Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 299

Kieran saw Julie's text message, his expression morphing into a tight frown.

Flavia, noticing their troubled expressions, voiced her concern, "Can I be of any help?"

Julie looked up at Flavia, a small smile playing on her lips, "No, thank you."

Flavia chuckled, "Well, you're a friend of my sister, so that makes you a friend of mine."

At this, Kenton, notorious famous wife-protector, nodded in agreement, "My wife's got a point there."

He then turned to Hayden, "Are you going to say anything or just continue being mute?"

"No," Hayden replied, his tone cold and distant.

Flavia tugged at Kenton's sleeve, a look that screamed 'why are you provoking him?' on her face.

Julien seemed to be oblivious to all the commotion.

Soon, another text message buzzed on Julie's phone, this time from Zenith, "Julie, go alone. Leave the black box at room 2404. I promise you'll be safe."

"I'll go," Kieran offered, reaching for Julie's phone, but she held onto it tightly, not handing over the black box.

Her phone rang again, another text from Zenith, "Ker, Trust me."

Only Lucian called Kieran by that nickname, not even Amanda used it. Julie's phone had been delivered just before the banquet by Zenith's people.

She pried Kieran's fingers off her phone, looking at him with a determined gaze, "If Zenith is Lucian, we have to trust him. We must trust him."

The black box contained a USB drive, and if it were as safe as Zenith claimed, he could have delivered it himself or sent someone else. But he insisted Julie do it, indicating the importance and safety of her doing so, and the risk involved if anyone else did.

Kieran understood this.

Their argument over the text messages left the others confused.

Finally, Julien asked, "What's going on?"

Julie quickly explained the situation, to which Julien replied, "I thought it was something big."

She took off her wristwatch and put it around Julie's wrist, pointing at a small black button, "If you're in danger, press this. We'll be there in ten seconds."

Zenith's plan was to reveal all truths once Julie completed her task, so she had to take the risk. With the backing of Julien and Hayden, and the promise from Zenith, she was reassured.

Flavia suggested, "How about we check the surveillance of this floor? According to Zenith, we're not supposed to leave, but we can still watch the entrance to room 2404."

Eventually, Kieran agreed to Julie's insistence.

**

As Julie approached room 2404, she was careful and alert. The task seemed simple enough: leave the black box at the doorstep of the locked room.

Julie took a deep breath and finally reached the door of room 2404.

Sure enough, the door was locked, there must be someone inside. Julie took the black box out and put it on the floor, where someone should see it as soon as he opened the door.

There was no one around, but the place was a bit too quiet compared with the bustle of the banquet hall downstairs.

“I didn't realize the task was so easy!” Julie thought.

As she placed the box down, she noticed a pair of shiny leather shoes in her line of sight. Looking up, she saw a well-tailored black suit, and chin of a man. The man suddenly looked down, showing a face that made Julie jump back in fright.

From a building across the hotel, Zenith and Bruce watched through binoculars. Upon seeing Julie startled, Bruce asked, "Sir, should we send someone?"

Their men were stationed around room 2404, just in case.

Zenith shook his head, "Wait."

"Oh? Invited." His attractive lips formed these words, then he cast her a sidelong glance, "The invitations from the host, I believe, didn't include the name Patriot Newell."

With a dry laugh, Julie realized she had forgotten about that alias. She murmured, "You're not the host, how would you know if the invitation doesn't include Patriot?"

Perhaps it was the memory of him suffering a snake bite for her that made him seem less intimidating. She wished he would just leave and let her complete her mission, so she asked him, "Do you have an invitation?"

"No," he replied, quite frankly.

Julie kept her distance, seeming wary of him. "Since neither of us were invited, and we've both been through that survival ordeal, why don't we just pretend we've never met?" she suggested. "You go your way, and I'll go mine."

"Your real name." He asked.

Julie was taken aback.

"Tell me your real name and I'll let you cross the bridge," he said.

Julie licked her lips nervously, "You haven't told me your real name, why should I..."

Before she could finish, he calmly interjected, "Do I need to point a gun at you to get you to talk?"

Startled, Julie took a few steps back, "You're armed?"

Her hand clutched the black box behind her, ready to press the button at any moment.

Seeing her alarm, he scoffed, turned around, and walked into room 2403.

Julie, her heart pounding, quickly tossed the black box by the door and ran. Her escape was so swift, beating any record she had set in her school days.

Kleist saw his young master leave and then return, frowning. Before he could ask what was wrong, his master was out the door again.

Outside room 2404, the man bent down and picked up the black box, inspecting it closely. He pulled a room key from his pocket, swiped it on the door of room 2404, and walked in.