Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 138

When Julie woke up again, she found herself in the hospital.

Her memories started playing back like a film reel.

All she remembered was dragging her suitcase, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in her stomach, and then staggering towards the company’s entrance.

Just as she walked out of the doorway, she heard a familiar, childish voice yelling, “Mama Julie!”

Then, the endless flash of camera lights…

Julien, hand in hand with Ivan, squeezed through the swarm of reporters to get to her.

Ivan clung to her leg, refusing to let go. Then Julien’s gaze shifted behind her, and in the moment Julie turned around, she saw Kieran’s tall figure.

Then Ivan called out to Kieran uneasily, “Dad…”

Then, an onslaught of camera flashes aimed at her again.

Eventually unable to endure the severe pain in her stomach, Julie collapsed into Kieran’s arms.

When she woke up again, she was in the hospital.

She saw white walls and IV bags by her bed. The pain in her stomach was much less. Julie guessed it was either gastritis or enteritis, an issue she’d had since childhood.

From outside, she heard Kieran’s angry voice, “If the news can’t be suppressed, then fire the entire PR department!”

He must be talking about what just happened at the company’s gate. All those media people had been waiting for so long, just to dig up some gossip, right? Now that they got their headline news, of course they would report it with all their might.

Even if Kieran wanted to keep the whole thing under control, he would need to put in some effort. But what Julie didn’t expect was Ivan

suddenly showing up at the company’s gate.

Kieran seemed to hang up the phone outside, and then he asked, “Do you realize what you did wrong?”

Then Julie heard Ivan’s stubborn reply, “No!”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Kieran’s voice was stern.

Ivan calmly replied, “I only have one Mama Julie. You’re so useless, what if she leaves again?”

“If she really wants to leave, do you think you can keep her by holding onto her leg?” Kieran countered.

Although Julie didn’t want to listen to Kieran and Ivan’s conversation, she was a bit surprised. It was the first time she had ever seen a father educate his child like that…

Ivan seemed a bit wronged. After a while, he finally answered, “Because I’m not strong enough.”

Kieran said, “What?”

Julie also wondered. What did this have to do with strength?

Ivan’s voice came from outside. He seriously replied to Kieran, “Dad, you’re right! I’m not strong enough to hold onto Mama Julie, but you are. If you hold onto her leg, she definitely won’t be able to leave!”

Kieran holding onto Julie’s leg? That image was just too absurd to imagine.

Seeing the IV was nearly finished, Julie skillfully pulled out the needle, and then pressed the wound with a cotton swab nearby.

Ivan was arguing with his father with a determined heart. At this moment, he saw Julie walk out of the room. She didn’t even glance at Kieran and Ivan, she simply turned and left.

But after only a few steps, Ivan grabbed her leg, “Mama Julie, I’m Ivan!”

Julie’s legs felt so heavy she could barely walk. She didn’t even dare to look back at Ivan holding onto her leg. His soft voice brought back all the memories about Ivan. She even remembered their first meeting, when Ivan craftily held her hand, saying she was missing him in her life…

But in the end, her words were cold.

She said to Ivan without looking at him, “I am not your Mama Julie, and I don’t have a son like you…”

Even though Julie had rejected Ivan many times before, she had never been so adamant.

Ivah held onto Julie tightly. His face was filled with confusion and sadness.

Julie’s heart ached, so much so she felt like she couldn’t breathe. But she still bent down and pried Ivan’s fingers off her one by one.

When her hand covered Ivan’s chubby hands, she suddenly felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She used all her strength to suppress her sobs.

Her heart felt like it’d been pierced. Old wounds were torn open again.

“Mama Julie…”

Usually strong Ivan, now had a red nose from trying not to cry.

He choked back his tears and said, “I only have one Mom. You can’t abandon me…”

Kieran stood by the door, watching Julie’s trembling back, and then looking in the direction of the elevator.

Karl couldn’t even handle such a small matter. He really should be fired.

