His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 169: No Turning Back

The wind off the ocean carried a chill, and Iris's voice trembled as she spoke.

Julian had been halfway through taking off his shirt, but he froze the second he heard her, his body going completely still. After a brief pause, he pulled his clothes back on, then without another word, he opened his coat and pulled her straight into his arms. He wrapped it tightly around her smaller frame, holding her close as if his body heat alone could shield her from the cold.

Iris stiffened instantly, her heart thrown into chaos. She struggled against him, flustered and overwhelmed. "Don't do this, Julian."

She pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but the more she resisted, the tighter he held her, like if he loosened his grip even a little, she would disappear for good.

He lowered his head and buried his face against her neck, clinging to her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. His voice came out rough and low, thick with emotion. "Iris, I'm sorry. This is on me, all of it."

The weight in his voice hit her hard, heavy with guilt and pain.

Her chest tightened, her eyes burning as tears threatened to rise.

These past two years... it's not just me who's been struggling. Honestly, if anything, he's probably had it even worse.

From his point of view, believing his wife had betrayed him, carrying that kind of pain for two full years without ever truly letting it out, never confronting her, never breaking down in front of her, just bottling it up and enduring it alone...

No one could say he had it easy.

Iris slowly stopped struggling.

She stayed in his arms, quiet now, leaning into the warmth she knew all too well, breathing in his familiar scent. "Julian, I don't blame you."

Her voice softened, almost like she was comforting someone who had been hurt for far too long.

"Can we start over?" he asked, his tone gentle, almost pleading, as if he were afraid of the answer.

But her body remained stiff in his embrace.

"I didn't tell you the truth today because I want to get back together," she said evenly, her voice calm but firm. "I just wanted to shut down the rumors. I'm tired of people talking. And I wanted you to let it go too, to stop holding onto something that's been hurting you."

Julian tightened his arms around her again, holding on like she might slip away at any moment.

"Iris..." His voice wavered slightly, pulled from somewhere deep and unsteady. "You really won't give me even one more chance?"

Her lashes fluttered, her vision blurring slightly, but she forced the tears back. Her fingers tightened unconsciously in the fabric of her coat, as if it took everything in her to keep herself steady.

"Julian, what we had is over," she said quietly, but every word landed with finality. "Everything that happened, the misunderstandings, the damage... none of that can be undone. We both need to move forward."

For a moment, he couldn't breathe.

It felt like something heavy had settled on his chest, crushing the air out of him.

His fingers trembled slightly, instinctively reaching for something, but there was nothing left to hold onto.

In that instant, it was as if everything inside him collapsed, every last bit of hope reduced to nothing by her calm, unwavering words.

"But I still love you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, raw and unguarded. "Iris... I still love you."

Her heart jolted violently, and the tears she had been holding back finally slipped free.

She grabbed onto his coat, her fingers tightening as her nails pressed into her palm, grounding herself through the pain.

Her voice shook, barely steady enough to get the words out. "Julian... when did you ever love me?"

Pain flickered across his eyes. He lifted his hand and gently brushed the tears from her face, his touch careful, almost afraid of hurting her.

"Iris, I know I was wrong," he said hoarsely, exhaustion and regret woven into every word. "I know I hurt you more than I should have these past two years... but I don't want to lose you."

Tears kept falling, unstoppable now.

Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions at once, one half desperate to run, the other unwilling to let go.

She pushed him away and stepped back, putting space between them.

The ocean wind rushed past, lifting her hair and carrying away the warmth between them.

"Julian, we can't go back," she said softly, but there was no hesitation in her voice. "Let's just be friends."

His hand twitched, empty now, grasping at nothing.

"Friends?" His voice dropped, rough and strained, disbelief laced through it. "You think I can just be friends with you? See you every day and not touch you, not hold you, not kiss you? Not even live with you? That would be unbearable for me."

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, urgency breaking through his restraint. "Iris, tell me honestly, do you really not feel anything for me anymore?"

There was fear in his voice, the kind that came from already knowing the answer but dreading hearing it out loud.