Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 310

After hearing Julie’s account of what happened at the restaurant, Kieran decided to call Hayden. But the call rang and rang with no answer, which was strange. Hayden’s personal line usually didn’t ring more than three times before he picked up. This time, however, it went to voicemail, and Hayden did

not call back.

Startled, Julie whipped out her phone and said, “I’ll give Julien a ring, see what’s up.” She dialed Julien’s number, but after a moment, the call was abruptly- ended.

Julie looked up at Kieran in shock. “Julien… she hung up on me…” This had never happened before; Julien always answered her calls.

Just as Julie was about to try again, Kieran snatched the phone from her hands. Julie looked up, her brow furrowed and her pink lips pouted, “What are you doing?”

“No need to call,” Kieran said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her slender shoulder. “A guy and a girl, both adults, with some complicated history, in a bedroom, not answering their phones. Do you really think it’s a good idea to interrupt?”

Julie turned around, “How do you know they’re together? And more to the point, how do you know they’re in the bedroom?”

“I just called Hayden to ask about something with Simon. He said he was in his bedroom, and I happened to hear Julien’s voice in the background, so…”

“So we should definitely call,” Julie reached for her phone again, but Kieran lifted it over his head, out of her reach. Julie stood on the couch, stretching her arm towards his hand, but he easily scooped her up from the couch, holding her like a child. To prevent herself from falling, Julie instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

“The Julien you know might answer calls no matter what, but the Hayden I know? He wouldn’t let anyone answer the phone if it interrupts… certain activities. So…”

“Fine, put me down,” she said, patting his shoulder to signal him to let her go.

He seemed to enjoy holding her a little too much, but finally offered a deal, “Give me a kiss, and I’ll let you down.”

Left with no choice, Julie hugged his head and pecked him on the forehead.

In Hayden’s bedroom.

Five minutes earlier, Julien had knocked and entered while Hayden was going for a nap. She stood before him and said, “Got a minute? I need to talk.” Hayden’s motion of pulling the cover slowed down for a few seconds before he looked up and asked, “About what?”

“Relationship issues,” Julien said. Then Hayden’s phone rang. He silenced it without a glance.

answer when Hayden

Julien pulled out a bottle of pills from her pocket and placed it on

trash can outside the pharmacy, but somehow, after dropping Julie off at Simpo Co., she had picked

the bottle. “You know what’s inside, right?”

come to me,” he said, his

and that he had orchestrated it

tricks,” she said, deciding to

was actually there, she couldn’t remember what

but now that he was sitting in front of her waiting, Julien couldn’t

She picked up the bottle and turned to leave, realizing that this whole “conversation thing” was not her style.

embrace.

and comforting. She remembered Dylan’s words: Choosing Hayden would make you a carefree princess. Without him, you’d be a strong, independent queen. Who wouldn’t want to

In front of others, Julien felt capable and independent, but with Hayden, she felt vulnerable and in need of protection. So whenever he spoke to her with

talk about?” His

to

she managed to ask, trying to pry his fingers off

sister by

“Out of nowhere?”

just hadn’t found

what she wanted to ask. “That time… after I chased you to Finland and we… The next morning, you

this world. Before I left, I wanted to leave a

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Chapter 310

demanded loyalty, a partner willing to walk through fire for him, not someone whose heart might

under his wing. So, when Hayden confessed this much, the pieces

text I never got to see…

up right at my hotel door in Helsinki. I couldn’t wake you. After I left for the airport with him, I managed to send you a text while pretending to use the restroom. Then, Miles and I were airborne, en route to Oslo. I figured you’d have enough time to see the text during the flight from Helsinki.”