His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 161: Cracks at Home

Iris didn't let him finish. Her voice cut in, tight with frustration, the kind that had been building for far too long.

"Ethan, first it was your girlfriend Celeste, and now Selena shows up out of nowhere claiming she's family. Who's next after this? At this point, my entire life's been taken over by them. How am I supposed to just keep living like everything's normal?"

Grace let out a sharp, dismissive scoff, planting her hands firmly on her hips as if she had been waiting for this moment to push back.

"What is wrong with you?" she snapped. "You can't stand seeing this family finally getting somewhere? Your brother finally catches the attention of a beautiful, successful woman, and instead of being happy, you're complaining. Your sister makes it big, becomes a household name, comes back to reconnect with us, and you still have a problem with it. Why do you always have to make everything difficult?"

Keith followed right behind her, nodding as though her words made perfect sense.

"Iris, don't be so small-minded," he said, his tone carrying that familiar, lecturing edge. "I've met Celeste. She's a great girl, really impressive, and honestly, your brother's the one who got lucky. And Selena, she's a major celebrity now. You should be getting along with her. If she helps you out, you could even get into the entertainment world yourself. That's real money you're turning your back on."

Grace folded her arms tighter, glaring at Iris like she had just committed some unforgivable offense. "She just hates seeing this family do better, that's what it is."

The words kept coming, but Iris had already checked out.

Tired. Disappointed. Done.

There was nothing left worth saying.

Selena suddenly stood, clutching her designer handbag as her voice trembled, her eyes glossing over as if she were seconds away from tears.

"If my sister doesn't want me here, I really shouldn't stay," she said softly. "I don't want to make things uncomfortable for anyone..."

Grace immediately rushed over and grabbed her arm, her entire demeanor flipping in an instant.

"Sweetheart, don't think like that," she said quickly, her voice full of concern. "We're all so happy you're here. Don't pay attention to her." She paused, her expression softening with something that almost looked like guilt. "Your father and I have regretted what happened back then for years. We've always wanted the chance to make it up to you."

Iris let out a quiet breath, turned without another word, and walked back to her room.

Sweetheart.

The word echoed in her head.

She had gone her entire life without ever hearing her mother say it to her, not even once. And now, hearing it so naturally directed at someone else, it didn't just sting, it scraped raw against something much deeper.

The next morning, right around eight, Julian came downstairs carrying a large ceramic dish filled with something warm and comforting, a rich, savory chicken and biscuit stew, the kind of hearty, slow-simmered comfort food you'd expect on a cold morning.

He knocked.

Ethan opened the door and immediately broke into a friendly grin. "Morning. What've you got there?"

Julian stepped inside, his gaze drifting briefly across the cluttered living room before settling, almost instinctively, on Iris's closed bedroom door. His expression tightened, just slightly.

"Breakfast," he said, handing over the dish.

Ethan took it with both hands, clearly pleased. "Iris loves stuff like this. You brought it for her, right?"

"I made extra," Julian replied, his tone softening. "You guys can have some too. Is she still asleep?"

Ethan set the dish down on the table and let out a quiet sigh. "Not sure if she's up yet."

Julian didn't sit. He didn't leave either.

He just stood there, his attention drifting back to her door again and again, the restraint in his posture almost as obvious as the concern in his eyes. He wanted to see her, that much was clear, but he didn't have the right to just walk in anymore.

Ethan noticed. Of course he did.

After a moment, he tilted his head toward the hallway. "Want me to wake her up?"

Julian shook his head immediately. "No. She doesn't have work today. Let her sleep."

Ethan exhaled slowly, his expression dimming. "She's probably not in a great mood anyway."

Julian's gaze sharpened. "What happened?"

Ethan hesitated for a second before answering. "Selena came back last night with a ton of gifts, said she wanted to reconnect. My parents... you know how they are. The moment they realized the daughter they gave up is now a top-tier celebrity worth millions, suddenly she's everything to them." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't really get it, but Iris didn't take it well. She said a few things, got a little sharp, and my mom... lost her temper. She hit her."

Julian's entire expression went cold in an instant, his voice dropping, sharp and controlled.

"She hit her?"

Ethan blinked, caught completely off guard by the shift in tone.

Before he could react, Julian grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward, his eyes dark with anger.

"What kind of brother just stands there and lets that happen?"

The words came low, but they carried weight.

In the two years he had been with Iris, no matter how bad things got, no matter how angry he had been, he had never once laid a hand on her.

And here, over something like this...

Ethan quickly grabbed Julian's wrist, panic creeping into his voice. "Hey, calm down. It wasn't that serious, just a slap on the arm. I stopped her right away."

"A slap?" Julian let go of him, but the cold in his eyes didn't fade. "If it happens again, tell your parents they can find somewhere else to live. And you," he added, his voice cutting sharper, "if you can't even protect your own sister, don't expect to keep your job."

Ethan lowered his head, guilt written all over his face. "You're right. I should've done more."

Julian let out a quiet breath, though the tension in his jaw didn't ease. "Sounds like this isn't the first time she's been treated like that. She's the one holding this family together now, and she still gets treated like she doesn't matter."

Ethan had no response.

Julian turned and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of Iris's door. He hesitated for a brief moment, but the concern won out, and he knocked.

A few seconds later, footsteps approached from inside.

The door opened.

Iris stood there in a soft, oversized fleece hoodie with the hood up, her long dark hair spilling loosely over her shoulders. Without makeup, she looked even more striking in a quiet, effortless way, the kind of beauty that didn't need any effort at all.

For a moment, Julian just looked at her.

Then she shifted slightly, tugging at the edge of her hood, her voice soft but guarded. "Do you need something?"

"I made breakfast," he said, his gaze lingering just a little too long. "There was too much, so I brought some for you."