Love's Cunning Ruse novel 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... one...

A loud explosion, 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 eyes.

"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?"