Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 101

But what Julie saw was completely different from what she had imagined. The kitchen was not messy at all, but very tidy. Kieran, clad in a casual light grey home wear, was skillfully frying eggs in the kitchen, quite unlike the man she remembered.

Perhaps her intense gaze was too much for the egg-frying man, because he suddenly turned around and said to her, "Come help me tie the apron."

Instead of heeding Kieran's instruction to get the apron, she strode into the kitchen. "Why don't I do it?"

"You're all dressed up. You shouldn't be in the kitchen. Be a good girl and bring me the apron." His voice sounded very appealing.

Seeing his insistence, Julie reluctantly turned around to fetch the apron. She used to live here and was very familiar with the layout of the villa. Even after Bertha moved in, not much had changed.

Julie handed the apron to Kieran. "Tie it yourself!"

"You have to help me, or the eggs will get burnt," He said, holding the spatula in one hand and leaning towards her.

But Julie stood there, unmoving.

"If my clothes get dirty, you'll have to pay for it," He said.

The moment she heard about paying, Julie flared up. "Why should I pay if your clothes get dirty?"

"Because this egg is for you," He said matter-of-factly.

He flipped the egg in the pan once more, then turned his back to Julie. "Help me tie the apron." Julie had no choice but to help him.

Then, Julie left the kitchen and went upstairs to grab her bag. Knowing that Kieran would arrange for someone to send Ivan to school, she quickly said hello to Noah and then left while Ivan and Kieran were still in the kitchen.

Noah, in his fifties, was a highly trained butler who graduated from a professional butler college and was very well-versed in high society etiquette. As far as Julie could remember, Noah had always worked for the Hernandez family. He was one of the few people who supported her marriage to Kieran back then. After marrying Kieran, Noah had looked after her in many ways.

Seeing Noah again made Julie feel very reassuring. She pulled out her phone and called a cab, giving the driver the address of the courthouse.

On the way, Julie watched Noblewood Retreat recede into the distance, and for the first time, she realized that five years could change a person so much. The man who used to be incapable of doing housework was now cooking skillfully. She never thought a day would come when she saw Kieran cooking elegantly in the kitchen.

Indeed, people did change, but it wasn’t her who changed him...

Back at Noblewood Retreat, when Kieran and Ivan emerged from the kitchen, Kieran holding the fried eggs, Julie was already gone.

"Where's Julie?" Kieran asked Noah.

Noah told him the truth. This didn't surprise Kieran at all. He knew Julie was avoiding him. He looked down at a somewhat disappointed Ivan. "Eat up. Noah will take you to school later. Mama Julie will definitely be back tonight."

"Really?" At Kieran's promise, Ivan's eyes immediately lit up. Only after seeing Kieran nod did Ivan quickly finish his milk.

Kieran had no plans to attend court. This was something Julie had anticipated.

Today was also the first time Julie stood in court as a lawyer. Porter from Accolade Law Firm was there, even bringing Grant along to cheer for her.

After exchanging pleasantries with Porter, he went to the restroom. Seeing Porter and Grant come to support her, Julie was deeply touched. With a sincere smile, she said, "Thank you for your support."

Grant obviously knew about Porter using Julie to get the Kieran case, so he replied, "I'm truly here to support you, but Mr. Porter is probably here to watch the trial. I'm sure your time at Simpo Co. hasn't been easy, right? I also think it's wrong for Mr. Porter to use you, even though he's my boss."

"Knowing he's your boss, how can you say that? Aren't you afraid he'll fire you?" Julie was surprised to find someone standing up for her, and it comforted her.

The people from Creative Nexus Media soon arrived.

The trial was practically a foregone conclusion. The judge ruled entirely in favor of Kieran's claims. Creative Nexus Media was utterly defeated. Not only did they have to pay a hefty compensation, but they also had to publish an apology letter on the front page of their websites and newspapers for a month.

Given Creative Nexus Media's current financial situation, the compensation alone was enough to bankrupt them. But what relieved Julie was not her first victory, but the fact that her contract with Kieran was over once the trial ended. She was finally free from the dangerous man that was Kieran.