Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 182

Kieran’s hands were a bit rough. He touched Julie’s face gently, his voice softer than ever, “Sweetheart,

wait for me outside.”

“I won’t go…” Her stubbornness was just like when she was a kid. She tightly held his hand and

ignored everyone else’s orders.

He glanced at the timer. Four minutes and twelve seconds left.

The bomb disposal experts were sweating bullets, their drops falling onto the concrete floor. Things

didn’t look too promising.

“Joyce, I don’t know if my decision back then was right or not. I knew it would hurt you. I knew my

choices would make you hate me. But, Joyce, I’d rather you hated me alive. ”

Between Julie and Kieran was a bomb disposal expert. Even if she wanted to hug him now, it was

impossible.

She knew the bomb strapped to Kieran’s back could blow them to smithereens. She knew if she didn’t

let Kieran speak now, he might never get another chance.

But she still covered his mouth.

She cried.

Tears blurred her vision, she couldn’t see him clearly, so she wiped her tears with her free hand,

“You’re wrong, Kieran, you’re wrong… you shouldn’t have kept things from me. We shouldn’t have

missed all those years. Why didn’t you trust me?”

“Then prove it to me, show me you can take care of yourself. Get out of here now!” Kieran was getting

emotional.

Julie tightened her grip on his hand, “I can’t… Kieran, I can’t…”

“Ivan is waiting outside for you. Sweetheart, be a good girl, go wait for me outside.” Kieran’s voice was

hoarse.

The mention of Ivan was a stab to Julie’s heart.

“I’ve already made you miss the most important five years of Ivan’s life. I can’t let you miss the next five

years. Joyce, prove it to me, get out of here!” From his initial comforting words to his current yelling,

each word was a dagger to Julie’s heart.

She knew someone outside would stop Ivan. She knew she should obey, but…

“Don’t… Kieran, don’t! I can’t… I can’t…” Her eyes were red, her legs felt like lead.

She shook her head forcefully, crying and stuttering, “Next Saturday is Ivan’s birthday. I promised him

we would go for a picnic… We never had… never…”

Julie was no longer making sense. Kieran, swallowing his pain, pried her fingers off one by one,

“Joyce, I love you… I’ve been loving you in all the ways I know, foolishly trying to have you, to protect

you. I never even asked if you wanted this kind of love. Honey, I never stopped loving you, it just went

from passionate to silent. Please, tell Ivan that I love him…”

“I don’t want it!I don’t need that kind of love! I don’t want to go…”

Kieran pried off Julie’s fingers one by one, but Julie stubbornly grabbed his arm again.

He looked at the timer again. Less than two minutes left. Kieran pressed the button on the walkie-talkie,

“Get Julie out of here!”

Soon, Julien arrived.

She tightly grabbed Julie’s arm, forcefully prying off her hand and dragged the weakened Julie towards

the door. Julie was gripping so tightly that when Julien pried off her hand, her nails scratched Kieran’s

skin.

“Julien, I don’t want to leave him! I love him, Julien, I love him…” Julie looked up, tears streaming down

from her helpless big eyes onto Julien’s hand.

Julien swallowed, her eyebrows deeply furrowed, but she still took Julie out of the factory.

“Mama Julie!” Ivan’s voice was choked with sobs. He ran as fast as he could towards Julie and threw

himself into her arms.

Julie fell to the ground due to her lack of strength, but she still tried to crawl back to Kieran.

Daphne grabbed Julie, crying, “Julie…”

‘Mama Julie…” Ivan’s voice was weak.

Julie’s fingers were deeply embedded in the mud…

Three seconds left till the explosion.

Three… two… oné…

A loud explosión, the deafening sound echoed in the air. The roof of the entire factory was shattered

into pieces, a burst of flames lighting up Julie’s

eyeo:

‘Tailie Julie!”

“Julie!”

Julie’s head hit the ground and she passed out…

“Where’s Harding? Where’s Harding?!” Dylan’s desperate voice rang out.

Elliot picked up Julie from the ground, Julien turned around to see Harding and a nurse running

towards them with a stretcher.

