His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 188: The Line Drawn

The insult landed hard, stripping away what little restraint Frederick had left, but he held it in, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

Iris didn't wait for his response. She tossed the check back onto his lap, opened the door, and stepped out into the cold night.

"Have your lawyer contact me," she said, glancing back. "Then we'll finish this."

Frederick's voice followed, low and sharp. "If you take the money, will you stay away from my sons for good?"

Iris paused, considering her words carefully before answering. "I can only control my side. I won't contact them, won't approach them, and I won't have any emotional involvement with either of them. I won't marry either of them." She hesitated briefly, then added, "I expect the same from them."

"Get back in the car," Frederick said.

Iris frowned slightly. "Tonight?"

"The longer this drags out, the more complicated it gets," he replied, his gaze fixed ahead, calculating and cold.

Iris understood immediately. Lily must have said something, something exaggerated enough to push him into acting this fast.

She got back in without arguing, fastening her seatbelt as the driver returned and pulled away.

The law office was dark when they arrived, but money had a way of changing schedules. A lawyer was called back in, still in holiday attire, and paperwork was drafted on the spot. Under formal witness, two copies of the agreement were prepared, clearly stating that the payment was voluntary compensation.

The process was efficient, almost clinical.

When it was done, Frederick left with a few final warnings, none of them new.

Stay away from his sons.

Know your place.

The lawyer walked Iris downstairs.

She hesitated before speaking, a trace of awkwardness slipping into her tone. "Could I borrow a hundred dollars?"

The lawyer blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You're holding a two hundred million dollar check and asking me for a hundred?"

"My phone's gone, and I don't have any cash on me," Iris explained calmly. "I'll return it tomorrow."

He shook his head and pulled out his wallet, handing her five hundred instead. "Don't worry about paying it back. That's all I've got on me. Just... if you ever need legal help, I'd appreciate the business."

Iris accepted it. "Thank you."

"Do you need a ride?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Go home. Your family's waiting."

He checked his watch, clearly in a rush. "Alright. Happy New Year, Miss Whitlow."

"Happy New Year."

She managed a faint smile as she watched him leave.

Later, after a simple meal and a quiet subway ride, Iris returned to her neighborhood.

She didn't go inside.

Instead, she stood across the street, half-hidden beneath a large tree where the streetlights didn't quite reach, her eyes fixed on the entrance.

She wasn't there because she missed that house.

She knew better than that.

She was there because she had made a promise.

She told Julian she would spend New Year with him.

Time passed slowly, each minute stretching longer than the last as the cold settled deep into her bones, her body trembling despite her efforts to stay still.

Then she saw it.

Julian's car.

Her heart jolted as she instinctively stepped forward, only to stop herself and retreat back into the shadows.

She rubbed her hands together, breathing warm air against her fingers as her chest tightened painfully.

Her future didn't include marriage.

Didn't include Julian.

And now, after taking that money from Frederick, there was no version of this where she could turn back.

She had spent six months letting him go.

There was no reason to undo that now.

The car remained inside for a while before pulling back out and stopping along the road.

Iris held her breath, stepping further behind the tree.

The window rolled down.

Julian leaned slightly toward it, one arm resting along the edge, the other gripping his phone as he tried to call someone, his movements tense, impatient.

He didn't get through.

Frustration flickered across his face before he tossed the phone aside and gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his shoulders lowering as if something heavy had settled on him.

Even from where she stood, she could feel the weight and silence.

He's looking for me.

He must be worried.

He probably hates me for not showing up.

Her thoughts tangled, tightening around her chest until it hurt to breathe. Tears blurred her vision again as she clenched her fists, forcing herself to turn away and press her back against the tree.

I'm sorry, Julian.

The wind cut across her face, sharp and unrelenting, but it only made her more certain.

She couldn't hesitate.

And she couldn't go back.

Across the street, his car remained parked, his figure alone in the dark, like someone left behind by everything that mattered.

Iris gripped the rough bark of the tree, her nails pressing into it as if anchoring herself in place.

Don't give in. Not now.

She repeated it over and over, holding onto that single thought.

She had made her choice.

She had taken the money.

And she had drawn a line that couldn't be crossed again.