Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 372

Julie's hand hovered over the doorknob, frozen in place. She had been about to enter when the explosive news hit her ears, right at the threshold of the room.

Her hand stilled, Julie stood by the door, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.

Kieran, cradling the little tyke in his arms, asked in a voice as soft as velvet, "So besides seeing Camilla leave the music room, did you see anything else?"

Ivan shook his head, refusing to let Kerry explain, his voice filled with righteous indignation, "Just tell me if you're the one who stripped Camilla's dress?"

Kieran was speechless. How on earth was he going to explain this? True, Camilla's dress malfunction was related to him, but it wasn't intentional.

Seeing his dad hesitate, Ivan stood up and pushed Kieran away, "I don't care, Kerry, I'm telling you straight, I don't like Camilla one bit. I only recognize my mom. If you cheat, I'm taking Mom and we're hitting the road. Don't expect us to ever come back!"

Ivan's face was flushed with anger, and he pouted in a mix of anger and hurt, "Mom said we gotta be respectful, I... I'll still take care of you when you're old, but I won't love you, hmph!"

Ivan, about to storm off, was pulled back into Kieran's embrace, "Think about it, if you take off with your mom, how are you guys gonna get by? Can you support her?"

The little boy felt even more wronged, glanced at his tiny arms and legs, and said sorrowfully, "Mom's taken care of me for ten years, and when I grow up, I'll take care of her. I've seen it on TV, you'll go find Camilla behind our back. Later you and Camilla will have babies. Once Camilla's pregnant, you'll stop loving me, and you'll kick mom out and marry Camilla. I won't let you hurt my mom! You kicked my mom out when I was born, and now you're still picking on her. Maybe I'm not even your real son!"

In bits and pieces, the little boy spilled his heart out. Kieran managed a laugh through his concern, reached out and ruffled his son’s hair, "Who let you watch those shows?"

"Let go!" Ivan tried to shake off his dad's hand, but the saying 'the arm is no match for the thigh' proved true.

After numerous failed attempts, he got mad, lowered his head, and bit down hard on his dad's hand. Unexpectedly, the little boy had quite the bite. Kieran didn't pull away, but Ivan let go, feeling the hurt himself.

Then, with reddening eyes and a look of guilt but relentless in words, he said, "That was for mom. I didn't dare tell her, but if you… if you really... don't make mom sad, okay? I look so much like you, I must be your own flesh and blood! For the love of that, please don't go see Camilla tonight, okay? Dad... is it because mom didn't give you a daughter that you're seeing Camilla?"

As he spoke, the boy burst into tears, heartbreakingly sobbing, "Look... I don't have a sister either, but I still love my mom. Kerry... you're heartless. It hurts so much, can't you and mom just stay together? I'm not a tadpole who found a mom and now needs to find a dad, waaah..."

Julie stood outside, gripping the doorknob, not intending to go in.

But hearing her precious son cry so heart-wrenchingly, her brows furrowed, she steeled her heart and pushed open the door.

She walked straight to Ivan, and with a strength that seemed to come from nowhere, lifted the little rascal up and headed for the door.

"Mom…" The little boy kept sniffling, feeling utterly pathetic, yet unable to stop the tears.

Trying to hold back, he said with a bubble of snot, "Mom, Ivan's not crying..."

Kieran, shaking his head helplessly, strode forward and closed the study door, blocking the apparent escape of Julie and Ivan.

"Move aside." Julie's tone was unprecedentedly calm, perhaps because holding Ivan, she felt the courage to kick this man she loved into outer space if necessary.

Ivan felt uncomfortable, realizing his mom had heard everything...

As Kieran made no move to step aside, Julie, still holding Ivan, turned and sat on the couch. The kid was heavy...

"Kieran, come here!" Julie set Ivan down and grabbed a cushion from the couch, hurling it in Kieran's direction.

Quick as a cat, Kieran caught it, and then obediently walked towards Julie.

Julie was just a bit angry, and whether she believed him or not, at least what Ivan had seen, Kieran sneaking around with Camilla in the music room late at night, was a fact.

Just as she turned her cold gaze on Kieran, before she could speak, he threw the cushion to the ground and knelt on it with a thump, "Honey, I was wrong."

"...What?" she questioned, her brow furrowing.

Julie's voice was unexpectedly calm, "You're admitting you're wrong, what does that mean?"

Was he admitting he stripped Camilla's cloth last night? Was he confirming that everything Ivan saw was true? Julie felt her breath tighten.

Kieran, with a posture of utter contrition, said, "Camilla's dress just wasn't well made, I didn't mean for it to happen. It's my fault for causing this misunderstanding with you and our son."

"So you're telling me you did strip Camilla's cloth, but it wasn't intentional, is that it?" Julie's tone was eerily calm.

Kieran shook his head, earnestly explaining, "It wasn't stripped, it was accidentally torn..."