Love’s Cunning Ruse

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 a composed manner, “I don’t find our current distance comfortable. 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 find comfortable. Lien, I prefer a negative distance.”

“Wait till the day I reach into your heart, rip it out, and see how comfortable 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 successful capture of Miles, a feat largely attributable to Hayden’s assistance. Julien’s parents were both victims of Miles, and Klein had been secrétly 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 to comply.

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 related to the Fitzgerald family.

Miles’ death, I no longer have any ties with the Fitzgerald family,”

between Miles and them; you just need to tell

I only know they own banks and wineries…”

in their wealth. Tell me about the people,”

“Are you asking about the second young miss of their family?”

Hayden

you curious about that? As expected, all you

Julien, his gaze subtly shifting.

of the Fitzgerald family. All I know is that her name is Beatrice. She

heir to the Fitzgerald family, have you

was surprised, “I

words. He knew that if even Julien hadn’t met someone, then that

I only know that Simon once had a secret lover, but they broke up. Simon also had a younger brother, but he’s dead.”

this guess, he was well aware that the brother’s death had nothing to do with Miles. Otherwise, according to the tradition of the Fitzgerald family, they wouldn’t have given up on

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

into this Simon, the more detailed the

might not be able to find much. I’m

having her own ways to make her feel worse than death. But today, he stopped Julien from handling the

“If I get a lead on Davina, I’ll let

teams to look for

by Julien, but none had hit a vital spot. After she was carted onto an

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.

truly woke up. She squinted her eyes open, seeing an IV needle in

a corner of the operation room: “Begin

operating table. She realized

weak it could