


    careful.¡± He corrected the position of the steering wheel.


    Julie didn¡¯t respond, just held the steering wheel tightly and stared at the traffic light ahead. She


    stepped on the brake and barely avoided running a red light.


    However, Mr. Hernandez suddenly lurched forward.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Julie looked back at her husband worriedly. She had a strong premonition that this trip


    wouldn¡¯t be smooth sailing.


    Kieran shook his head, then looked at the traffic signal ahead, saying, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Seeing Kieran holding the steering wheel with one hand, Julie¡¯s smile was uglier than crying.


    She stepped on the gas, and the car started moving.


    ¡°Can you set up the navigation for me?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°Turn right in 500 meters, mind your speed. How¡¯s this for an automated navigation?¡± He asked.


    His voice was already pleasant to listen to, but saying these words was downright distracting!


    Julle didn¡¯t reply, just focused on driving. Suddenly, at the spot where she was supposed to turn, two


    ck cars closed in from both sides, immobilizing Julie¡¯s car Even a slight deviation of the steering


    wheel would result in a collision.


    ¡°Speed up!¡± Kieran suddenly told Julie.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    Chapter 238


    Hearing Kieran¡¯s order, Julie hesitated until the car next door suddenly rolled down its window,


    revealing a shadowy figure.


    The guy wore a mask and hat. Looking closely, you could see his eyes giving off a murderous vibe.


    Julie got scared and instantly floored the gas pedal.


    Kieran reached out and grabbed the steering wheel, ¡°Floor it!¡±


    Julie pushed the pedal to the metal, gripping the steering wheel tightly..


    ¡°Let go,¡± Kieran ordered.


    With the other car closing in on them again, Julie had to relypletely on Kieran. She immediately let


    go, but didn¡¯t ease off the gas.


    ¡°Ease up on the pedal,¡± Kieran¡¯s voice drifted from the right.


    Julie eased up on the pedal, gripping the car window tightly, feeling like she was holding onto herst


    straw. Kieran yanked the wheel to the left, the car hugging the one next to it, forcing it towards the edge


    of the bridge. If they didn¡¯t stop, they¡¯d surely be pushed off.


    So, the car next to them had no choice but to hit the brakes.


    ¡°Step on the gas!¡± Kieranmanded, his body already leaning towards Julie.


    Julie obeyed, pressing down on the gas pedal, and the car shot off like an arrow.


    Seems the other party anticipated Kieran might pull the same trick, so they decided to strike first,


    aiming for Julie¡¯s car.


    But they didn¡¯t expect Kieran to suddenly tell Julie, ¡°Ease up on the gas.¡±


    Just as their car was about to crash into Julie¡¯s, she eased off the gas and made a sharp U-turn.


    The iing car crashed into the bridge railing. The car behind it, just catching up, didn¡¯t have time to


    react and saw Kieran and Julie¡¯s car fading into the distance.


    ¡°Speed up!¡± Kieran said.


    Julie pressed the gas pedal, the car instantly sped up.


    The two cars behind them immediately chased after them, but there was already some distance


    between them.


    After getting off the bridge, Julie remained vignt, driving a bit further, the car finally returned to the


    city center.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Kieran ordered.


    Julie immediately mmed on the brakes, parking the car sideways on the roadside.


    Kieran quickly pulled the handbrake, the car shifted to Park, then he quickly helped a shaken Julie


    unbuckle her seatbelt, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Kieran pushed open the car door, quickly ran to the driver¡¯s side and opened the door.


    Julie was pretty freaked out.


    He took her hand and pulled her out of the car, then led Julie towards the pedestrian street. This was a


    tourist area in the city center, designed to look like a retro old


    street.


    Kieran led Julie into an alley, then pushed her against the alley wall. Only then did Julie, trembling, take


    out her phone.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He grabbed her trembling hand.


    Julie looked up innocently, ¡°I was going to call the cops¡­¡±


    Kieran scanned the surroundings, his eyesnding on a red brick not far away. He turned around,


    picked up a brick, and handed it to Julie. He then grabbed another brick and dialed Karl¡¯s number, ¡°28,


    Maplewood Lane, bring people here now!¡±


    After hanging up, Julie looked at the brick in her hand, confused, ¡°We should have shaken them off by


    now, they can¡¯t possibly catch up¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, a flurry of footsteps suddenly echoed from the entrance of the alley. Hearing


    the footsteps getting closer, Julie was so nervous she didn¡¯t dare to breathe, gripping the brick in her


    hand even tighter.


    Kieran threw the brick in his hand at three men in casual clothes. They were distracted by the sound of


    the brick, no longer heading towards the alley.


    Taking advantage of one of them being distracted, Kieran charged at him, grabbed his baton, and


    mmed it into his knee.


    The baton hit hard, and the man instantly dropped to his knees in pain.


    When the other two turned around, Kieran intercepted one of them swinging a baton at him and kicked


    him in the chin.


    Another man charged at Kieran, sweeping his baton at him. Kieran bent down to avoid it and kicked


    him off his feet.


    ¡°Stop!¡± A voice rang out.


    Kieran halted, looking at Julie. She was being held hostage by the guy he¡¯d just kicked in the chin, a


    switchde pressed against her throat.


    It looked like any false move could cost Julie her life.


    While Kieran was dealing with the other two, the guy he¡¯d kicked in the chin noticed Julie, quickly


    walked over to her, and before she could react, he had pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. This


    surprise attacker left Julie with no chance to resist.


    ¡°Move again and I¡¯ll kill her!¡± The man threatened.


    Julie¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke to the man behind her, ¡°Sir, we can talk this out, there¡¯s no need for


    this.¡±


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was filled with anger.


    But the man suddenly reached out towards Kieran, ¡°Give me the ring! Hand over the ring or I¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    ¡°What ring?¡± As he was fully focused, Julie quietly switched hands holding the brick, carefully raising


    her left hand and asked, ¡°This one?¡±


    The one on her hand was the pink diamond ring that Kieran and Ivan Hernandez had helped her pick


    out. The man nced at it and shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s the ring from


    the auction? Bring it here or else¡­¡±


    Before the viin could finish his sentence, Julie¡¯s raised left hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. His eyes


    turned serious, about to make a move, when the brick in Julie¡¯s other hand suddenly smashed into his


    crotch.


    Kieran stepped forward, grabbed the man¡¯s knife-wielding wrist, and with a sharp twist, tied the man¡¯s


    wrist behind his back, then stomped the wicked man to the ground with one kick. The viin instantly


    howled in pain, Julie was so scared she went limp and fell to the ground.


    The other two viins turned and ran.


    Just then, Karl arrived with his bodyguards, catching the two escaping bad guys. Karl quickly dealt with


    the man who had held Julie hostage, then turned to Kieran and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Take these guys back!¡± Kieran quickly helped Julie up from the ground, examining her closely.


    Only a bit of skin was scraped off her neck from the struggle, thankfully no other injuries. Kieran let out


    a sigh of relief, bending down to pick her up.


    Julie swallowed hard, her eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Kieran, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all good now. Let¡¯s go to the hospital,¡± he said softly, his gentle voice soothing Julie¡¯s


    shocked heart.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    The bad guy who attacked Julie was severely injured, Karl reported.


    Kieran frowned before responding, ¡°Take him to Tranquil Care Hospital.¡±


    After getting Julie into the car, Kieran dialed Harding¡¯s number on his phone.


    Ten minutester.


    The bad guy was rushed into the emergency room at Tranquil Care Hospital. Harding was treating


    Julie¡¯s wounds himself, asking Kieran worriedly, ¡°What the hell happened? Luckily it¡¯s just a superficial


    injury, remember to apply medication so it doesn¡¯t scar.¡±


    Julie gently touched the freshly bandaged wound, leaning against Kieran¡¯s chest, gradually recovering


    from her shock. Suddenly, she grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The ring! The ring is at home, tell


    Noah not to let Ivan go home. If they came for the ring¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Karl to tighten security,¡± He said to her cidly.


    Upon hearing the news, Dn rushed over. After checking on Julie¡¯s injuries, his first question was,


    ¡°Could this be rted to the near ident when Julie was almost hit by a car?¡±


    Having calmed down, Julie said to Kieran, ¡°They were after the ring, and they were after me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Dn asked.


    ¡°Yesterday, when the ident happened, the car was heading toward me and Ivan. I was at the scene.


    Today, it was me and Kieran in the car, I was also at the scene. Yesterday, the car was obviously trying


    to kill me and Ivan. Today¡¯s car, although it chased us all the way, didn¡¯t seem to want to kill me, or


    rather¡­¡±


    Dn immediately picked up on this, offering his own hypothesis, ¡°Perhaps, someone wanted to kill


    you today as well, but¡­ Kieran was also in the car, so they didn¡¯t go for the kill. Yesterday, I reviewed


    the surveince footage in detail, after Kieran crashed the van into the barrier, his car was closest to


    the river. The van could have easily reversed and pushed Kieran¡¯s car into the river, thene back for


    you. But instead, they chose to drive their own car into the water. In other words, both attacks were


    aimed at you, not Kieran, but they didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Kieran.¡±


    After Dn¡¯s analysis, the suspect was immediately identified. If they wanted to harm Julie but not


    Kieran, it could only be ¨C Lucian Hernandez!


    Although the clues were suddenly clear, Dn had one more question, ¡°If they wanted to kill Julie, why


    didn¡¯t they when the knife was already at her throat?¡±


    ¡°The ring! My mother¡¯s ring, the one that was auctioned off!¡± Julie turned to look at Kieran, suddenly


    saying, ¡°That ring¡­ it was Kyle who bought it for Sansa. It was Kyle!¡±

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    Chapter 239


    ¡°But, how do we exin this?¡± Dn pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Julie¡¯s hospital bed,


    saying, ¡°The guy from yesterday wanted you dead, the guy from today wanted to snatch the ring off


    your hand. The ring was a gift from Kyle, why would he give you a ring and then try to take it back? Is


    there something wrong with him?¡±


    Julie tried to express, I¡¯m not saying this was all Kyle¡¯s doing, but rather that everything happened after


    Kyle showed up. I just think something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, everything happened after Kyle showed up, but ording to reliable sources, Lucian was also


    in the country during this period. It¡¯s hard to know where he is most of the time, the only confirmed


    news is that he stayed at the Opulent Skyline Suites, but then the person in the hotel room turned out


    to be Kyle. The more I think about it, the more it seems like too much of a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we get the hotel surveince footage? What were the results?¡± Kieran asked.


    As soon as the surveince footage was mentioned, Dn got a bit excited, ¡°I came to see you today


    to talk about this, but I didn¡¯t expect such a big thing to happen. I¡¯ve confirmed the surveince


    footage.¡±


    Dn took out a few pictures and handed them to Kieran, ¡°These are screenshots from the


    surveince footage. From the video, there¡¯s no way Kyle and Lucian could havemunicated, this


    footage has been confirmed by Payne Hernandez, and it¡¯s not been tampered with in any way. These


    pictures you¡¯re holding are of Bruce pushing Lucian into the hotel, Lisa checking in Kyle alone, and Lisa


    going to pick up Kyle. From this surveince footage, there¡¯s no intersection between the three of


    them.¡±


    Dn¡¯s clear exnation was meant to express that where the surveince could see, there was no


    intersection between the three, so in ces the surveince


    couldn¡¯t see, it was hard to be sure.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Julie suddenly looked up at Kieran, because from the beginning to now, Kieran


    had been silent.


    He was a thoughtful and meticulous man, if he didn¡¯t speak his mind, no one would know what he was


    thinking.


    The silent Kieran suddenly spoke to Dn, ¡°What¡¯s bound to happen will happen, since we¡¯re


    prepared, let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±


    Dn had always believed that for them, the best strategy is to respond to changes without changing.


    So Dn nodded, then handed the car keys to Kieran, ¡°I¡¯ll continue to investigate, I guess your wife


    might be scared, you guys go home first. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I have any news.¡±


    Kieran nodded to Dn, then watched him leave.


    He turned to look at the bandage on Julie¡¯s neck, frowning in distress, ¡°I failed to protect you.¡±


    She clutched the man¡¯s outstretched hand and smiled faintly, ¡°How can you protect me all the time?¡±


    Kieran smiled, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to stick around you all the time.¡±


    ¡°You honey -tongued guy!¡±


    Suddenly, Julie tightened her grip on Kieran¡¯s hand, looking at him, ¡°Is Sansa in danger?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone protecting her, don¡¯t worry.¡± Kieran paused for a moment, then told Julie, ¡°If you


    agree, we can transfer Sansa to Tranquil Care Hospital. It¡¯s Harding¡¯s hospital, more secure than


    Oakhurst Hospital. And I¡¯ve contacted Professor Fred, he¡¯s agreed to help Sansa.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hearing Fred¡¯s name, Julie¡¯s face immediately lit up with joy.


    Looking at Julie¡¯s reaction, although Kieran felt heartache, he still said, ¡°You said before that there


    should be no secrets between us, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell me?¡± She put away the joy on her face and frowned at Kieran.


    He nodded, telling her, ¡°I found Professor Fred a week ago, but he refused me at the time. Although he


    didn¡¯t explicitly state the reason, based on his reaction, I think he must have his reasons. Unless we


    can threaten his life, he will absolutely not ept Sansa.¡±


    ¡°Why did he suddenly agree?¡± Julie asked.


    Kieran shook his head, ¡°I think someone might have threatened him, that¡¯s the most likely reason.¡±


    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Julie asked, ¡°Fred is the only one who can possibly cure Sansa, if there¡¯s


    even a glimmer of hope, I want to try. Do you already have an


    answer?¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°A week ago, Dr. Brice reached an agreement with us and became a member of the


    Tranquil Care Hospital. When Sansa is transferred, Dr. Brice will continue to be her primary physician.


    Tomorrow afternoon, Professor Fred wille here, and I will try to persuade him to assist Dr. Brice. If


    someone really wants Fred close to Sansa, even he will ept the role of assisting physician.¡±


    Julie thought Kieran¡¯s words made sense, so she nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s invite Fred for dinner tomorrow?¡±


    Kieran thought it was a good suggestion, so he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try to arrange it.¡±


    He stood up, holding her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t offer to drive again, but obediently sat in the passenger seat, she suddenly turned and


    looked at him, saying, ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve noticed that every time I drive something goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Kieran protended not to hear clearly.


    Julie said, ¡°I said every time I drive something goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°What did you say before that?¡±


    ¡°Honey¡­¡± she called out, suddenly realizing, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re teasing me again!¡±


    Kieranughed, ¡°I really like that title.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wrecked three cars now, Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯ve married a woman who wrecks your cars!¡± She


    analyzed seriously.


    Kieran couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°Considering how pretty this woman is, I¡¯ll let it slide.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say, you¡¯d let it slide, considering I birthed your son! So, Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re a


    sucker for looks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been a fan of daughters. If you had a girl, I¡¯d be over the moon.¡± He caressed her head


    with one hand, fingers sifting through her silky hair.


    She brushed his hand away and tidied up her hair, ¡°Hypothetically speaking, if I have the fortune of


    having a daughter in the future, what kind of prize would you give me? A car? A house?¡±


    ¡°These are so ordinary,¡± He said.


    Julie twisted her head ring at him, chuckling, ¡°Then tell me, what isn¡¯t ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°What, are you going to gift yourself to me?¡± She rolled her eyes, a hint of dissatisfaction at the corner


    of her mouth.


    He nodded seriously, ¡°Clever girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smooth operator,¡± She said, suddenly remembering something, she extended her hand to


    Kieran, ¡°My phone¡¯s out of battery, can I borrow yours?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in my pants pocket.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    One of his hands was free, but Julie saw that he had put that hand on the steering wheel, both hands


    clenched the wheel, very serious. Reluctantly, Julie reached into his tailored trousers for the phone.


    The outlines of his thighs and the shape of the phone were clearly visible under the thin fabric.


    She needed to check on Daphne, so even knowing he was doing it on purpose, she still reached into


    his pocket.


    Her hand slipped into his pocket. Despite the heater being on in the car, Julie¡¯s hands were still cold.


    Her chilly fingers brushed his leg through the fabric, and she could feel him tense up.


    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Julie was the one being toyed with, but now it seemed like the tables had


    turned, and it was Ms. Abraham who was teasing Mr. Hernandez.


    Seeing his tense expression, she raised an eyebrow, her voice suddenly softening, ¡°You¡¯re so tense, I


    can¡¯t get the phone. Rx, I won¡¯t do anything¡±


    They were at a stoplight, so safety wasn¡¯t an issue. Despite her words, she pinched him lightly in his


    pocket.


    Normally, the thick-skinned Mr. Hernandez would brush off such a tease. But when he first started


    teasing Ms. Abraham, he thought the same.


    Incredibly, when her chilly fingers brushed his thigh, his mind shed back to waking up the morning


    after a night of drinking.


    Recalling Dn¡¯s words, ¡°Were you masturbating all night?¡±


    Not only did he fail to win Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s heart, he spent a lonely night, even dreaming about


    wearing a bra. The image hit Mr. Hernandez¡¯s brain hard, causing him to feel uneasy. He quickly


    grabbed Julie¡¯s hand, pulled out the phone, and shoved it into her chest.


    This unexpected turn of events left Julie in shock. Was her husband celibate?


    She took the phone, and couldn¡¯t help but steal another nce at Mr. Hernandez in the driver¡¯s seat.


    He started the car, drove through the green light, and parked in the open-air parking lot of the


    pedestrian street. Suddenly, he turned to Julie and said, ¡°How about we get out and walk around?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stuffy in here, let¡¯s walk around before we head back home,¡± he said.


    His mind was filled with vague memories, not conducive for driving. Finally, Kieran got out of the car


    first, leading a confused Julie towards the pedestrian street.


    Julie, holding the phone, was abruptly pulled out of the car by him.


    Go shopping with Mr. Hernandez, even the thought of it felt surreal!

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Chapter 240


    Julie had been dragged out to the pedestrian street, looking up at him innocently, ¡°Ivan is still waiting


    for us at home¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him a chicken leg,¡± he said.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Last time, the little guy did mention he wanted chicken legs when he was eating spicy chicken wings.


    Maybe it was too spicy and he said it offhand. Julie didn¡¯t take it seriously, but he seemed to remember


    it quite well.


    Julie nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the supermarket and get some chicken legs to cook at home.¡±


    She took his hand and they began to walk towards the supermarket.


    There was an ice cream shop on the side of the road. The scent wafted over from a distance. Julie took


    an extra nce and suddenly remembered her school days. She had spent a lot of money buying ice


    cream to win over this proud and aloof boy standing in front of her.


    Julie was lost in thought when he suddenly leaned in from behind her, whispering in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s too


    cold. It¡¯s not good for your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s buy it¡­¡± Julie turned around abruptly, not realizing he was standing right behind her.


    Julie¡¯s lips brushed against his cheek. Julie stepped back but he caught her by the waist.


    Julie shrunk her neck a little, ¡°Buy me some ice cream! Considering how much ice cream I¡¯ve bought


    for you before, can¡¯t you buy me some?¡±


    When Julie looked up at him, her beautiful, sparkling eyes left him defenseless.


    ¡°You¡¯re not buying it? Then I¡¯ll go myself!¡± With that, Julie, stubborn as ever, ran over to the queue.


    Even though it was winter, the shop was surprisingly busy. There was a young couple in front of them,


    probably around seventeen or eighteen. The girl wore a cute horn-buttoned fluffy coat and the boy a


    white overcoat. The young girl rubbed her hands together from the cold. Seeing this, the boy pulled her


    hands into his pocket, ¡°I told you not to dress so lightly in winter. You look like a fool freezing just to


    look pretty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like fools? Then let¡¯s break up!¡± The girl haughtily pulled her hand out of his pocket.


    The boy pulled her back again, a warm smile on his face, ¡°No matter how foolish you are, I¡¯ll still love


    you. After all, I¡¯m a fool too!¡±


    ¡°What am to you then?¡± the girlughed.


    The boy thought for a moment before answering earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re my little fool.¡±


    Juke almostughed out loud.


    Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind, ¡°What vor of ice cream do you want?¡±


    Julie turned around to find him standing beside her without her noticing.


    He pulled Julie close to him, ruffled her long hair, and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Julie shook her head, smiling like a child, and said to him, ¡°Vani


    In front of them, the girl suddenly asked her boyfriend, ¡°Do you know why we eat ice cream in winter?¡±


    The clueless boy shook his head. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Fireworks are beautiful but fleeting. That¡¯s why people set them off at night, for they re most beautiful


    in the dark. It¡¯s the same with ice cream. In the hot summer, ice cream melts quickly, but not in winter. I


    hope our love can be like that, sweet and enduring.¡± The girl chided him sweetly, ¡°You really don¡¯t


    understand.¡±


    In their youth, love seemed so pure, free from the worries of daily life and the pain of loss.


    Even if their conversation might seem childish and naive to others, their hopeful expectation of love


    was touching.


    While Julie was staring at the young couple in a daze, she suddenly heard a deep, sexy voice from


    behind, ¡°Honey, I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she turned around, looking confused.


    He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss, ¡°I understand now, the meaning of eating ice cream in winter.


    It means a love that¡¯s sweet and enduring.¡±


    ¡°A love that¡¯s sweet and enduring?¡± she smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re hoping for an enduring sweet love just


    from an ice cream, you¡¯re quite a dreamer.¡±


    She meant to say this to Kieran, but the young couple in front happened to overhear. They turned


    around, looking at Julie with curiosity and dissatisfaction.


    Julie gave an awkward smile, looking a bit apologetic. The young girl wasn¡¯t someone easy to mess


    with. She stared at Julie unhappily, ¡°Are you jealous of other people¡¯s happiness because you don¡¯t


    have any love of your own?¡±


    Modern young girls sure have no filter!


    Julie knew she had said the wrong thing, so she didn¡¯t argue, just let the girl stare at her angrily. But the


    man standing behind her suddenly put his arm around her shoulder, looking at the young girl with a


    gentle smile, speaking in a tone like educating a child, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I truly love her.¡±


    The young girl looked up at the man who was much taller than her. He was handsome and


    gentlemanly, with a warm smile on his face. His deep gaze was like the starry sky, profound as the sea.


    He was dressed in a dark grey high-end suit, with a ck woolen overcoat on top. Standing here, he


    looked like a supermodel. The young girl excitedly grabbed her boyfriend¡¯s hand, ¡°Darling, he¡¯s so


    handsome!¡±


    Her boyfriend looked helplessly at his infatuated girlfriend. He took a nce at Kieran, this man¡¯s deep


    and restrained handsomeness indeed had the capital to make people infatuated. But then he suddenly


    felt¡­


    ¡°You look familiar!¡± the boy said.


    The girl also nodded, asking Kieran, ¡°Have we met you somewhere before?¡±


    ¡°Your ice cream is ready.¡± The shop owner looked at the young couple and Julie.


    Kieran handed his wallet to Julie, paid the bill, and Julie reached out to get the ice cream.


    The girl, who was standing there in a daze, suddenly screamed, ¡°Kieran? You¡¯re Kieran Hernandez,


    aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Kieran looked at the excited girl, immediately shaking his head to deny it. His denial was so quick


    it was surprising.


    ¡°But you¡¯re definitely him! I¡­ I¡¯m your fan¡­¡± The girl held her boyfriend¡¯s hand excitedly, stuttering as


    she looked at Kieran.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, looking at the young girl, ¡°I¡¯m his fan too.¡±


    Realizing she had said something wrong, the young girl¡¯s face turned red.


    Julie held the ice cream in one hand while Kieran pulled her away with the other. The young girl


    excitedly followed them, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, can I have your autograph I¡¯ve always dreamed of working at


    Simpo Co. I¡­ I chose to study business because of you, Mr. Hernandez¡­¡±


    Kieran pulled Julie into a bustling alley, thinking they had lost the young girl. But the girl followed them


    enthusiastically. Kieran had no choice but to allow her.


    She panted, looking at Kieran earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ve watched your interviews since I was a kid, and it was


    because you graduated from Futuro Business College that! chose it. Can¡­can we take a picture


    together?¡±


    The young girl had already pulled out her cell phone as she was speaking.


    The phrase ¡°I¡¯ve watched your interviews since I was a kid¡± made Julie chuckle. She took a bite of her


    ice cream,ughing like a child.


    Seeing Julie taking pleasure in his embarrassment, Kieran told the girl, ¡°Well, you gotta ask my wife


    first. She¡¯s a bit of a jealous one.¡±


    After saying that, Kieran pulled Julie into his arms, wiped the corner of her mouth, and gently said,


    ¡°Why are you acting like a child?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re Mr. Hernandez¡¯s wife?¡± The young girl looked at Julie excitedly, then added, ¡°You¡¯re


    actually shorter in person, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you!¡±


    Almost didn¡¯t recognize her? That was more like she didn¡¯t recognize her at all! The girl¡¯s face changed


    faster than the weather. And what was that about being shorter in person?


    The young girl looked down at Julie¡¯s legs, rubbed her head awkwardly, andughed, ¡°Oh, sorry, I


    didn¡¯t notice before. You¡¯ll be taller in heels next time.¡±


    Julie thought: What?


    She wasn¡¯t short, it¡¯s just that Kieran was so tall that she looked like a dwarf next to him.


    The young girl asked, ¡°Can I take a picture with Mr. Hernandez? I really came to this university from


    another province just for him¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re luckier than me. I wanted to go to university with him too, but I didn¡¯t get into it.¡± Julie


    shoved the ice cream into Kieran¡¯s hand, took the girl¡¯s phone, and said to the girl and Kieran, ¡°I¡¯ll take


    the picture for you guys!¡±


    The girl was so happy that she nearly jumped up and pulled Kieran to the side.


    Kieran stood between them, holding two ice creams, as if waiting for the photo.


    Julie took two pictures and handed the phone back to the girl, ¡°Good luck, you have a bright future!¡±


    Her quick change of face just now proved her bright future.


    The girl looked at Julie and Kieran excitedly, ¡°Let me take a picture of you guys too? My boyfriend is a


    photography student!¡±


    While Julie was still standing there, Kieran unlocked his phone and handed it over.


    The young girl¡¯s photo-taking action was very professional. Julie clung tightly to Kieran¡¯s arm and


    rested her head on it with a smile. Just as she was about to press the shutter, he suddenly leaned over


    and kissed her cheek.


    The photo captured this beautiful moment. Julie looked at Kieran in surprise, with a hint of reproach in


    her eyes.


    Unexpectedly, it started to snow. The snowkes fell on his ck coat. He took the ice cream and


    gently wiped her cheek.


    She tried to tiptoe to snatch the ice cream from his hand, but he turned around and took his phone


    back from the young girl.


    ¡°Give me back my ice cream!¡± Knowing she wasn¡¯t tall enough, she reached up on her tiptoes in vain,


    so she ended up hopping and trying to grab it.


    She was so cute that anyone would want to take her home. He turned around, and she ended up


    circling around him. The woman who tried to grab the ice cream several times but failed, suddenly


    slipped when shended.


    Kieran quickly reached out to help, but Julie fell into the arms of another man..

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Chapter 241


    Kyle tightly held onto Julie¡¯s waist, keeping her from falling t on her face, while she instinctively clung


    to his arm.


    Kieran attempted to grab Julie, but his hand stopped mid-air. Snowkes fell on his coat, slowly melting


    away.


    Snapping out of it, Julie quickly got up.


    Kyle silently released Julie¡¯s waist, lowered his head and smiled politely at her, ¡°Why are you hopping


    around like a kid without looking where you¡¯re going?¡± After speaking, he turned to Kieran, as if he just


    noticed him, made a slight adjustment to his sses, ¡°Ah, Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re here too, what a


    coincidence.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Kieran looked at Kyle, then at Lisa standing next to him, turned his head, pulled


    Julie into his arms, lightly touched her nose, ¡°You should thank Kyle¡± He was referring to Kyle helping


    Julie just now, Julie immediately understood, looked at Kyle and nodded with a smile, ¡°Thank you,


    Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Se more careful when you walk.¡± he said with a smile, the kind that you¡¯d see from an elder towards a


    junior.


    Julie nodded.


    A voice came from the side, ¡°Mr. Kyle, we should get going.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kyle, you¡¯ve got something to do?¡± Kieran asked.


    Their gaze met, making Julie a little nervous.


    Kyle nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve got some work stuff, I¡¯ll head out first, we¡¯ll catch up over a meal when we¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Kieran agreed.


    Lisa pointed down the road, Kyle smiled at Julie, then turned and walked in the direction Lisa pointed.


    Once Kyle was out of sight, Julie suddenly grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand, clenching it, wanting to catch up


    with Kyle.


    Lisa suddenly turned around, Julie who was ready to tail Kyle had to awkwardly turn her head, resulting


    in her bumping into Kieran¡¯s chest, leaving her a little dazed. Kieran couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you let Julien teach you some tricks?¡±


    Embarrassed by her own actions, Julie rubbed her head and lowered it.


    ¡°Did they leave?¡± Julie, with her back towards Kyle, asked Kieran.


    Kieran nodded, and asked, ¡°Do you still want ice cream?¡±


    She looked at the ice cream in his hand, although it was no longer as appealing, it hadn¡¯tpletely


    melted. She took the vani ice cream, took a bite, and said, ¡°I feel like Kyle¡­ he¡¯s changed, changed


    a lot.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± he asked.


    She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Kyle used to pamper Sansa a lot, the way he looked at Sansa


    was like¡­ she was his whole world, everyone else seemed to be invisible to him. I didn¡¯t speak much


    with him before. But I know he really liked Sansa.¡±


    Before Julie¡¯s family went bankrupt, Sansa was the center of attention, a true rich girl. She was the


    sessor cultivated by her mother, showing excellence in all aspects.


    In Julie¡¯s memory, Kyle was also incredibly outstanding.


    She looked at Kieran and said, ¡°But now, Kyle¡¯s like a puzzle¡­ sometimes he seems to have feelings


    for Sansa, but sometimes it looks like he doesn¡¯t care about her at all. Even the way he speaks has


    be more thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°People change. Kieran said, ¡°What¡¯s important is why they change.¡±


    ¡°The other day when Kyle was talking to Sansa in the ICU, I don¡¯t know what they talked about, but I¡¯m


    sure Sansa¡¯s rising blood pressure and elerated heart rate had something to do with him. I want to


    know if there¡¯s any dispute between them, or if Kyle is the key to wake up Sansa.¡± Julie was thinking.


    Kieran suddenly stretched his hand out, lightly grabbing Julie¡¯s shoulder, he looked deeply into her


    pale, frozen face, ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to save Sansa.¡± She trusted him.


    The distance between the two was very close, she kept looking up at his face. Snowkes gently fell


    between them.


    After a moment, she finally took a step back and said, ¡°I should stick to wearing heels in the future, that


    way I can ease my chronic neck pain.¡±


    ¡°I guess it can also ease my chronic lumbar disc herniation.¡± he said.


    Julieughed, indeed, he was bending over when he grabbed her shoulder.


    She said seriously, ¡°If I knew you¡¯d grow this tall, I wouldn¡¯t have chased after you!¡±


    ¡°If I knew you wouldn¡¯t chase me anymore, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have grown this tall.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always right.¡± As soon as Julie finished speaking, she was suddenly bumped into by someone.


    Julie identally crashed into Kieran¡¯s chest.


    This wouldn¡¯t have been an issue, but Julie happened to be holding an ice cream cone in her hand. As


    a result, the ice cream got squashed between the two of them, getting all over their clothes.


    The white cream, like a blooming white flower, was particrly noticeable on his ck coat.


    ¡°Damn, this coat must¡¯ve cost a fortune, right?¡± Seeing the courier who hit her and then rushed away,


    Julie pulled at his coat, said with a heartache.


    Kieran looked at the anxious and distressed little woman, teased her, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s worth ten of you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her eyes widened, she tipped her toes to check the brand of his coat, ¡°How much is ten of


    me?¡±


    He grabbed her hand, pulled her in front of him, ¡°I was joking, you¡¯re priceless, I don¡¯t care if this coat


    gets dirty or torn, but I can¡¯t stand to see you get hurt, not even a bit.¡±


    ¡°You really think I¡¯m a dumb bunny, believing whatever you say?¡± She arrogantly said to him, then


    turned and walked towards the shopping mall.


    Inside a high-end private club.


    Lisa led Kyle to a designated private room.


    In the private room, a white-haired man sat on a sofa, wearing silver half-rimmed sses. As soon as


    he saw Kyle entering the room, he immediately stood up.


    ¡°Professor Fred, rest assured, as long as you do as I asked, I won¡¯t harm Emily.¡± Kyle removed his


    gold-rimmed sses and sat next to Fred.


    Fred stood up and said, ¡°Let my daughter go first, I promise you, I will do everything I can to treat Ms.


    Abraham, I won¡¯t go back on my word!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Do everything you can to treat her?¡± Kyle pointed, shaking his head, his eyes shing coldly, ¡°No, I


    think you might have misunderstood me, Professor Fred.¡±


    ¡°So you dragged me all the way here just to have me work my ass off treating Ms. Abraham?¡± The


    Professor looked somewhat puzzled, turning his gaze to Kyle, ¡°Then what was the point of threatening


    me to drag my butt here?¡±


    Kyle smiled and waved at Fred. Then Fred slowly approached Kyle¡­¡­


    Noblewood Retreat.


    Julie and Kieran¡¯s car parked outside with a harsh piano sound ring from inside.


    Julie, holding grocery bags, looked at Kieran in surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t know we have a piano?¡±


    Kieran took the bags from her, wrapping his arm around her, ¡°Yeah, we do. We even have a piano


    room.¡±


    ¡°We have a piano room?¡± Julie was even more shocked. She grabbed Kieran¡¯s hand and walked


    towards the room, ¡°Whoever is making that sound must be a genius!¡±


    In reality¡­


    It was Payne.


    When Kieran and Julie entered the piano room, Payne was right there at the piano bench, d in a


    hoodie, lost in his own world, banging the keys with no particr order.


    Ivan was covering his ears, shouting at Payne, ¡°Payne, I¡¯ll pay you if you stop ying!¡±


    Kieran coughed twice, making Payne stop immediately. He turned his gaze towards Kieran, pointing at


    Ivan, ¡°He¡¯s the one who opened the door, not me!¡±


    ¡°Kerry, let me tell you, Payne is also responsible.¡±


    Payne dragged Ivan closer, ¡°You¡¯re so young, do you even know what aplice means?¡±


    Kieran pointed at Payne, ¡°Exin yourself.¡±


    Payne exined that the room has always been locked. Ivan knew about the piano room since he was


    a kid, but he didn¡¯t know why Kieran locked it. Ivan knew Payne was good at picking locks, so he


    instigated Payne to unlock it. Unexpectedly, there was nothing in the room but a piano and sheet


    music.


    Kieran looked at Payne hiding behind Ivan, ¡°Look at what you did to my son¡¯s ears!¡±


    ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t forget your son is also to me.¡±


    ¡°So you think it¡¯s okay to break into my house just because my son told you to?¡±


    ¡°It was your son who told me to¡­


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Payne immediately apologized and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Anyway, why did you


    call me here?¡±


    ¡°Wait a little bit, I have something to discuss with you. Wait outside for my instructions,¡± Kieran said.


    Payne obediently left.


    Seeing that he might be the next one Kerry will deal with, Ivan smartly went up to Julie, hugging her leg


    tightly, ¡°Mom, do you know how to y the piano?¡±


    His sweet voice warmed Julie¡¯s heart, but she still kept her cool. She squatted down and said, ¡°It¡¯s


    wrong to make others pick locks, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry, I like you.¡±


    *Just because you like me, you can let others pick locks? I also like your mom, so can I have someone


    break into your diary cab tomorrow, okay?¡± Kieran patted Ivan¡¯s head.


    Sometimes, to educate a smart kid, you need a direct approach. Seeing how Ivan and his dad interact,


    Julie felt it made sense.


    He lowered his head obediently, ¡°Kerry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll change. I like you too.¡±


    ¡°Go to the study and reflect on your actions. Write down where you went wrong and how you can


    improve in the future. Write it all down, okay?¡± Kieran instructed. Ivan looked helpless, ¡°Kerry, this is


    child abuse. I can hardly write anything and you¡¯re making me write all this stuff. It¡¯s inhumane!¡±


    ¡®Then have Payne teach you,¡± he suggested.


    What a brilliant idea.


    Julie watched their son, head hanging and footsteps heavy. She looked at Kieran and chuckled, ¡°Are


    you punishing Payne or our son?¡±

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Chapter 242


    Regarding the issue of whether writing a self-criticism was a punishment for Payne or Ivan, Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s answer was, ¡°It¡¯s for both of them. If they stick together, they might cause me a lot of


    trouble in the future.¡±


    ¡°Only a real dad like you would say something like that.¡± Julie Abraham gently ran her fingers over a


    piano, the ck and white keys beautifully pure.


    ¡°Feels like I haven¡¯t heard you y since you graduated from college.¡± She could still recall his figure


    ying the piano, wearing a ck tuxedo, thick hair, slender fingers stroking the ck and white keys,


    the melodious sound still resounding in her mind.


    She reminisced andughed, ¡°Did we buy this piano after we divorced?¡±


    She remembered this room used to be empty.


    He said, ¡°It was bought by Bertha after our divorce, along with this.¡±


    He picked up a sheet of music and passed it to her. Julie took it, it was the familiar Greensleeves from


    their memories.


    ¡°I told you, after our divorce, Daphne made a scene at our house. I got that video back under the


    pretext of donating to the school. I watched that video a lot during the time right after our divorce. Ivan


    was only one year old then, I often held him and slept in the media room.¡±


    He was reminiscing, wanting to tell her about what had happened in the past, even if they hadn¡¯t


    experienced their child¡¯s growth together, at least their memories wouldn¡¯t be so barren.


    Julie sat in the chair, her fingers lightly resting on the keys. She didn¡¯t press down, instead she looked


    up at him and asked, ¡°So you bought this piano, has Ivan been surrounded by the sound of piano since


    he was a kid?¡±


    ¡°This piano was bought by Bertha.¡± He said honestly, ¡°In fact, I never yed it once, but it was always


    in this room, I often came in and sat.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t ask any more, she just smiled and said, ¡°Then let me stay here quietly today? This ring is in


    the small box on the dressing table, give it to Payne!¡±


    The reason she called Payne over was for that ring. If there was indeed a secret in the ring, then Payne


    might be the only one who could unravel it.


    Although the ring was valuable and it was possible that bad guys could track and threaten for it, the


    ring was bought at an auction by a mysterious buyer.


    The actual buyer was also Kyle¡¯s, there was no reason a bad guy would know the ring was in their


    hands in such a short time after the auction, so Julie thought it was likely because there was a secret in


    the ring, and this time, Kieran Hernandez also thought her guess made sense.


    Kieran said, even if the criminal kidnapped her it wasn¡¯t necessarily because there was a secret hidden


    in the ring, it couldn¡¯t be denied that the ring had caught the criminal¡¯s attention.


    So, in any case, it was safer to leave the ring with Payne than in the vi.


    Julie wanted to be alone in the room for a while, Kieran didn¡¯t stop her, he just gently patted her


    shoulder and then turned and left.


    Before long, footsteps were heard at the door. Julie thought it was Kieran, so she didn¡¯t turn around.


    But, she heard Hayden Simson¡¯s voice behind her, ¡°Why did you stop ying?¡±


    Julie turned around and was surprised to see Hayden leaning against the door. She was very


    surprised, stood up and looked at Hayden, ¡°Hayden? Why are you


    here?¡±


    She clearly didn¡¯t expect Hayden toe at this time.


    ¡°I need to see Kerry.¡± He said.


    ¡°He should be in the study with Payne.¡± Julie always maintained a respectful attitude towards Hayden


    and kept her distance.


    Hayden nodded and said, ¡°Mhm, I know.¡±


    **


    He didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving, so Julie had to politely invite him in, ¡°Hayden, would


    you like toe in and sit for a while?¡±


    He walked straight into the piano room, then stood next to her, he reached out and touched the piano,


    ¡°I-bought this piano.¡±


    Julie was a little stunned, she just realized, didn¡¯t Kieran just say the piano was a gift from Bertha?


    She looked at Hayden with confusion.


    Knowing she had misunderstood, Hayden exined, ¡°Bertha asked me to buy it, it¡¯s her gift. She knew


    she had sacrificed the love between you and Kieran, and she felt guilty.¡±


    The past was the past. Even if they regretted it now, it wouldn¡¯t mean anything.


    Julie smiled faintly, just looking at the sheet music.


    Unexpectedly, Hayden suddenly asked, ¡°Do you me him?¡±


    She was totally unprepared for Hayden to ask her such a question, this was certainly not his usual


    style.


    So Julie was stunned on the spot.


    ¡°Hard to answer? Never mind then.¡± He said.


    Julie quickly shook her head and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to answer, I¡¯m just surprised, you¡¯d ask me


    such a question¡­¡±


    Hayden looked a little embarrassed, but he softly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer.¡±


    He asked the question, and then said she didn¡¯t have to answer, wasn¡¯t that redundant?


    Julie spoke honestly, ¡°Of course I me him, if he didn¡¯t hide things from me back then, would there be


    so many problems?¡±


    Before Julie could finish, Hayden suddenly said, ¡°I think what Kerry did was absolutely right. Back then,


    Lucian¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, if he hurt you behind everyone¡¯s back, Kerry wouldn¡¯t have been


    able to prevent it. Now that Lucian¡¯s whereabouts are traceable, the child is growing up safely, you¡¯re


    living well, Kerry¡¯s abilities are gradually increasing, he¡¯s at least capable of protecting you and the


    child. Why are you still ming him?¡±


    Julle swore this was the most she had ever heard Hayden speak since she met him.


    Listening to his fluent words, Julie almost doubted if the Hayden in front of her was possessed by


    someone else.


    And his strong defense for Kieran made her feel like he was defending himself.


    Julie gave Hayden a suspicious look, she mustered up the courage and asked him with a frown,


    ¡°Hayden, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± He might have realized that he had said too much, and he turned around and left right


    away.


    Julie was standing alone in front of the piano, feeling like everything that just happened was a


    hallucination.


    Julie rushed out, but saw Hayden and Payne getting ready to leave Noblewood Retreat.


    ¡°Hayden is leaving now?¡± Julie walked up to Kieran and asked as she looked at him.


    Kieran nced in the direction of Hayden, and somewhat surprisingly turned to look at Julie, ¡°You want


    him to stay over?¡±


    Julie shook her head, replying, ¡°No, I feel like Hayden has been acting weirdtely. He just said some


    nonsense to me!¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Kieran wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s waist and asked.


    Julie roughly repeated what Hayden had said. Even though she felt what Hayden had said made


    sense, but¡­


    ¡°The way Hayden was talking just now, it didn¡¯t seem like he was defending you, but more like he was


    defending himself. I wonder, does Hayden have something he¡¯s too embarrassed to talk about?¡± Julie


    looked at Kieran curiously.


    Kieran thought seriously for a few seconds, then said gravely, ¡°He might be asexual.¡±


    Although Julie was somewhat naive, she could tell there seemed to be some past between Hayden


    and Julien that they couldn¡¯t talk about. So she looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°All asexual people in the


    world just haven¡¯t met the right person.¡±


    ¡°Then when you have time, ask Julien if he helped Hayden solve any problemsst time he got drunk,¡±


    he said.


    As soon as this was mentioned, Julie suddenly pped her forehead and woke up, ¡°Oh god, I was


    going to call Daphne!¡±


    After saying this, she rushed to the phone like the wind, and then took out her own cell phone and


    handed it to Kieran, ¡°Honey, help me charge up my phone!¡±


    Then she dialed Daphne¡¯s number.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The phone rang for a while before the other party picked up. But even though the call had been picked


    up, nobody spoke.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez, there¡¯s a problem with this call, you need to turn on the speaker to hear the other


    person¡¯s voice.¡± Shannon poked her head out of the kitchen and


    said.


    Julie quickly hit the speaker, ¡°Daphne, it¡¯s me, how are you?¡±


    Upon hearing Julie¡¯s voice, Daphne obviously breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Oh my god, you scared me.¡±


    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m in Machu Phu!¡± Daphne said, ¡°Oh my god, I just found out that pregnancy can cause air


    sickness. You know? The baby in my stomach nearly killed me.¡±


    Julie was shocked, ¡°How did you end up in Machu Phu?¡±


    ¡°I told you before, right? Lionel was going to tell my parents about my pregnancy at my house. To avoid


    this, I arranged for Mrs. Flores and my dad to go on a trip together. I thought, since my parents are not


    at home, I¡¯m notfortable staying home alone, so I also came along.¡± Daphne said.


    Julie asked, ¡°What about your work?¡±


    Daphne replied, ¡°You know what, I didn¡¯t expect our editor-in-chief to be so understanding. I told her I


    needed to go home for a surgery, and she gave me a one-and-a-half-month leave. Although I don¡¯t


    have a sry during this period, I¡¯m already very satisfied.¡±


    Daphne was gushing over the phone about the beautiful scenery of Machu Phu. She also said that


    her parents left her alone in the hotel and went out to enjoy life, and she was now surfing the inte


    alone in the hotel.


    Julie told Daphne, ¡°I think running away is not a long-term solution. If Lionel wants to find you, he can


    find you quickly, right? If he can¡¯t find you today, he¡¯ll still find you tomorrow.¡±


    Daphne replied, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m the kind of person who¡¯s happy if I can think about today¡¯s problems.


    As for other things, I¡¯ll talk about them tomorrow.¡±


    Julie thought for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Honey, Lionel is looking for you.¡± Kieran suddenly appeared beside Julie, and he was shaking her cell


    phone in front of her.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Daphne on the other end of the phone immediately hung up.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    Chapter 243


    Machu Phu.


    Daphne was so spooked that she hung up the phone without a second thought. After a moment of


    contemtion, she felt a wave of unease wash over her and decided to switch off her phone, finally


    letting out a sigh of relief.


    Although Mr. Lionel was very powerful, he wasn¡¯t at the point where he¡¯s in full control. It was unlikely


    that he could pinpoint her exact location with ease.


    She knew Julie, her best friend, would never betray her. Even though she had heard Julie switch on the


    speakerphone, her voice was barely audible, so Mr. Lionel


    must not have heard.


    With that in mind, Daphne felt a bit more at ease.


    Just as she was lying in bed, trying to steady her breathing, there was a sudden knock on the door,


    causing Daphne to bolt upright.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She eximed.


    Then, she heard Edda¡¯s voice from outside the door, ¡°I¡¯m your mom, who else could I be?¡±


    Following her, ric¡¯s voice echoed, ¡°I¡¯m your dad!¡±.


    Only then did Daphne slowly open the hotel room door, ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping alone for years now. Don¡¯t


    worry about me, go get some sleep yourselves!¡±


    ¡°You naughty kid. You didn¡¯t even tell Lionel that you were taking us on this trip? You even turned off


    your phone, poor Lionel has been calling non-stop. He had no idea we were going to Machu Phu?


    Why can¡¯t you just be a little more considerate?¡± Edda gave Daphne a p on the back.


    All Daphne wanted to ask was, ¡°Mom, you didn¡¯t tell Lionel where we are now, did you?¡±


    Edda looked genuinely surprised, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Lionel¡¯s practically family, why can¡¯t I tell him?¡±


    ¡°Dad, why aren¡¯t you controlling your wife? Look at her, calling him Lionel and saying he¡¯s family! I want


    to know when mom got so close to Mr. Lionel that she even has his number!¡± Daphne shot her father a


    look, a mix of innocence and despair.


    ric looked even more innocent and helpless¡­


    Edda gave Daphne another pat on the back, ¡°I can¡¯t even save a phone number now? Lionel genuinely


    cares about you, he considers you a friend¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not his friend!¡± Daphne rubbed her shoulder, ring at Mrs. Flores, ¡°Stop pping my shoulder. If


    you¡¯re so bold, p my stomach! Lionel¡¯s baby is in there! If you can p it away and make me pain-


    free, I promise I¡¯ll listen to you in the future!¡±


    Daphne¡¯s words were loaded, leaving Edda and ric stunned for a moment before they could react.


    After a pause, Edda tentatively looked at ric, ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t quite catch what Daphne meant¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s Lionel¡¯s baby.¡± Daphne took a deep breath, then looked up at her mother with


    determination, ¡°Mom, I want to tell you that Lionel is not a good man. He only wants the baby in my


    belly, not to marry me. He even ns to take me abroad to give birth and then decide what to do. Am I


    supposed to be treated like this?¡±


    After muttering ¡®sorry, Lionel¡¯ countless times in her heart, Daphne continued firmly, ¡°Mom, Lionel and I


    had sex because I was drunk, but he didn¡¯t take any precautions. Even though I didn¡¯t take any birth


    control measures afterwards, I never thought of making him take responsibility! Although I don¡¯t have


    the courage to have an abortion, the baby is in my belly, and I have the right to decide whether to keep


    it! He¡¯s not even married to me, he¡¯s never even dated me, why does he have the right to demand the


    baby?¡±


    Even though she just wanted to tell her mother about her grievances, she unexpectedly burst into tears


    as she spoke.


    The stress, fear, and uncertainty about the future that she had been suppressing these past days all


    came rushing out at once.


    Even though the Flores family wasn¡¯t rich, Edda and ric only had one daughter, and they had doted


    on her since she was a child. Under this pressure, she had been living in fear for a while, but now that


    she could tell Edda the truth, Daphne felt much lighter.


    She was crying so hard that she threw herself into Edda¡¯s arms.


    From Daphne¡¯s intermittent sobs, Edda finally understood what had happened.


    Her daughter had hooked up with a mega-star after getting drunk, and now her daughter was pregnant,


    unsure whether to keep the baby, and the mega-star only wanted the baby, not her daughter¡­


    Edda initially wanted to rant, but seeing her daughter¡¯s pitiful state, she didn¡¯t utter a single word of


    reproach.


    After all, this was her daughter, how could she not love her?


    ric grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that this guy is not trustworthy!¡±


    He looked at his wife and said, ¡°You too, acting like a little fangirl. Do you think all celebrities are


    saints? There are drug addicts, sex addicts, cheaters among them. How could I let my darling daughter


    be treated like this? I have to fight for justice for my daughter!¡±


    Daphne, who had just been crying, immediately took her father¡¯s hand when she heard this, saying,


    ¡°Dad, please¡­ I haven¡¯t figured out what to do yet!¡±


    Daphne was crying uncontrobly.


    Edda gave ric a re, ¡°You¡¯re so impulsive. Every time there¡¯s a problem, you go off like this,


    without even asking what she thinks.¡±


    Daphne was used to Edda¡¯s scolding.


    With tears blurring her vision, she reached for a tissue to wipe her nose, then grabbed Edda¡¯s hand


    tightly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Only now do you realize you were wrong?


    You should have realized this earlier! I¡¯ve told you before, as a girl, you shouldn¡¯t drink when you¡¯re out


    and about. Drinking can lead to a lot of trouble. But you didn¡¯t listen, and now that something has


    happened, youe running to me.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I really messed up¡­¡± Daphne sobbed harder, her voice choked with tears..


    Edda¡¯s mind filled with confusion and panic, irritably shook off her daughter¡¯s arm.


    Despite her anger, she knew that it was her daughter who was suffering. No matter how much she had


    favored Mr. Lionel before, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that


    Daphne was her own child.


    She knew that what had happened had happened, and endless me was meaningless. It was better


    to actively solve the problem.


    After a long silence, Edda looked at Daphne and asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re pregnant? Could the test


    have been wrong?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it at several hospitals¡­¡±


    Frustrated and angry, Edda suppressed her inner rage, pulled Daphne to sit beside her on the bed and


    said seriously, ¡°We can¡¯t keep this baby. You¡¯re still young, you¡¯ve got your whole life ahead of you.


    Being a single and single mother is a whole different ball game. Listen to me, even if Lionel doesn¡¯t


    fight you for the baby, you can¡¯t stay single forever, right? If you have this baby, it will be a burden.


    And let¡¯s not even talk about marriage yet, can you even afford to raise this baby?¡± Daphne remained


    silent, her face full of sorrow.


    Edda continued, ¡°Even if you can afford to raise this baby, even if you would rather stay single for the


    sake of the baby. But have you thought about it from the baby¡¯s perspective? It will be born illegitimate.


    If the parents don¡¯t love him, how could his childhood be happy? Every child is a gift from God. You can


    refuse this gift, but you absolutely cannot destroy it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Daphne became even more distraught, tears falling like raindrops.


    After a while, she managed to calm down, ¡°Then stop fighting with Lionel and don¡¯t contact him, Mom. I


    want to be alone, please¡­


    ric pulled his wife¡¯s hand.


    Before leaving, Edda looked at Daphne multiple times, ¡°Should I sleep here with you tonight?¡±


    Daphne shook her head, ¡°I can handle it on my own, Mom. Please don¡¯t tell Lionel where we are,


    okay?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell him,¡± Edda assured her.


    ric suggested, ¡°We should be decisive and make this public. Does such a person deserve to be an


    idol?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Daphne immediately grabbed ric, ¡°Dad, it was consensual. If you make this


    public, how am I supposed to face the world?¡±


    Edda looked at Daphne, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your Dad won¡¯t act rashly. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. You


    just rest.¡±


    After saying this, Mrs. Flores took ric and left. Although they didn¡¯t say anything, their inner anxiety


    kept them awake all night.


    Daphne, not sure if she was extra sleepy because of the pregnancy, fell asleep unknowingly while lying


    on the bed and thinking. Early the next morning, she booked a ticket to her destination.


    She didn¡¯t dare to turn her phone on.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    On the car, Edda told her, ¡°Julie called me this morning, and I told her where you are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, Julie wouldn¡¯t betray me.¡±


    ¡°Julie asked you to check something on Twitter. I don¡¯t have Twitter, not sure what that means. You can


    check it.¡± After saying this, Edda handed her phone to Daphne.


    Daphne took the phone, opened Twitter and was about to check when two little girls pointed at her


    excitedly, ¡°Oh my God! Are you Daphne?¡±


    Daphne touched her face in surprise and looked at Edda in confusion, ¡°Am I that famous?¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    Chapter 244


    ¡°Come on,e on, leave ament, leave ament in the official Twitter!¡± One of the girls said


    excitedly while taking photos of Daphne and pulling another girl


    along.


    Looking at the two excited girls, Daphne nced at Mrs. Flores and then looked at them, ¡°What official


    Twitter?¡±


    Both girls didn¡¯t pay attention to her question and continued their excited discussion on their phones.


    From their sporadic conversation, it appeared they were discussing a variety show called Seasons of


    Love, which seemed to be a treat for fans.


    The show was pretty hot at the moment and had already aired three seasons, all of which were well


    received.


    Thest season featured actress Katie and international male model Victor, both of whom had arge


    fan base. One was a film queen, the other an internationally renowned model, with three big stars each


    season.


    The fan Katie picked was a male fan whoter served as Katie¡¯s assistant for a week. The show aired


    many backstage hardships of celebrities, which gained Katie a lot of fans.


    Victor¡¯s fan got to shoot a magazine spread and cover with him, which ignited Victor¡¯s poprity in the


    entertainment industry as well.


    He even made a film with Mr. Farrellter, which became a hit.


    Daphne had even interviewed guests from Seasons of Love!


    Listening to the girls¡¯ heated discussion, Daphne figured that they recognized her because she had


    interviewed guests from Seasons of Love.


    So she didn¡¯t pay much attention to them and opened Twitter.


    The first trending topic she saw was Lionel confirming his participation in the third season of Seasons


    of Love. Daphne had a bad feeling about this and couldn¡¯t help but click on the trending topic.


    The official Twitter of Seasons of Love read, ¡°The third season of Seasons of Love will adopt a new


    mode, adding a ¡®crossing mountains and seas for you¡¯ segment. The show will send a lucky fan to a


    famous tourist spot as a surprise. In order to capture the true details, the show will be broadcast live.


    Lionel has confirmed to participate in the third season of Seasons of Love as the first star to set off.


    Who will be the lucky fan? Please stay tuned to our Twitter ount. Tomorrow morning at 10 o¡¯clock,


    Mr. Lionel will meet you live.¡±


    The tweet was sent yesterday afternoon. That is to say, Lionel¡¯s live broadcast would start at 10 o¡¯clock


    this morning.


    Daphne¡¯s bad feeling grew stronger. She turned to look at Mrs. Flores, who was showing off her love


    with ric, shook her head helplessly, and opened the live link. Just as she saw Lionel¡¯s face, the


    video froze.


    ¡°Mom, do you need to change your phone? Why did it freeze?¡± Daphne nced at Mrs. Flores.


    Mrs. Flores snatched her phone, checked it from front to back, and then the phone vibrated.


    She pped Daphne on the head, ¡°My phone got cut off!!¡±


    Daphne was speechless.


    ¡°Dad¡­ can you lend me your phone?¡± Daphne asked ric with a smile.


    ric grinned, ¡°My phone got cut off too. Why don¡¯t you turn on your own phone? Are you still afraid


    that Lionel wille looking for you? If he dares toe, I¡¯ll make sure to give him some trouble!¡±


    ric said.


    To pacify ric, Daphne quickly calmed him down, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to turn it on, so I


    forgot to charge it after turning it offst night¡­¡±


    ¡°The driver just told me that we¡¯ll be in Cuzco in about ten minutes. We can charge the phones at a


    hotel then.¡± Mrs. Flores said.


    Daphne nodded at Mrs. Flores and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll ask the girls in front for help.¡±


    With that, Daphne leaned over the seat to the two excited girls and said with a smile, ¡°Are you guys


    watching the live broadcast of Seasons of Love?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The girls held their phones.


    With a chuckle, Daphne looked at them and said, ¡°Can I watch it with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, can you take a picture with us?¡± The girl asked.


    Daphne happily agreed, not expecting that she would have such a day.


    She squeezed into the middle of the two girls, let them take a selfie, and then couldn¡¯t wait to stare at


    the phone in the girl¡¯s hand.


    Instead of ying the video, the girl was looking at the photo she had just taken and asked Daphne,


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you really friends with Mr. Lionel?¡±


    The interview had already been released, so Daphne could only nod.


    ¡°Oh my god, is Mr. Lionel even more handsome in person than on TV?¡±


    With her eyes glued to the girl¡¯s phone, Daphne asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you watching the live broadcast


    anymore?¡±


    The girl finally came back to her senses and quickly opened the live video.


    As soon as Daphne saw it, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Lionel was sitting in a car,


    He was wearing a ck suit, a pure white shirt, no tie, leaning back in his seat, casual and l¨¢zy.


    The camera panned up from below, withments from the onlooking crowd on the side, all praising


    Mr. Lionel¡¯s appearance, with countless people calling him ¡°dear¡± keeping cropping up.


    There were also people guessing who the lucky fan could be, who had the honor.


    Holding his phone towards the camera, Lionel looked at his fans and smirked.


    He shook his phone in his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve got the phone number of the lucky fan, but it seems that this fan¡¯s


    phone is off!¡±


    Daphne¡¯s bad feeling grew stronger. She subconsciously covered her phone in her pocket, then took


    the girl¡¯s phone and left ament asking Lionel, ¡°Are you waiting for that fan now?¡±


    Lionel was just readingments when he saw Daphne¡¯s question. Surprisingly, he was in a great


    mood and replied, ¡°I¡¯m currently at the Cuzco bus station, waiting for a bus from Machu Phu.


    Apparently, a fan who wants to meet me is on that bus. I have no idea who this lovely fan is, but my


    crew has already set up the cameras at the bus station. In a few minutes, I¡¯ll be getting off. Are you


    guys curious about who it is?¡±


    ¡°My god!¡± Daphne jumped up from her seat, ¡°Stop the bus, I need to get off. Sir, stop the bus!!¡±


    ¡°You scared me!¡± Edda pulled Daphne back to her seat, ¡°Buckle up right now!¡±


    ¡°My kid¡¯s about to be kidnapped!¡± Daphne quickly headed towards the driver.


    Edda¡¯s heart almost burst out, ¡°You child, what are you doing in the car? Be careful with your


    stomach¡­¡±


    Mid-sentence, Edda realized there were Lionel¡¯s fans on the bus, so she quickly shut up, got up, and


    grabbed Daphne.


    Daphne pleaded with the driver, ¡°Sir, can you please stop the bus?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, we¡¯re already in a controlled zone, we¡¯d get fined for stopping here.¡± The driver


    said.


    ¡°How much is the fine? I¡¯ll pay it!¡± Daphne looked at the driver with pitiful eyes.


    The driver shook his head, ¡°No can do, this life is not a joke, not to mention points will be deducted for


    stopping randomly. It¡¯s not just about money. Go back to your seat and buckle up.¡±


    Mrs. Flores looked at Daphne, puzzled, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry all of a sudden, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    With no other choice, Daphne whispered into Mrs. Flores¡¯ ear, ¡°Lionel¡¯s at the Cuzco bus station. If we


    run into him, what am I going to do¡­¡±


    She mumbled, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out what to do yet¡­¡±


    ¡°How did he know you were going to the Cuzco bus station?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s filming a show.¡± Daphne felt something was off. No media had leaked Lionel was joining Seasons


    of Love, but he did, and coincidentally a fan was at the Cuzco bus station. Could this get any more


    suspicious?


    Mrs. Flores said, ¡°Let him film his show, you do your thing, what are you afraid of? I don¡¯t believe he¡¯d


    dare to mess with you again! If he dares to, your father and I won¡¯t let him off!¡±


    With that, Mrs. Flores pulled Daphne back to their seats, then turned to ric and said, ¡°Lionel¡¯s filming


    at the Cuzco bus station. If he doesn¡¯t provoke us, you stay calm. But if he dares to mess with our


    daughter, you punch him!¡±


    Daphne shrank back, her dad was a judo coach after all. It would be unimaginable if he really punched


    Lionel.


    Daphne tugged at ric¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Dad¡­ I think we should keep a low profile. After all, he¡¯s filming a


    show. As long as we sneak away, it¡¯s fine. Celebrities¡¯ faces are insured, we can¡¯t afford to pay. Please


    don¡¯t lose your temper, don¡¯t get physical¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hit his face!¡± ric reassured his daughter by patting her face.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Daphne was speechless.


    She quickly took out a scarf from her bag, wrapped it around her face, put on a mask and sunsses,


    then asked Mrs. Flores, ¡°You can¡¯t recognize me now, right?¡±


    ¡°You look hideous!¡±


    Daphne took out two hats, put them on Mrs. Flores and ric¡¯s heads.


    The bus came to a smooth stop, Daphne repeatedly told ric, ¡°Dad, they¡¯ll definitely be at the bus


    station entrance. We need to keep a low profile and just miss them. Don¡¯t lose your temper¡­¡±


    Before Daphne could finish, the driver¡¯s voice came from the front, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the final stop,


    please get off!¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    Chapter 245


    Noblewood Retreat.


    It¡¯s Sunday today and Ivan had no sses. He was just chilling on the couch, watching TV. Sitting next


    to him was Julie, leaning on Kieran. The three of them made a pretty cozy picture, just lounging around


    and watching TV.


    On the screen, Lionel said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a slip of paper here with a fan¡¯s name on it. Let¡¯s reveal who the


    lucky fan is together.¡±


    Julie, tugging nervously at Kieran¡¯s sleeve, said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told Daphne toy low. She should be


    able to dodge this, right?¡±


    Pausing, she asked, ¡°But what if she can¡¯t get away?¡±


    Kieran responded, ¡°Lionel is going after Daphne. If she manages to escape, that would be something.¡±


    Julie sighed, ¡°This is all your fault. You knew I had the speaker on, yet you let Lionel hear Daphne¡¯s


    location!¡±


    Kieran responded innocently, ¡°I had no idea Daphne was trying to avoid Lionel.¡±


    Left speechless by this, Julie tried to console herself, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Daphne is with her parents. She should


    be fine.¡±


    On the video, Lionel had already revealed the name he drew. It¡¯s ¡®Daphne¡¯.


    He even made a joke, ¡°What a coincidence, this fan¡¯s name is the same as the woman who means the


    most to me.¡±


    Julie turned to Kieran and asked, ¡°What does ¡®the woman who means the most¡¯ mean to you guys?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran responded, ¡°I can¡¯t speak for others, but for me, the most important woman is the woman I love


    the most. No matter what happens, I want to be there for her right away. I want to be with her for a


    lifetime.¡±


    Julie nodded and said, ¡°You could write a book, ¡®How to Pursue Your Partner¡¯ or maybe just ¡®The


    Secret to Winning Over Your Partner.¡±


    Before Kieran could respond, he heard Ivan¡¯s voice from the side, ¡°Mom, is Dad saying that you¡¯re the


    woman I care about the most? Because no matter what happens to you, I want to be there for you right


    away. I also want to be with you for a lifetime.¡±


    Seeing his son¡¯s innocent face, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but be alert.


    Upon hearing this, Julie immediately hugged her son and said, ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re also the person I care


    about the most.¡±


    Feeling smug, Ivan asked, ¡°What about Dad?¡±


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s expression, Ivan knew he had achieved his goal. He quickly pointed at the TV and


    said, ¡°Oh no, Lionel is going straight to Daphne¡¯s car!¡±


    Julie turned to the TV. Lionel and the camera crew were walking towards the parking lot, reading out


    the license te number as they go.


    They stopped in front of a newly parked car, and several cameras were pointing at the car door.


    The door opened, and all the passengers got out with shocked expressions. Lionel stood not far from


    the car door, an assistant holding an umbre for him.


    Daphne, holding her parents¡¯ hands, barely stood up when she saw Lionel standing outside the car.


    Despite the car window between them, the man¡¯s gaze seemed. to prate the ss.


    She wrapped her scarf tighter around her head, gripping her parents¡¯ sleeves tightly.


    The driver¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Last three passengers, please disembark.¡±


    Only after making sure she¡¯s bundled up tightly did Daphne finally muster the courage to get out of the


    car. Her head was almost tucked into her neck, but Lionel still called her out, ¡°Daphne!¡±


    On this side of the TV, Julie gripped Kieran¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Do you think Mr. Lionel has lost it? Didn¡¯t he say


    he didn¡¯t want to marry Daphne? Why is he making such a scene?¡±


    ¡°You know Lionel¡¯s father Fabian Kemp, right?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie nodded. She¡¯s already heard about Fabian from Elliot Sanches.


    ¡®Lionel is the son of Fabian and his first wife Thelma. Fabian made his fortune through Thelma¡¯s family.


    Before Thelma passed away, she signed a contract with Fabian, which is now in the hands of Lionel¡¯s


    grandfather. The contract requires Fabian to transfer 90% of his assets to Lionel before he turns 55.


    Otherwise, all assets will be fully managed by Lionel¡¯s grandfather, Pearce. Since Thelma, the


    signatory of the contract, has passed away, her heir is Lionel. If Lionel voluntarily gives up his


    inheritance, the contract can be voided. But if he doesn¡¯t, then Fabian must hand over financial control


    to Lionel,¡± Kieran exined.


    Julie seemed to understand a bit of it. She looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°I looked up Fabian. There


    were reports that Thelma died of an illness, but it was rumored that she overdosed on her depression


    meds. So, if that¡¯s true, did Fabian indirectly kill Thelma?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. His second wife, famous actress Madge, gave him a son named Raleigh Kemp.


    Raleigh was Fabian¡¯s favorite son. After Madge passed away from breast cancer, Fabian married his


    third wife, socialite Sandrine. Sandrine¡¯s son from a previous marriage, Chris, isn¡¯t rted to Fabian by


    blood, but he and Lionel are the best of friends¡­¡±


    ¡°The best of friends?¡± Julie was confused, ¡°Didn¡¯t Elliot say their rtionship was the most tense?¡±


    ¡°Only when there¡¯s equal status and ability can a love-hate rtionship form, Kieran exined.


    Julie finally got it. From the beginning, Elliot never intended to really let Daphne get away from Lignel


    because, after all, he and Lionel were best buddies. Julie, who took a moment to process, asked, ¡°So


    you¡¯re saying that Lionel wouldn¡¯t marry Daphne, even though she¡¯s carrying his kid, because of his


    complicated family situation? What I want to know is, if he wasn¡¯t nning on marrying Daphne, why


    did he kick up such a fuss today?¡±


    ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t want to marry Daphne because the fortune that Fabian currently has was blood-bought


    by Thelma, Kieran exined.


    Julie nodded in understanding. ¡°I see, so in Lionel¡¯s mind, Daphne is important to him, but the fortune


    ranks higher. Isn¡¯t that just like the saying. ¡®I¡¯d die for you, but if I had to choose between you and


    money, I¡¯d pick the money? That fits Lionel perfectly!¡±


    Kieran smiled helplessly. He pinched Julie¡¯s face and said, ¡°If Lionel really thought that way, he


    wouldn¡¯t have sought out Daphne. Daphne isn¡¯t the type to cling onto someone, right?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Julie agreed, ¡°Yeah, Daphne never wanted Lionel to take responsibility in


    the first ce. If Lionel said he didn¡¯t want the baby, Daphne


    would suffer in silence. She definitely wouldn¡¯t bother him.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Kieran paused before continuing, ¡°Think about it, if Lionel really cared about Fabian¡¯s fortune,


    why would he give up his noble status to be a hardworking actor?¡±


    Julie thought about it and felt that Kieran made sense.


    Kieran went on, ¡°Instead of getting 90% of Fabian¡¯s wealth, I believe Lionel would rather see Fabian


    penniless. If you were Fabian, would you rather pass on 90% of your wealth to Lionel before you turn


    55 and live off the remaining 10% peacefully, or hand over everything to Pearce after you¡¯re 55?¡±


    ¡°Definitely the 10%,¡± Julie answered without hesitation.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°But if Lionel doesn¡¯t acknowledge the contract, then it can be voided, and Fabian can


    retain all of his wealth. Don¡¯t you think Fabian would be looking forward to that?¡±


    She took it humbly like a child and nodded, ¡°Look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°And if you were Lionel, would you agree to void the contract?¡± Kieran asked again.


    Julie shook her head decisively, ¡°Of course not!¡±


    It took a moment before Julie realized she was confused again.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± she confessed, ¡°What does this have to do with Lionel not wanting to marry


    Daphne?¡±


    ¡°Consider this,¡± Kieran started, ¡°For all these years, Fabian has been trying to get Lionel to give up the


    contract. But he never did. Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Because Fabian is no match for Lionel.¡±


    ¡°And why can¡¯t hepete with Lionel?¡± Kieran mused. ¡°Because Lionel doesn¡¯t have any


    weaknesses. But now that Daphne is pregnant, wouldn¡¯t Fabian use her if he knew? The Kemp family


    could easily crush the Flores family like ants. The Flores family is no match for the powerful Kemp


    family, right?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s words seemed to enlighten Julie.


    He pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°When Lionel first found out about Daphne¡¯s pregnancy, he was a


    bit panicked. He needed to take responsibility for Daphne, but he didn¡¯t want to drag her into this mess.


    So he decided to send her overseas to give birth. But in order to do that, he first had to convince her


    parents. Marriage is the best way to do that. If they already had a marriage certificate before Daphne


    was safely abroad, that would be stirring up a ho¡¯s nest with Fabian. Lionel had already decided to


    give up Thelma¡¯s contract, but he had to make sure Daphne was safe first before he could negotiate


    with Fabian. However, before he could arrange everything, Daphne was already out of his sight¡­

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    Chapter 246


    ¡°That¡¯s why he had to treat Daphne special,¡± Kieran told Julie.


    Who knew Mr. Lionel had such a big secret up his sleeve? No wonder he couldn¡¯t make a promise to


    Daphne at first.


    Julie turned to Kieran, ¡°Is Mr. Lionel still nning to fulfill the contract?¡±


    ¡°After leaming from our mistakes, Lionel won¡¯t be making any rash decisions like I did. He might tell


    Daphne the truth, and they¡¯ll face the issues together,¡± he said.


    As Mr. Hernandez admitted his own faults, Julie began to reflect, ¡°I was also too sensitive.¡±


    Speaking of sensitivity, Julie suddenly remembered something that happened one drunken night¡­.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking of that scene, for some reason, she felt guilty and her mouth went dry.


    After a mental struggle, she finally gathered the courage to say to Kieran, ¡°Honey, there¡¯s something¡­¡±


    ¡°Lionel is pretty sharp, he could still recognize Daphne all wrapped up like that!¡± Ivan pointed at the TV


    screen, somewhat excited.


    Before Julie could finish her sentence, she quickly followed Kieran¡¯s gaze to the TV.


    On screen, Daphne had almostpletely covered her face, yet Lionel recognized her right away.


    Daphne tried to leave with her parents, but was stopped by Lionel.


    ¡°Daphne? Where are you going?¡± Mr. Lionel just finished his sentence when ric stepped forward,


    grabbed Lionel¡¯s hand, and threw him to the ground.


    Lionel clearly didn¡¯t expect ric to make a move, he waspletely unprepared and fell hard to the


    ground.


    The director was so scared he shouted, ¡°Cut, cut, cut! Turn off the camera now!¡±


    Lionel¡¯s assistant rushed up to help him up. His stylish ck suit was now covered in dust.


    Daphne realized things had gotten out of hand and quickly grabbed ric¡¯s hand, whispering into his


    ear, ¡°Dad¡­ we¡¯re live on air!¡±


    That¡¯s when ric snapped back to reality, noticing several cameras pointed at him.


    ric had a temper, and even though he felt embarrassed for a moment, he couldn¡¯t swallow the fact


    that Lionel had irresponsibly gotten his daughter pregnant.


    After hearing the director¡¯s order to turn off the camera, he grabbed Lionel by the cor, ¡°You,e


    here!¡±


    Daphne had never seen her dad so angry before. She was so scared she grabbed Edda¡¯ hand, ¡°Mom,


    his face is really valuable!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, your dad won¡¯t hit his face,¡± Edda said.


    The cameramen and assistants were all scared, they quickly followed the director with their equipment


    towards Lionel.


    Daphne was also anxious and quickly followed them out.


    ric took Lionel into the bathroom, Vicente, Lionel¡¯s manager, was worried things would get worse.


    If the director¡¯s cameramen identally started filming, things could get even harder to handle, so he


    stopped the director.


    Seeing ric¡¯s size and strength, the director didn¡¯t dare to follow. Instead, he quickly pulled out his


    phone to call the police.


    Edda was decisive. She grabbed the director¡¯s phone and hung up, then pped him on the chest,


    ¡°This is a family matter, calling the police won¡¯t help!¡±


    Although Edda was wearing a hat, Vicente clearly recognized her. He had heard Lionel mention


    Daphne before.


    So he quickly stepped forward and grabbed Edda¡¯s hand, ¡°Mrs. Flores, we can talk this out, Lionel¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Vicente said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Lionel¡¯s manager, Vicente, Mrs. Flores¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you?¡± Edda stared at the overly dramatic manager.


    Just as Vicente was feeling awkward, a loud noise came from the bathroom.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Vicente quickly pushed Edda aside and ran inside. Daphne, who had just arrived, also quickly


    followed him in.


    They saw Lionel lying on the ground, clutching his waist..


    ric had clearly promised not to hit his head, but now Lionel had blood on the corner of his mouth.


    Daphne understood her father¡¯s protective feelings, but if this continued¡­.


    She suddenly had an idea and quickly crouched down clutching her stomach, ¡°Oh, dad, my stomach


    hurts¡­ the pain is killing me¡­¡±


    Hearing Daphne¡¯s voice, ric immediately stopped what he was doing.


    Lionel, who had been lying on the ground, immediately jumped up, ran over to Daphne, picked her up,


    and ran out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Vicente, get the car!¡± Lionel shouted, scaring Vicente into running out.


    At the Noblewood Retreat, Julie and Kieran were engrossed in the live broadcast. Suddenly they heard


    the director shout, ¡°Cut, cut, cut! Turn off the camera now!¡±


    Then the live broadcast was paused, probably the biggest live broadcast ident in history.


    Julie suddenly turned to Kieran, ¡°You have Lionel¡¯s phone number, right? Call him!¡±


    Of course, Kieran had Lionel¡¯s number, but in this situation, it was impossible to get through.


    Although Seasons of Love was halted shortly after it started airing, the views were very high.


    Fans found out ric¡¯s identity through online searches. Even though ric was wearing a baseball


    cap, it didn¡¯t prevent them from recognizing him.


    Within two hours, some radical fans were already at the door of ric¡¯s judo dojo demanding an


    exnation.


    Now that they couldn¡¯t reach Daphne, Julie, who was aware of the situation, had to go to the dojo to


    calm things down.


    ric was Julie¡¯s family. When Julie needed help the most, the Flores family cared for her like their


    own, so Julie couldn¡¯t just stand by and let irrational fans ruin ric¡¯s livelihood at the dojo.


    Kieran had Tina bring some people to the judo gym, and the chaos there was quickly quelled.


    At this time, Daphne was taken to the car by Lionel, heading straight to the hospital.


    Edda and ric also anxiously got in the car. Throughout the process, ric was pissed at Lionel.


    In ric¡¯s eyes, regardless of Lionel¡¯s identity and status, if he messed with his daughter, he deserved


    a beating.


    Vicente told the director and others to go back to the hotel first and wait for news. Then he got in the


    car and drove to the hospital.


    Daphne, seeing the situation stabilize, sat up and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    In fact, with Daphne¡¯s terrible acting, Lionel knew from the moment he let Vicentee over that she


    was faking it.


    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯ty a hand on him.¡± Daphne grabbed ric¡¯s arm, pleading him with her eyes.


    ¡°Let go!¡± ric shook off Daphine¡¯s hand disapprovingly, but still kept his anger in check.


    He directly asked Daphne, ¡°Tell me, is the baby in your belly his?¡±


    This sudden question made Daphne put her hand on her belly while thinking about how to answer.


    But before she could speak, Lionel¡¯s voice came from the side, ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±


    ric raised his hand, and Daphne quickly hugged him.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not his fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Not his fault? This irresponsible guy definitely has done something wrong! He wants a baby but


    doesn¡¯t want to get married. I should have taught him a lesson just now!¡± ric said angrily.


    Even though Edda usually made decisions at home, when it came to big issues, Edda wouldn¡¯t stop


    ric when he¡¯s angry.


    Even though she had always been on Lionel¡¯s side, even though she acted like a young fan girl for


    Lionel.


    Daphne knew she had ruined Lionel¡¯s image in front of her parents. She thought her parents wouldn¡¯t


    see Lionel so soon. She nned to exin to her parents when she figured out what to do with the


    baby in her belly.


    But things didn¡¯t go as she wished.


    Just when Daphne wanted to apologize, Lionel suddenly turned his head and looked at Edda and


    ric seriously, ¡°Mom, Dad, I want to marry Daphne. I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect her and the


    baby.¡±


    Edda should have been moved by this sincerity because she liked Lionel from the start. But now, Edda


    just scoffed, ¡°Fake marriage, right? You just want the baby and not the mom, right? Let me tell you, we


    the Flores family may not be wealthy, but no one bullies a child of the Flores family!¡±


    Edda suddenly pped the seat, which even startled ric, who had been calm all along.


    ric tried to gently tug his wife¡¯s sleeve, but his hand was swatted away by Edda, ¡°Don¡¯t pull me. You


    men don¡¯t understand how important a girl¡¯s reputation is! Today I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson¡­¡±


    Before Edda could finish her words, she saw her daughter reach out and touch Lionel¡¯s forehead. After


    confirming that Lionel didn¡¯t have a fever, she looked a bit lost, then turned to her father, ¡°Oh no, Dad,


    did you hit Lionel too hard and knock him silly?!¡±


    Lionel was speechless.


    Edda lightly touched her forehead, thinking silently, this fool is my child, I can¡¯t me anyone else!


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married and have this baby. I want both the baby and you.¡± Lionel took Daphne¡¯s hand off his


    forehead and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through, Daphne, I¡¯ll take responsibility for you, now and in the


    future.¡±


    The situation changed so quickly that Edda and ric couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Daphne, however, looked at Lionel and asked, ¡°Did you identally get some water in your ear when


    you washed your hair this morning?¡±


    S

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    Chapter 247


    Lionel wasn¡¯t out of his mind, his thoughts were crystal clear, and every word he uttered was well


    thought out.


    T


    He looked at Edda and ric seriously and sincerely, saying, ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t see things moving this


    fast, Daphne being pregnant was indeed a shocker. But I want to marry her, I want to give her a stable


    home, I mean it.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing before then? Why did you have Daphne take part in a sham marriage with you?


    You even mentioned sending her abroad for her childbirth, you said that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Edda asked.


    Lionel didn¡¯t deny it, Daphne tugged on Lionel¡¯s arm, signaling him to keep quiet.


