His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 198: Old Wounds

"I haven't had time," Iris said with a faint smile, absently pressing a hand against her stomach as a dull ache started to build.

Zoe didn't ease into it. "Julian's engaged."

Iris froze.

The smile on her face stiffened, then slowly faded. A few seconds passed before she forced it back into place, something thinner this time. "That has nothing to do with me."

Zoe sighed. "I know. You're divorced. I just didn't think he'd actually go through with marrying Lily."

A server set their drinks down.

"Thanks," Iris said, wrapping her hands around the cup, taking a small sip just to have something to do, her eyes dropping to the coffee.

"It makes sense, though," she added quietly. "Their families match. That's exactly what Frederick wanted."

Zoe leaned in, lowering her voice. "But here's the weird part. He's not in any of the coverage." She pulled up a video and held her phone out. "This is from the engagement party. Tons of guests, reporters, both families... but no Julian anywhere."

Iris didn't even look at it.

"Zoe," she said softly, her voice losing some of its strength, "can we not talk about him?"

Zoe hesitated, then nodded. "You're right. He's someone else's fiancé now."

Iris's stomach twisted sharply, a wave of nausea hitting her out of nowhere. She pressed her hand against it, her brows knitting together.

Zoe noticed immediately. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I've just been busy," Iris said, trying to brush it off. "Not eating regularly. I probably messed up my stomach."

She lifted her coffee again, but Zoe reached out and stopped her.

"You're feeling sick and you're still drinking coffee?"

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't. Let's go to the hospital." Zoe was already halfway out of her seat.

Iris grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. "I'm serious, I just need a minute."

Zoe sighed, settling back into her chair. "You've always had a solid routine. How did it get this bad?"

"Stress," Iris said simply.

Zoe leaned forward, curiosity taking over. "So what's going on with work?"

That was enough to shift something in Iris.

A real smile finally appeared, small but genuine. "I found a compound in a rare medicinal plant that's extremely effective at killing cancer cells. We're cultivating it now for further testing. If things go well, primary central nervous system lymphoma might actually be treatable in the near future."

Zoe's eyes lit up instantly. "That's huge. Your professors must be losing their minds."

Iris let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah... they're excited."

Then her expression softened slightly. "I just wish I still had my company. I put a lot into it."

Zoe rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "You never should've sold it. You burned through everything for your dad's treatment and your brother's debt, and what did you get back? Nothing. They just took it like they were entitled to it."

Iris didn't respond, just gave a faint, tired smile.

Zoe leaned in again, lowering her voice. "You were right before. Selena stirred things up between you and your parents, Celeste did the same with your brother... that was all Lily pulling strings." She hit the table lightly with her fist. "You were right to walk away from your family. I'm on your side."

Before Iris could respond, Zoe suddenly lit up, looking toward the entrance and waving.

"Over here!"

Iris followed her gaze.

Arthur walked in, dressed casually, glasses catching the light, every bit the polished, easygoing professional.

The smile on his face made her skin crawl.

She had never told Zoe what he had done, what he had tried to set her up for. She didn't want to ruin their friendship.

"Hey," Arthur said as he reached the table, taking the seat next to Zoe, his eyes settling on Iris with a look that lingered a little too long. "It's been a while."

Iris didn't answer. She turned to Zoe instead. "I actually have something to take care of, I should—"

Zoe grabbed her wrist before she could stand. "You're not busy. And you're too smart not to figure this out already."

Iris frowned. "Figure what out?"

Zoe grinned, completely unapologetic. "My brother likes you. He asked me to set this up."

Iris slowly clenched her hand, forcing herself to stay calm.

She has no idea... just stay calm.

"Zoe," she said evenly, "I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I want to focus on my career."

"Just give him a chance," Zoe insisted. "He's a good guy. He's driven, responsible, and—okay, maybe not movie-star level, but he's decent. Just try, that's all I'm asking."

Iris let out a short breath, irritation slipping through. "I'm not even considering Julian. What makes you think I'd consider him?"

Zoe raised both hands in surrender, glancing at Arthur like she'd done all she could.

Arthur adjusted his glasses, his smile faint, unreadable. "Julian lives in a completely different world from you," he said calmly. "You and I, though... we match. Same background, same mindset." His gaze held hers. "Iris, give me a chance."

Iris didn't respond.

She just looked at him.

And the longer she did, the more certain she became. There was no warmth in his eyes.

No hesitation. No sincerity.

Just something hidden, something calculating, buried too deep to read clearly. It didn't look like interest.

It looked like something else entirely. And that made her uneasy in a way she couldn't ignore.

What does he actually want from me?