Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 265

Not far off, on the verdant golf course, a man in a crisp white polo was taking his swings. His tall and lean silhouette made a striking figure as he held the golf club, with a caddy by his side. His pristine white golf shoes stood out against the green.

That familiar height and figure made Kieran, who usually maintained his composure, furrow his brow,

After sinking the putt, the man, Zenith, handed his club to the caddy. His gaze unintentionally swept across the few people standing in the distance. He frowned slightly and turned to Jesse, his assistant, “Seems like you don’t understand the meaning of a private booking.”

Jesse followed Zenith’s gaze to Kieran and Julie. He made a quick, apologetic bow to Zenith before briskly walking toward them.

Zenith’s caddy handed him another club as Jesse moved toward Kieran and Julie. However, before Jesse could reach them, Kieran strode past him, heading straight for Zenith.

Jesse twisted around to chase after Kieran, and Julie quickened her pace to follow them.

The man on the green, it was Lucian Hernandez. The likeness to Kieran was uncanny, from the shape of his eyes to his height. It was Lucian, exactly as Julie remembered him.

Zenith was going to take another swing, but Kieran stopped him.

Zenith lowered his club and looked at Kieran, then at Jesse who was apologizing once again, “I’m sorry, Mr. Moore…”

The aura this man radiated was just too overwhelming. Jesse had to admit, he was completely overpowered.

Zenith waved off Jesse, handing him the club and coldly said, “Leave.”

Jesse quickly scurried away, taking the club and caddy with him.

As she took a closer look, Julie became even more convinced that this man was Lucian. But how was he standing? The last photo Julien had shown her, Lucian was wheelchair-bound.

In disbelief, Julie’s pupils dilated, “Lucian?”

3

Tears swelled in her eyes.

Kieran and Zenith stood face to face on the green, neither of them uttering a word. They were gazing at each other, the air filled with intensity.

After Julie tentatively called out, Zenith finally broke into a smile. He looked at Julie nonchalantly and said, “Are you referring to me, miss?”

“Is that the opening line you’ve thought of for nearly ten years?” Kieran’s brow furrowed, his gaze icy.

= 3 T

Zenith turned his gaze back to Kieran. After a few seconds, he turned to Cyrus, “Seems like Mr. Nelson doesn’t understand the concept of a private booking either.”

“Mr. Moore, this…”

Kieran reached out, grabbing Zenith’s arm.

Zenith looked down at his captured arm and said coldly, “Did Mr. Hernandez mistake me for someone else?”

Hearing this cold, unfamiliar tone, Julie couldn’t bring herself to believe that this man wasn’t Lucian. She shook her head, clutching Kieran’s hand, feeling lost.

Kieran tightened his grip on Zenith’s arm. Zenith winced slightly from the pain.

From his earlier words, it was clear he knew Kieran. Julie looked at Zenith with a complex expression, “Kieran has been looking for you for nearly ten years…”

“Lucian?” Zenith tasted the name as it rolled off his tongue.

He pulled his arm out of Kieran’s grip, flexed his wrist, and said, “I’ve seen your brother’s photo. I can’t deny, we do bear some resemblance. But Mr. Hernandez, mistaking me for your brother, that’s something you need to rectify.”

Zenith patted Kieran’s shoulder, then glanced at Cyrus, “I expect Mr. Nelson to provide me with a satisfactory explanation.”

Kieran’s gaze was venomous. Julie held his hand nervously. She couldn’t imagine the turmoil Kieran was feeling, but she knew it had to be intense.

But after his momentary lapse, he quickly regained his composure. Blocking Zenith’s path, Kieran said, “You are Mr. Moore, right?”

“Mr. Hernandez no longer considers me as the elder brother?” Zenith asked, standing his ground as Kieran had blocked his way.

Kieran cut to the chase, “I’m here to discuss a deal with you, Mr. Moore. Are you interested?”

“Sorry, I have a lunch appointment today.” Zenith pretended to glance at his watch, “It’s about time.”

He pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kieran, “If Mr. Hernandez has something important to discuss, perhaps you could schedule a meeting with my secretary.”

Kieran took the card and Zenith strode off the golf course.

Kieran held the business card tightly, his knuckles turning white. Julie took the card from him and held his arm.

The card read ‘President of Zenith Group, Zenith Moore’, along with Zenith’s contact details and his secretary Jesse’s contact details. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Julie held the card, frowning. She looked at Kieran, “Is it him? Is it your brother?”

It had to be! How else could there be someone who looked so similar?

Kieran’s gaze, which had been fixed in the distance, finally returned. He turned and pulled Julie into his arms.

