Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 72

After several trials and errors, Julie finally concluded that the keys in her hand were indeed faulty She whipped out her phone and called her landlord. The response on the other end of the line was swift. “Oh, so you still remember how to call me? The front gate won’t budge, right?”

The tone of her landlord was a dead giveaway “Sorry, I’ll definitely transfer the rent to your account tomorrow, Julie conceded.

Her gaze dropped to her plastered leg, and then she spoke politely. “Could you possibly bring the key over?”

An icy snort came from the other line, “Now you remember to pay the rent? How long have you been delaying the past few months rent? I’ve deducted all the deposit. Every time I called you, you always had some excuse to delay, right? I know you have a sick sister to take care of. That’s why I’ve been patient with you”

1 know, thank you. Are you home right now? I’ll come over to get the key”

Tve already told you!” The landlord’s voice came through, “A quarter’s rent plus the deposit. Only talk to me about the key after you’ve transferred the money to my account tomorrow. Otherwise, move out and stop hogging my space!”

And with that, the landlord hung up. When Julie tried to call back, the landlord’s phone was already turned off.

Kieran was watching Julie from a taxi not far from the gate.

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap resounded in the sky, startling Julie into a crouch and covering her head. But the pain in her leg made her sit down on the ground. The sight was heartbreaking.

Kieran immediately swung open the car door, his long leg about to step out, but he stopped abruptly. Julie had fled the hospital, so she probably didn’t want him to see her in this embarrassing state. So, he retracted his leg back into the car.

Julie was about to call Daphne but then remembered Daphne was on a business trip. Eventually, she put her phone down, defeated.

The spare key Daphne gave her was lost on that night when she and Kieran got drunk. She hadn’t had time to get a duplicate, so that she couldn’t stay at Daphne’s place now.

In the car, Kieran took out his phone and, after a few seconds of hesitation, dialed Ivan Hernandez’s number.

At the gate, Julie was about to check how much money she had left when her phone suddenly rang

“Mama Julie, it’s Ivan” A whimpering cry came from the other end of the line, laced with fear.

Julie immediately forgot about her homelessness and quickly comforted Ivan on the other end, “What’s wrong, Ivan? Don’t worry, tell me slowly.”

“I’m scared of the thunder, the little boy’s nasal voice was filled with sobs, sounding as if he had just had a good cry, tugging at Julie’s heartstrings.

Where is everyone else at home?” Julie asked.

Ivan glanced at the servants surrounding him, then sniffled and said through sobs, “Dad went out on a date, all the servants went home for a holiday, I’m alone at home, I’m scared, I’m afraid of the thunder!”

“How about I keep you company on the phone?” Julie rubbed her arm. In the pouring rain, this was the only way she could comfort herself.

Ivan blurted out, “Can you come to my house? I’m really scared. What if aliens invade the Earth? What if they take me away, I can’t bear to leave you,

mom.”

Julie didn’t quite know how to respond to this alien invasion excuse.

Ivan, thinking his performance wasn’t convincing enough, cried out to Julie, “Mama Julie, I’m all alone at home. You have to come quickly! Or else I’ll be taken away by aliens! I’m really scared.”

“Where is your house?” Julie finally asked. To the homeless Julie, Ivan’s call was like a lifeline.

Ivan quickly told her his address, ecstatic.

“Okay, I’ll come over now. You have to be good. Boys need to be brave, and thunder is not scary at all.”

“Okay Mama Julie, hurry up, I’m waiting for you!!”

Julie, as if having made up her mind, used the wall to stand up and started hailing a cab.

Kieran leaned towards the driver, instructing, “Please take her safely to her destination.”

With that, Kieran get out of the car. The taxi headed towards Julie.

Julie didn’t expect to get a cab so easily. She immediately broke into a smile, climbed into the car, and off she went.

In the darkness, the rain pitter–pattered on Kieran’s body He watched the direction the taxi disappeared in, took out his phone, and dialed Karl’s number.

Ivan interrupted excitedly. “Kerry, don’t worry, I’ll put on a great act!”