    But he gently patted her hand, soothing her as he said, ¡°My family situation is a bitplicated.¡±


    Lionel gave a brief rundown of his family situation.


    ric had thought that Lionel¡¯s family being a ¡®bitplicated¡¯ was just that, a bit. He had no idea just


    howplicated it was.


    He was even more surprised to find out that Lionel¡¯s father was the notorious media tycoon, Fabian.


    Fabian¡¯s multiple marriages and family issues were the talk of the town, and his media empire was a


    household name.


    But no one could have guessed that Lionel, an actor who had started from a minor role, was actually


    the eldest son of the media tycoon.


    Daphne was even more shocked.


    As someone who worked in the magazine industry, she was quite familiar with the name Fabian:


    Ever since Lionel decided to pursue Daphne in Cuzco, he hadn¡¯t thought about hiding anything from


    her anymore. To be precise, he initially wanted to keep things from Daphne, sort out everything, and


    then tell her the truth, but a phone call with Kieranst night was quite enlightening.


    After revealing all the secrets to the Flores family and Daphne, Vicente in front furrowed his brows even


    deeper.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Lionel came here, he was already prepared to leave the entertainment industry, and his agent,


    Vicente, was about toplete his final mission.


    In fact, Lionel was not originally Vicente¡¯s client, but was nurtured by Lionel¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Albertine.


    Vicente only took over halfway and was chosen by Lionel as his agent because Albertine married


    Babur Farrell.


    When Vicente first found out Lionel was Fabian¡¯s son, his expression was even more surprised than


    Daphne¡¯s current one.


    Daphne waspletely dumbfounded.


    It took her a while before she came back to her senses and looked at Lionel, ¡°So, you didn¡¯t want to


    marry me before because you were all in, trying to reim the property?¡±


    At Daphne¡¯sprehension and thinking, Lionel suddenly felt a sense of helplessness. He began to


    question what he saw in this clueless woman in the first ce, He was about to exin when Daphne


    waved her hand and said, ¡°Lionel, I support you, you must reim the property. I hate men who neglect


    their families and mess around all the time, I support you, I¡¯ll support you mentally!¡±


    Edda looked at ric as if ming him.


    ric gave Daphne a helpless nce, ¡°Will you quiet down?¡±


    Lionel looked at ric and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to involve Daphne at first. I wanted to propose to her


    after I sorted out Fabian¡¯s issues. I was also worried that Fabjan would use Daphne to threaten me to


    give up the property.¡±


    Vicente¡¯s voice came from the front seat, ¡°Mr. Lionel was going to give up the property for Daphne.¡±


    ¡°Vicente!¡± Lionel gave Vicente a reproachful look, and Vicente immediately shut up.


    ric knew that a family like Fabian¡¯s must beplicated, and he understood Lionel¡¯s desire to


    protect Daphne. If Lionel was telling the truth, his impression of him might change.


    ric asked Lionel, ¡°What are you nning to do now?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Daphne immediately asked, ¡°So you¡¯re not going to get the property back? Isn¡¯t it


    yours and your mother¡¯s? You must get it back!¡±


    Edda said to her daughter, ¡°It¡¯s not yours, why are you so worked up?¡±


    Daphne thought it made sense, she nodded and kept quiet.


    Lionel said, ¡°I don¡¯t really care about money or power. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have left the Kemp family


    on my own, let alone give the house my mother lived in to Fabian and Raleigh. But now I understand


    something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ric guessed from years of experience that Lionel might not be as simple as just being


    good at acting.


    Lionel said, ¡°Power is dead, but people are alive. Those who want power would ruthlessly calcte


    against those who pose a threat. Just like ancient princes, if they want the throne, they would stop at


    nothing to kill other sessors. So, if a prince wants to protect himself, he must be the king first.¡±


    So, he must reim this property. Only by making Fabian lose his ability to control everything, could he


    truly protect Daphne.


    Daphne wasn¡¯t stupid, just a bit slow on the uptake, she only caught one point from Lionel¡¯s words, ¡°So,


    you will definitely get the property back?¡± ¡°Do you only care about money?¡± Edda looked helplessly at


    her daughter, then asked Lionel, ¡°Are you okay from the injury?¡±


    Only then did Daphne realize something, she looked at Lionel apologetically, ¡°Did you have


    insurance?¡±


    Once Lionel had exined the reason and process of everything, ric started to feel that his previous


    actions were a bit too much.


    Although he felt sorry, he was too proud to apologize, so he said to Lionel somewhat petntly, ¡°Young


    man, what harm can a little injury do?¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s right. In fact, Lionel still had room to fight back, he just politely took a punch.


    Daphne shot Lionel a look, ¡°He ain¡¯t your dad, don¡¯t pretend to be close.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mr. Lionel shot back, ring at Daphne dangerously.


    Daphne quickly switcheri gears, ¡°Mr. Lionel, he¡¯s my dad, not yours.¡±


    Lionel had Vicente escort Daphne and her parents back to their hotel for some shut-eye, while he went


    to handle the director and the photographer at the hotel.


    Lionel saw this live-streaming disastering from a mile away, and was nning to use this


    opportunity to announce his retirement from showbiz.


    This ident was sure to attract a lot of attention, so it can be said that the impact of this ident was


    quietly epted by Lionel and the heads of the show¡¯s producers. They provided Lionel with a tform


    to exit the entertainment industry, and they also did a good job of promoting the show, which was a


    very happy thing for the director. Once back at the hotel, Daphne immediately started charging her


    phone. As soon as she turned it on, Julie was already blowing up her phone. On the other end of the


    line, Julie bombarded her with questions about her condition.


    Once Daphne assured her she was okay, she heard about ric¡¯s dojo almost getting mobbed by fans.


    To prevent things from escting, Kieran stepped in to calm the situation. But fearing the impact on


    ric¡¯s reputation, Daphne immediately booked a 2 p.m. flight


    back home.


    After settling things with the production team, Lionel also hopped on the flight with Daphne.


    By the time they got back to Whispering Pines, it was already a good couple of hourster.


    Kieran set up a dinner meeting with Professor Fred at Feliz Gastro House. Julie was nning to tag


    along, but Daphne¡¯s situation was a hot mess, so Julie decided to meet up with Daphne first.


    At the appointed time, Kieran headed straight to Feliz Gastro House, where he was supposed to meet


    Harding and Dr. Brice at the entrance.


    Upon seeing Kieran, Dr. Brice remained his usual courteous and ssy self. Granted, Kieran was


    technically his love rival, but thankfully, he had no hard feelings


    towards Julie.


    Looking at Dr. Brice and Kieran, Harding quipped, ¡°You guys already know each other, so I¡¯m gonna


    skip the formal introductions.¡±


    ¡°Fred¡¯s inside.¡± Kieran said, leading the way.


    As Karl pushed open the door, there was Professor Fred, lounging on the couch.


    To his side stood a man and a woman, Vanessa, Fred¡¯s assistant, and Alvin, his bodyguard.


    Ahead of the bodyguard was a wheelchair. Fred stood up upon seeing Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, I¡¯ve


    heard great things.¡±


    1


    Kieran gave a small nod, ¡°The pleasure is mine, professor. I¡¯ve long heard of your reputation.¡±


    Then, he nced at Fred¡¯s legs, ¡°Are you getting used to the prosthetics?¡±


    Fred nced down at his legs and chuckled, ¡°I owe it all to you, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    One of Kieran¡¯spanies specialized in medical technology, and they had provided Fred with the


    most advanced prosthetics avable.


    Even though Fred still needed a cane to walk, it seemed like he was getting the hang of it.


    ¡°Who are these gentlemen?¡± Fred asked Kieran.


    Harding rose to introduce himself, ¡°I¡¯m Harding, the director of Tranquil Care Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re THE Harding?¡± Fred was taken aback, ¡°The renowned medical expert?¡±


    Harding didn¡¯t deny it.


    Fred chuckled excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ve read your papers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± Harding got straight to the point, ¡°The patient Mr. Hernandez wants you to treat, Sansa


    Abraham, is in my hospital. This is Dr. Brice, the primary physician in charge of Sansa¡¯s case. He¡¯ll be


    assisting you in treating Sansa.¡±


    Dr. Brice stood up and greeted Fred politely, ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fred furrowed his brows and turned to Kieran, ¡°Are you saying you want this doctor


    to assist me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kieran pretended not to understand.


    Fred pointed at Vanessa, ¡°I will do everything in my power to treat Ms. Abraham. You can rest assured,


    Mr. Hernandez. I already have Vanessa as my assistant. I¡¯m afraid having others might disrupt my


    work.¡±


    Kieran turned to Dr. Brice, who wore a smile but was firm, ¡°So, what¡¯s our next move? I definitely won¡¯t


    abandon Sansa.¡±

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    Chapter 248


    Fred was taken aback by the conditions Kieran proposed. He had been hired by Kieran for a hefty fee,


    so he figured Kieran should be willing to meet any conditions he proposed.


    But to his surprise, Kieran was adamant about one particr issue.


    Kieran looked at Fred and said, ¡°Please understand, professor, that this patient had always been


    treated by Dr. Brice Tranquil Care Hospital, even Dr. Brice resigned from another hospital to Tranquil


    Care Hospital for the sake of the patient. Dr. Brice knows this patient¡¯s condition better than anyone


    else. I know you¡¯re not a fan of working with people you don¡¯t know, but having someone who knows


    the patient¡¯s condition working with you should be a good thing, right? What do you think, professor?¡±


    It was clear that Kieran was insistent on having Dr. Brice involved with this patient.


    The professor didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Alvin.


    Alvin promptly wheeled a chair over and ced it in front of the professor.


    The professor stared at the coffee on the table, nodded slightly, and said with a serious expression, ¡°I


    reckon I¡¯ve had too much coffee. Mr. Hernandez doesn¡¯t mind if I go to the bathroom first?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Kieran stood up and approached the professor, ready to help, but the professor blocked


    him. The professor smiled at Kieran and said, ¡°No need to, trouble yourself, Mr. Hernandez. Alvin can


    help me.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, the professor looked at Alvin, who immediately wheeled the professor towards the restroom.


    Vanessa stayed put, standing on the other side of the room.


    Kieran nced at Harding, who got up, patted Kieran on the shoulder, and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go for a


    smoke.¡±


    After saying that, Harding left the room.


    Kieran took out his phone and started fiddling with it.


    After Harding left, he nodded at Karl at the door. He lit a cigarette but didn¡¯t take a drag. Instead, he


    leaned in close to Karl¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Restroom.¡±


    Karl pressed a button on his walkie-talkie and said, ¡°Restroom.¡±


    Dn stood at the staircase, dressed in a white chef¡¯s uniform with a chef¡¯s hat and a mask covering


    his face.


    -Upon hearing the message from the walkie-talkie, he quickly walked into the restroom. He followed


    closely behind the professor and then entered a stall, where he


    started recording.


    After the professor had Alvin check the surroundings to make sure none of Kieran¡¯s people were


    around, he took out his phone and dialed Kyle¡¯s number.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez insists on having the patient¡¯s previous primary doctor by my side¡­ Yes, I haven¡¯t


    agreed yet¡­ Yes, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nobody from Mr. Hernandez¡¯s side around me¡­ So, what should I


    do now?¡­ Okay, I understand! I promise I won¡¯t let the patient wake up. I want to hear my daughter¡¯s


    voice¡­


    In the restroom, Dn identally overheard the professor¡¯s conversation.


    Through a quick nce, Dn saw the professor angrily throw his phone against the wall.


    Alvin immediately picked up the shattered phone. The professor took it from him and casually tossed it


    into the trash can.


    Then, he saw the professor wheel himself out of the restroom, with Alvin hurrying to follow.


    Dn looked at the phone in the trash can and sent a message to Kieran. He quickly received a reply


    from Kieran.


    He took a pair of gloves from his pocket, put them on, reached into the trash can, picked up the


    shattered phone, and put it into a bag, grumbling, ¡°If you¡¯re gonna smash it against the wall, just smash


    it against the wall! Why do you have to throw it in the trash? What a hassle.¡±


    As Dnined, he put the bagged phone in his pocket.


    After a smoke break, Harding nodded to Karl at the door and returned to the room.


    Alvin wheeled the professor into the room, just as Harding was sitting down. He asked, ¡°Did Dr. Ladd


    also step out for a bit?¡±


    Harding chuckled and nodded, ¡°I went out for a smoke.¡±


    The professor studied Harding¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Dr. Ladd, your hands don¡¯t look like those of a habitual


    smoker.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t smoke that often, just asionally,¡± Harding replied.


    The professor didn¡¯t pursue the topic. He had a knowing look on his face as he turned to Kieran and


    said, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t keep you waiting too long, Mr. Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°I hope your answer will be worth the wait,¡± Kieran responded with a smile..


    Dr. Brice watched the two intelligent men. Neither of them was easy to deal with.


    The professorughed, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯ve gone to great lengths to seek me out so many times.


    This patient must be very important to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s someone my wife cares deeply about,¡± Kieran replied.


    The professor seemed to understand and nodded, ¡°I see. In that case, I can¡¯t let your wife down. You¡¯re


    right, Mr. Hernandez. Since Dr. Brice knows the patient the best, his involvement in the treatment


    process will certainly be beneficial. Don¡¯t you agree, Dr. Brice?¡±


    Dr. Brice smiled and nodded, ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Then I have one request, and I hope Mr. Hernandez can amodate me, the professor said.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve asked me to treat this patient, I want Dr. Brice to act only as an assistant doctor. That is


    to say, Dr. Brice can¡¯t interfere with the main treatment process.¡±


    Kieran remained silent and didn¡¯t respond to the professor¡¯s questions immediately.


    The professor continued to exin, ¡°I hope you can trust my professionalism, Mr. Hernandez. At


    present, I don¡¯t trust any other professionals to adopt my methods to treat other patients.¡±


    In short, the professor didn¡¯t want Dr. Brice to learn his techniques.


    After a moment of silence, Kieran nodded with a smile, ¡°You have my word on that, professor.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make this a sessful coboration.¡± The professor extended his hand to Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice stood up and shook hands with the professor.


    1


    Kieran had previously expressed his willingness to cooperate with the professor, and the fee had


    already been agreed upon.


    Kieran asked again, ¡°Professor, any other suggestions for the previous agreement? It¡¯s never toote.¡±


    The professor shook his head with a smile, indicating his satisfaction.


    After dinner, Kieran arranged for Karl to take the professor back to his hotel.


    Suddenly, Dn appeared, wearing a mask.


    ¡°Seems like any white robe suits you fine.¡± Harding joked.


    Dn rolled his eyes, then threw his recording device to Kieran, ¡°Who¡¯s pissed you off this time?¡±


    He pointed at the device and said, ¡°You guessed right. The professor¡¯s daughter might¡¯ve been


    kidnapped. He just made a phone call in the bathroom, looks like the person on the other end is the


    puppet master.¡±


    Listening to the conversation Dn recorded, the professor¡¯s voice came out from the device.


    He said he would act discreetly and wouldn¡¯t let Sansa wake up.


    After hearing this, Dr. Brice frowned, ¡°Do we still let the professor get close to Sansa?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kieran confirmed.


    Dr. Brice was puzzled, ¡°Fred has clearly stated he won¡¯t save Sansa, as his daughter is in their hands,


    he would cooperate fully to save her. He will definitely follow their orders,/


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we should let the professor get close to Sansa,¡± Kieran said.


    Harding seemed to understand. He looked at Kieran and asked, ¡°You want to understand the puppet


    master¡¯s motive through the professor, right?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°We still don¡¯t know why the people behind the professor want to harm Sansa, but it¡¯s


    clear that their goal is to keep her from waking up. What would happen if Sansa wakes up? We want to


    know whether they just don¡¯t want her to wake up or they want to kill her. I think the professor can give


    us the


    answer.¡±


    Dn nodded as well, ¡°I see. You mean, if they really want to kill Sansa, even if we reject the professor


    now, they¡¯d send someone else. So we should keep the professor and start our investigation from him.¡±


    Harding said, ¡°More precisely, maybe their current goal is just to keep Sansa from waking up. If they


    find out that the professor has told us, they might take immediate action and hire someone to kill


    Sansa. We won¡¯t be able to guard against that.¡±


    Dr. Brice nodded, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Next step might involve Dr. Brice.¡± Kieran said politely.


    Dr. Briceughed and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s what I should do.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the politeness. I¡¯m hungry!¡± Dn sat down and started ordering.


    Dr. Briceughed, ¡°I have to go deal with my resignation. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Harding said, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare too, and deal with Sansa¡¯s hospital transfer. Call me if you need anything.¡±


    When Harding and Dr. Brice had left, Kieran turned to Dn, ¡°Where¡¯s the phone?¡±


    Dn took out the broken phone from his pocket. He handed the pieces in a stic bag to Kieran, ¡°Get


    someone to fix it, maybe it can be fixed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kieran took the phone and examined the damage carefully.


    Dn looked up, ¡°Go find Payne. At least with him, I¡¯m not the worst.¡±


    ¡°You guys are really close.¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow.


    Dnughed, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°How about I cook for you tonight?¡± Kieran suddenly sat opposite Dn and looked at him seriously.


    Dn¡¯s menu fell out of his hand. He looked at Kieran in shock, ¡°Kerry, what¡¯s this about? Do you need


    me to do something?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I do need your help with something.¡± Kieran propped his cheek on one hand, looking at


    Dn thoughtfully.


    ¡°I refuse!¡± Dn was firm for the first time. He refused so fast, it was faster than flipping through a


    book.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    Chapter 249


    Kieran, ¡°The task is a piece of cake for you and won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to help!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to help?¡±


    -¡°I¡¯m positive!¡±


    ¡°Let me ask again, you sure you don¡¯t¡¯want to lend a hand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°What do you feel like eating tonight?¡±


    ¡°Ceviche.¡± After saying this, Dn pped himself. ¡°No, I decided not to eat! I have principles!¡±


    Dn then picked up the menu to cover his face, knowing from a young age that Kieran was a crafty


    one; especially when he was being overly generous, one had to be extra cautious.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make ceviche for you tonight.¡± Kieran took the menu from Dn¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Help me


    book a reliable psychologist.¡±


    ¡°A psychologist?¡± Dn asked in surprise. ¡°Who needs a psychologist?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    Dn lit up immediately, staring into Kieran¡¯s eyes. ¡°You need a psychologist? Look no further, I¡¯m a


    psychologist, capable of tackling all kinds of mental issues. I have an official certificate to prove it, I¡¯m


    extremely professional, and you can trust me. Since we¡¯re pals, I can give you a discount, spill it,


    what¡¯s been bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I asked you to find me a ¡®reliable¡¯ psychologist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not just reliable, I¡¯m super reliable, with exceptional professional skills,¡± Dn said, keeping a


    steady gaze on Kieran, observing his every move. After a careful examination, he furrowed his brows


    slightly. ¡°You¡¯re speaking hastily, holding things close to your chest as if to maintain distance. These are


    signs of anxiety. All your features are drawn to the center of your face, indicating disgust. You¡¯re


    anxious and disgusted, and you¡¯re looking for a psychologist, let me guess¡­¡±


    ¡°And you you¡¯re furrowing your brows, showing confidence? Do you really think you can guess why I


    need a psychologist?¡± Kieran tapped on the table and said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. If you guess right, I¡¯ll


    make you dinner every day for a week. If you¡¯re wrong, you¡¯ll have to go on a blind date, deal?¡±


    If it was anyone else, Dn would have agreed without a second thought. But facing the crafty Kieran,


    Dn dared not to agree hastily.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m the type of person to do such boring stuff?¡± Dn pointed at Kieran and said, ¡°I


    will find you a psychologist, and you¡¯re still making me ceviche tonight, plus I¡¯m ordering at least four


    dishes.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Dn pulled out his phone to looked up a number, while Kieran reminded him, ¡°Make sure to keep me


    anonymous, I¡¯ll do a phone consultation.¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Dn dialed a number on his phone, exchanged a few words with the person on the other


    end, then hung up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you his number,¡± Dn said, giving Kieran a string of numbers. ¡°Just so you know, Taylor is an


    expert in rtionship counseling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°What? Is it really about a rtionship problem?¡± Dn indicated that he only mentioned rtionship


    counseling to y around with Kieran; he didn¡¯t expect Kieran to actually have rtionship issues.


    Dn was surprised and grabbed Kieran¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Didn¡¯t you and your wife make up already? How


    come there are rtionship issues again? Aren¡¯t you two being a bit too dramatic? It¡¯s easy to please a


    woman. Either buy her stuff and max out your card, or just cuddle and sleep¡­ wait, hahaha, I think I


    just figured out


    something big.¡±


    Kieran gave Dn a re. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Kieran, let me tell you, men shouldn¡¯t bottle up their problems! In my opinion, seeing a psychologist


    won¡¯t help, you need to seek a professional. Here, take this number. It¡¯s a specialist.¡± Dn scrolled


    through his phone and handed Kieran a number.


    Kieran took a nce, the note under the number read. Dr. Smith, Head of Urology.


    Kieran picked up a menu and threw it at Dn¡¯s face. ¡°Ceviche?! You better prepare for a Dn stew


    tonight!¡±


    ¡°My meat isn¡¯t that tasty.¡± Dn tossed the menu off his face and pointed at Dr. Smith¡¯s number on his


    phone and said to Kieran. ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m serious, this is a medical issue, and the sooner you deal with it,


    the better. I just want to ask, after you and your wife made up, did you guys have a normal marital life?¡±


    ¡°As the president of the Single People¡¯s Care Association, I also want to ask, did you want to find a


    partner to end your single life?¡±


    This heartless guy! Dn quickly caught up and said, ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m genuinely concerned about you, did


    anything happen that night you got drunk? Does seeing your wife remind you of your hand?¡±


    Dn quickly followed. ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t be shy, I¡¯m a professional psychologist. By the way, Kieran,


    where are you going?¡±


    Kieran pulled out his phone.


    *Kieran, your situation won¡¯t be fixed by a phone consultation, let me book an appointment for you with


    Dr. Smith tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°Hello, is this Dn¡¯s grandfather? About the matter you mentionedst time, finding Dn a partner,


    I¡¯ve looked into it, Dn said he¡¯s willing¡­..


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Dn quickly anatched the phone from Kieran and promptly hung up.


    Kieran took back his phone, and Dn once again caught up.


    Kieran turned around and red at Dn, who immediately stopped in his tracks. He finally got a taste


    of what it felt like to be courting death.


    Karl opened the car door, and Kieran got in. Then, he opened his WhatsApp using the name, ¡°J


    Kennedy,¡± added Taylor¡¯s number, rified his identity, and asked Taylor for his payment ount, and


    then transferred the consultation fee to Taylor.


    Taylor. [Patient, what issues would you like to consult about?]


    Kieran held his phone and typed a long string of text. His finger was already on the send button, but


    after hesitating for a long time, he deleted all of it. Taylor, on the other end, seemed very patient,


    waiting for Kieran¡¯s response.


    Kieran typed out his question again, but each time he was about to hit send, he couldn¡¯t muster the


    courage. After five or six hesitations, Kieran simply turned off his phone and tossed it aside.


    Karl, who was driving, asked with concern, ¡°Sir, you seem a bit off.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Kieran suddenly looked up at Karl in the rear-view mirror. ¡°Karl, I have a


    question for you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Do you get along with your wife?¡±,


    As the car made an S-turn on the road, a nervous Karl nced at Kieran in the mirror. ¡°Boss, did I do


    something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Kieran picked up his phone and turned it back on.


    Karl thought for a moment. Since Kieran had asked, he figured he should politely answer. ¡°Sir, me and


    my wife are actually on pretty good terms.¡±


    ¡°When do you n on having children?¡±


    Startled, Karl made another S-turn with the car. He found Kieran¡¯s questions today to be¡­ quite


    baffling!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, that¡¯s fine,¡± Kieran said.


    Karl had no choice but to reply, ¡°About having a baby¡­ I can¡¯t decide that on my own!¡±


    ¡°Karl, do you ever feel like the pressure at work is too much like you¡¯re always rushed off your feet?


    Like¡­¡± Kieran suddenly paused, then waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Karl was wondering if his boss had lost his marbles!


    After a cautious drive back to Noblewood Retreat, Karl finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Just as Kieran was about to get out of the car, giving Karl the impression he was finally free, he


    suddenly shut the car door again and asked, ¡°Karl, have you ever done anything totally crazy?¡±


    Under the barrage of Kieran¡¯s pointed questions, Karl finally lost it. ¡°Boss, I assure you that I am utterly


    loyal to you. I¡¯ve never done anything wrong by you, let alone anything utterly crazy. Please¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Kieran had already left the car. Atst, Karl was finally free.


    When Kieran walked in, he saw Ivan spinning around like a top in the kitchen, taking a peek in its


    direction every few steps.


    Shannonughed and grabbed Ivan¡¯s cor. ¡°Ivan, stop spinning around. You¡¯re making me dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Shannon, my mom looks so beautiful in an apron. I want to marry a woman just as beautiful when I


    grow up.¡± Ivan was practically drooling as he stared at his mother¡¯s figure.


    It turned out that Julie was cooking dinner.


    With a pleased smile ying at the corner of his mouth, Kieran walked over, picked up the obstructive


    Ivan, and tossed him aside. Pointing at Julie¡¯s back, he said to his son, ¡°Such a beautiful woman is one


    of a kind in the world, and she¡¯s already married to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m the man my mom cares about the most.¡±


    Kieran lightly patted Ivan¡¯s head, tossed his coat over the little guy¡¯s head, and took the chance to enter


    the kitchen. He closed the door and locked it, moving quickly and smoothly. Suddenly plunged into


    darkness, Ivan struggled to free himself from the coat. When he finally emerged, he found that the door


    had been locked by


    his father.


    Regretfully, Ivan kicked the door and then yelled in pain, holding his foot.


    Hearing the door close, Julie, who was stewing meat, turned around. Before she could see who had


    entered, she was enveloped in Kieran¡¯s embrace. As she looked up, his kiss descended. He held her


    tightly around the waist, spun her around, and then pushed her onto the kitchen ind. His sweet kiss


    robbed her of breath, not giving her a moment¡¯s respite.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Chapter 250


    The pot lid next to them started to make noises, and Julie immediately nudged Kieran away, turning


    around to lift the lid and check on the meat stewing inside.


    ¡°What¡¯ve you got stewing?¡± The man edged closer, looping his arms around her waist, and resting his


    head on her shoulder, nting a little kiss on her earlobe.


    Julie felt ticklish and slightly craned her neck, looking at the food in the pot and telling Kieran, ¡°It¡¯s


    Mexican birria.¡±


    She scooped up a spoonful of sauce, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to his lips. ¡°Give it a


    taste. Haven¡¯t cooked in a while, so not sure if there¡¯s enough


    salt.¡±


    Blowing on the sauce to cool it down, her puckered lips looked irresistibly cute. Kieran took a sip and


    slightly furrowed his brow.


    Seeing his expression, Julie felt a bit nervous. She frowned slightly and cautiously asked, ¡°Does it taste


    bad?¡±


    He shook his head. She asked again, ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong? Spill it¡­¡±


    As she was about to turn around and give it a taste herself, Kieran grabbed her wrist. She turned


    around in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Honey, do we have any salt left at home?¡± he asked.


    Julie nced at the saltshaker and nodded. ¡°Yeah, we do. What¡¯s up? Does it taste nd?¡±


    The man nced in the direction of the saltshaker and had a sudden realization. ¡°Oh So there¡¯s still


    salt left. I thought you dumped all of it in there!¡±


    Julie looked at him with an embarrassed expression and asked uncertainly, ¡°Is it really that salty? I


    didn¡¯t put that much salt in¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s salty. Wanna give it a taste?¡± he asked.


    Julie reluctantly turned around and picked up a spoon, ready to taste the food. But the moment she


    turned around, Kieran pulled her back. He lowered his head to kiss her lips, lightly biting her soft lips.


    After the passionate interlude, he gently wiped her lips with his fingertip, a tender smile tugging at the


    corners of his mouth.


    She yfully punched him and brushed his finger off her lips. But he just asked her with a smile, ¡°Did


    you taste it? Isn¡¯t it super salty?¡±


    Such a clever excuse to steal a kiss! Julie red at him and snapped, ¡°It wasn¡¯t salty. It was sweet!¡±


    He was pleasantly surprised by Julie¡¯s sweet reaction. As she turned to serve the food, he embraced


    her from behind and lifted the pot lid. ¡°So sweet, I wonder if you¡¯ve put candied fruits in it.¡±


    She pped his hand away and said, ¡°No candied fruits, just arsenic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d eat it even if you were the one who put it in.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s witch¡¯s brew. Haha¡­¡± herughter filled the room,


    Kieran was torn betweenughter and tears. What on earth did he see in this silly wife of his in the first


    ce?


    ¡°By the way, I have a surprise for you tonight.¡± She turned around and draped her arms around his


    neck.


    A surprise? The word ¡®surprise¡¯ already gave Kieran anxiety. Nevertheless, he had to maintain a smile


    and pretend to be excited, asking her, ¡°What surprise?¡±


    ¡°If I tell you, it won¡¯t be a surprise anymore.¡± Her words were full of mystery.


    Kieran could only feel a headacheing on. Now, every time he heard the word ¡®surprise, his reaction


    was almost like a conditioned reflex, immediately reminding him of that night, making him feel


    ufortable.


    ¡°Honey, I think I might be feeling a bit weak recently¡­¡±Kieran¡¯s voice was very low, so Julie didn¡¯t hear


    him clearly.


    She turned around to look at him. ¡°Where are you feeling weak?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the dish and see if it¡¯s too salty?¡± He suddenly interrupted Julie.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie didn¡¯t think much of it and started tasting the food, only to find¡­.


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± She turned around to exin to Kieran, only to find that he had already left, his speed even


    surpassing that of a rabbit.


    Shannon came to help, and soon they had all the food on the table.


    At the table, Ivan and Kieran were making eye contact.


    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t fight with me over mom, that¡¯s basic morality for you as my father!¡± The little guy said


    seriously.


    Only to get a reply from Kieran, ¡°You can¡¯t fight with me over my wife. That¡¯s a basic requirement for


    you as my son.¡±


    Julie handed out the utensils to the father and son duo andughed helplessly.


    Shannon, pulling Noah, said, ¡°A family should be like this, peaceful and happy. If only Mr. Lucian were


    here¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Noah quickly covered Shannon¡¯s mouth, even though they knew


    that Kieran and Julie couldn¡¯t hear them from this distance.


    Despite their banter, Kieran and Ivan finally managed to finish their meal peacefully.


    After the meal, Shannon went to clean up the table. Ivan tugged at Julie¡¯s arm, asking her to teach him


    to y the piano. Julie hadn¡¯t yed the piano in a long time. She shook her head and said, ¡°Let your


    dad teach you! Your dad used to be a gold medalist at the Chopin International Piano Competition.¡±


    A big deal award?¡± Ivan turned to look at Kieran, who was reading the news on the sofa.


    Julie nodded. ¡°Yeah, of course, it¡¯s a big deal. He used to be my idol!¡±


    Kieran, who had been engrossed in the news just a moment ago, heard this and immediately


    responded, even though he hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off the screen, ¡°So, I¡¯m not your idol anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m now the pride of my mom!¡± The little guy stretched out two chubby fingers, making a heart shape,


    and winked at his mom. ¡°Mom, I love you!¡± Kieran put down his tablet, stood up, and walked towards


    Ivan. The little guy quickly hid behind Julie, hugging her leg with a defensive look on his face.


    In one swift move, Kieran picked up Ivan from behind Julie. He looked down at his son with a smile,


    ¡°You¡¯re my son, so I won¡¯t treat you badly. If you want to learn piano, I¡¯ll find you the best teacher.


    Whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll fulfill it. Am I good to you?¡±


    ¡°You liar. When I was little, I said I wanted to go to the moon, and you took me on an airne at night.


    When I said I wanted to touch the sun during the day, you took me on a hot air balloon. Now I want to


    go to space, and I bet you¡¯re going to lie to me again!¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t helpughing, looking at Kieran. ¡°Is this how you fool your son?¡±


    Ivan nodded his head seriously.


    In the end, Julie sided with Kieran, saying, ¡°I think it¡¯s better for your dad to find you a professional


    teacher, and I agree with that.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± Ivan seemed to ponder for a while before reluctantly saying, ¡°Alright, find me a teacher!¡±


    Having said that, Ivan got down from Kieran¡¯s arms and obediently ran towards his room.


    As Kieran carried Julie upstairs, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the little guy to show interest in something, and


    it turns out he likes piano.¡±


    ¡°He might have inherited it from you, Julie seriously replied, taking his hand, and examining it. His long


    fingers, with knuckles like carved ivory, were very beautiful Watching him y the piano was also a


    pleasure to others.


    However, he held her hand and said, ¡°He probably got it from you.¡±


    ¡°I never won any gold medals,¡± she said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you like boys who y piano? You said boys who y piano are the most handsome,


    wearing white shirts and ck tailcoats, their fingers tapping the keys, elegant and good-looking.¡±


    Julie looked at Kieran in surprise. ¡°Did I say that?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You did start learningter than me!¡± Julie realized. ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to learn piano since I was a child,


    but you started learningter¡±


    ¡°When I was young, I didn¡¯t understand whether I liked it or not. I only knew that every day when I saw


    your mom sitting behind you with a teaching stick supervising you, I thought, what¡¯s so hard about this


    piano, why is it so hard to learn. I also thought, why is the teacher so stupid that he can¡¯t even teach


    piano. So,ter, I joined a school club, and after I learned to y the piano, I realized¡­ it¡¯s not that the


    teacher is stupid, it¡¯s that you¡¯re dumb.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth! That was because I wasn¡¯t putting my mind into learning the piano, I was focused


    on practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!¡± She shook off his hand and walked towards her room.


    Kieran followed Julie and stood at the door. ¡°Honey, let¡¯s change to a three-meter wide bed tomorrow!


    Let¡¯s get rid of this bed in your room.¡±


    ¡°My room is so small. If you put a three-meter bed in it, we might as well live separately!¡±


    Kieran nced at Julie¡¯s bedroom and then at his own. Even though the two rooms were no longer


    separated, the two beds gave the impression of living separately. Julie thought for a moment, lifted the


    quilt, and took out her pillow. She threw her pillow onto Kieran¡¯s bed, and then patted the quilt, turning


    around to smile at him. The sweet smile on her face made the corners of Kieran¡¯s mouth curve up.


    ¡°You go take a shower,¡± she said.


    Kieran didn¡¯t refuse and headed for the bathroom.


    Julie quickly ran back to her room, then opened the suitcase she brought when she moved in and took


    out the camera hidden inside. Holding the heavy camera, she seemed to struggle for a long time in her


    heart, then, took a deep breath and lightly pped her flushed face.


    Then she took the camera back to Kieran¡¯s bed and waited quietly. She turned on the camera, found


    the video from that night, and imagined what Mr. Hernandez¡¯s


    reaction would be if he saw this.


    Kieran was taking a shower in the bathroom at that moment and didn¡¯t look rxed at all. He turned on


    the showerhead, the sound of water echoed in the bathroom, but he stood far away from the


    showerhead and took out his phone.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he unlocked his phone, opened WhatsApp, found his therapist Taylor,


    hesitated, and sent a message.


    After waiting for three or four minutes, Taylor finally replied. Just as Kieran was about to read it, Julie¡¯s


    voice came from outside. ¡°Honey, are you done showering?¡±


    Startled, Kieran¡¯s hand slipped, and his phone fell straight into the toilet.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    Chapter 251


    When Kieran came out of the bathroom, it had been half an hour. He was wearing nothing but a bath


    towel, a white towel hanging around his neck. Julie couldn¡¯t help but nce curiously at the bathroom,


    ¡°What were you doing in there?¡±


    ¡°Taking a shower,¡± Kieran replied, then noticed the camera in Julie¡¯s arms and asked in surprise. ¡°Why


    are you holding a camera?¡±


    ¡°Daphne said the next issue of the magazine needs captivating content, preferably a cover shot of the


    famous Mr. Hernandez fresh out of the shower. So, to meet Daphne¡¯s demands and be a good friend, I


    thought of putting you on the cover. Aren¡¯t selfless?¡± Julie exined with a mischievous smile.


    Kieran immediately covered his chest with the towel, looking at Julie warily, ¡°Is this your idea of a


    surprise?¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, do you actually believe this kind of thing?¡±


    Seeing Julie¡¯s triumphant expression, Kieran realized how foolish his earlier actions had been. He


    coughed awkwardly and removed the towel to continue drying his hair.


    Perhaps bored waiting outside, Julie had already put on a ck shirt, his shirt.


    She came down from the bed with the camera in her arms, revealing her beautiful long legs, and


    handed him the camera and said, ¡°I found something very interesting here. Take your time to have a


    look.¡±


    With that, she dashed into the bathroom like she was running away.


    Kieran was left standing outside with camera in hand. ¡°Mysterious and intriguing, huh?¡± He called


    towards the bathroom.


    Julie¡¯s muffled voice came from inside, ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you watch it. Make sure to fast forward.¡±


    ¡°Do I snore when I sleep?¡± he wondered about what might appear on the camera.


    Julie found his spection both amusing and exasperating, ¡°It¡¯s worse than snoring.


    Then, Julie in the bathroom went silent. Kieran draped the towel he¡¯d used to dry his hair over his


    shoulders and turned on the camera.


    Julie, anxiously waiting in the bathroom, felt like Kieran was opening Pandora¡¯s box outside. The


    bathtub held the water he¡¯d drawn for her earlier, and now she was


    fully immersed in it, fingers tightly gripping the edge of the tub as she imagined Kieran¡¯s reaction when


    he found out what had happened that night.


    Outside, Mr. Hernandez¡¯s face grew increasingly serious, eventually sporting a hint of perplexed


    embarrassment.


    After nearly half an hour of fidgeting, Kieran¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Do you n on spending the


    night in the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Is that okay?¡± Julie¡¯s voice came from the bathroom.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± His voice came from the bathroom door Watching Kieran¡¯s silhouette at the


    bathroom door, Julie took a deep breath, stood up in the bathtub, and casually wrapped herself in a


    bathrobe.


    Making sure she was decent, she loudly replied to Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m ready¡­¡±


    She checked herself in the mirror, ensuring herplexion looked normal, then turned to open the


    door. However, just as she turned, she noticed a mobile phone wrapped in the towel. It was Kieran¡¯s


    spare phone. How had it been left in the bathroom?


    Julie picked up the phone and identally pressed a button, revealing a WhatsApp message on the


    lock screen. A contact named ¡°Psychologist Taylor¡± had sent a message that read, ¡°This situation is a


    bitplicated. If you can¡¯t act just because you¡¯ve seen thedy¡¯s lingerie, you can try¡­¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie couldn¡¯t read the rest, but the message was definitely strange.


    Frowning, Julie contemted the meaning of the message when the bathroom door suddenly swung


    open, pushed by Kieran from the outside.


    Startled, Julie instinctively hid the phone behind her back.


    It was a rather conspicuous attempt to conceal something.


    Kieran raised an eyebrow, looking at Julie. ¡°What are you hiding?¡±


    Knowing she couldn¡¯t hide it, she simply brought the phone back out and handed it to him, asking,


    ¡°Psychologist Taylor?¡±


    Kieran nced at Julie, reminding her, ¡°You just dropped the phone in the toilet.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about the phone; I asked about this psychologist¡­¡± Julie suddenly realized and ced the


    phone back on the towel. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this. phone?¡±


    ¡°When you called my name earlier, you startled me, so the phone identally fell into the toilet, Kieran


    exined.


    Julie turned to squeeze some hand soap, washing her hands carefully.


    Kieran walked up behind Julie and said, ¡°Did you know about that camera the next morning?¡±


    Julie went silent.


    ¡°Knowing and deliberately not telling me?¡± Kieran¡¯s hands were already on the sink at her waist.


    Julie looked up and saw Kieran in the mirror. The bathroom was silent except for the sound of water,


    and Kieran could not move as her strong arms fastened her to the sink.


    She didn¡¯t speak because she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Who would have thought it would be so awkward for them to get in touch again after so many years of


    reunion?


    In fact, she did not dare to show the video to Kieran. The reason was not Kieran¡¯s ridiculous behavior in


    the first half when the two were drunk. It¡¯s the intimacy of thetter half.


    ¡°Say something?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was in her ear.


    Julie¡¯s body shook slightly, a little guilty and said, ¡°We were not drunk at that time, I was afraid you


    wake up to see your own behavior, will be embarrassed, I did this for your own good¡­¡±


    ¡°When I set up the crime scene this morning, did you put your hands on my brother? Was it for me?


    Kieran¡¯s tone was both gentle and questioning, and sounded


    dangerous, with the possibility of punishment if she answered to displease him.


    It took Julie a while to think about her answer, but she finally decided¡­ It¡¯s best to keep quiet.


    ¡°Am I dumb?¡± he asked, his lips brushing against her smooth earlobe as he whispered softly.


    He was refer


    to the fact that he could remove lingerie but didn¡¯t know how to put it on.


    ¡°Though you might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, your learning curve is impressive¡­¡± Julie


    replied, gazing at herself in the mirror and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Kieran pointed to the phone on the towel, saying, ¡°Do you know who this Taylor person is?¡±


    ¡°Is Taylor a man or a woman?¡± she asked, turning her head.


    He leaned in, his lips meeting hers gently, ¡°Is that really what you¡¯re focused on? Taylor is the most


    reliable psychologist I could find. Do you know why I needed a psychologist?¡±


    Nervously, Julie turned to look at Kieran, locking eyes with his reflection in the mirror.


    However, he turned her face toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze directly.


    He said, ¡°I thought it was just a dream, a dream where I was entwined with you in bed, but it turned out


    I wasforting myself at night. I thought it was just a dream where I was madly dancing the tango in


    your lingerie, so every time I see you¡­ I can¡¯t control myself, Julie!¡±


    With that, Kieran suddenly let her go, turning away in anger.


    Guilty Julie followed up, ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Just two steps, Kieran in front of her suddenly stopped, and Julie, who had not had time to stop,


    suddenly bumped into his back.


    Kieran turned to pick her up, took two steps back, and put her on the sink. In her bathrobe, Julie didn¡¯t


    feel cold on the marble counter. She was afraid of falling, so she grabbed Kieran¡¯s shoulder. Sitting on


    the sink, she gazed up at him with innocent eyes.


    Kieran ced his hands on the sink on either side of her and leaned in slightly, finally meeting her gaze


    eye to eye.


    ¡°Actually what?¡± he asked.


    Under Kieran¡¯s intense, seductive gaze, Julie forgot what she had wanted to say originally. She lifted


    her head and looked at Kieran, saying confidently, ¡°I forgot what I was going to say¡­¡±


    ¡°And do you remember what you said that night when you begged for mercy?¡± Kieran¡¯s eyes were


    ambiguous for an instant.


    Julie reflexively shook her head and said, ¡°I forgot what I said that night, I don¡¯t remember it. I didn¡¯t say


    anything! Did I beg for mercy? No!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you did. Forgot? Good thing I have the video. ¡°He reached out his hand and rubbed her head,


    kissed her reddish cheek, and said, ¡°Sit here and wait for me, I¡¯ll get the camera, we¡¯ll go over it


    together, and you¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Seeing that Kieran was about to turn around, Julie grabbed Kieran and held his arm tightly. She looked


    at him with her big eyes and said, ¡°Honey, I was wrong!¡±


    ¡°Where did you go wrong?¡±


    Julie thought for a moment. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be rearranging a crime scene in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Should you have told me you were recording?¡±


    ¡°I should have,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Do you remember how you begged me to stop at the end?¡± ¡±


    I remember¡­ No, I don¡¯t!¡± Julie once again sessfully evaded the truth.


    However, this seeded in pleasing Kieran, who smiled, gently reached out and touched the bridge of


    Julie¡¯s nose, and said, ¡°If you tell me again what you said the other night, I¡¯ll show mercy.¡±


    Julie shook her head.


    Kieran nodded, turned and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get the camera, and we can review the night together.¡±


    She reached out and grabbed Kieran by the neck. ¡°I give up, I¡¯ll tell you everything, okay?¡±


    Julie¡¯s face turned even redder when she was bashful, and she looked cute with her fairplexion.


    Kieran raised an eyebrow, ¡°Well, I¡¯m all ears!¡±

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    Chapter 252


    ¡°Darling, my bad. You are the smartest and the best man skilled in helping with wearing bras in the


    world.¡± Julie said.


    ¡°You got it wrong!¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°You have the nicest pecs.¡± Julie continued.


    You got it wrong again!¡± Kieran¡¯s face was getting darker and darker.


    Julie recalled the groveling words she had said that night. Although she couldn¡¯t remember her exact


    feelings at the time, everything was recorded clearly in the video.


    Julie remembered crying and saying, ¡°Kieran, I am yours. I¡¯m gonna have your babies, and loads of


    them. Please, I beg you, let me go. I promise, no more being stubborn or running away. I¡¯ll cooperate


    fully with you in trying new positions.¡±


    Julie never thought she could be so eloquent. But now, she¡¯d rather die to repeat those words,


    especially when she was sober.


    She didn¡¯t think before she spoke, so she dared not show the video to Kieran. Julie hooked her arms


    around Kieran¡¯s neck, tilted her head back, and kissed him on the lips.


    Mrs. Hernandez, so adorable, was taking the initiative to kiss him!


    Kieran¡¯s dark eyes became even more profound. He opened his arms and picked up the proactive


    Julie. Her legs wrapped around his waist, clinging tightly to him.


    Julie, fresh from the shower, smelled of sweet body wash, and it was irresistible. He let Julie kiss him


    randomly on the lips and his face. He knew Julie was trying to please him. Still, Kieran didn¡¯t actively


    respond. Instead, he carried Julie to the soft bed and carefullyid her down on the nket.


    Julie¡¯s hands were hooked around his neck, and her legs were wrapped around his waist, like a clingy


    child. He reached out for the camera next to her, but she clung tighter. After giving Julie a reassuring


    smile, he picked up the camera and put it on the bedside table without turning it on.


    Julie sat up, looking puzzled at Kieran¡¯s actions at this moment. She didn¡¯t expect his next move after


    putting down the camera would be to turn around and pin her down.


    They fell into the soft quilt together, and their lips met in a fierce kiss. In an instant, Julie didn¡¯t have


    time to dodge. Kieran¡¯s kiss was enchanting, making her unable to breathe or think.


    Like the positive and negative poles of a ma, the intense love finally swept away all her rationality.


    Julie had set the rm, and she was nning to get up early,the next morning to make breakfast for


    Kieran and Ivan. However, when she woke up, it was already half past seven. Kieran was not by her


    side.


    She quickly got up, washed up, and hurried downstairs. But she found Kieran was already in the


    kitchen. Ivan had had breakfast and was about to leave. Noah was holding Ivan¡¯s backpack. Ivan was


    about to grab his backpack, but when he saw Julie in the stairwell, he ran over happily, took her hand,


    and kissed her on the back of the hand.


    Kieran came out of the kitchen, holding a cup of hot milk, handed it to Julie. Then he said to Ivan, ¡°A


    real gentleman would kiss his own fingers, you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so stingy. I don¡¯t have a wife now, so I kiss your wife¡¯s hand. When Julien marries me, I can


    lend you my wife¡¯s hand, you cheapskate!¡± Ivan took the backpack from Noah and ran away quickly.


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s expression, Ivan knew that if he didn¡¯t run now, he might get a beating


    Julie and Kieran watched the clever but troublesome Ivan, feeling helpless and amused. ¡°Did you turn


    off my rm?¡± Julie asked Kieran, taking a sip of the milk.


    Kieran leaned down and kissed her lips, and asked, ¡°Are you going to the restaurant today?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Daphne said she woulde to the restaurant today to discuss her situation with Mr.


    Lionel in detail.¡±


    Yesterday, Kieran had mentioned Sansa¡¯s situation on the phone. Julie turned to Kieran and asked, ¡°Is


    Sansa being transferred today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Harding will take care of it.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after work, and then we¡¯ll go to the hospital.¡±


    Julie nodded. She got into Kieran¡¯s car but couldn¡¯t help and say, ¡°But I¡¯m a little worried. I don¡¯t really


    trust Professor Fred.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Brice will apany Sansa to the Tranquil Care Hospital. Tonight, we¡¯ll invite Dr. Brice and


    Harding to dinner.¡± Kieran said. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to tell Julie that Dr. Brice would apany


    Sansa to the hospital, so Julie was surprised to hear it. But afterwarda, she felt very reassured. She


    knew she owed Dr. Brice a lot over the years.


    Looking at Julie in the passenger seat who were lost in thought, Kieran didn¡¯t need to look closely to


    know what she was thinking.


    Suddenly, Kieran turned to Julie and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we introduce a girlfriend to Dr. Brice?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Kieran in surprise, ¡°A girlfriend?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Yeah, Dr. Brice doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend, right?¡±


    What surprised Julie was that she didn¡¯t expect Kieran to care so much about Dr. Brice¡¯s personal life.


    She suddenlyughed and turned to look at him curiously, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of introducing a


    girlfriend to Dr. Brice?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Brice is a good man. Although he can¡¯t find a woman as good as you, a slightly inferior girlfriend


    should be enough.¡± Keiran said. Mr. Hernandez not only thought highly of himself, but he also made


    her arrogant.


    Julie was a little curious, ¡°So what kind of girlfriend do you think we should introduce to Dr. Brice?¡±


    ¡°How about Adeline?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie shot Kieran a nce, unable to hold back herughter, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you¡¯re ying


    matchmaker all willy-nilly, you know? Adeline¡¯s got the hots for Elliot.¡±


    ¡°Elliot sees Adeline as a sister, doesn¡¯t he? Keiran asked.


    That question left Julie speechless, ¡°That may be true, but Elliot¡¯s thoughts are his own. Just because


    he sees Adeline as a sister, it doesn¡¯t mean Adeline can stop herself from having the feelings for him,


    right? After all, she¡¯s been head over heels for him for years. She even left the Sanches family so Elliot


    could take over the


    British branch. Do you think someone like Adeline would be open to blind dates?¡±


    ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± Kieran responded.


    Julie frowned, ¡°Try what?¡±


    ¡°Call Adeline.¡± Kieran instructed.


    This amused Julie. Despite having no idea what Kieran was up to, she dialed Adeline¡¯s number.


    ¡°Juliebelle, what made you think of me?¡± Adeline¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    Julie responded, ¡°My hubby wants to talk to you.¡±


    After saying that, she turned on speakerphone and handed the phone to Kieran.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez wants to talk to me? Is he going to give me a piece of his mind?¡± Adeline asked.


    Even though Kieran and Julie had long forgotten about Adeline¡¯s past attempt to kidnap Julie, Adeline


    herself couldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Adeline.¡± Kieran¡¯s voice was cold.


    Adeline yed along, ¡°Hey, Mr. Hernandez, you wanted to talk?¡±


    ¡°Are you open to a blind date?¡± Keiran asked.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Adeline was stunned.


    ¡°A blind date.¡± Kieran repeated patiently.


    Adeline almost choked on her snack, ¡°Me? A blind date? With who?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s tall, handsome, and more gentlemanly than Elliot. He is a good guy.¡± Keiran said.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can I ask straight up? Mr. Hernandez, are you feeling okay?¡± Adeline turned off her TV just to make


    sure she had heard Kieran correctly.


    Kieran¡¯s voice came through the phone, ¡°You were serious when you said you didn¡¯t want to obsess


    over Elliot anymore, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Adeline had indeed said that during a night out at a club. Clutching her phone, she responded, ¡°Of


    course, I was serious. I¡¯ve never been more serious. But sometimes, it¡¯s not easy to do what you¡¯ve


    decided to do.¡±


    Julie could hear the sadness and helplessness in Adeline¡¯s voice even through the phone. She


    frowned, and Kieran responded, ¡°If you can¡¯t do what you¡¯ve decided, it¡¯s because you¡¯re not


    determined enough.¡±


    After a long silence from the other end, Adeline suddenly said, ¡°Tell me the time and ce.¡±


    Kieran hung up and handed the phone back to Julie. She gazed at Kieran in astonishment, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, I just realized you¡¯ve developed a new skill!¡±


    ¡°I have many skills you don¡¯t know about.¡± Kieran raised his eyebrow, smiling.


    Julie fell silent, and Kieran handed her his phone, ¡°Dial Dr. Brice for me.¡±


    Julie took out her phone and dialed Dr. Brice¡¯s number. She turned on the speakerphone and handed it


    to Kieran, ¡°Dr. Brice, I¡¯ve arranged the favor you asked for. Any requests for the blind date venue?¡±


    Dr. Brice responded, ¡°Wherever is convenient for thedy, I¡¯m flexible.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you know once everything¡¯s set.¡± Kieran said, and hung up.


    Julie was dumbfounded, she asked Kieran in a low voice, ¡°Dr. Brice asked you to arrange a blind date


    for him?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Brice¡¯s family set him up with a blind date. The woman has been smitten with Dr. Brice for years,


    but Dr. Brice has no intention of showing up. So, he told his family he already has a date. Dr. Brice said


    if Harding can help him solve this problem, he¡¯ll agree to move to the Tranquil Care Hospital with


    Sansa.¡± Keiran said.


    ¡°But, Adeline is actually in love with Elliot, that¡¯s not fair to Dr. Brice.¡± Julie said.


    ¡°Dr. Brice¡¯s n is to find someone to fool his parents. If Adeline is his blind date, he believes she can


    make his parents understand that forcing him into a blind date isn¡¯t the right move.¡± Keiran said.


    ¡°And what about Adeline?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°Elliot will go find her.¡± Kieran squinted his eyes.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    Chapter 253


    Lionel¡¯s announcement about his retirement from showbiz was no joke. Julie walked into the restaurant


    just in time to see this news on TV.


    He made a simple post on Facebook. He promoted Director Babur¡¯s new film, saying it would be his


    last acting gig.


    The media immediately reached out to Lionel¡¯s agency, hoping for an interview, Lionel, being a good


    sport, agreed. He said he was done with Seasons of Love and had put a stop to all his work, even the


    promo activities for Babur¡¯s film. He nned to focus on his family from now on.


    Lionel¡¯s family had always been a mystery. The media took this chance to ask about it. When asked


    what he meant by focusing on his family, Lionel said, ¡°I fell in love with a woman and I want to marry


    her. She is the most important to me and I want to be there for every significant moment in our lives.¡±


    This stirred up the showbiz world. Fans flooded Lionel¡¯s Facebook page withments, eager to know


    who the woman was. The most likely candidate seemed to be Daphne, who had been interacting with


    Lionel a lot recently.


    When asked if Daphne was the woman he was in love with, Lionel didn¡¯t give a direct answer. He said,


    ¡°When she is ready to go public, I¡¯ll be happy to share our good news.¡±


    A reporter asked Lionel if he was worried about losing fans by revealing his personal life. Lionel just


    laughed and said, ¡°I only want to make it public if I¡¯m indeed in love with someone. I¡¯m eager to let the


    whole world know that I love her, but it¡¯s up to her to go public.¡±


    Julie, watching the interview in the lobby, was moved by Lionel¡¯s attitude. His responses made all the


    reporters¡¯ hearts flutter.


    Daphne, who happened to see the interview as she entered the restaurant, walked up to Julie and said,


    ¡°Oh my God, Lionel is such a good actor. I almost believed


    him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s decided to retire. How can it be fake?¡± Julie looked at Daphne. She was dressed in a down


    jacket, with a face mask and sunsses, and couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°Daphne, you look like a celebrity


    or a lunatic. Juliemented.


    Daphne was speechless. After removing her sunsses and hat, she dragged Julie to the office. She


    seemed excited, saying. ¡°ric and Edda agreed with me. Mrs. Flores says the world of the rich is


    complicated. She told me not to get involved easily.¡±


    Before Daphne could finish her sentence, she heard Julien say, ¡°Lionel is not bad.¡±


    I


    Both Julie and Daphne turned to see Julien. She dressed in ck sportswear, sat at Julie¡¯s desk with a


    pen in hand, and was writing something on a piece of paper. Surprised to see Julien, Julie asked,


    ¡°Julien, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Kieran sent me.¡± Julien said.


    ¡°Kieran?¡± Julie was even more surprised, ¡°What did he want you to do?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡± Julien replied.


    Daphne excitedly walked towards Julien, asking, ¡°What are you writing?¡±


    Before Daphne could reach Julien, two thugs suddenly burst through the door. One of them grabbed


    Julie¡¯s neck and demanded, ¡°Where is the ring?¡±


    Julien threw her pen at the thug¡¯s hand. Caught off guard, the thug let go of Julie due to the pain.


    Julie quickly moved towards Julien, shielding Daphne behind her. Julien jumped over the desk and


    kicked at the thug. The thug dodged and pulled out a dagger.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Julie shouted.


    The thug stabbed at Julien, who ducked and kicked the thug. Caught off guard, the thug retreated.


    The thug who had been stabbed in the hand moved menacingly towards Julie again. Julie picked up a


    golf club and held it tight.


    Daphne threw a pencil at the thug¡¯s face. He shielded his face.


    ¡°Go get help!¡± Julie swung the golf club at the thug and told Daphne.


    Daphne stood still as the thug grabbed the golf club from Julie. Julie quickly let go to avoid being


    dragged.


    Julien grabbed the thug¡¯s wrist, twisted his hand behind his back, and stabbed it into the desk with the


    thug¡¯s dagger. The thug was immobilized with pain.


    Seeing the other thug going for Julie, she backed into a corner, shielding Daphne. Julien picked up the


    golf club and hit the thug from behind, then kicked his knees. She got him in a chokehold and pinned


    him to the ground.


    Three men in ck suits appeared at the door. Julien stood on the fallen thug, took out her dagger, and


    threw it to Julie. She was about to attack the men in suits when Julie stopped her.


    ¡°They¡¯re bodyguards.¡± Julie yelled, ¡°What are you waiting for? Arrest them!¡±


    This was Kieran¡¯s bodyguard. Ever since an ident happened a few days ago, Kieran had been


    worried, so he arranged for bodyguards to protect her at all times. Julie didn¡¯t argue, but she didn¡¯t like


    this arrangement. She warned the bodyguard not to approach her unless she agreed. However, an


    ident urred in the office.


    The bodyguard probably heard the fight inside. Despite not having Julie¡¯s consent, he rushed in. The


    bodyguard quickly subdued two thugs. Julien looked at Julie and Daphne, asking, ¡°Are you guys


    okay?¡±


    Julie and Daphne shook their heads in unison.


    The two thugs were tightly tied to the chairs by the bodyguard. Julien then let the bodyguard leave.


    Julien sat in the chair, while Julie and Daphne were standing behind her. Julien held the bloody dagger


    in hand, staring coldly at the two thugs tied to the chairs.


    Julien said, ¡°Tell me, who sent you? Whoever answers first, I¡¯ll stab the other one.¡±


    Both thugs remained silent. Julien threw the knife directly at the tall guy¡¯s head. The thug closed his


    eyes, turned his head, but still didn¡¯t speak.


    Dn and Kieran arrived at the door just to see this scene. The knife thrown by Julien brushed past the


    man¡¯s ear, and blood dripped onto his clothes. However, they still didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Are they here for the ring?¡± Dn asked Julien..


    Kieran pulled Julie into his arms to check if she was injured.


    Julien stood up and gave Dn a nce, ¡°I heard that some thugs were caughtst time. Have their


    identities been confirmed?¡±


    Dn shook his head, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t say a word. We didn¡¯t get any useful information and handed


    them over to the police. Are these thugs also here for the ring?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How did you know Julie was in danger?¡± Julien turned to Kieran, looking a little puzzled.


    This question seemed to confuse Kieran, and he asked Julien, ¡°How would I know Julie was in


    danger?¡±


    Julien suddenly realized something was wrong, so he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you know I was nearby?¡±


    ¡°The one who cares about your whereabouts is Hayden.¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°I was in the area for some business. Half an hour ago, I received your text message. You asked me to


    come find Julie immediately.¡± Julien took out his phone and showed Kieran the message, ¡°This is your


    number, right?¡±


    Julie also leaned over to look. After reading, she looked at Kieran in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the phone


    number you used to set up your ¡®J Kennedy¡¯ WhatsApp ount?¡±


    A message came from this number: [Go to the Feliz Gastro House office to find Julie immediately. It¡¯s


    urgent.]


    Julien had a good memory. He remembered Kieran using this number to call Hayden. Since he was


    near the restaurant, which was only a two to three minute walk, he went directly to the office of Feliz


    Gastro House. He waited for a while before Julie showed up.


    However, as Kieran looked at the message, he became more and more serious. He frowned, turned to


    Julie and said, ¡°This spare phone got wetst night. I left it in the bedroom and I didn¡¯t bring it with me


    when I left today.¡±


    ¡°So this message?¡± Julie nced in Julien¡¯s direction.


    Kieran immediately called Noah and asked him to verify whether the phone on the bedside table at


    home was still there.


    Two minutester, Noah sent a photo of the phone, which was lying quietly on the bedside table in the


    bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the phone.¡± Dn said, turning to leave.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go.¡± Kieran stopped Dn and said, ¡°Take these two thugs back. We¡¯ll meet up tonight.¡±


    Julien turned to Daphne and asked, ¡°Should I call Lionel to pick you up, or just take you back myself?¡±


    Daphne of course preferred to stay with Julien a little longer, and didn¡¯t want to meet Mr. Lionel who


    was in trouble.


    Dn called the bodyguard and was about to leave with the two thugs. Just then, Kieran¡¯s phone rang.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    Chapter 254


    The phone call was from Hayden, who ryed a sinct message. ¡°Davina Field has been found.¡±


    Julie was standing close to Kieran, so she overheard Hayden¡¯s words.


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s expression shift, Dn turned and asked, ¡°Did we get a lead?¡±


    ¡°Davina¡¯s been found.¡± Keiran said.


    About half an hourter, they arrived at the entrance of the ICU at Tranquil Care Hospital.


    Hayden stood by the door. He wore a deep blue suit with a ck shirt underneath, and his demeanor


    seemed calm andposed. Two of his men stood beside him, and their mere presence magnified


    Hayden¡¯s already imposing aura.


    Dn stayed behind to deal with the two thugs and was tasked with escorting Daphne home.


    Julien approached Hayden, the two seemingly ustomed to each other¡¯s silentpany. Without a


    word of greeting, Julien kicked open the door to the ICU.


    Julien, not dressed in protective gear, walked right in. Mr. Watson turned to Harding and asked, ¡°That


    door must¡¯ve cost a pretty penny, huh?¡±


    ¡°Julien can pay the bill.¡± Harding nced at Julien.


    Hayden turned to Kieran and Julie, saying, ¡°She was found on the west coast, still alive.¡±


    ¡°Barely.¡± Mr. Watson interjected, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Harding¡¯s expertise, she¡¯d probably be dead by now.¡±


    Julie, standing outside, peered through the window into the ward. Davina was sprawled on the bed,


    with tubes sticking out of her everywhere. She was as still as a corpse. Her face was pale and if it


    weren¡¯t for the rhythmic puff of mist from the venttor, one would hardly believe she was alive.


    Julien emerged from the ward and said to Julie, ¡°You¡¯re better off not going in there.¡±


    Julie frowned, and Harding added, ¡°Her tendons have been severed, and although the bullet from her


    gunshot wound has been removed, the wound has festered. She¡¯s covered in bruises and cuts, new


    and old, and there are numerous tiny puncture wounds from injections. Our blood tests during the


    check-up showed traces of drugs. We suspect she was repeatedly drugged and then forced to go


    through withdrawal.¡±


    1


    Harding suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and after a moment, he concluded, ¡°Basically, the perpetrator


    is a monster.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t she be saved?¡± Kieran asked.


    Harding nodded, ¡°Davina¡¯s lung function haspletely failed. She can only survive on the venttor,


    and at most, she has a week to live. If we remove the venttor, she wouldn¡¯tst two hours.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s keep her on the venttor for now.¡± Kieran said.


    Despite this, Julie decided to go into the ward to see Davina.


    Outside, Hayden handed Kieran his phone. On the screen was a message in Hayden¡¯s public mail box,


    which he received it in the morning. It was short: [Davina, North Bridgehead, West Coast.]


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Hayden exined, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. It was sent from an anonymous ount registered in Veridia


    by a high school student. He was paid by someone to do so. No other info could be extracted.¡±


    Kieran wasn¡¯t surprised by this news. He didn¡¯t doubt Hayden¡¯s abilities. If Davina¡¯s whereabouts could


    have been tracked down, it would have been done when she first went missing. What he was worried


    about now was how powerful the person must be that even Hayden couldn¡¯t find clues.


    Julien, standing by the door, suddenly turned to Harding and said, ¡°Davina¡¯s awake.


    Harding hadn¡¯t expected Davina to wake up and found himself admiring her will to live. He immediately


    headed towards the ward.


    Julie saw Davina trying to open her mouth, as if attempting to say something. She didn¡¯t have the


    strength to open her eyes; only her eyshes were fluttered.


    Harding checked on her before shaking his head resignedly. Davina was kept alive by the thread of the


    drugs.


    Julie remembered the confident Davina at the office, wearing high heels, eating in the cafeteria with


    her, and reminiscing about old times. But now, Davina resembled neither a human nor a ghost. It


    seemed to take all her remaining strength just to open her mouth.


    Marlon asked, ¡°Is she trying to say something?¡±


    Davina¡¯s half-open eyes seemed to be staring at Julie.


    Julie, feeling heartbroken, asked Davina, ¡°Who did this to you?¡±


    Davina seemed desperate to tell Julie something. Julie leaned in, straining to hear her out.


    The room was silent, and only the sound of the machines were beeping. Julie sat by Davina¡¯s venttor


    and listened to her raspy voice. Davina said, ¡°Please, let me die.¡±


    Julie had seen countless people living at the bottom of society. Even in harsh and unprotected


    environments, and even when gued by illness, they still hoped to live a little longer, be it a day, a


    minute, or a second. Julie had witnessed that intense will to survive.


    But she had never seen this kind of despair that someone using thest of their strength to beg for


    death. It was too shocking.


    Julie stood there, looking at Davina. The desire to die was intense, and it was hard to imagine what


    Davina must have gone through in those days. From the


    wounds on Davina¡¯s body, it must have been an inhuman torture.


    Julien walked up to Davina and said, ¡°Tell me, who did this to you, and I¡¯ll let you die.¡±


    Julien¡¯s hand was on the venttor. Once she removed it, Davina would die for sure.


    ¡°Give me a name, and I¡¯ll grant your wish.¡± Julien gripped the venttor tightly.


    Saying a name, it should be a piece of cake which was easier than begging for death. But Davina


    suddenly mmed up. She was scared shitless.


    Hayden pulled Julien close, and Julien copsed into his arms. She was held tight.


    ¡°Davina ain¡¯t gonna spill the beans.¡± Hayden tried to talk Julien out of his fruitless efforts.


    Julien gripped Hayden¡¯s arm. She shoved him aside, gave him a look but didn¡¯t utter a word. She then


    walked out of the hospital room.


    Mr. Watson watched Julien¡¯s retreating figure, saying, ¡°I reckon we should let Julien know about the


    value of this door.¡±


    ¡°Should we indulge Davina?¡± Julie turned her head, asking Kieran¡¯s opinion. Her eyes were filled with


    sorrow.


    A tear glimmered at the corner of Davina¡¯s eye. She was dying for death, but keeping her secret was


    more important than dying. So, even if she longed for death, she couldn¡¯t spill that name. Hayden was


    right. Davina wouldn¡¯t rat on her tormentor, even though she might know who it was.


    Kieran walked to the bedside, and Julie had her hand on Davina¡¯s venttor. Davina cracked open her


    eyes and looked at Julie. Her eyes were filled with apology, pain, and gratitude, but not a trace of


    regret.


    Kieran grabbed Julie¡¯s hand, and Julie suddenly turned to Kieran, saying, ¡°Davina¡¯s mom is overseas.¡±


    Hearing Julie¡¯s words, Davina seemed to muster up some energy. She shook her head at Julie. The


    movement was slight, but it took all her strength.


    Julie bent over and moved close to her. She heard Davina¡¯s whisper, ¡°Please, let me die.¡±


    Davina didn¡¯t want her mother to see her in such a pathetic state; she¡¯d rather have her mother believe


    that she was living alone yet strong in some corner of the world.


    Julie felt a lump in her throat.


    Kieran reached out and gripped Davina¡¯s venttor. Finally, they pulled the venttor out of Davina¡¯s


    nose. The tear at the corner of her eye trickled down, leaving a streak on her pale face.


    Harding said, once the venttor was removed, Davina could only live for two more hours at most. But


    Julie didn¡¯t have the guts to watch a life fading away in these two hours. So, in the end, Julie was


    ushered out of the room by Kieran.


    He arranged for someone to notify Davina¡¯s mother. But by the time Davina¡¯s mother arrived, Davina


    might have been gone already.


    This was Davina¡¯s final wish.


    Julie stood outside the window. She watched the nurses pull out the tubes one by one from Davina¡¯s


    body, then saw the people in the room leave in silent.


    In the end, only Davina was left, lying alone on the hospital bed. Davina tried to turn her head, looking


    at Julie outside the window. She smiled and whispered a thank you.


    The winter sun shone on Davina¡¯s face. She squinted at the sunlight outside the window. This was fine.


    She could go find Rankin to make amends.


    Kieran reached out. Quietly and silently, he gently held Julie and stood by her side..


    This was how Davina left. Julie never thought she would see a friend die one day. What kind of person


    tormented Davina so much?


    During the days when she lost contact with Rankin, Davina never thought that it was because Rankin


    had left this world. Davina thought Rankin just changed his email address, so they lost contact. She


    though that she was not essential in Rankin¡¯s life.


    Turned out, a life could just vanish in an instant, so the only thing that could really separate lovers was


    death. Rankin, the man Davina loved, was dead. She came/ to avenge him on Julie, but it cost her own


    life.


    At this moment, Julie seemed to understand the meaning of ssic stories like ¡°Romeo and Juliet¡±.


    Should those who still have the chance to live and love feel extremely blessed?


    Julie hugged Kieran¡¯s waist tightly with all her might.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± Kieran asked gently.


    Julie nodded.


    Kieran gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Julie¡¯s eyes. He held her hand, and they walked


    towards the hospital entrance.


    Kieran¡¯s phone buzzed in his pocket. Noah called. His eyebrows knitted together, and he picked up the


    call. A grave voice came from Noah on the other end of the


    line.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Chapter 255


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, Amanda is on her way home.¡± Noah was on the phone with a hushed tone.


    Kieran held the phone tightly, his brow furrowed. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I reckon she¡¯ll be at the airport in about twenty minutes.¡± Noah nced at the time and asked, ¡°Should


    I pick her up, or would you rather¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go.¡± Kieran said, ending the call and grabbing his car keys.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Julie asked, following Kieran.


    ¡°Amanda¡¯sing home.¡± Kieran replied.


    Amanda¡­


    Years ago, thanks to a scheme by Sansa, Kieran was drugged. The next morning, Julie and Kieran


    woke up together in a hotel. They were discovered by everyone, including Amanda.


    Amanda only had one son, Morton Hernandez, who was also the father of Kieran and Lucian. The


    rtionship between Amanda and Morton was reportedly rocky,rgely because Morton wanted to


    marry Georgiana, which Amanda strongly disapproved of.


    Their rtionship further deteriorated when Morton insisted on marrying Georgiana, almost leading to a


    total estrangement.


    As everyone knew, the Hernandez family went bankrupt because of Georgiana, who had a psychotic


    break, killed Morton, and would have killed Kieran too if Lucian hadn¡¯t returned home just in time.


    Amanda always had a grudge against Georgiana, but Kieran and Lucian were still Morton¡¯s blood. So,


    after her only son¡¯s death, she hadplicated feelings towards Kieran and Lucian.


    Actually, Julie¡¯s marriage into the Hernandez family wasrgely due to Sansa¡¯s advance nning.


    Sansa threatened Amanda that if she didn¡¯t let Kieran marry Julie, she would ruin Kieran¡¯s reputation.


    Eventually, Amanda agreed to let Julie marry Kieran. On the night of Julie and Kieran¡¯s wedding


    registration, Amanda flew to Canada. Later, news came that Amanda¡¯s husband had passed away in


    Canada, and since then, Amanda had been living there.


    So, to be precise, Julie and Amanda had only met a handful of times.


    The first time Julie met Amanda was at Morton and Georgiana¡¯s funeral. The second time was when


    she was found with Kieran. The third time was at the funeral of Amanda¡¯s husband. Thest time was


    at Lucian¡¯s funeral after his ne crash.


    So, they had met four times, three of which were at funerals.


    Though Julie didn¡¯t know much about Amanda, she was very clear about one thing¡­ Amanda didn¡¯t


    like her.


    Kieran didn¡¯t seem to n on having Julie apany him to the airport, but he also didn¡¯t feel


    comfortable leaving her alone at home.


    Just as he was about to turn around and ask Julien for help, Julie grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    together!¡±


    ¡°To the airport?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t getting along with the elders a basic requirement to be Mrs. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°The elders of our family¡­ might not be easy to get along with.¡± He said gently, stroking the soft skin of


    her palm.


    She shrugged, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to fight with Amanda.¡±


    Twenty minutester, Whispering Pines International Airport.


    Julie and Kieran stood in the VIP passage, tightly holding each other¡¯s hands.


    A few minutester, Basil emerged from the VIP passage, bowing respectfully towards Kieran and


    Julie. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Hernandez, Mrs. Abraham.¡±


    Following Basil was Amanda.


    Despite being in her seventies, Amanda looked very well preserved. Her hair was white, but she didn¡¯t


    dye it. Time didn¡¯t bring her vicissitudes, but elegance. Dressed in a ck dress with a white shawl,


    she carried a deep blue handbag, and white pearl earrings simply decorated her.


    Seeing Kieran and Julie holding hands outside, she handed her bag over. Kieran reached out to take it,


    but Amanda handed it to Julie.


    Julie smiled and epted.


    ¡°Miss me already?¡± Kieran moved forward to give Amanda a hug.


    Julie smiled at Amanda and said, ¡°Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Call me Amanda.¡± Amanda responded coldly.


    Just as Julie was feeling awkward, Kieran put his arm around Julie and said to Amanda with a smile,


    ¡°Amanda, our car is waiting outside. Let¡¯s go home and catch up?¡±


    Using a slightly teasing tone, Kieran cleverly conveyed his stance towards Julie by calling Amanda by


    her first name.


    ¡°You¡¯re just like Morton!¡± Amanda responded coldly.


    As Basil apanied Amanda out of the airport, Julie whispered to Kieran, ¡°What did Amanda mean


    by that?¡±


    ¡°Morton cut ties with Amanda over Georgiana.¡± Kieran said, though he was smiling as he tapped her


    nose and led her outside.


    Just as expected, Amanda didn¡¯t ride with Kieran and Julie, but took a cab back to Noblewood Retreat.


    Julie, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly turned to Kieran when they were almost home and


    said seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t let you break ties with Amanda


    because of me!¡±


    Kieran just chuckled.


    They arrived home before Amanda.


    When the cab reached Noblewood Retreat, Amanda got out of the car with Basil¡¯s help. Shannon came


    out to greet them. The house was warm, and Amanda took off her shawl.


    Shannon reached out to take it, but Amanda handed it to Julie instead, saying graciously, ¡°Thanks for


    your help.¡±


    Julie smiled and said, ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Julie, go get the phone from Noah.¡± Kieran sent Julie off and sheplied, going off to find Noah.


    Shannon got them the drink, and Amanda sat down on the sofa.


    Amanda held her cup, her movements elegant and gentle..


    ¡°Julie is my wife, the mother of my adorable Ivan, and the woman I want to spend the rest of my life


    with.¡±


    ¡°Do I not know who Julie is? Do you need to introduce her to me?¡± Amanda took a sip of her tea, then


    turned to Shannon, ¡°Shannon, your tea skill seems to beckingtely.¡±


    Shannonughed awkwardly but didn¡¯t say anything. She knew the olddy was just making small talk.


    In order to talk to Amanda, Kieran knelt in front of her, looking her in the eye, ¡°Grandma¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to defend her to me. As long as she does what she¡¯s supposed to do, I won¡¯t give her a


    hard time. I didn¡¯t travel all this way to cause trouble. I came


    to see Ivan.¡±


    Julie came back with the phone from Noah, which was sealed in a stic bag. When she walked into


    the living room, she saw Kieran kneeling in front of Amanda, apparently discussing something.


    Just as Julie was hesitating whether to go over, Amanda asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the phone?¡±


    ¡°It got wet.¡± Kieran answered, taking the phone from Julie and casually putting it in his pocket.


    Amanda put her cup down on the small table and said, ¡°Shannon, the fruit tea you made isn¡¯t at its


    best. Can Joyce make tea?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t.¡± Kieran took the cup and raised an eyebrow at Amanda, ¡°I¡¯ll make you some.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Julie reached out to stop Kieran, but he gave her a reassuring look.


    Kieran didn¡¯t want Amanda to make things difficult for Julie. Just as Julie was about to let go, she heard


    Amanda say, ¡°Let him go, let¡¯s see what kind of tea he can make.¡±


    Amanda patted the seat next to her, ¡°Joyce,e sit.¡±


    Amanda was being really friendly!


    Julie sat down next to Amanda nervously. Her intuition told her that all this might be a strategy of being


    nice before being harsh.


    Sure enough, as soon as she sat down, Amanda asked, ¡°Can you peel an apple please?¡±


    Julie reached out to grab the fruit knife, but Shannon had already picked up the knife and the apple,


    laughing, ¡°It seems Ivan also likes apples. He even said he wanted to send a box of apples to Amanda


    in Canada. I heard the apples there are delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Shannon, go check on the tea Kieran is making.¡± Amanda interrupted Shannon.


    Shannon had no choice but to obey Amanda¡¯smand, looking a little worried at Julie. Julie smiled


    and nodded at Shannon, and Shannon finally left for the kitchen, nning to ask Kieran toe out.


    Amandaughed, ¡°I heard from Lucian before that you¡¯re very good at pleasing people. It seems he


    was right.¡±


    Julie managed a smile and reached for the fruit knife, ready to peel the apple. But Amanda suddenly


    told Julie, ¡°I suddenly don¡¯t want to eat it anymore. I¡¯ve be picky now that I¡¯m old.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Julie didn¡¯t get angry, just putting the knife down on the table.


    Then she turned around, looking seriously at Amanda and said, ¡°Amanda, I actually had a very happy


    childhood, but the way my parents died shocked me. My sister is now bedridden, in a vegetative state.


    My mom told me that my grandma passed away before I was born. Although we haven¡¯t met many


    times, from the moment I married Kieran, I knew you were my family. I also understand that I might not


    be the perfect granddaughter-inw you envisioned¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Amanda coldly interrupted Julie.


    Julie was taken aback and then smiled, asking Amanda, ¡°So, am I the granddaughter-inw you


    envisioned?¡±


    Amanda coldly answered Julie, ¡°No.¡±


    Julie was silent for a moment, thenughed.


    But she didn¡¯t expect Amanda to suddenly say, ¡°Although you¡¯re not the daughter-inw I envisioned, it


    doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t strive to be.¡±


    At first, Julie didn¡¯t take Amanda¡¯s words to heart, until the next day when Kieran went to thepany.


    Amanda suddenly took out two ties and asked her, ¡°Do you know the difference between these two


    ties?¡±


    Julie nced at the two ties and said doubtfully, ¡°Color? Style?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the price and brand.¡± Amanda threw the ties to Julie, saying, ¡°Do you know what your status is


    now?¡±


    Julieughed and replied, ¡°To Kieran, I¡¯m his wife. To lvan, I¡¯m his mother. To you, I¡¯m your


    granddaughter-inw. I¡¯m not sure what you mean by status?¡±


    Amanda seemed satisfied with Julie¡¯s answer.


    She sat on the sofa, saying to Julie, ¡°In the eyes of others, everything you say and do represents the


    Hernandez family. Like those two ties, you might first notice their colors and styles, but as a member of


    the Hernandez family, you should first pay attention to their prices and brands.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t get what Amanda was trying to say, so she kept her mouth shut.


    Amanda went on, ¡°With the same material, same style, but with different brands, then the prices will be


    different, so will the status. Even the best knockoff is still just a knockoff, you get me?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Julie answered very directly.


    Amanda nced at her helplessly.


