Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 44
The first time Julie laid eyes on Adeline, she was lounging around in the old Sanches family mansion, looking lazy and casual.
Their second encounter? A restaurant. After all, Julie had scratched Adeline’s car and owed her a pretty penny. She couldn’t just
skip town.
So, she met Adeline at the restaurant, totally ditching the task Karl gave her and leaving Kieran hanging without a care in the
world.
Adeline was a knockout. Her long, curly hair was draped around her waist, parted on the side, looking both soft and business–
like. Her beautiful red lips. were slightly upturned, her eyeliner flicking up at the edges, and her eyelashes long and lush. She
was wearing a tight black dress that made her look alluring and sexy. her allure radiating off her even from fifty meters away.
As soon as Adeline sat down, she ordered a couple of expensive dishes. Julie felt a pinch in her heart thinking about the price.
“Ms. Sanches ”
“Let’s not be formal. You can call me by my name since you’re a looker,” Adeline’s lips slightly curved as she looked at Julie.
“You’re here about the car accident last night, aren’t you?”
Julie nodded. That morning, she had seen the repair bill Karl sent over. The cost was astronomical.
Adeline, seeing Julie’s troubled expression, laughed carefree. “I got a call last night. It was Karl, the secretary of Kieran, Simpo
Co.’s CEO...”
When she mentioned that name, a deep interest flashed in Adeline’s eyes. Judging from her tone, she seemed to be more
interested in Kieran than the compensation.
“You hit Kieran’s car, didn’t you? What did he say, asked you to pay in full?” Adeline asked curiously
Julie didn’t want to talk about it and got straight to the point. “Ms. Sanches, I don’t know how much it costs to repair your car, but
I know I can’t afford it all at once. I asked you here today because...”
“Did I ever say you had to pay?” Adeline looked at Julie curiously “You’re such a bore.”
A bore? Really? That was right! If she wasn’t boring, why would Kieran have had an affair with Bertha?

Seeing Julie spacing out, Adeline said, “I was going to compliment you! You hit Kieran’s car! I won’t ask you to pay, just help me
get Kieran’s phone number using this accident as an excuse. I’ll cover the repair costs of Kieran’s car, deal?”
Adeline, a glint in her eye, reminded Julie of her younger self. That passion for Kieran was just as bright in someone else’s eyes.
After a while, Julie looked at Adeline and asked, “Do you like him?*
I’ll be his wife in the future,” Adeline said confidently.
Seeing Adeline’s beauty and knowing her background, Julie believed she had every reason to be confident.
But...
“For some people loving someone is the start of their own misfortune. So, even if it’s for Kieran, are you willing to love him
wholeheartedly, even if it means your own misfortune?” Julie asked Adeline.
Julie had asked herself the same question before. If she knew loving Kieran meant misfortune, would she have loved him
wholeheartedly? However, after much thought, she couldn’t find an answer.
But Adeline, without any hesitation, said to her, “You’re afraid of flowers wilting, so you never plant them. But by being afraid of
the wilt, you miss out on the blossom. Do you think that’s worth it? You’re so insecure, you’ll miss out on true love sooner or
later.”
True love? Julie laughed. She looked at Adeline and said, “I’ve loved before, I’m just not sure if the person in front of me is still
my true love.”
“So you’re harboring a secret crush?” Adeline seemed very interested.
Julie didn’t feel the need to hide anything and nodded, saying, “I guess! After many years of persistence, I came to understand
that unrequited love is like a play, where I’m both the director and the actress. I bear all the emotions until I set myself a tragic
ending. So, if you still have the choice, don’t love a man who doesn’t love you back.”
“From what you’re saying, you’ve given up on your crush and are ready to spend the rest of your life with someone who loves
you. That’s why you’re considering Elliot as a good option?” Adeline propped her cheek on her hand, leaning on the table, her
gaze fixed on Julie.

Did she really give up on Kieran? Not quite. Even when one of Kieran’s comments led to the death of their child, she forgave him
afterward. That’s why she had looked him straight in the eye, holding the divorce papers, and asked Kieran, “If it hadn’t been our
child that died in surgery that day, but me, would you have been upset?”
It was only after he answered ‘no‘ that she was truly disappointed. So, the one who really pushed her away was Kieran.
Julie was silent for a few seconds before looking at Adeline and saying, “I didn’t give up on him. He gave up on me. I just
accepted fate.”
Just as Julie finished speaking, the chair next to her was suddenly pulled back. She looked up to see Kieran pulling back the
chair and sitting next to her.
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep as he looked at her. “I didn’t expect Ms. Abraham to be a believer in fate.”
Caught off guard by Kieran’s sudden appearance, Adeline instantly lit up, her eyes glued to Kieran’s face. She asked excitedly,
“Mr. Hernandez, don’t you
believe in fate?”
Kieran’s voice reached Julie’s ears. He simply said, “No.”
Julie chuckled sarcastically, asking, “Then what do you believe in?”
“I believe in you” Kieran’s deep gaze, as if he could see through Julie’s heart, locked tightly with Julie’s eyes...