His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 170: Letting Go

Iris's vision blurred again as tears welled up, her lips trembling as she tried to respond, only to find the words caught somewhere in her throat.

She didn't even know how to define what Julian felt for her anymore.

But the pain from the past was real, and it hadn't faded.

She had finally made the decision to walk away from that failed marriage, to free herself from Frederick and Vivian's control and manipulation.

She had her own life ahead of her, her own ambitions, and she refused to lose her independence all over again.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, biting down on her lower lip before forcing the words out. "Julian, let me go... and let yourself move on too."

It was as if all the strength left his body at once.

His grip loosened, and he let go of her hand.

He swayed slightly where he stood, his voice hoarse and low. "I can't."

Her chest tightened painfully, like something sharp was pressing into her from the inside. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to stay composed.

"You'll meet someone better," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "You'll be happy."

Julian's expression shifted, his tone turning firm, almost unyielding. "Iris, I don't want anyone else. I only want you."

The waves rolled in one after another, crashing against the shore, the steady rhythm underscoring everything they couldn't fix.

Iris couldn't keep standing there.

She turned and walked back toward the campsite, her steps slow and heavy, each one harder than the last.

Julian remained where he was, watching her leave, his figure swallowed gradually by the darkness.

By the time Iris reached the tents, the atmosphere there was completely different. A few of the guys were sitting around drinking, while Jenny and the others laughed nearby, waving sparklers that lit up the night in quick bursts of gold.

As soon as she approached, several pairs of eyes turned toward her.

Mason gestured toward a row of tents. "Yours is over there, third one down."

Iris glanced in that direction but didn't respond.

Caleb frowned slightly, clearly annoyed. "She and my brother are divorced."

Mason took a sip of his drink and let out a casual laugh. "They'll end up back together anyway. No point making it complicated."

Caleb's expression darkened immediately.

Daniel nodded in agreement and bumped his can lightly against Mason's, clearly on the same page.

Luke grabbed a beer and held it out toward Iris. "Hey, you wanna hang with us, or go join Jenny and the others with the sparklers?"

Iris didn't hesitate. She walked over, took a seat beside Luke, and accepted the beer. "Thanks." She popped it open with a quick flick.

As she settled into the chair, she could feel Caleb's gaze fixed on her, intense and unrelenting.

She took a slow sip, her eyes drifting toward the dark stretch of shoreline. In the distance, she could still make out Julian's figure standing there alone, unmoving, almost blending into the night.

"Iris," Caleb said after a moment, "you sold your company six months ago. What are you planning to do next?"

The others looked at her with quiet curiosity.

Leaning back slightly, she lowered her gaze to the can in her hand, thinking for a moment before answering, "One of my professors asked me to join a research project."

"What kind of project?" Mason asked.

She gave him a brief look. "What do you think I do? It's in pharmacology."

A faint, confident smile touched Caleb's lips. "You could come work at Everhart Group instead. Any position you want, any compensation package, I can make it happen."

The dim lighting hid the flicker of dismissal in her eyes.

She kept her tone polite and neutral. "Thanks, but I'm not considering that right now."

Caleb leaned forward slightly, his voice more direct this time. "Iris, be my girlfriend. I'm not who I used to be. I've taken over Everhart Group, and I'm serious about what I'm doing now. I'll likely inherit most of the company and the family assets. If you're with me, you'll have a good life."

The mood around them shifted instantly.

Mason, Daniel, and Luke all reacted at once, their expressions tightening with clear irritation, like something that didn't belong to him was being claimed right in front of them.

Iris didn't respond. She simply kept drinking.

She wasn't much of a drinker to begin with, but tonight, she just wanted something to dull the noise in her head.

"You can think about it," Caleb added. "I'll wait for you."

She ignored him completely, her gaze still drifting toward the shoreline where Julian stood.

"What's Julian doing out there?" Mason asked, glancing toward the ocean. "Why hasn't he come back yet?"

Luke frowned, then stood up suddenly, concern creeping into his voice. "You don't think he'd do something reckless, do you?"

Daniel let out a short laugh. "You're overthinking it."

"Then why's he still out there?" Luke shot back before turning to Iris. "What did you two talk about?"

Iris let out a quiet breath and shook her head.

"I'm gonna go get him," Luke said, starting to move, but Mason immediately reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Leave him alone."

Luke looked uneasy. "You don't understand. He can get extreme when he's pushed too far..."

"Extreme?" Mason scoffed lightly. "I think you've got the wrong read on him."

"I grew up with him," Luke said, pointing toward Caleb. "Ask his brother if you don't believe me."

Mason and Daniel both turned to Caleb.

Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly, then gave a faint, ambiguous smile and nodded without saying a word.

Just then, Julian finally started walking back toward them from the shoreline.

Luke let out a long breath of relief and dropped back into his seat, picking up his drink again. "Man... that guy's something else."