    Julie sat beside Amanda, speaking her mind, ¡°I may not be the brightest, but I¡¯ll be loyal to my love, I¡¯ll


    try my best to be myself, and I¡¯ll do all I can not to give him any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Joyce, if you want to be with Kieran, you need to be better.¡± Amanda suddenly put down her teacup,


    turning her head to look at Julie.


    Through her rimless reading sses, Amanda¡¯s gaze appeared cold but resolute.


    ¡°Be better?¡± Julie frowned, repeating it under her breath.


    ¡°Basil, bring him in.¡± Amanda suddenly spoke to Basil, who was standing at the door.


    Julie followed Basil¡¯s gaze, only to see a man in a ck sports T-shirt, looking very fit, making even the


    tall Basil seem short inparison.


    Basil walked over to Julie and Amanda with Bolt, ¡°Mrs. Abraham, this is Bolt, the youngest martial art


    champion, and freestyle fighting champion.¡±


    Upon hearing this introduction, Julie instinctively took a defensive stance, stepping back a bit, looking


    at Bolt, then ncing at Amanda with puzzlement. She wondered why Amanda brought Bolt here.


    ¡°Joyce.¡± Amanda suddenly called Julie.


    Julie looked at Amanda, listening to her say, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be a burden to Kieran. Before you think


    about protecting him, you must learn how to protect yourself.¡± Amanda turned to Basil, ¡°Teach her how


    to protect herself.¡±


    Basil bowed to Julie, saying respectfully, ¡°Mrs. Abraham, I might be a bit rude.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Julie quickly stepped back, feeling that she might be hit by Basil soon.


    As Basil nodded, Bolt took a step forward, grabbing Julie¡¯s cor¡­


    ¡°Amanda, what are you¡­¡± Noah and Shannon asked Amanda at the same time.


    Amanda looked at Julie firmly, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡±


    Then she turned to Noah and Shannon, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Kieran about this for now, got it?¡±¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t harm her.¡± After saying that, Amanda turned around and went upstairs.


    Bolt led Julie directly into the music room, with Basil standing at the door like a doorman, preventing


    Noah and Shannon from approaching.


    Screams came from the music room, the sound was piercing.


    Simpo Co.


    Kieran was still worried about Julie and Amanda at home. Although he knew Amanda wouldn¡¯t really


    hurt Julie, he dialed Julie¡¯s number anyway.


    But the one who answered the phone was Amanda.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even go a few hours without meeting Julie? You wanna keep her by your side all the time?¡±


    Amanda¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound too pleased, but she wasn¡¯t really angry either.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Joyce?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the bathroom, call backter.¡± Amanda said, then hung up, heading towards the music room.


    Basil and Amanda opened the door together, seeing the room once filled with a piano was now taken


    over by various equipment.


    At the moment, under Bolt¡¯s guidance, Julie was doing strength training.


    Although Amanda was in her seventies, she was still robust, even able to drive herself. She took Julie¡¯s


    phone in her hand, ¡°Kieran called, do you know how to answer him?¡±


    Julie took the phone, barely holding back her emotions. A few minutester, Kieran called again, Julie


    answered, Kieran¡¯s gentle voice came from the other end, ¡°Julie?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s me.¡± Hearing Kieran¡¯s voice, Julie felt a bit down, but she understood Amanda¡¯s intentions.


    Amanda was having her trained, although knowing her capabilities were limited, Amanda¡¯s intentions


    were good.


    Kieran¡¯s concerned voice came from the other end, ¡°Did Amanda give you a hard time?


    ¡°No, no.¡± Julie knew that Amanda wanted her to be more independent and not to cause Kieran any


    trouble. In the past, Kieran had ced himself in danger several times to save her.


    Kieran sensed something off with Julie, so he asked, ¡°What did Amanda make you do?¡±


    Amanda was watching Julie intently, waiting for her reply. After thinking for a while, Julie said, ¡°Amanda


    didn¡¯t make me do anything. I just caught a cold, so I¡¯m resting at home.¡±


    Saying that, Julie pretended to sniffle, ¡°I¡¯m a bit sniffly right now¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send Harding over to check on you.¡± Saying so, Kieran was about to hang up.


    Amanda shook her head, so Julie said to Kieran, ¡°No need, Amanda took me to the hospital for a


    checkup. I¡¯ve already taken medicine and will be fine after some rest. I¡¯ll wait for you to get off work,


    gotta go now, I need to rest.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Amanda seemed pleased. She took Julie¡¯s phone, then said to Bolt,


    ¡°Continue.¡± Bolt handed two dumbbells to Julie, starting to exin the importance and content of


    strength training. Julie was speechless.


    Kieran was somewhat dubious about Julie¡¯s words. He called Noah, but Noah said he was out


    shopping for Amanda. He called Shannon, but Shannon said he was at the supermarket preparing


    ingredients.


    While surfing the inte, Dn told Kieran, ¡°Based on what Julie just said and how she reacted, I


    think she¡¯s faking being sick. I bet Amanda made her do some heavy lifting.¡±


    Dn added, ¡°But looking at how skinny Julie is, I really wonder what kind of heavy lifting she could


    actually do.¡±


    Before he could finish, he received a call from Payne. After the call, Dn turned to Kleran and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s confirmed, there were no fingerprints on your water-damaged phone. There¡¯s also no sign of any


    virus intrusion. But Payne checked the records from the information department, and it turns out that


    the message was indeed sent to Julien from your phone yesterday.¡±


    ¡°The home surveince system hasn¡¯t been altered or tampered with, but also, there are no traces,¡±


    Kieran said.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty slick,¡± Dn analyzed, ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s no virus on the phone, which means someone


    physically entered your bedroom, took your phone from your bedside table and sent the message to


    Julien. Think about it, who could dodge all your security and cameras, waltz into your bedroom in broad


    daylight and get out without a hitch?¡±


    Kieran looked serious.


    Dn continued, ¡°And the content of the message was to tell Julien to rescue Julie at Feliz Gastro


    House. Yourpany is right across from Feliz, but the message was sent to Julien, who was said to


    be closer to Feliz than you were at the time. What does that imply?¡±


    1


    ¡°It implies that the person knew where Julien was, and also knew what the bad guys were nning to


    do to Julie. They also knew that Julien could handle the bad guys, and they wanted to protect Julie,¡±


    Kieran said.


    Dn pped his hands and said, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve said it all. What can I add?¡±


    ¡°Why would someone risk breaking into my house to send a text from my phone, a text that could be


    sent from a burner phone? How did they know my phone was at home and not with me?¡±


    The two questions Kieran raised made Dn¡¯s eyes light up, ¡°So, the person is monitoring your


    movements? And they don¡¯t want you to know who they are, so they used your phone to send the


    message¡­¡±


    Dn paused and shook his head, ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. If they didn¡¯t want you to discover


    their identity, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to use a burner phone?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Kieran looked at Dn and put his


    phone on the table, ¡°So, they might not only be hiding from us, but also from others. They could easily


    break into a luxury house, find a phone, know Julien¡¯s location, and know the bad guys¡¯ detailed n,


    but they saved Julie. Who do you think this person could be?¡±

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    Chapter 256


    Basil handed Julie a ss of orange juice, which she took in one gulp.


    From outside the door came Julien¡¯s voice, ¡°Amanda, is Joyce here? I need to talk to her.¡±


    Julie really wanted to respond with ¡®I¡¯m here¡¯, but with Basil and Bolt on either side of her, she could


    only stay silent.


    Perhaps Kieran was still notpletely at ease with Julie and Amanda at home, so he sent Julien to


    check on things.


    Amanda¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°I sent Joyce out to get me some stuff. She might not be back for a


    while. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Julien nodded to Amanda and exited gracefully.


    How direct. That was so Julien.


    Bolt looked at Julie and said, ¡°Mrs. Abraham, shall we continue?¡±


    Julie handed the ss to Basil, not seeming to have any other choices.


    She had a strong feeling that Amanda was not only trying to train her, but also seemed to have no


    intention of letting her go out, as if wanting her to focus on training here.


    Julie got up with a frown, as her cooperation surprised Bolt and Basil.


    Basil turned and went back to the door while Bolt stood in front of Julie, about to speak, when suddenly


    a figure shed by the window. Bolt frowned, quickly stepped forward, pulled the curtain of the French


    window closed, and locked it.


    Julie already suspected that the person outside was Julien, so she yelled at Bolt, ¡°Bolt! I can¡¯t do push-


    ups!¡±


    Julie¡¯s sudden shout startled Bolt.


    Even though the ss window was soundproofed, Julie¡¯s high decibel shout still got out. Even Basil at


    the door heard it. He opened the door and looked at Bolt, ¡°You okay?¡±


    Julie shook her head,ughing, ¡°I was asking Bolt how to do push-ups. I have no arm strength.¡±


    Basil saw a confirming look on Bolt¡¯s face, so he left, closing the door behind him.


    And at this moment, the locked French window was easily pushed open from the outside by Julien. Bolt


    had his back to Julien, and as he turned around, Julien kicked at him.


    Bolt bent over, turned around and threw a punch at Julien. Julien grabbed Bolt¡¯s arm, pulled him in, and


    they passed each other.


    ¡°Go Julien!¡± Julie watched them, sitting on the ground, looking up at Bolt and Julien, not forgetting to


    dere her standing.


    However, the expected fight didn¡¯t happen. They only exchanged a couple of punches before stopping.


    ¡°Bolt?¡±


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    They looked at each other, stopping their attacks.


    ¡°You know each other?¡± Julie pped her hands, standing up and walking between them.


    ¡°This is my teacher.¡± Bolt pointed to Julien.


    ¡°Your student?¡± Julie looked surprisedly at Julien.


    Julien nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Julien asked Bolt,


    Bolt answered, ¡°Amanda asked me to teach her some self-defence techniques.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been with Bolt at home this morning?¡± Julien asked Julie.


    Julie looked at a bunch of training equipment, replying, ¡°Yes, doing strength training. But why are you


    here?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez was worried you might be having a hard time at home, so he sent me to check on you.¡±


    Just as Julie expected.


    ¡°Amanda did this for what?¡± Julien seemed confused.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Not sure, but at least her intentions are good. Open attacks are easy to defend


    against, who knows how many people are coveting in secret. But¡­ Amanda took my phone and


    doesn¡¯t seem to want me to go out.¡±


    ¡°What did Amanda tell you?¡± Julien asked Bolt.


    Bolt was very honest to Julien, ¡°Amanda indeed wants Mrs. Abraham to train at home.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to tell Kieran?¡± Julien asked Julie.


    Julie was thinking for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him myself tonight. Whatever Amanda said, just tell him that.¡±


    Julien nodded. She was very confident in Bolt, so she patted Bolt¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Go easy on her, don¡¯t


    train her like you trained my sister.¡±


    Bolt nodded, ¡°Yes! Are you leaving through the front door?¡±


    Julien pointed to the window, ¡°I broke the door lock, fix it. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Julien opened the French window, walking out.


    Just then, a security guard walked by.


    ¡°Shh!!¡± Julie stepped forward, waving her hand at him, ¡°Did you see anything?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Julien¡­climbed out the window¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to lose your job?¡± Julie raised an eyebrow.


    The security guard instantly got it, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, go on with your work!¡± Julie waved at the guard with a smile.


    She turned to Bolt, ¡°Julien is your teacher?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you why.¡± Bolt patted the floor, ¡°Do push-ups.¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes.


    She got down on the floor to get ready, ¡°Did you ever train Julien¡¯s sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Her name is via, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, is she really excellent now?¡± Julie looked at Bolt expectantly.


    Bolt went silent.


    After leaving the mansion, Julien called Kieran, telling him what Julie asked him to say. Kieran was


    silent for a while before saying ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t expect the training load on the first day to be this heavy. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how she


    was going to get through the following days.


    It was not until half an hour before Kieran got off work that Amanda let Julie go back to rest. Julie, who


    was taking a shower and lying in bed, was exhausted.


    Before she knew it, she fell asleep. Not sure for how long, she was woken up by a muffled voice.


    ¡°Kerry, why did Julie catch a cold? Did you hog the nketst night?¡±


    ¡°You know I always sleep like a baby. I take after you. Do you think I¡¯d be the type to steal nkets?¡±


    ¡°Tonight, let me sleep with mom.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re selfish, heartless, and bossy!!¡±


    Ivan felt wronged-


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I am selfish, heartless, and bossy. Those are all my faults. Don¡¯t you dare take after me.¡±


    Kieran lovingly patted Ivan¡¯s head.


    Ivan felt like he¡¯d swallowed a bitter pill, too bitter for words. He blurted out, ¡°Kerry, if you¡¯re so tough,


    go bully someone else¡¯s kid! What¡¯s so great about picking on me?¡±


    Julie, who was asleep, couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing and opened her eyes.


    ¡°You awake?¡± Kieran was about to touch Julie¡¯s forehead to check if she had a fever.


    But before his hand could reach Julie, Ivan leaned his face toward Julie and pressed his forehead


    against hers, proudly announcing to Kieran, ¡°Mom¡¯s not running a fever,¡±


    Kieran bent down to kiss Julie¡¯s forehead, ¡°Do you want to eat downstairs or should I have someone


    bring food up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs,¡± Julie sat up.


    Ivan quickly fetched Julie¡¯s slippers and looked at his dad Kieran expectantly, waiting for praise.


    Just as Julie was about to thank Ivan, Kieran pulled back the nket and scooped her up.


    ¡°Bring your mom¡¯s slippers.¡± Kieran carried Julie downstairs.


    To avoid falling, Julie quickly wrapped her arm around Kieran¡¯s neck, ¡°I can walk by myself. Put me


    down before Amanda sees¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Amanda was standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at Julie and


    Kieran.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Julie scratched the back of Kieran¡¯s neck and whispered in his ear, ¡°Quick, put


    me down¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandma Kieran smiled at Amanda, ¡°Isn¡¯t Julie too skinny?¡±


    Surprisingly, Amanda didn¡¯t express any dissatisfaction with Kieran holding Julie. Instead, she


    scrutinized Julie from head to toe, then said, ¡°A bit skinny. Young people need to keep in shape. Picky


    eaters like her are bound to be skinny. A gust of wind could knock her over.¡±


    ¡°What Amanda is saying is that you should eat more,¡± Kieran whispered gently to Julie in his arms.


    Amanda had already turned and left. Ivan ran downstairs, ced Julie¡¯s slippers on the floor, and


    looked up at Julie, ¡°Mom, when I grow up, Kieran won¡¯t be able to carry you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Only a non-biological son could say something like that, Kieran put Julie down and gently tapped


    Ivan¡¯s head, ¡°Go say hello to Amanda.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran had picked Ivan up today. As soon as Ivan heard Julie had a cold, he dashed straight to the


    master bedroom aftering home, not having a chance to greet Amanda.


    Ivan warmly greeted Amanda, who was very fond of him.


    At mealtime, Amanda personallydled a bowl of soup for Julie.


    Julie, feeling honored, quickly epted it.


    Kieran handed Julie a fork and asked, ¡°Did you two get along like this today?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°More or less.¡±


    To be precise, she spent less time with the olddy today than with Bolt.


    Kieran looked deeply at Amanda, then at Julie, ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe it?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t tell Kieran it was because he was too smart.


    She chuckled and put some food on Kieran¡¯s te, then leaned in to whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything


    tonight.¡±


    Kieran epted her words.


    After dinner, Kieran, holding Julie¡¯s hand, told Amanda, ¡°I¡¯m taking Joyce out for a walk.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Amanda said without hesitation, ¡°What¡¯s the point of a walkte at night? What if something


    happens¡­ Absolutely not!¡±

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    Chapter 257


    In the master bedroom.


    Julie was sitting at the edge of the bed, with her gaze fell on Kieran, who just hung up the phone by the


    window. She said, ¡°Kieran, don¡¯t you think Amanda overreacted just now?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you the same thing. You were with her the whole day, did you notice anything off?¡±


    Kieran walked over and sat down next to Julie, asking her.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t spend much time with Amanda today.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kieran had noticed that Julie looked tired when he got home. He frowned and asked


    her with concern, ¡°Did Amanda make you do something?¡±


    Julie turned around and put her hands on Kieran¡¯s shoulders, ¡°I promised you that I won¡¯t keep secrets


    from you.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Amanda hired a world-ss coach to teach me some self-defense skills,¡± Julie said. ¡°I spent the whole


    day at home doing strength training. I didn¡¯t step outside at all. And, Amanda seemed to be strongly


    against me going out. When I came out of the shower and saw Shannon making soup in the kitchen, I


    decided to help her take out the trash. But Amanda scolded me harshly for it.¡±


    ¡°So, you spent the whole day at home training?¡±


    Julie realized that Kieran was referring to Julien¡¯s matter, so she exined, ¡°It was me who let Julien


    tell you about it, ording to Amanda¡¯s wishes. I just wanted to tell you about it myself.¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Amanda¡¯s attitude is indeed a bit strong. I¡¯ll try to understand her thoughts tomorrow


    morning.¡±


    Julie had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Kieran held Julie in his arms and asked.


    She nestled quietly in his arms and said, ¡°Bolt, the guy Amanda brought in, is Julien¡¯s student. He used


    to be via¡¯s coach, so he should be a person we can trust. Both Julien and Bolt are very strong.


    Although I only did strength training today, I feel as proud as if I had learned some martial arts secrets.¡±


    ¡°It seems that given time, you will certainly be a martial arts master,¡± Kieran teased.


    Julie lifted her head and looked at Kieran, ¡°What about you? Who did you learn your martial arts from?¡±


    ¡°I learned it from Hayden.¡± He fell silent for a moment, then asked her, ¡°Do you want to continue


    learning? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll talk to Amanda about it tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. Maybe I was born to practice martial arts?¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Kieran got up and walked towards the bathroom. Julie also got up and leaned against the door, talking


    to Kieran in the bathroom, ¡°Darling, let¡¯s make a bet?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± Kieran asked.


    She thought for a moment and answered, ¡°Greece, I want to go to Greece. If I can meet Amanda¡¯s


    requirements, we¡¯ll go to Greece in the future. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Just want to go to Greece? Don¡¯t you have bigger dreams?¡± Kieran took a basin of hot water.


    ¡°Bigger dreams? I can¡¯t think of any. Like what?¡±


    ¡°A wedding, haven¡¯t you thought about it?¡±


    A wedding? Julie thought for a while, then looked at Kieran with surprise, ¡°Haven¡¯t we held a wedding


    yet? Why do I feel like I¡¯ve known you for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we knew each other in a previous life, and maybe our wedding was held in a previous life.¡±


    He ced the basin of water next to the sofa.


    Julieughed and said, ¡°Are we still going to have a wedding? What kind of wedding do you prefer?


    Have you thought about what kind of wedding dress!


    will wear?¡±


    Talking about the wedding, Julie was very excited.


    Kieran led her to sit down on the sofa, gently pulled her out of her slippers, and helped her roll up her


    pant legs.


    ¡°Are you going to wash my feet?¡± Julie looked down at Kieran taking off her shoes, feeling warm.


    Julie slightly shrank her feet, ¡°I can do it myself¡­¡±


    Kieran gently ced Julie¡¯s delicate feet into the water. The water temperature was just right, very


    comfortable.


    The perfect water temperature surprised Julie.


    Kieran¡¯s hand lightly grabbed Julie¡¯s calf, skillfully massaging it for her, and said, ¡°The first few days of


    training, your arms and legs will definitely be sore. If you can¡¯t bear it, just tell me, okay?¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Looking at Kieran¡¯s focused movements, Julie couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Just now I said if you seed, I¡¯ll take you to Greece. But what if you fail?¡± Kieran brought the topic


    back.


    Julie shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it, do you have any suggestions?¡±


    If you fail


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have a daughter.¡± He said, as if the idea had been in his mind for a long time, just waiting


    for a suitable reason to say it.


    Julie helplessly lifted Kieran¡¯s chin, ¡°Kieran, can you tell me, why do you like daughters so much?¡±


    ¡°Your genes are good, so it would be a waste not to use them.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    This sentence touched Julie¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you moved me, really!¡± She said to him, ¡°I promise you, if I can¡¯t meet Amanda¡¯s


    requirements, I¡¯ll tell her that we will definitely try to give her a great-grandchild.¡±


    ¡°A great-granddaughter.¡±


    It seemed that Mr. Hernandez was very persistent about having a daughter.


    After massaging Julie¡¯s legs, Kieran bent over to take the basin away, then returned to Julie¡¯s side,


    patted the bed, and said, ¡°Lay down.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I give good massages.¡± Kieran said.


    So Kieran was going to give her a massage. Julie believed Mr. Hernandez¡¯s words, after all, he did an


    excellent job massaging her legs just now.


    Julie happilyy down.


    But as soon as shey down on the bed, she felt her legs were a little cold..


    She turned her head in surprise, and saw him calmly say, ¡°Or you can undress yourself?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to undress?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t massage urately with clothes on, I can¡¯t find the key muscles.¡± He exined.


    Julie rolled her eyes, ¡°Where on earth did you find those masseuses?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a bonafide therapist?¡± He opened his captivating eyes and lifted her nightgown.


    Julie protested innocently, ¡°That¡¯s harassment, dude!¡±


    Kieran held Julie¡¯s head with one hand and effortlessly unsped her bra with the other. He mumbled


    to himself, ¡°Why is undoing this so easy, but putting it on so tricky?¡±


    Julie, who had been feigning anger, couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle.


    Then she heard Kieran whispering, ¡°I get it, it¡¯s like certain body parts, easy to rise, hard to fall. Right,


    Mrs. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie was speechless.


    Julie turned around to see Kieran looking at her seriously, his face full of confusion.


    At that moment, Julie was utterly defeated by the adorable Mr. Hernandez.


    She grabbed the nket and wrapped herself up. Kieran leaned over, resting his hands on her, gently


    fixing her hair.


    Julie held onto Kieran¡¯s waist, flipped him over, and said, ¡°Today, Bolt taught me how to do push-ups.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to show me?¡± Kieran quietly asked, lying beneath her.


    Julie nodded, getting into a correct position, ¡°But my waist is weak, it always gives in. And my arms


    aren¡¯t strong enough either, so I worked all day, but didn¡¯t manage a single push-up.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Can you support my waist and see if I can do it?¡± she pleaded.


    Seeing Kieran¡¯s silence, Julie held his hands and ced them on her soft waist, ¡°Support me.¡±


    She started the push-up, and when Kieran cooperatively supported her waist, she straightened her


    arms and began to bend them.


    With Kieran¡¯s support, Julie managed to shift some of her weight onto his arms and finallypleted a


    push-up.


    Julie was instantly excited, grinning at Kieran, ¡°My waist is too soft.¡±


    ¡°A woman with a soft waist is pretty nice, Kieran stated seriously, supporting her waist.


    Julie understood his implication and red at him, ¡°I think the main reason I can¡¯t do push-ups is


    because my wrists are weak.¡±


    As Julie got ready to do another push-up, Kieran suddenly let go and Julie copsed onto him.


    She quickly scrambled up, sitting on his legs, asking him, ¡°Why did you let go?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were done.¡± Kieran looked innocent, ¡°Let¡¯s try again, I¡¯ll hold on this time.¡±


    Kieran gently pulled Julie¡¯s wrist towards him.


    Under his guidance, Julie was back on top of him.


    She supported herself on her arms and ced Kieran¡¯s arms on her waist, ¡°This time, hold on tight.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Kieran agreed.


    As Julie got ready and Kieran held onto her waist, just as she bent her arms, Kieran suddenly pressed


    her hands towards him, and Julie copsed onto him again.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    Before she could resist, Kieran¡¯s lips were on hers.


    Kieran held her waist and deepened the kiss¡­.


    Julie¡¯s hand, which was next to Kieran¡¯s head, was buried in his thick hair.


    When it came to shamelessness, Julie admitted she was the second with only Mr. Hernandez daring to


    im the top spot.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Chapter 258


    The next morning.


    Kieran suggested taking Julie out to a restaurant. But Amanda, lounging on the sofa, said, ¡°Why bother


    going to a restaurant? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll fall apart without the boss.¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s a new dish at the restaurant, and I thought Julie might like to try it,¡± Kieran sat next to Amanda,


    holding her arm.


    Amanda was clearly not pleased. ¡°Just for tasting a new dish? Couldn¡¯t Karl do that?¡±


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve turned into a weirdo, wanting you guys around is too much to ask,¡± Amanda said with


    a sigh. Kieran had noeback to that.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been out since you got back. Whispering Pines has changed a lot. How about trying the


    new dish at the restaurant with Julie and then letting her show you around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m not as strong as I used to be, can¡¯t wear myself out. If you¡¯re worried about me


    bullying Julie, then take her with you!¡± Amanda turned her back on Kieran, giving Julie a threatening


    look.


    If Julie didn¡¯t say anything now, it would be disrespectful to Amanda.


    So Julie stepped forward, smiling at Amanda. ¡°You misunderstood Kieran. He wants me to stay home


    with you.¡±


    Pulling Kieran out the door, Julie looked back at Amanda. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Kieran off.¡±


    Once they reached the door, Julie said seriously, ¡°It seems Amanda really doesn¡¯t want me to leave. I


    guess I¡¯ll stay home. If anythinges up, let me know on WhatsApp. I think Amanda will confiscate


    my phone, but I¡¯ll find a way to contact you on theputer.¡±


    Kieran had no choice but to leave. He needed to figure out Amanda¡¯s true intentions.


    Just as Julie was about to watch Kieran leave, a motorcycle suddenly parked between them, startling


    Julie.


    Payne, the rider, took off his helmet, revealing his face.


    ¡°Kieran, Julie.¡± Payne held his helmet, winking at Julie.


    Kieran kicked at the motorcycle tire. ¡°Watch where you park next time!¡±


    ¡°Why are you kicking my motorcycle?¡± Payne quickly got off and patted his tire, looking hurt.


    ¡°Your bike?¡± Kieran looked at the motorcycle, coughed, and murmured, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the one you won


    during that drinking bet?¡±


    Julie suddenlyughed, touching the handlebars of the motorcycle. ¡°Poor motorcycle, having Payne as


    its owner. It¡¯s really hard on the motorcycle.¡±


    Payne adjusted his motorcycle ¡®That¡¯s too much, Julie. Did you really have to insult my motorcycle?¡±


    Kieran asked, ¡°Were you out for a morning ride?¡±


    Payne told Kieran, ¡°I just wanted to tell you that there¡¯s nothing special about that ring. I¡¯ve tried


    everything I could think of, but there¡¯s nothing special about it, apart from it being really expensive. Do


    you know why someone would risk their life for it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why would they?¡± Julie chimed in.


    Payne also asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t we catch the ring thiefst time? Did we find out anything from questioning


    him?¡±


    ¡°Dn didn¡¯t get any useful information, and I got interrupted when Amanda suddenly came back. I¡¯ll


    make time to go today. You can go and say hi to Amanda.¡± Kieran said.


    Although Payne wasn¡¯t Kieran¡¯s cousin, they were very close. So, he also knew Amanda well.


    Hearing that Amanda was home, Payne turned and went inside.


    Kieran told Julie, ¡°Sansa has been transferred to Tranquil Care Hospital, and Fred is also there. This


    afternoon, I¡¯ll pick you up to see Sansa. A meeting with Adeline and Dr. Brice is scheduled for the day


    after tomorrow. I¡¯ll also arrange things with Amanda. I had Julien call Bolt, he¡¯ll go easy. Thanks for


    your hard work.¡±


    Julie smiled, tiptoed, and kissed his cheek. ¡°Be safe on the road.¡±


    In the afternoon, Kieran came home from work and said he was taking Julie to see Sansa. Amanda


    didn¡¯t like Sarsa because she had once framed Kieran. But in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything and


    silently let Kieran take Julie away.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    On the way to the hospital, Julie received a call from Kyle.


    Julie hesitated, looked at Kieran, and then answered the call.


    Kyle¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Joyce.¡±


    ¡°Kyle, what¡¯s up?¡± Since theirst meeting at the hospital, Julie had been thinking about reaching out to


    Kyle. She felt that Sansa¡¯s sudden reaction was rted to him.


    But the issue with the ring made Julie wary. As Dn had said, be careful not to feed the sheep to the


    tiger. So, it was better not to approach him rashly before knowing Kyle¡¯s true intentions.


    ¡°I heard from Lisa that Sansa has been transferred.¡±


    So Kyle called to inquire about Sansa?


    Julie replied, ¡°Tranquil Care Hospital has better facilities, so we moved her there. Thanks for your


    concern, Kyle. Sansa


    never wake up, I¡¯ll do my best. As long as there¡¯s a glimmer of hope, I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    my sister. Even if she might


    I also hope she¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± Behind his gold-rimmed sses, no one could tell if Kyle was sincere.


    Julie clutched her phone tightly. Kieran took her icy cold hand in his. Julie nced back at Kieran


    before she spoke into the phone again, ¡°I¡¯m saying this on behalf of Sansa. Thank you, Kyle.¡±


    After hanging up, Julie turned to Kieran, grabbing his hand, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Kyle? He


    broke up with Sansa before. I don¡¯t know much about Kyle, but I know that Sansa was so tore up over


    him that she couldn¡¯t eat or drink. She finally got her act together because she wanted to be someone


    worthy of Kyle.¡±


    ¡°Thest time we called, it seemed like Kyle didn¡¯t know that Sansa is in a vegetative state. As the


    CEO of JS, if he really wanted to know about Sansa, he could have easily found out. Why didn¡¯t he?


    He broke up with her so ruthlessly before, and now he¡¯s back buying a crazy expensive ring for Sansa


    and acting all concerned. He has a girlfriend named Jessica, but he¡¯s engaged to Sansa: They were


    supposed to get hitched, but he dumped Sansa and set up aw firm in the name of Jessica who¡¯s


    already passed away. What the hell is he ying at?¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s question, not wanting to make blind guesses without a clear answer.


    Julie was just voicing her doubts and didn¡¯t really expect an answer from Kieran.


    When their car pulled up in front of the Tranquil Care Hospital, they went to Sansa¡¯s room where


    Professor Fred and Dr. Brice were present.


    Harding was very concerned about Sansa¡¯s condition and had been following the case closely. Seeing


    Julie and Kieran¡¯s arrival, Harding quietly left the room, leading them to the Director¡¯s office.


    He locked the door behind him, and gestured for them to sit on the couch.


    ¡°Fred has been keeping an eye on Sansa¡¯s condition these past few days, and Dr. Brice has been


    observing Fred¡¯s treatment and medication. He hasn¡¯t done anything substantial to treat Sansa, but he


    hasn¡¯t done anything to harm her either.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to save her, nor does he want to harm her, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Julie¡¯s


    facial expression turned serious.,


    Harding said, ¡°I think, Fred seems more like a watchdog. He¡¯s constantly watching Sansa, making sure


    she doesn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    ¡°Right now, our enemies are hidden, and we¡¯re exposed,¡± Julie said, looking at Kieran. ¡°Should we y


    the long game and draw them out into the open?¡±


    Harding, hands in his pockets, gave Julie an appreciative look. ¡°Many say you went from being a total


    loser to a lucky duck. Now, I think you totally deserve that luck.¡±


    Julie smiled, turning to Kieran, ¡°Is heplimenting me?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s saying you¡¯re brave, strategic, and willing to fight against evil forces,¡± Kieran said, patting Julie¡¯s


    head fondly.


    When they returned to the Hernandez family after visiting Sansa, it was already past ten at night:


    They had expected Amanda to be asleep at this hour, but surprisingly, Basil was still sitting with her on


    the living room couch, seemingly waiting for their


    return.


    Upon seeing Kieran and Julie return home safe and sound, Amanda finally seemed to breathe a sigh of


    relief. She didn¡¯t say anything, simply turned to go back to her room.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Kieran suddenly called out to Amanda from the doorway.


    Julie, who was taking off her shoes, looked up at Kieran.


    Kieran walked over to Amanda, holding her by the arm, ¡°I have some questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Ask tomorrow,¡± Amanda wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat with Kieran.


    But this time, Kieran didn¡¯t back down, gripping her arm tighter, ¡°Did you decide toe back on a


    whim?¡±


    Amanda, clearly annoyed, shook off Kieran¡¯s hand and hit her cane hard on the floor, ¡°I¡¯m an old


    woman. Do I need to tell you in advance when I¡¯ming back?¡±


    Seeing Amanda¡¯s angry expression, Julie quickly pulled Kieran away.


    Yet, Kieran wasn¡¯t deterred, he asked Amanda, ¡°What¡¯s the real reason you came back, and why are


    you keeping Joyce from going out?¡±

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Chapter 259


    When Kieran set his mind on something, not even Amanda could stand in his way. Currently, Kieran


    was holding onto Amanda¡¯s arm, showing no signs of letting go. His determination and confidence


    clearly indicated his resolution to stand his ground against Amanda.


    Amanda and Kieran were watching at each other. In such a situation, Julie found herself at a loss for


    words and hence chose to remain silent.


    Finally, Amanda relented, turning to Basil and saying, ¡°Go get it.¡±


    Basil returned with a ck box, which contained an ordinary looking recording pen.


    Amanda took out the recording pen and handed it to Kieran.


    Kieran pressed the y button, and a voice came out. The voice had been altered, and the message


    was for Amanda to return home and take every opportunity to train Julie, as well as keep Julie indoors


    as much as possible.


    Amanda said, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t take it seriously, but after hearing this recording and finding out from


    Noah that Joyce had been kidnapped, had to believe it. With all the incidents that happened


    afterwards, it made me return home after Basil sorted things out.¡±


    ¡°Where did this recordinge from?¡± Kieran questioned.


    Amanda replied, ¡°The day Basil apanied me to the hospital for a full-body check-up, we found this


    recording pen on the desk when we returned.¡±


    Basil pointed at the recording pen and said, ¡°We¡¯ve had professionals analyze the recording, but the


    technology is too advanced for us to find out the original voice. Amanda worried that you would be


    concerned, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Have Basil take grandma to rest,¡± Kieran instructed Basil.


    Amanda held onto Kieran¡¯s hand, ¡°Kieran, I¡¯m a bit uneasy. You mentioned before that Lucian is still


    alive, so I can¡¯t help wondering, since he¡¯s still alive, why hasn¡¯t hee back? You¡¯ve been searching


    for so many years and haven¡¯t found him, could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°He is alive, and we already have some leads. You rest first, and I¡¯ll take this recording to get it


    authenticated, see if we can figure it out.¡±


    After Basil helped Amanda to retire, Kieran promptly handed the recording pen over to Payne.


    Payne worked through the night, and just as the morning light graced the sky, he arrived at Noblewood


    Retreat.


    Julie was woken up early in the morning by Bolt for training, with Kieran watching from the sidelines.


    Suddenly, Payne stormed into the room.


    Seeing Payne¡¯s dark circles under eyes, Julie was taken aback.


    ¡°Do you have the results?¡± Kieran asked, eyeing the recording pen in Payne¡¯s hand.


    Payne, with a mysterious air, said to Julie and Kieran, ¡°You guys will never guess who this voice


    belongs to!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lucian¡¯s voice,¡± Kieran said affirmatively, with a nonchnt demeanor.


    Payne, who was operating hisputer, froze in disbelief, staring at Kieran, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Julie also asked Kieran in surprise, ¡°Why him?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Wasn¡¯t it said that he wanted to harm Julie years ago? But this recording seems to be saving


    Julie. How did you guess it was him?¡±


    ¡°So, it really is Lucian?¡± Julie looked at Payne, finding it hard to ept the fact despite Kieran¡¯s surety.


    The idea that a man who had been avoiding Kieran would send this recording and even alter his voice


    was hard to swallow.


    Payne connected the recording pen to his phone with a data cable and restored the altered voice on


    hisputer. The voice that yed was indeed the voice of Lucian that he remembered-deep, steady,


    and unique. It was somewhat simr to Kieran¡¯s, but more mature.


    ¡°The technology is indeed advanced. It took me all night to separate the voice. I was scared when I first


    heard it, so I came over immediately,¡± Payne said to Kieran excitedly. ¡°I thought you guys would never


    guess who the voice belongs to. How did you know?¡±.


    ¡°Not only is the voice on this recording Lucian¡¯s, but I think the person who texted Julien using my


    phone was also arranged by Lucian, Kieran said solemnly.


    ¡°Can you tell me how your brain works? I want to clone one,¡± Payne looked at Kieran in admiration,


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°Noblewood Retreat, although not heavily guarded, is not easy for outsiders to enter. The person


    avoided all the cameras and left no traces, not even. fingerprints, was very careful. The same goes for


    Cedarwood Springs in Canada. The person wasn¡¯t caught on camera, and there were no fingerprints


    on this recording pen. The operations in both ces are almost identical.¡±


    ¡°So, you guessed it was Lucian just from this? This only proves that the person is cautious, or skilled,¡±


    Payne argued.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just conclude from this.¡±


    Payne felt he was silly once again, and this time, he felt ridiculed.


    ?? ?? ? ?? ?????


    Seeing Payne¡¯s about-to-explode expression, Julieughed at Kieran, ¡°Stop teasing him.¡±


    ¡°Cedarwood Springs is a piece ofnd Lucian bought in Canada. From design to decoration, he was in


    charge of everything. Noblewood Retreat, although inherited from our parents, was renovated by him


    after they passed away. He personally designed everything.¡±


    ¡°Before the tragic ident that took his parents, Lucian wanted to be an architect. That means he


    knew every brick and tile, every de of grass, every tree, even every surveince camera from


    Noblewood Retreat to Cedarwood Springs.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure if the voice in the recording was Lucian¡¯s until you started looking at me with


    that surprised expression, and without a tape recorder, Kieran stated.


    Payne¡¯s realization dawned upon him then. The reason Kieran had agreed was Payne¡¯s reaction had


    unintentionally given away the answer.


    ¡°So¡­ what exactly is Lucian doing? I thought the person who arranged for Julie¡¯s car identst time


    was Lucian. If Lucian wanted grandma to protect


    Julie, then who wants to harm her?¡±


    Payne spected, ¡°Could it be Davina, the woman who kidnapped Juliest time?¡±


    ¡°Harding said that given Davina¡¯s condition when found, she must have been bedridden ever since she


    was shot the day she kidnapped me. We¡¯ve checked everyone Davina¡¯s been in contact with over the


    years, and she has no affiliations, no resources to hire a hitman from her sickbed,¡± Julie answered


    Payne.


    Payne agreed, ¡°Besides, the driver who tried to hit Julie that night was too professional, and even knew


    how to swim to escape. His reaction was too quick. A random hitman wouldn¡¯t have performed so well,


    especially not in front of the police.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not tell grandma about this for now,¡± Kieran suggested.


    Payne and Julie silently agreed. Grandma couldn¡¯t take any more shocks. If they didn¡¯t have definite


    news about Lucian, they didn¡¯t want to disappoint her. After confirming that the voice in the recording


    was indeed Lucian¡¯s, Payne couldn¡¯t help but wave his hand, ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, my eyes must


    look like a panda¡¯s by now. I¡¯m going home to sleep!¡± He stuffed hisptop into his bag.


    Julie asked, ¡°Did you drive here?¡±


    ¡°I rode my bicycle.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept all night, and you still dare to ride?¡± Julie turned to Kieran, ¡°You should rest here. I¡¯ll


    have Shannon prepare a room for you.¡±


    As Julie left to find Shannon, Payne happily hugged Kieran, ¡°Having a woman at home is the best!¡±


    With Julie taking care of Payne¡¯s rest, Kieran pulled Julie¡¯s arm, wrapped it around her waist, and


    pushed her against the second-floor railing, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Dn, see if there are any clues


    from the criminals we caughtst time.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to pin me down to talk?¡±


    ¡°Um, you can pin me down when you want to talk to me too.¡± He leaned clown to steal a kiss from her


    lips, adding, ¡°Some things are better said under pressure.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get away!¡± Julie pushed him away.


    Laughing, the man left the house and drove away.


    After finding Dn, Kieran somehow managed to get the criminal, who had been tight-lipped, to


    confess that they were hired.


    However, the employer had only made contact through a phone call and transferred a portion of the


    money to an ount. Our only leads now were this anonymous phone number and bank ount.


    Given that the employer had the resources to hire people to steal the ring, they wouldn¡¯t be easily


    caught by Kieran. So, even if Kieran were to investigate, he might end up with nothing, like before.


    Dn still said, ¡°We have to try. I¡¯ll get people to continue the investigation. You can call the female


    assassin and see if the National Security Agency has any news about Lucian.¡±


    Kieran chuckled, ¡°Does the female assassin know you call her that?¡±


    Dn proudly replied, ¡°That depends on whether you¡¯ll spill the beans!¡±


    Kieran responded, ¡°If spilling the beans gets me the answers I want, I will.¡±


    Dn marveled, ¡°Here is the fragility of friendship!¡±,


    Kieran calmly replied, ¡°Our friendship is like a bamboo raft, inherently unstable.¡±


    Dn had the urge to chide Kieran but¡­.


    Dn asked again, ¡°I heard from Harding that you arranged a blind date for Adeline with Dr. Brice. I-


    identally told Elliot. Does this count as a surprise?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, ¡°I have a few words


    for you.¡±


    Dn guessed, ¡°Well done?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Mind your own business.¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Chapter 260


    Feliz Gastro House.


    Dr. Brice held a bouquet of fiery red roses in his hand, a color thatplemented Adeline¡¯s distinctive


    aura, making her particrly eye-catching and beautiful.


    Even though this wasn¡¯t a traditional date, Dr. Brice still felt some nerves. The cause of his anxiety was,


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about Adeline. If Elliot didn¡¯t show up today¡­¡±


    ¡°He should be here! After all, Dn casually mentioned it to Elliot.¡±


    As the two of them were engaged in a lively conversation, Adeline appeared at the entrance, garbed in


    a snow-white dress that entuated her slender waist. She wore a pair of red strappy heels that


    matched her earrings, and over her dress was an orange coat. In her hand, she held a white handbag.


    Her hair cascaded down to her waist, a flowing wave ofzy curls, deep chestnut in color, contrasting


    beautifully with her skin, making it seem even more delicate. When she appeared at the entrance, it


    was as though she was bathed in a halo of light, immediately drawing the attention of most people in


    the restaurant.


    She wore a pair of sunsses, hiding most of her delicate face. Upon spotting Julie, she immediately


    headed over with a smile.


    Adeline walked up to Julie, removed her.


    er sunsses, and winked at Julie, ¡°Juliebelle, where is Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Julie pointed at Kieran, who was taking a call by the window.


    Adeline turned her gaze to Dr. Brice, casually epting the roses from his hand, and threw Dr. Brice a


    kiss, ¡°Dr. Brice?¡±


    Dr. Brice nodded, extending his hand politely, ¡°Ms. Sanches, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Adeline gave a small smile, ¡°Same to me.¡±¡±


    After that, Adeline turned to Julie and said, ¡°Juliebelle, you can leave now. I will take good care of Dr.


    Brice.¡±


    now. I wil


    Julie gave Dr. Brice a look, and Dr. Brice returned it with a smile, watching Julie leave. Adeline looked


    towards the window, where Kieran and Julie were standing together.


    Adeline sat opposite Elliot and asked him boldly, ¡°Dr. Brice, have you ever been in love?¡±.


    It was an unexpected question, but it wouldn¡¯t be Adeline if she didn¡¯t surprise him.


    While Dr. Brice was considering how to answer, Adeline added, ¡°I actually have someone I love, but he


    doesn¡¯t love me back. I think it¡¯s only polite if I let you know.¡±


    ¡°I also have someone I love, who doesn¡¯t love me back. I think I should let you know too,¡± Dr. Briee


    replied gently


    Adeline gave a small smile, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Sanches, the difference between you and me is that you still hold hope for the person you like,


    while I have no expectations. I simply admire and appreciate her.¡± Dr. Brice said.


    Out of the blue, Adeline waved at Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice, puzzled, leaned in closer. Adeline, who was slightly raised from her seat, whispered into Dr.


    Brice¡¯s ear, ¡°Is thedy in the dark blue Gi coat at the table diagonally behind us your mother?¡±


    Just as Dr. Brice was about to turn around, Adeline held him back. She leaned closer to his ear again


    and said, ¡°Thedy has arge diamond ring on her left ring finger, and she¡¯s currently watching us.


    Her phone case is white with a picture of a lily.¡±


    Hearing the descriptions of the diamond ring and


    phone case, Dr. Brice¡¯s brow furrowed-slightly. He nodded, ¡°That should be my mother.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s very elegant, but she seems to disapprove of me. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see her, and your phone


    should be ringing soon.¡± Just as Adeline finished her sentence, Dr. Brice¡¯s phone started ringing.


    ¡°Answer it!¡± Adeline stepped back and gave Dr. Brice a polite smile.


    Dr. Brice picked up his phone and nced at the screen- it was indeed his mother Nance.


    ¡°Hello, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Yulia had made a special trip back from Veridia to see you, and you tell me you¡¯re meeting someone


    else. Can you tell me who you¡¯re seeing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know who I¡¯m seeing?¡± Dr. Brice replied calmly.


    Over at her table, Nance quickly hid behind a menu, prompting Adeline to chuckle and whisper to Elliot,


    ¡°Your mom¡¯s hiding skills are top-notch.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± came Nance¡¯s voice from the phone.


    ¡°Nothing. I thought you knew since you¡¯re always concerned about me. I¡¯m kind of busy right now. I¡¯ll


    call you backter,¡± Dr. Brice said in a gentle voice before hanging up.


    Nance put the menu down and saw Adeline leaning close to Dr. Brice, engaged in a quiet conversation.


    She gripped the menu tightly, incredulous that her son¡¯s date was the notorious Adeline Sanches. In


    high society, everyone knew of Adeline¡¯s reputation- beautiful butzy, a parasite without a job or


    impressive education, expelled from university. No one would want such a woman as a wife, and she


    would only serve as decoration. Beautiful women always draw attention. For the cultured Brice family,


    Nance naturally preferred Yulia Gary, the daughter of Mr. Gary.


    Yu was fluent in piano, chess, literature, and art, a graduate from a prestigious university, holding a


    respectable job, and highlymended by her superiors. Although not as attractive as Adeline, she


    had a deep fondness for Dr. Brice and was elegant in her manners. In every aspect, she outshome


    Adeline


    Adeline quietly nced at the expression on Nance¡¯s face, then leaned in towards Dr. Brice to whisper,


    ¡°Does your mother have a tendency towards violence?¡±


    Dr. Brice hesitated before replying, ¡°What?¡±


    After asking, Dr. Brice finally figured out what she meant and quickly added, ¡°My mother would never


    resort to physical violence.¡±


    Adeline sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good, because she just stood up.¡±


    This time, Dr. Brice didn¡¯t turn around but instead looked over Adeline¡¯s shoulder, asking, ¡°Does Elliot


    have a tendency towards violence?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Adeline asked Dr. Brice, ¡°Elliot?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He may not be as gentlemanly as you, but¡­ Adeline didn¡¯t finish her sentence when she noticed


    Nance sitting down again.


    Just as Adeline was about to share this good news with Dr. Brice, she turned around and saw Elliot just


    pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down. ¡°Dr. Brice, pleased to meet you,¡± Elliot extended his


    hand politely to Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice responded with a cordial handshake, smiling at Elliot, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Adeline to tell you about


    our date so soon, we were just discussing you, Mr. Sanches! Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Dr. Brice.¡±


    Elliot released Dr. Brice¡¯s hand, turned to Adeline with a half-smile, ¡°Dr. Brice is truly a gentleman. He


    suits you.¡±


    Caught off-guard by Elliot¡¯s sudden appearance, Adeline¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, standing up and


    moving to sit beside Dr. Brice. She raised an eyebrow at Elliot, ¡°I¡¯m indeed lucky to have met such a


    wonderful man as Dr. Brice. I¡¯m just afraid I might not be good enough for him.¡±.


    With that, Adeline turned provocatively to Dr. Brice, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Dr. Brice?¡±


    Seeing Adeline¡¯s expression, Dr. Brice understood that she probably guessed that he knew Elliot was


    coming. So she was questioning him!


    Dr. Brice yed along, ¡°Ms. Sanches, you¡¯re too modest. You¡¯re so excellent you deserve someone


    even better. Don¡¯t you agree, Mr. Sanches?¡±


    ¡°When are you nning on getting married?¡± Elliot asked.


    Dr. Brice finally realized that the seemingly kind Mr. Sanches also had a side that was difficult to deal


    with.


    Julie, standing at a distance, looked at the chaotic table and poked Kieran in the side, ¡°If Feliz Gastro


    House gets messed up, you¡¯re responsible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m broke, but I can pay with my body. How¡¯s that?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie shot Kieran a re, ¡°Enough, Mr. Hernandez!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always up for a challenge when ites to you.¡±


    Julie pointed to the door, ¡°Let me drive you to your office. If they make a mess of my restaurant, I¡¯ll be


    heartbroken.¡±


    Laughing, Kieran took Julie¡¯s hand and they walked towards the door.


    Back at the table, Elliot asked Dr. Brice, ¡°What do you think of my sister?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t always call me your sister, it¡¯s not fair to me,¡± Adeline objected.


    Elliot asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being my sister?¡±


    ¡°When people criticize you, they¡¯re also criticizing me. How can I not think it¡¯s unfair?¡±


    Elliot said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything. I¡¯m asking Dr. Brice, what do you think of my sister?¡±


    Nance, who was standing at the back, perked up her ears. If Dr. Brice expressed dissatisfaction, she


    could leave with peace of mind. However, she did not expect her son to respond with a smile, ¡°Adeline


    is a vibrant and beautiful girl. I like her forthright personality very much. I¡¯m honored to know her.¡±


    Not only Elliot but also Nance, who was eavesdropping at the back, were surprised. The waiter was


    about to ask Nance for her order, when she suddenly stood up, picked up her handbag and phone, and


    walked directly towards Adeline and Dr. Brice¡­.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    Chapter 261


    Adeline had made it clear that Dr. Brice had done it on purpose.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as she was about to respond, a shadow fell over her. Looking up, she found herself face-to-face


    with Nance. The woman held a charcoal-grey purse in her hand, poised to speak.


    Adeline quickly stood up, startling Nance, who teetered backwards, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    Dr. Brice hadn¡¯t expected his mother to approach so directly- thankfully, it wasn¡¯t peak hours at the


    restaurant, and there were no other customers. It was due to theck of morning crowd that he and


    Adeline hadn¡¯t opted for a private dining room.


    Dr. Brice stood up, ready to introduce Nance, but Adeline beat him to it, extending her hand to greet


    Nance, ¡°Nance, it¡¯s a pleasure. I¡¯m Adeline. I didn¡¯t realize you were sitting behind us, I thought I¡¯d


    mistaken you for someone else. Dr. Brice and I were just discussing you- he mentioned your elegance


    and extensive knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Nance shifted her gaze to her son.


    Dr. Brice felt a moment of panic ¨C he should have expected Adeline¡¯s ire regarding the Elliot situation.


    ¡°Mother, what brings you here?¡± Dr. Brice asked, trying to lighten the mood.


    Nance was a skilled conversationalist. She smiled at Dr. Brice, ¡°I had arranged a shopping trip with a


    friend, but she isn¡¯t here yet. I thought I¡¯d rest for a while and as luck would have it, found you and Ms.


    Sanches here.¡±


    ¡°Mydy, you know who I am? I¡¯m honored!¡± Though saying this, Adeline¡¯s expression seemed


    insincere.


    Nance had expected Adeline to ask about her friend, but the young woman was unpredictable. Nance,


    however, maintained her smile, ¡°Ms. Sanches, your beauty is unforgettable.¡±


    ¡°Mydy.¡± Elliot stood up and extended his hands to her.


    Nance had noticed Elliot earlier and wasn¡¯t about to ignore the young heir of the Sanches Group. She


    greeted politely and remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize,you knew my son¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Elliot chuckled and waved it off, ¡°Mydy, you misunderstand. Dr. Brice and I


    have just m¨¦t. If it weren¡¯t for a mutual friend setting up Adeline and Dr. Brice, I may not have had the


    chance to meet him.¡±


    Nance¡¯s smile faded slightly at his words.


    She hadn¡¯t expected a casual date to be soplex. Everyone knew that the Brice family, a high-


    ranking bureaucratic one, held steadfast to the concept of matching social status. Nance would


    undoubtedly prefer a cultureddy, not a woman of ill reputation like Adeline.


    To avoid furtherplications, Adeline said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Dr. Brice and I


    are just friends.¡±


    Adeline turned to Dr. Brice, ¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    Dr. Brice shot back, ¡°Are we?¡±


    From the look in Dr. Brice¡¯s eyes, Adeline sensed his desperation. She recalled that before her blind


    date with Elliot, Mr. Hernandez had mentioned Dr. Brice¡¯s participation was to avoid Nance¡¯s arranged


    blind date with Mr. Gary¡¯s daughter.


    Adeline remembered, Yulia, was her name? Judging by Nance¡¯s demeanor, she seemed pleased with


    Yulia.


    ¥Î


    Based on their conversation, Adeline thought Dr. Brice to be a decent person. It was clear that Nance


    had decided to confront her to hint at stepping back.¡±


    She pped Dr. Brice¡¯s shoulder,ughing, ¡°We may be friends now, but who knows what the future


    holds!¡±


    Upon seeing Nance¡¯s expression change, Adeline turned to Dr. Brice nonchntly, ¡°Love is a match


    made in heaven when mutual. Forced rtionships are no good. It¡¯s best when feelings naturally


    develop and both parties are willing. Nowadays, free love is encouraged. As parents, wouldn¡¯t you want


    your children to be happy in their marriages, rather than forcefully pairing them off?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Nance?¡± Adeline turned to face Nance, shing a bright smile, her teeth gleaming


    white against her brilliant orange-red lipstick, making her skin look more delicate.


    Her beauty shone like a bright light, it¡¯s no wonder people said it was beyond description. Even the


    experienced Nance had to admit Adeline¡¯s beauty.


    Yet, Adeline¡¯s words were clearly a veiled hint at Nance¡¯s interference in her son¡¯s love life ¨C no doubt


    referring to Nance¡¯s insistence on arranging a date between her son and Yulia!


    From the moment Adeline began speaking, Nance knew this young woman was not to be trifled with. If


    she were to contend with Adeline, she would undoubtedly lose.


    So, Nance turned to Elliot, ¡°Ms. Sanches is articte and persuasive, a testament to your parents¡¯


    upbringing. She makes a good point.¡±


    Nance¡¯s words were clearly a dig at Adeline, but surprisingly, Elliot responded, ¡°That might not be


    entirely due to my parents¡¯ efforts. My sister¡¯s always been bright, and she has a deep understanding


    of these truths.¡±


    Elliot¡¯s use of the word ¡®truths¡¯ to describe Adeline¡¯s words infuriated Nance. The Sanches family was


    adept at educating their children, leaving her at a loss for words.


    Adeline had never expected Elliot to support her so strongly. Upon reflection, she realized her earlier


    statement implied that only mutual feelings could constitute true love, unteral love was simply


    coercion. Her one-sided love for Elliot was essentially forcing him, exining why he agreed with her.


    Adeline steered the conversation, expressing relief, ¡°I am fortunate that my parents don¡¯t meddle in my


    love life. But you, Mr. Brice, must feel lucky to have such an understanding mother, right?¡±


    Elliot gave Brice a knowing wink.


    Forced to admit, Adeline¡¯s method of criticism and constion left Brice at a loss.


    Nance, peeved, nced at her wristwatch and announced, ¡°Yulia should be arriving soon. I need to


    leave.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still standing there, Mr. Brice? Go and apany your mother!¡± Adeline gently nudged


    Brice.


    Nance huffed out, leaving Brice who looked at Elliot, knowing he shouldn¡¯t stay either. Smiling, he


    waved at Adeline, ¡°I must take my leave now. See youter.¡±


    Adeline waved back at Dr. Brice.


    Elliot, who had remained seated, his expression cool and aloof, as if trying to discern¡¯something from


    Adeline¡¯s face.


    Adeline picked up her pumpkin-colored trench coat, draped it over her shoulders and reached for her


    purse. But Elliot grabbed it first.


    Adeline eyed Elliot for two seconds before releasing her grip on her purse and walking away.


    Elliot picked up the purse, casually following Adeline.


    A white Maserati was parked by the restaurant¡¯s entrance. Adeline had no keys, so she just nced at


    it and rummaged through her trench coat pocket.


    Elliot retrieved the car keys from her bag and unlocked the car. The headlights blinked twice as Elliot


    gestured towards the car, ¡°Get in.¡±


    Elliot assumed Adeline wouldply, but she turned and boarded a city bus instead. All he could do


    was watch her through the bus window as she pulled out a bus pass and settled into a window seat.


    Defeated by Adeline, Elliot got into the Maserati, sliding the key into the ignition and began trailing the


    bus.


    He had learned from Dn yesterday that Adeline had a date today. Although he was reluctant to admit


    it, the truth was their sibling rtionship had changed since they found out there were no blood ties


    between them, and ever since Adeline confessed her feelings for him.


    Elliot had been selectively deceiving himself, telling himself that Adeline was just his sister. But deep


    down, he was certain he would never reciprocate Adeline¡¯s feelings. Numerous times, he reminded


    himself that Adeline was his sister, both in name and in essence.


    So, he had no intention ofing today, telling himself he shouldn¡¯t. But the reason he gave himself for


    coming to sabotage Adeline¡¯s date was also his excuse for self-constion.


    He convinced himself that as Adeline¡¯s ¡°brother¡±, looking out for his ¡°sister¡¯s¡± happiness was natural,


    and scrutinizing her potential boyfriend was justified.


    Therefore¡­


    Elliot felt like he was losing his sanity, so he floored the gas pedal.


    Dr. Brice was about to apany Nance, but by the time he stepped outside, Nance was nowhere to


    be seen. Instead, he saw Elliot chasing after the bus, even driving Adeline¡¯s car to catch up with her.


    He smiled to himself.


    Regardless of how Elliot deceived himself, he knew clearly that Elliot being here today indicated the


    significant role Adeline yed in his heart.


    He pulled out his cell phone, preparing to return a call to Julie as he headed towards the garage.


    Suddenly, a figure darted in front, knocking his phone to the ground¡­

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    Chapter 262


    Chapter 262


    A woman suddenly collided into Dr. Brice, causing his phone to tumble onto the ground. Dr. Brice had


    used this phone for many years, and he frowned as he looked down at the woman sprawled on the


    pavement.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked politely, extending a hand to help her up.


    The woman, however, red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you look where you¡¯re going?¡±


    If his memory served him right, it was she who had charged into him. But he chose not to argue,


    instead bending down to pick up his cracked phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said gently.


    Seeing that she had no inclination to ept his help, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The woman called from behind him.


    Dr. Brice turned back to look at the woman. She was beautiful, her long hair reaching her waist. There


    was something familiar about her.


    He sifted his memories, then asked, ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡±


    At this, Annalise Hansen broke intoughter as she replied, ¡°Sir, are you still using pickup lines from


    the 70s?¡±


    She attempted to stand, but a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to fall back onto the


    ground. Luckily, Dr. Brice was quick to react, catching her before she could hit the ground again.


    Instead of a thank you, however, what greeted him was a shriek, followed by a resounding p.


    The force of the p nearly knocked him off bnce.


    It was only when the woman red at his hand did he realize that he had caught her right at her chest.


    He suddenly pushed Annalise away, causing an unprepared Annalise to fall on the ground once again


    and sat on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dr. Brice apologized, looking at Annalise who was now sitting on the ground.


    Rubbing her bottom, she queried, ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Help me up! I think I sprained my ankle¡­¡± Annalise extended her hand toward Dr. Brice.¡±


    He helped her up, only to hear her ask, ¡°Do you always harass women like this?¡±


    Ignoring Annalise¡¯s sarcasm, Dr. Brice helped her onto a nearby bench. He then crouched down to


    examine her ankle.


    As she was wearing a skirt, Annalise instinctively drew back her leg.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police!¡±


    ¡°You broke my phone, otherwise I could have called the police for you,¡± Dr. Brice replied, lifting her


    ankle to remove her high heels and check her injury.


    Before she could protest, Dr. Brice pressed firmly on her injured ankle. Her words turned into a sharp


    cry of pain. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?¡±


    She raised her hand to hit him.


    He caught her hand and told her, ¡°You have a sprained ankle, but thankfully, it¡¯s not dislocated and


    there are no fractures. You¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s just a sprain? How can you be sure it¡¯s not dislocated or broken? You pressed


    too hard, you might have injured it even more! You can¡¯t just run away, I¡¯m taking you to the police!¡±


    ¡°The police?¡± Dr. Brice turned andughed, then scooped her up into his arms.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Annalise asked, gripping his shoulders in surprise.


    At this point, she looked around and noticed that there was no one at the parking door. So she


    immediately changed the subject and said to Dr. Brice, ¡°I see that you dress well, not like a jerk. Where


    are you taking me?¡±


    To the police station,¡± Dr. Brice replied. He had never met a woman quite as challenging as Annalise.


    She had charged into him, destroyed his phone, and now, she was threatening to take him to the


    police.


    He put her in the passenger seat of his car and got into the driver¡¯s seat. As Annalise was unbuckling


    her seatbelt, preparing to leave, he started the car, preventing her from leaving.


    ¡°What, don¡¯t want to go to the police?¡± He asked her defiantly as he started the car and prevented her


    from leaving.


    Annalise had heard from Dn that Adeline wasing for a blind date and Dn identally told


    Elliot about watch the fun, but she hadn¡¯t expected to run into this situation.


    She turned to look at Dr. Brice, then began to analyze the him based on the car he was driving, and


    how might be a con artist?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dr. Brice turned to her. ¡°How do you know I¡¯m a con artist?¡±


    Over the years she had known Dn, she had learned to analyze people, just like him.


    Out of curiosity, she had decided to


    was dressed, and finally said uncertainly, ¡°You


    She said, ¡°Firstly, based on your clothing. You¡¯re wearing a high-end striped wool suit worth $20,000


    and your matte calfskin shoes aren¡¯t cheap either. However, you don¡¯t have any jewelry, no status-


    showing watch, no ring, no ne, no tattoos. Yet, you¡¯re driving a car that¡¯s only worth $30,000. I


    guess you¡¯ve juste from an important event, dressed neatly, maybe out of vanity or to deceive


    others. You¡¯re not wearing a watch, perhaps because you don¡¯t have a good-looking one and don¡¯t


    want people to find out you¡¯re wearing a fake. But this suit, it¡¯s of decent taste.¡±


    Listening to her analysis, Dr. Brice gave her a look. ¡°You really think too much.¡±


    In the end, Dr. Brice didn¡¯t take Annalise to the police station. He took her straight to Tranquil Care


    Hospital instead.


    Even though Dr. Brice was a neer to Tranquil Care Hospital, his reputation was already


    legendary, and virtually everyone in the hospital was familiar with his name. Considering his


    recruitment was personally overseen by the hospital director, it was no surprise that Brice was a well-


    known figure in the medicalmunity.


    When staff saw Dr. Brice, dressed immactely and apanied by an attractive woman, they were


    taken aback.


    Dr. Brice introduced Annalise to the surgical department. Upon meeting Dr. Brice, the head of surgery,


    Dr. Anstice, asked with a smile, ¡°Is this your girlfriend, Brice?¡±


    Before Dr. Brice could deny it, Annalise turned to him, astonished, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re a doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a professional con artist.¡± Dr. Brice gave a yful tap on Dr. Anstice¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Could you


    lend a hand, Anstice? I found this patient on the street.¡± She turned to Dr. Brice and said, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly


    fine, I don¡¯t need to see a doctor!¡±


    ¡°Your name.¡±


    ¡°Annalise.¡±


    ¡°Your age.¡±


    ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    Dr. Brice repeated, ¡°Your age.¡±


    Annalise licked her lips slightly and answered somewhat guiltily, ¡°Eighteen.¡±


    Dr. Anstice couldn¡¯t help butugh at this, while Dr. Brice added, ¡°Ms. Annalise, you look incredibly


    young.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­¡±


    ¡°Age.¡±


    ¦°


    ¡°Dr. Anstice, could you handle this for me while I arrange a psychiatric appointment for her?¡± Dr. Brice


    said, preparing to leave.


    Annalise quickly jumped up and caught Dr. Brice by his arm, ¡°Twenty-nine!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a year older than Dr. Brice! Ms. Annalise, you¡¯ve aged very well, it¡¯s virtually


    unnoticeable.¡± Dr. Ansticemented with a chuckle. Annalise turned her head and red at Dr.


    Anstice, and before she could say anything, the phone rang. Answering the call, she greeted, ¡°Julie.¡± ¡°I


    just heard you were at the hotel. Why didn¡¯t I see you? Adeline and Elliot have already left.¡± Julie¡¯s


    voice came through the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had quite the unlucky day, I¡¯ve ended up at Tranquil Care Hospital¡­¡±


    ¡°The hospital? What happened?¡± Julie asked with concern.


    ¡°Nothing serious, just twisted my ankle.¡±


    ¡°Are you alone there?¡± Julie probed.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Annalise confirmed.


    ¡°Wait for me at the hospital, I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± With that, Julie grabbed her purse and her


    bodyguard, Bolt, and headed out the door.,


    She could leave the house, but she must have Bolt with her at all times, so Julie had a beefy


    bodyguard on her side


    Dr. Brice on the other end of the line frowned when he heard Julie¡¯s name,


    ¡°Julie, the wife of Simpo Co¡¯s CEO?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a con artist who knows about current events! You remember the names of the wealthy people


    to cheat them, right?¡± Annalise was somewhat dissatisfied with Dr. Brice.


    Dr. Brice didn¡¯t argue with Annalise, just asked again, ¡°What did you say your name is?¡± ¡°Annalise! Got


    it?¡±


    ¡°Annalise¡­¡± Dr. Brice mumbled the name again, then took out his phone and searching her name. He


    saw the profile on the web page, then looked at Annalise again, it is so, she was a well-known


    ceramist, young artist, Annalise. He seemed to have identally read in the newspaper, but he didn¡¯t


    think that she and Julie knew each other, and that she had some love affairs before. The media had


    once sensationalized a love triangle involving Julie, Annalise, and Kieran. They even dug up their past


    from their university days. Some even imed that Bertha Stewart had meddled in the rtionship


    between Julie and Kieran, or that Julie hade between Annalise and Kieran.


    Upon seeing the news article that Dr. Brice was reading, Annalise scoffed, ¡°Only fools would believe


    this!!¡±


    He replied to the news article, ¡°Kieran made the right choice. He loves Julie, and that¡¯s the correct


    decision.¡±


    Annalise pointed to Dr. Brice and said, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Dr. Brice turned and went out to help her make a doctor¡¯s appointment, leaving an indifferent back.


    Meanwhile, Bolt drove Julie to the Tranquil Care Hospital. As he waited for the traffic light to turn green,


    he was about to drive off¡­


    ¡°Wait!¡± Julie suddenly grabbed Bolt¡¯s arm.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 263


    Chapter 263


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Dn, who was apanying Julie, had initiallye out of curiosity but found


    that everyone had already left upon his arrival. He had also heard that something had happened to


    Annalise..


    After all, it was he who had informed Annalise about the situation which led her to curiouslye to


    see Adeline¡¯s date. In all honesty, it was his momentary negligence that had led to this oue.


    He decided to apany Julie to visit Ms. Annalise at the Tranquil Care Hospital.


    Julie immediately rolled down the car window, turning her head to look at the vehicle behind. The


    moment the car started, she saw a familiar figure.


    The person in the neighboring car was Lucian. Even though she had only seen his side profile, she was


    certain that it was Lucian.


    However, when Bolt, the driver, stopped the car and she looked back again, the car had disappeared.


    Everything that had just transpired, the sight of Lucian, seemed like a hallucination.


    Not hearing Julie¡¯s response, Dn looked at her, half leaning out of the window, with concern. ¡°Julie?¡±


    ¡°Lucian! I saw Lucian!¡± Julie eximed in surprise, clutching Dn¡¯s arm.


    Dn shook his head, ¡°Impossible! Where did you see him?¡±


    ¡°While we were waiting at the red light, his car was next to ours. When Bolt started the car, I saw him!


    He was in thene next to us!!¡±


    Dn shook his head again, ¡°Impossible. If it were really Lucian, he wouldn¡¯t be using transparent car


    windows, nor would he roll them down. You must have been hallucinating. It couldn¡¯t have been him. If


    hecked even this basic sense of security, how could he have been hiding for so many years?¡±


    Bolt, the driver, frowned and looked at the approaching police car. ¡°Mrs. Abraham, we can¡¯t park here.¡±


    Despite not believing that what she had just seen was a hallucination, Julie nced at the motorcycle


    police approaching, frowned, and finally withdrew her gaze. She then told Bolt, ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s go.


    Head to Tranquil Care Hospital.¡±


    When Julie arrived at Tranquil Care Hospital, Annalise¡¯s ankle had already been bandaged.


    As soon as she arrived, Julie asked Annalise what had happened. Annalise exined, ¡°I was in a hurry


    to see Adeline and Elliot and identally bumped into a con artist.¡±


    ¡°A con artist?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­ it was just a minor ident¡­ I got upset and wanted to call the police, but he brought


    me to the hospital. I only found out then that he was actually a doctor at the hospital. I know he didn¡¯t


    take advantage of me on purpose, and it was my fault for breaking his phone, but for some reason, I


    just can¡¯t get along with him!¡±


    Listening to Annalise¡¯sints, Dn couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I really want to meet the person who


    managed to annoy Ms. Annalise to this extent.¡±


    Dn was the type who enjoyed a bit of drama.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t stand such people. If I ever meet someone like that again, I¡¯ll do everything I can to avoid


    them!¡± dered Annalise.


    Julie handed Annalise a bottle of water. ¡°Here, have a drink.¡±


    Just as Julie finished speaking, Dr. Brice appeared at the door, carrying a bag.


    Julie was surprised to see Dr. Brice in this room as it was a single room, and Dr. Brice normally


    wouldn¡¯t be responsible for patients with minor injuries. His presence surprised her. ¡°Dr. Brice, what


    brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the ¡®bad guy¡¯ Ms. Annalise has been trying so hard to avoid.¡±


    Annalise was speechless.


    ¡°Is this your friend?¡± Dr. Brice asked Julie..


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? I am the third wheel, Annalise told Dr. Brice, her mood souring as she recalled the


    message he had written in her presence.


    Dr. Brice ced the medicine on Annalise¡¯s bedside table. ¡°You interfering in Julie¡¯s love life, I can


    believe.*


    Dr. Brice, usually a gentleman, seemed unusually harsh in his words towards Annalise.


    Julie, pointing to Annalise,ughed and exined, ¡°To be precise¡­ Annalise is Kieran¡¯s aunt, so she¡¯s


    also my aunt¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt?¡± Annalise and Kieran looked to be around the same age, so it was hard to believe her senior


    status.


    Annalise nodded. ¡°So if you¡¯re friends with Julie, you should be calling me aunt ording to seniority!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have such unreasonable rtives.¡±


    It was as though Julie had suddenly remembered something. She said to Annalise and Dr. Brice,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two meet at The Velvet Vine Dining before? Kieran was there too.¡±


    ¡°The Velvet Vine Dining¡­¡± Annalise immediately recalled the incident, ¡°You¡¯re the man who was with


    Julie at The Velvet Vine Dining that time?¡±


    ¡°The owner of The Velvet Vine Dining? No wonder you looked familiar.¡± Dr. Brice replied calmly, now


    recalling that Julie had once promised to treat him to a meal, and he had chosen The Velvet Vine


    Dining, where he had run into Kieran and another woman, who was now revealed to be Annalise.


    Dnughed, ¡°You two are ridiculous, meeting face to face and still not recognizing each other.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t dressed as meticulously as he is now that day.¡± Annalise muttered, but Dn still heard her.


    That day, she wore makeup and curled her hair,pletely different from today.¡± Dr. Brice nced at


    Annalise, who had been dolled up that day, with elegant makeup, her hair curled gently, as dense as


    seaweed, wearing a nude pink gown, and behaving with an air of grace. Her soft-spoken demeanor


    was a stark contrast to today¡¯s no-makeup, straightforward-speaking woman with straight hair.


    Annalise red at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s different. I look better without makeup!¡±


    Julie shook her head in resignation. These two had barely exchanged a few words during theirst


    meeting before Annalise had made an excuse to leave. She didn¡¯t expect their reunion to be so


    discordant


    Dr. Brice ignored Annalise¡¯s remark, took out some anti-inmmatory medication, and started to exin


    the dosage and how to take it.


    Annalise didn¡¯t seem to absorb any of the information, which Dr. Brice had anticipated, so he had


    written down all the necessary instructions.


    Finally, he handed the bill to Julie, saying. ¡°Contact me anytime if you have any questions


    Hospitalization is not required.¡±


    As Dr. Brice turned to leave, Annalise pointed at his retreating figure and told Julie, ¡°I didn¡¯t let him pay


    the medical bill. Julie, help me pay him the money


    back


    ¡°Alright, Ms Annalise, calm down!¡± Dn looked at Annalise, expressing his surprise at how


    troublesome she was being.


    Annalise was supposed to stay in a hotel, but now that she had injured her foot and had difficulty


    walking, Julie had no choice but to ask Dn to take Annalise to Noblewood Retreat


    Upon their arrival, they found Daphne Flores unexpectedly sitting on the couch, and facing her was


    Amanda.


    Julie instantly felt a headacheing on As Georgiana¡¯s sister, Annalise was already not well-liked by


    Amanda, and now Daphne was here too¡­. Unless it was something really important, Daphne wouldn¡¯t


    havee to find her directly. Julie helped Annalise onto the couch, then pulled Daphne aside and


    whispered, ¡°Daphne, why are you here?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I tried to call you, but you didn¡¯t answer I have something to discuss with you, so I came over I just


    didn¡¯t expect you to not be home¡­


    After saying this, Daphne turned her head and smiled at Amanda


    As Kieran walked in, he saw Julie and Daphine standing by the couch, while Annalise seemed unfazed


    despite Amanda¡¯s unfriendly attitude towards her.


    ¡°Godmother?¡± Ivan Hernandez cheerfully ran towards Daphne


    Amanda quickly reminded Ivan Slow down, slow down! Your godmother has a baby in her belly!¡±


    Ivan slowed his pace, then looked up at Daphne and asked, ¡®Is it a sister?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Daphne touched her bellyughing as she shook her head ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    She sat on the couch, ran her hand through Ivan¡¯s hair, and asked, ¡®Do you like having a sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The little guy nodded vigorously


    Kieran shot Julie a meaningful nce, saying ¡°Come with me¡±


    Julie went silent


    Kieran turned to Annalise and asked, ¡°You hurt your foot?¡±


    Annalise replied, ¡°Cant you be a little nicer to me? I hurt my foot because of some bad people. Your


    kind wife was worried that I would be inconvenienced living alone in a hotel, so she brought me here¡±


    When she mentioned worried, Annalise nced at Amanda.


    Amanda retorted with a hint of haughtiness, ¡°Shannon, prepare a guest room for Ms Annalise¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Annalise gratefully said to Amanda


    Amanda, however, took Daphne¡¯s hand, patted it, and said, ¡°Daphne,e with me to the room¡±


    After saying this, Amanda led Daphne by the hand towards a room, clearly fond of Daphne


    Julie and Kieran shared a nce, then both turned to Shannon


    Shannon smiled warmly. ¡°Mrs. Abraham, Ms. Daphne has been here for over two hours. She said she


    was looking for you. But since you were not home, she started chatting with Amanda. They¡¯ve been


    getting along incredibly well for the past two hours. Amanda even said that if Ms. Daphne and Mrs.


    Abraham weren¡¯t of the same generation, she would have loved to consider Ms. Daphne as her


    goddaughter. Ms. Daphne is truly charming¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh, asking Shannon, ¡°Did Ms. Daphne mention why she was looking for me?¡±


    Shannon replied, Tm not sure about that. Ms. Daphne did not say.¡±


    Julie responded, ¡°Alright, I understand. Shannon, could you please show Annalise to her room?¡±


    After Shannon took Annalise to her room, Ivan voluntarily returned to his room to do homework. Only


    then did Julie pull Kieran down to sit on the couch.


    Kieran asked, ¡°What happened?¡± He gently kissed Julie¡¯s forehead.


    Julie furrowed her brows, ¡°I think I saw Lucian today!¡±

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    ¡°I heard from Quad Dn, Kieran murmured, his arms holding around Julle on the couch, their fingers


    tightly entwining. ¡°He told me to make sure you rest well.


    Julie bit her lip, ¡°I also think maybe I was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s still in this city, as long as he¡¯s alive, we¡¯ll cross paths one day. If we can¡¯t find him, one day he¡¯ll


    come looking for us.¡± Kieran said.


    Julie agreed with this perspective.


    She nestled into his embrace, her gaze fixed on the flickering images on the television, her thoughts


    wandering far away until the ring of her cellphone pulled her


    back.


    The call was from Harding. As Kieran pressed the answer button, Harding¡¯s voice filled the room, ¡°Big


    news.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kieran asked.


    ¡°Remember Professor Fred¡¯s assistant, Vanessa?¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± Kieran asked.


    Julie edged closer to the phone, listening to Harding¡¯s voice from the other end, ¡°We managed to get


    some information out of Vanessa. Professor Fred used to have a star student named Zenith Moore. He


    taught Zenith everything he knew. If we can¡¯t trust Fred, we might be able to approach Zenith.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked into Fred¡¯s background. If Zenith was so important to him, why haven¡¯t Ie across


    Zenith in any of Fred¡¯s documents?¡± Kieran questioned.


    Harding exined, ¡°Apparently, Zenith and Fred had a falling out. Zenith didn¡¯t pursue a medical career


    anymore. Instead, he established an excellent team that provides crisis PR for well-knownpanies.


    You might have heard of Zenith Group.¡±


    Indeed, Kieran had heard of this group. They had been around for five or six years and initially


    symbolized a philosophy of serenity from ¡°zen¡±, hence the name Zenith Group. The president of the


    company was young, but he was known for being extremely elusive. No media or newspaper had ever


    managed to capture his actual appearance, not even a shadow.


    ¡°Zenith is the President of Zenith Group. He left the medical field after his fallout with Fred and


    established Zenith Group, Harding said.


    Julie furrowed her brows, she had heard bits and pieces about this group before. She quietly asked


    Harding, ¡°But if Zenith is so elusive, how are we going to get close to him?¡±


    ¡°Canary has already figured it out,¡± Harding replied, ¡°Mr. Watson managed to get Zenith¡¯s name from


    Vanessa. Julien used that information to trace Zenith¡¯s assistant, Jesse.¡±


    So Julien was Canary. Julie was hearing this for the first time.


    ¡°Are there any pictures?¡± Kieran asked.


    Harding sounded regretful, ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡±


    But then he changed the subject, ¡°However, we found out that Zenith is going to Cyrus Greens Golf


    Club tomorrow. I¡¯ll send you Jesse¡¯s photo. If you decide to try it out, just show up at Cyrus Greens Golf


    Club tomorrow morning. Zenith has booked the entire club, but the President of Cyrus Greens owed


    you a favor, right? Getting in shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kieran hung up.


    Harding quickly sent over Jesse¡¯s photo.


    ¡°A person that even Julien couldn¡¯t get a picture of, interesting, Kieran mused, studying the photo of


    Jesse in his formal attire.


    Julie asked Kieran, ¡°But if Zenith has already left his career in medicine for business, it¡¯s unlikely that


    he¡¯d go back, right?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. Didn¡¯t you say that as long as there¡¯s a sliver of hope, we won¡¯t give up?¡± He said,


    his lips curling into a tender smile, deeply attracting Julie.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Daphne interrupted them from behind, causing Julie to quickly move away.


    ¡°Just pretend I¡¯m not here, carry on!¡± Daphne said nonchntly.


    ¡°Why are you coughing then?¡± Julie shot Daphne a look.


    Daphne feigned innocence, ¡°Can¡¯t I have a tickle in my throat?¡±


    Kieran got up, gentlyying his hand on Julie¡¯s shoulder before leaving her and Daphne some privacy.


