His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 19: Capitalists

Julian flipped through the documents slowly, not in any rush. Iris closed her laptop and started tidying the table.

Once everything was put away, she sat upright on the sofa, exactly three feet away from him, waiting silently for his response.

He was dressed down in pale loungewear, brows slightly furrowed, eyes focused on the proposal. Even in casual clothes, he radiated a quiet authority that filled the room.

And it made her nervous.

She knew Julian was only giving her this opportunity because of Beatrice. She wasn't expecting a miracle.

After all, her company wasn't profitable right now. And no serious investor would throw money into a business with no clear future.

Julian closed the proposal and said flatly, with a trace of irony, "If you were just a regular investor, no personal stakes, would you put your own money into this?"

Iris bit her lower lip lightly. She couldn't lie to him. She let out a long breath, nodded... then shook her head.

Julian summed it up. "Targeted drugs for rare diseases are the most expensive to develop and the least profitable. Long-term effort, very little return."

Iris couldn't help but lean in, reaching out to flip to a specific page. "Look here. I'm not just working on rare disease treatments. I've already got two vaccines in clinical trials. Side effects are minimal, and early results are extremely promising..."

Julian lowered his gaze to her face, listening. His voice came out low and rough. "I saw that. The virus you're talking about has high mortality, yes, but it doesn't spread easily. As long as proper containment measures are in place, it's unlikely to cause a major outbreak. That's why the big pharmaceutical companies didn't invest in the vaccine—no profit."

"But just because it doesn't make money doesn't mean we let people die from it, right?" Iris met his eyes, her voice steady.

Julian explained calmly, "You want to save lives. That's noble. But in reality, research only moves forward when there's funding. And funding comes when someone sees a profit."

Iris sighed. "So bottom line, you don't think it's a good investment."

"Exactly," he said without hesitation.

"What if I actually succeed? What if I develop two drugs that work?" Iris challenged.

Julian gave a slight smirk. "Can I set the price?"

She froze. He asked again, "Would you agree to selling a single dose for a million?"

Iris took a deep breath and shook her head.

He could see straight through her. She had the heart of a real researcher, someone who genuinely cared about people. But that also meant she'd never make it as a businesswoman.

She knew how to make medicine, not money.

And that's exactly why she refused to join any big corporation—she couldn't stand being part of that game.

Julian handed the proposal back to her. "You're the kind of researcher the government loves—dedicated, selfless. You should look for national grants. That way, if your drug works, it can go on the public insurance list. Regular families could actually afford it."

Iris mumbled under her breath, "Government funding for small biotech labs like ours is pretty limited. It's nowhere near enough to cover real development costs."

Julian didn't respond. He stood up and started walking back to his room.

Iris jumped to her feet, blurting out, "Julian, can you please think about it a little more?"

He stopped in his tracks, back still facing her, completely still.

That one word—Julian—said everything. No title. No pretense. And just like that, this had become the longest real conversation they'd had in two years.

After a moment, he turned and walked toward her.

The space between them closed, just barely enough to feel charged. The faint scent of cedar on his skin drifted into her nose, subtle but sharp enough to make her heart skip. Her chest tightened, ripples spreading across the stillness inside her.

His voice was rough and low. "I'll give you fifty million. Plus three GMP-grade production lines, and a twenty-person R&D team."

The number hit her like a bomb, shaking something loose inside her. For a second, her brain stopped working.

Then his voice came again, steady and direct. "I want 51% of the company."

Her eyes darkened instantly. She frowned. "How is that different from a takeover?"

Julian looked calm, completely confident. "The difference is, you won't have to worry about money anymore. You'll be free to focus on your research."

Iris clenched her fists, frustration rising in her chest.

He added, "If you decide to accept, come to my company and sign the papers."

With that, he turned and walked off toward his room.

Iris sank down onto the sofa, too drained to respond. She closed her eyes, trying to process everything.

Her thoughts ran in loops. Julian's conditions echoed over and over, mixing with every setback she'd faced, every late night spent chasing a breakthrough.

That night, she barely slept.

She didn't want to give up this investment—it could completely turn her company around. But Julian's terms felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her, making it impossible to breathe.

The next morning, after wrapping up her work at the lab, she got in a cab and headed straight to Everhart Group.

She'd never been to his company before. She hadn't expected the drive to take so long. Even without traffic, she sat in that cab for a full hour and a half.

She thought back to Julian.

Aside from business trips, he came home every single night. Rain or shine. No exceptions.