Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 285

“Want some more?” Daphne offered her ice cream to Julien like it was a prized possession.

Julien, without hesitation, took it from Daphne’s hand and started eating it voraciously.

In all the years she had known Julien, Julie had never seen her indulge in a snack like this. It was truly a sight to see. But…

Wasn’t her eating manner a bit too aggressive? It was less of eating and more of stuffing her mouth.

Was this binge eating a result of some traumatic experience, perhaps?

Julie gently patted Julien’s back, concern lining her features. Julien, with a mouthful of ice cream, looked back at Julie with a confused expression, as if asking ‘why are you patting my back?’ through her gaze.

“You’re going to get a brain freeze if you eat ice cream like that,” Julie remarked, watching Julien’s eating frenzies.

Julien then handed the now-empty ice cream tub back to Daphne:

Daphne tossed it into a nearby trash bin and chuckled, “I always thought you were too high and mighty to enjoy such earthly pleasures. Turns out you also love vanilla ice cream, just like me.”

Julien looked perplexed, “What ice cream?”

“…So, you just ate half a tub of ice cream without even khowing what flavor it was? Daphne asked, the disbelief evident on her face.

“That’s vanilla, vanilla ice cream. The one you just ate,” she said, trying to suppress her laughter.

“Ah,” was the only response Julien gave.

Julie suddenly grabbed Julien’s shoulder, “Who are you, and what have you done to my Julien?”

Julien swatted Julie’s hand away, and turned to Daphne, “Give me the couch.”.

Daphne glanced at the couch beneath her, a grey piece of furniture that had been with her for a while now.

She patted the couch, speaking to it as if it were a pet, “My dear couch, the queen has taken a liking to you. It’s an honor really. She wants to take you away, but don’t miss me too much. I’ll come visit you occasionally.”

“I didn’t mean your couch,” Julien retorted, looking at Julie, “I meant, I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“You’re not going home tonight?” Julie asked, looking surprised, “Won’t Hayden be looking for you?”

trying to play

chimed in, “My God, are you pretending to be cute?

feelings for Julien go beyond mere fondness,”

“Yes, I think it’s love. How else could

stood up and

you going?”

make a bed on the floor,” came Julien’s

covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, leaning in to whisper to Julie, “Don’t you

is it?” Julie asked, merely curious, but not holding out much

Daphne, with a triumphant grin, revealed,

as if she had lost her mind, “What if

right,” Daphne quickly apologized to her unborn child, “Sorry, baby. Your dumb mom didn’t

Daphne. Your

it!” Daphne suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Julie’s hand, “If it’s a boy, we’ll call him ‘Prince’! Aren’t I a genius?”

said a prayer

to the bedroom to share the news with

to her word, Julien had made a makeshift bed on the floor using blankets from the

of two nicknames for my baby. If it’s a boy, we’ll call him

commenting on the names, Julien asked her, “When

was unexpected!

entered the room, heard

to Daphne, “What do you and Mr. Lionel plan

might not survive. Not only would risk losing my child, but I might also lose my own

“Your mom is right.”

surprised that Julien would support Edda

because the ocean is deep and dangerous, you would not even try

metaphor. The world of the wealthy was an ocean, and she stood at its edge, wrestling with the decision to dive in. Her parents, standing by her side, were pulling her away from the water’s edge, while Lord Lion,

the most important question was, what should she do?

She turned to her friend, Julien, with a look of desperation,

someone with little experience in matters of the heart, this was a tough question. Not

awkwardly at Julien,

need to ask yourself whether you really want to take the plunge. Secondly, the decision to dive in depends on whether the lifeguard can be

Julien’s insight. The phrase ‘love is blind’ suddenly made sense to her. Perhaps being an outsider gave Julien

The most important factor was Lionel’s actions and choices, whether

Daphne slumped onto the ground, grabbed Julien’s hand, and looked at her gratefully. “You truly are wise, Queen.”

Daphne, “You seem to have forgotten that you’re