    With a yful smile, he said, ¡°Enjoy your chat.¡±


    He left for the study, leaving Julie to pull Daphne down beside her on the couch, ¡°What did your


    grandma say?¡±


    Julie¡¯s concern warmed Daphne¡¯s heart, causing her to loop her arm through Julie¡¯s and confess,


    ¡°Grandma said I¡¯m delightful and well-behaved. She also said that if I can¡¯t find the right guy, she¡¯ll


    introduce a stepfather for my baby!¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, ¡°Mr. Lionel might have a hard time deciding then.¡±


    ¡°Deciding on what?¡±


    ¡°Whether to kill you or the baby first, Julie said, looking at Daphne, ¡°Did youe here toin?¡±


    Daphne grasped Julie¡¯s wrist dramatically, ¡°You know me all too well!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Take it easy,¡± Julie pulled Daphne into a hug. ¡°Did Mr. Lionel mistreat you?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Daphne pushed Julie away, gripping her hand and said, ¡°Do you know, my parents have never


    been this united before. They both vehemently oppose me marrying Lord Lion, saying that marrying to


    the aristocracy is like drowning into a sea of treachery. With my naivety, I could easily end up


    manipted, or severely mental damaged. They keep instilling theseplex rules of the upper ss


    in me. But the point is, I never said I wanted to marry him!¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to marry him?¡± Julie asked, looking at Daphne seriously.


    Daphne asked, ¡°Julie, do you think a marriage without love can be happy? A marriage bound together


    because of a child, can it be measured by happiness?¡±


    ¡°And what are you looking for? A mutual affection?¡± Julie inquired.


    At this question, Daphne fell silent.


    Observing Daphne¡¯s mncholic gaze, Julie posed another question, ¡°If there was no Mr. Lionel, have


    you ever thought about who you would want to marry?¡±


    ¡°Ordinary,mon, someone who loves me, someone I love¡­ I don¡¯t know. But the whole situation is


    beyond my imagination now. I was thinking, let it be, Daphne whispered.


    Julie patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder, ¡°So, what¡¯s your initial gut feeling?¡±


    ¡°Give it a try?¡± After uttering these words, Daphne shook her head, ¡°Oh gosh, the thought of marrying


    Lord Lionel makes me feel like I have saved the world in my past life. It¡¯s surreal, too surreal. What¡¯s in


    it for Lord Lionel? My unborn child? That doesn¡¯t add up, he could have found a beautiful and intelligent


    woman, wouldn¡¯t he want these genes?¡±


    Just as Daphne¡¯s words trailed off, Lionel Kemp suddenly appeared at the vi¡¯s entrance, looking at


    Daphne with a serious expression, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be asking me these questions?¡±


    ¡°Holy moly, did you call Lord Lionel?¡± Daphne whispered into Julie¡¯s ear, wishing she could turn into a


    fly and fly away.


    Julie shook her head innocently, ¡°My phone¡¯s dead. I didn¡¯t even receive your call, so how could I call


    Mr. Lionel?¡±


    ¡°Oh gosh, did Mr. Hernandez betray me?¡± Daphne was on the verge of tears.


    Kieran, as if he had super hearing, stepped out of his study just in time to see Lionel at the door, he


    was a bit surprised and asked, ¡°Why is Mr. Lionel here sote?¡±


    ¡°¡­ to pick her up.¡± Lionel walked towards Daphne and extended his hand, ¡°Are youing on your


    own or should Ie up with a wedding car?¡±


    Daphne stood up, took a deep breath, and smiled at Lionel, ¡°I¡¯ll go on my own. I have some questions


    for you.¡±


    Due to ric and his wife¡¯s strict prohibition and Lionel¡¯s busy schedule after quitting the entertainment


    industry, Daphne had been avoiding Lionel since theirst encounter at Machu Phu.


    And so, Daphne departed with Lionel, leaving Julie without a say in the matter. She could only turn to


    Kieran and ask, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who called Mr. Lionel?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°I thought Daphne was staying the night.¡±


    ¡°Then who notified Mr. Lionel?¡±


    Just as Julie finished her sentence, she saw Annalise bouncing out of the guest room, asking, ¡°Guys, is


    there anyte-night snack? Something sweet would be nice! Did Lionel pick up Daphne? That was


    quick!¡±


    Kieran eventually decided to visit the Cyrus Greens Golf Club the next morning to meet the rumored


    Zenith.


    With Amanda¡¯s consent, Julie apanied Kieran. They dropped off Ivan at school. Unlike usual, the


    young boy didn¡¯t rush out of the car, instead, he asked Julie seriously, ¡°Mom, are you and Kerry


    nning on having a second child?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Julie, who was unbuckling her seatbelt, froze.


    Ivan, mature beyond his years, said, ¡°I saw on the news that the government encourage to have more


    children. Mom, you and Kerry should give me a little sister! She has to be cuter than Cupid, I will hold


    her, share my food and toys with her, and I will protect her with Dad.¡±


    ¡°Right, our own child.¡± Kieran turned around and high-fived Ivan.


    Ivan winked at his father.


    Julie said, ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re going to bete.¡±


    ¡°Mom, remember to give me a sister, I love you.¡± The little boy pecked a kiss on Julie¡¯s cheek before


    hopping out of the car and heading to school.


    ¡°Right, I love you too.¡± The man in the driver¡¯s seat leaned over and nted a kiss on Julie¡¯s cheek


    before starting the car, heading straight to the golf course.


    They were greeted by the founder of the golf course, Cyrus Nelson.


    As Cyrus led Kieran and Julie towards the golf course, he casually asked Kieran, ¡°Does Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯spany have a crisis that needs Mr. Moore¡¯s team¡¯s help?¡± ¡°Not really, it¡¯s a private


    matter,¡± Kieran replied to Cyrus, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Nelson.¡±


    Cyrus waved it off with a smile, ¡°No problem, seven years ago if it wasn¡¯t for Mr. Hernandez giving me


    thisnd, this golf course wouldn¡¯t have been built!¡±


    He pointed at a man in a white golf uniform and cap, grinning at Julie and Kieran, ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Moore


    right there.¡±


    Julie and Kieran followed Cyrus¡¯s gaze and were simultaneously taken aback¡­

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    Chapter 265


    Not far off, on the verdant golf course, a man in a crisp white polo was taking his swings. His tall and


    lean silhouette made a striking figure as he held the golf club, with a caddy by his side. His pristine


    white golf shoes stood out against the green.


    That familiar height and figure made Kieran, who usually maintained hisposure, furrow his brow,


    After sinking the putt, the man, Zenith, handed his club to the caddy. His gaze unintentionally swept


    across the few people standing in the distance. He frowned slightly and turned to Jesse, his assistant,


    ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t understand the meaning of a private booking.¡±


    Jesse followed Zenith¡¯s gaze to Kieran and Julie. He made a quick, apologetic bow to Zenith before


    briskly walking toward them.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zenith¡¯s caddy handed him another club as Jesse moved toward Kieran and Julie. However, before


    Jesse could reach them, Kieran strode past him, heading straight for Zenith.


    Jesse twisted around to chase after Kieran, and Julie quickened her pace to follow them.


    The man on the green, it was Lucian Hernandez. The likeness to Kieran was uncanny, from the shape


    of his eyes to his height. It was Lucian, exactly as Julie remembered him.


    Zenith was going to take another swing, but Kieran stopped him.


    Zenith lowered his club and looked at Kieran, then at Jesse who was apologizing once again, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Mr. Moore¡­¡±


    The aura this man radiated was just too overwhelming. Jesse had to admit, he waspletely


    overpowered.


    Zenith waved off Jesse, handing him the club and coldly said, ¡°Leave.¡±


    Jesse quickly scurried away, taking the club and caddy with him.


    As she took a closer look, Julie became even more convinced that this man was Lucian. But how was


    he standing? Thest photo Julien had shown her, Lucian was wheelchair-bound.


    In disbelief, Julie¡¯s pupils dted, ¡°Lucian?¡±


    3


    Tears swelled in her eyes.


    Kieran and Zenith stood face to face on the green, neither of them uttering a word. They were gazing at


    each other, the air filled with intensity.


    After Julie tentatively called out, Zenith finally broke into a smile. He looked at Julie nonchntly and


    said, ¡°Are you referring to me, miss?¡±


    ¡°Is that the opening line you¡¯ve thought of for nearly ten years?¡± Kieran¡¯s brow furrowed, his gaze icy.


    = 3 T


    Zenith turned his gaze back to Kieran. After a few seconds, he turned to Cyrus, ¡°Seems like Mr. Nelson


    doesn¡¯t understand the concept of a private booking either.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Moore, this¡­¡±


    Kieran reached out, grabbing Zenith¡¯s arm.


    Zenith looked down at his captured arm and said coldly, ¡°Did Mr. Hernandez mistake me for someone


    else?¡±


    Hearing this cold, unfamiliar tone, Julie couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that this man wasn¡¯t Lucian.


    She shook her head, clutching Kieran¡¯s hand, feeling lost.


    Kieran tightened his grip on Zenith¡¯s arm. Zenith winced slightly from the pain.


    From his earlier words, it was clear he knew Kieran. Julie looked at Zenith with aplex expression,


    ¡°Kieran has been looking for you for nearly ten years¡­¡±


    ¡°Lucian?¡± Zenith tasted the name as it rolled off his tongue.


    He pulled his arm out of Kieran¡¯s grip, flexed his wrist, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your brother¡¯s photo. I can¡¯t


    deny, we do bear some resemnce. But Mr. Hernandez, mistaking me for your brother, that¡¯s


    something you need to rectify.¡±


    Zenith patted Kieran¡¯s shoulder, then nced at Cyrus, ¡°I expect Mr. Nelson to provide me with a


    satisfactory exnation.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s gaze was venomous. Julie held his hand nervously. She couldn¡¯t imagine the turmoil Kieran


    was feeling, but she knew it had to be intense.


    But after his momentarypse, he quickly regained hisposure. Blocking Zenith¡¯s path, Kieran said,


    ¡°You are Mr. Moore, right?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez no longer considers me as the elder brother?¡± Zenith asked, standing his ground as


    Kieran had blocked his way.


    Kieran cut to the chase, ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss a deal with you, Mr. Moore. Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I have a lunch appointment today.¡± Zenith pretended to nce at his watch, ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡±


    He pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kieran, ¡°If Mr. Hernandez has


    something important to discuss, perhaps you could schedule a meeting with my secretary.¡±


    Kieran took the card and Zenith strode off the golf course.


    Kieran held the business card tightly, his knuckles turning white. Julie took the card from him and held


    his arm.


    The card read ¡®President of Zenith Group, Zenith Moore¡¯, along with Zenith¡¯s contact details and his


    secretary Jesse¡¯s contact details.


    Julie held the card, frowning. She looked at Kieran, ¡°Is it him? Is it your brother?¡±


    It had to be! How else could there be someone who looked so simr?


    Kieran¡¯s gaze, which had been fixed in the distance, finally returned. He turned and pulled Julie into his


    arms.


    The only thing Julie couldn¡¯tprehend was, if Zenith was truly Lucian, then how could he move


    around so effortlessly? After Lucian had rushed into the raging mes to save him, his legs were so


    badly injured that he couldn¡¯t stand anymore.


    Yet, the Zenith who just stood before them clearly moved about freely.


    Kieran whipped out his phone and sent a picture to Hayde. Julie looked at the photograph of Zenith


    that Kieran had just sneakily taken, she didn¡¯t even know when he had managed to take it.


    Soon, Hayden called back, uttering only one word, ¡°Lucian?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Kieran was sincere with his words. The man who stood in front of him was clearly his


    elder brother who had disappeared for nearly a decade. But the functioning legs, the unfamiliar tone,


    and the entirely different aura made it hard for Kieran to ept.


    But he knew that nothing was impossible over the past decade. So, he added to Hayden, ¡°Eighty


    percent sure.¡±


    ¡°Those legs¡­¡± Even Hayden on the other end of the phone fell silent for a few seconds before asking,


    ¡°Where did you get this picture?¡±


    ¡°We just met, Zenith, the President of Zenith Group,¡± Kieran said.


    ¡°I see, I¡¯ll have Lien investigate,¡± Hayden ended the call.


    As Kieran held Julie¡¯s hand and entered the lobby, Zenith had already driven away. Kieran directly


    drove to the local hospital.


    Mr. Nestor, the orthopedic surgeon at the hospital, was already in his sixties. Julie didn¡¯t know why


    Kieran sought Mr. Nestor, so she simply followed him quietly.


    Upon seeing Kieran, Mr. Nestor warmly greeted him, standing up and shaking his hand, ¡°Young master,


    what brings you here?¡±


    Hearing Mr. Nestor address Kieran as young master¡¯, Julie recalled some forgotten memories. When


    Lucian was still living at Noblewood Retreat, Julie had visited the Hernandez family and seemed to


    have met Mr. Nestor.


    She had assumed Mr. Nestor was the family doctor of the Hernandez family, not realizing he was also


    the head of the Orthopedic Department at the local hospital.


    ¡°Mr. Nestor,¡± Kieran greeted politely, then without further ado, went straight to the point, ¡°Do you still


    remember my brother¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mr. Nestor sighed at the mention of Lucian, ¡°He has been gone for so long, why do you


    suddenly bring this up?¡±


    Kieran replied, ¡°Lucian¡¯s memorial day ising up soon. I just thought of it and wanted to ask if you


    still have his medical records?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re stored in theputer. Although it¡¯s been a long time, I think we should be able to find them if


    we look,¡± Mr. Nestor said.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Nestor.¡±


    After Hayden received the picture from Kieran, he forwarded it to Julien, leaving two words under the


    photo, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Julien, who was living next door and was currently sorting out the Fitzgerald family¡¯s rted


    documents, didn¡¯t expect Hayden¡¯s summons and had to stop what she was doing..


    She knocked on Hayden¡¯s door, phone in hand.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Hayden¡¯s voice came from inside the room.


    As soon as Julien entered, she pointed at the photo in her hand and asked, ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°Kerry sent it over,¡± Hayden put down his pen and asked Julien, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Julien nced at the photo again and finally concluded in a questioning tone, ¡°Lucian standing up?¡±


    ¡°A man paralyzed for many years, survived a ne crash, and then miraculously stood up?¡± Hayden


    pped his hands.


    Even though the apuse carried a jeering tone, now was not the time to argue with Hayden.


    ¡°Can you send the photo to me?¡± she asked.


    Hayden, leaning back in his chair, said softly, ¡°Send it yourself.¡±


    Julien opened Hayden¡¯s iMessage, then looked for her own contact. Finally, she found that Hayden had


    saved a remark for her, a simple word ¨C ¡®her¡¯.


    Julien¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but she pretended to be calm, as if nothing had happened, and silently


    skimmed through his contact list before sending the photo to herself.


    She asked him, ¡°Who took it?¡±


    ¡°Kerry. It was Zenith, the President of Zenith Group,¡± Hayden said.


    Julien raised an eyebrow, asking, ¡°The never-publicly-seen Zenith? And he looks exactly like Lucian?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Lucian or not is yet to be confirmed.¡±


    ¡°So, you want me to investigate?¡± She asked, ¡°What about the heir to the Fitzgeralds? Should I still


    look into that?¡±


    ¡°Can you find anything?¡± He asked.,


    The Fitzgeralds were people that even Miles Simson couldn¡¯t handle, let alone the fact that the


    Fitzgerald family had a strong backing. Julien wasn¡¯t sure.


    So she replied with two words, ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    ¡°Then investigate what you can.¡±


    Julien nodded and turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped by Hayden, ¡°Lien.¡±


    Julien paused but did not turn around.


    Hayden stood up, walked closer to Julien, and finally stopped behind her. Leaning towards her ear, he


    said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what happened the night you got


    drunk.¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    Chapter 266


    Julien was always on guard, especially against Hayden bringing up the past, but she never expected


    him to do it so tantly and directly.


    Thanks to her good memory, even though her actions when drunk were unpredictable, she could


    always recall every detail the next day.


    So, she remembered that night very clearly.


    ¡°First, I don¡¯t remember. Second, I won¡¯t believe a word you say. So, there¡¯s no need for discussion.¡±


    She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.


    Julien was not short, but Hayden towered over her. Being pulled back like this, his chest was pressed


    against her ear.


    His cool lips brushed against her ear, ¡°I didn¡¯t n on discussing with you.¡±


    ¡°Then let go!¡± She tried to pull away from his grasp, but her efforts were in vain.


    ¡°Howe you haven¡¯t learned after all these years?¡± His maic voice seemed to bewitch her.


    If he didn¡¯t let go, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. She¡¯d learned that lesson long ago.


    ¡°So when do you n on letting go?¡± She maintained her position, not resisting, trying her best not to


    get used to such close contact.


    Instead of answering her question, he bluntly asked, ¡°What does it feel like now?¡±


    ¡°No feeling.¡± She replied coldly.


    ¡°And now?¡± His hand moved from her waist to her buttocks.


    She was wearing tight jeans today, which entuated her curves. When his hand covered her


    backside, Julien froze.


    ¡°What do you n on doing next?¡± She asked, her voice strained.


    ¡°Still no feeling?¡± His seductive voice whispered into her ear, ¡°That¡¯s how you teased me that night.¡±


    ¡°Have I gone mad?¡± She said ufortably. She was a skilled liar, but only she knew how hollow her


    words were.


    Julien¡¯s hair had grown to shoulder-length. Hisrge hand brushed her hair off her shoulder, revealing


    her smooth neck. Suddenly, he bent down and pressed his lips against her neck.


    Her cool neck, his warm lips.


    Julien involuntarily stiffened, trying to push him away, but knowing that if she moved, she would fall into


    his trap. So she remained motionless, asking him coldly, ¡°Do you want me to sleep with you?¡±


    Finally, he let go of her neck and asked, ¡°Still no feeling?¡±


    Julien breathed a sigh of relief, her breathing bing much smoother. So, she responded defiantly,


    ¡°None!¡±


    ¡°Then it seems I have a problem with self-control.¡±


    Julien was speechless.


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    ¡°That night, I felt very passionate,¡± He continued, ¡°but you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    Julien was still silent.


    ¡°Go check on Zenith. When I remember how to punish you, I¡¯ll settle the score with you.¡± He let her go,


    a smile on his lips.


    As Julien walked out, she felt a sting on her recently kissed neck, as if bees were stinging her. She


    irritably rubbed her neck.


    Raines happened to pass by and saw Julien¡¯s action. In his eyes, this femme fatale was usually as


    mechanical as a robot. But now, with her irritated movements, she seemed like a young girl, which he


    found somewhat cute.


    He must be going mad!


    As Raines was lost in thought, Hayden¡¯s voice came from the study, ¡°Looking for trouble?¡±


    Raines quickly averted his gaze, staring at Hayden. From his perspective, he couldn¡¯t see Julien¡¯s


    expression or movements. Could he have x-ray vision?


    He saw Hayden sitting in the chair, meaningfully touching his lips. He seemed to understand why Julien


    was rubbing her neck¡­.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the information I asked you to look up?¡± Hayden asked coldly.


    Raines quickly handed a file to Hayden, saying, ¡°Here are all the details about Ms. Sanches¡¯s life, from


    her birth to her adoption by the Sanches family.¡±


    Hayden gestured for Raines to leave.


    After reading through the information, he dialed Adeline¡¯s number, ¡°Do you have time, Ms. Sanches?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Adeline¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Hayden could vaguely hear Elliot¡¯s voice on the other end: ¡°Adeline, are you cooking or burning down


    the kitchen? What¡¯s this ck mess?¡±


    ¡°ck pepper fried potatoes. It may not look good, but it might taste alright. Wanna try?¡± Adeline


    sounded uncertain.


    Elliot skeptically looked at the unidentified object. Finally, under Adeline¡¯s sincere gaze, he reached out.


    Adeline quickly grabbed Elliot¡¯s wrist, asking, ¡°You have good insurance, right?¡±


    Hearing it, Elliot put down his fork and seriously asked Adeline, ¡°What good would it do you to kill me?¡±


    Adelineughed carelessly, replying, ¡°The benefit is that it would give me the confidence to find a better


    crush in the future.¡±


    Ignoring Elliot¡¯s reaction, Adeline remembered her phone call, asking again, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Hayden.¡±


    Adeline pulled the phone from her ear, checked the caller, then put it back to her ear, her tone much


    more respectful, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    This man left a deep impression on her at thest gathering as an aloof man. Thest time Ivan had a


    birthday party, she and Hayden talked twice. Once in the hall where she mistook Julien as his girlfriend,


    and another time at the barbecue, where she found he had a lot of insight about grilling.


    How long had it been since she¡¯d heard from him? This sudden contact startled Adeline.


    After a moment of silence, Hayden said to her, ¡°I can teach you to make fries, are you interested?¡±


    Adeline nced at the burnt potatoes in front of her and said awkwardly to Hayden on the phone, ¡°I


    think I mightck a knack for cooking, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t force it.¡±


    ¡°Meet me at Starlit Skies Manor tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡± With that,


    Hayden hung up.


    Adeline was still trying to process this when she heard Elliot¡¯s voice, ¡°Dr. Brice?¡±


    Adeline looked at Elliot, not really thinking about his question, and replied offhandedly, ¡°I have many


    suitors, didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°So who was that on the phone? Do you know his background? What does he look like? The most


    important thing is his character, if he has a bad one, you should avoid him. You already have a poor


    character. If you find someone with the same bad character, your genes can¡¯t mix. It would ruin the next


    generation.¡± Elliot looked at Adeline with a face that said ¡®I¡¯m your brother, I¡¯m looking out for you.¡¯


    Adeline picked up the te of burnt fries and tossed them into the dishwasher. Turning to Elliot she


    asked, ¡°Are you homeless or something? Eating my food, living in my house, sleeping in my bed, and


    not paying a dime?¡±


    Elliot stood up, took out a debit card from his wallet, and stuffed it into Adeline¡¯s hand, ¡°For rent,


    utilities, and bed space. Use the rest however you want.¡±


    After stretching, he added, ¡°Whenever you decide to go home and outsmart Victoria, I¡¯ll take you back.


    You¡¯re trying to leave before we¡¯ve reimed thepany in Britain. Wishful thinking.¡±


    Adeline aimed a kick at Elliot but he dodged it easily due to their years of familiarity. Then he retreated


    to his room, closing the door behind him.


    Holding the debit card, Adeline felt a rise of independence. Was Elliot indirectly supporting her? She


    was a self-reliant woman, did she need his charity?


    She stormed into his room with the debit card and yelled, ¡°Take your card and get o¡­What are you


    doing?!¡±


    Elliot had been changing his pants to prepare for a shower. Adeline quickly turned her back to him, her


    face burning with embarrassment.


    Elliot calmly pulled on his grey sweatpants and chuckled, ¡°We used to share a bath as kids, now you¡¯re


    embarrassed? I¡¯m your brother, let¡¯s say I¡¯m the one at a disadvantage here.¡±


    Adeline retorted without turning around, ¡°The only reason I turned around was to spare your feelings.


    Since childhood, you¡¯ve never grown anywhere but height. You should be the embarrassed one.¡±


    ¡°Adeline, repeat what you just said,¡± Elliotmanded, now in his sweatpants and standing in front of


    her.


    Once again, Adeline turned her back to him, ¡°I said you¡¯ve never grown anywhere but height. You


    should be ashamed of yourself! Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±


    ¡°Say it a hundred more times.


    Adeline pushed past him, ¡°Get out, I have to call Juliebelle back!¡±


    She pulled out her phone and dialed Julie¡¯s number as she returned to her room, ¡°Juliebelle, have you


    been in contact with Dr. Brice recently?¡±


    Julie seemed surprised that Adeline would bring up Dr. Brice, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I had a disagreement with Dr. Brice¡¯s motherst time. I¡¯m afraid it might be difficult for him to exin


    when he goes home. I also feel it¡¯s inappropriate to ask him directly, so I¡¯m asking you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask him for you and call you back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him it was me who asked.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up with Adeline, Julie was about to dial Dr. Brice¡¯s number when he was calling her


    instead. As she answered the phone, she heard Dr. Brice ask, ¡°Julie, have you heard of someone


    named Zenith?¡±


    ¡°Zenith?¡± As soon as she heard the name, Lucian¡¯s face came to mind.


    Dr. Brice looked at the man in the hospital room talking with Professor Fred and frowned, ¡°Zenith is in


    Sansa¡¯s hospital room with Professor Fred.¡±

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    Chapter 267


    Mr. Nestor had mentioned that he had found the information on Lucian¡¯s treatment, so Kieran was off to


    meet Mr. Nestor.


    After some hesitation, Julie finally decided to pay a visit to the hospital without letting Amanda know.


    She rushed off, only to hear from Dr. Brice; ¡°Fred just left with Zenith.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Julie asked,


    Dr. Brice shook his head, a helpless look crossing his face, ¡°They exchanged a few pleasantries, after


    which Fred invited Zenith for a meal, and they left.¡±


    At the restaurant.


    Fred was still finding it hard to believe that he was sitting opposite Zenith. Zenith ordered a steak and


    spaghetti, Fred¡¯s favorite dish.


    ¡°Mr. Moore, have you been in Whispering Pines all these years?¡± Although Fred seemed older, he


    addressed Zenith with immense respect. Unlike what Harding¡¯s investigations suggested, Zenith hardly


    seemed like Fred¡¯s student. Instead, it seemed as if Zenith was the teacher.


    Zenith looked up at Fred, ¡°I had a reason to return. But why are you in Whispering Pines treating


    patients?¡±


    Fred frowned, falling silent. His aged eyes carried an indescribable look.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Zenith asked.


    After a long pause, Fred finally spoke, ¡°Emily has been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Was someone forcing you on the treatment that patient?¡± Zenith paused from pouring the wine, his


    gaze falling on Fred.


    Fred sighed and decided to tell Zenith everything. He trusted Zenith.


    He held Zenith¡¯s hand, his voice shaky, ¡°Everyone says you¡¯re my prized student, but they don¡¯t know


    that it was thanks to you that my thesis was published. If it wasn¡¯t for that thesis, I wouldn¡¯t be where I


    am today. Because of my greed for fame and fortune, I neglected Emily when she was young. Now, the


    same greed has led to her being kidnapped. I trust you, Mr. Moore, and now, you¡¯re the only one who


    will listen to me.¡±


    Fred continued, ¡°The patient is rted to Mr. Hernandez. She¡¯s his wife¡¯s sister. Mr. Hernandez is


    desperate for her to wake up. But they want me to ensure she never wakes up. I may not be a


    murderer, but this is very close. However, with Emily in their hands, I have no choice but to follow their


    instructions¡­ I have done many things regret in my life, it seems God is not giving me a chance for


    redemption.¡±


    Thelped you seed, and you helped me hide. It was a deal, not a favor.¡± Zenith looked at Fred, his


    gaze steady, ¡°I want you to use all your knowledge to wake the patient.¡±


    Fred was shocked, puzzled. Why would Mr. Moore, who has no connection to the patient, involve


    himself in this?


    Knowing what Fred must be thinking, Zenith said, ¡°I will bring Emily back.¡±


    Fred believed in Zenith, even though his words seemed bragging. Fred looked at him gratefully and


    said, ¡°I know Mr. Moore¡¯s capabilities, but I fear you may be putting yourself in danger.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who took Emily?¡± Zenith asked.


    Fred sighed heavily, even if he told Mr. Moore, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. But to


    prevent Mr. Moore from acting rashly, he finally said, ¡°The founder of S&J International Law Firm¡­¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will bring her back from Kyle.¡± Zenith interrupted Fred, ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    Fred trusted Zenith, but he didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Is this patient really worth you risking so much? After all,


    S&J is a formidable force, it will be tough to get someone back from the founder of S&J.¡±.


    ¡°I survived a fall from the heavens, why would I fear climbing to the heavens?¡± Zenith looked at Fred, a


    smirk appeared on his face.


    After dinner, Zenith dropped Fred at the hospital entrance, where he bumped into Julie. He didn¡¯t


    expect Julie to be waiting for him for two hours just to confront him.


    As soon as Fred left, Julie blocked Zenith¡¯s path.


    ¡°Mrs. Hernandez scems interested in me?¡± Since Julie had blocked his path, Zenith stopped.


    ¡°Hmm. Does Mr. Moore have another date today?¡± Julie asked.


    Zenith smiled, neither confirming nor denying.


    Julie pointed to a cafe across the hospital, ¡°Would Mr. Moore mind having a cup of coffee?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Zenith made a polite gesture, ¡°It would be my honor to have coffee with Mrs. Hernandez.¡±


    Julie was surprised how easy it was to get Zenith to agree.


    Once they were seated in the cafe, Julie said apologetically, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Moore. I have to use the


    restroom. Could I trouble you for a moment?¡±


    Zenith nodded.


    Julie disappeared around the corner, taking a while before she returned and resumed her seat opposite


    Zenith.


    Before Julie could even initiate a conversation, Zenith took the lead, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your sister¡¯s


    condition from the professor. You¡¯re overestimating me if you think he¡¯d share all his knowledge with


    me.¡±


    ¡°So, Mr. Moore, you knew we were searching for you at the golf course because of my sister?¡± Julie


    retorted.


    Zenith, rxed in his seat, responded, ¡°With Mr. Hernandez¡¯s abilities, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to uncover


    my connection with the professor.¡±


    ¡°Did youe to the hospital today to see my sister¡¯s condition?¡± Julie asked.


    Zenith responded, ¡°You might say that. But Ms. Abraham, you know I¡¯m just Fred¡¯s student, and since


    Fred is treating your sister, why go through all this effort to find me,?¡±


    The dialogue revolved around these questions and responses.


    Zenith¡¯s question cut straight to the point. His confident demeanor reminded Julie of Kieran, making her


    once again ovey the faces of Zenith and Lucian.


    Seeing Julie not replying, Zenith¡¯s attractive fingers drummed on the table, ¡°Let¡¯s be clear, I am now a


    businessman, primarily responsible for crisis management in major corporations, not apetent


    doctor. My job is to rescue big businesses, not patients. So, if you¡¯re approaching me for this, please


    tell Mr. Hernandez not to waste his time.¡±


    He took a sip of his coffee before standing up, putting on his coat, and giving Julie a polite smile,


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Julie sat in her ce, watching Zenith leave, then suddenly called out, ¡°Lucian!¡±


    Zenith didn¡¯t pause, as if the name had no rtion to him, and left the caf¨¦ without looking back.


    Julie sat there for a long time,paring the Lucian in her memory with the cold man who just left.


    Lucian was warm, kind to Kieran, whom he raised like a father. He was the one who saved Kieran¡¯s life


    from their mother and supported the entire Hernandez corporation, allowing Kieran to enjoy a worry-


    free youth. Julie felt that Lucian, in her memory, was like a big tree, providing shelter.


    Though he was always in a wheelchair, Julie felt that he was a man filled with hope and ambition,


    someone you¡¯d willingly bow to.


    This warmth had deeply entered her heart. Zenith, on the other hand, was cold, arrogant, and distant.


    Despite having the same face and voice as Lucian, he kept people at arm¡¯s length.


    These two contrasting feelings confused Julie.


    Until Kieran parked the car in front of the caf¨¦.


    He appeared in her line of sight, finally taking a seat opposite her, where Zenith had been sitting.


    She pointed toward the entrance, ¡°Zenith just left from there. Do you think there can be two people who


    look exactly the same in this world?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nestor said that patients with lower limb paralysis caused by traumatic nerve damage can


    significantly reduce or alleviate seque through regr rehabilitation training. Due to the sticity of


    the central nervous system, there is the possibility of functional reconstruction during the recovery


    process after brain injury. But, considering Lucian¡¯s treatment results, the probability of him standing


    up¡­ is minimal,¡± Kieran replied, holding Julie¡¯s hand.


    Julie frowned, but looked at him with hope, ¡°But it¡¯s possible, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he whispered, not knowing whether he wasforting Julie or himself.


    Julie took a tissue, lifted her coffee cup, poured the remaining coffee into another cup, and carefully


    handed the cup to Kieran, ¡°Before I had coffee with Zenith, I went to the restroom and asked the barista


    to ensure only Zenith¡¯s fingerprints were on the cup. Lucian¡¯s fingerprints should be in the database,


    right? If Zenith¡¯s and Lucian¡¯s fingerprints match, then¡­¡±


    **Side Story**


    The reporter asked, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, what are your thoughts on Mrs. Hernandez collecting Mr. Moore¡¯s


    fingerprints?¡±


    Mr. Hernandez replied, ¡°Meeting Mrs, Hernandez is the luckiest thing in my life. Marrying her is a


    blessing from eight lifetimes of good karma. My future happiness is in her hands, as is the happiness of


    my lower half. I must love her more tomorrow than I do today.¡±


    The reporter continued, ¡°Can you summarize your thoughts, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    Mr. Hernandez, replied, ¡°Cherish every day and never stray.¡±


    The reporter was speechless.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Chapter 268


    ?


    Technically, Julie had done a smart thing. So, when Julie and Kieran presented the cup to Payne


    Hernandez, even Payne couldn¡¯t help but praise Julie, ¡°I apologize, dear sister-inw I swear, we


    common folks could never match your cleverness.¡±


    Julie gave him a crooked smile, ¡°Better not apologize, it would make it awkward for me to tease you in


    the future,¡±


    Payne was speechless.


    For Payne, fingerprintparison was a simple task, so Kieran and Julie sat nearby waiting for the


    results.


    Payne¡¯s study was grand and technologically advanced, filled with high-tech equipment and arge


    collection of gaming devices. The only outliers in the room were¡­ the w machine and whack-a-mole


    game near the corner.


    Julie¡¯s gaze hadnded on those two machines, seemingly very interested.


    Kieran moved closer, whispering in her ear, ¡°He had the happiest childhood.¡±


    Payne¡¯s parents were loving, and he was the only child. After his birth, his mother was diagnosed with


    ovarian cysts, and both of her fallopian tubes were removed. Yet, Payne¡¯s father didn¡¯t love his wife any


    less for it.


    His family was harmonious, and ording to Payne himself, his mother was the most cherished


    person in his family, while he was the least favored. His home was unlike those of the aristocrats, free


    of conflicts and disputes.


    Julie pointed at the w machine, asking Kieran, ¡°Is Payne still interested in this?¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± Payne looked at Julie, ¡°Do I look like the kind of guy who would y with a w machine?¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Payne¡¯s self-description. She asked, ¡°Then how did this machine end


    up here?¡±


    ¡°My mom always wanted a little princess. When she was pregnant with me, she thought I was a girl


    because I was so quiet in her womb. She spotted a w machine on the street and tried to win a


    Hellokitty for me, but she failed. My father couldn¡¯t bear to see her disappointed, so he bought the


    machine for her to y at home. I grew up watching my parents¡¯ sweet moments, believe it or not.¡±


    Julie believed him, given his pitiful expression.


    Kieran moved closer to Julie again, whispering, ¡°After his birth, his mother wished she could shove him


    right back in her womb. During his middle school years, his mother asked him why he was so quiet in


    her womb despite being a boy. Do you know what he said?¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Julie was curious about others¡¯ stories.


    Payne turned his head and proudly said, ¡°Guess.¡±


    Kieran didn¡¯t let Julie guess, but directly said, ¡°He said it was because he didn¡¯t know his mother had


    bought a box of Hello Kitty for him.¡±


    Kieran nced at the box of Hello Kitty in the machine, and Julie burst intoughter. No wonder Payne


    always imed to be a man¡¯s man ¨C he must have been traumatized in his childhood.


    The boisterousughter had already provoked Payne¡¯s displeasure. He turned his head and red at


    Julie. Julie surrendered and gave Payne a smile before walking towards the w machine with Kieran.


    ¡°Do you have a coin?¡± she asked.


    Kieran pointed to a tray next to them, filled with coins. Julie excitedly put a coin into the machine and


    grabbed the joystick, but she failed as expected.


    ¡°Do you know how to y?¡± she asked him.


    His reply was straightforward, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I used to think that men who could win at this game were as cool as those who could shoot. No,


    they¡¯re even cooler because they¡¯re more thoughtful.¡± She put another coin into the machine.


    ¡°Do you want one?¡± Kieran moved behind her and asked softly in her ear.


    Julie blushed a little and nodded.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the key?¡± Kieran turned to ask Payne.


    Julie was speechless.


    ¡®Mr. Hernandez, can¡¯t you be a bit more romantic?¡± Julie gave him a wry smit


    Kieran pointed at the toys in the machine and innocently asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it romantic to unlock the machine


    and let you pick any-toy you want?¡±


    Julie gave him a pitiful look and said, ¡°No, Mr. Hernandez, that¡¯s just showing off your wealth.¡±


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re calling my dad rich.¡± Payne¡¯s voice came from the side.


    Kieran turned and red at Payne, who promptly fell silent.


    Julie put another coin in the machine and grabbed the joystick. As soon as her hand touched the


    joystick, a warm hand suddenly covered hers. She turned to look at Kieran in surprise, only to find him


    bending down to kiss her forehead. She stared at him, innocent and adorable like a little deer.


    ¡°Is this romantic enough for you?¡± His voice was low and deep, like a cello¡¯s resonance.


    She turned back to the w machine, her face feeling hot


    The w was ready, but Julie hadn¡¯t pressed the release button, so it automatically descended and


    came up empty¡­


    :


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not ying anymore.¡± Julie gently pushed Kieran¡¯s arm, indicating that she was ready to


    give up, but he said to her, ¡°If you set your mind on something, you should never give up easily.¡±


    With that, he put another coin into the machine.


    He held her hand, guiding her movements. But after several attempts, they still hadn¡¯t won.


    Julie tumed to Payne, trying to suppress herughter, ¡°Payne, just hand over the keys! Your cousin has


    gone mad.¡±


    She earnestly told Kieran, ¡°Honey, it¡¯s not really a necessity, you know?¡±


    ¡°Which one you want?¡± The man asked confidently, his gaze steady on her.


    Julie looked at the box, filled with identical toys. And Mr. Hernandez was asking her to choose one? It


    seemed that Mr. Hernandez might be a little too enthusiastic about the w machine.


    Julie randomly pointed at one and said, ¡°This one!¡±


    The man suddenly leaned in, his face close to her lips, saying, ¡°A kiss for luck.¡±


    Unembarrassed, Julieughed and said to Kieran, ¡°You¡¯re luckier. It¡¯d be more effective if you kissed


    your own lips.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Give me a kiss.¡± He leaned in closer.


    But she yfully patted his face away. Mr. Hernandez pursed his lips then reached for the joystick.


    Once again, he came up empty-handed.


    Julie gently grabbed Mr. Hernandez¡¯s arm and turned her innocent gaze towards him, ¡°Mr. Hernandez,


    let¡¯s call it a day. Sometimes, you can¡¯t always get what you


    want.¡±


    ¡°Onest time, a lucky kiss.¡± He pointed at his face, ¡°Onest try.¡±


    Julie, unable to help butugh, turned to Payne, seemingly asking him with her eyes if the fingerprint


    comparison was done. Being the dedicated single friend that Payne was, he had to pretend he didn¡¯t


    see anything.


    She turned back and gave the man a quick peck on the theek.


    Mr. Hernandez seemed satisfied, holding her hand and pulling her close to his chest. He maneuvered


    the joystick with her hand. Julie, having lost all hope in the w machine, was amused by Mr.


    Hernandez¡¯s childlike enthusiasm. She let him guide her hand and turned to watch him, his expression


    full of determination.


    Just as Julie was about to turn away, he bent down and pulled out the toy he had sessfully grabbed.


    Julie, surprised and delighted, took the Hello Kitty plush from his hand. Her eyes sparkled like stars,


    completely taken aback by his sess.


    ¡°Whatever you want, I can give. It¡¯s all yours.¡± He said, holding her close by the waist.


    Julie held the toy tightly, looking up at him with affectionate eyes.


    From a young age, she always sought hispany as it made her feel safe. As she grew older, she


    liked him because he was a great man, perfectly fitting her dream of an ideal partner. She had always


    wanted to be by his side, never once imagining their hearts would align so perfectly.


    As Kieran and Julie were lost in their affectionate gazes, Payne frowned from afar and suddenly


    eximed, ¡°Damn it, Zenith! The cunning man didn¡¯t leave a single fingerprint!¡±


    ¡°Impossible! Julie let go of Kieran¡¯s hand, rushed over to Payne, pointing at a coffee cup, ¡°He was


    holding it right here, there has to be a fingerprint.¡±


    ¡°Was he wearing gloves?¡± Payne asked.


    Julie shook her head.


    Payne turned to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, do you know what it means when someone leaves no trace, not even a


    fingerprint?¡±


    ¡°It means Zenith is cautious.¡± Kieran replied with a meaningful look in his eyes, ¡°In Quad Dn¡¯s words,


    a person who is always cautious either has paranoia or a secret he can¡¯t reveal.¡±


    ¡°Well, sister-inw, what do you think? Is Zenith a paranoid man or a man with a secret? I personally


    lean towards thetter.¡± Payne propped his hands on the table, asking.


    Julie¡¯s gaze fell on the coffee cup, her expressionplicated, when she received a call from Julien.


    Julien got straight to the point and said, ¡°We¡¯ve checked Zenith¡¯s background, are you free right now?¡±

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    Chapter 269


    At Harmony Hillside Homes.


    When Kieran and Julie arrived, Julien was arranging flowers in the living room.


    It was surprising to see Julien, who usually excelled at martial arts, showing a knack for flower


    arranging. As they entered, they saw Hayden sitting on the couch across from Julien.


    ¡°The origin of flower arranging art lies in people¡¯s love for flowers, expressing a kind of artistic


    conception through still life to experience the reality and brilliance of life. Now look at what you¡¯ve


    arranged,¡± Hayden pointed at the pot of flowers arranged by Julien, his tone icy.


    Upon entering, Julie saw a chaotic, cluttered mess. It was less flower arranging and more like shoving


    stems haphazardly into a pot. It was not a pleasant sight.


    The arranger Julien, however, looked impatient at Hayden, ¡°You asked me to arrange flowers, so I did.


    If you¡¯re not satisfied now, I can remove them.¡±


    With that, she reached out to pull out the flowers.


    But Hayden stopped her, grabbing her wrist, ¡°So you think you¡¯re so great now, huh?¡±


    ¡°I am your pawn. You can throw me away, let alone scold me.¡± She pulled her wrist from his grasp, then


    noticed Julie and Kieran.


    She turned to grab some documents to hand to Julie, ¡°This is all the information on Zenith. In short,


    Zenith is clean, hardworking, ambitious, a graduate of a prestigious university, with no bad records, no


    stains on his life, and no suspicious activities.¡±


    :


    Julie opened the file and began to review it with Kieran.


    Zenith was born and raised in Sycamore Vige. He attended elementary and middle school there,


    then went to the renowned Whispering Pines High School for high school. Later, with a full schrship,


    he was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Medical University. He met Fred during a lecture at the medical


    school, followed him to Veridia to develop his career, and became Fred¡¯s proud disciple.


    It was said that Fred and Zenith had a dispute over a paper on awakening vegetative patients. Rumors


    circted that Professor Fred giarized Zenith¡¯s theory, but Zenith, unable to fight back, was


    cklisted by Fred. However, Zenith had personally epted a written interview with a newspaper,


    rifying that he had unterally decided to give up being a doctor.


    Later, with Fred¡¯s financial support, Zenith established Zenith Group, which specialized in crisis


    management forpanies. Then, as everyone knows, the team under Zenith Group became the gold


    medal team, and Zenith, who had never been seen, became the chairman.behind Zenith Group.


    His background was impably clean, indeed, they could not find any ws.


    But Julien said, ¡°The more wless the lie, the harder it is to expose, but it also raises more suspicion.¡±


    Hayden stood up and said to Kieran, ¡°Zenith¡¯s parents died when he went to university, leaving only a


    blind grandmother at home.¡±


    ¡°If you think Zenith is suspicious, I¡¯ll go to Sycamore Vige tomorrow,¡± Julien said.


    But Kieran spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go there myself.¡±


    Sycamore Vige is a tourist attraction. Known for its flower culture, every year tens of thousands of


    people visit Sycamore Vige to admire the flowers.


    The White Magnolias of spring, Tulips of summer, Hibiscus of fall, and Cherry Blossom Grass of winter.


    Each season has its unique beauty. Julie had heard of it, but never visited. From Whispering Pines to


    Sycamore Vige, it¡¯s only about a two-hour drive on the highway.


    Considering all that had happened, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to take Ivan out for a while. Missing out on


    the spring and autumn outings, taking him to Sycamore Vige to enjoy some family time seemed like


    a good idea.


    When lyan found out his parents were taking him to Sycamore Vige for a vacation, his aloof persona


    instantly crumbled. Excitedly, he grabbed Julie and asked, ¡°Mom, this is the first time I¡¯m going on


    vacation with you, are you excited?¡±


    Holding Ivan¡¯s chubby little hand, Julie smiled and nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Kerry is finally being considerate. He knows to take time to apany his son.¡± Ivan said, posing as a


    mature little man.


    Kieran came over and put his arm around Julie¡¯s shoulder, smiling at his son, ¡°I¡¯m apanying your


    mother, not responsible for apanying you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only apanying Mom, not Dad, hmph!¡±


    In terms of learning ability, Julie was amazed at her son.


    Amanda was still worried about Julie and Kieran going out at this time, probably because of the


    recording pen she had received earlier.


    She repeatedly told Kieran, ¡°Come back as soon as you can, so the child won¡¯t feel ufortable in


    the unfamiliar environment


    ¡°Grandma, our son needs to be raised tough.¡± Kieran said with a smile.


    Julie and Kieran were in sync, not mentioning Zenith in front of Amanda. He ruffled Ivan¡¯s hair, ¡°Go


    pack your things, we¡¯ll leave soon.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ivan happily ran into his bedroom.


    Amanda sat on the couch, and Julie turned to Kieran, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some snacks in case Ivan gets


    hungry on the road.¡±


    The little Ivan came home from school and they told him the good news, so they had plenty of time to


    leave for Sycamore Vige today.


    Kieran pulled Julie back, ¡°Shannon has already prepared everything.¡±


    ¡°Come sit with me, Joyce, Amanda gestured, patting the spot next to her on the couch, turning to Julie.


    Julie looked somewhat taken aback as she noted the ring on Amanda¡¯s hand, a wless green


    emerald, perfectlyplementing the elderly woman¡¯s slender fingers. Amanda had a fairplexion,


    transparent nails meticulously trimmed, yet very simple.


    Even a simple gesture like tapping the couch was done with elegance.


    Julie moved to sit next to the elderly woman.


    ¡°Grandma, she called out sweetly.


    Kieran also moved to sit next to Julie, close enough as if he was afraid Amanda would trouble his wife


    again.


    ¡°Are you guarding her because I¡¯m asking how does Joyce¡¯s training going?¡± Amanda shot her


    grandson a reproving look.


    Kieran answered for Julie, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask about Bolt, grandma?¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you to speak?¡± Amanda gave Kieran a disdainful look before turning back to Julie, ¡°Learning


    is useless if you can¡¯t put it into practice. Wherever you go, you must protect yourself before you can


    protect those you love, understand?¡±


    Julie nodded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Grandma,¡± Kieran suddenly interrupted their conversation, asking Amanda, ¡°You were


    there when my elder brother was born, right?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?¡± The topic made Amanda¡¯s expression grave. Her only


    son was killed by his own wife. After that, with Amanda¡¯s husband gone, only the two grandsons


    remained. It was utterly unexpected that the eldest grandson would die in an air crash.


    Now knowing Lucian was alive but refusing to acknowledge her, mentioning Lucian made Amanda¡¯s


    face harden.


    Kieran asked Amanda, ¡°Do you remember any distinct birthmarks on my elder brother?¡±


    ¡°He has three moles on his lower back. I used to hear that having moles on the lower back meant


    sweetness, indicating a happy and fulfilling life. If it was a girl, it meant attracting the love of a husband,


    if it was a boy, it meant attracting the care of a wife. But your brother¡­ he never got a taste of


    happiness due to your mother.¡±


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    ¡°Are those three moles close together?¡± Kieran didn¡¯t want to discuss this somewhat sad topic, so he


    interrupted Amanda.


    Amanda had Basil fetch Lucian¡¯s baby photos, then handed one to Kieran, pointing at the bare bottom


    in the picture, ¡°Right there.¡±


    Julie leaned in curiously, wanting to see the legendary three moles, but Kieran covered her eyes with


    his hand, pressing her head against his chest.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Julie found it difficult to breathe with her head buried in his chest.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take advantage of my brother,¡± he replied in a righteous tone.


    Amanda, serious in most asions,ughed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Joyce seeing it?¡±


    ¡°I thought grandma was on my side! So you¡¯re supporting my wife now?¡± Kieran said in a tone


    suggesting he felt hard done by.


    ¡°You disobedient children, none of you are in my good books,¡± Amanda retorted.


    Kieran looked at the picture, pointing at the pink birthmark on the lower back, ¡°Was this always there?¡±


    Amanda looked andughed, ¡°I¡¯m getting old. My memory isn¡¯t what it used to be. I remember the three


    moles but forgot about this birthmark. Look at the shape of this birthmark, doesn¡¯t it look like a cloud?¡±


    While Kieran was distracted, Julie wriggled out from his chest, looked at the picture and innocently


    said, ¡°I think it looks like cotton candy.¡±


    ¡°All you know is eating.¡± Kieran affectionately flicked her forehead.


    Ivan, with his ck backpack, descended the stairs, excitedly addressing Julie and Kieran, ¡°I¡¯m ready,


    let¡¯s go! Bye, great grandma!¡±


    His enthusiasm was apparent. He hadn¡¯t even stepped out of the room yet, but was already saying


    goodbye. Kieran picked him up and Julie stood, bowing to Amanda, ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±


    Kieran carried Ivan, with Julie by his side, and they all headed towards the door.


    Ivan, casually hooked around his father¡¯s neck, seriously said to Kieran, ¡°You adults always think we¡¯ll


    never grow up, so you treat me like a toddler. But I¡¯m old enough to walk on my own now¡­¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°Is the next line going to be that in a few years, you¡¯ll be ready to marry the girl you like?¡± Kieran stared


    at his son.


    Ivan thought about it seriously before seriously replying, ¡°The legal age is too high, But that¡¯s okay, I


    can pursue the girl I like. After all, that¡¯s how you pursued my mom, right?¡±


    ¡°Your mom pursued me,¡± Kieran said coyly. Julie, ever the gracious one, decided not to argue with him,


    after all, he was telling the truth!


    The little guy looked shocked, covering his mouth, ¡°Then why does Dad have photos of Mom when she


    was little? It¡¯s clear you had a crush on her!¡±


    Julie was surprised.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270


    Chapter 270


    ¡°You have pictures of me as a child?¡± Julie, seated in the passenger seat, pondered for a while before


    deciding to clear up this matter, driven by her unshakeable curiosity. ¡°Which picture of me did you


    keep?¡±


    ¡°Your son is spouting nonsense!¡± Kieran, with his hands firmly on the steering wheel, responded


    sternly.


    Their traitorous son, sitting in the back seat, leaned forward to whisper into Julie¡¯s ear, ¡°Mom, I swear


    I¡¯m not lying. The picture is in Kerry¡¯s wallet. Check it out if you


    don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Julie asked.


    Ivan firmly replied, ¡°Really.¡±


    Kieran said, ¡°No.¡±


    Ultimately, Julie chose to trust her son. She asked Kieran, ¡°Where¡¯s your wallet?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in Kerry¡¯s pocket.¡± The little turncoat pointed at the bulge in Kieran¡¯s pocket.


    Just as Kieran was about to start the car, his foot already on the elerator, he quickly covered his


    pocket, a clear giveaway of Ivan¡¯s statement. It was the most tant act of guilt Mr. Hemandez had


    ever disyed.


    This practically confirmed Julie¡¯s suspicion that Kieran¡¯s wallet, and the picture within, were indeed in


    his pocket.


    ¡°Let go.¡± Julie sternly grabbed his hand, her gaze unwavering as she stared into his deep eyes, intent


    on overpowering him with her gaze.


    Ivan in the back seat wasughing heartily. Kieran turned to re at his son, calling him a ¡°traitor.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ivan was unfazed by the usation. Instead, he pointed at his father¡¯s pocket, his gazeforting.


    ¡°Kerry, don¡¯t worry. Mom won¡¯t divorce you over this, just let her take a look!¡±


    Kieran shot Ivan a nce. Ivan immediately backed down.


    He gently patted Julie¡¯s shoulder, meekly suggesting, ¡°Mom, our teacher said everyone has privacy


    and we should respect that. If Kerry doesn¡¯t want to show you, then you shouldn¡¯t insist.¡±


    Mr. Hernandez felt relief. Finally, his son¡¯was showing some resemnce to himself.


    But just as Mr. Hernandez was embracing this sentiment¡­


    ¡°I took a picture with my phone anyway. I¡¯ll send it to you!¡± With that, Ivan quickly pulled out his phone,


    efficiently navigated to Julie¡¯s contact in his messaging app, and sent her the cherished picture.


    As he did this, he said, ¡°I thought I was Kerry¡¯s only son and kept my childhood picture in his wallet all


    the time. But the photo was yours! I might not be his biological son.¡±


    Julie pulled out her phone to receive the message. Kieran swiftly reached over to stop her, but she


    skillfully turned away from him and opened the message. Kieran, restricted by the seatbelt, tried to


    unbuckle it, but the quick-witted woman had already received the picture.


    And then¡­ silence engulfed the space. Kieran leaned on Julie¡¯s back, staring nkly at the picture on


    her phone.


    It was a set of artistic photos of Julie at three months old. The image quality was bad, yet incredibly


    adorable. She was dressed in a red halter top and matching shorts, sitting in a wooden tub against a


    ck background. Her beautiful eyes were squinted inughter, her tummy squeezed by the small top,


    looking like three rubber rings stacked on top of each other.


    Her pose in the tub was reminiscent of an angel.


    Upon seeing the picture, Julie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. After about half a minute of silence, she turned


    to Kieran, pointing at the picture. ¡°How did you get this picture?¡±


    Seeing Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s expression, it was clear that a storm was brewing. Mr. Hernandez nervously


    retracted his neck, responding, ¡°Your sister gave it to me as a wedding gift when we got our marriage


    certificate.¡±


    Julie extended her hand, ¡°Give me the wallet!¡±


    Kieran shook his head, refusing. He quickly buckled up and started the car.


    Julie tried to grab the wallet, but he sternly warned, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t. Our son is in the carl If you touch


    ¡°Then pull over!¡± Julie sat back in her seat, resigned.


    Ivan leaned against his car seat, grumbling, ¡°If we wait any longer, it¡¯ll be dark.¡±


    I¡¯ll get excited, and if I get excited, I can¡¯t control myself.¡±


    Finally, a sensible suggestion. Kieran reached out and gently stroked Julie¡¯s head. ¡°Good girl, hand it


    over


    That¡¯s more like it! Julie swatted his hand away.


    The two-hour journey was just long enough for Ivan to take a nap. When he woke up, they seaside


    town unlike any other, not reliant on fishing for its livelihood.


    As they entered the town, the distinct scent of earth filled the air


    already at Sycamore Vige. The vige was tranquil at night, a


    The town was like an illustration from a fairy tale, arge iron gate separating it from the asphalt road.


    Entering the rusty gate, a straight road stretched out before them, warmly lit by yellow streetmps.


    On either side of the road were heat fields of flowers, with an oldmp ced at regr intervals.


    Under the hazy moonlight, the scene was dreamlike. Beyond the flower fields was the sea. When Julie


    rolled down the car window, she could faintly hear the gentle crashing of waves, the air carrying a salty


    tang. Ivan¡¯s head peeked out curiously, pointing at the vibrant flower fields, and asked, ¡°What kind of


    flowers are those?¡±


    ¡°Pansies,¡± replied Julie. Seeing Ivan almost halfway out of the car window, she turned to Kieran and


    suggested, ¡°Shall we park and take a walk?¡±


    It was not yette, and many tourists were taking pictures around the flower fields. The streetmps


    cast long, romantic shadows.


    Ivan perked up at the suggestion. Kieran parked the car by the roadside and Ivan immediately


    unbuckled his seatbelt and dashed off. Julie quickly followed, calling out, ¡°Slow down.¡±


    The moment Ivan heard Julie¡¯s voice, he immediately settled down, giggling as he ran back to her side.


    He reached out to grab a hold offter sleeve, looking up at her with a c¨²rious gaze, ¡°Are these purple,


    white, and yellow flowers all called pansies?¡±


    Julie gazed at the flower garden where purple, white, and yellow pansies intermingled beautifully. She


    patted the young boy¡¯s head, ¡°Yes. These are the favorite flowers of your father!¡±


    ¡°Which flower do you like?¡± The boy was curious.


    Julie crouched down, adjusting his coat, ¡°I quite like roses. There was an ancient poet about it. Want to


    hear it?¡±


    The boy nodded eagerly.


    Julie thought for a moment and then began, ¡°In the court, the lilies stand tall and fair, by the pond, the


    lotus blossoms without care¡­ what was the rest?¡±


    ¡°In the beauty of spring, only the roses are the truly beauty, blossoming and dazzling all people.¡± Kieran


    chimed in from behind her, handing her a white scarf.


    Julie wrapped the scarf around Ivan, then joked, ¡°Your dad sure is cultured! And your mom is quite


    impressed!¡±


    The young boy pouted, ¡°I heard on TV that this is called ¡®being lovey-dovey¡±.¡±


    ¡°TV is a mischievous thing,¡± Julie replied, yfully adjusting the boy¡¯s scarf.


    As soon as she stood up, a white mink scarf was wrapped around her neck: The man lowered his


    head, carefully adjusting the scarf for her, then pulled her long


    hair out from under it.


    Caught between the two, Ivan looked up innocently, ¡°The TV also said, this is called being a third


    wheel.¡±


    ¡°Your mom is right, TV is not a good thing.¡± Kieran reached out to turn Ivan¡¯s head towards the flower


    field, ¡°Son, let¡¯s enjoy the flowers!


    Ivan immediately gripped Julie¡¯s sleeve tightly, ¡°My mom is our family flower! She¡¯s far more beautiful


    than these flowers!¡±


    His proud and aloof demeanor melted Julie¡¯s heart.


    Hearing Ivan¡¯s innocent words, Kieran actually nodded in agreement, adding, ¡°Not only is this family


    flower beautiful, but it also smells sweeter than wildflowers.¡±


    Ivan didn¡¯t understand what this meant, but Julie did.


    She smirked at the man and asked, ¡°How do you know wildflowers smell good, have you smelled


    them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a good sense of smell. I can smell them from here.¡± He pointed at the pansies in the field,


    sniffing the air to prove his point.


    Julieughed, ¡°These are delicate flowers, not the wildflowers you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I only know that pansies are native to northern Europe and are amon wildflower species there.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing scarier than a cultured rogue! Julie now understood what that meant.


    ¡°Do you know what the flowernguage of pansies is?¡± He wrapped his arm around Julie¡¯s waist, the


    two of them slowly walking behind Ivan. The little boy was hopping around up ahead, overly excited as


    if he hadn¡¯t been outside in forever..


    Julieughed and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you work part-time at a flower shop when you were in school?¡± The flower shop was named


    Sober Color. Next to Sober Color was a bookstore, both of which had fully transparent ss windows.


    Every Saturday and Sunday, Kieran would go to the bookstore to read and have coffee.


    But Julie wasn¡¯t much of a reader, she felt like she was wasting space whenever she entered a library.


    At that time, she was trying to gain financial independence from her family, so she decided to work at


    Sober Color next door. This way, she could be close to Kieran and even hitch a ride home with him


    after work.


    Remembering the past, Julie pouted her lips, ¡°Sober Color didn¡¯t have pansies.¡±


    ¡°What flowers did Sober Color have the most?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Red roses, and their flowernguage represents steadfast love.¡± Julie answered without hesitation.


    ¡°What was behind the red roses?¡± He asked.


    Julie paused. Back then, behind the red roses was the transparent ss of the flower room, Across the


    ss was the transparent ss of the reading room, and behind that ss was him, sitting across from


    her¡­


    **


    The beginning stages of love require very little nourishment! Just seeing each other, brushing against


    each other when passing by, would stir a wave of imaginary power in her heart, creating her love. A


    trivial thing could make her lose herself in love.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271


    Chapter 271


    Karl had secured a beachfront vi for their vacation. When Julie and Kieran arrived with their son Ivan,


    Karl had everything ready.


    Ivan, who hadn¡¯t seen Karl in ages, was thrilled and greeted him cheerfully, ¡°Karl!¡±


    ¡°Why are you here, Karl?¡± Ivan asked, walking up to him.


    Karl replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to keep youpany, young master.¡±


    Kieran turned to Ivan, ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll hang out with Karl. Your mother and I have some important


    matters to attend to. The day after, we¡¯ll take you out for some fun. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Important matters?¡± Ivan gestured for Kieran to crouch down to his level.


    Kieran, amused by Ivan¡¯s mysterious demeanor, leaned in closer to hear what he had to say.


    Julie watched as Ivan whispered something into Kieran¡¯s ear, but she was too far away to hear


    anything. Just as she decided to move closed Ivan had finished speaking.


    ¡°Is that so, Kieran?¡± Ivan asked, looking up at Kieran expectantly.


    Kieran patted the young boy on the shoulder with admiration and nodded approvingly, ¡°That¡¯s right. So,


    wash up and head to bed. Tomorrow, apany Karl to enjoy the tulips. Show Kari around town,


    okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Ivan, gripping Karl, asked, ¡°Where do I sleep tonight?¡±


    Karl began leading Ivan¡¯to his room but was interrupted by Ivan¡¯s question, ¡°Have you ever heard about


    a poem written by someone named Lewis?¡±


    ¡°Lewis?¡± Karl was puzzled.


    ¡°Yes, Lewis.¡±


    Karl found himself at a loss for words. Fortunately, Ivan wasn¡¯t too keen on getting the answer right


    away and continued, ¡± In the beauty of spring, only the roses are the truly beauty, blossoming and


    dazzling all people. I¡¯ve forgotten the first two lines. My mom once read them to me. Can you google it


    and write the poet down for meter? I¡¯d like to memorize it!¡±


    As the two voices faded into the distance, Julie couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    She approached Kieran and asked, ¡°What did our son just tell you?¡±


    ¡°Guess,¡± the man teased, his deep voice echoing as he ascended the staircase.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    If Julie could guess, that would indeed be surprising!


    4


    ¡°Then give me your wallet.¡± She caught up with him and blocked his way.


    Caught off guard, Kieran scooped Julie up in his arms and carried her into their bedroom, swiftly


    locking the door behind them. He gentlyid her down on the soft bed, the white sheets contrasting


    beautifully with her red dress.


    He leaned over her, tenderly pushing her hair away from her face and nting a soft kiss on her cheek.


    His unique scent filled her senses, and his gentle kisses made her forget everything else.


    ¡°What did you just ask me, my love?¡± He asked, with his deep gaze filled with affection.


    Julie¡¯s thoughts were in disarray, and she couldn¡¯t remember what she had wanted to ask.


    Seeing her confusion, Kieran kissed her again and then got up, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±¡±


    It was only after he had disappeared into the bathroom that Julie remembered, ¡°The wallet, the wallet, I


    was asking for your wallet!¡±


    She reached into his trouser pocket, expecting him to dodge, but instead he leaned against the


    bathroom wall, raising his hands above his head in surrender..


    Caught off guard by his suddenpliance, Julie¡¯felt a bit out of sorts.


    His trousers were tight against his muscr legs, and his thin wallet contained just a few banknotes


    and a couple of cards.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t resisting, Julie reached into his pocket. Suddenly, he let out a soft moan, startling


    Julie, ¡°Be gentle.¡±


    Julie quickly covered his mouth; ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound!¡±


    One hand over his mouth, she reached into his pocket again. This time there were no unexpected


    sounds, but as soon as she touched his trousers, he shifted ufortably. His eyes stared at her with


    a look of innocent anticipation.


    Finally, Julie gave up, releasing her hand from his mouth, ¡°You win!¡±


    epting defeat, Julie walked out of the bathroom and even closed the door for him.


    Kieran grinned, calling out to her, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it? The wallet!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it, just don¡¯t say that¡¯s me in the photo.¡± Julie replied, busying herself with packing her


    suitcase. But in her mind, she was plotting to catch him off guard by barging in while he was showering.


    She didn¡¯t believe he would shower with his trousers on!


    Soon, the sound of running water filled the bathroom.


    A wicked smile hooked up at the corner of Julie¡¯s mouth, simr to the anticipation mixed with a hint of


    excitement she used to have before shaking up a wasp nest as a child. She tiptoed to the door, then


    suddenly twisted the lock and pushed open the bathroom door, stepping in.


    She had imagined that the man would be washing his hair at this moment, but the image of Kieran with


    a head full of suds didn¡¯t appear. Instead, she was met with a forceful pressure before she even had a


    chance to fully see Kieran¡¯s current state, followed by an overwhelming kiss


    That kiss, as if punishing, came with a fierce momentum, stealing all her breath. But his hands were


    tenderly holding her waist, pulling her close to his body.


    The misty shower curtain poured down from the top of their heads, filling the bathroom with fog. The


    entire room was enveloped in this dreamy mist, making Julie forget why she came in, as he took her to


    a distant, extreme ce¡­


    Later, all she remembered was his voice, warm and indulgent, whispering in her ear, ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m


    at your mercy, praise me.¡±


    Julie clenched her teeth refusing to praise him until the next morning when she remembered to ask him


    the question she had forgotten the night before.


    ¡°What did Ivan whisper to youst night?¡± Julie asked the man brushing his teeth in the bathroom the


    next morning, leaning against the door frame.


    He beckoned her over, and Julie, tiptoeing, put her ear close.


    Suddenly, he leaned down with a mouthful of foam, and kissed her cheek.


    She immediately began to wipe the foam off her face, giving him a stern look in the process.


    The man simplyughed, pointing to his own face, ¡°You can get your revenge.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you wait.¡± Julie bent down to take off her shoes.


    Kieran stepped back, grabbing her hand that was holding her shoe, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you.


    Yesterday, when our son asked if our important task was to give him a little sister, I said yes.¡±


    As he held her hand, Julie took the opportunity to kick her shoeless foot at his shin, only to hear a crack


    in her toe. The pain was intense, making her grit her teeth.


    Kieran quickly let go of her hand, asking in concern, ¡°Are


    you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± She replied defiantly, despite the pain causing her to scrunch up her face.


    Watching his wife, Mr. Hernandez could onlyugh helplessly, carrying her to the couch and gently


    massaging her toes. The pain was reflexive and subsided soon, and seeing Kieran¡¯s worried actions,


    Julie felt warmth spread through her, ¡°Go rinse your mouth, it¡¯s almost noon.¡±


    By the time they were ready to leave, it was around ten in the morning. Ivan, excited, had gone to the


    beach with Karl early in the morning. Kieran looked at the address sent by Julien, which was the


    residence of Zenith¡¯s grandmother.


    ording to the information, Zenith¡¯s grandmother, Dahlia Moore, used to live in an old house by the


    street. But after Zenith started to prosper, he moved her to a newly built vi area, just a few minutes¡¯


    walk from where Kieran and Julie were staying.


    They decided to be straightforward, nning to visit directly under the guise of being Zenith¡¯s business


    partners. Kieran held a gift in his hand and rang the doorbell.


    After a while, the door was answered by a housekeeper who, after asking their purpose, let them in.


    Julie and Kieran followed the housekeeper into the vi. Their original n was to find clues about


    Zenith from Dahlia Moore. However, they never expected to find Zenith, who should have been in


    Whispering Pines, sitting on the living room couch with his grandmother Dahlia¡­

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272


    Chapter 272


    Never did they expect to find Zenith right here. Their original n was to investigate Zenith¡¯s childhood


    environment, but to their surprise, the man himself was sitting on the couch, staring at Julie and Kieran


    in shock.


    Anticipating their purpose for being here, Zenith¡¯s expression was understandably grim. Raising an


    eyebrow, he turned to his butler, ¡°Helga, since when do we let just anyone into the mansion?¡±


    Helga looked a bit wronged and pointed at Kieran and Julie, exining to Zenith, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. They


    said they were your business associates, so¡­


    ¡°You must be Dahlia?¡± Even though Julie knew the olddy was blind and couldn¡¯t see her, she still


    politely asked with a smile towards Dahlia.


    Feeling insecure, Dahlia instinctively reached out towards Zenith. Zenith immediately extended his right


    arm, allowing Dahlia to grab hold.


    ¡°Zenith, do we have guests?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandmother, strangers.¡± Zenith told Dahlia, ¡°I think they¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°Are you Mr. Zenith? It appears we¡¯ve found the right person!¡± Clever Julie spoke up, a hint of relief in


    her voice while Kieran let her take the lead.


    Dahlia heard this and turned towards the sound, slightly perplexed.


    Julie watched Dahlia expectantly, thinking Dahlia would at least let her identify herself. However, to her


    surprise, Dahlia simply said, ¡°There are many people with the same name in the world, my dear. I¡¯m


    afraid you¡¯ve found the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Dahlia, may I ask¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez?¡± Dahlia abruptly asked, facing Julie and Kieran.


    Julie nodded at Dahlia in surprise, then quickly realized the old woman couldn¡¯t see her nod, so she


    hastily responded, ¡°Yes¡­ yes we are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Zenith mention you two,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Zenith¡¯s previous mentor was indeed the professor


    who treated vegetative patients, but Zenith has not practiced medicine for many years, so I¡¯m afraid he


    can¡¯t help Mrs. Hernandez¡¯s sister. If he could help, he certainly would not refuse. I¡¯m old and just want


    to live out my remaining years peacefully. It¡¯s best if you young people figure out your own issues. I¡¯m


    too old for this.¡±.


    With that, Dahlia called, ¡°Helga, help me go to my room.¡±.


    Helga promptly assisted Dahlia, and Zenith stood up as well.


    Dahlia stood, her hand in her pocket, showing her refusal. Julie frowned, her movements stiff. If they


    knew Zenith was home from the start, they certainly wouldn¡¯t have visited Dahlia directly.


    With Dahlia going back to her room under Helga¡¯s assistance, Kieran ced the nutritional


    supplements they brought on the ss coffee table.


    ¡°Shall we talk outside?¡± Kieran suggested with a deep gaze towards Zenith.


    Zenith stared back at Kieran without uttering a word.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk here!¡± Kieran asked Zenith, ¡°Do you enjoy role-ying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen photos of Mr. Hernandez¡¯ste brother, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, your brother died in a ne


    crash many years ago. I understand why you might see me as your biological. brother, given our


    resemnce. But Mr. Hernandez, if this matter involves family, I won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s cold voice echoed in the living room.


    ¡°Do you believe in doppelgangers, Mr. Moore?¡± Kieran asked Zenith. The two exchanged meaningful


    nces, neither backing down.


    Julie took a deep breath, choosing not to intervene.


    After a long silence, Zenith smirked, ¡°Are you suggesting that I¡¯m your brother¡¯s twin, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°Given what you¡¯ve just said, Mr. Moore, it¡¯s not entirely impossible.¡± Kieran shrugged nonchntly.


    Julie admired Zenith¡¯s quick wit, as well as Kieran¡¯s ability to y along.


    Zenith seemed impatient with the exchange and asked Kieran directly, ¡°So, if I can prove that I have no


    blood rtion to Mr. Hernandez, will you leave my house in peace?¡±.


    ¡°Proof?¡± Kieran raised an eyebrow, waiting for Zenith¡¯s response.


    Instead of responding, Zenith acted. He picked up a nail clipper from the coffee table and briskly cut off


    a fingernail. He then wrapped it in a white tissue and pped it on Kieran¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I assume you wouldn¡¯t trust me to do a DNA test myself, Mr. Hernandez? If that¡¯s the case, take this


    and leave my house immediately!¡±


    Julie watched Zenith¡¯s actions in bewilderment. Meanwhile, Dahlia emerged from her room, assisted by


    Helga. She faced the room and asked, ¡°Zenith, where did you put the cane your grandfather gave me?


    Find it for me.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it stored in the closet?¡± Zenith said as he moved towards his grandmother, at the same time he


    signaled Helga, ¡°See them out!¡±


    Rather than being escorted out, they were practically kicked out.


    Julie and Kieran stood at the mansion¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°The nail clipping?¡± Julie looked up at Kieran expectantly.


    Kieran pulled out Zenith¡¯s nail clipping and handed it to Julie.


    Julie received it, held it in her hand, and after confirming that it was indeed nail clipping, she looked at


    Kieran with a saddened expression, asking him softly, ¡°Could it be¡­ Zenith isn¡¯t really Lucian?¡±


    Otherwise, how could he have let them go for a DNA test so readily?


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran fell into thought, seemingly not hearing the question.


    Julie said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe until we return and let QuadDn check it¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, the result will certainly show no blood rtion.¡± Kieran looked at the mansion behind him, his


    tone enigmatic.


    Inside the mansion.


    Zenith went forward and handed the cane resting by the bed to Dahlia.


    ¡°That boy just now was the Kerry you often talk about, right?¡± Dahlia gently patted Zenith¡¯s hand, her


    voice kind.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was you who avenged Zenith¡¯s death for our family. Although I¡¯m old, I¡¯m not senile. I


    know what to do.¡± The olddy¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and ancient.


    Even though he knew his grandmother couldn¡¯t see, Zenith smiled at her fondly, then gave her a hug,


    holding her as if she were his own family, saying gratefully, ¡°Thank you, grandma.¡±


    Dahlia lightly patted Zenith¡¯s back, her voice heavy with emotion, ¡°Child, once a person tells a lie, to


    keep it from being exposed, he must cover it with countless other lies. I know you must have a reason


    for lying, but I still hope you can find happiness. How could God be so tough on such a kind child..


    Kind?


    He had long lost the right to be called kind¡­


    After seeing off Julie and Kieran, Helga returned. Zenith turned to her and said, ¡°Help me tidy up the


    room. I might stay here for a couple of days.¡±


    After finishing his sentence, he took out his phone and went to the balcony to make a call. Bruce¡¯s


    respectful voice came from the other end, ¡°Mr. Moore?¡±


    ¡°The thing I asked you to prepare, dy it by a few days. I¡¯ll handle it myself when I return.¡±


    ¡®Mr. Moore, please allow me to say one thing. Even if we are trying to steal someone from Kyle, we


    should be the ones doing it. You shouldn¡¯t be taking such a risky move yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Do as I say!¡± This wasn¡¯t a negotiation, it was an order.


    Bruce on the other side of the call sighed helplessly after hanging up.


    Ah, his life had been saved by Mr. Moore, what more could he¡¯say?


    Zenith, who had ended the call, looked down at his thumb where an artificial nail had been grafted. It


    had been cut from Bruce¡¯s nail and then glued onto his thumb. So, even if they took that nail for a DNA


    test, the result wouldn¡¯t be what they were hoping for.


    With that thought, Zenith¡¯s gaze deepened.


    At the mansion¡¯s front door, even though Kieran had urately analyzed that the nail wouldn¡¯t show


    any blood rtion even if tested, Julie was still unable to let


    1.


    She frowned deeply, telling Kieran, ¡°This nail was personally cut from his nail, right? Regardless, we


    need to have it tested to know if there¡¯s a blood rtion, right?¡±


    Julie thought Kieran had lost hope in Zenith, so she gripped his arm and said, ¡°Although he was very


    firm just now, and seemed 100% confident that he¡¯s not Lucian when he cut the nail.. but do you just


    believe that he¡¯s not Lucian?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s not Lucian. But I don¡¯t believe that nail can prove anything.¡± He turned around,


    ced his left hand in his pocket, and faced Julie, ¡°Notice anything?¡±


    Julie looked up and down at the man in front of her and shook her head, ¡°You are handsome?¡±


    The man was slightly excited, hearing his wifepliment him was like drowning in honey. But¡­


    ¡°Other than handsome, what else? Notice anything?¡±

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    Chapter 273


    Julie took another careful look at the man, finally settling her gaze on his arm. ¡°Why are you keeping


    your hand in your pocket?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Think about it, did Zenith do something simr?¡± Kieran prompted Julie.


    Julie started to recall her recent encounter with Zenith. Indeed, when Zenith stood up he had a simr


    habitual movement of sliding his hand into his pocket.


    Thismon and simple action didn¡¯t attract Julie¡¯s attention at the time, so she didn¡¯t think much of it.


    But now that Kieran singled it out, it must be significant. So, she looked at him expectantly and asked,


    ¡°Zenith did the same thing when he stood up, so what? What does it prove?¡±


    Kieran suddenly took out his wallet and handed it to Julie. ¡°Hold this for me.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t know what Kieran was up to, but she took what he handed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Kieran stared at Julie.


    Julie was startled and froze in ce.


    Then he spoke, ¡°Look at which hand you¡¯re using to hold the wallet.¡±


    Julie looked down to see her right hand holding his wallet. She didn¡¯t understand his intentions, so she


    asked, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°When a person¡¯s hands are free, and someone else hands them something, a right-handed person


    would reflexively extend their right hand without hesitation. Meanwhile, a left-handed person would


    instinctively use their left hand,¡± exined Kieran.


    Julie listened attentively.


    Kieran continued, ¡°The fact is that Lucian is left-handed. Thest time we yed golf, he skillfully used


    his right hand. I couldn¡¯t spot any ws. He hid it perfectly, not at all like a lefty., However, this time


    when Dahlia reached out for his help, he should have extended his right hand without hesitation. But he


    reflexively reached out with his left hand. His movement then was to partially pull his left hand out of his


    pocket, then put it back, and then extend his right hand as if nothing happened. What does this tell us?¡±


    ¡°Zenith is trying to hide the fact that he¡¯s left-handed?¡± Julie asked, her face lighting up with excitement,


    simr to the feeling of solving aplex math problem in her childhood, even a sense of


    aplishment.


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Whether he¡¯s left-handed or not, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s trying to hide his left hand, or the


    fact that he¡¯s left-handed, or both. Do you remember which hand he used to grab the nail clippers?¡±


    Juke remembered that very clearly, as she was standing in front of the coffee table when Zenith was


    clipping his nails and saw his every move. Zenith held the nail clippers with his right hand. The clipped


    nail was from his left thumb. So¡­


    ¡°The reason he kept his hand in his pocket since we arrived was to hide his left hand?¡± Julie quickly


    took out the nail wrapped in a tissue and ced it in front of Kieran, asking, ¡°So¡­you¡¯re saying this nail


    is fake?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Whether it¡¯s fake or not, we can have Quad Dn verify it when we get back,¡± he held her hand,


    already certain of the verification result.


    Still, Julie decided to send the nail to Quad Dn for verification.


    She moved forward, walking side by side with Kieran.


    Ahead, arge field of flowers came into view, and Julie¡¯s eyes focused.


    She ran towards it, looking at the lovely wooden sign that read ¡®Primrose Field¡¯ in big letters.


    She immediately squatted down, looking at the beautiful little nts, and turned to Kieran, ¡°Is this


    primrose?¡±


    The nts were tastefully arranged, and the flowers were vibrant. There were white, blue, pink, yellow,


    orange, and beautiful purple ones. Arranged in a field, they looked like a delicate and beautiful rainbow.


    Kieran squatted down with Julie and answered, ¡°Yes, primroses. They bloom for a long period.¡±


    While each flower might not be as eye-catching as a rose, when arranged in a field, they were


    incredibly beautiful. The vitality within them was awe-inspiring. They were growing quietly, without


    arrogance or impatience.


    Wrapped in her beige cotton coat, Julie walked along the path in the flower field with a smile on her


    face. Kieran, in his white down jacket, followed her quietly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll reach the seaside if we continue walking,¡± he said,


    Julie abruptly stopped, and Kieran followed her gaze to see two bees hovering over a flower. The


    flower was not fragrant, yet it attracted bees with it¡¯s quiet beauty.


    ¡°Do you want to know the flowernguage of this flower?¡± Kieran suddenly leaned into Julie¡¯s ear and


    asked softly.


    She turned to look at him, ¡°Does it have one? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Give me a kiss, and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he wrapped his arm around her waist. To anyone watching, they were


    the picture of sweetness.


    Knowing he was teasing her, Julie pushed his hand away and didn¡¯t dwell on the question. Instead, she


    ran deeper into the flower field.


    Julie in the beige cotton coat was in the colorful flower field, with the bright sunshine behind her. She


    took out her phone and started to take pictures of the beautiful flowers. Kieran, whose hand was in his


    down jacket pocket, happened to feel his phone.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    On a whim, he took out his phone and snapped a few shots.


    Looking at the woman in the photo, a smile spread across Kieran¡¯s face. He seemed very satisfied with


    the picture. He put his phone back in his pocket and nced at a nearby vendor, lost in thought¡­


    In Julie¡¯s camera, a magnificently colored butterfly was dancing and chasing on the white primroses,


    creating a breathtaking scene Kieran, who had somehow walked behind her, quietly watched the scene


    on her phone.


    She turned around, offering him a soft smile, tapping on the image of a butterfly on her phone screen,


    and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±


    His eyes fell on her delicate face, nodding in agreement, ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I was talking about the butterfly!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not as beautiful as you.¡±


    Julieughed, lifting her phone towards his face, swiftly pressing the shutter as if capturing the scenery.


