His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 221: Stay Tonight

"What kind of reward?" Iris asked, looking at him with complete sincerity, like she actually expected a reasonable answer.

Julian didn't even pretend to think it over. "Kiss me."

She leaned in and pressed a quick, featherlight kiss to his lips, barely more than a brush before she pulled back.

Julian's expression shifted immediately, a faint crease forming between his brows as he looked at her, clearly unsatisfied. "That doesn't count."

A soft laugh slipped from her lips. "Why not?"

Before she could pull away any further, his hand came up to the back of her head, fingers threading into her hair as he guided her back down toward him. This time, the kiss wasn't light or fleeting. It deepened instantly, slow and deliberate, leaving her breath uneven as she tried to keep up.

When he finally pulled back, he didn't go far. His forehead hovered close to hers, his breath warm as it brushed along her cheek and down the curve of her neck, sending a subtle tension through her body.

"Iris," he murmured, his voice low, almost coaxing, "can I sleep in the bed tonight?"

Her lashes fluttered, her voice instinctively guarded. "And what exactly are you planning to do?"

A quiet chuckle escaped him, low and rough. "Nothing. I just don't feel like sleeping on the floor again."

That softened something in her.

She hesitated, her thoughts drifting briefly to the early stage of her pregnancy, the uncertainty, the caution she couldn't ignore. "You're really not going to try anything?"

Julian's lips curved faintly. "I'll just hold you. That's it."

She studied him for a moment, weighing it, then gave a small nod.

The second she agreed, Julian stood and lifted her into his arms without warning.

She startled, her hands flying up to his shoulders. "Wait, now? We're going to bed right now?"

"It's late," he said simply, already carrying her toward the bedroom.

He set her down gently on the bed, pulling the covers over her with a kind of quiet care that made it hard to argue with him.

She shifted slightly to make space, and he slid in beside her, his arm slipping under her neck before drawing her close against his chest.

The warmth under the covers built quickly, his body heat seeping into her, his scent familiar in a way that made it hard to stay completely guarded.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Iris, I was thinking..."

Her heart skipped, and she cut him off immediately. "Don't. I'm exhausted."

Julian let out a quiet laugh, whatever he'd been about to say dying on his lips. He shifted slightly, putting just enough space between them to keep himself in check, though his arm remained firmly around her.

His hold was steady, protective, almost too tight.

Pregnancy had been draining her more than she expected. It didn't take long before her breathing slowed, her body relaxing as sleep pulled her under, right there in his arms.

The next evening, Iris stayed at her desk long after work should have ended, her eyes drifting back to her phone again and again.

Julian's plan had sounded bold, maybe even a little reckless, but it was the only way to force a clean break from everything that had been weighing her down. Whether it would actually work was another question entirely.

Her phone rang suddenly, cutting through the silence.

She grabbed it instantly. "Hello?"

Grace's voice came through sharp and furious, barely controlled. "Iris, what did you do? How much money do you owe? There are people here saying you're in debt, demanding payment. What is going on?"

Iris didn't react, her tone calm and steady. "Where are you? Send me the address. I'll come now."

Grace snapped out the address to Selena's hillside villa.

Iris didn't waste another second. She grabbed her bag, headed out, and called a ride.

By the time she arrived, about thirty minutes later, the sun had already started to dip, casting long shadows across the property.

The house itself sat halfway up the hill, private and upscale, the kind of place meant to impress.

The moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere hit her.

Five or six men stood in the living room, their expressions hard, their presence loud enough to fill the space. The second they saw her, they moved, closing in fast.

Instinctively, Iris stepped back, her pulse jumping at the sudden pressure.

"Iris, you need to pay up."

"Yeah, you think you can just walk away from that kind of debt?"

Voices overlapped, aggressive and heated, but despite the show of force, no one actually touched her.

Because she already knew.

Julian had prepared her for this.

Without that warning, the scene alone might have been enough to shake her.

Ethan rushed over, his face tight with concern. "What is this? How do you owe this much money?"

Selena stood off to the side with her arms crossed, watching everything unfold with a skeptical, almost detached expression, like she didn't believe any of it.

Keith and Grace looked overwhelmed, panic and anger tangled together.

One of the men stepped forward, his tone sharp. "You took goods from us and never paid. It's been two years. When are you settling this?"

"That's right. When are you paying us back?"

Selena let out a short, cold laugh. "I just did the math. It's around 350 million. Your old company couldn't have burned through that kind of money. So what is this really?"

Grace looked like she was about to lose it. "How could you owe that much?"

Iris took a slow breath. "It all went into research."

Grace slapped her thigh in frustration. "Are you out of your mind? That kind of money, how are you supposed to pay it back?"

One of the men glanced around, his eyes landing on the house. "Nice place. We can take this as partial payment."

That was enough to snap Selena out of her detached stance. "This house isn't hers. You don't get to touch it."

Grace immediately backed her up. "Exactly. This has nothing to do with her. If you want money, go after her."

Keith's patience ran out completely. "We don't have anything for you. If you don't leave, I'm calling the police."

The man didn't budge. "You're her family. That makes it your problem too."

Selena scoffed. "Since when?"

"Since you're her sister."

"Not happening."

The man turned to Grace instead. "Then you pay. You're her parents."

Grace's composure broke, panic flooding in. "She's an adult. This has nothing to do with us."

Voices erupted again, louder, more chaotic.

"If she doesn't pay, we'll take this to court."

"Yeah, we can make sure she goes to jail."

Another man stepped closer, his gaze lingering on Iris in a way that crossed a line.

Ethan reacted instantly, shoving him back and stepping in front of her. "Don't touch her."

"Debt has to be paid," the man shot back.

Ethan's chest rose and fell, his voice tight with anger. "Fine. I'll pay it. I'll figure it out."

That only earned him a scoff. "You couldn't pay that off in a lifetime."

Grace dropped to the floor, crying loudly, the situation completely out of control.

Off to the side, Selena's expression shifted, suspicion finally creeping in. She turned away, pulling out her phone and dialing Lily.