His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 230: Wrong Setup

Iris let out a quiet breath as she glanced back at Brandon, who followed them without comment. The three of them returned to the table, but the atmosphere had shifted in a way that wasn't easy to ignore.

Zoe recovered first.

She settled into her seat, posture relaxed, tone easy again, but her attention stayed on Brandon, observant in a way that made her intentions obvious.

After they ordered, she leaned forward slightly. "So, Brandon," she said, "what do you do?"

"I'm an attending OB-GYN," he replied calmly.

Zoe blinked, clearly not expecting that, then let out a small, awkward laugh. "Oh. That's... actually great. Stable career."

Iris lifted her glass, taking a sip to hide her expression.

Zoe kept going. "What about your family?"

"My grandmother, my father, and me."

"Nice. Financially stable?"

"Yes."

"Own place? Car?"

"Yes."

She nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Would you be okay dating someone who's been married before? Maybe even has a kid?"

Brandon paused, a hint of confusion crossing his face.

Iris nearly choked.

She reached over immediately, pressing Zoe's hand down and leaning in. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

Zoe frowned. "You brought him here, didn't you? I'm helping you figure him out."

"That's not what this is," Iris muttered, mortified.

Their voices were low, but not low enough.

Brandon gave a small, easy smile, like he wasn't saying anything out of the ordinary. "I mean, Iris did set this up," he said casually, his tone light but intentional, "but I'm pretty sure this isn't just a thank-you dinner. Feels more like she's introducing us."

The words landed harder than they should have.

Iris felt it instantly, like something sharp hitting her out of nowhere, catching her completely off guard.

Wait... what?

She stared at him, genuinely stunned.

This was supposed to be a simple dinner, just a way to thank him for helping her out. Somewhere along the way, it had turned into something else entirely, and she hadn't even realized it.

And the worst part?

It came from Brandon himself.

With one sentence, he cleared up any misunderstanding and smoothly shifted the dynamic, turning the situation to his advantage without missing a beat.

Across the table, Zoe had gone completely still.

The confidence she'd carried just moments ago disappeared, replaced by hesitation. A faint flush crept across her cheeks as she struggled to process what was happening, her usual ease giving way to visible discomfort and uncertainty.

Brandon leaned forward, resting his hands lightly on the table, his tone turning direct, almost formal. "I'm thirty. Single. I don't smoke, rarely drink, no gambling, no nightlife habits. I keep a steady routine, no bad habits, and I stay on top of my health. I own my home, have a car, investments, and savings."

"Okay, wait," Zoe cut in quickly, raising a hand, her smile stiffening as her thoughts scrambled.

Under the table, she reached over and pinched Iris hard.

Iris flinched, pulling back, shooting her a look.

Zoe leaned in, whispering through a strained smile. "You know I'm not into marriage. Why would you set me up like this?"

Iris stared at her, helpless.

I didn't. He just turned it into one.

Before she could explain, the server arrived with their food.

"Let's just eat," Iris said quickly, seizing the distraction.

"Yeah. Let's do that," Zoe muttered, clearly trying to recover.

The mood shifted.

Zoe, usually the most talkative person in the room, went quiet, focusing on her food, though every so often she glanced up at Brandon, something about him clearly nagging at her memory.

Then it clicked.

She looked up suddenly. "You work at the hospital next door, don't you?"

Brandon nodded. "I do."

Zoe's expression changed immediately.

Her voice lowered, cautious now. "Have we... met before?"

Brandon held her gaze for a moment before answering calmly, "Yes. You had a follow-up appointment scheduled. You didn't come back. Your—"

He didn't finish.

Zoe set her fork down, grabbed her bag, and stood up so fast the chair scraped loudly against the floor. Without saying another word, she turned and walked out.

By the time Iris reacted, she was already outside.

They followed, but it was too late. Zoe had flagged down a cab and left.

Iris stood there for a moment, then turned back to Brandon, frustration and worry clear in her voice. "You can like her, that's your choice," she said, "but you can't use me like that. She's sensitive about this kind of thing. What if she stops talking to me because of this?"

Brandon exhaled, regret flickering across his face. "I didn't think she'd react that strongly. I'm sorry."

Iris let out a breath, shaking her head. "You're a doctor. You're used to this. It's normal to you. But for her, it's not. She's never been in that situation with a man before. Do you understand how uncomfortable that is for her?"

"I do now," he said quietly.

Her phone buzzed.

She glanced down at the message, her tone flattening slightly. "You framed this like a setup, then casually mentioned you were her doctor. That's basically every red flag at once. You're not getting another chance."

Brandon didn't argue.

Iris looked at her phone again.

Zoe's message read:

"I have never been this embarrassed in my life. I'm cutting you off for the next five hundred years."