    She was full of affection.


    The man captured on her phone screen was breathtakingly handsome, enough to be a poster boy. As


    she was admiring the image, a low, pleasant voice came from across the table. He was looking into her


    eyes, telling her, ¡°I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    The sound of the ocean waves hitting the rocks made his words unclear.


    She held her phone, turning towards him in surprise, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    Her heart started pounding, Julie smiled lightly, gently biting her lip, asking, ¡°Is this a confession?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thenguage of flowers. The symbolic meaning of the primroses.¡±


    Julie rolled her eyes at him, ¡°It would have been better if you confessed your love to me at this


    moment, Kerry. You reallyck a sense of romance.¡±


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡± He reached out to her.


    Although she didn¡¯t know what he was up to, Julie extended her hand, looking at him with a puzzled


    expression. He pulled out a bracelet from his pocket, slipping it onto her wrist, ¡°The primrose


    symbolizes ¡®I can¡¯t live without you. The white ones represent youth, first love. Red ones symbolize an


    unregrettable and undying love. Sycamore Vige is known for its silverworks, especially the highest


    quality of sterling silver.¡±


    He fastened the bracelet around her wrist.


    Julie looked down at the delicate chain around her wrist, the bracelet was made up of countless


    primrose petals, each intricately designed.


    ¡°Legend has it in Greek mythology, there was a young man named Paralysos who had a beautiful


    fianc¨¦e. They were eagerly waiting for their wedding day when the fianc¨¦e died of sickness. Distraught


    with grief, Paralysosmitted suicide. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, taking pity on him, turned him


    into a flower that bloomed beside his lover¡¯s grave. That flower was the primrose,¡± he told her with


    deep affection.


    Julie shifted her gaze from the bracelet back to Kieran¡¯s face, That¡¯s not the version heard.¡±


    ¡°What version did you hear?¡± As he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, they began to walk towards


    the flower fields.


    She said, ¡°I read about a different legend of the primrose in a book. It was said that a mute nymph was


    in love with a handsome young man, who was surrounded by a group of admirers. Unable to express


    her love verbally, the nymph could only watch him from a distance. Day by day, her life began to fade.


    Even in death, her love for the young man remained unwavering. Hence, flowers sprouted from the


    ground where she died¡­ those flowers were the primrose.¡±.


    Was there a difference? Both were tragic tales, soaked in blood.


    Suddenly, Julie turned to him, gripping his arm, ¡°Today¡¯s the Advent, right?¡±


    Kieran nodded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call granny first thing in the morning? What made you remember it again?¡±


    Julie¡¯s eyes twinkled like stars, she looked up at him, ¡°After telling two heartbreaking stories, it


    reminded me of this ancient festival. Shouldn¡¯t we spend it with our living family members?¡±


    He gently poked her forehead, looking at her with an adoring gaze, ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of


    yours?¡±


    Excited, she pushed him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! We need to pick up Ivan and head to the Moore family for


    dinner!¡±

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    Chapter 274


    Julie nudged the man¡¯s back, ¡°How sure are you that Zenith is your brother?¡±


    ¡°Ny percent,¡± he replied. The remaining ten percent was because he was still pondering why Lucian


    would intentionally forge his identity.


    Julie nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go eat! Even the most perfect lie has loopholes. Without


    interacting with them, how can we know if they are real or not? Besides, our original intention was to


    seek cooperation, right? Let¡¯s not mention Lucian tonight, just talk about cooperation, and shamelessly


    eat at the Moore residence!*


    The Moore Residence.


    Zenith had anticipated that Kieran and Julie woulde to Sycamore Vige, and even visit Dahlia.


    But he did not expect them to have the audacity to visit for a second time.


    So when Julie, Kieran, and Ivan appeared at the doorstep again, Zenith was left momentarily


    speechless.


    Ivan cheerfully stuffed two bags of candies and snacks into Zenith¡¯s arms, then cheekily said, ¡°Have a


    peaceful Advent, Uncle!¡±


    After saying this, the little guy darted into the house. Kieran pointed to Ivan¡¯s back and said, ¡°The kid is


    still young and doesn¡¯t understand manners. He saw you look like my brother and called you uncle.


    Please bear with it, Mr. Moore.¡±


    Before Zenith could finish his sentence, a lively voice echoed from inside the house, Hello, Grandma,


    my name is Ivan Hernandez.¡±


    Zenith red at Julie and Kieran, then quickly headed inside.


    Julie gave Kieran a look, and followed Zenith into the house.


    Ivan was a lively and cheerful child, and even though Dahlia was blind, she could feel his politeness


    and cuteness. Ivan sat next to Dahlia and asked, ¡°Grandma, would you like some fruit? Shall I peel an


    apple for you?¡±


    Dahlia, scared at the thought of the little boy handling a knife, quickly called out, ¡°Zenith, quickly take


    the knife away from him.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hernandez, why did youe back again?¡± Even though the olddy was blind, her hearing was


    exceptionally good.


    Kieran, holding Ivan¡¯s hand, replied, ¡°We realized it¡¯s almost the Advent after we left, and my wife said I


    was thoughtless. It¡¯s the holiday season, so it was rude of us to just leave like that. So we brought


    snacks to apologize.¡±


    He nced at the snacks in Zenith¡¯s hand, his expression wless.


    As they were guests bringing gifts, it would seem rude and suspicious to turn them away now.


    So, eventually, Dahlia extended an invitation, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, it¡¯s thoughtful of you. Since you¡¯re here,


    why not stay for dinner?¡±


    Kieran and Julie, who hade for this exact reason, naturally agreed.


    Julie volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll help in the kitchen.¡±


    +


    Zenith, who had been giving Kieran unfriendly looks, became even more hostile after Julie and Ivan


    left.


    But Kieran seemed unfazed. He sat down next to Dahlia, took her hand, and asked, ¡°Would you mind if


    I called you Grandma? I felt an instant connection with Mr. Moore when I saw him, like seeing my own


    brother.¡±


    Zenith was speechless.


    Dahlia could not refuse, so she simply nodded.


    Kieran asked her, heard you only have Zenith as your grandson, so you¡¯re especially close, right?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask me directly, Mr. Hernandez?¡± Zenith took Kieran¡¯s hand off Dahlia¡¯s arm.


    Following Zenith¡¯s words, Kieran turned back, not to ask Zenith as he had anticipated, but to smile at


    him and say, ¡°My grandmother always said to truly understand a person, you need to delve into the


    people around them. Mr. Moore, you know I am keen to work with you, so naturally, I want to get to


    know you better by chatting with Dahlia. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    After saying this, Kieran turned back to Dahlia.


    Zenith stepped forward and lifted Kieran from the sofa, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, didn¡¯t you want to discuss


    cooperation with me? Can we talk in private?¡±


    Zenith had made his intentions clear. If Kieran continued to cling to Dahlia, it would be inappropriate.


    Kieran followed Zenith out to the small garden, all the while admiring thendscape design and


    asionally offering his opinion. He didn¡¯t seem here to investigate any truth but more like a tourist


    who hade to visit.


    They sat down on the wicker chairs in the garden, and Zenith asked with a cid expression, ¡°Mr.


    Hernandez, are you having trouble understanding my words?¡±


    ¡°I get you alright, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been stubborn and a bit thick-skinned since I was a kid,¡± Kieran said


    thoughtfully, not considering his stubbornness and thick skin a w.


    -Zenith chose not toment on this.


    Instead, he said to Kieran, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll say it one more time, Mr. Hernandez. First, I¡¯m the only


    grandson of the Moore family, not your long-dead brother. Second, Fred did not pass on any special


    skills to me, so I can¡¯t possibly save your sister-inw. Moreover, if yourpany has any crisis-rted


    issues that need to be dealt with, my team can certainly provide assistance. And since you¡¯re here


    today, we¡¯ll treat you as a guest, so I hope you won¡¯t mind having a meal with us. After eating, I hope


    you won¡¯t disturb my family anymore. Is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± he nodded, indicating his agreement.


    Ivan appeared at the door and shouted, ¡°Daddy, Uncle, dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    Zenith started to feel a headache.


    This kid was getting morefortable with calling him uncle. Zenith and Kieran got up together and


    headed to the dining room, Dahlia had food brought to her room and Helga was taking care of Dahlia.


    The entire dinner table was just Zenith and Julie¡¯s family.


    Ivan was already seated at the dining table, drooling over the food. Kieran and Zenith sat across the


    table, sizing each other up.


    Julie served all the food and then turned to look at Zenith, ¡°By the way Mr. Moore, I noticed you have


    oranges in your house, so I squeezed some orange juice for Ivan. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Feel free, Mrs. Hernandez.¡±


    Julie turned around and went back into the kitchen, and Zenith hinted at Kieran, ¡°Birds of a feather flock


    together, huh?¡±


    This meant that Julie was as thick-skinned as Kieran.


    Kieran shrugged, not minding at all, instead, he chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fate! I owe my brother for


    sparing my life back then¡­¡±


    At this point, Kieran hooked his lips and deliberately stopped, ¡°Oh, sorry. That¡¯s my family matters.¡±


    Zenith, with a fake smile, picked up his fork and was about to eat when a startled scream came from


    behind him.


    Before he could turn around, an icy sensation suddenly came from his back. He could feel his entire


    shirt getting wet.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Julie¡¯s apologetic voice came from behind.


    Predicting that Julie¡¯s next move would be to lift his shirt, Zenith stood up pre-emptively, turned around,


    and faced Julie.


    Julie¡¯s hand, which was about to lift Zenith¡¯s shirt, was left hanging in mid-air. Kieran was at a table¡¯s


    distance. Just as Zenith was about to speak, a warm little hand, through the fabric, touched his back.


    ¡°Oh, my orange juice!¡± Ivanmented.


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    Zenith dodged the little guy¡¯s hand, fearing he would lift his shirt, but put on a face of calm, giving Julie


    a displeased look.


    Julie was full of apologies, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Moore. The kitchen floor is a bit lower than the tiles outside,


    so¡­¡±


    Zenith gave Julie a re and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll go take care of this.¡±


    With that, he turned around and went upstairs.


    Julie, with her back to Zenith, winked at Kieran. Kieran naturally knew what Julie meant. She wanted to


    confirm whether Zenith had the same birthmark on his back.


    Because if Zenith wanted to remove the birthmark, there was no way it wouldn¡¯t leave a scar.


    Kieran abruptly stood up, following cautiously behind.


    Noticing the two adopting a mysterious demeanor, Ivan lowered his voice, asking, ¡°What¡¯s Kerry up


    to?¡±


    Julie gently ruffled the young boy¡¯s hair, simplifying her response, ¡°He probably needed to go to the


    restroom.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ivan decided to focus on his food.


    A few minutester, Kieran returned downstairs, slightly ahead of Zenith.


    Julie promptly sat down next to Kieran, theatrically picking up a fork and eating from the te. Then


    she looked expectantly at Kieran, ¡°Well? Did you see? Is there


    a birthmark?¡±.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275


    Chapter 275


    Vacation Vi.


    Julie was in the bathroom for a shower, and the thought of her recent encounter at the Zenith mansion


    made her quickly finish and step out in a bathrobe.


    The man standing by the balcony had just ended a call. Julie, standing inside the door, drying her hair,


    saw him motioning her over.


    She walked over, and he took the towel off her head, handed her his cellphone, and began to


    attentively dry her long hair.


    ¡®Should I cut my hair short?¡± she asked, seeking an answer from him.


    She had thought that Mr. Hernandez was a man who preferred long hair and would object to her


    decision. However, his charming voice came from behind her, saying, ¡°Whatever Mrs. Hernandez


    decides is fine. Whether it¡¯s long hair, short hair, or even a wig. I¡¯m a man who loves everything about


    his wife.¡±


    ?


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t cut it then.¡± Julie happily fiddled with the cellphone, asking him, ¡°Who was on the call?¡±


    ¡°Julien.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°Dahlia has been blind due to cataracts, and when she went blind, Zenith was already twenty-six,¡±


    Kieran replied, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.


    Julie turned around, frowning, ¡°So you are saying¡­ when Dahlia went blind, Zenith had already


    assumed the appearance of Lucian?¡±


    ¡°Correct. So regardless of whether Zenith is Lucian or not, Dahlia knew about it.¡± He nodded.


    Julie sighed thoughtfully, ¡°So¡­ we can¡¯t get any information from Dahlia.¡±


    Saying this, she grabbed the white towel from his hand, ¡°Oh, what about Zenith¡¯s birthmark? Did you


    see it? Does he have a birthmark on his back?¡±


    ¡°Check the photo album.¡± He gestured with his eyes towards the cellphone in Julie¡¯s hand.


    As she opened the photo album on her phone, she was still somewhat in shock, ¡°You actually took


    pictures? Didn¡¯t Zenith notice?¡±


    Judging by Zenith¡¯s attitude at dinner, he should be unaware of this.


    However, Kieran simply curled his lips into a mysterious smile and said, ¡°He might not know, or maybe


    he does and is pretending not to.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julie turned around, only to have Kieran redirect her attention back to the phone,


    where he had secretly taken a few pictures.


    Indeed, it was Lucian¡¯s back, but there were no birthmarks, let alone traces of a removed birthmark.


    What caught Julie¡¯s attention were tattoos covering Lucian¡¯s


    entire back and upper arms. Not only was there no birthmark, but even the natural color of his skin was


    obscured.


    Julie finally understood what Kieran meant earlier, that Zenith knew he was being photographed but


    pretended not to. This was because even if they saw his back, the colors of the tattoopletely


    covered the spot where the birthmark should have been.


    Even after Julie zoomed in on the picture, she still couldn¡¯t discern whether there had ever been a


    birthmark.


    ¡°He¡¯s too cautious¡­¡± Julie let out a sigh of disappointment and said to Kieran, ¡°If Zenith really is my


    brother, he¡¯s being too careful¡­¡±


    He drew her into his arms from behind and said, ¡°There¡¯s also some bad news.¡±


    She gentlyid her soft hand on his, nced back at him with a radiant smile, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Zenith can¡¯t cure Sansa.¡± His tone was calm, but his embrace tightened.


    Julie shrugged, ¡°As expected, should I say that?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s also some good news.¡± He said.


    ¡°There¡¯s still good news?¡± Her expression was slightly surprised.


    He said, ¡°Hayden has found out why Professor Fred is unwilling to fully treat Sansa.¡±


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    ¡°Really?¡± This indeed was good news. Once the root cause was identified, they could find a solution.


    Julie held onto Kieran¡¯s arm, turning back to ask him, ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°Someone has kidnapped Professor Fred¡¯s daughter Emily, threatening her life. As long as we


    sessfully rescue Emily and reunite her with Fred, I believe Fred won¡¯t refuse to treat Sansa.¡± Kieran


    spoke with confidence, indicating that Hayden might have alreadymunicated with Fred, and Fred


    seemed to have agreed to Hayden¡¯s conditions.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve found out who kidnapped Emily?¡± Julie turned back to observe Kieran¡¯s expression, which


    was somewhat stern at the moment.


    ¡°Kyle.¡± He said.


    Julie loosened her grip on Kieran¡¯s hand.


    Kyle, she should have guessed it earlier.


    She had ended things with him ambiguously, and his reappearance now seemed odd. The first time he


    showed up in the hospital room, although she didn¡¯t know what he had said to Sansa, it provoked a


    reaction from her. She should have guessed that all of this had to do with Kyle, and that something


    must have happened between him and Sansa¡­


    Kieran lowered his gaze to meet hers directly


    ¡°To prevent idents, Julien ns to handle it personally this time.¡± Kieran was referring to the rescue


    of Emily. If it was Julien handling it, it was like injecting a dose of reassurance for Julie.


    Upon hearing that Julien was going to take action, Julie took a deep breath. Holding his hand, she


    asked, ¡°Why do you think Kyle is behind this?¡±


    Julie frowned her brows, ¡°Last time I asked Kyle, he seemed to imply that he didn¡¯t know Sansa had


    be a vegetable over the years. After knowing the truth, his first condition was to visit Sansa. He


    even bought an expensive ring to give to my sister. My sister is now a vegetable lying in a hospital bed,


    unable to think clearly. Even if they had some past secrets, what threat could Sansa pose to him now?


    Is it necessary for him to go to such lengths?¡±


    The calcting, scheming Kyle that Julie saw now was nothing like the Kyle she remembered from her


    past ¨C the one who used to spoil Sansa and was always


    courteous.


    They seemed like twopletely different people!


    Tenderly holding Julie¡¯s hand, Kieran looked deeply into her fair-skinned face and said, ¡°To someone in


    a vegetative state who can¡¯t think or speak, he obviously poses no threat. But what about someone in a


    vegetative state who might wake up?¡±


    ¡°So, from the beginning, his purpose foring back was to prevent the possibility of my sister waking


    up?¡± Julieughed coldly, ¡°Then with his capabilities, wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to just kill my sister?


    He should have known that only the dead can keep secrets. Anyone with a chance of waking up could


    be a danger at any moment!¡±


    Because of Kyle, Julie¡¯s emotions were spiraling out of control. He had returned to the country with a


    hidden agenda, pretending to care about Sansa¡¯s wellbeing, but secretly plotting behind the scenes.


    The most dangerous enemy is not the one standing opposite you, but the one standing beside you,


    iming to be your friend.


    Kieran had naturally considered Julie¡¯s thoughts. From an unknown internationalwyer, Kyle had


    hidden his identity and almost married Sansa, then divorced her, and he alone had founded the S&J


    International Law Firm.


    Looking at Julie; he said, ¡°Kyle¡¯s background is strong, even Payne couldn¡¯t figure it out. Even if we


    protect Sansa to the best of our abilities, there will inevitably be apse. If Kyle really wanted to kill


    Sansa, why would he go to the trouble of kidnapping Emily? And the most important thing is, Fred was


    ordered not to treat Sansa, to keep her in a vegetative state, not to inject her with lethal drugs. That


    tells us, Kyle is either trying not to alert others, or he doesn¡¯t want Sansa to die.


    But¡­¡±


    Kieran paused before saying, ¡°Julien said it would be easy to find out who kidnapped Emily. It¡¯s as if


    they intentionally left clues for her. Considering this, what Kyle did was to tell others. So¡­¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want Sansa to die? And he doesn¡¯t want Sansa to wake up?¡± Julie, holding her head in


    confusion, asked, ¡°What exactly is Kyle trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow Julien will start the rescue mission, we can discuss after we get Emily back.¡± Wrapping his


    arm around Julie, he lowered his head and looked deeply into her eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep now.


    Tomorrow morning, we can take Ivan out for a spin, thene back home in the afternoon.¡±


    In the midst of her confusion, Julie fell asleep. She had a dream about the car ident from her


    childhood. She watched as Sansa was pulled from the driver¡¯s seat by police officers, her body bloody


    and bruised.


    In her dream, she tried to catch up to the ambnce that was carrying Sansa, but it sped away. Julie


    copsed on the road, sobbing uncontrobly. Suddenly, a ck van zoomed past her. She turned


    around in shock.


    As the van passed her, she saw Kyle at the wheel.


    She watched as the van crashed into Sansa¡¯s car, which had just been loaded onto an ambnce.


    Sansa, who was supposed to be in the ambnce, was now chasing after her parents¡¯ car.


    Finally, the ck van driven by Kyle collided with Sansa¡¯s red car, sparks flying everywhere. And


    Kieran was standing right between the two cars¡­


    Julie woke up in a panic, her body drenched in sweat.


    She swallowed hard several times, slowlying back to reality from her dream. But there was no sign


    of Kieran next to her, the man who was supposed to be sleeping by her side. Even his pillow was cold,


    suggesting he had been gone for a while.


    Confused, Julie threw back the covers and headed downstairs, calling for Kieran,


    But all that answered her was the cold air and the echo of her voice in the hall¡­


    ¡°Kieran!!¡± Julie pushed open the vi door, running towards the garden.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276


    Chapter 276


    Inside a vi located in Whispering Pines, a suburb in the south, a woman dressed in a white T-shirt


    and high-waisted denim shorts sat on a bed in the bedroom. The room was spacious with only a


    solitary bed, devoid of any other furniture. The windows were designed with burr bars, making


    escape impossible.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The bed was adorned with two pillows and a grey nket, while a dark blue coaty next to it. A pair of


    white canvas shoes were ced by the bedside.


    The bedroom door swung open, and a tall man, nearing six-foot-three, pushed a food cart into the


    room.


    The woman turned swiftly at the sound. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders, her blue eyes pure and


    clear, and her skin was fair and smooth. Her doll-like eyes nced at the food cart before sweeping


    over the bodyguard outside the door.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she said in a slightly ented English, addressing the man pushing the food cart. ¡°How many of


    you guys are there?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape, so don¡¯t even try,¡± the man said.


    She chuckled, ¡°So, how long do you n on keeping me here?¡±


    ¡°That depends on my boss. Just sit tight, we won¡¯t mistreat you,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°But I¡¯m so bored, there¡¯s no one to talk to all day,¡± sheined, looking at the man. ¡°Can you tell


    me who your boss is? Do you know why you guys kidnapped


    me?¡±


    The man evaded her questions, cing the food on the table and gesturing to it. ¡°Please eat.¡±


    Reluctantly, she sat on the edge of the bed and started eating.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been kidnapped for quite some time now. Even if you don¡¯t tell me who your boss is, can you


    request him to give me a tablet to y with? I won¡¯t go online, I just want to y some offline games¡­¡±


    She kept bringing up this matter while eating. Eventually, the man, seemingly annoyed, made a call,


    presumably to his superior. He switched off the room¡¯s Wi-Fi and handed her a tablet pre-loaded with


    games.


    She immediately grabbed the tablet and started ying, obediently sitting on the bed.


    The man exited the room, locking the door behind him.


    Suddenly, there was a loud crash from downstairs.


    The two bodyguards at the door exchanged nces. The tall one spoke into the walkie-talkie, ¡°Scar,


    what¡¯s happening?¡±


    The walkie-talkie emitted a buzzing sound, but there was no reply from Scar.


    ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± the tall man told the other bodyguard. He pulled out a gun from behind


    him and made his way downstairs.


    At the front door, he found Scar and another colleague writhing on the floor, a woman standing


    between them, her foot on their hands.


    The tall man quickly pointed his gun at the woman in ck, Julien.


    Julien raised her hands in cooperation, then warned, ¡°There¡¯s someone behind you.¡±


    Before he could react, he was knocked out by Raines, who hade up from behind with a vase.


    ¡°Kyle only sent these amateurs here, what did you bring me for?¡± Raines said, meaning that Julien


    could have taken care of these guys in no time.


    Julien cast.Raines a cold nce, ¡°I thought you wanted toe.¡±


    Raines couldn¡¯t admit that the young master had asked him toe¡­


    Picking up the tall man¡¯s gun from the ground, Raines remarked, ¡°Is it so easy to get private gun in our


    country?¡±


    Julien took out her phone to make a call.


    As Raines was inspecting the gun, he asked Julien, ¡°Aren¡¯t we here to rescue someone? What are you


    doing?¡±


    ¡°They must get the guns in some illegal ways. I¡¯m calling the cops.¡± Julien quickly reported the vi¡¯s


    address, making the call with efficiency.


    A bead of cold sweat dripped down Raines¡¯ forehead. He wiped off his fingerprints from the gun with


    his coat and put it back into the tall man¡¯s hand


    ¡°Call me when you¡¯ve handled things upstairs.¡± Julien handcuffed the unconscious man to a nearby


    iron railing.


    ¡°So, what about you carrying handcuffs?¡± Raines asked as he made his way upstairs.


    Julien nced at the handcuffs and smirked, ¡°Is there aw against using it as sex toys?¡±


    Raines wondered what the young master saw in this woman¡­


    As he reached the top of the stairs, he found another man in ck already unconscious on the floor,


    clearly taken out by someone else.


    Raines frowned at the sight. The man in ck was looking towards the bedroom, his face contorted


    with pain. Raines gestured to Julien downstairs, then crept towards the bedroom door. He put on


    gloves, took the gun from the unconscious man, and kicked the door open.


    Along with the sound of the door opening, a woman¡¯s scream echoed through the room.


    The burr bars had been cut open somehow. Raines sprinted towards the window. A man in ck


    had swiftly kidnapped Emily.


    Even if Julien was quick, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it from the front to the back window in just a few


    seconds. As Raines predicted, Julien wasn¡¯t in time to intercept the man


    Raines raised his gun at the man, but didn¡¯t pull the trigger.


    Because the sound of police sirens was growing louder.


    Raines tucked the gun away, jumped out the window, and chased after the man. However, he was too


    late. He could only watch as the man jumped into a ck van parked nearby.


    Unexpectedly, the van didn¡¯t start.


    Inside, Julien sat in the driver¡¯s seat, greeting the panting Emily and the man in ck who had just


    hopped into the back seat, ¡°Hi!¡±


    Zenith had expected Hayden to send someone, but he didn¡¯t expect even Julien to take matters into


    her own hands, all for one hostage.


    Zenith dropped Emily, pushed open the car door, and jumped into the surrounding forest.


    Julien also opened her door, casually tossing the car keys to Raines. ¡°Take her home.¡±


    With that, she chased after Zenith.


    Emily, still in shock, opened the car door and ran after Julien. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    Raines swiftly pulled Emily back, frowning at her, ¡°Are you out of your mind, girl?¡±


    Emily felt that the man standing in front of her, who wore a hostile expression, should be the one who


    was truly out of his mind.


    Realizing that Emily had misunderstood, Raines patiently exined, ¡°I¡¯m a good guy. I¡¯m here to save


    you.¡±


    ¡°Are you with Moore?¡± Emily asked, her eyes full of suspicion as she nced towards the woods and


    then back at Raines.


    Raines frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    Seeing Raines¡¯ confused expression, Emily maintained her scepticism, but didn¡¯t answer his question.


    Instead, she stepped back and asked, ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the guy Fred sent to rescue you,¡± Raines replied.


    Upon hearing her father¡¯s name, Emily finally rxed. However, she looked back towards the woods,


    puzzled, ¡°Then who was that woman just now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with me.¡±


    At this point, Raines finally realized, ¡°You know that person in ck who was here just now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡± After the conversation, Emily knew that Raines was sent by her father to save her.


    But her intuition told her not to let him know that she was acquainted with Moore. So, she feigned


    ignorance, ¡°That person in ck, isn¡¯t he after me?¡±


    ¡°You knew he was after you and you still followed him?¡± Raines replied, starting the car.


    Emily feigned fear, clutching her seatbelt, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    Seeing Emily¡¯s frightened appearance, Raines didn¡¯t press her any further.


    Julien chased all the way into the woods but found that he had lost track of his target. The person in


    ck was clearly familiar with the area, or had nned his escape route well, so Julien lost him¡­


    When Julien returned to the vi, somewhat displeased, Emily had already been treated like a VIP.


    However, Julien¡¯s first act was to grab Emily by the cor and dragged her into the gym, ¡°Who was the


    person who tried to kidnap you today?¡±


    Emily remained silent.


    Thinking she could not understand, Julien asked again slowly, but Emily still did not respond.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably scared,¡± Raines¡¯ voice resounded from behind Julien


    Realising he may have gone overboard, Julien let go of Emily, ¡°Tell me who that man is, and I¡¯ll take


    you back to Fred.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that man in ck?¡± Zenith was like a brother to Emily since childhood, while Julien was a


    stranger she met today. From Emily¡¯s perspective, she would never betray Zenith.


    So, she shook her head, looking genuinely sincere.


    ¡°My master ordered me to take her to Fred.¡± Raines spoke up when Julien fell silent.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Julien responded icily.


    Raines left with a visibly shaken Emily. Julien turned around and headed to Hayden¡¯s study.


    As expected, Hayden was in his study. Standing by therge window, phone in hand, he spoke to


    Kieran on the other end, ¡°The rescue happened before dawn, with Raines and Lien. The hostage has


    been returned to Fred and is being guarded round the clock. Fred should ept our conditions. As for


    Kyle¡­¡±.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk when I get back,¡± Kieran¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    Hayden continued, ¡°During the rescue, Lien chased a man in ck, identity unknown When are you


    nning to return?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon,¡± Kieran sounded cheerful.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Hayden asked.


    ¡°Just bought a bouquet to surprise my wife when she wakes up,¡± he paused, ¡°Oh sorry, I forgot you¡¯re


    single.¡±

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    Chapter 277


    ¡°Safe travels,e back alive, so you can die by my hand,¡± Hayden ended the call.


    Julien was about to approach Hayden to discuss the mysterious man in ck, when he suddenly


    turned around and asked, ¡°Do you like flowers?¡±


    Taken aback, Julien hesitated at the entrance of the room before turning around to leave.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Hayden¡¯smanding voice echoed from behind.


    Julien stopped in her tracks and turned to him, ¡°I don¡¯t answer personal questions.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± The topic of flowers was seemingly closed between them.


    ¡°I found Simon, the first in line to inherit the Fitzgerald family fortune, his private jet took off twenty-


    three hours ago, on a domestic flight path, but lost contact midway. I can¡¯t locate the specifding


    spot,¡± Julien reported.


    Hayden¡¯s eyes hardened, ¡°Did you find out his purpose?¡±


    :


    ¡°Vacation,¡± Julien replied. ¡°I figured out the charitable donation. Simon initiated it, intended for global


    special cases, specifically for typical difficult diseases and targeted cancer patients. However, due to an


    error in verifying the list, the funds were donated to Sansa, who shares the same name. It was purely


    coincidental.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡± Hayden asked Julien with a meaningful look.


    Julien scoffed, ¡°No.¡±


    At some point, Hayden had moved in front of Julien. He gently stroked her hair, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either.


    Keep investigating.¡±


    With that, he calmly left the study, leaving Julien standing alone.


    After a while, Raines returned to the study to look for Hayden, but finding only Julien, he casually


    asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the young master¡­?¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Taken aback by Julien¡¯s outburst, Raines was surprised. However, he knew better than to argue and


    promptly left.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Julien called out to Raines before he could leave.


    Raines stopped reflexively.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest salon?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Julien stared at Raines.


    ¡°Do you want to cut your hair?¡± Raines asked incredulously.


    ¡°Yep, I want to shave it all off.¡±


    Raines managed a strained smile, only to see Hayden reappear at the door. Feeling like he had been


    saved, be quickly handed Hayden the tablet he had been holding, ¡°Emily asked me to give this to you.¡±


    With that, Raines rushed away.


    Julien, not bothering to look at him, walked out, only to be stopped by Hayden.


    Julien was no match for Hayden¡¯s strength and ended up being pulled back into his arms. Instead of


    struggling, she calmly said, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. I will definitely obey your


    command to stay still, so you don¡¯t need to go through the trouble of grabbing me.¡±


    ¡°Obey mymand?¡± Hayden¡¯s hawk-like eyes locked onto Julien¡¯s face.


    They were close to each other, Julien could clearly feel Hayden¡¯s warm breath. She remained silent in


    response to his question.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you when I left years ago?¡± He tightened his grip on her waist.


    Julien didn¡¯t respond. In her memory, he had left without a word.


    But he kept staring at her, his gaze so deep as if he was expecting an answer.


    In the end, Julien pushed him away with all her strength, saying, ¡°The past is the past. The man I


    remember is dead in my memory. What are you trying to say by bringing up past events?¡±


    After a pause, she added, ¡°I obey my superior¡¯smands because I owe him. But I¡¯m not responsible


    for reminiscing about the past with him.¡±


    ¡°I asked you to wait for me,¡± Hayden suddenly said to Julien.


    Julien was initially indifferent, but upon hearing his words, she fell silent, her face stiffening.


    ¡°After I left, I sent you a text. It was a rush, and in the message, I told you to wait for me, to wait for me


    to take responsibility for you,¡± he exined.


    Julien only recalled her reckless, one-sided love for him back then. She had never expected anything


    from him, nor had she ever asked him to take responsibility. She had even considered that her


    impulsive actions would lead to a major fight and their eventual separation.


    But among all the possible oues, him leaving without a word was not one of them. And she had


    never received the text he mentioned.


    Julien looked at Hayden, ¡°I think you misunderstood. I never thought you were wrong


    With that, she turned to leave. The highly intelligent Hayden probably realized she never received the


    text, but he did not understand what she meant by her words.


    ¡°Stop,¡± he said to Julien.


    But the stubborn woman by the door continued to leave, as if she hadn¡¯t heard him.


    ¡°The person who just said she would obey mymands is now refusing very straightforwardly,¡± he


    said from behind her.


    Julien took a deep breath, stopped, and turned around, ¡°What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Exin the meaning of your words just now,¡± he stood there, telling her, ¡°Unless you want me to follow


    you right now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve done anything wrong. You¡¯re an adult, and you have every right to make your own


    ns. And back then, I was an adult too. I had the courage to take responsibility for everything I did¡­


    just don¡¯te any closer. Stay right there and let me finish!¡± Julien pointed at the man who was


    stepping towards him. ¡°The things I didn¡¯t understand back then¡­ Time has given me the answers. I¡­


    um¡­


    Before she could finish her sentence, she was pinned against the door behind her. The man had one


    hand on the door and the other around her waist, pressing her firmly against the door.


    The kisses came down like a storm, fast and furious. Every time she tried to speak, he took advantage


    of her breathlessness.


    This went on until she was out of breath and sense, her bodypletely weak. Only then did he finally


    have the mercy to release her lips.


    Taking advantage of his height, he looked down at her, his rough fingers gently brushing over her


    burning lips. His body pressed against hers, his deep, ocean-like eyes staring at her unblinkingly. His


    attractive, thin lips parted slightly, ¡°Speak. I¡¯m listening.¡±¡¤


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Julien, tightly controlled by the man, couldn¡¯t even lift her leg to kick him. So while she


    cursed him, she headbutted him.


    But his reaction was much faster than hers. Before her forehead could hit his, he had already reached


    out his hand and covered her head. In the end, her pale forehead hit his soft palm, and she didn¡¯t feel


    any pain at all.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± She tried to pry his fingers off her forehead, hoping to force him to let go.


    :


    The manughed, a rareugh. His gaze was unusually tender, with a hint of indulgence. His tone was


    soft, like a father dealing with his mischievous daughter, ¡°If I let go of you, what are you going to do? Hit


    me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you let go.¡± She replied with a sarcastic smirk on her face.


    Hayden rarely saw Julien blush. Most of the time, her face was pale and her expression was serious,


    even more stern than his.


    At this moment, however, she was blushing. Was it because of theck of oxygen just now, or was it


    because of sudden shyness? Her cheeks were suspiciously pink.


    For some reason, Hayden let go of her. Then he took a step back, opened his arms, and waited for her


    next move as if he was expecting her to do something shocking.


    But Julien opened the door behind her, took a long stride, and ran¡­


    Hayden was speechless.


    He didn¡¯t expect Julien to flee. After all, he had seen many sides of her growing up, but he had never


    seen her resort to flight as a strategy.


    At that moment, if Julien had pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the heart, it probably wouldn¡¯t have


    surprised him as much as her running away.


    So he stood there for a while, until his phone rang and snapped him out of his daze.


    He slowly pulled out his phone and answered the call.


    On the other end of the line was Kieran¡¯s voice, sounding a bit anxious, ¡°Send Squad Six to Sycamore


    Vige, now!¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Without asking why, Hayden could tell from Kieran¡¯s voice that he was in a hurry. He arranged for


    Squad Six to rush to Sycamore Vige immediately. Then he picked up his phone and asked Kieran,


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Joyce disappeared.¡± Kieran¡¯s tone was heavy.


    ¡°What do you mean Joyce disappeared?¡± Hayden frowned. He remembered that Kieran had mentioned


    nning a surprise with a bouquet for Julie before thest


    call ended.


    Kieran had woken up early and gone for a run by the sea. After that, he had picked up some flowers


    and was about to wake Julie up when he realized there was no one in the bedroom.


    He searched around the town with the help of Karl, but they couldn¡¯t find Julie anywhere. Theyter


    learned that the only two boats in town were missing at the same time. Kieran had no choice but to


    think in the direction of disappearance and called Hayden for help immediately.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278


    Chapter 278


    Julie stared at the first-aid kit in front of her, her eyebrows knit together in a deep frown. Inside the


    cabin, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man was pointing a gun at the captain.


    Themunication equipment was shot to pieces by the blond-haired, blue-eyed man. Lying next to


    Julie was an incredibly handsome man. His dark brows and short distance between his eyes made his


    large eyes look deeper. His pupils were a grayish blue, his nose was high, and his facial features were


    extraordinarily handsome.


    All Julie knew was that the blond-haired, blue-eyed man was named Kleist, and that the man lying on


    the floor was referred to as Young Master¡¯ by Kleist.


    She never thought that a simple vacation would lead to her being held at gunpoint on this yacht.


    Rewinding to two hours ago.


    After waking from a dream, she found that Kieran was not in the vi. With her thoughts in disarray, she


    went out to find him.


    The vi was located by the sea, nestled in dense green vegetation. Behind the vi was a huge


    swimming pool, and beyond that were loungers and a sandy beach.


    Seeing no sign of Kieran on the beach, Julie decided to check the garden at the front of the vi. But


    she saw a flock of birds suddenly taking flight from the dense forest in the distance.


    She cautiously approached the forest, calling out Kieran¡¯s name but did not dare to enter the woods.


    However, as soon as she called out, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man and another injured man emerged


    from the forest.


    The blond man held a gun and aimed it at Julie¡¯s head. Her scream got stuck in her throat. The sound


    of footsteps behind them made the man quickly turn around and aim his gun at the forest. Julie tried to


    run, but the injured man unintentionally lunged in her direction.


    To avoid being crashed into, Julie quickly stretched out her hands to support the man. But standing at


    around 5 feet, she was no match for the man who was at least 6 feet tall,


    Thanks to her recent strength training with Bolt, Julie was able to hold the man up.


    Julie didn¡¯t know who these two were, but as she was about to push the injured man away, Kleist


    turned back around and pointed his gun at her again.


    He then said something to her in broken English, ¡°Get on the butt!¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡± Julie was confused as she stared at Kleist, dumbfounded.


    The man leaning on Julie¡¯s shoulder, suppressing his pain, spoke to Julie in perfect English, ¡°The boat.¡±


    Kleist quickly helped the injured man and put his arm around his own shoulder. He then pointed the


    gun at Julie, signaling her to walk towards the yacht connected by the dock.


    With a gun pointed at her head and the man¡¯s wounds looking real, Julie knew that Kleist would


    actually shoot her. So for the sake of her life, she had no choice but to board the yacht. It was still early,


    and there were no passengers on the yacht, only the captain in the cockpit. Kleist naturally took the


    captain hostage and shot the captain¡¯smunication device. He then fired two shots at the yacht next


    to them before forcing the captain to set sail. Later during the journey, Julie learned that the blond-


    haired, blue-eyed man was called Kleist, and the handsome weak man lying next to her was referred to


    as ¡®Young Master¡¯.


    Since she was already taken hostage and couldn¡¯t jump into the sea, Julie had to look for other ways to


    escape. All hermunication devices were confiscated when she boarded, and Julie now guessed


    that she needed wings to escape.


    Kleist asked Julie, ¡°Can you bandage?¡±


    Although his English wasn¡¯t perfect, Julie understood what he meant. She had only had a nightmare


    and was worried about Kieran, so she went out to look for him. How did she end up being held hostage


    on a boat with a gun pointed at her?


    While Julie was still pondering over this, Kleist suddenly spoke a few words to the Young Master.


    The gist of it was that if Julie was no longer useful, then¡­


    Looking at Kleist¡¯s cold eyes, Julie didn¡¯t wait for him to finish speaking. She quickly raised her hand


    and nodded, ¡°Yes, yes, I can bandage!¡±


    She said as she quickly opened the first-aid kit that the captain had handed to her, and then innocently


    looked up at the injured Young Master.


    He was wearing a snow-white shirt, which was nowpletely stained red, looking very daunting. The


    man¡¯s face was somewhat pale, looking weak.


    But he naturally exuded an air of nobility and arrogance. This was evident from the way Kleist took off


    his shirt and used it as a cushion for him to sit on. This man was either rich of noble. For the sake of


    her life, Julie imed she could bandage. She knew how to bandage, but only basic first-aid learned


    from watching others.


    ¡°Um¡­ Young Master¡¯, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He lowered his head, looking at Julie sitting on the floor, and said, ¡°Call me Rowan.¡±


    If it were an ordinary woman, she would probably be trembling in fear by now. But the woman in front of


    him, although frightened, could still maintain calm.


    Of course, this was because Julie had already experienced a terrifying kidnapping. It probably wasn¡¯t


    her first time having a gun pointed at her, so she wasn¡¯t as flustered as one might imagine.


    Since the man didn¡¯t mention his surname, Julie had no choice but to go along and say, ¡°Rowan?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The


    gun was pressed tightly against her temple.


    Julie froze for a moment, then turned around and said in fluent English to Kleist, ¡°I can¡¯t swim, and I


    have no way to escape. If you don¡¯t intend to shoot me, stop pointing the gun at me. Now I need to


    bandage your master¡¯s wound.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll shoot.¡± Rowan¡¯s voice was cold from behind.


    Julie was careful and gave Rowan a smile that was uglier than crying, ¡°Will he shoot me because I


    can¡¯t remove the bullet?¡±


    She looked at his wound and asked carefully.


    The man¡¯s handsome fingers unbuttoned his shirt one by one in front of Julie, said, ¡°It¡¯s a knife wound.¡±


    5


    Julie closed her eyes, replying, ¡°I can¡¯t stitch.¡±


    d in a white nightdress and a ck coat, Julie was barefoot in her fluffy white slippers, clearly


    having rushed out in a hurry. Her slippers were now full of sand from the beach.


    She squinted her eyes, as if not wanting to see him undressing. He watched her quietly, her long hair


    cascading down her shoulders, its beautiful color soft under the winter sun.


    Her skin was tender, and she didn¡¯t look very old, but she wasn¡¯t a naive young girl either. She was


    now kneeling on the ground, very casually. Standing next to her just now, although she was shorter


    than him, her ovepped legs were fair, slender, and well-proportioned.


    She had a good figure, and there was a tempting charm about her. Casual, yet beautiful.


    ¡°Open your eyes, I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± the man¡¯s deep voice sounded, as soothing as an unnameable


    musical instrument.


    Jule had seen Kleist¡¯s shooting skills, essentially wless. The gun pointed at her temple, pressing a bit


    tighter.


    In a life-threatening situation, Julie opened her eyes quickly.


    What came into view was the man¡¯s muscr upper body. The skin characteristic of Caucasians, but


    not too muscr, perhaps due to mixed heritage, his skin even seemed delicate.


    A well-exercised physique, without an ounce of excess fat. He exuded an irresistible hormonal scent,


    yet Julie only nced sideways, seemingly unwilling to meet his gaze directly.


    He reached out, gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him.


    The force was not small, unlike the gentle care of Kieran she was used to. Julie felt as if her jawbone


    was about to be crushed by this man.


    ¡°I have a son to raise, elderly parents to take care of, would you show mercy and let me go?¡± she


    asked, her eyes hopeful despite the pain in her jaw.


    The woman¡¯s skin was even softer than he had imagined.


    He released her chin, ¡°Are you married?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My husband is in that beach vi we just passed. If you let the captain turn the ship around, I can


    arrange for the best medical team to treat you, I swear.¡± She raised her hands solemnly, as if taking an


    oath.


    The man, however, just handed her a roll of gauze, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die here, help me change the


    dressing.¡±


    In order to save her own life, Julie had no choice but to bow her head.


    The man was injured right at the iliac crest.


    In the end, she still couldn¡¯t do it, turning to Kleist with a pleading look, ¡°How about you help your young


    master with his wound, and I hold your gun?¡±


    ¡®Bang!¡¯


    Julie¡¯s words were immediately followed by a gunshot. Kleist, while looking at her, had fired off a


    warning shot into the sky.


    Startled, Julie quickly reached around the man¡¯s back to unwrap the gauze. She didn¡¯t want to die here,


    and she believed that Kieran woulde to rescue her.


    The reason why Kleist couldn¡¯t put down his gun to help with the dressing was twofold: firstly, he


    needed to keep the captain and Julie under control; secondly, he had to be on guard for any


    approaching enemies, thus the need for heightened vignce.


    Julie wanted to use the gauze to strangle the young master and take him hostage, but she knew that


    even if he was injured, she might not be able to overpower him, so she obediently helped him treat his


    wound.


    After she had removed all the gauze, she saw that his wound was actually stitched up, but probably


    due to intense movement, some of it had reopened, causing a lot of bleeding. Julie used a cotton swab


    to clean the blood around his wound, but before she could apply ointment, Kleist suddenly turned his


    head¡­

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279


    Chapter 279


    Hayden¡¯s sixth team was the elite of the aviation squad, trained by Miles.


    When the aviation squad arrived at Sycamore Vige, the yacht had lost contact for nearly three hours.


    Along with the elite squad came Payne and Julien.


    As usual, he was carrying arge backpack. Karl took Ivan back to Whispering Pines in his private jet.


    And Kieran didn¡¯t tell Ivan about Julie¡¯s disappearance.


    For Payne, being on the same ne as Julien was an exciting experience. However, if Julien knew


    Payne was on the ne, she probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten on it.


    The town wasn¡¯trge, and there were only two small yachts docked at the coast. The town didn¡¯t rely


    on the sea for its livelihood but rather on tourism. The small yachts were mainly chartered for tourist


    groups.


    However, both yachts had disappeared simultaneously. As the helicopter hovered over the sea, Payne


    was glued to hisputer, his fingers dancing on the keyboard.


    ¡°Can you track the ships?¡± asked Julien, speaking to Payne for the first time since boarding the ne.


    Despite his admiration for her, Payne was unhappy with her questioning his expertise.


    ¡°Of course, the ships are tracked via satellite signals. Can¡¯t a genius like me hack int¨° a satellite


    navigation system?¡± he retorted. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly tapped on the


    keyboard, crawled over to the pilot, and announced the coordinates.


    The ne quickly headed towards the two yachts.


    Half an hourter, they finally caught up.


    However, both yachts, which had been moving, were now stationary in the water when Kieran arrived.


    One of them was leaking, and the whole yacht was tilting towards the sea. The other was simply


    floating quietly on the water, with no sign of life.


    -The ne circled above the undamaged yacht.


    Kieran was the first tond on the deck. Julien grabbed the team leader¡¯s gun and handed it to Kieran.


    After catching it urately, Julien also jumped down, leaving Payne alone in the ne, sticking half of


    his body out of the ne to look down.


    From Payne¡¯s point of view, this was no different than a suicide mission!


    He was seasick, okay?


    Julien and Kieran split up. Julien checked the cabins, while Kieran headed straight for the cockpit.


    In the end, Julien came back empty-handed, but Kieran found the unconscious captain in the cockpit¡­


    ¡°If she¡¯s not here, then¡­¡± Julien¡¯s words trailed off as suddenly¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± a group of men in life jackets surrounded Julien and Kieran.


    Julien recognized the voice as familiar. She stood still until a man suddenly walked


    up to her¡­


    This man, known as Gentry, had a missing arm. He had crossed paths with Julien before, worked


    under Miles, and then pleaded for Miles to spare him for a woman, cutting off his own arm as a price.


    Julien had also worked under Miles. They both served the same beast, they¡¯re not exactly close, but


    they sharedmon experiences that outsiders wouldn¡¯t understand.


    Gentry recognized Julien as well. He didn¡¯t know Julien¡¯s real name, but he called out in surprise,


    ¡°Canary?¡±


    Julien nced at the gun pointing at her spine.


    Gentry hurriedly waved his hand, and all his men put away their guns, though surprised.


    ¡°How did


    you end I up here?¡± Gentry asked. They didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s real names, but Julien was well


    known as Canary. However, others didn¡¯t know her gender or appearance.


    After following Hayden, Julien had only gathered information and no longer shed blood.


    Julien showed Gentry a picture of Julie, ¡°Have you seen this woman?¡±


    Gentry took a close look at the photo and then at Kieran standing next to Julien. He shook his head


    and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What about these two yachts¡­¡± Julien asked, implying she didn¡¯t quite believe what Gentry had said.


    Gentry knew Canary was a tough character, so he added, ¡°I was chasing someone here. There are


    rules here, so I can¡¯t tell you who it was, but I was set up. The ship had problems. Buti haven¡¯t seen the


    woman in Canary¡¯s photo.¡±


    ¡°Then who were you chasing?¡± Julien asked.


    Gentry cursed, ¡°The bastard ran away. I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. We followed the ship all the


    way here, but all we found was an unconscious waste.


    Gentry looked at Kieran¡¯s serious face and whispered to Canary, ¡°Canary, spare me. I promise as soon


    as I hear anything about this girl, I¡¯ll contact you immediately.¡±


    Kieran, upon learning Julie wasn¡¯t here, left the group and got back on the ne. He then told Payne,


    ¡°Look for nearby inds, send everyone to look for her, search with all you might.¡±


    Julien looked at Gentry and warned, ¡°The police will be here in half an hour.¡±


    With that, she had done Gentry a favor.,


    After Julien had left, the henchman who had just pointed a gun at Julien, approached Gentry,


    whispering, ¡°Mr. Gentry, why are you so respectful to a chick?¡±


    With the handle of his gun, Gentry hit him on the head, answering with a sarcastic smile, ¡°A chick?¡±


    The henchman rubbed his sore head.


    Gentry pointed to his amputated arm, ¡°I can kill you with one shot, and the chick you¡¯re disregarding


    can kill both of us with a single shot. She taught me how to shoot. Should I respect her


    or not?¡±


    So, which hand of his that had just pointed a gun at her back? The henchman nervously rubbed his


    arm and asked Gentry, ¡°So, Mr. Gentry, are we still going to search this area?¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Search your ass! What¡¯s the difference between opposing Kieran and opposing the young master? If


    Hayden can overthrow his own father, do we stand a chance?¡± Gentry pped the henchman hard on


    the head, ¡°What kind of job have you epted? That blonde guy following him doesn¡¯t seem like an


    easy target. Do you know who the employer is?¡± The henchman shook his head, ¡°The employer offered


    six million, just to teach that man a lesson, to scare him. He didn¡¯t mention his identity, but with such a


    huge sum¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Gentry kicked him, ¡°If that man hadn¡¯t been injured, we wouldn¡¯t even have


    seen his shadow! Six million, and you didn¡¯t realize why he is worth that much?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gentry, didn¡¯t you say that in our line of work, we shouldn¡¯t be afraid of those we can¡¯t mess with,


    but those who don¡¯t pay?¡± The henchman whispered. Gentry patted him on the face, ¡°Let me add to


    that; don¡¯t fear those who don¡¯t pay, fear those who take lives! Got it?¡±


    Originally, Julie thought she would be held hostage by Kleist indefinitely. However, to her surprise,


    Kleist ordered the captain to leave her and the young master¡¯ on a deserted ind.


    The yacht then reversed course, presumably ready to engage another yacht. Before leaving, Kleist


    handed the only gun to the young master.


    The purpose was to let the young master hold the gun and force Julie to take care of him.


    Even though this man was injured, Julie knew she couldn¡¯t snatch the gun from him. After she had


    taken care of his wound, he didn¡¯t ask for her help to board the yacht. Although his face was as pale as


    a sheet, his steps were extraordinarily firm.


    You¡¯re not going to kill me, are you?¡± Julie asked the man hopefully, ¡°You have no reason to kill an


    innocent. If you manage to escape with Kleistter, could you knock me unconscious and leave me on


    the yacht? I don¡¯t know who you are, and I absolutely won¡¯t tell anyone about what happened today¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you shut up if I kill you?¡± He slowly followed her, casually holding the gun.


    Julie immediately covered her mouth and decided to keep quiet.


    She carried arge backpack prepared by Kleist, filled with food and medical supplies.


    She had only intended to investigate the truth about Zenith, not to survive in the wilderness of a


    deserted ind.


    A chill crept into Julie¡¯s heart, but thinking that Kieran was definitely looking for her, she felt somewhat


    reassured.


    Considering the istion of the ind, Julie knew her priority wasn¡¯t escaping, but surviving under the


    threat of his gun.


    So, she had to hold on and live for as long as he didn¡¯t want to kill her!


    She absentmindedly kept her distance from him while they entered deeper into the ind. This ce


    was devoid of footprints, like a deserted ind cut off from the world. The surroundings felt cold and


    lifeless.


    She took deep breaths to stay calm and distracted herself with other thoughts. However, she didn¡¯t


    notice the ground beneath her feet. She never thought that on this rarely visited ind, a snake that


    should have been hibernating was under her foot.


    By the time she looked down in response, the snake was hissing and approaching her.


    This was the creature Julie feared most in her life!


    Just when she was frozen in fear¡­ unexpectedly, the man who had been following her suddenly


    scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground¡­

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280


    Chapter 280


    Everything happened so quickly. He had scooped her up into his arms and whisked her away from the


    serpent¡¯s tail, her feet leaving the ground in an instant. There had been no wind on the small ind, but


    his swift action had caused a slight breeze to brush against Julie¡¯s face, ruffling her hair.


    A sharp intake of breath reached her ears.


    Snapping out of her surprise, Julie looked down to see the python that had been ready to strike her. Its


    mouth was open with venomous fangs. Her sudden departure had caused the serpent to miss its target


    and strike his ankle instead.


    He had a gun in his other hand and with one shot, he blew the serpent¡¯s head off. The uracy of his


    shot was breathtaking. The snake writhed on the spot for a while before it finally


    died.


    He then let her down and squatted beside her.


    Julie was genuinely scared. In her world, creatures like these were far scarier than any weapon. Even


    now, seeing the dead body of the snake, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. The python, over a metre long,


    had frightened her so much that she was still struggling to catch her breath.


    Would he die here because he had saved her, and there was no antidote on this ind?


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Julie asked, her wordsing out choppy from herboured breaths.


    Just a moment ago, he had been holding a gun at her, and she had thought of a thousand ways to


    escape. But she never imagined that he would risk his life to save hers.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± She asked, her eyes welling up as she watched his ankle swell rapidly. She


    held the two ends of his wound, thinking of scenes from TV dramas.


    She looked up at him, her eyes full of helplessness, her face etched with worry. She asked, ¡°Would


    sucking it out work? What should I do?¡±


    He was sitting on the leaf-littered ground, quietly watching her. Sunlight filtered down through the


    leaves and fell on her hair. She was kneeling beside his ankle, her hair swept to one side.


    He had never thought that he would one day get injured while saving a woman. However, the decision


    to save her had been made without a moment¡¯s hesitation. He knew that the snake


    wasn¡¯t venomous.


    She had dropped her backpack as though ready to make a difficult decision.


    Julie never thought she would be held hostage at gunpoint, nor did she think that her negligence could


    cost someone their life. Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, she didn¡¯t want anyone to


    sacrifice their life because of her mistake.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    She was going to try.


    She took out a bottle of mineral water from her backpack, poured it over his ankle, took a deep breath,


    and prepared herself for what was about toe. She closed her eyes and leaned in to do what


    needed to be done.


    But then, her forehead hit his broad palm.


    ¡°Pythons are non-venomous,¡± he exined calmly, lifting her head with his hand to prevent any contact


    between her mouth and his ankle.


    Julie was speechless.


    She was pissed and wanted to kill him!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?!¡± She eximed, pointing at his nose.


    ¡°Even non-venomous snakes can cause swelling due to bacteria and toxicity in their teeth and saliva,¡±


    he exined calmly. ¡°use the first aid kit to disinfect the wound.¡±


    Regardless of everything, he had saved her life.


    Julie took out the disinfectant and carefully cleaned his wound..


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked out of the blue,


    Concentrating on her task, Julie almost blurted out her real name. But remembering his unknown


    identity, she decided against it.


    ¡°I am Patriot. My mom and dad both love the country, so they named me Patriot. Myst name is


    Newell, but you can just call me Patriot.¡±


    He looked at her with an expression that said ¡®I¡¯d be a fool to believe you.¡¯


    ¡°Although I think the name is not pretty, it was given by my parents who gave birth to me and raised


    me. Everyone calls.me MoMo.¡±


    It seemed like he didn¡¯t care whether she was lying or not.


    After doing the basic disinfection and care for his wound, Julie started to explore the ind. She gave


    him a bottle of water to drink.


    Although she wanted to ask who he was, she wisely kept her mouth shut. The less she knew, the safer


    it was.


    She sat next to him, Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she asked casually, ¡°Did you save me


    because you knew the snake wasn¡¯t venomous?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer her, so she took off her ck coat and draped it over him to cover his bare body,


    which was making her ufortable.


    He looked at her with a look of distaste, but Julie didn¡¯t care. She looked at his blue-green eyes and


    said, ¡°You won¡¯t shoot me for giving you a coat, will you?¡±


    In the end, he didn¡¯t say anything, and of course, he didn¡¯t answer Julie¡¯s first question either.


    ¡°Kleist wille back to save you, right?¡± She asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied unexpectedly.


    She said, ¡°This seems to be an uninhabited ind. Although the snake we encountered was not


    venomous, there might be other creatures. How many bullets do you have left?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll save one for you, he replied.


    Julie turned her back to him, no longer wanting to talk to him.


    The silence between them dragged on, stretching out for a good ten minutes.


    Suddenly, a roar from some unidentified creature echoed through the dense forest. Julie instantly spun


    around,pelled to check if the man behind her was still there.


    But he was leaning against a towering pine tree, eyes gently shut. He seemed to be dozing off, or


    maybe he was already asleep.


    Julie waved her hand in front of the man¡¯s face, but he didn¡¯t seem to stir.


    She turned her gaze to the gun gripped in the man¡¯s strong and lean fingers, a wave of nervousness


    causing her to swallow hard. Then, ever so gently and slowly, she began to move her hand towards


    his.


    Holding her breath, Julie attempted to make her movements as light as possible. It was a struggle to


    even touch the jet-ck and gleaming gun. The man¡¯s grip was so tight.


    Carefully, Julie extended her thumb and index finger, trying to pry the man¡¯s thumb away. The moment


    she brushed against his fingertip, she guiltily nced back at him, fearing he would wake up. Only


    when she saw his eyes remained shut did she dare to exert more force.


    It seemed the man truly was asleep. She finally managed to loosen his thumb.


    She nced back at the man leaning against the tree one more time, confirming he hadn¡¯t opened his


    eyes, then quickly returned to her task. All she had to do was pry loose his index finger, take the gun,


    point it at his head, and she¡¯d have a chance at survival.


    With this thought in mind, Julie couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of fear.


    Finally, after what seemed like herculean effort, she seeded in prying his fingers loose. A triumphant


    smile spread across Julie¡¯s face as she reached for the gun. But the moment her fingertips brushed the


    cold metal, the man suddenly tightened his grip on the weapon, his powerful arm snaking out to


    strangle her.


    As the man¡¯s arm constricted, Julie, who had been squatting on the ground, fell back onto the leaf-


    covered forest floor, her back against the man¡¯s chest.


    He didn¡¯t even need the gun. He could easily strangle her with one arm. Julie struggled to breathe, her


    hands frantically beating against the man¡¯s arm. She tried to bite him, but her efforts were in vain.


    Her legs kicked out in desperation, but she couldn¡¯tnd a hit. There were no weapons nearby, and just


    as she thought she was going to suffocate, she gathered all her strength and grabbed the man¡¯s hair,


    her face turning red as she pulled as hard as she could.


    It felt like the woman was about to tear off his scalp.


    The man switched the gun to his other hand, pressing it against Julie¡¯s head, ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°You let go!¡± Julie¡¯s face was beet red, and she managed to push out a few words through her


    constricted throat. How could an injured man have so much strength?


    With the gun pressed against her head, Julie had no choice but to let go of the man¡¯s hair.


    Remembering his injury, the moment she let go, she quickly jabbed at the man¡¯s side. Her fist was


    small, but thanks to the fact she had reced his bandages before, her punchnded squarely on his


    wound.


    Pain shot through him, and he released the woman trapped in his arm.


    Julie fell forward, lying on the ground, gasping for air. She was sure her face was purple by now.


    Fearfully, she crawled a few steps forward.


    Then, with a shudder of dread, she looked back at the man she had injured. Fresh blood was seeping


    through his white bandages. It was a terrifying sight.


    The man¡¯s face was pale, beads of sweat the size of peas trickling down his forehead. His gaze was


    icy as he raised the gun and pointed it at Julie, pulling the trigger.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281


    Chapter 281


    Payne, following the orders of Kieran, initiated a search on the deserted inds nearby.


    ¡°From the position of the cruise ship, there are two closest uninhabited Inds. One is in front of the


    ship and the other one is behind,¡± Payne reported.


    ¡°You and Julien take a team to the ind behind the ship, the rest of us will check out the one in front,¡±


    Kieran instructed, aiming to consolidate resources as quickly as possible.


    Kleran led the airborne team directly to the ind in front, while Payne suggested over the radio, ¡°The


    probability of them being on the ind behind the ship is higher since that¡¯s the direction the cruise was


    coming from.¡±


    ¡°Check the cruise¡¯s route logs,¡± Julien advised Payne.


    Payne pped his forehead, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    Julien had a bad feeling, he suspected that the cruise might have made a round trip.


    And indeed, Julien¡¯s intuition was spot on.


    Over an hour ago, Kleist, concerned for his young master¡¯s safety, decided to use a diversion tactic. He


    first dropped off Julie and his young master on this uninhabited ind, then drove the cruise ship back


    to mislead the enemies.


    So, Julie and Kleist¡¯s young master were on the ind in front.


    Kieran, leading the airborne team, headed directly for the ind)This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Julie was crouched next to arge tree, a gun in her hand, vigntly observing her surroundings. In


    front of her was a small beach, her location was very conspicuous.


    While still on the helicopter, Kieran spotted the small figure huddled by the tree through his binocrs.


    He rushed down from the helicopter and ran towards Julie.


    Julie, however, reflexively raised her gun at Kieran. Only when she looked up did she recognize the


    familiar figure.


    ¡°Kerry?¡± her eyes slightly reddened, a hint of joy in her gaze.


    She was still wearing a snow-white nightgown, the hem of which waspletely stained with mud,


    looking dirty.


    Seeing him walking towards her, she looked down at the gun she was pointing at Kieran, quickly


    dropped it, and ran towards him.


    Kieran hurriedly ran forward and embraced the muddy woman in his arms.


    14


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t find me¡­¡± All the courage she had mustered drained away in the sight of this


    man. She buried herself in his embrace, tightly holding onto his waist, smearing her tears and runny


    nose all over his crisp white shirt.


    Her voice was choked with emotion, ¡°I thought¡­I thought I was going to die here¡­¡±


    When the gun was pointed at her by that man, she truly believed she would die on this ind, die


    under his gun. In that moment, many images shed through Julie¡¯s mind, as if she was reviewing her


    entire life in a span of a few seconds.


    In that moment, she hugged her head, feeling despair


    The gunshot rang beside her ear, even though it was a silenced gun, the noise was still quite loud up


    close. The expected pain didn¡¯te. She quickly turned around and saw a cobra lying behind her, its


    head and body separated by the bullet, but its tail was still wriggling.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed, crawling towards him,pletely forgetting that he was the one who almost


    strangled her to death just a moment ago.


    Compared to the cobra, the man behind her seemed more reliable. She¡¯d rather be shot in the head by


    a person than be bitten by a snake.


    Where¡¯s your phone? Give me your phone, I need to call someone!¡± Julie was so scared she nearly


    lost her mind. She didn¡¯t care that the man still had a gun in his hand, her only thought was to call


    Kieran.


    So, she directly reached into his pockets, looking for his phone! Her will to survive was


    unprecedentedly strong at this moment. She thought of Ivan, and of the man who was surely looking


    for her right now, she had to survive!


    She couldn¡¯t die on this deserted ind, whether by gunshot or snakebite!


    The woman,


    ¡°Do


    who had the courage to poke at his wound, was surprisingly still alive. What¡¯s more surprising was her


    audacity to touch him!


    you want to die?¡± his cold voice echoed in the ominous forest.


    Tears in her eyes, Julie retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, I have a son and a husband, I have people I love,


    people who love me. Why should I die? Because I don¡¯t want to die, Lneed to call my husband to


    rescue me! I came out for a vacation, why should I be threatened by your gun, I¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Julie felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she could no longer hold them back.


    ¡°If you cry and it annoys me, I might really kill you.¡± His words were as natural as saying lines in a y.


    From his tone, it didn¡¯t sound like a threat, but Julie still felt a chill.


    She sniffed, holding back her tears.


    She wasn¡¯t a crybaby, but being left on a deserted ind with uncertain fate, thinking of her husband


    and child, she couldn¡¯t help but get emotional.


    She pulled her hand back and sat quietly, not moving anymore.


    oic


    ¡°Are you done throwing a tantrum? Unexpectedly, the man didn¡¯t remain silent like before, instead, he


    took the initiative to speak, his voiceced with a hint of sarcasm.


    Julie looked at him in surprize, not saying a word.


    Surprisingly, he did something that took her aback. He handed her the only gun he had.


    His actions were so sudden that Julie didn¡¯t dare to reach out for the gun, fearing it was a trap.


    But he just looked at her calmly, and said, ¡°Kill me, and you can escape.¡±


    Julie nced at the gun in her arms, then looked up at the man¡­


    He was calmly waiting for what was about to happen, quietly observing her, even seemed to be


    expecting her to pick up the gun.


    When she was sure from his gaze that he wouldn¡¯t fight back, Julie¡¯s fingers stealthily touched the cold


    ck gun. He turned his head away, not looking at her.


    In that instant, Julie suddenly picked up the gun and pointed it at the man¡¯s head. The gun was loaded


    when it was in his hands. If she pulled the trigger¡­


    ¡°Give me your phone!¡± she demanded, her voice trembling slightly as she pointed the gun at his head.


    ded who inhera


    Holding a gun and watching others do it were two vastly different experiences. It wasn¡¯t until she held


    the gun in her own hand that she understood why she held a unique admiration for


    Julien¡­


    The man leaned against a big oak tree, unmoving. His voice was calm as he said, ¡°Shoot. Without my


    death, you won¡¯t get the phone.¡±


    Her hands trembling, she pressed the muzzle of the gun to the man¡¯s forehead. The cold steel touching


    his skin, she repeated more loudly, ¡°Your phone, give me your phone!¡±


    Suddenly, the man grabbed her index finger, ready to pull the trigger himself.


    Even if she had the courage to be a murderer, she didn¡¯t have the heart. She released the gun in fright,


    and it fell back into the man¡¯s hands.


    The moment she raised her hands to cover her face, the man turned the gun on her and pulled the


    trigger.


    A hollow ¡®bang¡¯ echoed.


    Julie¡¯s eyes flung open¡­


    One of the man¡¯s hands was pointing the gun straight at her forehead; the other was holding the gun¡¯s


    empty magazine. He had removed it when he threw her the phone, so even though she had pulled the


    trigger, it was just a nk shot.


    From the very beginning, he had been testing her, testing if she was a murderer.


    Julie took a deep breath, oddly calmed by this revtion.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, you¡¯ll regret it,¡± she said, a sudden surge of courage fueling her words.


    At this, the man should¡¯ve scoffed. But instead, he smirked and asked, ¡°Why would I regret it?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, even in death, I won¡¯t leave you alone!¡±


    This childish threat made the man chuckle. It was somehow endearing,ing from a woman like her.


    They stood off, each sizing the other up.


    When Kleist arrived on his speedboat, he found them in this standoff. He hadn¡¯t expected the woman to


    still be standing toe-to-toe with the young master. It was surprising.


    Besides Kleist on the boat, there was a man carrying a medical kit and another in a ck suit, holding


    a crisp tuxedo.


    Julie quickly stood up.


    Kleist, ever the obedient servant, approached the young master and nodded in greeting.


    The young master tossed his gun on the ground, pulled a phone from his pocket and threw it next to it.


    He nced at Kleist, who immediately helped him onto the speedboat.


    Julie realized they were leaving her behind on the deste ind.


    She took a couple of steps forward, but Kleist¡¯s look stopped her in her tracks. It was dangerous, and


    she heard him say to the young master, ¡°Sir, about this woman¡­¡±


    His gaze felt like it was burying her alive. She retreated, picked up the gun, and pointed it unsteadily at


    Kleist, her eyes defiant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the young mastermanded.


    In the end, Kleist, ever obedient, helped the young master onto the speedboat, leaving Julie alone on


    the ind. After the speedboat vanished in the distance, Julie immediately picked up the phone to call


    Kieran. However, in this godforsaken ce, there was no signal.


    So, she held onto the gun, praying that no venomous snakes would approach her. Her senses were on


    high alert.


    It wasn¡¯t until Kieran actually held her in his arms that she couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore, and all her


    emotions came pouring out.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    Chapter 282


    In the helicopter, Julie nestled into Kieran¡¯s embrace, keeping quiet the whole time.


    Instead of probing for details about what had happened, Kieran was more concerned about her


    physical state. Julie, finally regaining herposure, shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The helicopter whirred back to Whispering Pines,nding on the grounds of Noblewood Retreat.


    Julien was the first one to meet them, her concern evident as she asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Julie shook her head, wrapping Julien in a tight embrace. Although surprised by this sudden intimacy,


    Julien did not push her away.


    Unsure of what to say, Julien decided to break the good news, ¡°Fred¡¯s daughter has been saved.


    Hayden has assigned people to protect her round the clock. Fred has agreed to treat Sansa.¡±


    Joy brimmed in Julie¡¯s eyes as she released Julien from her grip, ¡°Really?¡±


    Seemingly revived by the news, Julien nodded, ¡°Mmhm.¡±


    Amanda, the matriarch of the family, had already heard about Julie¡¯s disappearance over the phone


    and had been worried sick.


    Julie, noticing Amanda¡¯s concern, sweetly called out, ¡°Grandma.¡±


    ¡°You should have had Bolt with you. You always manage to stir up trouble when you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    Amanda tried to sound nonchnt, but her concern was evident as she rushed out to greet Julie.


    ¡°I made you worry.¡± Julie lowered her gaze, her innocent demeanor making one¡¯s heart ache.


    Amanda dismissed her with a wave, ¡°The cavalry wasn¡¯t called for you.¡±


    Amanda¡¯s aloofness was typical, but everyone knew she cared.


    ¡°Are you here to greet Joyce?¡± Kieran asked Amanda.


    Amanda waved at Basil, ¡°Where¡¯s the car I asked for? I need some fresh air.¡±


    Basil was left dumbfounded; when had she asked for a car? He followed the matriarch out, leaving the


    rest in the room.


    Payne looked at Julie, ¡°Sis, if you hadn¡¯t shown up, my brother would have turned the world upside


    down looking for you.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± Julien turned to Payne.


    Payne pointed at himself, a mix of surprise and suspicion on his face, ¡°Me? Really?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then never mind.¡± Julien turned away, her aloofness back in full force.


    Payne, realizing what was happening, quickly followed her.


    In the bedroom, Julie freshened up, changed into clean clothes, and settled beside Kieran on the


    couch. He held a tube of ointment and a towel, ready to tend to her wounds.


    Seeing her sit down, he gently lifted her leg onto hisp. Her pale ankle bore the marks of scratches.


    As he carefully applied the ointment, he asked, ¡°Are there any other injuries?¡±


    Despite his offer to help her bathe and check for injuries, she had insisted on doing it alone. She shook


    her head, then asked, ¡°Where were you this morning?¡±


    ¡°I went out to buy flowers.¡± He replied, keeping his focus on her ankle.


    Julie pursed her lips, whispering, ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    ¡°I almost died today¡­¡± She pulled back her foot and moved closer to him.


    He pulled her into his arms, realizing she was ready to talk about what happened. He gently held her,


    asking, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    On the way back, Julie had had time to collect her thoughts. When Kieran asked, she told him what


    happened in the past few days.


    ¡°That man, Rowan, wasn¡¯t just an ordinary person. He didn¡¯t tell me his full name, and I didn¡¯t tell him


    mine. In the end, he left me his gun¡­¡± Suddenly, she pushed away from Kieran and ran to the


    bathroom.


    Momentster, she returned, handing Kieran a ck cellphone, ¡°And this. He left this for me, said I


    could use it to call for help. But there was no signal on the ind, so all I could do was wait. Rowan


    was taken away by a man named Kleist, on a speedboat.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kieran took the cellphone. It was wiped clean, not a single photo or phone number saved. The call


    history was also clear, making it seem like a brand new phone.


    ¡°Honey,¡± he put the phone aside.


    Julie sat next to him, quietly asked, ¡°What¡­hmm¡­¡±


    A passionate kiss from him interrupted her words, a fervor that started as intense and deep before


    softening into tenderness. His embrace was tight at first, before rxing into a gentle hold. She felt


    cherished, like a precious gem in his hands.


    He might not have been good with words, but after their lingering kiss, he held her gently and said,


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t go looking for me recklessly. I¡¯ll alwayse back home. Home is wherever you


    are.¡±


    She stared at him, taken aback by the warmth in his words.


    After a moment, she suddenly sat up, pushing him down onto the couch. Shey on top of him, looking


    down at him as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want flowers, or surprises. I just want you. To fall asleep with you, to


    wake up to you. Is that okay?¡±


    Before waiting for his answer, she lowered her head to kiss him, her lips moving over his in a slow,


    bone-melting kiss as though she desired to blend him into her very bones.


    He responded to her passion, his hands gently holding her waist, until she finally pulled away. His


    thumb gently traced circles on her waist as he whispered, ¡°Get some rest, love.*


    Knowing she had had a long, frightful day, he tried tofort her, but she had other ns.


    Her lips trailed down his body, finally resting on his throat.


    Kieran felt a tightening in his throat as he rolled over, pinning the petite woman beneath him.


    On the drive home with Payne, Julien found herself at a loss for words. The usually talkative Payne


    was quiet in front of her. After a while, he finally managed to say, ¡®Do you have any hobbies?¡±


    ¡®Can you help me look someone up?¡± she asked, out of the blue.


    Caught off guard, Payne¡¯s heart sank. No wonder her detour had been so out of the way, she had


    needed his help


    With a forced smile, he asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Adeline Sanches,¡± Julien answered.


    Payne almost bit his tongue, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡± she retorted, her gaze was icy and devoid of warmth.


    Payne had heard her clearly, but he didn¡¯t understand why she was asking about Adeline.


    ¡°Why do you want to know about Adeline?¡± Payne asked, his expression a mix of confusion and


    amusement, as if he was wondering if Julien was nning oning out of the closet.


    His expression was one of bewilderment, ¡°Sure, Adeline is pretty, but there are plenty of good men out


    there. Besides Hayden, there are others¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you look her up or not?¡± Julien cut in, her sinct question reflected her aloof personality.


    Payne frowned at Julien, ¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t look her up. But, Adeline¡¯s life is an open book. She was


    an orphan, abandoned in a hospital trash can by her parents shortly after birth. Elliot Sanches¡¯ dad,


    Walker, and his first wife Kathy, were expecting twins. But Kathy hadplications during childbirth


    and the doctors could only save one child. Walker, who always favored sons, chose to save Elliot.


    Elliot¡¯s real twin sister died.


    Adeline was picked up from a trash can by Walker to fool Kathy. When Kathy passed away and Victoria


    took her ce, she learned that Adeline wasn¡¯t Walker¡¯s biclogical child and started bullying her.


    Outwardly, Adeline seemed indifferent, but she was actually quite cunning. But why are you interested


    in her? Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Adeline¡¯s biological parents?¡± Julien interrupted Payne.


    This was a question that even Payne couldn¡¯t answer. He shrugged, ¡°Even Adeline doesn¡¯t know that!


    Her parents were heartless, to abandon a newborn like that. Given Adeline¡¯s personality, she won¡¯t be


    looking for her parents.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Julien pulled up outside Payne¡¯s house and motioned for him to get out.


    Payne suddenly felt like he was being discarded now that his use had run out.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me for dinner or something?¡±


    ¡°I thought I was just driving you home?¡±


    Payne was speechless


    Seeing that Payne wasn¡¯t getting out, Julien unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the car, and opened the


    passenger door. She even held the door open for him, like a perfect gentleman, to prevent him from


    bumping his head. Her service¡­ was thorough.


    Under her icy and indifferent gaze, Payne reluctantly got out of the car.


    Julien got back in and started the engine. Payne followed her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to dinner next time!¡±


    In response, the car was driving away.


    Hayden had assumed that Julien would return home after finding Julie. But when he called Kieran, he


    found out that Julien had left Noblewood Retreat more than two hours ago and still hadn¡¯t returned


    home.


    Considering the distance from Payne¡¯s house to Julien¡¯s, the drive should have taken no more than


    forty minutes¡­

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283


    Chapter 283


    Raines had always been skeptical of Julien¡¯s rtionship with Hayden. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked Julien;


    he simply saw her as a femme fatale who could easily bend the well-respected and principled Hayden


    to her will.


    Julien, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care about Raines¡¯ opinion of her. But Raines had noticed a change in


    Julien since she had returned from a trip abroad with Hayden. She seemed more self-assured, less


    restrained. Not only was she bending Hayden to her will, but she had also be more assertive in


    her dealings with


    Raines.


    What puzzled Raines the most was why he was now following orders from Julien to investigate Zenith¡¯s


    whereabouts.


    He waited patiently in his ck Passat parked near the rear entrance of Zenith¡¯s suburban vi.


    Julien arrived in a white Ford Fiesta and joined him in the passenger seat of his car. She got straight to


    the point, ¡°Has Zenith been in Sycamore Vige today?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Raines replied.


    Julien¡¯s usually stoic eyes seemed to hold a touch of gravity. Raines couldn¡¯t tell what she was


    pondering, but he remembered his reason for meeting Julien.


    ¡°Do you think the man who abducted Emily¡­ knew her from before?¡± Raines asked. He had not only


    come to inform Julien about Zenith¡¯s whereabouts but also to ask her this question.


    Since Raines was Hayden¡¯s right hand, Julien wasn¡¯t surprised by Raines¡¯ keen observation.


    ¡°I tried to probe Emily about it when we brought her back to Fred-earlier today,¡± Raines continued.


    ¡°There¡¯s a strong possibility that Emily and the man in ck know


    each other.¡±


    ¡°Zenith,¡± Julien said, unusually calm for a discussion of this sort with Raines.


    She added, ¡°Zenith is Fred¡¯s former student, and Emily is Fred¡¯s daughter. It¡¯s only logical they know


    each other.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The crux of the matter was that Zenith and Lucian shared remarkably simr features.


    ¡°I also noticed that the man who took Emily looked a lot like Zenith, in terms of height and physique.


    But¡­ Zenith is currently on his way back to Whispering Pines from Sycamore Vige.¡± Raines, being


    Hayden¡¯s right hand, was well versed in the matter of Lucian and Zenith.


    Raines ventured a bold guess, ¡°You don¡¯t think Zenith and Lucian could be the same person, do you?¡±


    Julien remained silent, so Raines continued, ¡°Although I¡¯m not exactly a genius, I can at least make


    some basic deductions. Firstly, Lucian is semi-paralyzed and in all the photos we have, he is seen


    seated in a wheelchair. But Zenith is physically whole. Secondly, Lucian¡¯s whereabouts are unknown,


    while Zenith, though enigmatic, has traceable movements. Lastly, Zenith used to be a doctor and now


    he¡¯s a businessman. He has never had any unique experiences or background. But the man who


    kidnapped Emily is well-trained and adept. So, are you suggesting that these three individuals are in


    fact just one person?¡±


    ¡°Raines,¡± Julien suddenly said his name.


    ¡°What?¡± Raines asked, a little bewildered.


    He had thought she was about topliment his analytical skills, but instead, she simply said, ¡°You


    talk too much.¡±


    Feeling slighted, Raines red at her and said, ¡°Why did you ask me here?¡±


    ¡°Did you bring the tools I asked for?¡± she queried.


    Raines got out of the car, mming the door behind him. Julien calmly exited the vehicle as well and


    retrieved a toolbox from the trunk. Without a word, she turned and walked into the surrounding woods.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Raines thought, staring at her retreating figure.


    Julien turned back unexpectedly, catching Raines¡¯ dark expression. But she seemed unfazed and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Hayden where I am.¡±


    Rainesughed, ¡°I work for Hayden, not you. If he asks, I won¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°I can lie,¡± she said, raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°Do you know what I mean?¡±


    Raines remained silent.


    Julien smiled, ¡°Raines and I have a mutual affection and are secretly engaged. How about that?¡±


    Raines was taken aback.


    ¡°No good?¡± she asked, still smiling. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m head over heels for Raines because of his care, even if


    he doesn¡¯t feel the same way. Is that more believable?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell Hayden,¡± Raines said, mming his car door shut and driving away swiftly.


