Love’s Cunning Ruse

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 glanced 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 plan, 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 black 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 black, simple and elegant, but irresistibly seductive.

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.

their night together, he flew to another

grabbed her bra, not expecting Hayden, who had just let

Julien demanded.

a man to take orders from Julien. So,

patient woman, either. She aimed a kick at Hayden’s head. But he was

leg, pressing it against Hayden’s shoulder, pinning the

her bra, laughed, and said, “Your flexibility has improved a lot compared

head, “Why don’t you keep it as a souvenir? Maybe even frame it in

was even wider

He replied, “Sure.”

go of

leg back, only to hear Hayden suddenly ask, “Why don’t they match?”

trying to figure out what he meant, she looked up to find Hayden staring

towel. The moment she did the splits, her target was Hayden’s face, so… The bra she threw at Hayden’s

viewing pleasure?” Julien kicked open the door to her walk-in

out his phone, unlocked it, and tossed it to Julien, “Recent call recording.”

was the conversation Kieran had with him earlier.

a bit. She shook Hayden’s phone and

gave his permission, still

The call connected.

“How did you know I put a mini camera in

was for Julie. Compared to Lucian, who was

Kieran had people secretly protecting her. But after they remarried, Julie spent

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

she could genuinely consider as a friend. So, no matter what Julie thought, she had to

cameras, she knew very clearly what she should not hear and what she should not see.

flirting with Julie at

“Give all the

me?” Julien laughed,

up, elegantly snatched the phone from Julien’s hand, and told her, “Go find Julie and

was a

argue, but turned around and

phone was

but it was still