Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 353

At the hotel, Camilla's room was just a stone's throw away from Julie and Kieran's suite.

Fresh from the shower, Julie bounded out of the bathroom with a towel in hand, vigorously drying her damp blonde locks. She caught sight of Kieran lounging on the couch with the daily paper and blurted out, "Kieran, I've got a question for ya!"

Without looking up, he patted the cushion next to him. "Come over here," he said.

Julie scampered over, about to speak when he snatched the towel from her grasp. He turned her gently so her back faced him, and draped the white towel over her head. His large, gentle hands began to rub the moisture from her hair. "What's your question?" he asked.

"Do you really think Zenith will show up tomorrow? If his whereabouts are that easy to find, then surely Kyle could track him down, too. So why hasn't my brother reached out to us?"

The same question weighed on Kieran's mind, but he comforted her.

"We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" he said as he finished drying her hair and spun her around to face him. Gazing into her eyes with a tender look, he said, "You know, I've had an epiphany."

"What is it?" Julie reached for the towel, "Let me do it!"

But he didn't release her. Rather, he framed her face with his hands, his gaze anchoring hers with a serious expression. "Babe, I've been considering this... maybe we shouldn't have a daughter."

"What?" Just yesterday on the plane, he had been eager to tie the knot so they could start working on a little princess, always saying he wanted a daughter. And now, out of the blue, he was seriously suggesting they... not trying?

Julie couldn't help but jump to conclusions, her brow furrowed as she looked up at him. "Why not? You haven't... come down with something, have you?"

There was a beat of silence, and Kieran chuckled wryly. "You're really cursing your own husband, aren't ya?"

Mr. Hernandez looked at his wife with a mixture of amusement and affection. "Having a kid tough on your body, not to mention the risk of a rough delivery. Nine months is a long haul, and the pain of childbirth? I just can't bear the thought of you going through that..."

His unexpected declaration of concern was like a tempest sweeping through her soul. When he uttered the words 'I just can't bear it', she completely forgot where she stood on the matter.

"Fine, we won't," she said, curious to see his reaction.

To her surprise, Kieran suddenly said, "Isn't this the part where you're supposed to be moved to tears and suggest that we keep trying?"

Julie was speechless.

"So all that gooey affection was just a show? A setup? Huh? Kieran, what happened to 'no more tricks'? And now? All those sweet nothings were just lies?"

He laughed, a finger lightly tracing her nose. "I meant every word."

"Liar... Mmm..." Before she could protest, he had pulled her into his arms and sealed her protesting lips with his in a kiss.

Sprawled across him, feeling the warmth of his breath, Julie's lips curled into a smile. Her hands found their way around his neck, drawing him closer.

His hand gripped her waist, his palm caressing her slender frame. "How 'bout the couch, hmm?"

His voice, rich with suggestion, sent a shiver down her spine. By the time she grasped the full implication of his words, the idea had already taken root.

On the couch? Instinctively, she pushed against his forehead. "No way!"

"What's wrong with the couch?" he teased, lifting her hands above her head.

After a futile struggle, Julie flashed him a playful smile and tried a different tactic. "Not on the couch!"

"Then where do you fancy?" His eyes swept the room, landing on the expansive balcony window.

The thought of that vast expanse of glass, offering a panoramic view of the night sky, and the neighboring balcony—which, if she wasn't mistaken, belonged to Camilla's room—sent her mind reeling.

As Julie was lost in thought, Kieran's voice brought her back. "Seems like you agree."

With that, he scooped her up in his arms. Julie's heart raced, and she clutched at his sleeve, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "Stop messing around!"

"Back to the couch it is," he chuckled, feigning a retreat.

"Go to bed!" Julie pointed at the king-sized bed. "What's wrong with the bed?"

"Of course!" he quipped, pretending to stumble, which made Julie cling to his neck for dear life.

But she noticed the triumphant grin on his face and the playful nip at her earlobe as he whispered, "My baby sure is old-fashioned."

A blush crept up Julie's cheeks. "You're the wild one!"

"What's going on?" Julie whispered to Eric, suppressing the urge to yank Camilla away.

Eric, with a furrowed brow, explained, "The young master told me to keep an eye on Ms. Stewart. I heard crying from her room, so I knocked on the door to alert him, and when the door opened, there was Miss Camilla sitting on the balcony, her feet dangling over the edge..."

So, one thing had led to another.

Julie didn't need Eric to finish. She knew what had happened next.

"What are you waiting for? Get Ms. Stewart down from there! It's freezing out on that balcony!" Julie pushed Eric toward Camilla and Kieran.

Under the lady's command, Eric reluctantly reached out for Camilla.

Julie stepped forward, helping to hold Camilla, shoving Kieran aside with her hip, and shot him a disapproving look, "You are so clumsy. You could have hurt her!"

To Eric, she said, "It's chilly out here, hurry and take her to the couch. Kieran sprained his back getting out of bed when you knocked so frantically. I told him his back couldn't take much more, but he wouldn't listen!"

Kieran was speechless. Who said his back couldn't take it? As long as it was Mrs. Hernandez, he could handle any twist and turn!

Eric, following Julie's order, moved to carry Camilla away, but to everyone's surprise, Camilla resisted fiercely, pushing him away so hard he stumbled and fell.

Camilla, off-balance, fell back into Kieran's arms.

Julie watched as an observer. Was this accidental or intentional?

Seeing Camilla's tear-stained, swollen face, it seemed like she was heartbroken, perhaps too wounded by the day's events.

But no matter how hurt, she couldn't just keep clinging to someone else's husband!

With a frown, Julie pulled Camilla from Kieran's embrace, hoisted her onto her back, and carried her into the room.

Eric and Kieran were left standing on the balcony, dumbstruck.

Eric watched Julie in disbelief. Who could have ever imagined that the seemingly fragile Julie, pampered by her husband, the woman who had barely lifted a finger ever since marrying into wealth, possessed such mettle?