    ¡°Damn femme fatale, Raines thought, vowing to keep his distance from Julien in the future, even


    avoiding eye contact.


    On a highway leading to Sycamore Vige, Zenith sat in a ck limousine.


    Jesse handed him a phone with a furrowed brow, ¡°Mr. Moore, it¡¯s Bruce.¡±


    Zenith took the phone and pressed the answer button.


    Bruce¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Mr. Moore, everything has been taken care of. Your previous


    tracks have been covered up.¡±


    Though Zenith had sessfully evaded Julien¡¯s pursuit, he had left footprints in the soft soil by the


    lake. After rescuing Emily, Julien had meant to return to the vi for evidence collection tools, but


    Julie¡¯s sudden disappearance in Sycamore Vige had forced her to fly there immediately. Only after


    everything with Julie was settled, did she instruct Raines to bring over the evidence collection tools.


    When she had arrived to rescue Emily, it was still dark. But now, after a full day of running around, it


    was already night.


    Fortunately, the footprints by theke were still visible.


    She crouched down, scrutinizing the soil by theke. It was soft, and any adult man¡¯s weight would


    inevitably leave footprints. These footprints varied in depth,


    which was unusual.


    Julien, who had been ready to take photos, hesitated. Not until she noticed an odd discoloration in the


    soil. It seemed as if someone hadyered fresh soil over the


    original footprints, then stepped on it again.


    Julien dug into the soil with a shovel, confirming her suspicion¡­


    In a high-rise building at a distance, Bruce, who had been watching through a telescope, grew serious.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, he spoke into the phone, warning Zenith, ¡°Mr. Moore, Canary is too


    sharp.¡±


    Zenith wasn¡¯t surprised, and he hung up the phone.


    He believed Bruce could handle the situation and that Julien wouldn¡¯t uncover their secret.


    He held his phone, deep in thought for a few seconds. He dialed a number, ¡°Did you mess with Julie


    today?¡±


    Apparently receiving a negative response, Zenith¡¯s expression rxed slightly.


    A few secondster, he spoke with certainty, his tone menacing, ¡°You promised me, Julie is mine to


    deal with.¡±


    In the Noblewood Retreat, Julie, who was leaning against the kitchen door and watching intently,


    sneezed.


    The man cooking her food in the kitchen looked up, frowning, ¡°Did you catch cold?¡±


    ¡°No, just an itchy nose.¡± Suddenly remembering something, she looked up at the man and asked


    seriously, ¡°Hey, Zenith¡¯s fingernails, did you bring them back?¡± ¡°They¡¯re with Dn Pierson already.¡± He


    grabbed the remote and turned up the central heating in the vi.


    He had made some soup, baked vegetables, and grilled chicken.


    ¡°When did you learn to cook?¡± Julie sat at the dining table, looking at the few homemade dishes in front


    of her.


    In the past, Kieran was a pampered young master who couldn¡¯t even cook frozen pizza. But now, he


    was making delicious meals.


    He sat across from her, smiling as if waiting for her praise..


    Once she asked, he answered proudly, ¡°I learned it for Ivan when he was picky about food.¡±


    Although he summarized it casually, Julie frowned, ¡°What did Ivan eat when he was little?¡±


    Julie remembered when Ivan was just born, she had breast milk. Shannon would teach her how to


    express the milk and throw it away. Sometimes, she would hold the milk bottle and cry inconsbly.


    It should have been her, as a mother, to nurse her baby. But she had to endure the reality of losing her


    baby.


    Now thinking back, Kieran said, ¡°When you held the milk bottle and refused to let Shannon take the


    milk away, Ivan would even try to eat my hand.¡±


    Back then, when Julie was in postpartum recovery period after childbirth, she was taken out of the


    hospital by Kieran and settled in another vi. And the nights she thought Kieran was not home, he was


    actually taking care of Ivan. Noblewood Retreat had several nannies, and Bertha was looking after Ivan


    during the day when she was in recovery there. Kieran, however, often couldn¡¯t rest untilte at night.


    Bertha once said that Lucian at that time was not a human but a demon in disguise, because Lucian


    wanted her life. And today, when Rowan pointed a gun at her head and was about to pull the trigger,


    she suddenly realized how fast life could be lost.


    So even though she disagreed with Kieran¡¯s actions back then and regretted missing Ivan¡¯s early


    stages of growth, she was grateful that Kieran¡¯s cruel decision, knowing they were no match for Luc¨ªan,


    had given her a chance to see her child again.


    Kieran had said that the reason Lucian hated Bertha was because he thought Bertha had drugged


    them to sleep together. And Lucian wanted to kill her because she believed she had deprived Kieran of


    his happiness.


    In the end, even the irrational Lucian cared most about his younger brother Kieran.


    With this thought, Julie suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling, ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea!¡±

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284


    Chapter 284


    Julien tucked away her shovel in disappointment. The footprint appeared to have been deliberately


    obscured, it certainly wasn¡¯t Zenith¡¯s.


    Exhausted from digging, Julien felt like she could just tie Zenith up and give him a proper grilling!


    She frowned, cing the shovel back into the toolbox.


    Just as she turned to leave, she noticed Hayden had silently appeared behind her. The only man


    capable of sneaking up on her like that.


    She had no doubt that Raines had betrayed her, so¡­


    ¡°How did you know I¡¯m here?¡± she asked, unflustered by being caught red-handed.


    Hayden nced at the toolbox she was holding, ¡°I came to take you to the barber shop.¡±


    Clearly, he hadn¡¯t forgotten her previous idea to shave her head.


    Julien smirked at him, ¡°I can handle my own hair. I appreciate your concern, but there¡¯s no need for


    that. Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Who do you think made this footprint?¡± he pointed at the few footprints by the wends of theke.


    Since he had noticed, Julien saw no need to hide anything from him, so she replied, ¡°The man in ck


    who tried to kidnap Emily.¡±


    ¡°I mean, who do you think made this footprint?¡± he repeated patiently.


    ¡°Zenith,¡± she answered honestly.


    It was ate night by theke, under the warm glow of a single streetmp. Julien and Hayden stood by


    theke, their shadows elongated by the light. It was a cold winter night. Ayer of mist rose from the


    lake, making it look mysterious and eerie.


    Julien, lightly dressed, stood straight-backed.


    As they stood stiffly by theke, he suddenly asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Was he¡­ caring for her? Julien thought it must be.


    ¡°I¡¯m not cold,¡± she replied firmly, so quickly it seemed she hadn¡¯t given it any thought.


    Even though she imed she wasn¡¯t cold, he removed his ck coat and draped it over her shoulders.


    ¡°You can be honest with me,¡± he said, gently pressing her shoulder. Her eyes were even brighter in the


    dark.


    She replied without any emotion, ¡°I am being honest.¡±


    She reached out to remove the coat, intending to return it to him.


    But he simply wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her away from theke towards the


    woods. They walked in peace through the forest, both kept quiet, their eyes on the path ahead, at a


    moderate pace. A full moon illuminated their way back.


    They seemed like a couple that had been in love for years, taking a walk in the garden.


    This tranquil and beautiful scene made Julien forget to stop him. Once upon a time, when she still had


    a pure heart, she had imagined such a beautiful and ordinary scene.


    A quiet road, a man she loved, and a promise of growing old together.


    Back then, the man in her dreams was him.


    But things have changed, even her dreams had stopped.


    After leaving the quiet forest, the bright street lights illuminated the wide asphalt road. Kyle¡¯s mansion


    was brightly lit, probably because Julien had alerted the police earlier in the day.


    Eventually, the bright lights brought her back to reality, Julien tried to return the coat to him.


    But he said, ¡°Lien, people who reject me pay a price. It¡¯s a price you wouldn¡¯t want to pay.¡±


    ¡°If this is a threat¡­¡± Julien shoved the coat back at him, ¡°I ept your threat.¡±


    She looked him in the eye, unflinchingly and defiantly.


    He too, looked at her stubborn face, reminded of the first time he saw her. He had just returned from


    the shooting range, dressed all in ck, holding a silenced gun. Raines had told him that Miles Simson


    had brought back a girl of unknown identity, but had no intention of sparing her life.


    In short, she was a dead girl walking.


    He was heading upstairs from the back door to his room, but he identally overheard her assertive


    voice from downstairs, she said, ¡°There is no coward in our family!¡±


    He leaned over the railing on the second floor, curious for the first time, and looked down at her.


    That small figure, shaking with fear, her small fists clenched tight. She seemed very nervous, but her


    pale face was calm and defiant. She could only look up at Hayden when she spoke.


    But she said ¡®There is no coward in our family¡¯ with such confidence and dignity.


    Miles seemed to have been provoked by her words, his face instantly turned sour.


    He had been in power for many years, but a child had defied him. Even if it was the innocence of a


    child, it was a taboo for Miles.


    Knowing that the girl was doomed, he unexpectedly made his first request to Miles.


    He looked at the girl¡¯s face, leaned on the railing and said to Miles, ¡°I need a toy. Keep her.¡±


    Because of his words, Julien¡¯s life was spared. She became his little sidekick.


    He taught her how to shoot, fight, and survive in a cruel society. He trained her to be an invincible


    female devil, eventually impressing Miles and earning his


    trust.


    He only remembered that her eyes were the purest, most unblemished eyes he had ever seen in his


    dark world.


    Even after being baptized in blood, they remained pure.


    He knew that the helpless little girl saw him as herst straw. So she endured and obeyed him, never


    defying him, even trying hard to be likable.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that in Hayden¡¯s dark world, she was like a bright streetmp in the night.


    ¡°Lien, there¡¯s a question you¡¯ve never asked me,¡± Hayden said, not reaching out to take the coat.


    Julien simply opened his car door and tossed it in the back seat.


    She seemedpletely uncurious, uninterested. She opened her own car door, about to get in.


    But a clear, deep voice came from behind her, ¡°You never asked me if I love you.¡±


    Once upon a time, she was head over heels in love with him, willing to give her most treasured


    affection to him. So she tried to be innocent and offered herself to him, thinking it was the ultimate


    expression of her love.


    But as he pointed out, she never questioned whether he loved her back. Maybe it was because she


    never expected to receive his love in return. Or maybe, she wasn¡¯t sure if his frosty demeanor even


    allowed for the existence of love.


    Now, she could sense his deliberate efforts to get close to her, perhaps even trying to bridge the


    distance.


    Julien justughed, turning to look at him, ¡°So tell me, are these efforts of yours, getting close to me,


    trying to please me, showing concern for me, because you love me? Or is it just guilt over leaving me


    without a word?¡±


    ¡°Guilt?¡± He shook his head, looking at her with the same steadfastness she had worn as a child, ¡°Do


    you like hearing the words ¡®I love you¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I like hearing the person I love say those words to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    For a moment, Julien froze on the spot, as if she had been struck dumb.


    The streetlight cast its glow on his face, throwing each of his eyshes into sharp relief.


    Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined hearing those words from Hayden. It felt like a big


    surprise falling from the sky and smacking her right in the face. She mechanically remained silent for a


    good half a minute before finally regaining herposure. She climbed into the driver¡¯s seat, started


    the car without even fastening her seatbelt, and hit the gas.


    The vehicle shot off like a bullet, leaving Hayden standing in its dust, his cool demeanor covered in


    exhaust fumes.


    Hayden¡¯s first confession was a spectacr failure!


    But only Julien knew the chaos that ensued within her the moment she floored the gas pedal. Her ears


    could hear nothing but the buzzing in her brain.


    What did Hayden just say? Had he lost his mind? Was he sick?


    After aimlessly driving around the city center for what felt like ages, Julien finally regained her senses.


    Back at the apartment, Daphne was enjoying ice cream and flipping through a magazine.


    ¡°Did today¡¯s gunfire blow your brains out?¡± she asked Julie, who was sitting next to her, ¡°You had Mr.


    Hernandez use a trick to test his brother and then make yourself the bait. I must say, you¡¯ve outdone


    yourself!¡±


    Lucian cared deeply for his brother Kieran. Even when he lost his sanity, he had hurt Bertha and tried


    to get back at Julie, all because of Kieran. So Julie thought, if Luc¨ªan was so concerned about Kieran¡¯s


    happiness, then if she had a fight with Kieran and made Lucian believe that Kieran was unhappy, would


    Lucian take action again?


    If Lucian did make a move, wouldn¡¯t that give them a chance to trap him?


    Regardless of whether Lucian was Zenith, following the trail would eventually lead them to the truth.


    While Daphne agreed that Julie¡¯s idea was logical and smart, she couldn¡¯t help feeling that Julie had


    lost her mind. She reached out to tap Julie¡¯s head, ¡°Where is your sanity, darling?¡±


    But before Daphne could finish, the door to the apartment was flung open.


    Julien stormed in, walking straight towards the couch where Julie and Daphne were sitting. She didn¡¯t


    seem to think her entrance was overly dramatic. Instead, she walked up to Julie and Daphne, grabbed


    the ice cream from Daphne, scooped arge spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth.


    Daphne was stunned.


    She took back her earlierment about Julie. The one who had lost her mind was clearly Julien!


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    Julie looked at Daphne,pletely baffled, as if asking ¡®what just happened?¡¯

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285


    Chapter 285


    ¡°Want some more?¡± Daphne offered her ice cream to Julien like it was a prized possession.


    Julien, without hesitation, took it from Daphne¡¯s hand and started eating it voraciously.


    In all the years she had known Julien, Julie had never seen her indulge in a snack like this. It was truly


    a sight to see. But¡­


    Wasn¡¯t her eating manner a bit too aggressive? It was less of eating and more of stuffing her mouth.


    Was this binge eating a result of some traumatic experience, perhaps?


    Julie gently patted Julien¡¯s back, concern lining her features. Julien, with a mouthful of ice cream,


    looked back at Julie with a confused expression, as if asking ¡®why are you patting my back?¡¯ through


    her gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get a brain freeze if you eat ice cream like that,¡± Julie remarked, watching Julien¡¯s


    eating frenzies.


    Julien then handed the now-empty ice cream tub back to Daphne:


    Daphne tossed it into a nearby trash bin and chuckled, ¡°I always thought you were too high and mighty


    to enjoy such earthly pleasures. Turns out you also love vani ice cream, just like me.¡±


    Julien looked perplexed, ¡°What ice cream?¡±


    ¡°¡­So, you just ate half a tub of ice cream without even khowing what vor it was? Daphne asked, the


    disbelief evident on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s vani, vani ice cream. The one you just ate,¡± she said, trying to suppress herughter.


    ¡°Ah,¡± was the only response Julien gave.


    Julie suddenly grabbed Julien¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Who are you, and what have you done to my Julien?¡±


    Julien swatted Julie¡¯s hand away, and turned to Daphne, ¡°Give me the couch.¡±.


    Daphne nced at the couch beneath her, a grey piece of furniture that had been with her for a while


    now.


    She patted the couch, speaking to it as if it were a pet, ¡°My dear couch, the queen has taken a liking to


    you. It¡¯s an honor really. She wants to take you away, but don¡¯t miss me too much. I¡¯lle visit you


    asionally.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean your couch,¡± Julien retorted, looking at Julie, ¡°I meant, I¡¯ll be sleeping on the couch


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going home tonight?¡± Julie asked, looking surprised, ¡°Won¡¯t Hayden be looking for you?¡±


    ¡°Why would he be looking for me?¡± Julien countered, trying to y it cool, yet eagerly awaiting Julie¡¯s


    answer.


    Daphne chimed in, ¡°My God, are you pretending to be cute? Hayden adores you; how could he not


    miss you?¡±


    ¡°I think Hayden¡¯s feelings for Julien go beyond mere fondness,¡± Julie pondered.


    After a moment, Daphne nodded, ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s love. How else could he put up with our queen?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Julien abruptly stood up and headed towards Daphne¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°Julien, where are you going?¡± Julie called out.


    ¡°To make a bed on the floor,¡± came Julien¡¯s aloof reply from the bedroom.


    Daphne covered her mouth to stifle herughter, leaning in to whisper to Julie, ¡°Don¡¯t you find her


    attitude adorable? I¡¯ve thought of a nickname for my baby.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Julie asked, merely curious, but not holding out much hope for Daphne¡¯s idea.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    And rightly so, because Daphne, with a triumphant grin, revealed, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to name my baby


    ¡®Queen¡¯!¡±


    Julie looked at Daphne as if she had lost her mind, ¡°What if it¡¯s a boy?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± Daphne quickly apologized to her unborn child, ¡°Sorry, baby. Your dumb mom didn¡¯t think


    that far.¡±


    Julie patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder sympathetically, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daphne. Your child has a smart father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Daphne suddenly eximed, grabbing Julie¡¯s hand, ¡°If it¡¯s a boy, we¡¯ll call him ¡®Prince¡¯!


    Aren¡¯t I a genius?¡±


    Watching Daphne, Julie mentally said a prayer for Mr. Lionel.


    Meanwhile, an ecstatic Daphne ran off to the bedroom to share the news with Julien


    True to her word, Julien had made a makeshift bed on the floor using nkets from the wardrobe.


    ¡°My dear queen,¡± Daphne began, brimming with excitement, ¡°I¡¯ve thought of two nicknames for my


    baby. If it¡¯s a boy, we¡¯ll call him ¡®Prince¡¯, and if it¡¯s a girl, ¡®Queen¡¯. What do you think? Genius, right?¡±


    Instead ofmenting on the names, Julien asked her, ¡°When are you and Lionel Kemp getting


    married?¡±


    That question¡­ was unexpected!


    Julie, who had just entered the room, heard Julien¡¯s question and was instantly taken aback.


    ¡°I think Julien¡¯s question is quite constructive, Julie agreed, turning to Daphne, ¡°What do you and Mr.


    Lionel n to do?¡±


    ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t want me to marry into a wealthy,plex family like Lionel¡¯s. She says it¡¯s like a


    deep, dangerous ocean, and with my intelligence, I might not survive. Not only would risk losing my


    child, but I might also lose my own life. You know those people in TV dramas who step on others¡¯


    bodies to climb to the top? My mom says there are a lot of those in wealthy families.¡±


    Julien agreed, ¡°Your mom is right.¡±


    Julie was surprised that Julien would support Edda Flores¡¯s viewpoint.


    She asked Daphne, ¡°What do you think? Just because the ocean is deep and dangerous, you would


    not even try to swim? What about the lifeguard who is waiting for you in the ocean?¡±


    Julie knew how to hit the nail on the head with her metaphor. The world of the wealthy was an ocean,


    and she stood at its edge, wrestling with the decision to dive in. Her parents, standing by her side, were


    pulling her away from the water¡¯s edge, while Lord Lion, the lifeguard of this metaphorical ocean, was


    eagerly waiting for her to take the plunge.


    Now, the most important question was, what should she do?


    For Daphne, the answer was anything but simple. She turned to her friend, Julien, with a look of


    desperation, ¡°What do you think, Queen?¡±


    Daphne¡¯s question caught Julie off guard. For someone with little experience in matters of the heart,


    this was a tough question. Not expecting Daphne to seek her advice, Julien was equally taken aback.


    Daphne smiled awkwardly at Julien, Actually¡­¡±


    Before she couldplete her sentence, Julien interjected, ¡°Firstly, you need to ask yourself whether


    you really want to take the plunge. Secondly, the decision to dive in depends on whether the lifeguard


    can be trusted and if he can assure your safety, and not how deep the ocean is.¡±


    Julie apuded Julien¡¯s insight. The phrase ¡®love is blind¡¯ suddenly made sense to her. Perhaps being


    an outsider gave Julien a clearer perspective.


    Julien was right. The first thing Daphne needed to do was to understand her own feelings. The most


    important factor was Lionel¡¯s actions and choices, whether he was reliable, and not his societal


    standing.


    Overwhelmed, Daphne slumped onto the ground, grabbed Julien¡¯s hand, and looked at her gratefully.


    ¡°You truly are wise, Queen.¡±


    Julie frowned at Daphne, ¡°You seem to have forgotten that you¡¯re pregnant¡­¡±


    Daphne quickly reassured herself by rubbing her belly, disying a beaming smile.


    Julien, with an air of aloofness, withdrew her hand and pointed at the bed. ¡°Sit there.¡±


    Daphne obediently climbed onto the bed and sat on its edge.


    ¡°Do you want me to dig up some dirt on Lionel¡¯s series of ex-girlfriends?¡± Julien asked.


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone describe ex-girlfriends as


    series.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not go down that road,¡± Daphne said, chuckling. ¡°We might end up unearthing another series.¡±


    ??


    ¡°Have some faith,¡± Julie said, patting Daphne¡¯s shoulder. Then, a thought crossed her mind, and she


    turned to Julien. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t your sister close friends with Ms. Albertine? Lionel was mentored by


    Ms. Albertine herself, so she should know him well. Instead of investigating his past rtionships, why


    not ask someone reliable?¡±


    Julien agreed with Julie¡¯s suggestion and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Daphne paused, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this. If Lionel can win over my parents, I


    probably won¡¯t have any issues. I mean, I can¡¯t deny Lionel¡¯s personal


    charm.¡±


    ¡°Has Lionel ever confessed his feelings to you?¡± Julie asked, her curiosity piqued.


    Daphne looked at Julie, puzzled. ¡°Confessed? Like ¡®I love you¡¯?¡±


    The next moment, Julien¡¯s head bumped against the bedside table.


    rmed, Daphne and Julie peered over the edge of the bed, asking in unison, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sleep now!¡± Julien said, switching off the light. The authoritative tone left no room for


    argument.


    ¡°Julien, you¡¯re acting a bit strange tonight,¡± Julie whispered, lying on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°When am I not strange?¡± Julien shot back.


    As Daphne was about to say something to Julie, her phone rang. It was an unknown number. The


    phone kept ringing, not the typical behavior of a spam call.


    She picked up the phone.


    A cool, deep voice came over the line, ¡°Put Julien on the phone.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286


    Chapter 286


    ¡°Are youughing or crying? You¡¯ve been chuckling nonstop.¡± Julie leaned in closer to Daphne, curious


    to know who was on the other end of the phone call. But Daphne handed the phone to Julie as if it


    were a hot potato. Her face, a picture of relief, left Julie puzzled.


    Meanwhile, Julien was lying quietly on the carpet, lost in her own world, oblivious to themotion


    between Julie and Daphne.


    Until Julie suddenly cried out, ¡°Hayden?¡±


    At the sound of his name, Julien sprung up from the floor like a zombie, startling Julie who moved


    closer to Daphne forfort.


    Even though Julie had no idea what Hayden had said, she handed the phone to Julien, saying timidly,


    ¡°Julien, it¡¯s for you!¡±


    Upon hearing Hayden¡¯s name, Julien wanted to hang up. But when Julie handed her the phone, she


    immediately pressed the end call button and irritably tossed it back to Daphne.


    Daphne¡¯s admiration for Julien reached it peek point.


    ¡°Is it okay to just hang up on Hayden like that?¡± Julie asked, concerned.


    Julien didn¡¯t respond. This was the first time she had the audacity to hang up on Hayden. Usually, she


    would follow his orders without question.


    Julie thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Well, Hayden spoils you, so it should be fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Hayden spoils me? You are talking nonsense!¡± Julien coldly retorted, sitting up again!


    Daphne clutched her chest. She couldn¡¯t handle any more surprises from Julien.


    Instead of answering Julien¡¯s question, Julie turned to Daphne and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Hayden


    treats Julien differently?¡±.


    ¡°It seems like it. Remember Ivan¡¯s birthday party¡­¡±,


    ¡°What happened then?¡± Julie asked.


    ¡°We were having a barbecue in the garden, remember? Mr. Watson took me out there. Later, I went


    back to my room to get my phone and saw Mr. Dn, Annalise Hansen, and Hayden¡­¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Julie asked, looking at Daphne curiously.


    ¡°Then Ms. Annalise tried to hold Hayden¡¯s arm.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± An untimely sneer suddenly echoed, Julie and Daphne both looked at Julien.


    Julien, however, acted as if nothing happened, and looked at Daphne coldly, ¡°Why did you stop?


    Continue!¡±


    Daphne forced a smile, then continued, ¡°Hayden shook off Ms. Annalise¡¯s arm and told her he would hit


    her even if she¡¯s a woman. His expression was so serious and terrifying.¡±


    Daphne hugged herself, pretending to be scared.


    Julien grunted, ¡°He would hit a woman. I¡¯m lucky to be alive.¡±


    Daphne initially thought this was funny, but then she looked at Julien and said, ¡°Wait, Ms. Annalise


    asked Hayden why he didn¡¯t hit you when you were close to him. Do you know what he said?¡±


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t want to dirty his hands by hitting me.¡± Julien replied emotionlessly.


    Julie patted Julien¡¯s shoulder in an attempt tofort her.


    Daphne burst intoughter, ¡°Hayden only said to Ms. Annalise, ¡®Because she¡¯s my woman, you¡¯re not.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t talking to me, I felt my heart pounding when I heard that!¡±


    ¡°Do you know why he said that?¡± Julien seemed indifferent.


    Daphne looked at Julie, innocent, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because Hayden likes Julien?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because Hayden likes Julien. Why else would he say Jullen is his


    woman?¡±


    ¡°Or is it because I¡¯m a good bodyguard?¡± Julien scoffed.


    Daphne and Julie were stunned. Julien¡¯s words seemed to make sense¡­


    Suddenly, Julie remembered something important. She grabbed Julien¡¯s arm, ¡°Last time, when Hayden


    came to look for Kieran, Kieran and Payne were in the room discussing something. So, I spent some


    time with Hayden. Then he suddenly asked me a very emotional question.¡±


    ¡°Wow! What question?¡± Daphne asked, eyes wide with excitement.


    ¡°He asked me if I med Kieran for his past decisions. I told him that since it¡¯s in the past, all I can do


    is to be there for Ivan. I can¡¯t change the past and I don¡¯t want to live in hate, so let it go. But when


    Hayden asked me that, I didn¡¯t really get it. So, I jokingly said, ¡®Of course I me him! If he hadn¡¯t kept


    it from me, we wouldn¡¯t have all these problems!¡±


    ¡°But Hayden seemed dissatisfied with my answer. He argued with me, and it didn¡¯t sound like he was


    defending Kieran. Instead, it sounded like he was defending himself.¡±


    ¡°So what happened next?¡± Daphne asked, on the edge of her seat.


    Julie turned to Julien and said, ¡°Then I remembered, Julien, after you confessed your feelings to


    Hayden, didn¡¯t he mysteriously disappear? Isn¡¯t that the root of all the tension between you two?


    Maybe, just maybe, Hayden¡¯s stubbornness stems from some kind of secret he was carrying when he


    left?¡±


    7


    ¡°Maybe, but what does that have to do with me?¡± Julien pulled a nket over her head. ¡°I only agreed


    to help him with his tasks, 1 didn¡¯t sign up to be Adeline¡¯s safety.¡±


    At this, Julie and Daphne exchanged a look. After a few seconds, Julie jumped off the bed and yanked


    the nket off Julien¡¯s head. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Adeline¡¯s safety¡¯? Are you implying that


    something¡¯s going on between Adeline and Hayden?¡±


    Daphne, despite being pregnant, couldn¡¯t keep her excitement at bay. She rushed to Julien¡¯s side and


    stared at her with wide eyes. ¡°But Adeline likes Elliot, doesn¡¯t


    she? Why would you need to be her safety? God, this is like a soap opera!¡±


    ¡°Do you two want to sleep tonight or not?¡± Julien sat up and patted the nket. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll exin what I


    meant by ¡®being Adeline¡¯s safety¡¯.¡±


    Julie and Daphne sat in rapt attention, waiting for Julien to continue.


    Julie spoke first. ¡°If there really is something going on between Hayden and Adeline, then I¡¯ve been


    wrong about Hayden. I¡¯ll stand by you, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Right, we¡¯re backing you up!¡± Daphne raised her hand, almost as if she was swearing an oath.


    Just as Julien was about to speak, the doorbell rang.


    Daphne got up from the carpet. ¡°Who could it be at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lionel?¡± Julie asked. They didn¡¯t think that someone as aloof and mysterious as Hayden would be


    knocking on their door in the middle of the night.


    And yet, to their surprise, it was indeed Hayden on the other side of the door.


    Hayden was standing alone outside, waiting for Daphne to open the door.


    Even through the surveince camera video, Daphne could feel a chill from Hayden¡¯s gaze. She took a


    step back and looked at Julien. ¡°My queen, he¡¯s here for you!¡± Julien had not expected Hayden to


    come knocking. She had thought that after hanging up on him, he would spend the night plotting his


    revenge. But here he was, showing up at her door. Clearly, her actions had truly angered him.


    Julien had onlye to stay overnight at Daphne¡¯s apartment. She didn¡¯t mean to cause any trouble


    for Daphne, who was pregnant. But now¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me if I die,¡± she said, patting Daphne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell my friends that I died a hero.¡±


    With that, she opened the door and quickly closed it behind her.


    Julie and Daphne, who had been standing by the door, didn¡¯t even get a chance to see Hayden. All


    they saw was Julien and Hayden calmly getting into the elevator. After they left, Julie hurriedly dialed


    Kieran¡¯s number, ¡°Honey, do you think Hayden is the type to keep a back-up girl?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kieran sounded groggy on the other end of the line. After a while, he replied, ¡°Who? Hayden?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do you think Hayden genuinely likes Julien?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I dropped you off at Daphne¡¯s apartment, didn¡¯t I?¡± Kieran remembered clearly that he had taken Julie


    to Daphne¡¯s ce because she had said she missed her. He thought Julie was calling about the


    rtionship between Daphne and Lionel, not Julien and Hayden.


    Julie told him the truth. ¡°Julien came to Daphne¡¯s ce in the middle of the night, but now Hayden took


    her away.¡±


    ¡°It seems like they said¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julie didn¡¯t catch what Kieran said.


    Kieran reassured her with augh, ¡°Hayden will treat her well, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Should I ask why you¡¯re so sure?¡±


    ¡°Honey, men have their little secrets too.¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t press further, but smiled in response.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287


    Chapter 287


    Lavish Skyline Suites.


    Kyle lounged on the ck leather couch, draped in a white bathrobe. A case for contact lenses and a


    pair of gold framed ssesy on the table beside him. He held a tall ss filled with red wine, its rich


    color reflected in his deep eyes, giving him an almost bewitching allure.


    Lisa, standing by the window, hung up her phone and approached Kyle, nodding slightly. ¡°Mr. Kyle, the


    situation at the vi has been handled. It was Canary who deliberately raised the rm, probably trying


    to intimidate us. Emily has been returned to Fred, and Canary has arranged for 24/7 protection for the


    professor and his daughter. We can¡¯t make a move¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think Fred could bring her back if he tried his best?¡± Kyle interrupted, his gaze lost in the


    swirling wine.


    After a long hesitation, Lisa met Kyle¡¯s eyes and cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Kyle¡­ you don¡¯t want Miss


    Sansa to wake up?¡±


    Kyle took a small sip from his ss of wine, sighed lightly, and stood up. He looked out at the neon


    lights outside the window. ¡°Lisa, do you know why I named my


    Lisa shook her head. She had only been with Mr. Kyle for four and a half years, so she simply watched


    his somewhat lonely figure in silence.


    ¡°Do you know why I chose the name S&J?¡± He asked again.


    This time, Lisa nodded, then cautiously told the truth, ¡°There are rumors that you named it after your


    ex-girlfriend, Jessica, and your name, Stefan. It¡¯s said that Jessica¡¯s dying wish was to open aw firm


    that could help those who couldn¡¯t afford legal fees, and that¡¯s why you founded S&J International Law


    Firm. Stefan & Jessica. That¡¯s what S&J stands for, an abbreviation of your names.¡±


    ¡°Jessica?¡± Kyle chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t always believe what the rumors said. My marriage with Jessica was


    arranged by parents.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s pause, Kyle continued, ¡°S&J is not Stefan & Jessica. J is for June, the month I met


    Sansa. It was the summer solstice, a day she said was special. That day, the sun shines directly over


    the Tropic of Cancer. She said if we ever had a daughter, she would like to name her June.¡± He took a


    deep breath.


    Lisa realized that Mr. Kyle was implying that his rtionship with Jessica was arranged by their


    parents. The rumor about S&J was just an echo of others. The real reason he chose S&J was because


    of Miss Sansa. And he still remembers clearly when he met Miss Sansa¡­


    But why? Why did Mr. Kyle previously threaten Emily¡¯s life to stop Professor Fred from saving Miss


    Sansa?


    These, of course, were questions Lisa dared not ask. She could only keep her curiosity to herself.


    Not until Kyle spoke again, seemingly to himself, ¡°Once, I tried to avoid a war for a person, fearing that


    the one I loved most would be sacrificed in the war. Now it seems clear that peace oftenes at the


    cost of war. War is usually a appendant of peace.¡±


    Lisa didn¡¯t quite understand what Kyle meant, but she knew that Miss Sansa was someone very


    important to Mr. Kyle, ¡°So, Mr. Kyle, about Miss Sansa¡­¡±


    ¡°You should go,¡± Kyle, standing by the window, waved his hand, looking a bit weary.


    As Lisa stood by the door, she turned back to Kyle, ¡°Mr. Kyle, should I cancel all your appointments for


    tomorrow, as usual?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Every year on this day, all of Kyle¡¯s appointments would be canceled. Lisa would drive him to the North


    Hill Cemetery and park the car at the foot of the hill.


    This year was no exception. Following the tradition, Lisa purchased a beautifully wrapped bunch of ivy.


    She handed it to Kyle as he got out of the car.


    Kyle, clutching the ivy, stepped out of the car.


    Lisa stayed in the car, waiting for him. Apanying Kyle up the hill was Curtis, who had just returned


    from Britain the day before. He was Kyle¡¯s most trusted right-hand man. Dressed in a tailored ck


    suit, he stood straight beside Kyle. epting the bunch of ivy from Kyle, he bowed respectfully and


    said, ¡°Young


    Master.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kyle responded. Step by step, he made his way up to the cemetery on the hill


    Curtis followed closely behind.


    The weather was overcast, neither drizzling nor sunny, a bit gloomy.


    It was still early when Kyle and Curtis reached the top of the hill, just around ten in the morning.


    A photo of a young man was engraved on the ck tombstone. His delicate features and the slight


    upward curve of his lips conveyed youthful vitality. Joyce Abraham, full of life.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Before Curtis couldy down the bunch of ivy he held, he noticed another beautifully wrapped bouquet


    already ced in front of the tombstone. It was also a bunch of ivy, only wrapped in a different colored


    paper.


    He turned around, checking the expression on Kyle¡¯s face before bending down to ce the ivy in his


    hands down.


    ¡°He¡¯s been here.¡± Kyle spoke as if addressing Curtis, yet it sounded more like he was mumbling to


    himself.


    ¡°Mister¡­¡±


    ¡°Before the 16th century in Britain, they used ivy to brew beer instead of hops. Mixing it with barley


    would turn the barley into beer. Hence, thenguage of flowers signifies ivy as ¡®influence¡¯. Anyone born


    under the blessings of this flower possesses an extraordinary power of influence, capable of affecting


    others. This nt¡­¡± Kyle nced at the gravestone, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips. ¡°It suits


    him.¡±


    He referred to the young boy in the photo on the gravestone.


    Curtis stood beside him, remained silent and kept Kylepany without saying another word.


    Julie spent the night at Daphne¡¯s apartment, where they shared many heart-to-heart conversations.


    She nned on sleeping in, but early in the morning, she was awakened by the tantalising aroma of


    food. Her taste buds were stirring with excitement.


    Julie frowned, blinking her eyes open in confusion, only to find Daphne still sleeping next to her.


    ¡°Did you hire a cook? Why does it smell so good?¡± Julie poked the still drowsy Daphne.


    Daphne sat up, shaking her head sleepily, ¡°No, it¡¯s not from my house! Man, why am I so hungry during


    pregnancy?¡±


    She threw on a robe, getting up and telling Julie, ¡°I¡¯m going to see what¡¯s in the kitchen.¡±


    Julie stopped Daphne, ¡°I¡¯ll cook, you go brush your teeth. Isn¡¯t it said that brushing after eating makes


    you feel nauseous during pregnancy?¡±


    Daphne nted a big kiss on Julie¡¯s cheek, ¡°Mr. Hernandez is so lucky to marry such a remarkable and


    virtuous woman like you!¡±


    ¡°Tell that to him, not me.¡± Julie rolled her eyes at Daphne, ¡°Are you trying to make me sick?¡±


    ¡°I just need you to know how special you are. Why would I tell Mr. Hernandez? What if he monopolizes


    you all the time? How am I going to survive?¡± Daphne r¨¦torted confidently.


    Deciding not to argue with the youngdy, Julie put on her robe and headed to the kitchen. Just as she


    reached the kitchen door, she saw Lionel busily working inside, which startled her. She quickly


    retreated, leaning against the wall for support.


    In the warm and cozy room, Lionel stood in the open kitchen wearing a crisp white shirt and light blue


    jeans, holding a beautiful ceramic te while asionally ncing at his wristwatch.


    The warm yellow light cast a glow on his chestnut hair.


    The image of Mr. Lionel in the kitchen was like a perfect painting.


    Being a man who regrly appeared on the big screen, Julie felt a surreal feeling, as if she was


    watching TV.


    Mr. Lionel also noticed Julie leaning against the wall. He obviously didn¡¯t expect her to be there, and


    even dropped his wooden spoon in surprise.


    Julie gave him an apologetic smile and a nod before quickly turning around and dashing back to the


    bedroom.


    Daphne, who was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, saw Julie rush back in with a ghost-like


    expression and asked in confusion, ¡°What happened? Is there a burr?¡±


    ¡°No, I just remembered that I have something to do this morning. I¡¯ll leave first. Breakfast is ready, you


    bettere out and eat¡± Julie got dressed and grabbed her bag as she spoke to Daphne.


    Daphne poked ber head out from the bathroom, ¡°You finished cooking so quickly, did you just toast


    some bread?¡±


    ¡°You should go look yourself!¡± Julie grabbed her bag and headed for the door.


    She waved to Lionel in the kitchen, ¡°Mr. Lionel, please take good care of Daphne.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± He gave Julie a reassuring smile. Julie then left the apartment.


    Daphne didn¡¯t believe Julie! After rinsing her mouth and wiping her lips, she headed out of the


    bathroom.


    However, by the time she reached the living room, Julie was gone. In her ce was Lionel, busy in the


    kitchen.


    Daphne, dressed in a milky white silk nightgown with a thin cardigan draped over her shoulders, was


    startled at the sight of Lionel in the kitchen.


    ¡°W-Wha¡­ What¡­ What are you doing here?¡± she stammered.


    Before Mr. Lionel could answer Daphne¡¯s question, she turned her gaze to the door lock. After


    confirming it was intact, she pointed at it and asked Lionel, ¡°How do you have my house key?¡±


    ¡°Your mom gave it to me.¡± He brought her favourite breakfast to the table.

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288


    Chapter 288


    ¡°Whose mom?¡± Daphne quickened her pace, reaching the table.


    Lionel helped her pull out a chair, his firm grip on her shoulders gently guiding her to sit, ¡°Our mom,


    Mrs. Flores.¡±


    ¡°My mom gave you the keys to my apartment? Really, Lord Lion, you trying to fool me? Did you¡­¡±


    Daphne was about to suggest that he might have made a copy of her key thest time she left it at his


    ce.


    But as her gaze met Lionel¡¯s enchanting hazel eyes, Daphne suddenly lost her nerve. The words that


    were on the tip of her tongue turned into something else.


    ¡°Did you see that I left the door unlockedst night and decided toe in?¡±


    Lionel pulled out a key and waved it in front of her. ¡°I had no idea you had a habit of leaving your door


    unlocked at night. Or did you do it on purpose, hoping I¡¯de over?¡±


    ¡°Lord Lion¡­ Do you think this is some sort of morning si?¡± Daphne rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lionel¡¯s tone rose slightly.


    Daphne immediately took a spoonful of yogurt bowl and put it in her mouth, then exaggeratedly gave a


    thumbs up. ¡°Delicious!¡±


    ¡°Took quite a while to make,¡± he replied casually.


    ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡± She looked at the yogurt in front of her with a hint of surprise. It tasted great


    and looked like something you¡¯d get at a fancy ce, not something Lionel would make.


    Yet he affirmed with one simple words, ¡°Duh.¡±


    ¡°Lord Lion, let me see your hands.¡± Daphne reached out to Lionel.


    He extended his hand, and Daphne put down her spoon and opened his palm. It was soft and smooth,


    evidently well taken care of.


    Daphne scoffed lightly, ¡°Look at these hands, they haven¡¯t seen a day¡¯s hard work. I don¡¯t believe for a


    second you made this. There¡¯s no shame in not being able to cook, I can¡¯t cook either!¡±


    Lionel lightly tapped Daphne¡¯s head, ¡°Is not being able to cook something to be proud of?¡±


    Daphne thought for a moment, it was quite embarrassing. But¡­


    ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t doundry or clean either. Either my momes over to clean my apartment, or I hire


    a maid. My dad adores me, he¡¯s always spoiled me,¡± Daphne confessed.


    Lionel chuckled, amused by her candidness.


    Her genuineness, devoid of any pretense, was endearing. Many people would exaggerate their skills to


    maintain a perfect image, only to make a fool of themselves. But Daphne, perhaps because she didn¡¯t


    expect anything serious toe out of their rtionship, was simply being herself.


    Maybe his silencested too long, as even the thick-skinned Daphne started to feel embarrassed. She


    touched her nose and said, ¡°Seems like there¡¯s not much to be proud of.¡±


    ¡°You can be proud.¡± The man sitting across from her suddenly spoke, surprising Daphne.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You can be proud.¡± He said, ¡°As Mrs. Lionel, not knowing how to cook, clean, or doundry, you can


    be proud. It¡¯s something to be proud of.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s heart was racing uncontrobly, even covering it with her hands didn¡¯t help.


    The handsome man who made her breakfast, his face stunningly beautiful, was whispering sweet


    nothings that made her heart flutter. She took a deep breath, barely managing to calm herself down.


    Then, pretending as if nothing had happened, she gave him a sweet smile, ¡°Lord Lion, you sure know


    how to charm ady¡­ I¡¯m smitten.¡±


    She quickly changed the subject, ¡°Did you really get the keys from my mom? How did you manage


    that?¡±


    She found it hard to believe.


    After all, the people who vehemently opposed her marrying into a wealthy family, who were against her


    marrying Lionel, were Mrs. Flores and ric!


    It was hard to believe that in just over a month, her parents would do aplete 180 and even give


    Lionel the keys to her apartment! She was curious to know how Lionel managed this!!


    Lionel said, ¡°I threatened your parents.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Daphne¡¯s jaw dropped. So the secret weapon was a threat?


    She looked at Lionel, furrowing her brows, ¡°How did you threaten them?¡±


    ¡°I told them that whether they agreed or not, I was going to marry Daphne. If they disagreed, I would


    simply kidnap her. Neither their wealth nor their manpower could stop me.¡± he said.


    This scared Daphne, causing her to instinctively retract her neck and look at Lionel with caution.


    Her smiling face looked worse than if she were crying, ¡°Lord Lion, you¡¯re joking, right? You didn¡¯t


    actually say that to my parents, did you?¡±


    ¡°I did, word for word.¡±


    Daphne grabbed Lionel¡¯s arm, ¡°And they still gave you the keys? And my dad¡­ he didn¡¯t beat you up?¡±


    Daphne studied Lionel from head to toe, ¡°Are you injured anywhere? Did you hit your head? Why


    would you say such nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Your dad didn¡¯ty a finger on me because I had backup,¡± he said.


    Daphne was thinking, Lionel must have taken a gang to stir up trouble. And he must have brought


    experts with him, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been able toe back unscathed after saying such


    things to her parents.


    In fact, everything Lionel said was true. He did indeed bring someone with him when he went to the


    Flores family. But it wasn¡¯t a gang like Daphne imagined, it was


    a well-knownwyer named Tandy. And he did repeat his threats word for word in front of Daphne.


    The only difference was that at the time, Daphne¡¯s parents sat on the sofa, scrutinizing him with their


    piercing gaze.


    Daphne¡¯s father was the first to speak, his voice firm, addressing Lionel directly, ¡°Stay away from us,


    Lionel. And don¡¯t worry about the child Daphne¡¯s carrying. She made up her mind to have it, and we,


    the Flores family, have never feared rumors or idle talk. We raised Daphne just fine, and we can


    certainly handle one more. We have no desire to climb socialdders of live like the idle rich.¡±


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    Edda, Daphne¡¯s mother, spoke more gently, but her words remained firm. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Daphne¡¯s side of


    the story. There was never a n for a.child, or even a rtionship between you¡­¡±


    Lionel stepped forward, his voice earnest,


    want to marry Daphne. It¡¯s the most significant decision I¡¯ve made in my life so far. This isn¡¯t a joke.¡±


    ¡°Marry her? What is this nonsense about marriage? Even a marriage based on love isn¡¯t guaranteed to


    last, let alone one without love!¡± Daphne¡¯s father didn¡¯t mince his words.


    Lionel stood his ground, his gaze steady on Daphne¡¯s parents. ¡°Whether you agree or not, I¡¯m going to


    marry her. If you don¡¯t agree, I could elope with her right now. Neither of you could stop me. When I


    want something, I get it.¡±


    He paused, then his tone softened, ¡°But I know the consequences of such actions. I truly love her, and I


    want to be responsible for her, and our child. I want to be there for every day of her future. That¡¯s why


    I¡¯m here, asking for your blessing. Daphne respects you both, and if you disapprove of our marriage,


    she¡¯ll hide behind you forever, never facing her true feelings or making her own choices.¡±


    ¡°If you truly love her and want to protect her, that¡¯s one thing. But if this marriage is just about the


    child¡­¡± Daphne¡¯s father interrupted Lionel, then paused before continuing, ¡°There is a saying, ¡®A man


    will die for money, a bird will die for food! Your father¡¯s media empire is worth billions, not a few measly


    millions. Who¡¯s to say you won¡¯t turn against Daphne when the inheritancees into y? Who will


    ensure her safety? Will you choose your wife and child, or your vast fortune?¡±


    Edda, who had always liked Lionel, fell silent at this.


    ¡°I choose the fortune,¡± Lionel said calmly.


    His answer was expected. Most people would probably make the same choice. But it was still


    disappointing to hear.


    What they didn¡¯t expect was Lionel¡¯s next sentence, ¡°I choose the fortune, but I¡¯m willing to put


    everything I have under my wife¡¯s name, under Daphne¡¯s name.¡±


    He gestured towards the man he¡¯d brought with him, ¡°This is Mr. Tandy.¡±


    Tandy presented a prenuptial agreement to Daphne¡¯s parents, ¡°It states that if Ms. Daphne and Mr.


    Lionel marry, all of Mr. Lionel¡¯s assets will belong to Ms. Daphne. Once she signs it, we can have it


    notarized.¡±


    Daphne¡¯s parents thought, ¡®This boy must be crazy!¡¯


    Lionel looked at Daphne, smiled, and said, ¡°I told my parents I¡¯d bring you home for dinner tonight.


    And¡­ I have a surprise for you.¡±


    Daphne grinned awkwardly, ¡°A surprise? I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡±


    She reached for her phone, ¡°I should probably check in with Julie¡­¡±

 Chatper 289

    Chatper 289


    Chapter 289


    Daphne couldn¡¯t get through to Julie on the phone, just as she dialed her number, an icy robotic voice


    informed her, ¡°Sorry, the number you¡¯re trying to reach is currently busy¡­¡±


    On the other end, Julie had just dialed Julien¡¯s number.


    Julie would never call Julien unless it was absolutely necessary. But she couldn¡¯t help but worry since


    Hayden had left with her the night before. Luckily, Julien on the other end picked up the call swiftly.


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive. That was the first thing Julien said.


    Julie, standing at the crossroads, let out a sigh of relief, ¡°I just wanted to ask if I should go collect your


    ashes¡­¡±


    Julien, picking up her underwear from the floor, replied coldly, ¡°When it¡¯s time to collect it, I¡¯lle to


    you in your dreams.¡±


    Before Julie could respond, the man lying next to Julien woke up.


    Thus before she could say anything else, Julien told her, ¡°I¡¯m busy, gotta hang up.¡±


    And then, the call was abruptly ended.


    Julie stared at her disconnected call, not knowing how to react.


    1


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Hayden¡¯s voice was stillced with theziness of just waking up.


    The woman putting on her underwear was surprised to find¡­ the buttons were long gone sincest


    night. And her own clothes¡­ were now adding a wild touch to the messy bedroom. To be precise,


    those weren¡¯t clothes anymore, those were scraps!


    She grabbed his oversized shirt, and before she could put it on, she felt a strong force pressing her


    down on the soft pillow. Hayden was now on top of her. Clearly, he had calcted how to immobilize


    her, so she was stuck in this position, unable to move.


    Meanwhile, her eyes were covered by the ck shirt, unable to see anything.


    Then came Hayden¡¯s deep, sexy voice from above, ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me, where are you


    going?¡±


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    ¡°How about I make a schedule and let Raines read it to you? I¡¯ll detail every mealtime and bathroom


    break down to the second, what do you think?¡± Knowing she was no match for him, Julien didn¡¯t even


    try to resist, she let him pin her down.


    The events ofst night, Julien wished she could delete them from her mind, clean and neat!


    At this moment, she was like a rose with thorns. Alluring and captivating, but full of thorns!


    ¡°You could stick with me for 24 hours, then you wouldn¡¯t need a schedule,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Really? Does that mean if I make schedules for a lifetime, I won¡¯t have to see you again?¡± She asked


    with a seductive smile, ¡°I¡¯d love that!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to sleep with you for 24 hours to knock some sense into you?¡± His voice was


    threatening and sexy, enough to make anyone¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    And luckily, the woman under him was no ordinary person.


    At this moment, Julien¡¯s smile was even deeper, she bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve been


    undercover for the National Security Agency for years, I¡¯ve dealt with a lot of high society lowlifes, I


    know all the tricks!¡±


    This sentence was a powerful blow!


    Not only did it show her vast experience to provoke Hayden, but it also mocked him as being one of


    those high society lowlifes¡­


    The man¡¯srge hand was on her waist, his smile growing wider, ¡°It seems that your ¡®service¡¯ is limited


    to sweet-talking those high society lowlifes.¡±


    Isn¡¯t that what it was? If she hadn¡¯t sweet-talked himst night, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in his bed!


    Last night, she didn¡¯t initially n to get in his car, instead, she asked him, ¡°Are you still in the business


    of breaking into people¡¯s homes in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who gives up halfway?¡± He was like a panther hidden in the night, lurking in the


    dark, ready to tear her apart at any moment, he coldly told her, ¡°Get in!¡±


    He had already opened the passenger door for her.


    She was sure, if she refused to get in the car at that moment, he had several ways to make her do it.


    So¡­. she reluctantly got into the car, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt.


    Then, he drove her back to his vi, pulling her hand, and entered his room. He didn¡¯t give her a


    chance to resist all the way.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next? Are you nning to talk about your hypocritical ¡®I love you¡¯ with me all night?¡± She


    didn¡¯t know where her temper came from, she stood up and told him, Two people who don¡¯t understand


    love, talking about love, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡±


    ¡°Do you like surprises like a little girl? Candles? Flowers?¡± He asked, ¡°Or a public proposal?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your love, I love you too. Is that okay?¡± She seldom smiled so gently, her dreamy smile


    was like a noble and elegant princess living in a fantasy castle.


    ¡°Lien, what do you want from me?¡± This was the most gentle andpromising tone he had ever used.


    It was as if she was the lover he held in his palm, he was trying his best to cheer her up, but he was


    helpless.


    ¡°You can continue your lonely yet brilliant life, don¡¯t say unrealistic nonsense like ¡®I love you¡¯. You,


    Hayden, don¡¯t have love, your interests always eclipse your love. You have desires, not love.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you match my desires perfectly.¡±.


    ¡°Oh! Then you probably don¡¯t know me well, people change, probably the woman who matched you


    was an innocent silly girl. Obviously, the woman in front of you now is much more thoughtful than


    before.¡± She said contemptucusly.


    Unexpectedly, he said, ¡°If we matched years ago, it was because we tried. We haven¡¯t tried after all


    these years, how do you know, we don¡¯t match?¡±


    ¡°So, you saying ¡®I love you¡¯ to me tonight is just to try?¡± As she spoke, she didn¡¯t know where her


    temper came from, but she exploded as if she had been holding a


    Chapter 289


    grudge for a long time.


    She took off her jacket in a few quick movements and threw it on the couch, telling him, ¡°Hayden, I¡¯ve


    put up with you for too long!¡± Julien was rarely angry, but when she did get angry, she was almost out


    of control.


    She angrily took off her clothes, grabbed Hayden¡¯s tie and threw him on the bed, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of


    you, Hayden!¡± She swung one leg over Hayden, settling herself on hisp, her grip tight on his shirt


    cor as she sneered, ¡°Right, I¡¯m the toy you won back. So you y with me when you¡¯re in the mood


    and toss me aside for years when you¡¯re not. My duty, my reason for living, is to keep you entertained.


    Come on, I¡¯ll entertain you now, I¡¯ll please you, I¡¯ll let you y


    The story begins with her long-held resentment. At that time, he was only trying to control her, flipping


    her under him.


    He stared into her eyes, asking her, ¡°When have you ever seen me, Hayden, trying to please a toy?¡±


    So, everything he did, it was all to please her. Including his confession of love.


    Given his character, his likes, his love, it was impossible for him to say it directly. But he sincerely told


    her ¡°I love you¡±.


    When he said these three words, Julien was shocked, surprised, and after the shock, there seemed to


    be¡­ a hint of delight.


    As she was lost in thought, the man on top of her suddenly bent down and sealed her lips.


    What happened next was natural and irresistible¡­


    Julien didn¡¯t dwell on the events of the previous night, instead, she moved the fingers he was pressing


    on, and asked him, ¡°Are you expecting me to be responsible to you? Or ¡­ do you n to stay in this


    position for twenty-four hours?¡±


    In the end, he let go of her.


    Julien pulled on a shirt, sat on the edge of the bed, and asked him, ¡°Do you have any pills?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take precautionsst night?¡± She red at him. ¡°Call Raines to get some birth-control


    pills! I¡¯m ovting.¡±


    She was straightforward about it, not discussing it with him, but making a decision.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get pregnant?¡± The man, surprisingly,ughed, his smile wicked.


    She smiled back, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of getting pregnant with your child.¡±


    ¡°If you ever want to be a mother in this life, there¡¯s only one possibility, and that¡¯s to have my


    child.¡± He suddenly reached out, straightening her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.


    She grabbed his wrist, ¡°If I want to be a mother, I can only have your child, then if you want to be a


    father, do you also have to use my womb?¡±


    ¡°Lien, I never thought of abandoning you.¡± He held her hand in his, ¡°How long are we going to quarrel


    over the past?¡±


    1


    ¡°Why don¡¯t wey our cards on the table?¡± She forcefully pulled her hand back, looking into his eyes.


    Her usually cold, emotionless eyes were now filled with a hint


    of heat.


    She said, ¡°I admit, I admit I love you. All these years, that hasn¡¯t changed. But Hayden, I can¡¯t ept


    you. Not after you left me behind, nor after you now holds so much power.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a reason?¡± He asked rationally, knowing that to solve the problem, he first needed to


    understand it.


    Julien didn¡¯t shy away, ¡°A reason? I want marriage, you can¡¯t give me. I want love, you¡¯re not faithful.


    You want to be together? Should I support you or you support me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not faithful?¡± Hayden lived for over thirty years, loved only one woman, and was used of being


    ¡®unfaithful¡±! Could there be any one more wronged than him in this world?


    He looked at her, ¡°I¡¯ve only loved one woman, slept with one woman, only had one woman in my mind.


    How much more faithful do you want me to be?¡±


    ¡°Ha, the man who cooked with Adeline and booked a room on the 24th, was that me?¡±

 Chatper 290

    Chatper 290


    Chapter 290


    Was she jealous? When Hayden realized what Julien had just insinuated, his eyes twinkled with


    delight.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Only after seeing Hayden¡¯s expression did Julien realize her slip. But to deny it now would only make it


    worse. She stood up and headed toward the door, not saying a word.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To get some pills!¡± she replied coldly,


    But Hayden, with his longer strides, got to the door before her and blocked her way. ¡°You were


    following me?¡±


    ¡°It was a coincidence.¡±


    Indeed, it was. She had seen Hayden with Adeline at the grocery store. Hayden, a man who never set


    foot in a kitchen, was shopping for groceries with Adeline.


    Their good looks and harmonious interaction attracted a lot of attention. They looked like a loving


    couple who had been together for years, or a newlywed couple still in the honeymoon phase.


    Julien happened to witness all of this but didn¡¯t want to watch out of curiosity, so she let it go. But who


    would¡¯ve thought that such coincidences do happen?


    Learning that Hayden and Adeline had nned to go to a restaurant for a date, she didn¡¯t want to


    return to the vi where Hayden lives, so she checked into a nearby hotel. But it was such a


    coincidence, as soon as she checked into the hotel, Hayden and Adeline walked in.


    And they only booked one room!


    She wasn¡¯t trying to pay attention to them, but that night, she admitted she didn¡¯t sleep well.


    They stayed the whole night at the hotel, as Julien saw them having breakfast in the hotel restaurant


    the next morning.


    She remembered walking out of the hotel that morning, hungry. Out of sight, out of mind.


    So, she wasn¡¯t lying. Running into him and Adeline at the grocery store, and booking a room, were all


    coincidences.


    But Hayden¡¯s face showed a clear disbelief, ¡°Why do you care about Adeline?¡± It seemed like he was


    determined to make her tell the truth today.


    Julien took a deep breath, took a few steps back, and looked at the man blocking the door. Beating


    around the bush wasn¡¯t her style, some things should probably be said,


    ¡°Ldon¡¯t care about Adeline, I care about you. If you wouldn¡¯t flirt with me, I wouldn¡¯t care who you¡¯re


    with.¡±


    ¡°What if I am loyal?¡± He leaned against the door, asking her.


    Hearing this, sheughed, ¡°Loyalty means giving up all the women for me. Including giving up Adeline,


    can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Give up Adeline¡­¡± He paused before replying, ¡°I might not be able to do that.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a negotiable tone, but a certain one, telling her he wouldn¡¯t give up a beauty like Adeline for


    her.


    Julien didn¡¯t know Adeline well, they had only met a few times. The only impression Adeline left on her


    was: devastatingly beautiful.


    Hearing his not-so-surprising answer, she finally said, ¡°Then don¡¯t block my way.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why?¡± He didn¡¯t step aside, but continued to block her path.


    Julien crossed her arms and asked obligingly, ¡°Why?¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe he could give her a satisfying answer!


    ¡°Because Adeline is my sister.¡± He looked her in the eye, a light smile on his face.


    Julien gave a coldugh, ¡°Is that how people describe intimate rtionships these days?¡±


    ¡°Biological sister.¡± He added.


    Biological sister?! Julien, standing in front of him, loosened her crossed arms in surprise.


    ¡°We booked a room because she was emotionally unstable after learning the truth, and it wasn¡¯t


    suitable for her to go home. But she clearly didn¡¯t want to go home


    with me either. So, booking a room was thest resort.¡± He rarely exined things, but due to Julien¡¯s


    doubts, he exined everything clearly.


    Julien stood still for a while, probably for two or three minutes, before she found her voice. She then


    said coldly to him, ¡°That¡¯s your business.¡±


    He blocked the door, so she turned around and walked toward the balcony.


    There was only a balcony separating her bedroom from his. Julien could easily climb over it.


    This time, Hayden didn¡¯t follow.


    Julien changed her clothes, but Hayden¡¯s words kept echoing in her mind.


    Finally, she threw the clothes into the bathroom, turned around, and opened the door


    But the man who hadn¡¯t chased her into her room was standing at the door, as if he had been waiting


    for her toe out¡­


    Julien almost walked into him as she opened the door. He handed her a bottle of pills, ¡°Keep more, you


    might need themter.¡±


    She looked up at him without any hidden meanings, just like looking at a stranger.


    In the end, she poured the pills into her palm and swallowed them all at once.


    She then pushed him away, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Simon now, are you nning to follow me?¡±


    Hayden stepped back, making way for her.


    As Julien left the vi, her first task was not to find the whereabouts of the Fitzgerald family¡¯s heir, but


    to find Dn.


    Dn was surprised to see Julien, ¡°You are the female assassin?¡±


    Considering the reason she was looking for him, Julien temporarily let it slide.


    Dn quickly covered his mouth and looked at Julien guiltily, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Julien pulled out the pill bottle from her pocket and threw it to Dn, ¡°Find out what this is.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reward?¡± Dn asked, grinning.


    Julien squinted her eyes, smiled and said, ¡°Assassins don¡¯t usually show mercy. If you want to end up


    on this table being dissected, I can arrange that.¡±


    So she had heard the words ¡®female assassin¡¯, Dn weakly took the bottle from Julien¡¯s hands.


    In a short while, after testing, the answer was given, three words, ¡°Vitamins.¡±


    After saying that, he added, ¡°Who the hell would put vitam¨ªns in a birth control pill bottle? Are we


    investigating some big case here?¡±


    Julien¡¯s face didn¡¯t look so good, and she threw out a word, ¡°Murder case!¡±


    After that, she said a rare thanks to Dn.


    She didn¡¯t think about settling ounts with Hayden, instead, she went to the pharmacy and bought


    real birth control pills to put in this bottle, then tucked it into her pocket. After doing all these actions,


    she remembered the words he said when he handed her the bottle: Stock up, you¡¯ll need themter!


    Julien¡¯s eyes deepened, she took the pill bottle out of her pocket, popped two into her mouth, and then


    threw the bottle and the pills back into the trash can.


    She reached out to hail a cab, but saw Julie across the street.


    At that moment, she was standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the traffic light, seemingly ready to cross


    the road. She didn¡¯t see Julien on this side of the road. Julien was taken aback, and walked to this side


    of the zebra crossing, ready to wait for Julie toe over. At that moment, a ck van suddenly lost


    control and drove towards Julie¡¯s sidewalk.


    ¡°Julie!¡± Julien, standing across the street, suddenly shouted towards Julie.


    Julie also seemed to notice the danger approaching and suddenly looked towards the direction of the


    van. The vehicle was speeding towards her without any signs of braking. In less than half a second,


    Julie¡¯s pupils dted, and her legs were already subconsciously preparing to dodge..


    But the speed of the van was too fast, giving her no extra reaction time.


    In less than a second, the van was driving towards her. At the critical moment, suddenly, a strong force


    came from behind, pulling her from the sidewalk.


    Due to the force of the person behind her, Julie fell to the ground with him.


    The dizzying feeling made it difficult for Julie to breathe, and it took her a long time to recover.


    The van seemed to be out of control not by ident, but deliberately, just like the car that Kieran drove


    into the riverst time. After realizing that their goal was not achieved, the driver of the car quickly


    turned the steering wheel and drove away recklessly.


    The arrogant driver didn¡¯t bother to stop at the red light and scared a motorcycle to m on the brakes.


    After confirming that Julie was safe, Julien pulled the driver off the motorcycle, then rode the


    motorcycle to chase the van.


    The van driver¡¯s driving skills were top-notch and he kept overtaking.


    The ce had be a traffic jam due to the ident just now. Julien skillfully ride the motorcycle to


    chase after him. Clearly, the driver didn¡¯t expect such a delicate and beautiful woman to chase him so


    recklessly, her driving skills were quite outstanding.


    Due to the size of the vehicle, Julien quickly approached the van, and just when she was about to catch


    up, the motorcycle suddenly¡­ ran out of gas.


    The speed of the motorcycle gradually slowed down and finally stopped in the middle of the road¡­


    The owner of the motorcycle had to take a taxi to finally catch up with Julien, Seeing his motorcycle


    stopped in the road due tock of gas, his face was very ugly, ¡°You stole my motorcycle!¡±


    Julien turned her head, her cold gaze stared at the man for a moment. Maybe it was because Julien¡¯s


    aura was too strong, the man who was actually the victim felt a bit intimidated¡­


    Julien took out her phone and dialed Raines¡¯ number, ¡°Come to Hawthorn Lane.¡±


    Raines, who received the call, thought to himself, ¡®What the hell! When did he be Julien¡¯s


    personal assistant?


    ¡°When you leaked my location to him, you should¡¯ve known this day woulde.¡± After saying this,


    Julien hung up the phone.

 Chatper 291

    Chatper 291


    Chapter 291


    Julie hadn¡¯t expected that in this critical moment, someone would step forward to save her life. Even


    more surprising was that the savior turned out to be Zenith.


    After herst trip from Sycamore Vige, Julie had given Zenith¡¯s nail clip to Dn, who had it tested.


    The results were exactly as Kieran had suspected. But neither Julie nor Kieran believed the test


    results.


    Due to Julie¡¯s unexpected kidnapping, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to confront Zenith yet.


    But they hadn¡¯t expected Zenith to suddenly appear and save Julie.


    When Zenith pulled Julie towards him, the inertia caused Julie to fall onto him.


    Arge crowd had gathered around, asking if Julie and Zenith were hurt. Some even captured the


    thrilling moment on their phones and posted it online.


    Julie quickly got up from Zenith and reached out to help him up, but he ignored her hand and got up


    himself.


    Zenith was wearing a white shirt. He bent over and picked up his ck coat from the ground; he had


    been holding it when he fell. Because he had fallen on his elbow, it was bleeding now.


    ¡°Your arm¡­¡± Julie looked at Zenith¡¯s arm apologetically.


    Zenith just nced down and said to her without much emotion, ¡°I¡¯ll send the bill to Simpo Co. You¡¯re


    lucky you ran into me today.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem interested in further conversation with Julie. He picked up his coat and prepared to


    leave.


    Julie grabbed Zenith¡¯s arm, ¡°You¡¯re hurt. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± he shrugged off her hand and rejected her offer, but he smiled and said, ¡°Tell Mr. Hernandez


    that he owes me one.¡±


    Jesse had already parked the car in front of Zenith and opened the door for him.


    Zenith got in the car and left Julie on the roadside.


    Raines rushed to Hawthorn Lane, where Julien was sitting on a motorcycle, her long legs looking even


    longer in this position.


    Next to her stood a young man, his expression a little aggrieved, but he didn¡¯t dare defy her.


    ¡°Ask him forpensation,¡± Julien tossed the motorcycle keys to Raines.


    Raines caught the keys, puzzled, ¡°Compensation? For what?¡±


    ¡°This woman!¡± The owner of the motorcycle looked at Raines, who seemed easier to talk to than Julien,


    so he quickly approached him and pointed at Julien with a wronged face, ¡°I was just going to refuel my


    motorcycle today. I was riding well, but suddenly, this¡­¡±


    Julien red at the motorcycle owner, who swallowed hard, and didn¡¯t dare to say ¡®Woman¡¯ again,


    ¡°Thisdy came and took my bike, pushed me to the ground, look at my knee, the skin is all scraped off


    ¡­¡±


    ¡°How much did the motorcycle cost?¡± Raines asked.


    He felt more and more that this woman, Julien, was getting used to calling him around. All thanks to the


    young master¡¯s spoiling!


    When Julien returned to the scene, she saw Zenith getting in the car and leaving, while Julie was still


    standing there, looking a bit shaken.


    Julien got off the bike and saw blood on Julie¡¯s sleeve. Her brows furrowed and she carefully pulled at


    her arm, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Julie finally noticed the blood on her sleeve and shook her head with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Howe


    you¡¯re here, Julien?¡±


    ¡°Passing by,¡± Julien exined simply before asking, ¡°Was that man Zenith?¡±


    ¡°More like Lucian¡­¡± Julie murmured to herself.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not hurt?¡± Julien asked.


    Julie shook her head and waved her arm to show she was fine.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch him,¡± Julien said regretfully, then looked at Julie with a serious gaze, ¡°I take you home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Julie pointed at the Simpo Co. building across the street and told Julie, ¡°I need to go over


    there.¡±¡±


    Raines, who had just arrived following the car¡¯s GPS, saw Julie and Julien standing together


    Julien nced at Raines, tossed him the keys, and said, ¡°Take off your coat.¡±


    Raines was defeated by Julien. He took off his coat and handed it to her.


    Julien was about to put it on Julie when she saw the frustrated look on Raines¡¯ face andughed. She


    patted Julie on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s give Mr. Raines¡¯ coat back!¡±


    She took the coat and handed it back to Raines with a smile, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ignoring the curious gazes, Julien finally brought Julie to the CEO¡¯s office of Simpo Co.


    Tina, the secretary at the door, stood up immediately when she saw Julie, ¡°Mrs., Mr. Hernandez just


    went into a meeting, he should be busy now, should !¡­¡±


    There¡¯s no need, I¡¯ll wait for him in his office. Once his meeting is over, just let him know,¡± Julie said


    with a smile after bidding goodbye to Julie.


    Tina quickly got a ss of juice and brought it over to Julie.


    Julie took the ss with a smile, and Tina left the room.


    Julie had assumed Kieran¡¯s meeting would take a while, so she settled into the plush armchair in his


    office, ready for a quick nap. However, as soon as she had closed her eyes, the office door was


    pushed open abruptly.


    Kieran rushed in, looking rmed and scrambling towards her. Julie stirred, slowly rising from the chair.


    Kieran squatted down in front of her, his hands trembling slightly as he gently held her shoulders, his


    brows furrowed in concern. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± he asked. Julie blinked in surprise, then reached out


    a hand to caress Kieran¡¯s face, a smile ying on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Your meeting ended already? I


    thought Tina said you


    just started?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Kieran delicately removed Julie¡¯s hand from his face, his eyes fixated on the bloodstain on her sleeve.


    ¡°Tina mentioned she saw blood on your sleeve when serving you apple juice. What happened?¡±


    Following Kieran¡¯s gaze, Julie looked at her stained sleeve. Now she realized why Kieran had rushed


    over so quickly.


    She told him the whole incident, even showing her uninjured arm by rolling up her sleeve to reassure


    Kieran.


    Upon seeing Julie¡¯s unscathed, delicate wrist, Kieran finally rxed. However, his attention was quickly


    drawn back to the blood-stained sleeve.


    ¡°So¡­ this is Zenith¡¯s blood?¡± he asked, his eyes narrowing.


    Realization dawned on Julie. She quickly removed her coat and held up the blood-stained sleeve. ¡°Yes!


    It¡¯s Zenith¡¯s blood. I saw it with my own eyes, fresh blood dripping from his elbow. It¡¯s impossible for it


    to be fake!¡±


    She pulled out her phone with excitement, dialing Dn¡¯s number while talking. ¡°Now Zenith can¡¯t fake


    it like he did with the fingernail, right? Once the blood test results are out, we¡¯ll know if Zenith is actually


    Lucian!¡±


    Kieran gently stroked Julie¡¯s head, pulling her into his embrace, trying to calm her down. His gaze


    deepened as he held her, as if she were a precious gem.


    At the hotel, Zenith sat on the couch, a first aid kit on the coffee table. Bruce was tending to his


    wounds, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.


    Zenith was holding a phone, a voice on the other end was distorted, ¡°You saved her?!¡±


    Although it was hard to identify the caller, the anger and betrayal in the voice were unmistakable,


    sending chills down Zenith¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I told you, her life is mine. If she has to die, it will be by my hands!¡± Zenith¡¯s voice was filled with


    suppressed rage.


    Bruce understood that Zenith was trying to control his emotions.


    ¡°I saved your life, not for you to disappoint me,¡± the voice on the other end was emotionless.


    ¡°Only those who have tasted heaven can truly suffer in hell. So how could I let her go to hell without


    sending her to heaven first?¡± Zenith¡¯s voice grew sinister. The caller seemed satisfied,ughing before


    saying, ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me,¡± and then the line went dead.


    Zenith clenched his fist, smashing his phone into the coffee table. The screen shattered instantly, and


    fresh blood seeped through the bandage on his elbow. Bruce frowned, specting, ¡°Could it be that


    they already know you saved Emily? Is that why they attacked Mrs. Hernandez?¡±


    Zenith remained silent for a moment before tossing his ruined phone to Bruce. ¡°Get the car. We¡¯re


    going to the hospital.¡±


    At Tranquil Care Hospital, Zenith had just arrived when he heard a familiar voice. His call to Professor


    Fred hadn¡¯t even connected yet, but he looked up.


    At the entrance stood Lisa, holding a ck umbre, speaking softly to Kyle, ¡°Mr. Kyle, we can¡¯t get in.¡±


    Kyle¡­


    A wave of dark emotions washed over Zenith. He disconnected his call and started walking towards


    Kyle.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    Chapter 292


    While Julie and Kieran were en route to Dn¡¯s, a call came through from Harding Ladd.


    Harding sounded a bit excited on the other end of the line, ¡°Kerry, you will never guess what I just saw!¡±


    ¡°A naked Mr. Watson?¡± Kieran quipped, casually steering the wheel.


    In the passenger¡¯s seat, Julie, who¡¯d chosen a ck cashmere coat from the stack in Kieran¡¯s office,


    chuckled at hisment and shot him a thumbs up.


    Harding silently reminded himself that he was a man of ss before responding with a calm tone, ¡°Just


    spotted Zenith and Kyle hopping into the same car at the hospital entrance. They seem to be


    acquainted.¡±


    ¡°Kyle?¡±


    ¡°Zenith?¡±


    Kieran and Julie echoed simultaneously, taken aback. Harding, presumably grinning ear to ear,


    confirmed, ¡°Yes, Zenith and Kyle. I arrivedte and only saw them get into the same car, Kyle¡¯s car. I


    was so shocked that I pulled the hospital¡¯s CCTV footage. I¡¯m sending it to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kieran hung up after a short reply.


    A video arrived on Kieran¡¯s phone shortly after. As he was driving, Julie took the phone to view it.


    In the footage, Lisa was holding a ck umbre for Kyle. From the CCTV perspective, Kyle and Lisa¡¯s


    expressions weren¡¯t visible, but they were standing at the entrance of Tranquil Care Hospital, hesitant


    to go in. Sansa was inside. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess Kyle¡¯s intentions.


    Julie had never thought of Kyle as the type to resort to kidnapping as a means of threat. So when she


    learned from Julien that Kyle had kidnapped Emily to threaten Professor Fred to not treat Sansa, she


    had cklisted Kyle. She¡¯d even specifically instructed the hospital staff to keep Kyle away from


    Sansa.


    So, Kyle¡¯s hesitation at the entrance was likely due to this.


    Zenith, originally standing behind them, had just gotten out of the car and was on his phone. His gaze


    fell on Kyle¡¯s back, and after about half a minute, he abruptly hung up the call and walked towards


    Kyle.


    Kyle turned to face Zenith. Due to the umbre, Julie couldn¡¯t see Kyle¡¯s expression, but she did catch


    sight of Zenith¡¯s face. He seemed to bemunicating with Kyle. In the end, Kyle and Zenith got into


    the car together.


    From the video, it seemed like they were old acquaintances.


    ¡°Do you think Zenith and Kyle could know each other?¡± Julie asked Kieran. She could only think of a


    work¨Crted reason for their acquaintance.


    One was a crisis management expert; the other was the head of aw firm. It was usible that they


    would asionally coborate.


    But when Julie searched for JS and Zenith Group together on the inte, she found no rted


    information.


    ¡°Does theck of online reports mean they know each other personally, not by working rtions?¡± Julie


    turned to Kieran for answers.


    Instead of answering, Kieran recalled something else.


    ¡°Do you remember when Julien went to rescue Emily?¡± he asked Julie..


    Julie nodded, ¡°What about it? She was saved, right?¡±


    ¡°On the day Julien went to rescue Emily, he encountered another man who was there to save Emily.


    The man looked a lot like Zenith from behind,¡± Kieran added, ¡°but we haven¡¯t confirmed it yet.¡±


    Hearing this, Julie became even more confused.


    ¡°Zenith and Professor Fred are close. If Zenith went to save Emily, it would make sense. So the man


    Julien saw could indeed be Zenith, But considering the situation today, Zenith and Kyle seem to have a


    close rtionship. If Zenith knew about the vi, why wouldn¡¯t he just ask Kyle directly for Emily?¡± Julie


    tried to analyze the situation, but in the end, she was left more baffled. She tossed her phone aside and


    dered, ¡°No matter. All I want to know now is if Zenith is Lucian, and whether his appearance today


    was a coincidence or premeditated.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie clutched the boxed white coat stained with Zenith¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Can we identify him just by this bloodstain?¡± she asked Kieran worriedly.


    ¡°QuadDn can,¡± Kieran affirmed.


    At this, Julie finally cracked a smile.


    When Kieran and Julie arrived at Dn¡¯sb and handed over the coat, Dn frowned and said, ¡°My


    ce has be your privateb. Next time you visit, if all of you are not paying, at least bring some


    food!¡±


    Despite Dn¡¯s grumbling, the couple¡¯s attention was elsewhere¡­


    ¡°Who else is using yourb as their private investigation service?¡± Julie curiously asked Dn from her


    seat.


    Maybe it was because she had too many close shaves with death, but Julie seemed to adapt to


    anything new quite quickly now. The petite woman, spinning in her swivel chair, looked just like a


    yful child.


    Kieran stood by Julie, watching her with a fond smile. He turned to Dn and asked, ¡°What are your


    security guards for? Anyone who dares treat this ce as a privateb, just have the security throw


    them out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have enough security guards to keep her entertained for a morning.¡± Dn retorted,


    flipping out Julie¡¯s coat.


    Julie looked at Dn curiously. ¡°Really? Is she that good?¡±


    ¡°A woman who dares to fight with Hayden? How could she not be?¡± Dn sighed. ¡°I mean, why am I so


    scared of that female assassin? I have a ck belt in karate after all!¡±


    Julie covered her mouth to giggle. ¡°You have to admit it. Julien is quite the fearless one!¡±


    She leaned in to ask Dn, ¡°What did Julien want you to appraise?¡±


    ¡°She brought in a bottle of vitamins and asked me if they were birth control pills. She said she needed it


    for a murder investigation. Who would be so low to put vitamins in a birth control bottle? I bet this


    murder case the female assassin mentioned is probably a crime of passion mixed with a property


    dispute. A couple¡¯s rtionship was already strained, and then the wife identally found out that the


    husband was keeping a mistress. The wife, wanting to kick the husband out penniless, deliberately


    switched the mistress¡¯s birth control pills with vitamins. Once the mistress got pregnant, the wife could


    use the child as evidence of the husband¡¯s infidelity and kick him out¡­¡±


    ¡°Dr. Dn, you must be glued to the TV dramas every night, right?¡± Julie interrupted.


    Dn shook his head, looking puzzled. ¡°No, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I thought you grew up watching soap operas!¡± Julieughed heartily, wrapping her arms around


    Kieran¡¯s waist.


    Dn was speechless.


    Julie looked up at Kieran and said, ¡°You know, the first time I met Dr. Dn, it was outside your office.


    He was so gentle back then, like a typical man in a romanticedy. He even lent me his jacket and


    was so warm. But after getting to know him¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a total goof.¡± Kieran finished for her.


    Julie looked surprised. ¡°You use ng like ¡®goof¡°?¡±


    He gently brushed her nose with his finger. ¡°There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know about me. I¡¯ll tell you slowly.¡±


    ¡°Stop spreading your lovey¨Cdovey vibe here. Out, out, out! I¡¯ll personally deliver the appraisal results


    when they¡¯re ready!¡± Dn looked at the couple in front of him and cringed. ¡°You two are so sickeningly


    sweet!¡±


    Julie took Kieran¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. After all, Dr. Dn has his security.¡±


    Dn thought to himself, ¡®Poor choice in friends.


    Tranquil Care Hospital.


    Julie and Kieran stood outside Sansa¡¯s ward, looking in. Inside the ward, Professor Fred was reading


    Sansa¡¯s medical record, a worried look on his face.


    Dr. Brice stood beside Julie and Kieran, suggesting, ¡°Shall we go to my office?¡±


    :


    Once they were seated in his office, Dr. Brice handed a medical record to Kieran and Julie. ¡°This is all


    the medical data from Sansa¡¯sst shock after seeing Kyle, and Her subsequent revival. Professor


    Fred says it¡¯s almost a miracle for someone in a vegetative state for so long to wake up. You two had


    better not get your hopes up too high. But he will do his best, only¡­¡±


    He paused here.


