Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 351

Kieran Hernandez was queued up at the local coffee shop, grabbing his morning caffeine fix, when Julie Abraham never imagined she'd be hit on in a foreign land. And it wasn't just anyone who approached her, but a strikingly handsome young man. He had that artist vibe with his red checkered flannel shirt, that carefree, tousled hair, and rimless glasses that made his light brown eyes all the more captivating.

As soon as he sat across from Julie, he greeted her with a burst of fluent Korean, leaving Julie only able to comprehend the greeting.

The young man excitedly reached out for a handshake, which Julie did not reciprocate; instead, she offered a smile and replied in English, "Sorry, I don’t speak Korean."

"I’m sorry. Do you speak English?" he asked Julie in English.

Julie responded with a simple, "Yes."

"Oh! Great!" he said, his command of English wasn't perfect but he conveyed his meaning well enough. It turned out he was a polyglot, which made Julie nod with a smile.

"You fit my idea of beauty," he said in his awkward but confident English.

Julie thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Do I? Well, I also fit my husband's idea of beauty."

At that, the young man looked surprised. "Why are you married so young?"

She was about to tell him that she was already a mother, but before she could, he continued, "No worries, I'm not trying to steal you from your husband. I just want you to be my photography model."

This was certainly a new one for Julie.

"Photography model?" She chuckled, giving herself a once-over, doubting she fit the bill.

The young man nodded, "Yes, you're beautiful."

"I think my wife is beautiful too," came a deep, resonant voice from behind Julie.

Julie turned to see Kieran, who was holding two cups of coffee and sitting down next to her with a smile, planting a kiss on her forehead.

The young man's eyes widened as he looked at Julie and asked incredulously, "My God, is that your husband?"

Seeing his expression, as if he was ready to devour her husband...

"Yep, that's my hubby," she said, kissing Kieran's cheek.

The young photographer raised his camera, eager to capture the moment, but politely asked, "May I take a photo of you two? You're such a perfect match, I think I could win a prize at a photography exhibition!"

Kieran, who valued privacy, politely declined the eager young man's request.

As they drove away, Julie couldn't help but giggle.

"You're happy?" Kieran asked, his simple action of steering the wheel somehow gave Julie the impression of a man in control of his world.

She nodded joyfully, "Of course, didn't you hear the young guy say I was pretty?"

"Honey, you are beautiful." His unexpected compliment froze her smile for a moment.

He continued with a laugh, "What? You're not happy when I compliment you? I mean it."

"Wait, stop the car!" Julie suddenly grabbed Kieran's arm, her expression serious. Kieran quickly pulled over.

Julie bolted out of the car towards a pregnant woman who had collapsed on the sidewalk, clutching at Julie's arm for help. "Help, help me, help my children, please."

Seeing the blood between the woman's legs, Julie's mind flashed back to her own labor years ago. Kieran had been with her, rushing her to the hospital...