His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 240: What You Never Knew

Iris's voice softened, but the disappointment in it didn't fade. "I gave you a choice once, between me and Lily. You couldn't choose. You wanted love, but you also wanted her to live, to be okay. So I left. And now you're blaming me for not letting you help?"

Julian's hands slowly dropped, the strength in them gone as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, like he was trying to hold himself together.

Iris walked past him.

For a moment, he didn't follow.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly, the pressure in his chest almost unbearable.

Then he moved.

By the time Iris stepped out into the sunlight, the brightness of the day felt almost out of place against everything she was feeling. The street was quiet, the world moving normally, completely unaware of what had just unfolded.

She headed toward the institute, her pace quick, determined.

Footsteps followed.

Julian caught up and stepped in front of her, blocking her path, his expression stripped of its usual control, leaving behind something raw and unguarded.

Iris stopped, anger rising again. "Can you just stay away from me?"

"No," Julian said, his voice unsteady, a strained smile pulling at his lips. "You're right about a lot of things. My father, Lily, they're part of my life. I grew up with them. You think I can't deal with them, and maybe you're right." He paused, his eyes locking onto hers. "But answer me this, Iris. Have I ever mattered to you?"

The question caught her off guard.

Julian stepped closer, his voice dropping, raw and unfiltered. "Did you ever love me? Even a little? Even if it wasn't real, even if it was just something you said to keep me around, did you ever feel anything at all?"

Iris froze.

Julian looked like he was breaking, his eyes wet, his hands trembling slightly as they lifted to hold her face.

"Did you ever give me hope?" he continued, his voice cracking. "Even once. Because if you had, I would've fought the whole world for you."

Pain tightened in Iris's chest, sharp and suffocating, tears rising before she could stop them.

Had she hidden everything too well?

Had she given him nothing to hold onto?

Julian let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "From the way you walked away back then to how far you're pushing me now... how much do you hate me?"

Iris couldn't answer.

Tears slipped down her face in silence.

The moment Julian saw them, his expression shifted instantly, panic replacing everything else. His voice softened, almost instinctively. "Hey, don't cry. You shouldn't get this upset. It's okay. This is on me, not you."

He wiped her tears gently and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, his voice low and soothing. "I shouldn't have pushed you. I shouldn't have expected anything. If you don't love me, that's okay. If you can't say it, that's okay too."

There was something fragile in the way he spoke, something that made it harder to pull away.

Iris leaned into him before she realized it, her face pressed against his chest, the warmth breaking through her defenses.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly.

Julian stilled, then tightened his hold. "Marry me," he said softly. "Or tell me you love me."

She didn't answer right away.

For a moment, everything went quiet. Then something inside her gave.

"I did love you," she said.

The words came slowly, but once they started, they didn't stop. "You were the first person who ever made me feel anything real. Those two months before we got married were the happiest time in my life. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have married you. I wouldn't have stayed through two years of distance. I wouldn't have needed six months to move on after the divorce."

She stopped herself before saying more.

Too much had already slipped out.

Julian's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer, as if letting go wasn't an option anymore.

Iris pushed against him, forcing space between them, her voice firm again. "But that's over. I want distance now. A real ex doesn't stay in your life. They disappear."

Julian shook his head slightly, his voice low. "Iris... let's get married again."

That snapped everything back into place.

She pushed him away immediately.

"No," she said, her tone cold and final.

Then she turned.

"Don't come looking for me again."