Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 168

From Payne’s place 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 villas, 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 desolate 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 playful smile playing 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 glanced at the ring box in her hand and then smiled at Kieran, “I guess, in the end, it would still be mine.”

Kieran laughed, “My wife’s got a point here.”

Julie shot him a look, “You seem quite comfortable 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 playfully ruffled Julie’s hair, a casually affectionate gesture.

Julie dodged to the side, a bit uncomfortable. “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.

Julie fell silent, unable to fathom what his next topic might be.

“Do you know about Platonic love?” Kieran asked out of nowhere.

Julie didn’t answer.

also known as spiritual love, named after the philosopher Plato, is a kind of spiritual love between people. It seeks soulful communication, rejects carnal desire, and is a rational,

refers primarily to love between people of the same sex, which was in line with the social mores of ancient Greece. Greek scholars believed that love between the same sex was the true love, and heterosexual marriage was just for societal construction. So, the core of

Julie, asking earnestly, “In your eyes,

a profound question!

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 Platonic love is homosexuality, so since you

he was a man, they should have a deeper relationship. Basically, whether he was a man or a woman, Julie was

who was blocking her way, and retorted, “When

Julie, “So, you’re saying you

-“Get lost!”

“My wife…”

me by my name!”

“My dear…”

name is Julie!!”

“My sweetheart…”

She stopped, turned to look at him, “What are you up to? Weren’t you so cold and aloof when I

probably fed it to Coco,” he shrugged

is only interested

hint, she was mocking him

could finish, Julie suddenly screamed, clutching his shoulder tightly, and threw herself into

a black fat cat dart out from god knows where, run past Julie’s

out of Julie. She clung tightly to Kieran, her body trembling slightly.

with the other, gently patted her

it hit her eardrums and seeped into her brain, giving her a sense of

why they

was still lost in thoughts, Kieran bent down and scooped her up in his

from falling. When she finally came back to her senses, she said to Kieran, “I can walk on my own.”

calm words echoed in the quiet night.

the villa 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

into the villa and expertly led her to the bedroom she used to live in as a child.

was that everything looked the same as before, with the same bed,

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 placed Julie on the soft

up at her

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

the door closed did Julie’s frown relax…

love? Julie