His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 223: Breaking Point

"What happened?"

Iris caught his sleeve before he could brush past her, the question slipping out with more tension than she intended. Julian paused just long enough to turn back, his hands coming up to cup her face as if grounding her before she could spiral any further. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, his voice low and steady, the kind he used when he didn't want to explain but still needed her to stop worrying.

"It's nothing you need to stress about. Get some rest. I'll handle it and be back soon."

He didn't give her time to push for more. By the time she processed his answer, the door had already closed behind him, leaving the apartment wrapped in a silence that felt heavier than before.

Iris stood there for a moment, her chest tightening as unease crept in, slow and persistent.

If he can't tell me, then it's Lily. It has to be.

By the time Julian pulled up to the Prescott estate, the entire property was lit up like a scene out of an emergency broadcast. Red and blue lights cut through the night, washing over the white facade of the five-story mansion, and even from the driveway he could tell something was very wrong.

The house manager rushed him the second he stepped out of the car, visibly shaken and barely able to keep his voice steady. "Mr. Everhart, thank God you're here. Miss Prescott is on the roof. She's threatening to jump. She keeps saying she wants to see you one last time."

Julian didn't respond. He was already moving, taking the stairs two at a time.

The rooftop was chaos.

Floodlights cast harsh shadows across a crowd that had no idea what to do but stand there and watch things fall apart. Irene was crying uncontrollably, her voice breaking as she called out to her daughter, while Harold hovered beside her, pleading in a strained, desperate tone that carried across the space. Frederick and Vivian stood off to one side, their expressions tight, while firefighters coordinated quietly, keeping the air cushion positioned below.

Arthur noticed Julian first. "Julian's here."

Every head turned at once.

Julian stepped forward, his breathing still uneven, but his focus locked instantly on Lily.

She stood at the very edge of the rooftop.

Too close.

When she saw him, her composure cracked completely, tears spilling over as her voice trembled. "Julian... you came."

Before he could reach her, Irene and Harold rushed forward, gripping his hands like he was the only thing holding their daughter to this world.

"Julian, please," Irene sobbed, her voice shaking apart. "Save her. We're begging you. She didn't do anything wrong. She just loves you too much."

Frederick didn't wait. He stepped in and slapped Julian hard across the face, the sound sharp enough to silence the surrounding noise for a brief second. "Do you even understand what you've done?" he demanded, anger barely contained. "You called a press conference, denied the engagement without consulting anyone, and tanked both families' reputation overnight. Do you know what that's done to the companies? To her name?"

His voice rose, raw with frustration. "You've known her your whole life. Even if there's no love, there should be loyalty. Or were you trying to push her to this?"

Julian wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, saying nothing as he stepped past him, his attention never leaving Lily.

"Don't come any closer!" Lily's voice cracked as she straightened, her balance visibly unsteady as she shifted along the ledge.

Below, the firefighters adjusted the safety cushion, tracking every step she took.

"Lily," Julian said, his tone firm now, steady in a way that cut through the noise, "stop moving. Just stay where you are."

She froze, staring at him through tears that wouldn't stop falling. A fragile smile tugged at her lips, one that didn't reach her eyes. "Julian... I've loved you since we were kids. We grew up together. Everyone always said I'd be the one you'd marry." Her voice trembled. "I believed that. I thought it was just how things were supposed to end."

Her tears came harder, her breath uneven. "But I was wrong. I guess growing up together doesn't mean anything when someone else shows up."

She laughed softly, but it broke halfway through. "I know you've loved Iris for years. Since high school. Even when it hurt." Her gaze locked onto him, desperate and raw. "But what about me? I've been the same way. Since I was a kid, you were the only person I ever saw."

Her voice dropped, almost pleading. "I just wanted to be with you. Is that really so wrong?"

Julian swallowed hard, the tension in his body visible as he stepped closer, careful, deliberate. "You didn't do anything wrong," he said, his voice low but steady. "This is on me. But you need to come back. Think about your parents. They need you."

Lily's gaze flickered toward them before returning to him. "Answer me one thing first."

"Come here," Julian said, extending his hand toward her, his voice tightening. "We'll talk after."

"No." She shook her head slowly. "Answer me now."

The rooftop fell quiet.

"Did you ever love me?" she asked. "Even a little?"

Arthur stepped closer to Julian, lowering his voice. "She's in a severe depressive state. Just say yes. Get her back first."

Julian's jaw tightened, his hand curling into a fist at his side as the pressure from everyone behind him built, urging him to say whatever it took.

Lily swayed slightly.

Time was slipping.

"I like you," Julian said finally, each word measured. "I always have. You're bright, honest, easy to be around. I still like you."

Tears streamed down her face, but she smiled anyway, fragile and broken. "What kind of like?" she asked softly. "Like family? Like a friend? Or the kind that actually matters?"

Julian stepped closer, his hand still extended. "We've known each other for over twenty years. That kind of bond isn't something love replaces. Just come here. Give me your hand."

Her expression shattered.

"I was jealous of Iris," she admitted, her voice breaking completely. "I envied her. But mostly... I hated her. If she never existed, we'd already be married by now. We might even have kids."

Before anyone could react, she turned and ran.

Not toward the safety cushion.

Toward the unprotected edge.

"No!" Irene screamed before collapsing in Harold's arms.

Julian didn't think.

He moved.

In the same instant, he lunged forward, his body tipping dangerously over the edge as he caught Lily's wrist just as she slipped. A firefighter grabbed his leg, anchoring him as half his weight hung in open air.

Below, the cushion was being dragged into place.

Lily dangled, suspended between two outcomes.

She looked up at him and smiled, something final settling in her expression as she twisted her wrist.

"Goodbye, Julian."