Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 284

Julien tucked away her shovel in disappointment. The footprint appeared to have been deliberately obscured, it certainly wasn’t Zenith’s.

Exhausted from digging, Julien felt like she could just tie Zenith up and give him a proper grilling!

She frowned, placing the shovel back into the toolbox.

Just as she turned to leave, she noticed Hayden had silently appeared behind her. The only man capable of sneaking up on her like that.

She had no doubt that Raines had betrayed her, so…

“How did you know I’m here?” she asked, unflustered by being caught red-handed.

Hayden glanced at the toolbox she was holding, “I came to take you to the barber shop.”

Clearly, he hadn’t forgotten her previous idea to shave her head.

Julien smirked at him, “I can handle my own hair. I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need for that. Thanks!”

“Who do you think made this footprint?” he pointed at the few footprints by the wetlands of the lake. Since he had noticed, Julien saw no need to hide anything from him, so she replied, “The man in black who tried to kidnap Emily.”

“I mean, who do you think made this footprint?” he repeated patiently.

“Zenith,” she answered honestly.

It was a late night by the lake, under the warm glow of a single street lamp. Julien and Hayden stood by the lake, their shadows elongated by the light. It was a cold winter night. A layer of mist rose from the lake, making it look mysterious and eerie.

Julien, lightly dressed, stood straight-backed.

As they stood stiffly by the lake, he suddenly asked, “Are you cold?”

Was he… caring for her? Julien thought it must be.

“I’m not cold,” she replied firmly, so quickly it seemed she hadn’t given it any thought.

Even though she claimed she wasn’t cold, he removed his black coat and draped it over her shoulders.

“You can be honest with me,” he said, gently pressing her shoulder. Her eyes were even brighter in the dark.

She replied without any emotion, “I am being honest.”

She reached out to remove the coat, intending to return it to him.

But he simply wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her away from the lake towards the woods. They walked in peace through the forest, both kept quiet, their eyes on the path ahead, at a moderate pace. A full moon illuminated their way back.

They seemed like a couple that had been in love for years, taking a walk in the garden.

This tranquil and beautiful scene made Julien forget to stop him. Once upon a time, when she still had a pure heart, she had imagined such a beautiful and ordinary scene.

A quiet road, a man she loved, and a promise of growing old together.

Back then, the man in her dreams was him.

But things have changed, even her dreams had stopped.

After leaving the quiet forest, the bright street lights illuminated the wide asphalt road. Kyle’s mansion was brightly lit, probably because Julien had alerted the police earlier in the day.

Eventually, the bright lights brought her back to reality, Julien tried to return the coat to him.

But he said, “Lien, people who reject me pay a price. It’s a price you wouldn’t want to pay.”

“If this is a threat…” Julien shoved the coat back at him, “I accept your threat.”

She looked him in the eye, unflinchingly and defiantly.

He too, looked at her stubborn face, reminded of the first time he saw her. He had just returned from the shooting range, dressed all in black, holding a silenced gun. Raines had told him that Miles Simson had brought back a girl of unknown identity, but had no intention of sparing her life.

In short, she was a dead girl walking.

He was heading upstairs from the back door to his room, but he accidentally overheard her assertive voice from downstairs, she said, “There is no coward in our family!”

He leaned over the railing on the second floor, curious for the first time, and looked down at her.

That small figure, shaking with fear, her small fists clenched tight. She seemed very nervous, but her pale face was calm and defiant. She could only look up at Hayden when she spoke.

But she said ‘There is no coward in our family’ with such confidence and dignity.

Miles seemed to have been provoked by her words, his face instantly turned sour.

He had been in power for many years, but a child had defied him. Even if it was the innocence of a child, it was a taboo for Miles.

Knowing that the girl was doomed, he unexpectedly made his first request to Miles.

He looked at the girl’s face, leaned on the railing and said to Miles, “I need a toy. Keep her.”

