Love’s Cunning Ruse

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 black velvet box that looked pretty fancy.

It reminded him of a ring box.

Julie glanced 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, Julie laughed 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 glanced at it and chuckled, “They’ve done a good job, even prepared a fake certificate.”

She casually teased, looking at Kieran with a playful 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, partly comforting herself that it must be a fake. After all, who would spend 9 million dollars 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 hour later, at Kieran’s command, Karl delivered the ring from Noblewood Retreat to their villa. 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…”

watch.

somewhere,” he handed the ring box

ring back in the box and asked him with a puzzled look,

took her hand and led her out.

hide this ring!” Julie tried to break free from Kieran’s

the ring. Now she felt like holding 9 million dollars in cash, feeling anxious, hoping to deposit it in a bank vault as soon

why her mother had slapped her for merely touching the

Kieran leaned in close, “My face is worth 9 million dollars too, but that doesn’t stop you from hitting me, does it?”

smartly chose to skip this topic and managed a forced smile, “Where are you taking me this late?”

they were going on foot. Where on

but Kieran didn’t strike her as the type who’d patiently

wasn’t just taking her for a walk. He led her to a villa and rang

previous experience with Kieran ringing a bell, Julie wisely chose

door was pushed open from inside.

warm smile, “What brings

Kieran asked bluntly.

knew who ‘he’ referred to and nodded, “Yes, he’s home. But he’s been busy, didn’t even have

Are you here to

nodded, “I’ll

led Julie inside.

been here before, didn’t know who lived here, nor who ‘he’ Kieran was referring to. But

stopped in front of a closed door. Without knocking, he

on a keyboard, surrounded by four computers, each running different programs, screens filled with codes that

beat this jerk trying to track my

Julie was speechless.

Even the National Security Agency had tried to recruit

of the Lamont family. Because they were so close, there were rumors that they were actually in

people saying that Payne quit because he felt betrayed by Mister L,

most of the gossip

bought off almost everyone around him, but for Payne, this legendary figure, she

saw him,

talking about, he turned to: Kieran and said, “Kieran, people say let bygones be bygones, why do you keep digging up

heard someone refer to her as a bygone, a past that Kieran

past,” Kieran took out the emerald ring from Julie’s pocket and put

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