Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 368

“Zenith,” Rowan mumbled the name, his voice a casual drawl as he mulled it over. His eyes, sharp and probing, locked onto Julie. “Once I figure this guy out, then we'll see what you and I are all about. How I'm connected to him.”

As he spoke, his tone shifted playfully, “Of course, you could just spill the beans about your little rendezvous with Zenith. Why he'd trust you with that flash drive and have you deliver it straight to me.”

Julie pieced it together slowly, then...

“You don’t know Zenith?” Julie’s eyes widened, her expression one of genuine surprise.

Rowan studied her reaction, then ventured a guess, “Zenith is someone important to you?”

“An ex-boyfriend?” he prodded.

He'd done his homework on Julie. If she denied it, it'd mean Zenith wasn’t significant. But Julie would rather let him misunderstand than reveal Zenith's identity, which meant Zenith mattered to her a lot.

And indeed, Julie didn't retort; she clenched her jaw, letting his wild guesses hang in the air.

After a silent moment, Rowan's understanding gaze narrowed, “So... you're not trying to get to know me, you're using me to get to Zenith.”

Julie wouldn’t admit it, of course, retorting with a stubborn, “Who says? Maybe I just want to get to know you!”

“Oh?” Rowan leaned in, crowding her space just enough to be intimidating without touching, “What about me are you dying to know?”

She felt trapped, her back against the window with nowhere to go.

“I want to know what you're really up to with my sister! Last time, you said half of what you were saying was true and the other half lies. I want to know which was which.” What Julie really wanted to ask was whether Rowan had genuine feelings for Sansa. But she knew Rowan wouldn’t give her a straight answer, so she tried to deflect, hoping to change the subject.

To her astonishment, Rowan replied seriously, “The part about me liking Sansa was a lie. The car crash that left her comatose was a lie. Kyle being taken by Grace and not knowing about Sansa's condition – that was true. Me arranging for Dr. Fred to treat Sansa was true, and the accident that robbed him of his legs was true. Kyle betraying Grace to return home and kidnapping Emily to threaten Dr. Fred was also true. My curiosity about Sansa waking up – that's true.”

Julie was momentarily speechless. “Really?” she finally asked.

“Really,” he affirmed, settling back and eyeing her coolly. “Is this the 'honesty' Ms. Newell was after?”

Her smile strained, Julie replied, “Yeah... I guess! I have a question for you.”

Without waiting for his permission, she asked, “If you don't have feelings for my sister, why do you care if she wakes up or not?”

The silence that followed was suffocating, filled only with the sound of their breathing. Julie feared what Rowan might do next and added weakly, “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine...”

“Because Sansa knows a truth I'm after,” Rowan suddenly turned, his gaze like that of a hawk, leaving Julie with nowhere to hide.

Julie's heart skipped a beat, her voice tight, “What truth?”

It took all her willpower to look straight into his eyes.

In his eyes, she saw her reflection, clear yet unfathomably deep.

After a long silence, Rowan spoke out of the blue, “Knowing too much can get you silenced.”

Julie knew she was like a lamb in the lion's den, her life hanging on his whim, and Kieran probably hadn't even noticed she was missing.

Thinking of what Daphne would’ve said, Julie forced a smile and said, “Then don't tell me, ignorance is bliss, and the blissful don’t meet early graves.”

Rowan chuckled, genuinely amused, “Don't worry, I'm not in the business of silencing.”

Her smile stiffened – of course, he didn't need to do it himself; just a word and someone else would do the dirty work.

“You're a good man,” Julie said, her smile a facade. “They say good deeds get rewarded. Let me go, and you'll be rewarded.”

“I'm a businessman, I act on interest. What interest could I have in letting you go?” Rowan raised an eyebrow, curious to hear her thoughts.

“What do you wish to gain?” Julie asked.

She figured she should at least appease him, regardless of what he wanted.

But he simply said, “What do you think I lack?”