His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 181: Twelve Years

Iris felt her breath spiral out of control, panic creeping up her spine as she stared at him. "How are you any different from Caleb?"

Julian didn't answer right away. He leaned in slowly until his forehead rested against her cheek, his eyes closing as he took a quiet breath, like he was steadying himself on her. When he spoke, his voice was low and intimate, almost brushing against her skin.

"The difference is, you fought him like your life depended on it. You rejected him, even physically." He paused, his voice softening further. "But with me... you don't. You don't push me away. If anything, you lean in. You like it when I kiss you, don't you?"

The words hit too close, too precise. Iris froze, her mind blank for a second because there was nothing she could say to deny it.

Julian straightened, then pulled her into his arms without warning, holding her tightly, like letting go wasn't an option anymore. His chin rested against her hair as his gaze drifted somewhere far away, shadowed with regret.

"For the past six months," he said quietly, "I keep replaying everything. If I hadn't cared so much about you and Arthur back then, if I had just treated you like my wife instead of keeping my distance... things might be different now." His voice dipped, rough with something heavier. "We might even have a kid by now. A real family. We wouldn't have ended up like this."

Something inside Iris twisted sharply, the pain catching her off guard as her eyes burned.

She knew better than anyone that life didn't work that way. There were no rewrites. No second drafts.

"Iris," Julian continued, his voice thick, "it's okay if you don't love me anymore. I'm not asking for that." He tightened his hold slightly. "Just don't leave. We can go back to how we were before, polite, distant, whatever you want. We don't need a label. Just stay where I can see you. That's enough."

Iris let out a slow breath, but it didn't help. Her chest felt tight, her pulse unsteady, and a wave of emotion rose so fast it nearly overwhelmed her.

She wasn't someone who cried. She never had been.

But right now, it was close.

Back when she had given him everything, he hadn't known how to hold onto it.

Now that she had finally walked away, she had no intention of going back. She had already planned her future, carefully and deliberately, and there was no place for Julian in it.

"Julian, we're divorced. There is no future for us," she said, her voice firm despite the ache underneath. "Honestly, I don't even think we should stay in each other's lives."

"Then don't stay in my life as an ex," he said immediately, pulling back just enough to look at her, his hand sliding gently to the back of her head. He leaned down, pressing a quiet kiss into her hair. "Stay as something else. Be with me again. I'll do it right this time."

"I don't want anything to do with you anymore," Iris said, forcing the words out one by one, even as her fingers curled tightly at her sides. "We shouldn't see each other. Let's just move on, separately. That's better for both of us."

Julian let go, but only enough to cup her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. They were already red, emotion sitting dangerously close to the surface.

"No," he said quietly.

She exhaled, frustration slipping through. "Why? Why are you so stuck on this?"

His answer came slowly, like it hurt to say it out loud.

"When you've wanted something for twelve years... when it's finally right in front of you and you still lose it..." His jaw tightened, his eyes burning now. "Tell me, wouldn't that break you a little?"

Iris blinked, completely thrown off. "What do you mean... twelve years?"

Julian swallowed hard before the words finally came out. "I've wanted you for twelve years."

The sentence landed like a shockwave.

Before she could process it, he kissed her.

It wasn't gentle this time. It was urgent, desperate, like he was trying to pour everything he couldn't explain into something she could feel instead.

Iris went still, her thoughts scattering.

Twelve years?

Her first instinct twisted in the wrong direction, the bluntness of it catching her off guard, but the timeline didn't make sense.

Middle school? ...That's when his first love was supposed to start, right?

The thought hit her hard.

She had heard that story before.

But that couldn't be her. She had only known Julian for a couple of years, and they had never had anything before their marriage.

None of it added up.

Her mind snapped back when something felt off. She pushed against him slightly. "Wait—"

Julian didn't stop. He deepened the kiss, lifting her effortlessly as he turned and carried her out of the kitchen.

The bedroom door swung open under the push of his foot, and the next second she was on the bed, his weight above her, his mouth still on hers, intense and consuming.

It felt like he had been holding this in for years, and now it was all breaking loose at once.

Their breathing grew uneven, the air thick with tension as everything teetered dangerously close to the edge.

At the last moment, Julian pulled back slightly, bracing himself above her, his gaze dark and unfocused as he looked down at her flushed face.

Iris lay there, her chest rising quickly, fingers gripping the sheets as she met his eyes.

Neither of them moved.

The silence between them felt charged, heavy with everything they weren't saying.

Julian swallowed, his voice rough. "We're adults. You know what I want right now." His gaze held hers. "Are you going to stop me?"

Her heart pounded so hard it almost hurt.

Her body responded before her mind could catch up, heat rushing through her veins, but her thoughts fought back just as hard.

You already walked away. Don't undo that now. Don't go back.