Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 82

“Are you chatting up your ex-wife online?” Dylan moved closer to Hayden as he said it, peeking at Kieran’s messages. He burst into a fit of laughter, 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 – 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 QuadDylan?” Kieran suggested, looking at Dylan.

Before their older brother Lucian’s unexpected death, Dylan had insisted they call him “QuadDylan” 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 Dylan was two months older than Kieran. But Kieran had made his stance clear – 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, Dylan agreed, allowing them to call him QuadDylan. 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.

Dylan 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, Dylan could freely joke around with Hayden and even use his nickname occasionally

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 Dylan?

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 Dylan, who had just graduated middle school, abroad to study.

Although Dylan 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. Hayden later worked with the National Security Agency to take down Miles, and had been busy dealing with the gang issues Miles left behind, keeping him occupied. Today was the first time Dylan had seen Hayden in person since they had grown up, aside from online. To be precise, his helicopter landed directly on the lawn of his villa, 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.

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

circle of smoke that slowly dissipated in

hand and stubbing it out

that mean?’ Hayden’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Kieran, “Does Joyce know the

close, so we can keep an eye on her. It’s

you for now, before everything’s been figured out.” Hayden said

reluctant laugh. ‘She’s not

I’d known all this would happen, I wouldn’t have studied abroad. Listening to you guys talk is like

to rest,” Hayden stated, standing

Kieran’suddenly stopped

for Kieran’s words. “Just wanted to give you a heads up, Annalise Hansen has been asking about you since she came

Hayden asked

helplessly pointed at Kieran to answer for him, “His aunt, Annalise. The woman who has been into you for over

“Oh”

my relative after all, so don’t

Kieran meant was not to hurt Annalise

a brief reply came from the door,

best

Chapter 82

where he had just sat, “Which side do you

her Joyce? Kieran gave him a stern look.

“How do you

Mrs

Dylan looked at Kieran with a dismissive look, I think Joyce sounds better.”

call

at

that guy is back. I’m not worried about having no one to clean up if something happens to you, call her whatever you

felt a chill. “Of course I prefer to call her Mrs.

doing for

up and walked to Kieran, “Before I give you the answer I found, you need to seriously answer a question

“Go ahead.”

You and Bertha…”

question, so he answered before Dylan had

a second or two, Dylan looked at Kieran carefully, analyzing his expression, “We’ve known each other for so many years,

just lied to you?”

afraid you’re an irresponsible