His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 197: Burn the Bridge

Julian's expression hardened as he looked at Iris, saying nothing, but the silence carried more weight than any argument.

Iris let out a slow breath, steadying herself before she spoke. "If you pull something like this again, I'm calling the police. I'll take it to court if I have to."

He didn't even blink. "Go ahead. I don't care. I can do time."

The words hit harder than she expected, knocking the air out of her. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides as frustration and something deeper twisted in her chest. She forced herself to breathe, her voice tightening. "Don't push me."

Julian stepped forward instead, closing the distance, his hand reaching for hers like it belonged there. "You're the one pushing me."

Iris jerked her hand away, her heart clenching painfully as heat rushed to her eyes. "If you keep this up," she said, her voice shaking despite her effort to stay firm, "I'll request a transfer overseas. I'll leave."

That stopped him.

A flicker of something raw crossed Julian's face, his brows drawing together as disbelief gave way to something heavier. "I asked you to move abroad before. You wouldn't even consider it." His voice dropped. "And now you'd leave just to get away from me?"

"Yes."

The word came out clean, decisive, and it cut both of them.

She could see it land, see the way his eyes darkened, how the disappointment settled in like something physical. It felt like a blade turning in her own chest at the same time.

He looked away for a second, shoulders dropping as if the weight finally got to him. When he looked back, there was no anger left, just something worn down and aching.

"Iris," he said quietly, his voice rough, barely holding together, "we were married for two years. Did you ever love me?"

Her throat burned.

Her hands tightened into fists as she swallowed back everything trying to rise up, forcing the words out anyway.

"Not once."

Julian let out a short, hollow laugh, the kind that sounded worse than breaking down. He turned his head toward the balcony, like he needed a second to breathe, then looked back at her.

"You knew I'd been into you for years," he said, his voice uneven now. "Did that ever mean anything to you? Even a little?"

Her fingers trembled, pain spreading through her chest so sharply it almost made her dizzy. She kept her tone flat, controlled to the point of cruelty. "No. If anything, it just made me uncomfortable."

That did it.

Julian pressed his lips together, letting out another quiet, humorless laugh, his eyes completely red now, tears pooling but not falling yet. He tipped his head back, dragging in a long breath like he was trying to swallow it all down.

Iris dropped her gaze, unable to meet his eyes anymore, forcing herself to keep going before she lost the nerve.

"Honestly," she said, her voice deliberately cold, "money matters more to me than you ever did. I took two hundred million from your dad. That alone should tell you this was never going anywhere. You should stop."

His hand clenched so tightly the veins stood out along the back of it, his voice breaking despite him trying to hold it steady. "If it's money you want, I'll give it to you. Ten times that. Is that enough?"

Iris shot to her feet, the movement sharp, her composure finally cracking as tears blurred her vision. "This isn't about how much," she snapped. "It's that I'd still choose the money over you. Do you get that? And if you don't stop, I'll sue you. If that doesn't work, I'll disappear. I'll go somewhere you'll never find me."

Julian's fist trembled.

He knew her well enough to understand that she meant every word.

Once Iris made a decision, she didn't go back on it.

There was nothing left to say.

She turned, walked to the door, and pulled it open. "You should go. This ends here."

For a long moment, he didn't move.

He just looked at her.

Then, finally, a tear slipped free, tracing slowly down his face before falling to the floor.

His jaw tightened, his throat working as he held everything else in, but the silence in the room had already turned suffocating, heavy enough to crush anything still left between them.

After what felt like forever, Julian moved.

He walked over to the entryway, changed his shoes without a word, and passed by her without stopping, his expression completely shut down.

Then he left.

Just like that.

The door closed behind him, and Iris stood there for a second before everything collapsed at once.

She pressed both hands over her face as her knees gave out, sliding down against the door until she hit the floor.

Her chest felt like it had been torn open, like something inside her had been crushed beyond repair. The pain came in waves, sharp and relentless, making it hard to even breathe.

I'm sorry, Julian... I'm so sorry.

She had tried marriage.

Now she had tried love.

And both had left her with the same conclusion.

Feelings only made things messy. They got in the way. They ruined focus, derailed plans, and pulled her away from the future she actually wanted.

She stayed there for a long time, crying until her eyes burned and swelled, until it felt like she had nothing left to give.

At some point, she forced herself back up.

The bowl of chicken noodle soup sat on the table, untouched.

She picked up the spoon with shaking hands and ate anyway, each bite heavy, sticking in her throat, almost impossible to swallow.

It was the worst thing she had ever tasted.

After that day, Julian never came back.

Not once.

Life slipped back into a routine, clean and controlled. The lab, her apartment, back and forth, day after day. Reading, research, long hours, and eventually, she earned her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences along the way.

Two months passed in what felt like no time at all.

Winter faded, and spring took its place.

She was on her way out when Zoe called, asking her to meet at Lucky Café.

Iris arrived in a hurry, spotting Zoe immediately as she waved her over from a table by the window.

"Iris, over here."

Iris smiled lightly as she walked over, setting her bag down. "What's the occasion? You finally have time to sit down for coffee?"

Zoe grabbed her phone to place an order. "I'm not that busy today. What do you want?"

"Latte. Extra milk, extra sugar."

Zoe looked up, surprised. "Since when do you go for sweet?"

Iris gave a small, helpless shrug. "Lately I've just been craving it. Probably stress. Work's been a lot."

Zoe placed the order, set her phone aside, and folded her hands on the table, her expression suddenly serious. "Have you seen the news?"