    Julie neatly ced the record on the desk, looking at Dr. Brice determinedly. ¡°Only what?¡±


    ¡°Only the patient¡¯s cerebral cortex is severely damaged and she¡¯s been in a deepa, from which


    she can¡¯t be reversed, for a long time. Only her subcortical center can maintain her autonomous


    breathing and heartbeat. Professor Fred can apply hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physical therapy, and


    his own treatment. Though vegetative patients have cognitive impairments and are unconscious, they


    often respond to auditory stimuli. And based on her previous response, Sansa reacted most strongly to


    Kyle, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Professor Fred wants us to get Kyle to cooperate with the treatment?¡± Kieran guessed.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293


    Chapter 293


    char y table cough,


    At a fine-dining restaurant, Zenith and Kyle sat at opposite ends of a well-polished mahogany table, a


    bartender pouring a generous amount of red wine into their sses.


    Zenith broke the silence first, ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided to stick around?¡±


    Kyle lifted his ss, clinking it lightly against Zenith¡¯s. ¡°I told you I¡¯d be back. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re here


    though, seems like you¡¯ve been nning this.¡±


    Zenith took a small sip of his wine, a smile ying on his lips. ¡°Going through all this for a woman in a


    coma, is it worth it?¡±


    ¡±


    Despite his seemingly light-hearted tone, his words were dripping with sarcasm. But Kyle seemed


    unfazed, a mask-like smile remained on his face as he replied, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be too busy looking


    after yourself these days, but here you are interested in my affairs.¡±


    ¡°Busy with myself?¡± Zenith set down his wine ss, eyeing Kyle. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Kyle adopted a 1-identally-spilled-the-beans¡¯ expression. ¡°I thought you knew about Kieran bringing


    your blood sample to Dn for testing¡­¡±


    It was only then that Zenith remembered how he injured his elbow when he was trying to save Julie.


    Yet, Kyle wasn¡¯t done, his smile never leaving his face as he added, ¡°Any guess what the results might


    be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± Zenith replied calmly, his face expressionless.


    Seemingly reminded of something, Kyle leaned in towards Zenith, ¡°I discovered something interesting.


    Last time, Hayden¡¯s men broke into my house, kidnapped Emily and even took the surveince tapes.


    But I found a few footprints by theke opposite my vi which were belong to ¨¤ man. You immediately


    came to mind, isn¡¯t it a coincidence?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Ah, so you were the one who kidnapped Emily?¡± Zenith¡¯s face was unreadable as he countered, ¡°You


    fell out with your family over a woman in aa, and when there was a chance to wake her up, you


    kidnapped the professor¡¯s daughter to prevent it. I can¡¯t fathom why.¡±


    Zenith cut him off before he could reply, his cold smile never leaving his face, ¡°Is there a reason that


    you can¡¯t let her wake up?¡±


    Lisa, standing behind Kyle and just staring at Kyle¡¯s back, felt the anger that Kyle was repressing now.


    But Zenith continued the provocative talks ¡°Do you think Hayden¡¯s men found Emily because you can¡¯t


    hide a woman, or did you intentionally leave clues for them?¡±


    Zenith propped his chin on his hand, ¡°Why would you do that? Do you suddenly wish for your ¡®Sleeping


    Beauty¡¯ to wake up?¡±


    Ignoring Kyle¡¯s attempt to interrupt, Zenith continued, ¡°Or maybe the reason she can¡¯t wake up doesn¡¯t


    hold anymore?¡±


    Kyle finally got a chance to interject, ¡°Did I ever tell you something?¡± Zenith gestured for him to


    continue. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±


    Kyle got up, leaving the room with his assistant Lisa. Bruce, Zenith¡¯s bodyguard, approached him once


    the room was quiet again, ¡°Was it necessary to provoke Mr. Kyle like that?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can stop Dn from getting the test results?¡± Zenith asked Bruce.


    Bruce fell silent, after all, Dn was the heir of the Pierson family. He didn¡¯t have confidence in


    stopping Dn, all he could say was, ¡°We can only try.¡±


    ¡°And what if we can¡¯t stop Dn?¡± Zenith pressed on.


    Bruce frowned, but he replied honestly, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez¡­ would find out you are¡­¡±


    ¡°I am Lucian.¡± Zenith finished the sentence for him.


    Bruce fell silent again, his eyebrows knitted together in worry. Zenith picked up his ss and drained it,


    ¡°Arrange a meeting with Julie and Kieran tomorrow.¡±


    **


    Karl came to the hospital for Kieran¡¯s signature on an urgent document. Julie sat on a bench in the


    corridor, her mind filled with Dr. Brice¡¯s words. He had said, ¡°Professor Fred hopes that Mr. Kyle can


    assist with the patient¡¯s treatment. If Mr. Kyle can help, the chances of waking the patient are higher.


    So, consider arranging for Kyle toe over.¡±


    Dr. Brice had heard about Emily¡¯s kidnapping from Harding, so he understood Julie¡¯s reluctance. He


    added, ¡°Mr. Kyle just needs to chat with Sansa, share somemon memories. If you¡¯re worried about


    him, we can install a small camera in Sansa¡¯s room. I can monitor it whenever Kyle is with her, just in


    case something happens.¡±


    Dr. Brice exined everything clearly, and Julie understood his point.


    In a nutshell, the professor¡¯s point was that if they could get Kyle and Sansa tomunicate more,


    there would be a higher chance of Sansa waking up. Without a doubt, he would do anything to awaken


    Sansa. But as Dr. Brice pointed out, because Kyle had once done something that broke trust, Julie had


    a mental hurdle, fearing that Kyle might hurt Sansa again.


    She sat on the bench, her thoughts so engrossed that she didn¡¯t even register the noise at the end of


    the hall.


    It was only when Kieran finished handling the contract and came to her side that she snapped back to


    reality. He looked at her with a somewhat strained smile.


    ¡°She¡¯ll understand, no matter what you decide,¡± Kieran nced at Sansa in the room andfortingly


    said to Julie.


    !


    Only then did Julie notice the noise at the end of the hall growing louder. The hospital, usually quiet,


    was now filled with a cacophony of sounds¡­


    Julie turned to Kieran, her brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity, ¡°Is there something going on down


    there?¡±


    Kieran shook his head, about to respond, when he saw two figures running towards them.


    §Ú§Þ§à


    Upon closer inspection, it was Daphne, bundled up tightly, and Lionel, with a baseball cap and mask.


    Daphne was more than four months pregnant, but because of her petite frame, her pregnancy wasn¡¯t


    visible under her puffer jacket.


    Julie stood up as she saw Daphne approaching, ¡°Why are you bundled up like a burritoing to the


    hospital?¡±


    anymore!¡±


    Daphne touched her belly, ¡°I came for a prenatal check-up. I remembered that Sansa was in the


    hospital, so I came to see her after my check-up.¡±


    After saying this, Daphne turned to Lionel with a face full of pity, crying out dramatically, ¡°It¡¯s over, I¡¯m


    totally exposed. I can¡¯t show my face


    ¡°What happened?¡± Juke asked, concern in her voice as she steadied Daphne.


    Daphne turned to Vionel and red at him.


    Today was the day Daphne had scheduled a prenatal check-up at Hope Hospital, but Lionel spent the


    entire night at her apartment and imed he was taking her to Hope Hospital the next morning


    However, he sneakily took her, who had fallen asleep in the car, to Tranquil Care Hospital instead.


    Moreover, he threatened her that if she didn¡¯t get out of the car, he would remove his baseball cap and


    mask and announce their rtionship.


    Daphne was a paper tiger, acting tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Once her weakness was


    exposed, she was more docile than a kitten at home.


    So she put the hood of her puffer jacket over her head and followed Lionel into the hospital.


    Considering Lionel was also bundled up, Daphne didn¡¯t believe anyone could recognize him. However,


    reality proved¡­ she was too naive.


    While she was having her ultrasound, Lionel was waiting outside. Everything was going ording to


    n until¡­


    There was no problem when Daphne went in, but when she came out¡­ she found Lionel surrounded


    by people, both men and women, clearly recognizing him and asking for photos and autographs.


    Who would¡¯ve thought a retired celebrity would be more popr than the struggling starlets in the


    entertainment industry?


    Daphne¡¯s first instinct was to pretend she didn¡¯t know him and run. But ns always fail to keep up with


    changes. In the crowded crowd, someone identally pushed her


    At that time, there was a wall of people between her and Lionel. But Lionel managed to hold her waist


    to prevent her from falling, crossing the human wall to her side.


    Chapter 293


    Afterwards, they didn¡¯t even have time to show the doctor the test results and fled from the hospital


    building.


    Daphne remembered Sansa was in the hospital, so she decided to visit, but they were photographed


    all the way¡­


    So it was easy to guess how her r


    with Lionel would be interpreted when these photos were uploaded online. That¡¯s why Daphne said she


    was exposed.


    After hearing the whole story, Julieughed and patted Daphne¡¯s shoulder,forting her, ¡°Don¡¯t take


    it too seriously. There is a way to solve it.¡±


    ¡°A solution? What solution?¡± Daphne asked with a curious look, grabbing Julie¡¯s hand.

 Chatper 294

    Chatper 294


    Chapter 294


    ¡°Strike first!¡± Julie eximed, ¡°It¡¯s as clear as day, Daphne. If you don¡¯t want the press misconstruing


    your rtionship with Lionel, why not beat them to the punch with a press release?*


    A serious look crossed her face. ¡°I¡¯ve even got the perfect headline, Daphne Expecting Lionel¡¯s Baby,


    Lionel Responds¡­ Then you can fill the body with the usual stuff ¨C that you¡¯re just friends, the kind of


    friends who support each other through doctor appointments. You won¡¯t be able to deny the baby¡¯s


    existence because soon enough, Daphne, you¡¯ll be showing. So, the best you can do is to say that


    Lionel was there as a supportive friend during the prenatal check-ups.¡±


    Lionel nced at Kieran, his eyes seemingly asking. Does your wife have something against me?¡±


    Kieran shrugged, his expression clearly stating, You¡¯re ming my wife when


    you can¡¯t handle


    your own?¡¯


    After giving her advice, Julie turned to Daphne, ¡°But if you release this, you should know that Lionel


    probably won¡¯t be recognized as the father. The omnipotent media will spin a thousand stories. For


    instance, I was painted as a cunning woman who used her child to climb the socialdder. They might


    say Daphne led a tumultuous personal life, and Lionel couldn¡¯t confirm if the child was his, so he¡¯d wait


    till after the DNA test to ept the child.¡±


    Speechless, Daphne realized that Julie was the hidden scriptwriter.


    Julie added, ¡°If you end up together, it¡¯ll be because Daphne, the woman of loose morals, used her


    baby to reach the top. If not, and you end up in court over the child, it¡¯ll confirm the earlier narrative. So,


    think about it. Do you want to make your rtionship public, or end up on the scandalous news with


    your child? Personally, I prefer thetter. After all, our Daphne is resilient, right?¡± Giving Daphne a wink,


    Julieughed innocently.


    Suddenly, Lionel realized that Julie was helping him.


    Daphne rolled her eyes at Julie as she said, ¡°Look at you, acting all wise! Weren¡¯t you just brooding a


    minute ago? Now, you¡¯re an expert on my life? What big life decision were you pondering over?¡±


    Had her worry been that obvious? Daphne noticed it the moment she saw her?


    Julie hesitated, looking at the door to Sansa¡¯s room, ¡°Dr. Brice just told me something about Sansa.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Sansa¡¯s condition worsening?¡± Daphne¡¯s face turned serious, she grabbed Julie¡¯s


    hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s been fighting for so many years, and she¡¯ll be okay!¡±


    Since Daphne brought it up, Julie decided to tell her what Dr. Brice had said.


    After hearing it, Daphne said firmly, ¡°If Kyle really might be able to wake Sansa up, we have to try.


    What¡¯s the point to hesitate about?¡±


    ¡°But Kyle was the one who kidnapped Emily,¡± Julie responded hesitantly.


    ¡°Do you trust Dr. Brice?¡± Daphne asked.


    Julie did trust Dr. Brice, more than she trusted Kyle. Since she met him, he¡¯d proven to be a man of


    integrity, even helping her transfer Sansa without fear of the powerful people involved.


    Seeing Julie¡¯s expression, Daphne pped her hand, ¡°You know the answer, and you don¡¯t need me to


    tell you.¡±


    Julie smiled at Daphne¡¯s words. Yes, she knew the answer. For Sansa, she would do anything, even if


    it meant seeking Kyle¡¯s help. Even a one in a million chance was worth trying, wasn¡¯t it?


    Even if Kyle was unstable and dangerous, was Sansa any safer lying there?


    ¡°Yes, Daphne, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve always known the answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Sansa,¡± Daphne patted Julie¡¯s shoulder, then turned towards Sansa¡¯s room


    Lionel, the protective husband, followed her quickly, grabbing Daphne¡¯s arm. Daphne looked surprised,


    grabbing Lionel¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Lord Lion, I am merely pregnant, there¡¯s no need for such fuss¡­¡±


    ¡°But you, and the baby in your belly are priceless treasures¡± asserted Lionel, maintaining his grip on


    her hand. ¡°What do you think about naming our baby Treasure¡±?¡±


    Daphne grabbed Lionel¡¯s arm, ¡°Are you serious?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, I want to have a daughter and have her marry my godson,¡± Daphne said excitedly.


    Lionel gently tapped her forehead, ¡°Why would we want our daughter to suffer at the hands of that


    boy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right; my godson seems to have a close rtionship with your ex-girlfriend¡¯s daughter.¡± At that,


    Daphne let go of Lionel¡¯s sleeve, pushed open the door, and entered Sapsa¡¯s room.


    Kieran and Julie shared a smile.


    He waved his phone, ¡°Shall we call Kyle?¡±


    Julie stood up, took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Let¡¯s head back to the office first.¡±


    **


    At Simpo Co.¡¯s CEO¡¯s office.


    Kieran was working, while Julie held her phone, Kyle¡¯s number disyed on thes screen, yet she


    hesitated to dial.


    She was clutching her phone, unsure of how to begin.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Kieran noticed Julie on the couch, half her attention on her phone, half gasping for breath, both


    conflicted and ufortable.


    ¡°Honey, could you pass me the cup on the coffee table?¡± Kieran spoke up.


    Julie picked up the cup and walked over to his direction, cing it on his desk before she was about to


    turn back, only to have her arm grasped by him.


    With a quick spin, Jolie ended up sitting in hisp. She attempted to stand, but his arm was wrapped


    firmly around her waist.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She didn¡¯t resist, instead she turned to look at him, a smile on her face. ¡°Tired? Want me


    to give you a shoulder massage?¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡± His breath tickled her neck.


    Julie shifted ufortably, then nodded. ¡°Of course!¡±


    She extricated herself from his hold, moved behind him, and began to gently knead his shoulders. Her


    touch was light, but firm.


    ¡°How¡¯s my technique?¡± She leaned over him, her expression hopeful, like a child seeking praise.


    He turned his head, his cool lips brushing against her soft cheek.


    She tilted her head to the side, increased the pressure on his shoulders, andughed. ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± He spun his chair around, grabbed her small, fair hand, and pulled.


    With the momentum, she ended up sitting face-to-face on hisp. Hisrge hand held her neck as he


    captured her lips.


    Her lips tasted sweet, softer than jelly and utterly addictive. His other hand held her slim waist, as if


    iming her breath and her entire being.


    The room was warm, and the temperature seemed to spike.


    was just a kiss, but under his control, it felt like a vigorous activity that left her breathless.


    Chapter 294


    Her mind, which was a jumble of thoughts earlier, was now solely focused on the heat that spread from


    their connected lips to the rest of her body. She found herself melting into him, relying on him for


    support.


    ¡°Stop¡­¡± She barely managed to find her voice, using her remaining rationality to pull herself out of the


    passionate kiss.


    He finally released her, but his hand stayed on her waist, preventing her from falling. There was a


    certain tension brewing in him. ¡°Earlier, I wanted to y around. Now, it¡¯s not me who wants to y.


    You¡¯ll have to talk to it about that.¡±


    Suddenly, he lifted his legs, leaving Julie¡¯s legs dangling in the air, her entire weight resting on hisp.


    This action escted the intimate atmosphere in the office.


    Julie¡¯s hands were around his neck, her eyes on him. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, you do realize you forgot to lock


    your office door, right?¡±


    Her lips were a dazzling shade of red, as if they were about to bleed. Her cheeks were also flushed,


    making her look adorable.


    He arched an eyebrow, his thumb leisurely tracing the edge of her thin shirt. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that if I


    lock the door, we can do whatever we want?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do in broad daylight?¡± She grabbed his mischievous thumb. ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± She looked at him, half exasperated, half amused. ¡°Are you three years old? Why are you so


    childish?¡±


    ¡°More like thirty.¡± He thought about it seriously before answering.


    Julie suddenly smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Childish Kieran from now on!¡±


    He looked at her with a wronged expression. ¡°Can¡¯t you just call me honey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you honey if you let me go.¡± She blinked at him, her expression clearly coaxing him to release


    her.


    Suddenly, he stood up, holding her in his arms, and walked towards the lounge, his eyes shing


    dangerously. ¡°In that case, make sure you call me loud and clearter.¡±


    With that, he kicked open the door¡­

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295


    Chapter 295


    ncing at the woman satisfied on the bed, half her arm peeking out from the cover, Kieran gently


    pulled the covers over her before slipping out of the room.


    Just as he closed the door, there was a knock. Kleran beckoned the visitor in with a soft-spoken,


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Karl entered and handed Kieran a photo album, ¡°Pictures from Sycamore Vige.¡±


    Kieran flipped through the hefty album. It was filled with pictures of Karl and Ivan frolicking in the fields


    of Sycamore Vige, theirughter captured in vibrant colors. Tucked at the end were two special


    photos of Julie, her radiant smile framed by blooming flowers. The photos were perfectly wallet-sized.


    He reced the old photo of toddler Julie in his wallet with one of the new photos. He ced a loving


    kiss on a new photo of smiling Julie before putting it to his wallet. Suddenly, the ringtone of his phone


    interrupted his momentary reminiscence. He nced at the caller ID and answered the call, with a


    furrowed brow.


    By the time Julie woke up, more than an hour had passed. Realizing she had fallen into Kieran¡¯s trap,


    she sighed, wishing she had just called him ¡®honey¡¯. She changed into a fresh dress and carefully


    opened the door, only stepping out when she was certain there were no voices in the office.


    Kieran, seated at his desk, heard her soft footfalls and asked, ¡°Awake now?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± Julie replied, settling down on the couch across from Kieran. ¡°Did you see my phone?¡±


    Instead of answering, Kieran pointed to a cupcake on the coffee table, ¡°Hungry?¡±


    The irresistible treat made Julie forget about her phone. She picked up the spoon, took a big bite from


    the cupcake, and asked, ¡°Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kieran put down his pen and looked at her.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She hesitated before asking, ¡°From a man¡¯s perspective, do you think Kyle¡­¡± Julie then shook her


    head, ¡°Never mind, should I call Kyle or meet him in person?¡±


    ¡°Honey¡­¡± Kieran suddenly put on an apologetic look.


    Julie paused, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Kyle called me,¡± he confessed.


    Julie didn¡¯t see anything wrong with this. She ced her cupcake down and asked, ¡°And? Did he


    agree?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him about cooperating with Sansa¡¯s treatment.¡±


    Julie¡¯s anticipation deted, she picked up the dessert again and asked, ¡°So you discussed work?¡±


    ¡°I asked him the question you were curious about.¡±


    Julie almost choked on her cupcake, her eyes wide as she waited for his response.


    He handed her his phone, ¡°I recorded the call.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s first words on the recording were, ¡°I heard about Sansa¡¯s treatment. I¡¯ll cooperate as much as I


    can.¡±


    ¡°Who told you?¡± Kieran asked.


    Kyle¡¯s reply was a cryptic, ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s not good to dig too deep.¡±


    Kieran retorted, ¡°Even so, there are things we need to understand, right?¡±


    ¡°Like kidnapping Emily?¡± Kyle anticipated Kieran¡¯s question.


    There was a pause before Kyle asked, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, have you ever knowingly done something


    wrong, but stubbornly persisted?¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Kieran countered. Of course he knew, since he had almost lost Julie because of what he had


    done.


    Kyle chuckled on the recording, ¡°Sometimes, you do wrong things because you¡¯re afraid of threats to


    her life. But the deepest wounds are those of the heart. So you realized, to protect her, you must not


    avoid wars, but win them.¡± He added after a long silence, ¡°That¡¯s why you returned to Joyce, to fight for


    her. And I, I did the same.¡±


    The recording ended there. Julie listened in silence. Did Kyle mean he also made mistakes because


    his love for Sansa? Is that why he used her and Kieran¡¯s past as an analogy? He seemed to know their


    history very well.


    Julie leaned against the table and looked at Kieran, ¡°I feel like I understand Kyle less and less. There


    must be more secrets between him and my sister¡­¡±


    Kieran stroked her hair gently, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Sansa to wake up and tell you herself.¡±


    He added, ¡°Fred said there¡¯s no need to do anything special. Kyle just needs to spend time with Sansa,


    talk to her, reminisce about old times. Ive also asked Karl to arrange more bodyguards for Sansa¡¯s


    safety.¡±


    Julie gave a nod, just about to speak when there came a knock at the door. Quickly, she grabbed her


    cupcake and darted over to the couch to make herselffortable. Watching her, Kieran couldn¡¯t help


    but sh a grin, calling out, ¡°Come in.¡±


    It was Karl with excitement in his grip on his mobile, as he made straight for Kieran.


    Karl was usually unppable, a guy who¡¯d seen it all. So, Julie was intrigued, to say the least, by his


    uncharacteristic excitement. She couldn¡¯t help but turn her attention toward Karl curiously.


    Karl gestured at his mobile, addressing Kieran, ¡°Mr. Hernandez, Zenith¡¯s secretary, Jesse, just called to


    set up a meeting with you and Madame for lunch tomorrow.¡±


    At the mention of Zenith, Julie¡¯s calm facade crumbled. She rushed over to Kieran¡¯s side, asking Karl,


    ¡°What could Zenith possibly want?¡±


    Karl nodded, awaiting Kieran and Julie¡¯s response.


    ¡°Reschedule everything for tomorrow afternoon,¡± Kieran instructed.


    With that, Karl excused himself to put the new n in motion.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Zenith knows we used his blood for the test?¡± Julie ventured, a bold guess forming in her


    mind as she looked at Kieran with a touch of excitement.


    Kieran seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He immediately dialed Dn on his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but there¡¯s been a glitch with the equipment here,¡± Dn reported, ¡°I


    know you wouldn¡¯t trust anyone else to handle this, so I¡¯m going to move the sample to a different


    machine. I¡¯ll have the results by tomorrow night,test. I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Kieran hung up.


    A machine that had never given them trouble before chose this moment to fail¡­ A coincidence?


    Neither Kieran nor Julie were buying it.


    Hotel.


    Bruce stood by Zenith, reporting, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tamper with the test since Quad Dn is personally


    overseeing it. But I managed to dy the results until tomorrow night by sabotaging the equipment.


    Jesse called to arrange a lunch meeting with Mr. Hernandez and Ms. Abraham for tomorrow. They


    epted.¡±


    ¡°Good¡±


    Bruce hesitated, adding, ¡°Also¡­ Kyle agreed to apany Ms. Sansa for her treatment. He¡¯ll visit the


    hospital every evening. Professor Fred is doing his best, but we still can¡¯t predict


    Chapter 295


    When Ms. Sansa will regain consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Make sure they receive their invitation to the bank event tomorrow morning without fail,¡± Zenith


    ordered, waving Bruce away.


    Once Bruce had left, Zenith pulled out his phone, dialing a mysterious number.


    ¡°Time toy our cards on the table; Zenith suggested to the person on the other end, his voice icy cold.


    ¡°Oh? He knows you¡¯re his brother?¡± The person on the other end seemed disinterested.


    ¡°Sooner orter,¡± Zenith responded, ¡°You know that better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The person scoffed before asking, ¡°Does your identity pose a problem for you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zenith¡¯s voice was cold, mechanical, ¡°She killed Bertha, the mother of my child. So she will pay


    for her crimes. A debt paid in blood.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± With that, the person on the other end hung up.


    Zenith tossed his phone aside, taking a deep breath before reclining on the couch. After a moment, he


    picked up his phone again, opening a hidden album and pulling out a photo.


    In the picture, Bertha, her long hair cascading down to her waist, was cradling a plump little baby,


    swaddled in a white nket, probably around four or five months old. The baby wasughing, showing


    off his gum-filled smile, his skin and soft.


    rosy


    Without any makeup, Bertha looked radiant, her face adorned with a warm, tender smile. She was the


    picture of motherhood. She looked up, her dazzling smile aimed at the camera. The green foliage


    behind her created a stunning backdrop¡­

 Chatper 296

    Chatper 296


    Chapter 296


    In the Director¡¯s office at Serenity Care Hospital, Dr. Brice pointed at the surveince screen, saying,


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    In the frame, Kyle was holding Sansa¡¯s hand, sitting by her bedside.


    Kyle was dressed in a crisp white suit with a blue-striped tie today. The blue-striped tie matched the


    nket that Sansa was covered with. At the foot of Sansa¡¯s bed, there was a bouquet of red roses, the


    most vibrant color in the entire ward. It seemed to light up the blue and white tones of the room,


    breathing life into it.


    Sansay there quietly, her cheeks hollowed by extreme thinness, a stark contrast to the lively woman


    from his memory.


    He gently stroked her fallen cheeks with his hand, the pain in his heart was as if it was being carved by


    a knife.


    After what seemed like an eternity, he finally managed to utter a sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sansa, I¡¯m sorry, I came toote.¡± Tears rolled down his cheeks,nding on her pale face,


    yet shey there still, like an inanimate doll.


    Julie never thought that she would witness such a heart-wrenching scene. Kyle had only spoken one


    sentence, just one. But from his quivering back, Julie felt as if she could see the love they once shared.


    He was always a gentleman, always considerate. He would pull out the chair for Sansa during meals,


    even test the water temperature before she drank.


    Her mother always said that Kyle had spoiled Sansa, letting the usually independent and strong Sansa


    act like a child in front of him. Julie remembered the proposal, how it


    had been.


    He had bought her favorite red roses, knelt down on one knee, and looked up at her. It was winter, Julie


    was at Kieran¡¯s house finishing her homework.


    It was the first snowfall of the year, Julie had made ns for her and Kieran to spend the day together.


    The rumor was that a confession under the first snow wouldst forever. But tragically, she had spent


    the day working on her assignments.


    When she stepped out of Kieran¡¯s house, feeling disappointed, the snow had already covered the


    entire ground. In the evening, outside the vi lit with festive lights, Kyle was kneeling in the snow,


    holding Sansa¡¯s favorite red roses, and a ring in his hand, he asked her, ¡°Miss Sansa, would you like to


    be my silly girl for life?¡±


    Even though it was a distant memory, that beautiful scene was etched in Julie¡¯s mind. Untilter, when


    Sansa and Kyle inexplicably broke up, she was watching Sansa cry her heart out all night, and then


    watching her pull herself together, saying she wanted to be a woman worthy of Kyle.


    Sansa made herself strong and fearless, but Kyle seemed to have disappeared from the world. And


    now, the man she loved was sitting in front of her, but she didn¡¯t even have the chance to say a word.


    Julie felt as if someone was sawing at her heart, her eyes welled up with tears, unable to describe the


    pain she felt.


    Kieran reached out and pulled Julie into his arms, letting her cry on his chest.


    Kyle held Sansa¡¯s hand tightly, their fingers intertwined. He spoke to her as if chatting about their daily


    lives, whispering, ¡°Sansa, I¡¯ve opened aw firm, it¡¯s called S&J. which stands for Stefan and June ¨C


    signifying both me and your favourite month. You said you loved June because you were born in June,


    and we met in June. I asked you, who you loved the most, and you said Joyce. You promised to protect


    your sister from the moment she was born. So I said, okay, you protect her, and I¡¯ll protect you. But you


    kept your promise, and I failed¡­¡±


    Julie was crying in Kieran¡¯s arms, and Kieran was gently patting her back.


    Kyle traced Sansa¡¯s features softly with his fingers, ¡°I¡¯ve put down all the responsibilities and burdens I


    had, and came to you empty-handed to fulfill my promise. You¡¯re myst piece of luggage¡­¡±.


    This time, let me protect you. If you wake up, I¡¯ll take you to see the vast sky and sea. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll


    stay here with you until the end of time¡­ Kyle thought so, leaning down and cing a devout kiss on


    Sansa¡¯s forehead.


    Dr. Brice looked at the emotional Julie, his brow furrowed. He gently closed hisptop, and said to


    Kieran, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will be someone on duty tonight, she will be fine.¡±


    **


    The next morning when Julie woke up, she found that her eyes were red and swollen.


    Shannon came over, ¡°Young Master left for the office early. He said he¡¯d pick you up at noon.


    Madame..¡±


    Shannon paused, as if she was unsure whether to continue.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Julieughed, ¡°Shannon, just say what you want to say, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Shannon chuckled awkwardly before finally saying, ¡°Madame, did someone bully you? If someone did,


    you must tell the Young Master¡­¡±


    Shannon¡¯s genuine concern warmed Julie¡¯s heart, reminding her of her own mother. Her mother was


    always so elegant, always eager to raise her and Sansa well, hoping they would thrive. Shannon was


    never this caring in her childhood memories with Sansa.


    She hugged Shannon gently, sincerely thanking her, ¡°Shannon, thank you. For staying with me


    unwaveringly back then, and for caring about me now.¡±


    Shannon patted Julie¡¯s back, her smile kind, ¡°Silly girl, I¡¯m just doing my job! It was Young Master who


    asked me to stay with you. There¡¯s not much I can do, but seeing how you two have struggled and


    been apart for so many years, it pains me too!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Julie responded, her voice soft and childlike.


    Shannon patted Julie on the shoulder and then headed downstairs.


    Julie hadn¡¯t forgotten about her lunch meeting with Zenith that day. As she tidied up and made her way


    downstairs to greet Amanda¡­


    She found Amanda and Shannon chatting on the sofa.


    Amanda was a tough woman on the outside but had a soft heart. Frowning, she asked Shannon, ¡°Isn¡¯t


    it Bertha¡¯s birthdaying up?¡±


    At this, Shannon paused in the act of pouring tea, then responded with a touch of emotion, ¡°Yeah, good


    people just¡­ go. If Bertha were still alive, her birthday would be in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s buried at Peaceful Garden Cemetery?¡± Amanda asked.


    Shannon nodded. ¡°Yeah, the young master arranged it.¡±


    Amanda sighed lightly, seemingly lost in memories. ¡°I remember when Ivan was two or three,


    constantly crying and asking for his mom. I pitied him, so I let Bertha y the role. Bertha, instead of


    spending time with Phoebe, spent all her time telling Ivan stories.¡±


    Shannon chuckled in a pained manner, also reminiscing. ¡°Yeah, she told him stories about when the


    young master and Madame were young. Ivan enjoyed them immensely. Bertha said she had done too


    many things to betray the Madame and feared she wouldn¡¯t even have the right to ask for forgiveness.


    But she didn¡¯t have an easy life either¡­¡±


    ¡°The disappearance of Lucian has affected many people over the years,¡± Amanda said, frowning. ¡°Both


    Lucian and Joyce are my family. I¡¯m too old for this¡­ Will I live to see the family reunited?¡±


    Julie, standing on the stairs, took a deep breath before she descended, pretending not to have heard


    anything. She walked over to Amanda with a smile. ¡°Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Who upset youst night?¡± Amanda asked brusquely.


    Knowing Amanda¡¯s harsh words masked a soft heart, Julie shook her head with a smile. ¡°No one¡­ no


    one upset me.¡±


    As Kieran entered, he heard Julie earnestly exining that she hadn¡¯t been upset by anyone.


    Heughed and walked over, draping an arm around Amanda¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Grandma, isn¡¯t my wife cute


    even with puffy eyes?¡±


    Amanda shot Kieran a look. Julie reached behind Amanda to poke Kieran.


    ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mpeting with you for her time! I n to take my wife out for lunch,¡± Kieran replied jovially.


    Amanda wasn¡¯t as rxed. ¡°Take Bolt with you.¡±


    To reassure Amanda, Kieran and Julie agreed to bring Bolt along.


    Karl was in the driver¡¯s seat, so Bolt took the passenger seat.


    As soon as Julie and Kieran climbed into the car, Karl handed Kieran a tablet. ¡°Mr. Hernandez, this is


    an invitation from the Fitzgerald Bank. It¡¯s for a dinner at the Cardinal Hotel tonight at six.¡±


    When Julie and Kieran arrived at the restaurant, Zenith was already there.


    He was alone in a private room, studying the menu intently.


    On seeing Kieran and Julie, he finally looked up.


    Without any unnecessary small talk, Kieran and Julie sat down directly opposite Zenith.


    Zenith ordered a few dishes, then handed the menu to Julie.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to get back my favor,¡± he said, addressing Kieran.


    Julie, looking up from the menu, suddenly understood that by ¡°favor,¡± Zenith meant the life-saving


    incident from before.


    ¡°And how do you n on this?¡± Kieran asked, his expression unreadable.


    Zenith ordered an expensive bottle of wine from the waiter before speaking. ¡°The Fitzgerald Bank is


    hosting a dinner tonight at the Cardinal Hotel. I heard that Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez are invited. I guess


    I¡¯m not important enough to be on the guest list. I was hoping you two could help me deliver something


    to someone at the dinner.¡±

 Chatper 297

    Chatper 297


    Chapter 297


    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± Kieran asked Zenith.


    Instead of revealing the item, it was Jesse who¡¯d been lurking by the doorway, suddenly striding into


    the room. Kieran and Julie¡¯s friend Bolt, who they¡¯d brought with them, thought something was up and


    followed him in.


    Yet all Jesse did was close the room¡¯s drapes before stepping back outside.


    Bolt cast a bemused look at Kieran and Julie, only for Kieran to wave him off. Bolt then followed Jesse


    out, leaving Zenith to switch on the room lights and shut the door.


    In the ensuing, eerily silent room, Zenith finally pulled out a small ck box from his pocket and


    handed it to Kieran.


    Since Zenith had wrapped it so carefully, it was clear he didn¡¯t want Kieran and Julie to see what was


    inside.


    ¡°Who do you want us to give this to?¡± Julie asked Zenith.


    Zenith didn¡¯t name names, instead saying, ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡±


    Kieran set the box on the table, his eyes giving Zenith a measured nce as he asked, ¡°Why are you


    so sure we¡¯ll help you out?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m Lucian. How¡¯s that for a reason?¡± Zenith countered, a smile curling up his lips that sent


    shivers down their spines.


    1


    The truth about Lucian that Julie and Kieran had been chasing for so long was now being self-


    proimed by Zenith, who they¡¯d even used blood samples to test. Yet his devil-may-care attitude and


    stark difference from Lucian only muddied the waters further¡­


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re changing your tune now? No more denial?¡± Kieran held up the box.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go for a blood test?¡± Zenith stood up, leaning onto the table, ¡°After you deliver this to its


    rightful owner or get the test results from QuadDn,


    With that, Zenith drained his ss of red wine and left, not even touching his food.


    Kieran clutched the box in his hand, only to see Zenith pause at the door to say, ¡°Oh, and if you don¡¯t


    want to get hit by a car again, keep this box a secret. And, I suggest you let her deliver it.¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡± Julie pointed at herself, her face full of confusion as she watched Zenith leave. He didn¡¯t turn


    back.


    Julie took the box from Kieran, then looked up to ask, ¡°The invitation you got earlier, it was from


    Fitzgerald Bank, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tonight, Cardinal Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust him?¡± Julie stared at Zenith¡¯s retreating figure, her face serious.


    Kieran didn¡¯t say whether he believed him or not, but he still had Payne scan the box, only to find a


    USB stick inside.


    ¡°Geez¡­¡± Payne eximed, handing the box back to Kieran, ¡°Kerry, do you think Zenith is really


    Lucian? Don¡¯t you think there are too many doubts?¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a bomb¡­¡± Julie muttered, eyeing the box.


    ¡°Well, if we assume Zenith is Lucian, then I have a few questions. Not to mention how he survived the


    ne crash, how is he walking? Is that some kind of miracle? And that incident with Bertha, he thought


    she was in cahoots with Julie, right? So, he was seeking justice for you. But that¡¯s not justice, that¡¯s


    outrageous. I believe Lucian would stand up for you, but I can¡¯t believe he would do such a thing. And


    what did Bertha say before?¡±


    ¡°Lucian lost his memory.¡± Julie added.


    ¡°Right, lost his memory. So, he did all that and even wanted to take revenge on Julie. But the one who


    left the voice recorder for granny, that was Lucian, right?¡±


    Kieran nodded.


    ¡°And the recording was a warning for Julie to be careful. And then there was the time when the queen


    went to Feliz Gastro House to save Julie. That was also Lucian¡¯s doing, right? And recently, Lucian got


    hurt while trying to save Julie.¡± Payne was getting frustrated, ¡°So, the one who wanted to hurt Julie and


    the one who saved her multiple times is the same person. Do you think¡­ Lucian didn¡¯t lose his


    memory, but he has double personalities?¡±


    Kieran gave Payne a look, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t believe what you said.¡±


    With that, he grabbed the box and Julie¡¯s hand, and they left.


    Payne chased after them, ¡°What¡¯s up? Why do I feel like Kerry is looking down on my IQ?¡±


    Julie turned back and gave Payne a smile, ¡°You misunderstood. Kerry is just saying your logic isn¡¯t


    strong.¡±


    Payne thought, that¡¯s even worse¡­


    **


    Cardinal Hotel.


    By the time Julie and Kieran arrived, it was already past seven. The entrance was adorned with a red


    carpet and media on both sides. There were over a dozen valets standing by. Julie was taken by


    Kieran to get a makeover from Daniel in the afternoon.


    Seeing Julie and Kieran now, Daniel was filled with disdain. He hated lovey-dovey couples the most,


    especially those who unted their affection. He was sick of these couples who flirted in public.


    But Daniel was still professional. Today, Daniel chose a nude pink evening gown for Julie. It was an


    elegant design with thin straps on the shoulders, revealing a hint of her fragrant shoulders. The sleeves


    were made of satin with ruffles.


    The color suited Julie perfectly.


    The length of Julie¡¯s gown was just bnced, tantalizing, yet not too revealing. The dress was long


    enough to avoid being restrictive, giving her an


    Hapter 29


    elegant aura as she walked. Kieran¡¯s arm was wrapped around her waist, leading her into the grand


    hotel.


    In Julie¡¯s white clutch was a mysterious ck box, along with her smartphone. Zenith had told her that


    he would let her know who to hand the box over to during the event.


    As they entered the banquet hall, Julie¡¯s eyes darted around curiously. From powerful businessmen to


    influential politicians, the attendees were all impably dressed, each exuding a sense of ss and


    sophistication. However, none of them seemed to be the intended recipient of the ck box.


    Kieran, holding Julie¡¯s hand gently, gave her a reassuring nce, signaling her not to worry about the


    box.


    I


    Several of Kieran¡¯s business associates came over to greet them, and he introduced Julie to each one.


    Although they had known each other for years, this was the first time she had attended such a formal


    business event at his side.


    It was also the first time he held her waist in public, proudly introducing her to his business associates.


    As Julie leaned into Kieran, her initial nervousness faded away, but reced by a sense offort and


    security. As they prepared to rest on a nearby sofa, a familiar voice sounded behind them.


    ¡°Kerry?¡±


    Julie and Kieran turned around to find Hayden and Julien had arrived.


    On regr days, neither Kieran nor Hayden was a fan of such events. However, both of them were


    present tonight, even Hayden who was apanied by Julien.


    Julien wore a stunning ck backless gown, with high-waist and a pair of ck stilettos entuating


    her slender legs. Standing next to Hayden in his sharp ck suit, they made a surprisingly perfect pair.


    Even Julie couldn¡¯t help but nce back and forth between them.


    The attendees recognized Julie and Kieran, but they were curious about Hayden and Julien¡¯s identities.


    The moment they saw them conversing with Kieran and Julie, they knew they were no ordinary guests.


    The charismatic duo immediately caught the attention of the crowd


    Julie grabbed Julien¡¯s hand, excitedly asking, ¡°Julien, what brings you here?¡±


    Instead of answering directly, Julien typed something on her phone and showed it to Julie, ¡°Heard


    Simon might show up tonight. Wanted to try my luck.¡± Simon was the mysterious heir to the Fitzgerald


    family, a man even Julien had never met. He was also the anonymous donor who had given a hefty


    sum to Sansa. Julie had thought the issue was already a thing of the past, but it seemed Julien and


    Hayden were still pursuing it.


    Julle quickly typed back, asking, ¡°Have you ever met Simon?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Julien replied, her answer as sinct as ever.


    Julie was perplexed. If they had never seen Simon, how would they recognize him if he happened to be


    at the party? Unless he decided to reveal his identity himself.


    Julien asked Julie, ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±


    Julie nced at Kieran, letting him answer, so he simply said, ¡°We had our reasons.¡±


    Just as Kieran finished speaking, a group of burly security guards rushed in through the entrance and


    ran upstairs. The high-society guests quickly stepped aside to make way.


    Julien and Hayden exchanged looks.


    Just as Julien was about to follow the security guards, a Persian cat darted into the banquet hall. The


    fluffy creature rubbed against ady¡¯s ankle, causing her to shriek and stumble backwards, identally


    knocking over the champagne tower.


    The loud crash drew everyone¡¯s attention, even Julien paused in her steps.


    The woman clung to her partner, a bald man in his fifties, in shock. The man, clearly annoyed, kicked


    the cat away, ¡°Whose bloody cat is this? What¡¯s the deal with the security here, can¡¯t even keep a stray


    cat in check!¡±

 Chatper 298

    Chatper 298


    Chapter 298


    Julien found herself staring at the Persian cat ¨C a creature of elegant silver and white. Its eyes were a


    clear, transparent blue, as striking and precious as a pair of sapphire gems. A purebred cat, no doubt,


    and vaguely familiar.


    Just as she was about to speak, a young girl of about ten appeared from nowhere. Dressed in a white


    sundress with her hair tied back, sweeping down to her waist. Her eyes, as bright and almond-shaped


    as a doe¡¯s, were charming and lively. With a small, stylish ck purse slung across her shoulder, she


    tiptoed through the banquet hall, quietly calling, ¡°Lavee, Lavee, where are you?¡±


    Julien furrowed her brows¡­


    This delicate and beautiful young girl¡­ wasn¡¯t she Cherry, her niece? Charlene, to be precise, the


    eldest daughter of via.


    Following Charlene was her twin brother, Nate, or rather Nathan. He reached out to straighten


    Charlene¡¯s cor, pulling her upright. Despite being twins, Charlene was quite a bit shorter than


    Nathan.


    The cat, Lavee, perhaps realizing that it had caused some trouble, lifted its tail and sauntered back


    towards Charlene.


    Charlene bent over to pick up the cat, giving its head a light tap with a scolding expression. ¡°You¡¯ve


    caused trouble again! Wait till I deal with youter!¡±


    ¡°Hey, youngdy, is this your cat?¡± The woman who had been startled by the cat earlier, now


    emboldened by her malepanion, was pointing at the Persian cat in Charlene¡¯s arms with her


    champagne flute and an air of superiority.


    Knowing that they were in hot water, Nathan was holding Charlene¡¯s hand, bowing apologetically to the


    woman. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We should have been keeping a closer eye on Lavee.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know where you are? How dare you bring a stray cat to such a ce!¡± The woman


    sneered at the two children.


    Despite being a gathering of elites, there were inevitably a few rotten apples in the bunch. They spoke


    rudely, yet carried themselves with an air of superiority.


    Seeing the two children looking lost and alone, the man sneered, ¡°Where are the hosts? Aren¡¯t they


    going to kick these ill-bred children and their pet out?¡±


    Julie felt the man was being ridiculously unreasonable. These were just children, they had apologized,


    and yet these two adults were behaving terribly¡­


    Julie was about to intervene when she was stopped by Julien¡¯s gentleughter.


    Caught by surprise, Julie turned to look at Julien. Was sheughing? Why was she looking at these


    two unknown children with such a tender and proud expression, as though they were her own¡­


    ¡°Where is the security? What a disaster! Whose ill-mannered children are these? What a disgrace!¡±


    The man continued to rant, seemingly expecting others to back him up.


    Just then, a powerful voice echoed from the entrance, a stern and assertive deration, ¡°Mine.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone turned towards the entrance.


    Standing there were a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a white shirt and ck suit, with


    the woman, demure and elegant in a white dress, standing by his side. In front of them were three


    young boys, looking quite alike and around five or six years old, dressed in matching ck suits, white


    shirts, and red bow ties.


    On hearing their father¡¯s voice, Charlene, holding Lavee, walked towards her parents and pulled


    Nathan along with her.


    There were whispers among the crowd as they recognized the family.


    ¡°That¡¯s Kenton and via, right? They look even better in person than on TV.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect the Fitzgeralds to invite such high-profile guests. Not only Kieran but also Kenton


    and via.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard this couple rarely attends public events.¡±


    ¡°Those must be the twins and the triplets, right? They¡¯ve got some strong genes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, no wonder those children are so well-behaved and polite. They¡¯ve been brought up well.¡±


    ¡°via must have saved a gxy in her past life to be so lucky¡­¡±


    Whispers and murmurs filled the room.


    Julie finally snapped out of her daze. The woman at the entrance was Daphne¡¯s former boss, who had


    married the CEO of Apex Innovations Kenton Jenkins. Now she was Mrs. Jenkins. Their family was


    bound to cause a stir wherever they appeared!


    Wait, wasn¡¯t via Julien¡¯s sister?


    Julie turned back to Julien, understanding why she had been stopped earlier.


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    Kenton, with his arm around his wife, leaned down to Nathan and Charlene and said, ¡°Go, tell thedy


    and gentleman whose ill-mannered children you are.¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    The middle aged man, who was clearly in an affair with the young woman, was now caught off guard.


    Kenton¡¯s words, although not intended to


    offend, had turned the situation awkward, leaving the two adults looking rather awkward.


    The man hadn¡¯t expected to stir up trouble while scolding a child, and now he had offended someone


    important.


    Feeling guilty, he quickly let go of the woman¡¯s waist.


    Nathan and Charlene, obedient as always, apologized again before turning back to point at via and


    Kenton and addressing the man and woman.


    Charlene said, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s my dad, Kenton. I¡¯m their ill-mannered child.¡±


    Nathan added, ¡°Sir, that¡¯s my mum, via. I¡¯m their ill-mannered child.¡±


    The man¡¯s face turned pale, and he quickly tried to make amends, ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Jenkins, I¡¯ve heard a lot


    about you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jenkins, you are indeed more famous than I!¡± via said to Kenton with a sweet smile, making it


    clear who was in charge.


    Upon hearing this, the man quickly apologized, ¡°Mrs. Jenkins¡­ I¡¯ve also heard a lot about you. It¡¯s my


    fault that I didn¡¯t recognize you. I¡¯m sorry for any wrong words. Please forgive me¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± via asked with a concerned look on her face, while ncing at the man and the


    woman.


    The man was taken aback by via¡¯s concern. He hurriedly shook his head, alongside the woman, and


    they both said in unison, ¡°No, no, we¡¯re not hurt¡­¡±


    This was Kenton¡¯s hotel after all!


    via nodded with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good then. Hawley, could you please get some people to clean this


    up?¡±


    Julien addressed Hawley, who was dressed in a suit.


    Hawley quickly arranged for the champagne tower to be cleaned up in just a few minutes. As the man


    and woman stood there in embarrassment, Kenton suddenly directed thest cleaner, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t there


    still a bit of a mess over there?¡±


    The cleaner, who was responsible for vacuuming, looked at the spotless carpet in confusion and


    frowned.


    Kenton pointed at the awkwardly standing man and woman with his chin, ¡°Sweep them out too.¡±


    This was like a pardon¡­ The man and woman didn¡¯t wait for the cleaner to use the vacuum. They


    quickly helped each other and hurriedly left.


    ¡°Auntie!¡± Charlene, who had sharp eyes, noticed Julien sitting and enjoying champagne.


    Julien acknowledged her with a nod.


    Charlene left her parents and quickly ran towards Julien, giving her a warm hug. ¡°Auntie, did you miss


    me?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Even though Julien¡¯s response was colder than most, Charlene could still see a rare


    gentleness in her expression.


    Nathan also walked towards Julien. The thirteen-year-old boy had grown to almost six feet, nearly the


    same height as Julien, who was wearing high heels.


    via, who didn¡¯t expect to meet Julien, dropped her husband like a hot potato and ran towards her


    like a butterfly. However, the moment she saw Hayden¡¯s stern face, she timidly turned back and


    grabbed her husband¡¯s arm.


    Oh, right.


    via, who was fearless, was naturally terrified of Hayden. Their first meeting was nothing short of a


    nightmare.


    Kenton gently protected his wife, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Jenkins. No one dares to bite you except me.¡±


    Their voices were soft. via leaned closer to his ear and whispered, ¡°Kennel-Ken, I¡¯m warning you


    seriously. You are not allowed to bite me again!¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll go find Hayden¡­¡± Before Kenton could finish


    his sentence, via quickly held his arm and said, ¡°Fine, you can bite, okay? I shouldn¡¯t have named


    you Kennel-Ken!¡±


    Kenton was quite satisfied with his wife¡¯spromise.


    Hayden was always serious. After Julien had introduced Kenton and via to Julie and Kieran, he


    asked via, ¡°Howe you guys are here too?¡±


    ¡°We came to meet someone important,¡± via smiled at Julien. ¡°It¡¯s not strange for me to be here.


    After all, it¡¯s Apex Innovations, but I¡¯m curious about why you and¡­¡±


    via nced in Hayden¡¯s direction before continuing, ¡°Why did you guyse?¡±


    ¡°We had to,¡± Julien didn¡¯t borate. via, ustomed to her work nature, didn¡¯t ask further. Instead,


    she pointed upstairs to Kieran and Julie, ¡°Mr. Hernandez and Mrs. Hernandez, why don¡¯t we go


    upstairs and sit for a bit? The party won¡¯t start for a while!¡±


    Unable to refuse such a warm invitation, Julie and Kieran ended up going upstairs with Mr. and Mrs.


    Jenkins.


    The children went to eat with Hawley, leaving only six people in the room.


    Just then, Julie¡¯s phone vibrated.


    She apologized to via and Kenton before pulling out her phone. It was a text message from Zenith,


    with a location: Cardinal Hotel banquet hall, second floor, room 2404.

 Chatper 299

    Chatper 299


    Chapter 299


    Kieran saw Julie¡¯s text message, his expression morphing into a tight frown.


    via, noticing their troubled expressions, voiced her concern, ¡°Can I be of any help?¡±


    Julie looked up at via, a small smile ying on her lips, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    via chuckled, ¡°Well, you¡¯re a friend of my sister, so that makes you a friend of mine.¡±


    At this, Kenton, notorious famous wife-protector, nodded in agreement, ¡°My wife¡¯s got a point there.¡±


    He then turned to Hayden, ¡°Are you going to say anything or just continue being mute?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Hayden replied, his tone cold and distant.


    via tugged at Kenton¡¯s sleeve, a look that screamed ¡®why are you provoking him?¡¯ on her face.


    Julien seemed to be oblivious to all themotion.


    Soon, another text message buzzed on Julie¡¯s phone, this time from Zenith, ¡°Julie, go alone. Leave the


    ck box at room 2404. I promise you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Kieran offered, reaching for Julie¡¯s phone, but she held onto it tightly, not handing over the


    ck box.


    Her phone rang again, another text from Zenith, ¡°Ker, Trust me.¡±


    Only Lucian called Kieran by that nickname, not even Amanda used it. Julie¡¯s phone had been


    delivered just before the banquet by Zenith¡¯s people.


    She pried Kieran¡¯s fingers off her phone, looking at him with a determined gaze, ¡°If Zenith is Lucian, we


    have to trust him. We must trust him.¡±


    The ck box contained a USB drive, and if it were as safe as Zenith imed, he could have delivered


    it himself or sent someone else. But he insisted Julie do it, indicating the importance and safety of her


    doing so, and the risk involved if anyone else did.


    Kieran understood this.


    Their argument over the text messages left the others confused.


    Finally, Julien asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Julie quickly exined the situation, to which Julien replied, ¡°I thought it was something big.¡±


    She took off her wristwatch and put it around Julie¡¯s wrist, pointing at a small ck button, ¡°If you¡¯re in


    danger, press this. We¡¯ll be there in ten seconds.¡±


    Zenith¡¯s n was to reveal all truths once Juliepleted her task, so she had to take the risk. With


    the backing of Julien and Hayden, and the promise from Zenith, she was reassured.


    via suggested, ¡°How about we check the surveince of this floor? ording to Zenith, we¡¯re not


    supposed to leave, but we can still watch the entrance to room 2404.¡±


    Eventually, Kieran agreed to Julie¡¯s insistence.


    **


    As Julie approached room 2404, she was careful and alert. The task seemed simple enough: leave the


    ck box at the doorstep of the locked room. Julie took a deep breath and finally reached the door of


    room 2404.


    Sure enough, the door was locked, there must be someone inside. Julie took the ck box out and put


    it on the floor, where someone should see it as soon as he opened the door.


    There was no one around, but the ce was a bit too quietpared with the bustle of the banquet


    hall downstairs.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the task was so easy!¡± Julie thought.


    As she ced the box down, she noticed a pair of shiny leather shoes in her line of sight. Looking up,


    she saw a well-tailored ck suit, and chin of a man. The man suddenly looked down, showing a face


    that made Julie jump back in fright.


    From a building across the hotel, Zenith and Bruce watched through binocrs. Upon seeing Julie


    startled, Bruce asked, ¡°Sir, should we send someone?¡±


    Their men were stationed around room 2404, just in case.


    Zenith shook his head, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Facing the man who once pointed a gun at her head, Julie was terrified. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± This man was


    her nightmare.


    He bent down, moving closer. Julie¡¯s hand hovered over the ck button on the watch, but she didn¡¯t


    press it.


    ¡°Again, you.¡± He said, stopping at a safe distance.


    Julie felt like she was having a streak of bad luck. She wondered if she should press the button, but


    she wasn¡¯t sure if she hadpleted her task.


    She quickly asked, ¡°Are you carrying a gun today?¡±


    ¡°Man carries a gun daily,¡± he replied, stepping back.


    Relieved, Julie held onto the ck box tightly, hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice.


    She had a daring hunch and asked cautiously, ¡°Do¡­ do you live here?¡±


    She was referring to room 2404.


    The man didn¡¯t respond right away, instead, he looked at her, a bit of tension in his gaze, and asked,


    ¡°What are you hiding?¡±


    She had carefully tucked it out of sight, how did he still see it? Remarkable.


    Julie clutched the box in her hand, prepared to fight tooth and nail before giving it up. Zenith, unable to


    text Julie at the moment, could only watch the standoff from a distance.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive, lucky you.¡± The man stood up, not pressing further about the ck box in her possession.


    His voice was cold and detached.


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    Julie, shaky and scared, got up from the ground. She was indeed lucky. This man had left her on a


    deserted ind, a ce where no man dared to venture, full of with unknown and potentially harmful


    creatures. All he had left her with was a gun with a few remaining bullets. Her survival and escape from


    that ind were thanks to Kieran¡¯s timely arrival.


    Julie knew that never mess with this man, and particrly his associate, Kleist. Thankfully, Kleist was


    not here today. After all, he was the one who had nearly ended her life back then.


    ¡°How did you sneak in here?¡± He leaned casually against the wall, asking her.


    It was then that Julie noticed his formal attire. He must be attending the banquet downstairs. It was


    surprising that he looked so healthy. She had assumed that he would have sumbed to his wounds


    from the snake bite on the ind.


    She leaned against the door of room 2404, hiding the ck box behind her back. ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak in,¡±


    she replied, ying along. ¡°I walked in, invited.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Invited.¡± His attractive lips formed these words, then he cast her a sidelong nce, ¡°The


    invitations from the host, I believe, didn¡¯t include the name Patriot Newell.¡±


    With a dryugh, Julie realized she had forgotten about that alias. She murmured, ¡°You¡¯re not the host,


    how would you know if the invitation doesn¡¯t include Patriot?¡±


    Perhaps it was the memory of him suffering a snake bite for her that made him seem less intimidating.


    She wished he would just leave and let herplete her mission, so she asked him, ¡°Do you have an


    invitation?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied, quite frankly.


    Julie kept her distance, seeming wary of him. ¡°Since neither of us were invited, and we¡¯ve both been


    through that survival ordeal, why don¡¯t we just pretend we¡¯ve never met?¡± she suggested. ¡°You go your


    way, and I¡¯ll go mine.¡±


    ¡°Your real name.¡± He asked.


    Julie was taken aback.


    ¡°Tell me your real name and I¡¯ll let you cross the bridge,¡± he said.


    Julie licked her lips nervously, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me your real name, why should I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, he calmly interjected, ¡°Do I need to point a gun at you to get you to talk?¡±


    Startled, Julie took a few steps back, ¡°You¡¯re armed?¡±


    Her hand clutched the ck box behind her, ready to press the button at any moment.


    Seeing her rm, he scoffed, turned around, and walked into room 2403.


    Julie, her heart pounding, quickly tossed the ck box by the door and ran. Her escape was so swift,


    beating any record she had set in her school days.


    Kleist saw his young master leave and then return, frowning. Before he could ask what was wrong, his


    master was out the door again.


    Outside room 2404, the man bent down and picked up the ck box, inspecting it closely. He pulled a


    room key from his pocket, swiped it on the door of room 2404, and walked in.

 Chatper 300

    Chatper 300


    Chapter 300


    Turning the corner, Julie suddenly crashed into Kieran, her heart instantly settling at his familiar


    presence. She inhaled theforting scent that clung to him, hugging him tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now,¡± he assured her, wrapping her in hisforting embrace.


    Julien furrowed brows in concern, ¡°Did you finish the task? Why are you so scared?¡±


    ¡°Fi¡­ finished,¡± Julie panted, ¡°I ran into¡­ the man who kidnapped mest time¡­ he¡¯s in this building.¡±


    ¡°The one who took you to the ind?¡± Julien asked.


    Julie nodded. Every time she encountered that man, she felt like a mouse cornered by a cat, terrified of


    being devoured alive.


    ¡°The phone that man left behindst time didn¡¯t have any useful information,¡± Kieran reported.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to see the face of the man who dared to kidnap you!¡± Julien¡¯s tone was icy.


    Julie admired Julien greatly, but that man truly struck fear into her heart. She had barely escaped alive


    from theirst encounter.


    While Julie and Julien were talking, Kenton¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    via peeked at the email that had arrived and tugged on Julien¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Our guest has arrived.


    We¡¯re going to meet him. We¡¯ll be back soon!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s so important?¡± Julien asked casually. Curiosity sparked in Julie as well. Who could be so


    important that via and Kenton had to personally meet them?


    via exined, ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard of him.¡±


    Kenton added, ¡°Interestingly, you have a closer connection to him, Hayden.¡±


    ¡°Connection? What do you mean?¡± This was the second time Hayden had spoken that evening.


    Kenton continued, ¡°Miles. Back when Miles was still your nominal father, he had quite a few dealings


    with this family.¡±


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    ¡°Fitzgerald?¡± Julien blurted out.


    via nodded, ¡°Yes, the Fitzgeralds.¡±


    ¡°The Fitzgerald family has a lot of history with Miles. But with his death, their grudges seem to have


    faded,¡± Kenton exined. ¡°But today we¡¯re meeting Simon, the next in line to inherit the Fitzgerald


    estate. I think you may have heard of him.¡±


    Julien was taken aback. The person they had been searching for so long was acquainted with his own


    sister. But then, ¡°How are you connected to Simon of Fitzgerald?¡± After all, aristocratic family members


    are usually mysterious.


    via smirked and gestured to her husband, ¡°You forgot? Kenton¡¯s mother is Maylis Ilgauskas Jenkins


    from the noble Ilgauskas family!¡±


    Maylis had given up her noble title for a man, only to give birth to Kenton. Later, Kenton, probably


    inheriting his mother¡¯s reckless nature for love, gave up his noble status for via. In the end, Kenton¡¯s


    grandfather, Bruno Ilgauskas, decided to pass on the title to Kenton¡¯s eldest son, Nathan.


    Of course, Julien knew this, but she did not think about it at that time, so she ignored the news. Now


    that via knew Simon from the Fitzgerald family, she naturally wanted to meet Simon before leaving.


    After all, the purpose of attending this party today is toe for Simon!


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Julien told via and Kenton.


    Given that Julien and Hayden had saved Nate and Cherry¡¯s lives, Kenton wouldn¡¯t refuse Julien¡¯s


    request. Julie and Kieran were also invited toe along.


    She said, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into Simon, and I think there¡¯s a lot going on here.¡±


    **


    In room 2403, Kleist stood by his young master, watching the USB in the ck box in his master¡¯s


    hand. After a few minutes of silence, he reminded. ¡°Sir, Mr. Jenkins will be here soon.¡±


    The man then put the U disk away, and then sat on the sofa, took theputer on hisp, casually


    browsing the stock chart on the Web page.


    The rhythmic knock on the door interrupted them.


    At the door, Kleist¡¯s gaze fell first not on Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, but¡­


    ¡°Patriot?¡± Kleist¡¯s English wasn¡¯t perfect, but he pronounced this word wlessly.


    Julie was speechless.


    Kleist, Simon, room 2403.


    At that moment, Julie seemed to finally understand something¡­


    Kieran gazed down at Julie in his arms. Julie looked up at him, gripping his sleeve.


    Catching a glimpse of Julie, Kleist gestured invitingly towards Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. Kenton and via


    led the way into the room. Only then did Kleist notice the figure standing behind the Jenkins couple. It


    was none other than Hayden¡­


    This was a man he recognized from his files, the one who had personally dethroned Miles, leaving him


    in ruins.


    Standing next to Hayden was a person he didn¡¯t know, but a quick nce was enough to tell that he


    was no ordinary individual.


    However, thest two people in line¡­


    ¡°Simon. Long time no see.¡± via moved forward to greet the man sitting on the couch, with a friendly


    nod.


    The man stood up, a picture of gentlemanly grace and elegance.


    After exchanging pleasantries with via, he nodded in acknowledgment towards Kenton.


    ¡°My apologies for the poor reception.¡± Kenton began courteously, before turning to introduce his


    companions. ¡°This here is¡­¡±


    Before Kenton could introduce Hayden, Simon spoke up, ¡°Hayden, I¡¯ve heard much about you.¡±


    Then, he turned to Julien, ¡°Canary? You¡¯ve been tailing me for a while. Nice to finally meet you.¡±


    Julien was speechless. The atmosphere in the room became oppressively tense.


    Simon moved towards Julie and Kieran.


    Almost reflexively, Julie ducked behind Kieran. This man standing before her seemed like a harbinger


    of doom, a grim reaper. He could urately name Hayden and Julien, whose identities were arguably


    mysterious. As for herself and Kieran who had been sshed across newspapers and trending on


    social media, they were easy pickings. And yet, she had just tried to fool him, iming her name was


    Patriot¡­


    He had already reached them. Julie, frightened, hid behind Kieran.


    1


    Before he could speak, Kieran introduced them, ¡°I¡¯m Kieran. This is my wife, Julie.¡±


    At that moment, Julie looked up at Kieran, feeling safe and secure. It seemed as if no matter what, she


    would be fine as long as she was behind him.


    The tension in the room was palpable.


    via nudged Kenton.


    Kenton suggested, ¡°Shall we join the party downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Not today, I¡¯m afraid. I have some matters to attend to. I¡¯ll apologize some other time.¡± With that,


    Kleist, standing by the door, promptly opened it for


    him.


    Simon left without saying goodbye to via and Kenton. As the hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, of course,


    couldn¡¯t be impolite. After briefly notifying Julien, they followed Simon out.


    When Simon had left, Julie finally managed to breathe. She tugged at Kieran¡¯s sleeve, pointing in the


    direction Simon had left, and said, ¡°That¡¯s him, the one who almost shot me on the deserted ind.


    When I asked his name, he said no¡­He asked about my name, and I ¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Julien asked.


    Julie, suddenly feeling guilty, stuttered, ¡°P¡­Patriot.¡±


    ¡°Nice name.¡± Hayden, who had been quiet, suddenlymented.


    Julie was somewhat embarrassed.


    Hayden¡¯s talent for sarcasm was impressive. Why hadn¡¯t he mocked the heir earlier?


    ¡°So, Simon was in Sycamore Vige that day?¡± Julien realized, ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find any


    information about him in the city. He was in Sycamore Vige.¡±


    Kieran hadn¡¯t paid much mind to their investigation into the Fitzgerald family¡¯s heir. But after today, it


    seemed he had no choice¡­


    **


    Inside the Presidential Suite on the top floor of the Cardinal Hotel.


    Simon sat on the couch with aptop in front of him. A sh drive was plugged into it.


    He put on a pair of headphones. The sh drive held two files ¨C an audio and a video file.


    He clicked on the video file first. It showed Kleist pointing a gun at Julie¡¯s head while him lying on top of


    her. It was from Sycamore Vige, where Kleist had threatened Julie to board the yacht with him.


    His deep eyes were like the dark depths of the ocean.


    After reying the video several times, he opened the unnamed folder next to it. As soon as it was


    opened, a processed audio clip started ying through the headphones¡­


    The man listened, reaching the ce where he had been injured on top of his thin ck knit sweater.


    His gaze was unfathomable¡­

 Chatper 301

    Chatper 301


    Chapter 301


    At Noblewood Estate, Julie¡¯s words had been scarce all evening, trailing off only when she settled onto


    the plush sofa of the vi with Kieran. It was there, in theforting silence that followed the clinking of


    wine sses and the hum of departing guests, that she found her voice again.


    ¡°The day I was held hostage, that heir was injured, and it seemed like he had pursuers on his heels.


    That guy Kleist had sharpshooting skills, and he respectfully called Simon ¡®young master.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think


    much of it at the time¡­¡± Julie whispered to Kieran.


    Kieran patted her shoulder, aforting gesture that eased the tension in the room. ¡°The Fitzgeralds


    are a force to be reckoned with, Julie. I couldn¡¯t dig up much on them, but that gun and cell phone he


    left behind say a lot. If Kleist and Simon both handled that gun but only your fingerprints were found, it


    just goes to show how meticulous the Fitzgeralds can be.¡±


    Julie nestled into Kieran¡¯s embrace, who turned to Julien and asked, ¡°Did we find out who was staying


    in room 2404?¡±


    The Cardinal Hotel, owned by Kenton Jenkins, had its fair share of secrets, but none so elusive as the


    guest of room 2404. During the chaotic evening, when surveince footage was scrambled and


    disrupted, crucial evidence had vanished into the night.


    As Julien turned to make a call, presumably to via, Hayden nced at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s about time for


    Quad Dn¡¯s results, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than the growl of an engine sounded outside.


    Upstairs, Amanda, who had been resting, hurried to the balcony at the sight of Dn¡¯s car pulling up.


    She quickly got dressed and descended the stairs with Basil¡¯s assistance.


    Dn burst into the room, clutching a man envelope. He made a triumphant ¡°Hallelujah¡± gesture at


    the door and eximed, ¡°Thank god I learned to drive when I was studying abroad. I nearly got


    rammed off the road!¡±


    As Hayden reached for the envelope, Dn made his way to the sofa, recounting his narrow escape on


    the road after a failed attempt to reach Kerry by phone.


    Hayden was the first to scan the contents of the envelope, his expression darkening. Kieran looked on,


    awaiting the nod that confirmed their suspicions.


    Julie snatched the DNA results, her emotions a tangle of relief and sorrow, while Amanda lingered


    behind the children, hesitant to face the truth. Finally, Basil stepped forward, his brow furrowed after a


    nce at the paper, and informed Amanda, ¡°Madam, Mr. Moore is indeed Mr. Lucian.¡±


    Upon hearing the news, Amanda stumbled, only to be swiftly steadied by Basil¡¯s quick reflexes. Kieran


    took his grandmother¡¯s arm and gently guided her upstairs.


    Once in her room, Amanda clutched Kieran¡¯s arm. ¡°That recording I received abroad¡­it was left by


    your brother, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandma. Rest now. I¡¯ll keep you informed of any updates,¡± Kieran reassured her, his voice a


    steady anchor amidst the storm of revtions.


    Amanda¡¯s eyes welled with tears as she reflected on the burdens carried by her grandsons. She


    regretted her past decisions to flee abroad, driven by the pain of seeing her son in the faces of her


    grandchildren.


    Kieran promised, ¡°I¡¯ll bring him back, Grandma. At any cost.¡± His word was his bond, a promise made


    only when he intended to keep it no matter the cost.


    After reassuring his grandmother, Kieran rejoined the others downstairs. Julien was just exining how


    the hotel¡¯s upper floors had been repurposed for the evening¡¯s g, resulting in a convenientck of


    records and a conveniently malfunctioning surveince system.


    ¡°We have no idea who entered 2404, and who took the USB drive,¡± Julie finished for Julien, who


    nodded in agreement.


    After the guests left, Julie and Kieran went back to their bedroom. Outside, the storm raged, casting


    shadows through the tossing trees. Julie, fresh from a shower,y with her head in Kieran¡¯sp as he


    gently toweled her hair dry.


    Blinking away the day¡¯s fatigue, she looked up at him. ¡°Zenith¡­or should I say, Lucian, said we should


    find him once the results were confirmed. What do you think he means? Will he tell us everything that¡¯s


    happened over the years?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Kieran¡¯s words hung in the air, as uncertain as the future itself, ¡°I don¡¯t


    know.¡±


    Julie rarely heard such uncertainty in Kieran¡¯s voice. Usually, if he wasn¡¯t sure about something, he


    wouldn¡¯t even answer. When Kieran did speak up, it was with absolute certainty. But now, all he offered


    were ¨C I don¡¯t know.


    The enigma on Zenith was vast, so vast that Julie didn¡¯t even know where to begin.


    She suddenly turned to Kieran and said, ¡°Childie, pass me the phone!¡±


    ¡°Childie?¡± He looked down, realizing she hadtched onto that nickname ¨C childish Kieran.


    Julie nodded, not forgetting the ¡®humiliation¡¯ she endured at the office. Smiling, she teased, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong with ¡®Childie¡¯? Mrs. Jenkins calls her husband Kennel-Ken and he responds with such


    eagerness. That¡¯s true love!¡±


    He was a little speechless.


    Julie continued, ¡°I heard my grandparents gave my father a nickname when he was little. So, by calling


    you something like Childie or Silly, it just proves my true love for you!¡± Julie was dead serious, her logic


    seemingly sound as a bell.


    However, Kieran was fixated on one point, ¡°Silly?¡±


    ¡°Do you prefer this one?¡± Julie was only joking, speaking off the cuff.


    But Kieran¡¯s expression deepened. He reached out, lifted her delicate chin, and squinted his eyes,


    ¡°Honey, are you sure you all giving me


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Chapter 301


    nicknames?¡±


    She was lying across his legs and as he lifted her chin, her head instinctively tilted down. Suddenly


    blushing at the realization, Julie¡¯s cheeks turned


    crimson.


    She swatted at the hand holding her chin, ¡°Let go, let go. You stick to ¡®Childie¡¯!¡±


    Watching her blush and struggle to contain her embarrassment, Kieran let go, hisughter barely


    contained.


    His expression was teasing, deliberately indulgent, a fond mockery.


    Julie flipped over, pinning Kieran beneath her, and mimicked his earlier gesture, lifting his chin, ¡°Childie,


    you¡¯ve been quite boldtely!¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± He yed along, tilting his head back, hands wrapped around her waist. ¡°How have I


    been bold?¡±


    Caught off guard by the question, Julie finally concluded with three words, ¡°In every way!¡±


    Kieranughed heartily, his thumb gently caressing the sensitive spot on her waist, ¡°Honey, something


    just came to mind.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shey on top of him, cupping his face, asionally pinching his cheeks. Such smooth skin


    on a man did seem a bit unfair.


    He reminded her, ¡°We had a bet, remember?¡±


    Julie was confused, trying to recall but drawing a nk. Finally, she shook her head and asked, ¡°What


    bet?¡±


    He pushed her tousled hair behind her ear, cradling her face, about to speak when suddenly¡­


    Ivan Hernandez appeared at the door in his pajamas. The little guy, dressed in bear-themed fleece


    pajamas, looked groggy and was clutching atex pillow. Yawning with one hand over his mouth, he


    mumbled, ¡°There¡¯s water leak in my room¡­¡±


    He padded toward Julie and Kieran¡¯s bed on his bare feet.


    Julie, still straddling Kieran, realized the sudden intrusion and quickly rolled off.


    The little guy made himself at home, rolling between them on the king-sized bed, effectively separating


    his parents and sprawling out in the middle. ¡°Guess you are staying,¡± Kieran murmured, resting his arm


    under his head, ncing at the cozy little intruder.


    Julie leaned down to nt a kiss on her ¡®rival¡¯s¡¯ forehead, ¡°Congrattions, Kieran. You¡¯ve been utterly


    defeated by your son.¡±


    With that, she turned over, snuggled up with the little guy, and drifted off, mumbling before sleep,


    ¡°Tomorrow, we should go see Lucian¡­¡±

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Chapter 302


    When Ivan awoke, he found himself in a somewhat unfamiliar environment. He rolled over and saw


    Julie,, sleeping peacefully beside him. Rubbing his eyes with a hint of excitement, he turned his head to


    see his dad lying on his other side, made a face, and then turned back to Julie, grinning to reveal two


    adorable little canines.


    Waking up next to mom should be a privilege of babyhood, and sadly, Ivan couldn¡¯t quite remember


    having that when he was a baby.


    From the moment he opened his eyes, his little brain was working overtime.


    Julie, stirred awake by the rustling beside her, opened her eyes to see the little boy grinning at her. Her


    heart melted instantly.


    ¡°Mom, I love you,¡± Ivan seized the opportunity to confess his sweet affection.


    Julie, beaming with joy, cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead. ¡°Morning, my Ivan.¡± As soon as she


    finished speaking, a slightly discordant voice chimed in, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Kieran, propping himself up on one arm, leaned in close to Julie, his face begging for a kiss.


    Julie poked his forehead with a finger, ¡°Good morning, my Childie.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my kiss?¡± Kieran shot a look at his wife, clearly feeling the sting of unequal treatment.


    Ivan turned and nted a kiss on Kieran¡¯s cheek, ¡°Good morning, my Kerry.¡±


    Kieran threw back the covers, scooped up Ivan, d in his bear pajamas, and headed toward the next


    room. ¡°Do you know how you ended up herest night?¡±


    ¡°I was abducted by aliens?¡± Ivan, perched on Kerry¡¯s shoulder, feigned shock.


    ¡°Hmm, more like a mental abduction,¡± Kieran teased, poking at his son¡¯s head as he carried him.


    Ivan, in a half-daze, suddenly remembered and eximed, ¡°Oh! Right, it rainedst night! My room was


    leaking, and my pillow got all wet! You don¡¯t believe me? Go look! You only care about work and not


    your only son!!¡±


    Kieran was speechless.


    Julie, wrapped in her robe, followed the father and son duo out, surprised. ¡°It really leaked? What kind


    of shoddy construction is this?¡±


    They walked towards the room as Ivan pointed to his pillow, ¡°See, I told you it leaked!¡±


    Upon inspection, Julie noticed the pillow did have a damp spot, but upon closer examination¡­


    ¡°Ivan, are you trying to fool me with your drool?¡± Kieran set the boy down and nudged him, ¡°Go wash


    up and brush your teeth, Noah will take you to school soon.¡±


    Drool?


    ¡°I don¡¯t drool in my dreams!¡± Ivan huffed and strutted off to the bathroom.


    Julie, half-amused, half-exasperated, tapped Kieran¡¯s chest, ¡°You¡¯re so blunt, aren¡¯t you afraid of


    hurting my beloved son¡¯s feelings?¡±


    ¡°And what about me, don¡¯t you love me?¡±


    Julie tiptoed and cupped his face, ¡°Of course I do!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a big strong man,¡± he dered, scooping her into his arms and heading back to the bedroom.


    After freshening up, Julie and Kieran set off for the Zenith Hotel.


    But they werete. The guest who had checked in the previous morning had already checked out. The


    reservation had been made under Jesse¡¯s name.


    Julie pulled out her phone and dialed the number they had contacted the day before, only to find it had


    been disconnected.


    Kieran had no choice but to reach out to Zenith Group.


    No matter how he tried, even through thepany, Kieran couldn¡¯t find any trace of Zenith.


    Zenith and Lucian seemed to have appeared out of thin air and vanished just as quickly¡­


    Walking hand in hand, Julie fretted, ¡°Had I known, I would haveest night¡­¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if it wasst night or today; you can find someone who goes missing, but not


    someone who¡¯s hiding on purpose,¡± Kieran reasoned, slipping both their hands into the pocket of his


    overcoat.


    Julie had to agree; Kieran made a good point. Lucian was clearly the one hiding.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    What she couldn¡¯t understand was, ¡°Why promise to meet us and then disappear? Why not just refuse


    from the start? What¡¯s on that USB drive, and who was in room 2404? And who keeps trying to run me


    over with their car? Is the person threatening me for the ring the same one trying to kill me? Why does


    our life have to be soplicated?¡±


    ¡°Our life isn¡¯tplicated; the people creating these mysteries are,¡± Kieran replied.


    ¡°Why does everything you say make so much sense?¡±


    ¡°You might be blindly admiring me, but¡­¡± he nced sidelong at her and smirked, ¡°I like it.¡±


    Julieughed, ¡°I¡¯m heading to the restaurant this afternoon. How about we have dinner together at


    home tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after work,¡± Kieran promised, dropping Julie off at the restaurant before he went off to


    take care of business.


    In the days that followed, they didn¡¯t hear from Zenith or Lucian.


    Kyle kept his word, visiting Sansa in the hospital each evening after work, reminiscing about the old


    times they shared. Julie saw in Kyle a glimpse of the man who had almost married Sansa, as he sat by


    her bedside, storytelling into the night.


    Kyle¡¯s intentions were unknown to her, but from Julie¡¯s perspective, it seemed clear that he had a soft


    spot for Sansa.


    Julie would also constantly swing by and chat with Sansa whenever she could spare a moment. Today,


    as fate would have it, she arrived just as Kyle was at the hospital. Perched on a bench near the ward¡¯s


    entrance, Julie was thumbing through messages on WhatsApp with Kieran when Kyle burst through the


    door. Spotting her, his lips curved into a teasing smile. ¡°Hi there.¡±


    After all that had transpired, Julie wasn¡¯t quite sure how to face Kyle, whether to greet him as friend or


    foe. So she offered a curt nod, her words tinged with formality, ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard.¡±


    Following in Kyle¡¯s wake was Lisa, she was in heels, which made her also as tall as Kyle. Even when


    she had held an umbre over his head once, it had seemed perfectly natural. Julie watched Lisa and


    Kyle disappear into the elevator before a sudden, critical thought struck her. That day when Kyle had


    come to visit Sansa, Zenith had also arrived at the hospital and ended up in Kyle¡¯s car. What was the


    connection between Kyle and Zenith?


    Chapter 302


    With the urgency of this realization fueling her, Julie dashed toward the elevator.


    Just as the doors were sliding shut, Julie lunged, wedging her hand to halt their closure. The doors


    reopened, and Kyle, taken aback, found Julie cradling her pinched hand. She looked up at him,


    determination etched across her features. ¡°I need to ask you a few questions. Can you spare me a few


    minutes?¡±


    Kyle hadn¡¯t expected such a rash move from Julie, but her boldness reminded him of her childhood


    spunk. He nced at Lisa, signaling her to step out. Lisa cast a wary eye at the impetuous Julie, but


    upon catching another affirming look from Kyle, she finally exited, leaving the elevator to the two of


    them.


    Despite knowing it wasn¡¯t the safest option to be in a confined space with Kyle, Julie¡¯s instincts


    whispered that he wouldn¡¯t hurt her.


    As the doors sealed shut, Kyle finally broke the silence, his tone a blend of amusement and reprimand.


    ¡°What¡¯s so urgent that it couldn¡¯t wait? You haven¡¯t changed a bit since you were a kid.¡±


    He adjusted his sses, the thin gold frames lending him an air of sophistication.


    A hint of embarrassment colored Julie¡¯s cheeks as she asked tentatively, ¡°Zenith, the elusive owner of


    Zenith Group. You know him, right?¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he countered, ¡°Why asking about him all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Or¡­ maybe you don¡¯t have to tell me if you know him. I just need to know where he is. There¡¯s a


    reason I need to find out,¡± Julie quickly improvised, thinking that Kyle might find the question difficult.


