His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 201: Public Scene

By the time voices started rising, people had already begun to gather. What started as a few curious glances quickly turned into a full-on sidewalk audience, coworkers lingering near the entrance, strangers slowing down just to watch the drama unfold.

Lily stood there in front of Iris, and whatever version of her that used to smile easily and act approachable was completely gone. There was nothing soft left in her expression now, only sharp resentment and something close to hostility.

"Iris," she said, her voice tight with anger, "Julian is my fiancé. If you keep inserting yourself into his life, I won't let it slide."

Iris let out a slow breath, lowering her hand as she met Lily's gaze without flinching. "I haven't seen Julian in two months," she said evenly. "So what exactly am I interfering with?"

Lily gave a short, disbelieving laugh, her eyes narrowing. "Two months? You expect me to believe that? He's been coming to see you almost every night. You think I wouldn't notice?"

For the first time, Iris actually looked thrown off.

Every night?

Aside from that one night she thought she was being followed, she hadn't seen Julian at all.

The crowd thickened, whispers spreading as people started piecing together their own version of the story.

Lily turned slightly, projecting her voice toward them. "She works here, right? This is the kind of person your company hires? Someone who goes after another woman's fiancé like this?"

The murmurs grew louder, judgment coming fast and unfiltered.

She pointed directly at Iris. "If I catch this happening again, it won't just be a slap next time."

Iris didn't respond to the threat. Instead, she reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and dialed 911 right there in front of everyone.

For a second, Lily just stared at her, completely stunned, before anger took over. She slapped the phone out of Iris's hand and grabbed her arm, her voice rising. "You think you can call the cops on me? Who do you think you are?"

At that exact moment, Nolan rushed out from inside the building, having heard the commotion. He stepped in immediately, pulling Iris behind him in a protective motion.

"Hey, let's take a step back," Nolan said, keeping his tone controlled. "If there's an issue, you can talk to me."

While he blocked her, Iris bent down, picked up her phone, and quietly turned on the voice recorder.

Lily didn't hold back. If anything, having an audience made her worse. The accusations came one after another, each harsher than the last, her words crossing every line without hesitation.

Nolan kept trying to calm things down, promising they would look into the situation and get clarity.

"That's not good enough," Lily snapped. "From what I know, this is a joint public-sector company. Don't you screen your employees? Or does basic character not matter anymore?"

Running out of options, Nolan turned slightly toward Iris. "Iris, maybe you should explain your side. Let's clear this up before it gets worse."

"There's nothing to explain," Lily cut in sharply.

Iris lifted a hand to her cheek, still feeling the dull sting, and said quietly, "Nolan, I'll handle it."

Her calmness only made the situation feel more tense.

The police arrived not long after.

Even then, Lily still carried herself like she was completely in the right.

"Who called 911?" one of the officers asked.

"I did," Iris said, stepping forward. "She hit me. I'd like to file a report and get a medical evaluation."

That was the moment Lily's confidence cracked, just slightly.

In the heat of her anger, she had forgotten something important. Iris might look quiet, even fragile, but she was not someone who backed down.

Both of them were taken to the precinct.

Iris went through the medical check immediately, then contacted a lawyer and formally filed complaints for assault, defamation, and harassment. The injury on her face was minor, soft tissue damage, but she refused to settle or withdraw anything. She wanted it handled through the proper legal process.

That was when Lily started to panic.

She called her parents.

Within half an hour, Harold and Irene showed up with two high-profile attorneys. Shortly after, Frederick and Vivian arrived as well, their presence alone shifting the atmosphere in the room.

Iris sat on a bench in the lobby, watching as Lily suddenly had an entire support system standing behind her.

The moment they walked in, Lily rushed over, grabbing onto them as she broke into tears, telling them Iris had been chasing Julian, refusing to let go, painting herself as the victim in every possible way.

It was a convincing performance.

But Iris barely looked at her.

Her attention was on Frederick.

The look he gave her was cold, measured, and deeply unsettling.

He didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Come to the West District precinct. Lily's here."

There was a pause.

"Iris is here too," he added.

The line went dead almost immediately.

He slipped the phone away and walked straight toward Iris, stopping in front of her with a presence that demanded attention.

"Miss Whitlow," he said, his voice cold and controlled, "you took the money, and now you're pulling this behind the scenes. That's bold."

Iris didn't rise to it. "Mr. Everhart, I've filed for defamation and harassment. Whether I'm right or wrong isn't for you to decide. The court will handle that."

"You won't get that far," Frederick replied without hesitation. "We'll resolve this before it ever reaches a courtroom. Once Julian gets here, I'll know exactly what's going on."

A flicker of tension passed through Iris's expression. "If you know him at all, you might want to reconsider that."

Frederick's gaze sharpened. "What, are you nervous now?"

"I'm saying this could get out of control," she said evenly.

He didn't take it seriously. "Then drop everything now. Otherwise, I'll make sure Julian knows exactly who you are, someone who took two hundred million and still wasn't satisfied."