His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 205: Unwanted Calls

"That's complete bullshit," Iris snapped, her voice low but sharp.

She pulled the phone away from her ear, her expression tightening as a stream of crude insults kept spilling out from the other end. The language was ugly enough to make her stomach turn. She let it go on for a few seconds, then brought the phone back, her tone already cooling into something distant and final.

"I'm at work. If that's all you called for, I'm hanging up."

The shouting didn't stop.

It didn't even slow down.

Iris didn't bother responding again. She ended the call, powered her phone off, slipped it into her coat pocket, and walked straight toward her office without another thought.

When she stepped inside, she saw it immediately.

Another bouquet.

It sat neatly on her desk, fresh and carefully arranged, like it had been placed there with intention.

She stopped beside it, her gaze lingering for a moment, her expression unreadable.

A coworker leaned over, already reaching for the flowers with a grin. She lifted them, took a quick smell, then pulled out the card tucked between the stems.

"Okay, I'm impressed," she said, glancing at Iris. "This Dr. Ellison guy is persistent. A whole month of flowers, not one repeat, and every note's different. That's commitment."

Iris pressed her lips together faintly, then pulled out her chair and sat down.

"Same deal?" the coworker asked.

Iris gave a small nod.

"Perfect," the coworker said, already turning away with the bouquet. "Honestly, working with you has perks. Free flowers every day."

Another colleague leaned over the partition, clearly curious. "Hey, I heard the lead from Group One's been trying to ask you out too. You seriously not even thinking about it?"

Iris opened her laptop, her attention already shifting to the data on her screen. "No."

"Wow. That many guys chasing you and you're just... over it? That's got to be exhausting."

"I'm used to it," Iris said without looking up. "It's not a big deal."

The words slipped out too casually, and she immediately realized how that might sound, but instead of any resentment, the others just laughed it off.

"Well, yeah," someone chimed in. "With your face? College must've been worse. Way more competition."

Iris didn't respond, letting the conversation fade as she focused on her work.

A moment later, Nolan walked in, energy practically radiating off him.

"We've got good news," he announced. "We've been invited to the Medical Health Summit tomorrow. Iris, Cecilia, you're both going."

Iris's fingers paused on the keyboard. She looked up and stood. "Professor, I'd rather not attend."

Nolan frowned slightly, clearly surprised. "Why not? This is exactly the kind of event we need. It connects research with industry. Do you know how many labs are hoping to secure funding there? Major breakthroughs get unveiled at these conferences. It's a rare opportunity."

Iris hesitated. She couldn't exactly say the real reason out loud.

Julian would be there.

As CEO of Veritas Pharmaceuticals, there was no way he'd miss something like this.

"I just don't think—"

"No," Nolan cut in, his tone firm now. "Anyone else can skip it. You can't."

Iris went quiet.

"Your oncology project is making real progress," he continued, stepping closer. "But the toxicity issue is still a problem. We need a partner, and Aurelium Group has the kind of targeted delivery technology we need."

Cecilia let out a breath. "Aurelium Group? That's a global top-tier company. Everyone wants a deal with them. They might not even look at us."

Nolan clasped his hands behind his back, already turning to leave. "You won't know unless you try. It's decided."

The door closed behind him.

Iris sank back into her chair, covering her face with both hands as she let out a long, quiet breath.

The next day, just after noon, Iris and Cecilia arrived at the summit.

The venue was expansive and sleek, filled with a calm, professional energy. Researchers, physicians, and corporate representatives moved through the space, exchanging ideas in low, focused conversations.

When the conference began, presenters took turns stepping onto the stage, showcasing their latest findings on a massive screen.

At first, the crowd was too dense for Iris to pick out any familiar faces.

But when her turn came, as she stood at the front with the presentation remote in hand and scanned the audience, she saw him.

Julian.

He sat near the center, dressed in a black suit, composed and striking in a way that made him stand out even in a room full of accomplished professionals.

He was already looking at her.

Their eyes met.

His expression didn't change, calm on the surface, but there was something deeper in his gaze, something restrained and intense, like everything he wasn't saying was sitting just beneath it.

Iris's heartbeat kicked up instantly.

For a brief second, it felt louder than her own voice.

But when she started speaking, she didn't falter.

Her presentation focused on targeted therapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that most companies avoided because it simply wasn't profitable.

She moved through the material smoothly, confident and precise, fully in control.

Fifteen minutes later, the room broke into applause.

She stepped down and returned to her seat without looking in his direction again.

The conference ran for four hours.

By the time the presentations ended, the space shifted into networking mode, groups forming quickly as researchers and companies sought out potential collaborations.

While most people crowded around Aurelium Group's official representatives, Iris moved differently.

She had done her homework.

Using the photo Nolan had shown her, she scanned the room until she found her target.

Brandon Whitmore.

"Mr. Whitmore," Iris called, catching up to him.

He turned, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes when he saw her.

Iris smiled politely and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Iris. I'm a researcher at the State Research Institute."

Brandon shook her hand, his expression warm and easy. "Nice to meet you. Just to clarify though, I'm not here on the pharma side. I'm actually an OB-GYN."

He had an approachable presence, tall, well put together, the kind of person who made others feel at ease without trying.

Iris paused for a fraction of a second, then decided to be direct.

"I'm not here to pitch anything," she said. "I just wanted to ask if I could get your contact. Maybe your WhatsApp?"