Because of his words, Julien’s life was spared. She became his little sidekick.

He taught her how to shoot, fight, and survive in a cruel society. He trained her to become an invincible female devil, eventually impressing Miles and earning his

trust.

He only remembered that her eyes were the purest, most unblemished eyes he had ever seen in his dark world.

Even after being baptized in blood, they remained pure.

He knew that the helpless little girl saw him as her last straw. So she endured and obeyed him, never defying him, even trying hard to be likable.

What she didn’t know was that in Hayden’s dark world, she was like a bright street lamp in the night.

“Lien, there’s a question you’ve never asked me,” Hayden said, not reaching out to take the coat.

Julien simply opened his car door and tossed it in the back seat.

She seemed completely uncurious, uninterested. She opened her own car door, about to get in.

But a clear, deep voice came from behind her, “You never asked me if I love you.”

Once upon a time, she was head over heels in love with him, willing to give her most treasured affection to him. So she tried to be innocent and offered herself to him, thinking it was the ultimate expression of her love.

But as he pointed out, she never questioned whether he loved her back. Maybe it was because she never expected to receive his love in return. Or maybe, she wasn’t sure if his frosty demeanor even allowed for the existence of love.

Now, she could sense his deliberate efforts to get close to her, perhaps even trying to bridge the distance.

Julien just laughed, turning to look at him, “So tell me, are these efforts of yours, getting close to me, trying to please me, showing concern for me, because you love me? Or is it just guilt over leaving me without a word?”

“Guilt?” He shook his head, looking at her with the same steadfastness she had worn as a child, “Do you like hearing the words ‘I love you’?”

“I like hearing the person I love say those words to me…”

“I love you.”

For a moment, Julien froze on the spot, as if she had been struck dumb.

The streetlight cast its glow on his face, throwing each of his eyelashes into sharp relief.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined hearing those words from Hayden. It felt like a big surprise falling from the sky and smacking her right in the face. She mechanically remained silent for a good half a minute before finally regaining her composure. She climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car without even fastening her seatbelt, and hit the gas.

The vehicle shot off like a bullet, leaving Hayden standing in its dust, his cool demeanor covered in exhaust fumes.

Hayden’s first confession was a spectacular failure!

But only Julien knew the chaos that ensued within her the moment she floored the gas pedal. Her ears could hear nothing but the buzzing in her brain.

What did Hayden just say? Had he lost his mind? Was he sick?

After aimlessly driving around the city center for what felt like ages, Julien finally regained her senses.

Back at the apartment, Daphne was enjoying ice cream and flipping through a magazine.

“Did today’s gunfire blow your brains out?” she asked Julie, who was sitting next to her, “You had Mr. Hernandez use a trick to test his brother and then make yourself the bait. I must say, you’ve outdone yourself!”

Lucian cared deeply for his brother Kieran. Even when he lost his sanity, he had hurt Bertha and tried to get back at Julie, all because of Kieran. So Julie thought, if Lucían was so concerned about Kieran’s happiness, then if she had a fight with Kieran and made Lucian believe that Kieran was unhappy, would Lucian take action again?

If Lucian did make a move, wouldn’t that give them a chance to trap him?

Regardless of whether Lucian was Zenith, following the trail would eventually lead them to the truth.

While Daphne agreed that Julie’s idea was logical and smart, she couldn’t help feeling that Julie had lost her mind. She reached out to tap Julie’s head, “Where is your sanity, darling?”

But before Daphne could finish, the door to the apartment was flung open.

Julien stormed in, walking straight towards the couch where Julie and Daphne were sitting. She didn’t seem to think her entrance was overly dramatic. Instead, she walked up to Julie and Daphne, grabbed the ice cream from Daphne, scooped a large spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Daphne was stunned.

She took back her earlier comment about Julie. The one who had lost her mind was clearly Julien!

Julie looked at Daphne, completely baffled, as if asking ‘what just happened?’