Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 53

Daphne was a real go-getter, always quick on her feet and never one to dilly-dally. She said she would call Porter and boom, she was already dialing.

Porter agreed to let Julie start working the very next day. Daphne left Julie's number with him and hung up, only to find Julie pacing nervously on the spot.

"What's up?" Daphne asked.

"I lost my phone, did I leave it at the restaurant last night?" Julie frowned. Even though the phone was old, it was still important to her.

Daphne shook her head. "When you left last night, Mr. Hernandez took your phone with him. So…”

"Do you know where I can get a simple, cheap phone? Just for making calls." Julie had no intention of asking for her phone back, or rather, she didn't want to see Kieran in the near future.

Daphne rolled her eyes at Julie. "You're being a total wimp!"

She took out a spare phone from her bag and handed it to Julie. "Just use this for now. Judging by the way you were acting last night, I guess you don't want to see Mr. Hernandez ever again."

"How crazy was I last night?" Julie asked Daphne incredulously.

"Crazy as a mad cow."

Julie decided to put thoughts of last night on hold for now. Since her phone was in Kieran's hands, she didn't have to worry about him calling to ask questions.

However, she was being too naiv

When Julie took the bus home, she stopped by the market to pick up a couple of veggies to cook, then headed home.

As she reached the entrance of her apartment complex, Ada, her next-door neighbor, gave her a knowing look and said, "Julie, I was going to introduce you to my cousin's son! But it seems you already have a boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend?" Julie frowned in confusion.

Ada chuckled. "That young man is very handsome, you know. You're not getting any younger, better hurry up. Oh, I can't chat now, my grandson is waiting for me to cook dinner!"

Ada walked off, leaving Julie standing there with two bags of groceries. After a few seconds of silence, she realized that the only men who knew where she lived and had come to see her were Elliot and Kieran.

At this thought, Julie glanced at the door just a few steps away. Whether it was Kieran or Elliot, she didn't want to see either of them. So, Julie quickly turned around, only to bump into a solid figure. Her nose throbbed with pain. Julie rubbed her small nose and then saw a pair of shiny black shoes.

She looked up and Kieran's handsome face immediately filled her view.

Finally realizing who it was, she quickly stepped back.

"What exactly is it about me that makes you so eager to avoid me?" Kieran asked, a clear smirk on his face. He was likely amused by Julie's clumsy attempt to escape.

Without responding, Julie just picked up her groceries and headed for her apartment.

Kieran calmly followed behind, matching her pace.

Suddenly, Julie stopped and turned to face him. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"What do you think?" Kieran countered.

In the end, Julie gave in. She left her groceries at her doorstep, then turned to face the man behind her.

He was standing at the entrance of the staircase. The old, worn-out stairs of the apartment complex were overgrown with vines. He was wearing her favorite white shirt, standing quietly in front of her. The fading sunlight of the sunset filtered through the gaps in the trees in front of the stairs, casting a dim glow on Kieran's white shirt.

The scene was as beautiful as any of Julie's daydreams over the years.

She took a deep breath and said, "Let's talk!"

"I just want to date you. There's nothing else to discuss."