The only thing Julie couldn’t comprehend was, if Zenith was truly Lucian, then how could he move around so effortlessly? After Lucian had rushed into the raging flames to save him, his legs were so badly injured that he couldn’t stand anymore.

Yet, the Zenith who just stood before them clearly moved about freely.

Kieran whipped out his phone and sent a picture to Hayde. Julie looked at the photograph of Zenith that Kieran had just sneakily taken, she didn’t even know when he had managed to take it.

Soon, Hayden called back, uttering only one word, “Lucian?”

“I’m not sure.” Kieran was sincere with his words. The man who stood in front of him was clearly his elder brother who had disappeared for nearly a decade. But the functioning legs, the unfamiliar tone,

and the entirely different aura made it hard for Kieran to accept.

But he knew that nothing was impossible over the past decade. So, he added to Hayden, “Eighty percent sure.”

“Those legs…” Even Hayden on the other end of the phone fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “Where did you get this picture?”

“We just met, Zenith, the President of Zenith Group,” Kieran said.

“I see, I’ll have Lien investigate,” Hayden ended the call.

As Kieran held Julie’s hand and entered the lobby, Zenith had already driven away. Kieran directly drove to the local hospital.

Mr. Nestor, the orthopedic surgeon at the hospital, was already in his sixties. Julie didn’t know why Kieran sought Mr. Nestor, so she simply followed him quietly.

Upon seeing Kieran, Mr. Nestor warmly greeted him, standing up and shaking his hand, “Young master, what brings you here?”

Hearing Mr. Nestor address Kieran as young master’, Julie recalled some forgotten memories. When Lucian was still living at Noblewood Retreat, Julie had visited the Hernandez family and seemed to have met Mr. Nestor.

She had assumed Mr. Nestor was the family doctor of the Hernandez family, not realizing he was also the head of the Orthopedic Department at the local hospital.

“Mr. Nestor,” Kieran greeted politely, then without further ado, went straight to the point, “Do you still remember my brother’s condition?”

“Oh…” Mr. Nestor sighed at the mention of Lucian, “He has been gone for so long, why do you suddenly bring this up?”

Kieran replied, “Lucian’s memorial day is coming up soon. I just thought of it and wanted to ask if you still have his medical records?”

“They’re stored in the computer. Although it’s been a long time, I think we should be able to find them if we look,” Mr. Nestor said.

“Thank you, Mr. Nestor.”

After Hayden received the picture from Kieran, he forwarded it to Julien, leaving two words under the photo, “Come here.”

Julien, who was living next door and was currently sorting out the Fitzgerald family’s related documents, didn’t expect Hayden’s summons and had to stop what she was doing..

She knocked on Hayden’s door, phone in hand.

“Come in,” Hayden’s voice came from inside the room.

As soon as Julien entered, she pointed at the photo in her hand and asked, “Where did you get this?”

“Kerry sent it over,” Hayden put down his pen and asked Julien, “What do you think?”

Julien glanced at the photo again and finally concluded in a questioning tone, “Lucian standing up?”

“A man paralyzed for many years, survived a plane crash, and then miraculously stood up?” Hayden clapped his hands.

Even though the applause carried a jeering tone, now was not the time to argue with Hayden.

“Can you send the photo to me?” she asked.

Hayden, leaning back in his chair, said softly, “Send it yourself.”

Julien opened Hayden’s iMessage, then looked for her own contact. Finally, she found that Hayden had saved a remark for her, a simple word – ‘her’.

Julien’s eyes flickered slightly, but she pretended to be calm, as if nothing had happened, and silently skimmed through his contact list before sending the photo to herself.

She asked him, “Who took it?”

“Kerry. It was Zenith, the President of Zenith Group,” Hayden said.

Julien raised an eyebrow, asking, “The never-publicly-seen Zenith? And he looks exactly like Lucian?”

“Whether it’s Lucian or not is yet to be confirmed.”

“So, you want me to investigate?” She asked, “What about the heir to the Fitzgeralds? Should I still look into that?”

“Can you find anything?” He asked.,

The Fitzgeralds were people that even Miles Simson couldn’t handle, let alone the fact that the Fitzgerald family had a strong backing. Julien wasn’t sure.

So she replied with two words, “Maybe not.”

“Then investigate what you can.”

Julien nodded and turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped by Hayden, “Lien.”

Julien paused but did not turn around.

Hayden stood up, walked closer to Julien, and finally stopped behind her. Leaning towards her ear, he said, “Let’s talk about what happened the night you got

drunk.”