Around them were a few patients and nurses. Some recognized Kieran, and others gave Julie reproachful looks for being so heartless.

After all, the kid clinging to her leg was so adorable, how could she be so cruel?

In the end, Kieran didn’t wait for Karl. He walked over, bent down to pry Ivan’s hands off Julie’s leg, and then picked Ivan up.

Ivan suddenly burst into tears. He grabbed Julie’s t-shirt again, refusing to let go.

“Let go! Kieran spoke to Ivan in a commanding voice. Ivan was crying so hard he could barely speak. He stammered, “No… no!”

Ivan kept crying and reached out with his other hand to wipe his tears. Worried that one hand wasn’t enough to hold onto Julie, he grabbed her top with his other dirty hand.

Julie kept her back to Kieran and Ivan the whole time, afraid that once she turned around and saw Ivan’s pitiful face, she would soften.

She always considered herself not a cold person, but at that moment, she did the coldest thing.

Maybe if Ivan persisted a bit longer, she wouldn’t be able to help but turn around…

But to her surprise, Kieran suddenly reached out and forcibly pried off Ivan’s hand.

Perhaps because she was so shocked, Julie, who had been holding back from turning around, turned around in that moment.

Ivan in Kieran’s arms was crying a mess. He kept reaching out, trying to grab Julie.

Julie stiffly turned to leave.

Kieran had Ivan tucked under one arm and was gripping Julie’s wrist with the other.

Without waiting for Julie’s consent, he hauled her backwards.

Turning around helplessly, Julie glared at Kieran face to face. “Let go! Where are you taking me?”

“DNA Test Center,” Kieran replied.

Seeing Julie being taken away by Kieran, Ivan stopped bawling. But he had been crying so hard that he couldn’t immediately control his emotions, still whimpering softly.

Kieran had a strong grip. Julie was dragged forward several steps by him. She tried to struggle free but only found herself being held tighter.

Hearing “DNA Test Center”, Julie suddenly remembered the paternity test report she had seen under Kieran’s pillow in his rest room.

“That paternity test. The samples were two toothbrushes. What does that mean?” Julie finally managed to get Kieran to stop with sheer willpower. She looked up at him, finally voicing her confusion.

Kieran hesitated before replying, “You saw it?”

Julie jerked her hand free from Kieran’s grip and stared at him defiantly. “Yes, I did.”

She had thought Kieran would scold her for snooping, but to her surprise, he said, “Even better. Saves time waiting for Karl to bring it

over.”

Kieran looked at Ivan, who was still crying a river. “Call her Mom.”

Ivan wiped his nose. With a nasal voice but still clear and crisp, he called out, “Mom!”

“Kieran…”

“Didn’t you see the paternity test? The samples were your and Ivan’s toothbrushes,” Kieran claimed.

It was as if a bomb had detonated in Julie’s mind. She stared at Kieran, asking, “What do you mean?”

After being stuck in traffic for ages, Karl finally arrived at the hospital with the paternity test report.

He ran up the stairs without stopping and, panting heavily, handed over the report to Kieran in front of Julie. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hernandez…” he apologized sincerely without elaborating on his tardiness.

“Karl… Ivan sniffled, appearing wronged.

12:40 T Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Kieran handed Ivan over to Karl without further ado. “Take him to eat.”

It was past lunchtime, but Kieran had been reluctant to leave for a meal since Julie hadn’t woken up. Karl quickly took Ivar from Kieran. Julie, appearing soulless, kept her gaze locked on Ivan’s face.

Karl was about to take Ivan to the restaurant when Ivan grabbed onto Kieran’s sleeve. His intelligent eyes were fixed on Kieran. He tentatively asked, “Dad, is Mom coming home tonight?”

The anticipation in his eyes was palpable.

Kieran replied firmly, “No.”

Seeing that he was about to cry again, Kieran added, “Mom will be home tomorrow. She needs to stay in the hospital tonight for observation.”