His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 213: No Way Out

Julian's eyes were bloodshot, a sheen of tears sitting in them he didn't bother to hide, his voice low and unsteady in a way that felt almost intimate. "Iris, I mean this. I respect you. If you really don't feel anything for me, I'll walk away."

That landed harder than she expected, but she didn't hesitate. "I don't. Not even a little."

He watched her for a second, then shook his head slowly, like he was humoring something he didn't believe. "No. You do."

A flicker of irritation crossed her face. "Julian, can you not do this? You don't get to decide how I feel."

"I'm not deciding," he said, calm but unyielding. "I'm just calling it how it is. When I was sick, you had options. You could've sent someone, had things delivered, kept your distance. But you didn't. You showed up, stayed, took care of me yourself. That's not nothing."

"That's called basic decency," she shot back, her patience thinning. "It doesn't mean I have feelings for you."

"It does when it's you," he said quietly, stepping closer, his voice dropping. "You made sure I ate, took my meds, stayed up with me, even helped clean me up. And you're still telling me there's nothing there?"

"Julian," she said, exasperated, his name carrying more warning than anything else.

"I'm not letting you go again," he cut in, his tone firm now, leaving no room for negotiation.

Her chest tightened, frustration mixing with something far less manageable. "You're going to make things worse for me if you keep pushing like this."

His expression shifted, something sharper flashing through his eyes. "Who's making things worse for you? Tell me. I'll deal with it."

That stopped her cold.

He reached up then, gently brushing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek like she was something fragile, something he refused to lose. "I'm done walking away from you."

She stepped back immediately, knocking his hand away. "Don't touch me again, or I'm calling the cops."

Instead of reacting, he frowned slightly, confusion breaking through his certainty. "What are you actually afraid of?"

Her voice turned flat. "Your father."

The effect was instant.

Julian stilled, the warmth in his expression fading into something heavier, darker, his eyes dropping just slightly as the reality of it settled in.

And in that silence, Iris felt her own resolve sink.

She understood him too well, and that was exactly why this could never work. No matter what he said or did, nothing would ever outweigh family.

"I'm exhausted, Julian," she said quietly, pressing a hand against his chest to create distance. "Just let this go. I want to go home."

He took a step back, but his gaze stayed locked on her. "Give me a little time."

Then he turned, like he had already made up his mind.

Her hand shot out before she could stop herself, grabbing his sleeve. "What are you planning to do?"

"Fix what's scaring you."

Her pulse spiked. "Are you serious right now? That's your dad."

Julian's eyes dropped to her hand gripping his arm, and something softened in his expression, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as if that alone told him everything he needed to know. He reached up and lightly brushed her hair, almost amused. "Relax. I'm not throwing my life away. I still plan on growing old with you."

She pulled back like she'd been burned, unease settling deep in her chest. "Julian, I'm not getting married, and I'm not dating anyone. Don't go up against your father because of me. It's not worth it."

"Then I won't date either," he replied without hesitation. "We'll just figure it out as we go."

"I don't want that," she said, dragging out the words, frustration slipping through despite herself.

He only smiled, like her refusal didn't quite register, like all he heard was the part where she still cared enough to argue.

"Go home," he said, taking her hand and walking her to the door. "I'll handle things on my end, then I'll come find you."

She pulled her hand free as she unlocked the door, her voice firm despite the tension in it. "Julian, I really don't want—"

"Get some sleep," he cut in lightly, guiding her inside before she could finish. "We'll talk later."

The door closed behind her before she had the chance to say anything else.

For a moment, Iris just stood there, staring at it, the quiet pressing in around her.

By the time she changed her shoes and made it to the couch, the exhaustion caught up to her all at once, and she dropped down into the cushions.

Her family situation was already enough to deal with.

Now Julian had forced his way back into her life, and if anything, that only made things more complicated.

The thought alone made her head ache.

If she hadn't gone to take care of him...

Her hand drifted down, resting instinctively against her lower abdomen.

What am I supposed to do now?

The next day around noon, Iris was in the company cafeteria halfway through lunch when her phone lit up with Zoe's name.

She picked up, her voice softer than usual. "Hey, what's going on?"

Zoe didn't bother easing into it. "You need to check the news. Julian held a press conference this morning. Everhart Group and Prescott Holdings both got hit hard. Their stocks dropped fast, and it's everywhere right now."

Iris froze, her grip tightening around her phone. "What are you talking about?"

She set her fork down and pulled up the headlines, her eyes scanning quickly before everything clicked into place.

Julian had publicly denied any engagement.

The market reaction had been immediate.

The losses were massive.

"Is he out of his mind?" she muttered under her breath, her fingers starting to shake.

He hadn't hesitated at all.

Not about the company, not about the fallout.

Just because he thought she still cared?

Zoe's voice came through again. "Why would he do something like that? Is he seriously trying to go against his dad?"

Iris exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. "Maybe. His dad handed control of the company to Caleb but still tried to use his marriage as leverage for a business deal. It's not exactly fair."

Zoe hesitated. "Still, moves like that usually benefit both sides. This feels personal. Are you sure this isn't about you?"

Iris didn't answer right away, her gaze dropping.

"Iris," Zoe pressed, "are you two back together?"

"No," she said quickly. "We're not. This is all him."

A brief silence followed.

"Are you sure it's just him?"