“Good.” Kieran took shelter under the eaves of Julie’s house.

Ivans voice came through the phone, “Kerry, when are you going to marry my mom?”

Kieran, leaning against the iron gate, asked Ivan, “Why do you like her so much?”

İvan scratched his head, unable to find a reason. He could only say, “I just like her! Mom should be here soon, and I have to hang up now.”

With that, he hung up Ivan was beyond excited when he received Kieran’s call earlier.

As for why he liked Julie, Ivan ran upstairs and pulled out a picture from under his pillow. It was a group photo. Kieran and Julie’s heads were pressed together. They both looked serious but couldn’t hide the excitement on Julie’s face. Although Kieran’s expression wasn’t exaggerated, the slight upturn of his lips in the photo still made him look extremely happy.

Ivan, chubby little fingers tracing the photo, turned to his nanny, Shawna, and asked, “Do you think they’re a good match?”

Shawna glanced at the photo and chuckled, “Well, it’s a match, ain’t it? It’s a wedding picture. How could it not be?”

Shawna was hired to take care of Ivan after Julie and Kieran divorced. Over the years, Ivan had many nannies, but only Shawna stuck around. They could say that she raised Ivan single–handedly. She knew Ivan looked at this photo every night before bed, so she naturally played along

The photo looked like it was ripped right off a marriage certificate. Shawna frowned, thinking. “How could two people so perfect for each other end up divorced?”

Ivan had no idea what Shawna was thinking. He simply stashed the photo under his pillow and smiled at Shawna, “You can head home now, send everyone away, leave just one bodyguard Tonight, I want

to coax my mom into coming to sleep with me, haha.”

As she left, Shawna saw Ivan hopping around like a little monkey. Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Master, what are you up to?” Shawna asked.

“Shawna, do I look pitiful squatting here?” Ivan said, finding a corner and squatting down, hugging his knees. He looked so pitiful that it broke her heart.

Shawna nodded, “Quite pitiful.”

“Good“” Ivan clapped his hands, stood up, and looked at Shawna with satisfaction, “You can go

now.

When Julie arrived at Ivan’s house, it was just as Ivan had said on the phone. Aside from a bodyguard at the front door, the mansion was empty. Julie had never been here before. She didn’t know Kieran had prepared this place to protect Ivan’s identity. Ever since Ivan was born, he had been growing up in this

mansion.

After confirming Julie’s identity, the bodyguard at the entrance let her in.

“Ivan?” The mansion was pitch dark. Julie cautiously called out Ivan’s name, afraid to scare him.

Outside, thunder roared, and lightning flashed. She fumbled to turn on the light. Ivan was huddled in a corner, shivering. His chubby little hand was tightly clutching the corner of a curtain, and his red eyes tugged at her heartstrings.

Ivan had planned to act cool, but as soon as he saw Julie, he couldn’t resist and ran to her, hugging her leg. “Mama Julie.”

Julie’s leg was in a cast. Ivan saw it and immediately let go, looking down at Julie standing on one leg, “Are you hurt?“.

Julie nodded slightly, “Just a minor injury.”

“Then please sit down quickly!” Ivan immediately helped Julie sit on the edge of the sofa.

Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck outside. Julie was startled, her body trembling. Ivan saw Julie’s reaction and immediately understood, shouting. “That thunder is really scary!” He then flung himself into Julie’s arms.

Julie had no choice but to comfort the little guy, gently stroking his back over and over again, asking him with concern, “Where’s your dad?”

“He’s out.” Ivan wanted to say out fooling around but held his tongue. After all, Kieran had managed to trick his mom into coming over tonight, which was a feat. He should say something nice.

Ivan looked up at Julie, saying, “Dad’s working overtime to make money for the family!”

Even if he’s working overtime, he shouldn’t leave a kid alone at home to be scared into a corner by thunder, right?

Another deafening thunderclap and Julie shivered again. Ivan immediately hugged Julie tightly, “Oh my god, this is so scary, Mama Julie, hold me to sleep tonight! I promise I won’t steal your blanket, I swear!”