Lionel held Daphne in his arms. Daphne stared in shock at Harding by the stretcher. He was Daphne’s

former boss, also Flavia’s husband’s cousin. He was a good friend with Payne and a world-renowned

genius doctor.

Wasn’t he vacationing in Iceland with Mr. Watson?

Julien was also surprised to see Harding.

Harding calmly looked at Elliot, “Do you plan to carry the patient all the way to the hospital, or put her

on the stretcher and drive her there?”

After the explosion, Hayden immediately led a team to the scene. After handing Julie over to Harding,

Dylan also turned to run towards the devastated factory.

Worried, Daphne followed Harding into the ambulance. Lionel also got on, concerned about Daphne.

Possibly because of the stubbornness and adventurous spirit he inherited from his mother, Ivan

actually turned around and ran towards the factory.

Adeline and Elliot hauled the unconscious Davina and her gang onto the police van. Only Julien

remained standing. She furrowed her brows, then went over and yanked Ivan by the collar.

“Kid, don’t play hero.”

“Let go of me! I need to save Kerry!” Ivan’s voice was soft and nasal. He was vulnerable, but stubbornly

stared at Julien.

Julien seemed to see a reflection of Kieran in Ivan’s face…

But after all, he was just a kid.

“Save Kerry? How? With your short arms and legs?”

Ivan glared at her, full of indignation and anger, but… he also looked kind of cute.

Julien couldn’t believe she found anything cute. She shook her head, flicked Ivan’s forehead, “If

anything happens to Kerry, I’ll avenge him!”

With that, disregarding Ivan’s willingness, Julien simply picked him up and tossed him into the car.

Harding gave Julie a full-body check-up, confirming she was okay.

“She just fainted.” Harding wasn’t one for explanations, so he left the rest to his assistant.

Julie had rope burns. After ordering other doctors to give Julie an 1.V., Harding treated her wounds,

and then had her moved to a ward.

During this time, Julie had a dream.

In the dream, she held Ivan’s hand in pitch-black darkness. There was a glow in the distance. From the

light, a tall shadow was visible.

She held Ivan’s hand tightly, step by step, moving towards the light. She could hear the sound of

howling wind and heavy rain.

Just as they were about to reach the light, her legs felt as if they were being held down.

Thunder roared above. Lightning illuminated the dark surroundings.

Ivan had disappeared from her grip.

Underneath her was an endless desert. An infinite number of sand dunes stretched out.

Skeletons reached out from the sand dunes, grabbing her ankles. There was no escape. The wind and

rain grew louder. The light gradually faded…

Faded…

The shadow under the light also gradually disappeared.

“Kieran… Kieran!!” Fear washed over her.

Julie sat up abruptly, soaked in sweat.

Only when the light above shrouded her did she come back from the terrifying dream.

After a few seconds of confusion, she saw Daphne sleeping in front of her bed, covered in Lionel’s

jacket.

Lionel was dozing off in a chair.

She didn’t see Ivan or Kieran…

All the painful memories came rushing back.

Kieran!!

She threw off the quilts, tried to get out of bed, but was held back by the I.V. bag connected to her arm.

Without hesitatjón, Julie yanked out the needle and barefoot, headed toward the door.

Lionel woke up first, standing, “Where are you going?”

Daphne was startled awake by Lionel’s voice. She hurriedly held Julie, “Julie, where are you going?”

Seeing Daphne awake, Julie clung to her arm, “Where’s Kieran? How is he?”

Julie’s anxious behavior reminded Daphne of the day after Julie gave birth. She too had clung to

Shannon’s arm, expressing her despair.

That time had scared Daphne. She didn’t have the courage to comfort Julie, because she also thought

Julie’s baby didn’t survive.

And now, it was about Kieran… the man Julie had loved for half her life.

Daphne didn’t know where he was. Since Julie was brought to the hospital, she hadn’t received any

news about the crime scene. She had no idea if Mr. Hernandez was dead or alive…

Julie suddenly let go of Daphne, barefoot, step by step, she walked towards the door. Blood was still

flowing from her arm, dripping onto the hospitat floor…