His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 176: No Way Out

Jenny paced back and forth across the room, clearly rattled, her frustration spilling over as she muttered under her breath, "How did she see through that so fast?"

Celeste leaned against the table, arms folded, her expression tight but controlled. "That's just how Iris is. She's always been sharp. She caught the act, sure, but she doesn't know what we were really trying to do, which means we still have time to fix this. We just need a better plan."

Lily crossed her arms, irritation written all over her face. "And what exactly would that be?"

Celeste let out a breath and shook her head, clearly annoyed that she didn't have an answer. "I don't know yet."

Jenny turned toward Selena, her tone shifting with expectation. "This was your idea to begin with. Don't tell me you've got nothing else."

Selena didn't respond right away. She walked over to the couch and sat down, crossing her legs with deliberate calm, as if the situation wasn't slipping out of control at all. Then, slowly, a faint smile curved at her lips.

Selena said, "Of course I do. If playing nice doesn't work, then we stop playing nice."

The words settled heavily in the room, and for a moment, no one spoke. They all understood exactly what she meant, even if none of them were eager to say it out loud.

Their original plan had been simple and clean. By staging Lily's collapse, they intended to take advantage of Iris's sense of responsibility, pressure her into helping, and use that opportunity to get her off the island under the pretense of seeking treatment. Once she agreed to go, getting her onto the boat would have been effortless.

And Caleb had already been waiting there the entire time.

Selena leaned back slightly, her arms still crossed, her tone turning more practical. "That said, I'm not the one doing it. I'm not interested in dealing with Julian if this blows up."

Lily immediately looked toward Celeste.

Celeste stiffened, her face draining of color as she instinctively took a step back. "No. Absolutely not. I'm not getting involved in that. I'm not risking going up against Julian."

Lily's patience snapped. Her jaw tightened, and her hands curled into fists at her sides, the tension in her posture unmistakable.

Just then, Jenny stepped forward.

Jenny said, "I'll do it. I'm not afraid of Julian."

That was all it took.

The hesitation in the room dissolved almost instantly, replaced by a quiet, mutual understanding. The plan shifted in that moment, no longer cautious or calculated, but forceful and uncompromising.

They weren't going to rely on tricks anymore.

One way or another, they were getting Iris onto that boat.

...

Deeper in the island's interior, the forest stretched thick and sunlit, the canopy filtering the light into shifting patterns across the ground. The air was warm and still, carrying the faint sounds of movement as the group spread out to hunt.

Julian and Mason moved side by side, their pace steady and controlled, both of them scanning their surroundings with practiced focus. It didn't take long before their efforts paid off. By the time they circled back toward the stream, they had already picked up a couple of pheasants, a rabbit, and even a large crab from the shallows.

As they approached the water, Julian spotted Daniel and Luke up ahead, but something immediately felt off.

Where's Caleb?

Daniel had just set down what he was carrying and dropped onto a nearby rock, wiping sweat from his forehead as if the heat had finally caught up with him.

Daniel said, "He tapped out early. Said his stomach was bothering him and headed back to the villa."

The explanation was casual, almost dismissive, but it didn't sit right.

Julian's expression darkened, a quiet unease settling in his chest that he couldn't ignore.

Mason noticed the shift and tried to brush it off. "Probably just something he ate. It happens. No need to overthink it."

But Julian wasn't listening anymore. He had already taken out his phone, his movements sharper now, more urgent.

Daniel and Luke exchanged a glance, amused by what they assumed was overreaction.

Daniel said, "Didn't realize you cared that much."

Luke added with a grin, "Yeah, look at you, all worried."

Julian didn't respond.

The phone rang, the sound stretching longer than it should have, each second tightening the pressure in his chest.

No answer.

His grip on the phone tightened.

Without another word, he turned and started running.

The sudden shift caught the others off guard, but the tension in his posture was enough to wipe the humor from their faces. Daniel and Luke quickly grabbed their gear and followed, no longer joking.

Julian moved fast, barely registering the uneven ground beneath his feet as dry leaves and broken twigs cracked underfoot. He dialed again, this time calling Caleb directly.

The line connected.

Caleb said, his voice flat and edged with impatience, "What?"

Julian forced his breathing under control, though the urgency in his tone was impossible to hide. "Where are you?"

There was no pause, no hesitation.

Caleb said, "I don't need to tell you that."

The call ended abruptly.

Julian stared at the screen for a brief second, his hand tightening around the phone as a surge of unease hit him harder than before.

Something's wrong.

He didn't stop moving.

Instead, he picked up his pace, dialing Jenny, then Lily, one after the other.

Neither of them answered.

The ringing stretched on, empty and useless.

With every step forward, the same thought pressed harder against his mind.

He shouldn't have left Iris alone.

Not here.

Not with them.

By the time the villa came into view, his breathing was uneven, his thoughts racing ahead of him.

He pushed through the front door without slowing down, ignoring the startled reactions from the women in the living room.

"Julian, what happened?"

"What's going on?"

Their voices barely registered.

He headed straight upstairs, straight to Iris's room, and pushed the door open.

The space was empty.

Her suitcase was still there, untouched, and a book lay on the floor as if it had been dropped in a hurry.

The sight hit harder than he expected, something in his chest tightening sharply.

He turned and headed back downstairs, faster this time, the tension in him finally breaking through.

Julian said, his voice sharp with anger and barely controlled panic, "Where is Iris?"

Lily rose to her feet, her expression shifting into something carefully neutral, almost rehearsed.

Lily said, "I haven't seen her."

Celeste followed immediately, her tone just as steady.

Celeste said, "Neither have I."