    Kyle¡¯s answer was nomittal. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is right now. We¡¯re not close.¡± But Julie


    recalled the ease with which Zenith had joined Kyle in his car, suggesting a familiarity at odds with


    Kyle¡¯s im.


    Realizing that pressing the issue might not only be fruitless but also potentially dangerous, Julie chose


    not to inquire further. Instead, she mustered a smile and said, ¡°Oh, I see. Thanks anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve stopped regarding me as your friend because of Emily?¡± Kyle asked with a light, teasing tone.


    Their past troubles, including any harm that might havee to Emily, had seemingly dissipated


    without consequence, even the professor had opted not to delve into it. And yet, Kyle was now casually


    bringing up the topic over a matter of address.


    Julie didn¡¯t linger on the subject. She simply uttered, ¡°Kyle, I should get going,¡± her voice stripped of


    emotion.


    As the elevator doors opened, she turned and stepped out.


    She had just left the elevator when her phone buzzed with an iing call. It was Julien on the line.


    Pressing the phone to her ear, Julie heard his voice, crisp and to the point, ¡°I found what you were


    looking for. Where are you? I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±

 Chatper 303

    Chatper 303


    Chapter 303


    On the drive to the cemetery, Julien gripped the steering wheel, turning to Julie, ¡°No wonder it wasn¡¯t


    found abroad. Turns out, Rankin¡¯s final resting ce is right here at Whispering Pines.¡±


    It seemed they had been searching for quite some time. After the incident with Davina Field, Julie had


    asked Julien to help locate Rankin¡¯s grave. Unexpectedly, even with Julien¡¯s capabilities, it had taken


    this long to find it.


    A light drizzle misted from the sky as they passed a florist. Julie asked Julien to pull over, then walked


    inside the shop.


    She lingered among the blooms, contemting her choice. The florist, eager to help upon learning


    Julie was visiting a friend¡¯s grave, suggested an array of vibrant flowers, each more beautiful than the


    last.


    Yet Julie¡¯s gaze settled on a secluded corner.


    The owner hurried over, ¡°Ah, this is the Bird of Paradise. It¡¯s also known as¡­¡±


    ¡°Strelitzia,¡± Julie finished with a smile, and then turned to a bunch of light pink gypsoph nearby.


    ¡°Could you wrap these up for me?¡±


    Her eyes had been on the Bird of Paradise, but in the end, she asked for the gypsoph to be wrapped.


    The owner handed Julie the neatly packaged flowers and then watched as she picked a single Bird of


    Paradise, settling the bill.


    Back in the car, Julie ced the Bird of Paradise amidst the gypsoph.


    Julien nonchntly inquired, ¡°What flower is that?¡±


    Julie knew she wasn¡¯t asking about the gypsoph.


    ¡°It¡¯s Bird of Paradise, also called Strelitzia. It¡¯s said to be the bird that flies to heaven, carrying all sorts


    of emotions and yearnings with it. If there¡¯s a heaven, then a good soul like Rankin is surely there. The


    flower¡¯s message is: No matter when, no matter where, never forget the one who waits for your love. It


    just¡­ felt right for him.¡±


    Julien remarked, ¡°A flower is just a nt. All those nice and sad meanings, we attach them ourselves.¡±


    After saying this, noticing Julie¡¯s expression, Julien quickly added in a softer tone, ¡°But if there really is


    a heaven, he¡¯s probably there.¡±


    For Julie, hearing such words from Julien was nothing short of miraculous. She knew it was just an


    attempt atfort.


    ¡°Julien, can I ask you something?¡± Julie asked tentatively, wary of broaching a sensitive topic.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Julien replied, unfazed.


    ¡°You mentioned earlier about Hayden and Adeline¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Before Julie could finish, Julien¡¯s curt reply cut her off.


    Julie wasn¡¯t embarrassed by the interruption, but there was a silence that followed.


    Having spent more time with Julie, Julien¡¯s temperament had softened. She would have once been


    indifferent to cutting Julie off, but now she regretted her abruptness, sensing it might have upset Julie,


    and she exined further, ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t figured out what¡¯s really going on between Hayden and


    Adeline. I¡¯ll tell you once I do.¡±


    Julie was surprised by the additional exnation, a flicker of excitement crossing her face.


    After a moment, she asked, ¡°How¡¯s your investigation into the murder case going? You¡¯re not working


    for the National Security Agency at the moment, right? So why are you still looking into a murder


    case?¡±


    ¡°Murder case?¡± Julien was momentarily lost, her mind sifting through memories associated with the


    term.


    Seeing Julien¡¯s confused expression, Julie gently reminded her, ¡°You know, the time you took a bottle


    filled with vitamins to QuadDn for analysis, suspecting something else was inside, only to find out


    they were indeed just vitamins. He asked what was going on, and you mentioned you were on a


    murder case. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    As Julie borated, understanding dawned on Julien, who realized Julie must be jumping to


    conclusions. Julien quickly interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea; it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think I¡¯m thinking?¡± Julie teased, her gaze yful.


    Julien remained silent.


    Julie prodded, ¡°So there was no murder case, right? The pills in that bottle¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, they were from him,¡± Julien admitted, knowing Julie had seen through the facade.


    There was no point in hiding the truth from her.


    Julie ventured a guess, ¡°Hayden?¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine anyone else?¡± Julien asked back.


    Holding the bouquet, Julie shook her head. No one but Hayden would dare such a bold move.


    ¡°So, you and Hayden, you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think; there¡¯s nothing more to it,¡± Julien stated.


    Julie¡¯s smile grew suggestive, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me about the vitamins in the bottle?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to say.¡± After a pause, Julien added, ¡°Quad Dn has a big mouth.¡±


    At this, Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh. The idea of Julien using Hayden of being cking in virtue¡¯ was


    too amusing to contain. She could only imagine the look on Hayden¡¯s face if he heard it. Concerned,


    Julie asked, ¡°So, those vitamins from the bottle, did you take them? I mean, the birth-control¡­¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Julien answered bluntly, signaling an end to the topic. But Julie just couldn¡¯t stop herself, and


    what had started as a yful banter turned serious as she locked eyes with Julien and said, ¡°You know,


    Julien, you and him, you¡¯re both pretty tough. But when two tough people get together, it can take a lot


    longer to work things out. Like you said that night, have you ever thought about why you actually care


    about Adeline?


    The way Hayden acted before wasn¡¯t right, I agree. But it¡¯s like you two never really sat down to talk


    about the elephant in the room. And yeah, I¡¯m not the best at this stuff either. Even my rtionship with


    Kieran got pretty messed up sometimes. But weplement each other¡¯s personalities, and we do sit


    down and talk things out, every once in a while.¡± Julie had known since she met Julien that her


    experiences were moreplicated than most, which made her way of thinking quite unique.


    She had the toughness and stubbornness often attributed to boys, yetcked the dependency and


    softness expected of girls. She was used to solving problems on her own, rarely shared her feelings,


    and had spent a lot of time in solitude growing up. So, whenever she had the chance, Julie tried to


    communicate with her as much as possible.


    At first, Julien acted as if she couldn¡¯t care less, as if she didn¡¯t even hear Julie speaking, sometimes


    even threatening to shut her up. But over time, Julie noticed that Julien could be influenced by others


    and be morepassionate.


    Just like via had said, Julie was a friend Julien cherished deeply-someone who would tell you the


    hard truths even if it meant risking the friendship. And that was truly rare.


    Julien didn¡¯t respond to Julie¡¯s words. Instead, she parked the car at the base of the hill and simply


    said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    11.40


    Chapter 303


    Julie got out of the car and saw a long flight of stairs stretching upward.


    Julien handed her an umbre, ¡°The car can only go so far, and I won¡¯t be joining you up there.¡±


    Julie took the umbre, took off the watch from her wrist and handing it to Julien, ¡°I was so busyst


    night, I forgot to return this to you.¡±


    ¡°Keep it. If you¡¯re in danger, just press it,¡± Julien said as she helped open the umbre. ¡°I¡¯ve got to run


    an errand over there. If youe back and don¡¯t see me, give me a call.¡±


    ¡°Is there only one umbre?¡± Julie asked.


    Wearing a hoodie, Julien simply pulled up the hood, turned, and walked off into the rain.


    Watching Julien¡¯s retreating figure, Julie smiled wryly, clutching the bouquet as she started climbing the


    steep stairs.


    It was a long and daunting ascent. The rain fell, the sky a nket of gray, and a thick mist obscured the


    stairway to heaven, making it seem never-ending.


    After what felt like an eternity, Julie finally reached the top.


    Finding Rankin¡¯s gravestone was easy. On the ck headstone, etched with the name ¡®Rankin,¡¯ was a


    photo of a bright-eyed, smiling young man, whose grin seemed to bask in the warmth of sunlight, even


    on a rainy day.


    In front of his gravey two neatly wrapped bouquets of ivy, their wrapping paper of different colors,


    suggesting recent visitors.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Two identical bunches of ivy.


    Julie ced her bouquet of Gypsoph and bird of paradise beside them, squatting down to be level


    with Rankin¡¯s photo, a tinge of regret in her smile, ¡°So, you liked ivy, huh? Sorry¡­¡±


    The vivid smile on the young face made her heart ache. A life that should have been in its prime was


    now at eternal rest.


    Blinking back emotion, she covered the photo with the umbre and whispered softly, ¡°I thought you


    didn¡¯t reply to my emails because you¡¯d found new friends, gotten used to life abroad, and wanted to


    start a new adventure. It never crossed my mind that¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed off. She bowed her head, gently pulling out a single stalk of Bird of Paradise, and said,


    ¡°You told me you were studying in LA, that this is the city¡¯s flower, and you sent me a picture. I still


    remember, Rankin, it¡¯s really been so long¡­¡±

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304


    Chapter 304


    Nestled at the foot of the cemetery hill, amidst a grove of pine trees, Julien doffed her hat and walked


    deeper into the woond.


    The one-armed man, Gentry, was sharing a smoke with a slightly shorterpanion, Lacy, perched on


    a fallen log that blocked the path. Lacy was in the midst of lighting Gentry¡¯s cigarette when Julien


    appeared. Gentry, quick as a sh, dropped his freshly lit smoke to the ground, grinding it into the dirt


    with the heel of his boot. With a sideways nce at Lacy, who hurriedly pocketed the lighter, they both


    knew of Julien¡¯s reputed acts of valor. Upon seeing Julien, Lacy couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Hello, dear


    Canary!¡±


    Gentry gave Lacy a swift kick. ¡°Show some ss, you¡¯re embarrassing yourself,¡± he scoffed.


    With a grin, Gentry addressed Julien, ¡°Canary, what brings you to us today? Something up?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gentry, you remember owing me a favor?¡± Julien inquired.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Gentry was well aware that Julien referred to an incident on a cruise ship when Julien,


    instead of causing trouble for them, had tipped them off about the cops, allowing them a smooth


    getaway and sparing them a heap of trouble.


    ¡°Canary, what do you need? I ain¡¯t much for skills, but I can run errands and handle odd jobs like my


    own business. Whatever you need, just name it,¡± Gentry said, thumping his chest in assurance.


    Julien nodded, ¡°Actually, I do need a small favor from you, Mr. Gentry.¡±


    ¡°Spill it.¡±


    ¡°I want to know who you were chasing in Sycamore Vigest time,¡± Julien said, her ck military


    boots nted on the log where Gentry and Lacy had been sitting, her


    tone even.


    Gentry¡¯s previously bold assurance evaporated instantly.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gentry hesitated, looking ufortable. ¡°Canary, you know how it is with our way of life. I¡¯m a


    paid man, and not to mention I didn¡¯t even get the money, but if I tell you, I lose out twice. No money,


    no job done, and my rep goes down the drain..¡±


    ¡°I want to know who you were chasing in Sycamore Vige. I¡¯m not interested in how well you fare in


    our circles, Julien cut him off abruptly.


    Gentry hadn¡¯t expected Canary to be so assertive, and he was taken aback. ¡°I remember you didn¡¯t


    insist on knowingst time. Why the sudden hardball today?¡± ¡°I have my reasons now.¡±


    Gentry shook his head, firm in his stance, ¡°I truly can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Is it that you can¡¯t tell, or you don¡¯t know? You don¡¯t know the identity of the man you were chasing,¡±


    Julien pressed.


    Gentry and Lacy both fell silent. Julien was right¡­ they had a photo of the man but genuinely had no


    clue who he was. They only knew he was skilled, especially the blond, blue-eyed kid at his side. If it


    weren¡¯t for the fact that their target was already injured, they wouldn¡¯t have caught a glimpse, let alone


    given him a taste of their wrath. Their expressions were all Julien needed to see-she had hit a nerve.


    Julien handed Gentry a photo taken surreptitiously at a recent banquet. ¡°The man you were chasing,


    was it this one?¡±


    Once again, Lacy and Gentry were struck silent by surprise. The man in the photo was indeed their


    mission, and right beside him was the very blond, blue-eyed kid with impressive skills.


    Gentry realized he should have skipped this meeting.


    He neither confirmed nor denied, waiting to see what Canary would do next.


    ¡°After I reveal the identity of this man, you¡¯ll have onest chance to tell me who sent you after him and


    what the purpose was,¡± Julien said, pointing at Simon in the photo. Gentry and Lacy stared at the photo


    in silence. They have suspected the man has a secret identity, yet unaware of his true identity. Julien


    spared Lacy the effort of guessing, as no leads hade up.


    Pointing to Simon in the photo, Julien dered, ¡°He is the first in line to inherit the Fitzgerald estate,


    Simon. You should be familiar with the family-they were always at odds with Miles back in the day.¡±


    Gentry stepped back in shock and red at Lacy, ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have taken this job so lightly,


    but you were blinded by the cash. Do you have any idea how powerful the Fitzgeralds are?¡±


    Lacy was utterly crestfallen, ¡°I¡­ Mr. Gentry, I didn¡¯t know we were dealing with the heir apparent! At


    the time, the offer was good, the job was just to teach the guy in the photo a lesson. I did my homework


    before taking the job, found nothing, thought he was an easy target from his pretty boy looks. And the


    money was good, for a lesson, not a hit job, so I took it, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You found nothing, so he had no background? It¡¯s the ones with no trace that have the real clout.


    Think about it, why would they need you if a simple search could expose him?¡±


    Julien red at the pair, ¡°I¡¯m not here to watch you two argue.¡±


    Gentry and Lacy promptly shut up.


    Julien continued, ¡°Right now, Simon has no idea who ambushed him that day, but I happen to know. In


    our world, we value loyalty, but we also y hardball. You know what I¡¯m implying.¡±


    Nick gritted his teeth, casting a wary nce at the formidable figure of Julien. He never doubted the


    woman¡¯s capabilities; after all, Simon was not someone they could afford to mess with. Weighing his


    options, he finally ceded, ¡°Canary, since you put it that way, I¡¯ll spill everything I know. But if anything


    happens to me down the line, you gotta have my back and look out for my crew, alright?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Gentry let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Lacy, tell her everything you know!¡±


    When Julie left the hill and made her way back to the car, Julien was already waiting inside.


    As she had set off, Julie had taken Julien¡¯s umbre, but as she returned, her forehead was bare.


    Droplets clung to her long hair like pearls of sugar.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the umbre?¡± Julien tossed a towel to Julie from the backseat.


    Drying her hair, Julie replied, ¡°Left it up there.¡±


    ¡°At Rankin¡¯s grave, right?¡± Julien asked.


    Julie nodded, a tumult of emotions evident. It was like meeting an old friend after years apart, but the


    separation of life and death made the reunion painfully bittersweet.


    11-45


    Chapter 304


    Suddenly, Davina came to her mind, the woman who had died consumed by hatred.


    Seeing Julie fall silent, Julien spoke up, ¡°Thinking about Davina?¡±


    Julie turned to look at Julien, the woman seemed to had some sort of mind-reading ability.


    \


    With a smile that hardly touched her eyes, Julie confessed, ¡°Davina always med my parents for her


    dad going to jail, for her mom remarrying and dragging her along. She said her stepdad in Veridia


    treated them like dirt, that I abandoned Rankin, that I was the reason he died. But Julien, I really don¡¯t


    know¡­ I don¡¯t understand why she held such a grudge. She must¡¯ve had her reasons, but she took


    them to the grave.¡±


    Pausing, Julie frowned deeply, ¡°And how did Davina end up dying so horribly? Who could have


    snatched her away right under the cops¡¯ noses, even though she was badly injured? That takes some


    serious clout.¡±


    ¡°If I could figure it out, I¡¯d beforting you right now,¡± Julien implied she had investigated, but as Julie


    had mentioned, their opponent was too powerful, leaving no trails to follow.


    Julie sighed deeply, ¡°I think if I hadn¡¯te today, I would¡¯ve kept fooling myself into believing he was


    still out there¡­ but seeing him like this, I just can¡¯t describe how I feel.¡±


    The drive was quiet until they neared the city. That¡¯s when Julien finally turned to Julie and asked,


    ¡°Does talking it out really work?¡±


    ¡°What talk?¡± Julie was confused, but Julien didn¡¯t repeat herself.


    It took a moment for Julie to catch on, then with a sudden smile she asked Julien, ¡°You mean talking


    between couples?¡±


    Julien didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯ll work every time, but if you two could just sit down and have a calm discussion, it


    might do you both some good.¡± Julie continued.


    Talking things out was one thing, but being calm and collected? Julien figured that was a fantasy when


    it came to her and Hayden.


    The car radio yed softly in the background until a piece of breaking news caught Julien¡¯s attention,


    and she cranked up the volume. The radio host was fervently reporting on a mysterious woman seen


    apanying Mr. Lionel to a maternity clinic.


    Julie frowned, half amused, ¡°The press is relentless nowadays, spotting a pregnancy even when


    Daphne was all wrapped up like that.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°At least they haven¡¯t figured out it¡¯s Daphne Flores,¡± Julien remarked.


    But no sooner had Julien finished her sentence, the radio host announced, ¡°Insiders specte that the


    woman with Lionel Kemp is likely the viral deputy editor of Gentlemen¡¯s Magazine, Ms. Daphne. For


    many of Lionel¡¯s fans, she¡¯s a household name, acknowledged by Lionel himself as a ¡®revolutionary


    friend¡¯ and the leadingdy on thest variety show he participated in before his sudden departure from


    showbiz. It seems that every major story about Mr. Lionel has a connection to Ms. Daphne¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Lionel¡¯s father, Fabian Kemp, a media mogul? Howe Lionel can¡¯t squash a single scandal?¡±


    Julien muttered disdainfully.


    As soon as the broadcast began, Julie had been trying to reach Daphne, but her phone was turned off.


    Worried something might have happened to Daphne, Julie tapped Julien¡¯s arm urgently, ¡°Julien, turn


    around. We need to check on Daphne at her apartment!¡±

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    Chapter 305


    When Julie and Julien pulled up outside Daphne¡¯s apartment, they saw a swarm of reporters blocking


    the entrance. It was as if the entire paparazzi battalion had decided toy siege to the building. Even


    the back door was under close watch.


    Up on the twenty-third floor, Daphne cracked open her window and peered down. ¡°Holy cow,¡± she


    muttered to herself, ¡°it¡¯s like an ant hill exploded down there. I¡¯ve never been this famous; heck, in


    school I couldn¡¯t even make the campus newsletter. Now, following Lord Lion¡¯s fame, I¡¯m all over the


    entertainment headlines¡­.


    Her phone had been blowing up with calls and messages since dawn. Frightened by the incessant


    buzzing, she had turned it off. She nced at her nearly empty fridge, which now housed nothing but a


    cup of yogurt. Starvefortably in her apartment, or brave the gauntlet of shing cameras below?


    She chose the former.


    Holding the yogurt, she poked a straw into it and took a couple of sips. Rubbing her belly, she said,


    ¡°Little one, don¡¯t me your momma. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to feed you, it¡¯s your daddy-he¡¯s too


    famous. If you get really hungry, you¡¯ll just have to drink my blood, ¡¯cause momma loves you that


    much.¡±


    Daphne noticed herputer blinking with new messages. Julie and Lionel had both reached out to


    her. She decided to respond to Julie first.


    Julie¡¯s message expressed concern for Daphne¡¯s safety and inquired whether she was still in her


    apartment.


    Yogurt straw still between her lips, Daphne typed back, [Yep, holed up in here. The crowd downstairs is


    nuts. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯d crush me and my baby bump. If you¡¯reing up, bring me some food, will ya?]


    Hearing the chat notification, Julie quickly checked her phone. Relieved that Daphne was okay, she


    responded, [Watch your mouth. Hang tight, Julien and I will figure out a way to get to you.]


    Back on chat, Daphne immediately replied with a [Yes, my Queen (heart-eyed emoji).]


    Julie chuckled at Daphne¡¯s response while Julien parked the car near theplex¡¯s entrance where


    themotion was minimal, unnoticed by the horde of reporters. Julien and Julie stepped out of the


    car.


    ¡°Daphne¡¯s right upstairs, but how in the world are we gonna get up there? Even if we do, we can¡¯t just


    walk out with her in front of everyone,¡± Julie pondered. Just then, they heard a loud ¡®bang¡¯ from behind.


    Julien quickly pulled Julie behind the vehicle for cover. The reporters all turned around but saw only a


    minor fender bender-nothing worthy of their attention-so they turned back to their stakeout.


    ¡°Talk about bad luck,¡± Julien said as they approached the scene of the minor ident.


    Just as she was about to scold the inattentive driver, the passenger door swung open, revealing a pair


    of impressively long legs stepping out¡­


    And there stood Marlon, Julien¡¯s eyebrow arching in surprise.


    Marlon, oblivious to Julien, was busy arguing with Harding who had emerged from the driver¡¯s side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, man. It was your who bumped the car, not me.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been fondling my leg, we wouldn¡¯t have hit that car¡¯s bumper,¡± Harding retorted, shutting


    his door.


    With a roguish grin, Marlon countered, ¡°Who knows, maybe you¡¯ve got a thing for car bumpers!¡±


    ¡°Give me my phone,¡± Harding said, extending his hand.


    Marlon tucked the phone behind his back, ¡°No way, Imitted a ¡®leg touching¡¯ for this. Can¡¯t just hand


    it back.¡±


    As Marlon basked in his-smugness, Julien effortlessly snatched the phone from behind and tossed it to


    Harding, who caught it with precision.


    Marlon was left speechless.


    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s paying for the damages?¡± Julien asked, nudging Harding¡¯s car with his foot.


    Marlon grimaced at Julien¡¯s car, ¡°Your car?¡±


    Julien raised an eyebrow, ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°He did it,¡± Marlon pointed at Harding without hesitation.


    Harding looked apologetically at Julien, ¡°It was an ident.¡±


    Julien said dismissively, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Marlon¡¯s eyes bulged, ¡°Wait! He gets a free pass and I have to pay? What¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called fairness,¡± Harding said, patting Marlon¡¯s shoulder a bit toofortingly.


    Dodging away, Marlon red at them both, ¡°You guys are acting fishy? Does Hayden know?¡±


    Harding offered Marlon a mock salute for his boldness to provoke Julien.


    Julien quipped, ¡°You fondled Harding¡¯s leg, and I didn¡¯t use you of having an affair.¡±


    Julie couldn¡¯t help butugh Julien rarely joked, but when she did, it was a moment to remember.


    Marlon was indignant ¡°For the record, I was after his phone, not his leg! It was in his pocket, you


    know?¡±


    Julien winked at Julie, ¡°Sometimes, exnations just sound like excuses, right, Julie?¡±


    Julie nodded, ¡°An excuse is just another cover-up.¡±


    ¡°Harding, why do women have toplicate things?¡± Marlon groaned.


    Looking down at Marlon, Harding replied, ¡°For a guy, you¡¯re pretty high-maintenance yourself.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any hotels around here,¡± Julien blurted out suddenly.


    Mr. Watson was utterly bbergasted. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you guys here to book a room?¡± Julien asked with an innocent look stered across her


    face.


    ¡°What the- Mr. Watson sputtered. ¡°Lionel asked me and Harding toe rescue Daphne, Book a


    room, my foot!¡±


    ¡°Cut it out, Julie said, rolling her eyes at him, then turned to Harding. ¡°Are you nning to just waltz


    past the reporters? Daphne just texted me and said that there are a bunch of them in the underground


    parking lot too.


    ¡°Pshaw! How high-profile do you think I am? Do you really think those journalists can catch me?¡± Mr.


    Watson boasted.


    But then Julien had a sudden epiphany, looking at Marlon. ¡°I know how we can get in.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Charter a chopper to the roof?¡± Marlon suggested. ¡°That¡¯s how we got via out when she was


    trapped in that mansion.¡±


    ¡°No need for such drama. Just take Dr. Ladd by the hand and take a stroll in front of the media,¡± Julien


    proposed.


    Julie¡¯s face lit up with excitement. After all, the media had spected plenty about Marlon and


    Harding¡¯s ¡®bromance,¡¯ even though Mr. Watson had been out of the limelight for years. Any time


    someone in showbiz came out of the closet, they tried to drag Mr. Watson into the headline too. The


    news about Mr. Watson and Harding was like the lingering legend of a retired hero. And with Daphne


    being a die-hard fan of their supposed ¡®romance, Julie couldn¡¯t help but get excited seeing them


    together, like watching a live-action soap opera.


    So, after hearing Julien¡¯s suggestion, Julie nodded eagerly.


    Harding, pointing to his own face, asked Julien, ¡°Do I look like the kind of guy who¡¯d y along with


    your act?¡±


    Julien just shrugged, unfazed. ¡°I don¡¯t need your cooperation.¡±


    With that, she pped handcuffs on Mr. Watson and Harding¡¯s hands, pushed them together, and


    shouted to the nearby reporters, ¡°Mr. Watson, oh my God!¡±


    That name hit the crowd like a thunderp. All the reporters turned around as if they were cats who¡¯d


    caught the scent of fish, and swarmed over.


    Marlon, seeing Julien and Julie make a beeline for the exit, bellowed, ¡°Damn it! Julien, I¡¯m gonna kill


    you!¡±


    Julien just waved him off. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    As the reporters closed in, Harding bolted toward the driver¡¯s seat, forgetting he was still handcuffed to


    Mr. Watson, who was practically dragged alongside. Harding, with a throbbing headache, fumbled to


    open the car door.


    ¡°Hurry up, get in, the press ising!¡± Mr. Watson urged, pushing Harding¡¯s rear.


    ¡°Just say it, no need to push!¡± Harding mbered into the passenger seat, dragging Mr. Watson in after


    him.


    ¡°Easy, easy! I¡¯m delicate, you know¡­¡± Mr. Watson¡¯s protest was cut short as Harding, sprawling half


    over him, mmed the car door shut.


    Then, turning the car on, Harding snapped, ¡°Drive, will you? Why are you staring at me?¡±


    Mr. Watson jangled their cuffed hands. ¡°Big guy, you¡¯re the seasoned driver, tell me, how am I


    supposed to drive without shifting gears?¡± Harding¡¯s hand, still cuffed, was on the car key, and Mr.


    Watson¡¯s couldn¡¯t reach the gear stick.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate! I¡¯ll cooperate!¡± Harding relented, and Mr. Watson pulled hard.


    Harding red.


    Mr. Watson balked. ¡°What¡¯s with the stare? When you re, I get nervous. When I¡¯m nervous, I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the car stalled!


    In the meantime, Julie and Julien sneaked upstairs and sessfully fetched Daphne, then hurried her


    to the car.


    Julien, clearly annoyed, turned to Daphne. ¡°Where the hell is Lionel when you need him?¡±

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    Chapter 306


    Daphne cast a timid nce at Julien before replying, ¡°He¡¯s returned to Noblewood.¡±


    ¡°He went back to Noblewood now, of all times?¡± Julie said, a hint of surprise in her voice.


    Daphne nodded, ¡°He¡¯s gone home to fetch his passport. We¡¯re getting ready to apply for our marriage


    license.¡±


    This bombshell had Julie and Julien exchanging a look of mutual astonishment. Then Julie, bubbling


    with excitement, asked, ¡°When did you two decide this?¡± ¡°Yesterday. I wanted to tell you guys then, but


    you mentioned you were going to a g, so¡­ Anyway, he went back to Noblewood. He should be


    back tonight.¡±


    Julie was still reveling in Daphne¡¯s happiness, but Julien, still puzzled, asked, ¡°Why the sudden


    decision to get married?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Daphne say that if Mr. Lionel could win over her folks, she¡¯d agree?¡± Julie turned her head to


    look at Daphne, who was sitting in the back seat. Daphne¡¯s cheeks, flushed with a touch of


    bashfulness, held a hint of an embarrassed smile. Then she said, ¡°It¡¯s true that Lionel managed to


    charm my parents, but that isn¡¯t the main reason. I just came to understand a lot of things that weren¡¯t


    clear to me before.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Julie asked on Julien¡¯s behalf, and after posing the question, she turned to her.


    ¡°Yesterday, Lionel apanied me to the prenatal checkup, he was tender and protective. The day


    before, he invited me home for dinner but brought along awyer to draft a prenup. Should we get


    married, his assets before and after the marriage would all be mine. This morning, I woke up to find the


    street swarming with reporters. Lionel was on the phone immediately. I¡¯ve been thinking about what myN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    feelings really are for Lionel. Is it just a fan girl crush, or do I genuinely like the man? His recent actions


    have moved me. Every morning, he makes breakfast before I even get out of bed. He sits by me when


    I¡¯m suffering morning sickness. He speaks up for me when I¡¯m under media scrutiny¡­¡±


    Her lips curled into a gentle smile, ¡°What he gives me is more than just moving-it¡¯s an irreceable


    sense of security.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Daphne, after all!¡± she eximed, ¡°If he wasn¡¯t someone I liked, would I have slept with him?


    That¡¯s intimate, and there are no idents in such matters-it¡¯s not like it was against my will. The so-


    called idents are just excuses. I like him, and he likes me. It might not be full-blown love yet, but


    since there¡¯s mutual affection, why not give it a shot? And besides, we have a little one on the way!¡±


    She caressed her belly contentedly, beaming with sweetness.


    Julien asked, ¡°So, did you sign that prenup?¡±


    Daphne nodded, ¡°Sure did. It¡¯s all notarized already, though the terms are a bit different. We agreed


    that if one of us changed mind, they shoulde clean early. Whoever cheats loses custody but


    maintains financial responsibility for the child. But we value our freedom; if the heart is not in it, clinging


    to a marriage won¡¯t bring happiness, nor will it to the parents. And a child in a sham family? Unlikely to


    be happy either. So, the cheater forfeits custody but is still financially responsible. As for the assets,


    we¡¯ll divide them ording to the statews. Prenuptial assets remain personal, postnuptial assets are


    split legally.¡±


    Daphne, who often seemed frivolous, was actually quite rational. She just had a tendency to avoid


    confronting issues.


    Out of the blue, Lionel somehow found out that Daphne was with Julie and made a call to Julie¡¯s phone


    since Daphne had turned hers off in fright.


    Julie handed the phone to Daphne. After connecting, Daphne was met with a torrent of Lionel¡¯s


    concern.


    Once Lionel finished his fussing, Daphne teased, ¡°Lord Lion, do you treat all your exes nicely?¡±


    ¡°Not one ex has given me as much trouble as you do,¡± Lionel countered with affectionate exasperation,


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to your parents; don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle to pick you up tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°And another thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Daphne asked, Julie all ears too.


    Lionel said, ¡°The onlinementary is all one-sided. I¡¯ve posted a tweet; you stay off the inte for


    now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Daphne swiftly changed the subject, ¡°Everything going smoothly on your end?¡±


    Don¡¯t worry about me; just rest up.¡± With that, Lionel ended the call.


    In truth, Lionel¡¯s trip was anything but smooth. Fabian was reluctant to hand over the page of the family


    registry that Lionel needed. Lionel, unfazed, held a lighter casually, his expression indifferent as he


    looked at Fabian.


    ¡°Mr. Kemp, hand over my page of the family registry, and I¡¯ll be out of your hair. If not, I¡¯ll burn it, and


    we can both apply for a new one. What do you say?¡±


    Lionel¡¯s friend Chris sharply featured brother, stood nearby pping, his voice clear and strong, ¡°Burn


    it!¡±


    On the way to the Noblewood Retreat, Daphne hung up the phone but didn¡¯t immediately give it back to


    Julie.


    Turning to face her, Julie asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? nning on swallowing my phone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just checking Twitter,¡± Daphne replied, opening the app.


    Julie quickly reached for the phone, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Lionel tell you to stay offline? Thements right now


    are bound to be ugly, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I can handle it! How bad can it be?¡± Daphne opened the trending list, and the top tweet was from


    Lionel.


    It was a photo of her asleep on the couch, her hand in his, showing her peaceful face and their


    intertwined fingers.


    The caption was simple: There is no love that needs to be hidden, only people who choose not to


    reveal it.


    But the thing was, Daphne had no clue when that photo was taken.


    Looking at Daphne, whose face was a picture of utter disaster, Julie cautiously reached out to snatch


    back her phone, only to be swatted away with a smack. ¡°Don¡¯t touch!¡±


    Julien nced at Daphne through the rear-view mirror, puzzled, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know when this picture was snapped, but look at me! I had no makeup! No makeup! And


    to top it all off, he didn¡¯t even put a filter on the picture? Come on! As a celebrity, an A-lister for crying


    out loud, could he not have edited the picture just a tad?¡± Daphne handed her phone to Julie, looking


    completely vexed. Julie just stared nkly.


    ¡°You look good without makeup,¡± Julien chimed in.


    Herment caught Julie off guard.


    That¡­ seemed to improve Daphne¡¯s mood quite a bit.


    Julie reached out again, ¡°Can I have my phone back now?¡±


    What¡¯s the rush?¡± Daphne, upon seeing over two millionments and more than five million likes,


    realized she was quite the sensation.


    She scrolled through thements, the most liked one had nearly four hundred thousand thumbs up.


    Thement read ¨C [Feels like an April Fool¡¯s jokee early, thumbs up if you agree.]


    Below was a reply from Lionel himself. He wrote ¨C [No joke, dead serious.]


    That was the most harmonious one in the bunch. The rest were an assortment of jabs, many not


    wishing her and Lionel well. When Daphne logged into her ount, it was like a bomb had gone off.


    Daphne, with a surprisingly light-hearted tone, said to Julie, ¡°You know, thest time my feed exploded


    like this, it was because of your public announcement with Mr.


    Hernandez.¡±


    Julie took Julien¡¯s phone, curious to see how people werementing on Daphne¡¯s situation, only to


    find out that Julien¡­ didn¡¯t even have the app downloaded.


    ¡°There¡¯s car WiFi,¡± Julien mentioned.


    While Julie was busy downloading the app, she noticed Daphne in the backseat, typing away and


    laughing like a loon.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny? You are getting roasted and still this happy?¡±


    Once Julie downloaded the app and found Daphne¡¯s feed, she understood why she was smug.


    Thetest post from Daphne was a selfie from their trip to Machu Phu. Blue skies, white clouds, and


    there she was in a white dress, sitting on the grass.


    It was a genuinely refreshing and beautiful photo, but thements were brutal.


    The top one read- [ She¡¯s so ugly, it¡¯s an insult to the audience!]


    Daphne had replied -[Due to my underwhelming looks, I am raising funds for a major transformation in


    South Korea. To my dear fans who can¡¯t stand my face, please send cash to show your support.


    Thanks!]


    Julie was speechless.


    The secondment was no kinder: [This liar stole our Lionel! With skin that good, you must have had


    work done. Drop the act with that fake face.],


    Daphne¡¯s reply was fearless, [Your Lionel is on my bed, feel free toe and get him!]


    The thirdment took a jab at her attractiveness, [Is Mr. Lionel blind? She is so ugly. Can he really


    look at her in the morning without wanting to vomit?]


    Daphne¡¯seback was a zinger, [Actually, the one who vomits every morning is me¡­ ugh, morning


    sickness is the worst.]


    Daphne addressed eachment with her trademark sass, and Julie couldn¡¯t stopughing when she


    read.


    ssic Daphne, never bored even when pregnant. If other top actor found a wife, it would be either a


    secret marriage or a gracious thanks to the fans, hoping for peaceful coexistence. But Mr. Lionel? He


    not only went public with his wife but also had her pping back at the fans.


    Julie was doubled over withughter when she suddenly remembered something important and quickly


    said to Julien,, ¡°Oh no, I forgot I¡¯m supposed to meet Kieran.at the hospital after his shift.¡±


    Julien pulled up right in front of the hospital entrance.


    When Julie arrived at Sansa¡¯s hospital room, Kieran was already there, looking like he¡¯d been waiting


    for a while. The man was engrossed in his phone, head bowed.


    She tiptoed up behind him and then wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck from behind, ¡°Have you


    been waiting long¡­¡± Before she could finish, she noticed Kieran was on a video call. On the phone


    screen was a woman with delicate features and a stunning smile, busy in an open kitchen making


    cupcakes, saying, ¡°I just learned this cupcake recipe. When I get back, I¡¯ll make them for you, okay?¡±


    The woman¡¯s smile felt like a warm breeze¡­

 Chatper 307

    Chatper 307


    Chapter 307


    She delicately held the cupcake in her hand, its frosting artfully swirled and topped with a fresh


    strawberry. Her fingers contrasted with the vibrant sweetness, and her softly curled hair was gathered


    into a low bun, with a few tendrils caressing her ears, adorned with pale pink teardrop pearl earrings.


    She wore a thin, white knitted sweater with a delicate openwork pattern that, despite its loose fit,


    entuated her graceful figure. Her beauty was distinct, not the sultry kind that Adeline possessed


    with an almost aggressive allure, nor the austere elegance of a Julien. It was a clean, distinguished


    elegance that resonated with a unique quality.


    From another woman¡¯s perspective, like Julie¡¯s, her allure was undeniable, and her voice¡­ it was the


    kind that soothed the soul.


    At that moment, Julie was leaning against Kieran¡¯s back, looking at the screen that disyed the


    woman.


    Kieran, for his part, didn¡¯t expect Julie to be there at that moment, let alone to be leaning so


    affectionately against him. So when he turned his head, his expression was one of mild surprise.


    Julie, who had been resting on Kieran¡¯s back, slowly let go of his shoulder. Kieran was about to exin


    when Julie, with a smile, took the phone from the screen and, still smiling, said, ¡°What a pretty


    cupcake. Maybe you could make one for me when you get back?¡±


    Kieran was at a loss for words.


    The woman, hearing Julie¡¯s voice, looked up, clearly not expecting to see her suddenly, and after a


    moment¡¯s pause, she smiled and nodded, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Julieughed while holding the phone, ¡°Mind? With such a gorgeous cupcake and a beautifuldy, how


    could I?¡±


    She then moved in front of Kieran, yfully sitting on hisp, her arm around his shoulder and the


    phone in her other hand. The screen now showed both Kieran and Julie.


    Julie turned to Kieran with a smile and said, ¡°What do you think, Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    It seemed to be the first time Mrs. Hernandez had taken such an initiative, and at that moment, Mr.


    Hernandez was still pleasantly shocked by his wife. When Julie turned to look at him, he was staring at


    her, seemingly lost in thought and not responding. Julie prodded him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce


    me?¡±


    The background of the video call and the intimacy of their conversation suggested that this wasn¡¯t their


    first chat, and they must have been quite familiar with each other for a while.


    Hence Julie¡¯s question to Kieran.


    But before Kieran could answer, she chuckled and said, ¡°You must be Joyce, right?¡±


    With the memory of Annalise Hansen fresh in her mind, Julie took another look at her, half expecting


    another twist like Kieran having an aunt she didn¡¯t know. But confirming no resemnce to Annalise,


    Julie nodded, a bit stiffly, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to meet you like this,¡± she said with a timid smile, ¡°I think Kieran should have told you about


    me sooner, but we didn¡¯t want to burden you, so! didn¡¯t introduce myself.¡±


    Julie gave Kieran a deep look. His expression was meaningful as he gazed at the phone screen. She


    found the W


    heard it somewhere before.


    voice oddly familiar, as if she had


    Maintaining herposure, Julie prompted the woman on the other side of the call, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to


    introduce yourself now.¡±


    ¡°Before I lose my temper with Kieran!¡± She thought.


    But that woman hesitated, then with a shy nod, said softly, ¡°Perhaps you should tell her, Kieran.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should!¡± Julie¡¯s gaze at Kieran was sharp enough to slice. Her patience was wearing thin.


    Kieran tenderly ruffled Julie¡¯s hair as if she were a little lioness showing her ws.


    Pointing on the screen, he said, ¡°Silly, this is Cami Stewart, Bertha Stewart¡¯s sister.¡±


    Julie was stunned for a good ten seconds before she finally found her voice, ¡°Cami?¡±


    It was then Cami lifted her head and beamed at Julie, ¡°Did you think your husband had another


    woman on the side?¡±


    Well, she almost went nuclear on Kieran!


    It wasn¡¯t until Cami say some words that Julie realized why the voice seemed familiar. She had


    overheard Kieran and Cami on a video call before she and Kieran had reconciled, making Cami¡¯s


    voice recognizable to her.


    So, she was Bertha¡¯s sister¡­ Julie¡¯s expression turned to one of mild embarrassment.


    Suddenly, a little head popped into view on the screen. A tuft of hair belonging to a little one trying to


    snatch the cupcake.


    Cami handed the treat to the child and pointed at the screen, ¡°Phoebe, say hello to your uncle.¡±


    The child, Phoebe Hernandez, looked back at the camera. She was the spitting image of Luci¨¢n, from


    the shape of her face to her mouth and even her ears-just like a miniature version of him, except for


    those eyes. Clear and luminous, her beautiful big eyes seemed to hold gxies within them,


    reminiscent of Bertha¡¯s.


    Cami and Bertha didn¡¯t look much alike, but their mannerisms and speech could seem simr at


    times. Bertha was elegant and graceful. Cami, on the other hand, was easy-going and gentle.


    Phoebe, despite turning around, was just staring nkly at the cupcake in her hand, silent and


    expressionless.


    Cami frowned slightly and gently patted Phoebe¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Sweetie, why don¡¯t you go sit on the


    couch and enjoy your cupcake?¡±


    Later, a housekeeper came up and led Phoebe away.


    1/2


    09:55


    Chapter 307


    Cami¡¯s expression turned somber as she spoke to Kieran on the other end of the video call, ¡°Phoebe


    is still the same, no improvement. I¡¯ve found a new doctor, and we¡¯ll take her there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your efforts,¡± Kieran said, ending the video call.


    Only then did Julie turn to look at Kieran, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Phoebe?¡±


    ¡°Autism,¡± Kieran exined, holding Julie in his arms as if recalling a memory. ¡°Last year, Cami took


    Phoebe to Britain for treatment, but it didn¡¯t help,


    Julie had encountered a child with autism once, while she worked at a caf¨¦.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Indifference to emotions, refusal tomunicate, dyed speech development, repetitive behavior,


    and a significant limitation in activities and


    interests.


    They have sight but often avoid eye contact, they havenguage but struggle tomunicate, they


    hear but seem to ignore, they act but often against your wishes¡­ With no exnation at hand, they are


    called ¡°children of the stars¡± ¨C like the stars in the sky, each in their own world, shining on their own.


    ¡°Phoebe is smart. She can speak multiplenguages, but never usesnguage tomunicate with


    others. Sometimes she locks herself in her room, talking to herself, and sometimes shemunicates


    with nts and animals, she draws. She¡¯s different from most children with autism.¡±


    Julie¡¯s expression grew somber with Kieran¡¯s words, ¡°Has it always been like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kieran kissed Julie¡¯s forehead before changing the subject. ¡°Thought you¡¯d be at the hospital,


    but you weren¡¯t here when I arrived.¡±


    ¡°Julien found Rankin¡¯s grave, so¡­ I went there,¡± she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and


    leaning on his shoulder. ¡°I keep thinking about Davina. She said that I am responsible for Rankin¡¯s


    death. I keep wondering why she would say that, but she never told me why before she died.¡±


    ¡°Some answers don¡¯t need to be pursued. When it¡¯s time to know, you¡¯ll know,¡± he said, bending down


    to scoop her up in his arms. ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to carry me into the elevator like this?¡± sheughed, hugging his neck tighter. ¡°Stop


    it, put me down.¡±


    Noblewood Retreat.


    As soon as they got home, Julie asked Shannon, ¡°Shannon, how¡¯s Amanda¡¯s appetite today?¡±


    Ever since Amanda found out that Lucian, whose identity had finally been confirmed, had gone missing


    again, she had been anxious and had lost her appetite.


    Shannon wore a smile, telling Julie, ¡°After Miss Julien brought Ms. Daphne over, thedy¡¯s appetite has


    improved a lot. They¡¯re in the room right now,ughing and having a good time.¡±


    Daphne¡­ Julie smiled and gave Kieran a nce, then ran upstairs to Amanda¡¯s room.


    The bedroom door was ajar, and inside, Amanda and Daphne were sitting on the couch talking with


    smiles. Daphne was more rxed, holding her phone ?and pointing at it as she said to Amanda,


    ¡°Granny, check this out, isn¡¯t thisment just nasty?¡±


    Amanda, peering over her reading sses, took a look and nodded in agreement, ¡°It is nasty. How


    could someone write that? You should reply.¡±


    ¡°How should I reply?¡± Daphne massaged her temples, looking a bit tired.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Amanda said, ¡°It must be one of Lionel¡¯s fans. Calling you a social parasite


    is one thing, but to speak ill of yourte parents, that¡¯s just poor character.¡±


    Suddenly, Daphneughed, ¡°What about this? How about I reply like this?¡±


    Amanda read the response and broke into a heartyugh, ¡°Perfect, that¡¯s a greateback!¡±


    It seemed that Daphne had been battling online trolls all afternoon¡­ Julie approached, bemused, and


    asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been on your phone all afternoon, aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    Daphne turned around excitedly, ¡°Come here, tell me what you think of my reply!¡±

 Chatper 308

    Chatper 308


    Chapter 308


    Julie scrolled through her social media feed and chuckled as she saw Daphne¡¯s selfie had gone viral,


    along with a snarky caption, ¡°Looks like Lionel¡¯s lost his touch. Tired of supermodels, so now he¡¯s


    settled for some low-rent chick? A schemer who¡¯s knocked up before the wedding, shamelessly


    replying toments online. No shame, this parasite¡¯s gotta have been orphaned early, that¡¯s how she


    grew up with no proper upbringing.¡±


    No wonder even Amanda thought thement was out of line.


    Daphne had pped back in thements, ¡°Wishing you and yours all the happiness. parents, soon


    to be Mrs. Lionel.¡±


    From the shameless, pregnant-before-marriage, schemer with very much alive


    Julie gave Daphne a thumbs up and then logged onto her own social media to share Daphne¡¯s


    response, ¡°Here¡¯s to the shameless, pregnant-before-marriage, schemer with very much alive parents,


    soon to be Mrs. Lionel. Wishing you happiness.¡±


    As Kieran walked upstairs, he found the trio in high spirits. Wrapping his arms around hisdy from


    behind, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s got you allughing so much?¡± She waved her phone at him, ¡°Wanna help


    out?¡±


    Kieran read the post and immediately joined in, sharing it with his own addition, ¡°To the man about to


    marry a shameless, pregnant-before-marriage, schemer with very much alive parents, Lionel, wishing


    you happiness.¡±


    Daphne liked the post right away.


    What started as a joke between Julie and Daphne soon sparked a wildfire of reactions. Even via


    joined them. Surprisingly, Lionel¡¯s supposed true love, Albertine, also shared the post.


    Daphne covered her face, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m officially inte famous now!¡±


    Kieran, phone in hand, turned to Julie, ¡°Babe, mind exining what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Julie nced at the phone and saw a paparazzi shot of Mr. Watson and Harding with handcuffs linking


    them together, magnified in the photo before they could get into their car. She recognized a blurry


    shadow in the photo as herself, and clearly, Kieran had already figured it out too, or he wouldn¡¯t be


    asking.


    Sheughed nervously, ¡°Well¡­ it was a makeshift n to get Daphne out of her apartment. Mr.


    Watson and Dr. Ladd were downstairs at Lionel¡¯s request, so we used them as a distraction.¡±


    ¡°And the handcuffs?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Looks like Mr. Watson wasn¡¯t too keen on voluntarily helping with the diversion,¡± Julie said cryptically.


    Only Julie could havee up with the handcuff idea.


    Half an hourter, Lionel arrived to pick up Daphne. It was clear Amanda was fond of Daphne; despite


    being down all day, she personally saw Daphne to the door. Back in the bedroom, Julie sprawled out


    on the bed, exhausted.


    ¡°Kieran, something just urred to me,¡± Julie sat up suddenly, a serious look on her face.


    He stopped what he was doing and sat down beside her, attentive. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rankin!¡± Julie grabbed his hand, ¡°At the cemetery today, I was lost in the past, but just now I


    remembered something odd. Rankin¡¯s tombstone only had his photo and name, -no-inscriptions, not


    even a date. Isn¡¯t it strange?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the grave?¡± he asked.


    ¡°North Cemetery,¡± she replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not mandatory to have inscriptions, but usually¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it strike you as odd?¡± Julie frowned, ¡°In school, I never saw Rankin¡¯s family. Some said he was


    an orphan, others imed his mom visited once. The most widespread rumor was that he was raised


    by a wealthy single mom, always in designer clothes, yet so understated. And there were ugly


    rumors¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t say it, but those rumors suggested Rankin¡¯s mom was kept by a man. In Julie¡¯s memory,


    Rankin was remarkably nonchnt.


    Kieran could guess the nature of the ugly rumors.


    Julie continued, ¡°I once asked him if he didn¡¯t care about what people said. He told me something like,


    we can¡¯t control where wee from, but we can shape our destiny. We can talk about others all we


    want, just like people judge our background, but we can¡¯t silence everyone. Something like that.¡±


    Kieran admired Rankin¡¯s perspective and promised to have Karl look into it the next day.


    They cuddled, ready to turn in for the night, when a frantic knocking at the door startled them.


    Julie sat up, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Shannon burst in, panic-stricken, ¡°S¨ªr, Ma¡¯am, Madam Amanda¡­ she¡¯s fainted.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kieran sprang out of bed and dashed downstairs without even putting on shoes¡­


    ¡®The butler¡¯s already taken her to the car,¡± Shannon followed, exining.


    Kieran drove Amanda to Tranquil Care Hospital, the nearest medical facility.


    Amanda had a bout of high blood pressure, plus the stress over Lucian¡¯s situation, and her poor sleep


    had led to her fainting. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t anything serious; she just needed to be hospitalized for a


    couple of days of observation.


    Julie wanted to stay and keep Amandapany, but Amanda shooed her away.


    ?? ??? ?? ? ? ?


    ¡°Shannon¡¯s here to look after me. I don¡¯t need many people around. Imagine the fuss if Ivan wakes up


    and can¡¯t find either of you.¡± Amanda waved her hand, signaling for Julie and Kieran to head home. In


    the end, only Shannon remained to care for her, with two nurses assigned to look after the olddy


    especially.


    The hospital was quiet in the dead of night.


    Amanda, half-asleep, suddenly woke up feeling hungry. Being diabetic, she couldn¡¯t afford to skip


    meals, so she sent Shannon out to grab something to eat.


    Watching Shannon exit the hospital doors, a man d in a ck hoodie quietly pushed open Amanda¡¯s


    room door.


    ¡°Do you forgot your wallet¡­¡± Amanda turned around to see a shadowy figure approaching her.


    Her heart pounded with fear, and just as she was about to scream, the man pulled off his hood and


    stood by her bedside, speaking softly, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s me, Lucian.¡±


    swelled up in her eyes as she reached


    ¡°Luc¡­ Lucian?¡± Amanda gazed at the tall, handsome man before her, her beloved grandson whom she


    had been longing to see. Tear?


    qut to him, ¡°Lucian¡­ is it really you? Am I dreaming?¡±


    09:57


    Chapter 308


    Lucian stepped forward, gently taking Amanda¡¯s hand and nodding, ¡°It¡¯s me, Grandma. Are you


    alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Amanda¡¯s words were slurred with emotion. She patted Lucian¡¯s hand repeatedly, still


    unable to believe that her grandson was truly there.


    ¡°Your leg¡­¡± She nced down at Lucian¡¯s legs, which in her memory, were beyond repair.


    Lucian took Amanda¡¯s hand in his, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a long story, Grandma. I don¡¯t have time to exin. I


    came because I was worried about you. Promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone you saw me tonight, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Amanda¡¯s voice was hoarse with emotion, ¡°Why avoid a good home, deny your kin? What on


    earth have you been¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I really have to go. It was me who left the recording in your study. Promise me, don¡¯t tell


    anyone about tonight. When the time is right, I¡¯lle back for you,¡± Lucian gently wiped away her


    tears and one by one, pried her fingers off his hand before he hurriedly left the room.


    With his hood up, he walked to the car and got in.


    Bruce, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, handed Lucian a phone, ¡°Mr. Moore, you have a call.¡±


    Bruce raised an eyebrow, winking at Lucian.


    Lucian took the phone, listening to the icy voice on the other end, ¡°Are you at the hospital entrance?¡±


    Lucian didn¡¯t reply, and the voice continued, ¡°Did you see Amanda? Or was it Sansa? I don¡¯t care why


    you saved Emily from Kyle, but you¡¯ve had countless opportunities to


    act against Julie, and you¡¯ve hesitated every time. You¡¯re disappointing me. Or is it your grandmother


    Amanda who¡¯s holding you back?¡±


    ¡°Amanda?¡± Lucian said her name with a cold indifference, ¡°You mean the Amanda who left the country


    after my parents died, who didn¡¯t care whether Kieran and I lived or died?¡±


    His scornful tone seemed to please the person on the other end of the line.


    ¡°So why did you go to the hospital today?¡±


    ¡°To see what happens to someone heartless enough to abandon their family.¡± Lucian¡¯s voice was filled


    with malice.


    The person on the lineughed, ¡°Don¡¯t push me to take action. You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no need to dirty your hands.¡± Lucian ended the call, tossed the phone aside, and said to


    Bruce, ¡°He didn¡¯t go after Julie?¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to Simon, sir?¡± Bruce shook his head, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    Lucian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°He¡¯s patient. Let¡¯s go back to the apartment.¡±

 Chatper 309

    Chatper 309


    Chapter 309


    Julie made sure the head chef at Feliz Gastro House had whipped up a nutritious lunch for Amanda.


    She had just stepped into the restaurant, nning to head to the kitchen, when she noticed the usually


    bustling dining area was eerily empty.


    Grabbing a passing waiter, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal here? Is the joint closing down for a makeover


    or something?¡±


    Recognizing the boss, the waiter quickly replied, ¡°Oh, the ce has been booked for a private event


    today, at noon.¡±


    Julie nodded. ¡°Alright, carry on then!¡± Whoever had the cash to book out Feliz Gastro House during


    prime time must have deep pockets, she thought. Heading to the kitchen to grab the lunch, Julie found


    the chefs in a frenzy of activity. The head chef handed her the prepared meal, and she grabbed his arm


    for a quick question, ¡°Is the guest who booked the ce hosting a crowd? I don¡¯t see anyone out there,


    yet the kitchen¡¯s in overdrive.¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but they ordered one of everything from the menu. Could be a spy from the bistro next door,¡±


    the head chef joked. ¡°Really?¡± Julie chuckled at the thought of such an extravagant undercover


    operation.


    She handed the meal to a waiter, instructing, ¡°Take this to room 202 at the Tranquil Care Hospital VIP


    ward. And get me the manager.¡± ¡°Manager¡¯s busy with the guests,¡± the waiter informed her.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± she inquired.


    He pointed upstairs. Julie nodded and sent him on his way with the meal. She then headed up.


    The staff was clustered on the second floor, enjoying the rare quiet moment. The service crew had


    almost blocked the staircase, buzzing with excitement.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, like an actor, right?¡±


    ¡°Never seen this actor before. But it¡¯s not just about looks, it¡¯s the aura! This gentleman¡¯s refined


    elegance is just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the money. He must be rich!¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who noticed his broody but devastatingly handsome aide?¡±


    ¡°Is he really that good-looking?¡± Julie edged closer behind one of the waitresses and asked softly.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± they all agreed enthusiastically.


    ¡°Andpared to Mr. Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°They are different types! You can¡¯tpare their vibes. They¡¯re both handsome in their own way.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Hernandez is taken, remember¡­ The waitress abruptly stopped as she turned and realized


    Julie had been the one inquiring. They immediately muted themselves.


    Julie sighed, feeling a little helpless.


    Why are you all at the stairs? We need this path clear for service, Julie said with a wave of her hand.


    ¡°Scatter.¡±


    The waitresses dispersed, and Julie sneaked a peek at the table that had captivated her staff. The


    mysterious guest that had booked the entire ce had piqued her interest.


    The plump manager was in her way, obstructing the view of the man behind him. Julie could only see


    the high-quality fabric of his navy suit and the top two undone buttons of his dark shirt, revealing


    exquisite cufflinks, no doubt expensive.


    Realizing her own curiosity was amusing, she shook her head with a smile and decided to leave. She


    trusted her smooth-talking manager to handle the


    VIP.


    But as Julie turned to go, she heard a familiar voice call out, ¡°Patriot.¡±


    She froze. Hallucinations, it must be. She was about to vanish quietly when she noticed a pair of


    gleaming leather shoes.


    Looking up, there stood Kleist, his hair perfectly coiffed. He gestured toward the table, ¡°Our master is


    calling for you, Ms. Patriot.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the boss doesn¡¯t dine in with customers,¡± Julie replied with a forced smile. She wasn¡¯t in the


    mood for such encounters, especially not with Kleist, who once had her at gunpoint.


    Kleist blocked her path. From the table, Simon¡¯s cool voicemanded attention, ¡°Patriot, won¡¯t you


    come and y the gracious host?¡±


    Julie recalled her own words, ¡°I¡¯m called Patriot because both my mom and dad are super patriotic. It¡¯s


    a name I got stuck with, and though I think it¡¯s a bit cheesy, my friends just call me Patriot.¡±


    Now aware of Simon¡¯s true identity, Julie felt less intimidated. So, with newfound boldness, she


    approached the table.


    Kleist was gentlemanly, pulling out a chair for her. She took a seat, turned to the manager with a smile,


    and dered, ¡°Put today¡¯s meal on my tab.


    The manager was visibly stunned, taking a moment to process her request.


    Simon leaned back, his expression indifferent, ¡°So, this is your way of treating me to dinner?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small thanks for blocking that snake for me,¡± Julie replied with a grin. ¡°I have to repay my debt


    before I can square off with you, especially since you¡¯ve had a gun to my head.¡±


    Unfazed by herment, Simon simply told Kleist, ¡°Then let¡¯s have the menu twice over.¡±


    Julie just shook her head at hisck of modesty. Such waste, she thought.


    ¡°Do you understand the work that went into the food on your te? Every bite was earned through


    blood, sweat, and tears.¡± Julie said.


    09:38


    Chapter 309


    Simon shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with it.¡±


    Julie was about to exin when he continued, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem to concern me, since I¡¯m just being


    treated, right?¡±


    Julie was speechless. She just looked at him, no longer speaking.


    He gestured for Kleist, who leaned in to hear his hushed words. Julie, seated across from them,


    couldn¡¯t make out what they were whispering.


    After receiving his instructions, Kleist promptly left the room.


    Now, it was just the two of them on the upper floor of the house.


    Julie stood up, ¡°Well, I should be going¡­¡±


    ¡°Sansa¡­¡± Simon suddenly said the name.


    Sansa? Julie froze mid-rise, caught in an awkward half-squat.


    She yed dumb, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s name,¡± he reminded her.


    Julie plunked back down, ¡°Of course I know it¡¯s my sister¡¯s name! You know Sansa?¡±


    ¡°Not personally.¡± He cut into his steak with elegance and spoke, ¡°I once set up a charity fund for special


    cases, and due to an ipetent subordinate, the funds were mistakenly sent to your sister.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°You and Canary are good friends, aren¡¯t you?¡± he probed.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julie replied, ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Because of this little fund mix-up, Canary traced it all the way back to me.¡± He sipped his red wine, ¡°I


    have a little warning for her ¨C ¡®know when to stop.¡±


    So, they couldn¡¯t find Julien, and now they wereing to her? Was Julien digging too deep, causing


    the young master to be displeased?


    Julie nodded, ¡°Oh, I get it now.¡±


    Julie left the Feliz Gastro House and immediately felt the air clear around her.


    After a few unexpected experiences, Julie was extremely alert even while standing on the sidewalk.


    She made her way to the towering Simpo Co. skyscraper and took the elevator to the executive floor.


    As she stepped inside, the employees of the executive office greeted her with beaming smiles, ¡°Thank


    you, mydy.¡±


    Wait, what? Julie was puzzled and about to ask when the elevator doors opened again.


    More employees entered, and she held her tongue.


    Arriving at the executive floor, as soon as she stepped out, another person greeted her with a smile,


    ¡°Thank you, mydy.¡±


    Julie was flummoxed.


    Tina passed by, nodding at Julie, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough with the thanks,¡± Julie finally spoke up, asking Tina, ¡°Thank me for what?¡±


    ¡°The steak, of course!¡± Tina gave a thumbs up, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, straight from Feliz Gastro House, top


    quality as always.¡±


    ¡°What steak?¡± Julie expressed utter confusion.


    Just then, Kieran stepped out of his office and casually asked, ¡°The steak wasn¡¯t sent by you?¡±


    Julie shook her head, ¡°Nope, I just came from Feliz Gastro House but I didn¡¯t send any¡­


    22


    ¡°The restaurant staff from Feliz Gastro House delivered them, one for each person in the executive


    office. Each meal came with an assortment of appetizers and drinks. They said it was a treat from you,


    a token of appreciation for the staff!¡± Tina exined.


    ? ?? ? ? ???? ??????


    Julie frowned slightly and forced an awkward smile, ¡°I see!¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Kieran inquired.


    Julie pulled Kieran into the office and closed the door before revealing, ¡°That steak, it was Simon who


    had Kleist send it over in my name.¡±


    Mr. Hernandez, silent as ever, nced at the half-eaten steak on his desk. After several seconds of


    silence, he strode to the door, te in hand.


    Tina, eavesdropping by the door, nearly got ¨¢ face full of steak.


    Kieran handed the te to Tina, then with a ¡®bang¡¯ shut the door, sat down on the sofa with Julie, and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chatper 310

    Chatper 310


    Chapter 310


    After hearing Julie¡¯s ount of what happened at the restaurant, Kieran decided to call Hayden. But


    the call rang and rang with no answer, which was strange. Hayden¡¯s personal line usually didn¡¯t ring


    more than three times before he picked up. This time, however, it went to voicemail, and Hayden did


    not call back.


    Startled, Julie whipped out her phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give Julien a ring, see what¡¯s up.¡± She dialed


    Julien¡¯s number, but after a moment, the call was abruptly- ended.


    Julie looked up at Kieran in shock. ¡°Julien¡­ she hung up on me¡­¡± This had never happened before;


    Julien always answered her calls.


    Just as Julie was about to try again, Kieran snatched the phone from her hands. Julie looked up, her


    brow furrowed and her pink lips pouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°No need to call,¡± Kieran said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her


    slender shoulder. ¡°A guy and a girl, both adults, with someplicated history, in a bedroom, not


    answering their phones. Do you really think it¡¯s a good idea to interrupt?¡±


    Julie turned around, ¡°How do you know they¡¯re together? And more to the point, how do you know


    they¡¯re in the bedroom?¡±


    ¡°I just called Hayden to ask about something with Simon. He said he was in his bedroom, and I


    happened to hear Julien¡¯s voice in the background, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So we should definitely call,¡± Julie reached for her phone again, but Kieran lifted it over his head, out


    of her reach. Julie stood on the couch, stretching her arm towards his hand, but he easily scooped her


    up from the couch, holding her like a child. To prevent herself from falling, Julie instinctively wrapped


    her legs around his waist.


    ¡°The Julien you know might answer calls no matter what, but the Hayden I know? He wouldn¡¯t let


    anyone answer the phone if it interrupts¡­ certain activities. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, put me down,¡± she said, patting his shoulder to signal him to let her go.


    He seemed to enjoy holding her a little too much, but finally offered a deal, ¡°Give me a kiss, and I¡¯ll let


    you down.¡±


    Left with no choice, Julie hugged his head and pecked him on the forehead.


    In Hayden¡¯s bedroom.


    Five minutes earlier, Julien had knocked and entered while Hayden was going for a nap. She stood


    before him and said, ¡°Got a minute? I need to talk.¡± Hayden¡¯s motion of pulling the cover slowed down


    for a few seconds before he looked up and asked, ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Rtionship issues,¡± Julien said. Then Hayden¡¯s phone rang. He silenced it without a nce.


    Shortly after, Julien¡¯s phone started to ring. She was about to answer when Hayden snatched it from


    her hands and ended the call.


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    Silence fell between them. Hayden sat on the bed waiting for Julien to speak. After a while, Julien


    pulled out a bottle of pills from her pocket and ced it on the nightstand with a ¡®click¡¯.


    It was the bottle she had thrown in a trash can outside the pharmacy, but somehow, after dropping Julie


    off at Simpo Co., she had picked it up again on her way back.


    Hayden reached for the bottle. ¡°You know what¡¯s inside, right?¡±


    ¡°Something that would make youe to me,¡± he said, his face unreadable.


    So it was indeed his doing, and he knew she would find out that the bottle contained vitamins, not birth


    control pills, and that he had orchestrated it all just to give her a legitimate reason to seek him out. It


    also meant he had anticipated her distrust.


    ¡°Stop ying dirty tricks,¡± she said, deciding to skip over the issue.


    She had taken Julie¡¯s advice to have a heart-to-heart with Hayden, but now that she was actually there,


    she couldn¡¯t remember what to say. The speech she had rehearsed at the door had vanished from her


    mind.


    She had so many questions for him, years of doubts, but now that he was sitting in front of her waiting,


    Julien couldn¡¯t remember a single one.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± She picked up the bottle and turned to leave, realizing that this whole ¡°conversation thing¡±


    was not her style.


    Hayden grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Julien turned and fell into his embrace. His arms


    encircled her waist. ¡°Lien, you can¡¯t just walk away from me.¡±


    His voice was mature andforting. She remembered Dn¡¯s words: Choosing Hayden would make


    you a carefree princess. Without him, you¡¯d be a strong, independent queen. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be


    cherished like royalty?


    Dn was right. In front of others, Julien felt capable and independent, but with Hayden, she felt


    vulnerable and in need of protection. So whenever he spoke to her with that mature, indulgent tone that


    let her get away with anything, she was at a loss.


    ¡°Tell me, what do you want to talk about?¡± His tone was one ofplete attention.


    But Julien wasn¡¯t used to being held like this¡­


    ¡°Is Adeline really your sister?¡± she managed to ask, trying to pry his fingers off her, but he held her


    close and tight.


    ¡®Adeline is my sister by blood.¡±


    ¡°Out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always been there, I just hadn¡¯t found her until now,¡± he replied.


    After a moment, Julien finally remembered what she wanted to ask. ¡°That time¡­ after I chased you to


    Find and we¡­ The next morning, you left without a word¡­¡±


    ¡°I went to Norway to seek out the sole kin I had left in this world. Before I left, I wanted to leave a


    message for you, asking you to wait for my return, to let


    112


    09:40


    Chapter 310


    me make things right between us. But Miles ¨C he demanded loyalty, a partner willing to walk through


    fire for him, not someone whose heart might be swayed by other attachments¡­¡±


    Julien understood Miles all too well, having grown under his wing. So, when Hayden confessed this


    much, the pieces fell into ce for her.


    ¡°So, the text I never got to see¡­ you deleted it yourself?¡± Julien queried.


    Nodding, Hayden confirmed, ¡°In the dead of night, I got the call from Miles for an urgent mission in


    Norway. Just so happened, Raines had found a lead on my sister, and it pointed to Norway too. Miles


    hade to pick me up right at my hotel door in Helsinki. I couldn¡¯t wake you. After I left for the airport


    with him, I managed to send you a text while pretending to use the restroom. Then, Miles and I were


    airborne, en route to Oslo. I figured you¡¯d have enough time to see the text during the flight from


    Helsinki.¡±


    After a brief pause, Hayden continued, ¡°Later on¡­ Miles found out about the message.¡±


    That¡¯s why she never saw the text. Miles wouldn¡¯t tolerate divided loyalties. So, in his typical ruthless


    fashion, he nipped their budding romance in the bud, ensuring the message never reached her. And all


    this time, she had thought it was he who had given up on her first.


    In her mind, Hayden had been shaped into a man who¡¯d abandoned her for another woman. But it was


    all a misunderstanding.


    As Julien¡¯s expression softened, Hayden spoke again, gently gazing at the woman in his arms, ¡°I have


    a long story to tell. It¡¯s about my past, my parents, and why Adeline is my sister. Lien, are you ready to


    listen?¡±


    Tranquil Care Hospital.


    Julie was startled by a call from Dr. Brice. Sansa had cried.


    She and Kieran rushed to the hospital immediately.


    Standing in Sansa¡¯s room, Dr. Brice seemed pleased as he observed Sansa resting peacefully on the


    bed, ¡°Professor Fred¡¯s therapy seems promising. Kyle has been keeping vigil by Sansa¡¯s side every


    night, often falling asleep holding her hand. Though we can¡¯t be certain she¡¯ll awaken, her crying today


    is a positive sign. It means her subconscious is active; she might be able to hear us, which suggests


    that engaging with her could be beneficial.¡±


    Julie, overwhelmed with emotion, clung to Kieran¡¯s suit jacket.


    Kieranforted her with gentle pats on the back, whisperingforting words.


    Dr. Brice smiled, ¡°I need to consult with Professor Fred again. Kyle should be here shortly. Why don¡¯t


    you two keep Sansapany and talk to her?¡±


    With that, Dr. Brice took his leave.


    Julie approached, taking Sansa¡¯s hand into her own, feeling the fragility of her touch.


    Then she remembered something and turned to Kieran, ¡°Simon booked the restaurant today to donate


    money for Sansa, to stop Julien from digging into the matter. We never touched Simon¡¯s donation; do


    we send it back or keep it?¡±


    Before she could hear Kieran¡¯s response, Kyle appeared at the door, his brows knit together in


    concern, ¡°Simon?¡±


    Kyle¡¯s expression was puzzling, and Julie was not Dn, so she couldn¡¯t decipher it. She could only


    ask, confused, ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ Simon from the Fitzgerald estate made a donation for Sansa?¡± Kyle pressed on, ignoring


    Kieran standing by his side.


    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem¡­¡± Before Julie could finish, Kyle suddenly turned and strode briskly towards


    the elevator¡­

 Chatper 311

    Chatper 311


    Chapter 311


    Julie stood at the deserted hospital room doorway, her gaze flicking between the empty space and


    Kieran, who was just as perplexed by Kyle¡¯s sudden outburst. But by the time they stepped out of the


    room, Kyle had already vanished into the elevator.


    Downstairs, Kyle slid into the backseat of the car andmanded, ¡°Drive. Take me to the Cardinal


    Hotel.¡±


    The man behind the wheel was Curtis. He fired up the engine and set the navigation for the Cardinal


    Hotel. Only then did he nce at Kyle through the rear view mirror. After a moment of silence, he


    ventured, ¡°Are we heading to the presidential suite at the hotel, young master?¡±


    Kyle shot Curtis a look but didn¡¯t utter a word.


    Curtis¡¯s expression turned grave as he peered at Kyle through the mirror, ¡°Young master, if you¡¯re


    nning on going to the hotel now, it might be¡­¡±


    ¡°Curtis,¡± Kyle¡¯s voice was ice as he uttered the name, his brows furrowed and his stare carried a


    dangerous glint, ¡°Since when did I require your advice and decisions on my affairs?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, young master,¡± Curtis bowed his head and sped toward the Cardinal Hotel.


    Thirty minutester, inside the presidential suite.


    Kleist stood respectfully before Simon, ¡°Young master, Stefan is at the door.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Simon, who was steeping tea, raised an eyebrow and spoke evenly, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Kleist opened the door and stepped aside, ¡°Please,e in.¡±


    Kyle walked in, while Kleist blocked Curtis at the door. Curtis¡¯s gaze hardened as he faced off against


    Kleist, who stood with a look that read, ¡®You¡¯ll have to step over my dead body to get through here.


    Eventually, Kyle looked back at Curtis and said, ¡°Wait here for me.¡±


    Reluctantly, Curtis stepped back and stood guard at the door.


    Kleist smirked with a touch of irony and closed the door.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Simon didn¡¯t bother looking up from his tea-making, ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Kyle settled onto the sofa opposite Simon and was about to speak when suddenly, a blue and white


    porcin cup was extended towards him.


    He took it and ced it on the coffee table without drinking.


    ¡°You¡¯re bing more impertinent,¡± Simon remarked as he gently skimmed the tea with the lid.


    Kyle took a deep breath to quell the anger rising within him and took a sip of tea before getting straight


    to the point, ¡°What brings you back?¡± Simon paused, his fingers on the cup lid still, and looked up at


    Kyle with piercing blue eyes, ¡°Since when do I have to report my whereabouts to you?¡± ¡°Indeed, your


    whereabouts are none of my concern,¡± Kyle ced the cup back on the table with enough force to spill


    some of its contents, ¡°But Rowan, what¡¯s the meaning of you donating treatment funds to Sansa?¡±


    ¡°Rowan?¡± Simon repeated his name with interest and a chill in his gaze, setting down his cup, ¡°Back in


    the country and you¡¯ve forgotten how to address me?¡±


    Kyle knew the uptick in Rowan¡¯s voice was a sign of his brewing anger.


    Finally suppressing his own rage, Kyle took a deep breath and addressed him with respect, ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°Kleist, show Stefan out,¡± Rowan stood up.


    Kleist stepped in front of Kyle, blocking his path. Rowan had already turned towards the bedroom, and


    Kyle, hindered by Kleist, couldn¡¯t get any closer. He shouted at Rowan¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°The one


    responsible for Rankin¡¯s death is Davina, you know very well that his death has nothing to do with


    Sansa!¡±


    Rowan spun around, his blue eyes icy with fury as he red at Kyle, ¡°You have no right to speak of his


    death!¡±.


    ¡°Throw him out!¡± Rowan gestured to Kleist.


    Kleist moved to push Kyle out.


    Kyle shoved Kleist away and called out to Rowan¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Brother, you know I would do


    anything unreasonable for her!¡± ¡°Foolish!¡± Rowan turned abruptly, scoffing in contempt, ¡°Get out before


    I change my mind and have Grace drag you back to Britain!¡±


    Outside, Curtis rushed to Kyle¡¯s side as he emerged, asking with concern, ¡°Young master, are you


    alright?¡±


    ¡°Why? Worried my own brother would tear me apart?¡± Kyle shot Curtis a cold nce, ¡°Back to the


    hospital!¡±


    Once Kyle had been escorted out, Kleist returned to Rowan¡¯s bedroom and knocked. After receiving


    permission from inside, he entered and said, ¡°Young master, shall I inform Lady Grace to take the


    young master back to Britain?¡±


    7


    Rowan held a book in his hands and replied calmly, ¡°A gentle breeze won¡¯t capsize a ship.¡±


    Having been by the young master¡¯s side since childhood, Kleist understood that Rowan meant Kyle


    wasn¡¯t a threat worth considering.


    He nodded and was about to leave when Rowan stopped him, ¡°Check with Fred when you get the


    chance, about the likelihood of Sansa waking up.¡±


    Amanda and Sansa were in the same hospital. After visiting Sansa¡¯s room, Julie and Kieran headed


    straight to Amanda¡¯s. Amanda¡¯s mood had improved during her hospital stay, and even her appetite


    had picked up a bit.


    When Julie and Kieran arrived, Ivan, fresh out of school and escorted by Noah, was teaching Amanda


    how to y a game on her phone. Noah stood at the door while Shannon peeled apples inside.


    1/2


    Chapter 311


    Laughter echoed from the room. Recently, Amanda had been outwardly cool towards Julie but never


    made things difficult for her. The olddy sure was stubborn.


    Julie handed Shannon an apple pie, a favorite of Amanda¡¯s, with a smile.


    The moment little Ivan saw Julie, he quickly nted a kiss on Amanda¡¯s cheek and mbered down


    from the hospital bed, rushing over to wrap his arms around Julie¡¯s legs. ¡°Mom, guess what kind of face


    this is?¡±


    Julie was momentarily speechless. She had politely greetedAmanda before squatting down to tenderly


    stroke Ivan¡¯s hair. ¡°What kind of face is it, honey?¡± ¡°The kind that¡¯s asking for trouble, came a voice


    from the side.


    Ivan pouted at his dad before grinning up at Julie. ¡°It¡¯s my ¡®I missed you¡¯ face!¡±


    Julie, though well-acquainted with her son¡¯s charms, was taken aback. She was certain this skill hadn¡¯t


    been passed down from her.


    Amanda seemed in good spirits, and upon seeing Julie, she inquired with genuine concern, ¡°How¡¯s


    your sister Sansa doing?¡±


    It was the first time Julie had heard Amanda mention Sansa¡¯s name. Amanda was well aware that it


    had been Sansa who had drugged Kieran, calcting a scheme against him. Amanda hadn¡¯t been


    fond of Julie for years, she had been ming her for Kieran¡¯s derailed life due to Sansa¡¯s


    machinations. Still, when Sansa was hospitalized, Amanda had visited her once a gesture of her


    gracious upbringing.


    ¨C


    But this was different from asking about her well-being out of concern.


    Caught off guard by the question, Julie forgot to respond until Kieran gently pulled her into his


    embrace. She was about to update Amanda on Sansa¡¯s condition when the matriarch spoke up, ¡°Never


    mind, I¡¯ll go see her myself in a bit. It¡¯s gettingte. You should take Ivan home to rest. He¡¯s still young


    and hospitals aren¡¯t good for him.¡±


    Amanda wasn¡¯t just making conversation; she stood up, leaning on Shannon for support, and made her


    way toward Sansa¡¯s room.


    Julie, holding Ivan¡¯s hand, followed behind the elderly woman.


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    Dr. Brice appeared at the doorway just as Julie¡¯s family was standing vigil outside the room. Noticing


    them, he realized why they were there.


    He casually asked Julie, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen Mr. Kyle around?¡±


    She knew Dr. Brice was referring to Kyle.


    Dr. Brice mentioned, ¡°Usually around this time, Mr. Kyle would be here with Sansa. Must¡¯ve been held


    up today.¡±


    When Dr. Brice brought up Kyle, Julie and Kieran exchanged a nce. Kyle had indeed arrived but had


    darted off after overhearing a conversation between her and Kieran. He hadn¡¯t returned since, and


    Julie was curious about where he could have gone, especially after his unexpected reaction to the


    mention of Simon¡­


    But with Kyle not in sight, she couldn¡¯t just specte wildly.


    Reading her thoughts, Kieran wrapped his arm around her waist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange to meet with


    Kyle tomorrow.¡±


    On the way home, Julie and Kieran took Ivan to the supermarket since the little guy was moring for


    calligraphy pens and the bookstores were closed. The supermarket was theirst resort.


    Ivan held his dad¡¯s hand in his left and Julie¡¯s in his right. As they walked, Julie chatted with her chatty


    son. ¡°When did you start learning calligraphy, Ivan?¡± ¡°I knew it when I was born,¡± Ivan imed.


    Mr. Hernandez, never one to miss a beat, chimed in, ¡°Sure, and our wallpapers are decorated with


    plenty of his alien maps.¡±


    Ivan shot a disdainful look at his dad before turning to Julie toin, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m telling you, Kerry


    doesn¡¯t love me one bit. He always made me practice calligraphy and do military stances. Look, I even


    have muscles on my legs!¡±


    He shook his leg to prove his point.


    Julie, amused by the spirited youngster, asked, ¡°And why would your dad make you do military


    stances?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I know too much!¡± Ivan whispered, tiptoeing closer to Julie as if afraid Kerry might kick


    him into orbit. Clinging to Julie¡¯s leg, he felt secure. Even if he got kicked, at least he¡¯d be with his


    mom, and that would be happiness.


    Entertained by Ivan¡¯s antics, Julie indulged her curiosity. ¡°So, what do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know Kerry¡¯s secrets! Mom, I gotta tell you, Kerry has a secret hideout, and inside¡­¡±


    ¡°Ivan!¡± Suddenly, Kerry¡¯smanding voice echoed beside them.


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