Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Within the conference hall, cameras were going off non–stop, all lights spotlighting the stage.

Golden tablecloths were spread over the hastily–prepared stools. Julie and Kieran were seated onstage, with Ivan in between them.

Kieran’s assistant, Karl, stood off to the side, while Daphne sat next to Julie.

Daphne glanced at Julie nervously. “Julie, although I often interview celebrities, this is the first time I’ve been interviewed. What if something goes wrong?”

“We keep our mouths shut and just nod,” Julie said, completely chill.

Daphne looked at Julie incredulously. “Didn’t you say you understand Mr. Hernandez but won’t forgive him? Why are you suddenly holding this press conference?”

Daphne’s voice was barely above a whisper.

When Julie first married Kieran, she’d imagined countless times how they would go public, but she never expected to be under the glare of camera flashes, like they were announcing a major corporate decision.

Before Julie could answer Daphne’s question, the reporters started firing away. “Ms. Abraham, what was the tweet you deleted around noon today about?”

“Ms. Abraham, are you and Mr. Hernandez holding this press conference to clarify your relationship?”

“What do you think of the rumors that you ‘get your way to the top by sleeping with men‘?”

Questions flew left and right, not even giving Karl a chance to get a word in.

Ivan couldn’t stand to see anyone bullying Julie. He was about to speak out, his demeanor resembling an agitated little leopard.

However, before Ivan could utter a word, Kieran’s hand was already on the seat.

Kieran reached for the microphone.

But Julie beat him to the punch, addressing the media calmly, “Just like the tweet I accidentally deleted today, I gave birth to the child myself, I don’t need anyone to depend on.”

Kieran looked at Julie, his initial intention to speak replaced by a tender gaze.

It was a look none had ever seen on Kieran’s face before.

Kieran first came into public view when his brother Lucian Hernandez died in a plane crash.

Since then, Kieran had drawn widespread attention for his ruthless business acumen that had allowed Simpo Co. to steadily establish its position in the industry, becoming an immovable force. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Many were excited by Kieran’s business empire. Apart from a previous scandal with Bertha, Kieran’s personal life remained a mystery.

The incident with Bertha ended with Kieran suing Creative Nexus Media, revealing no further details to the public.

So when it was revealed that Kieran had an illegitimate child, it caused a huge stir.

Julie’s cool and confident statement silenced the entire conference hall for several seconds.

Then, a barrage of questions came.

Almost all reporters pointed their microphones at Julie, showing no intention of letting Kieran speak.

From the moment Julie decided to go public, she never considered backing down. So when the questions came flying at her, she remained incredibly calm.

She ignored the flurry of questions, calmly raising the microphone to her mouth.

Unexpectedly, Kieran’s large hand swooped in, snatching the microphone from Julie, his charming smile pointing to the well–behaved Ivan between them. “This child, is indeed hers, no doubt about it.”

Then, his gaze fell on Julie, adding, “And this woman, is mine, undoubtedly.”

Just as a reporter was about to speak, Kieran continued, “Oh, and the child is mine, and Ms. Abraham and I are legally married, that’s all.”

Kieran finished, shooting Karl a glance.

Karl got the hint, taking over Kieran’s microphone, explaining to the media, “Ms. Daphne is Mrs. Abraham’s classmate and close friend, and also the deputy editor of Gentlemen magazine. Mr. Hernandez previously chose to keep their marriage secret to protect Mrs. Abraham and their son from excessive media attention. Due to the recent false reports by various media outlets, which have seriously bothered the child and Mrs. Abraham, Mr. Hernandez has called this press conference, hoping that the media can immediately retract

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Chapter 149

these false reports.”

However, no matter how well Karl spoke, it couldn’t stop the curiosity of the journalists.

As soon as Karl finished speaking, a reporter asked, “Ms. Abraham just admitted that the tweet was hers, so does this mean that the ‘Jokier‘ account truly belongs to Ms. Abraham?”

The question was sharp. If Julie admitted that the tweet was indeed hers, it would indirectly confirm the rumors about her. If she denied it, no one would believe her.

Weighing her options, Julie decided to tell the truth.

Suddenly, Kieran held her hand, then turned it over to hold her palm in his.

“Yes, that account was indeed opened by Mrs. Abraham many years ago.”

“Does the rich, handsome guy mentioned in Ms. Abraham’s tweet refer to Mr. Hernandez?” a reporter asked.

Julie gave Kieran a look, and Kieran smiled at the reporters, saying, “I’m honored to have once been the apple of Mrs. Abraham’s eye.”

“Did Ms. Abraham pursue you first?” A voice from the crowd asked.

Julie didn’t feel the need to hide anything. Reporters these days were good at digging up the dirt, and her pursuing Kieran back in the day was no secret now. It had pretty much become a story told during freshmen orientation.

So, Julie nodded at the reporters, saying, “Yep.”

“So, what’s the secret to winning over Mr. Hernandez? Care to share?” A female reporter asked curiously.

Julie could have dodged the question, but considering her past tweets, she ended up answering with a grin, “Just have some confidence.”

The reporters were a bit taken aback by her honesty.

Kieran took over the mic, smiling into the camera lens, a smirk playing on his lips, “I’m a bit of a petty guy, and I set up some tricky problems for her. I wanted to make sure she really liked me, so I set up these challenges for her.”

Kieran’s words were filled with affection for Julie.

Julie looked at Kieran in surprise, but then Ivan suddenly stood up, naturally taking Julie’s hand, “Mom, when can we have dinner? I’m starving!”

Kieran laughed, bending down to pick up Ivan, then asked Julie and Ivan, “What are you guys in the mood for?”

“Ask mom.” The little guy flashed his adorable teeth, smiling at Julie.

As the heartwarming scene unfolded, Karl had security escort Julie and Kieran out.

Daphne was initially leaving the hotel with Julie and Kieran under the protection of security, but seeing the harmonious atmosphere between Julie and Kieran, Daphne smartly found an excuse, “Julie, I’ve got something to do nearby, so I won’t go with you guys. We’ll keep in touch.”

After saying this, Daphne glanced at Kieran, quickly whispered in Julie’s ear, “If Mr. Hernandez gives you any trouble, call the cops! If that doesn’t work, call me, I’ll come help you!”

“That won’t happen.” Julie replied with a smile.

After seeing Julie and Kieran leave, Daphne was about to call a cab when she didn’t expect the reporters in the hotel to suddenly chase after her.

Being the only one left, Daphne was surrounded by reporters.

“We heard Ms. Daphne is a Pinnacle University graduate, were you classmates with Ms. Abraham?”

“Do you know any stories about Ms. Abraham and Mr. Hernandez? Can you share with us?”

“Ms. Daphne you didn’t have to be at the press conference today. Why did you show up to support Ms. Abraham? Is it to prove that Ms. Abraham, is not a hypocrite?”

Daphne kept her silence.

Why did she show up at the press conference?

In fact, Daphne ended up here by chance.

After problems arose between Kieran and Julie, she had been unable to contact Julie. When she finally got a hold of Julie, Daphne asked for her address and arrived just as Julie was preparing for the press conference.

All in all, Daphne had unintentionally become a witness to Kieran and Julie’s love story.

But… was this the right way to treat a witness?

Daphne was experienced in interviewing big stars, but it was always in a civil and polite environment. This was her first time

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experiencing the life of a star, being gawked at in the street, feeling like a monkey in a zoo, and she suddenly felt awful…

Just as Daphne was considering how to get away, she suddenly saw a familiar figure.

Daphne’s eyes lit up, she immediately pointed in the direction of the figure and shouted at the reporters, “Wow, it’s Mr. Lionel!”