His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 242: Too Close

The moment his hand touched her stomach, Iris reacted like a startled animal, shoving him away and stepping back quickly. "I'm fine," she said, her voice unsteady despite her effort to sound calm.

Her loose clothes hid everything, but that brief contact had been too close, too real.

Julian didn't press her. Instead, something seemed to click, and he turned abruptly, heading back into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a bag, pulling out items one by one and placing them into her hands.

"Ginger chews, lemon crackers, mango yogurt, mixed nuts," he said, watching her carefully. "These help with nausea."

Iris stared at him, her fingers tightening slightly around the items. "Why did you buy these?" she asked slowly. "Do you... know something?"

A flicker of something crossed his face before he masked it. "Know what?"

She didn't answer, just studied him, trying to read between what he said and what he didn't.

Julian let out a quiet breath, forcing a small, restrained smile. "You threw up the last time I saw you. Figured your stomach's been acting up."

Iris glanced down at what he had given her, her thoughts spiraling.

This wasn't random.

This was intentional.

Does he know? Or is he just guessing?

Before she could figure it out, his phone rang.

Julian pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and declined the call without hesitation. Then he held the phone up and recorded a quick voice message. "Busy. Don't call."

He sent it, powered the phone off, and tossed it onto the couch before stepping back toward her, his tone soft again as he lightly brushed her hair. "Sit down and eat something. I'll finish dinner."

With that, he turned and went back into the kitchen.

Iris stood there, absently smoothing her hair, her gaze fixed on his back, confusion settling deeper the longer she watched him.

Half an hour later, she sat at the table, staring at the spread in front of her. A full meal had been prepared, neatly plated, alongside the cup of mac and cheese he hadn't forgotten.

Julian stepped out of the kitchen after cleaning up, removed his apron, and took the seat across from her.

"Careful, it's hot," he said, placing a bowl of soup in front of her.

She looked at him, something complicated tightening in her chest. "You just ignored Lily's call. What if something happens to her?"

Julian served himself calmly, his tone even. "She has people around her. She'll be fine."

Iris pressed her lips together, said nothing more, and picked up her spoon.

Her phone rang.

An unfamiliar number.

She hesitated, then answered. "Hello?"

"Iris," Lily's voice came through, unusually calm. "Is Julian with you?"

Iris didn't respond immediately. Her gaze lifted toward Julian, who was watching her, unaware of who was on the line.

She took a slow breath. "How did you get my number?"

"That's not important," Lily replied lightly.

"It is to me," Iris said, her tone steady.

There was a brief pause before Lily answered, "I found it on his phone."

Iris's fingers tightened slightly around her phone, something uncomfortable settling deep in her chest.

That kind of access...

"Can you let him take the call?" Lily continued, her voice softening. "His phone's off."

Iris didn't say anything else. She simply held the phone out toward Julian.

He frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"Just take it."

Something in her tone made him take the phone without pressing further.

He glanced at the screen, then lifted it to his ear, his expression shifting the moment he heard the voice.

"Julian," Lily said, her voice carrying a fragile edge, "you haven't been back to Rosehill Estate in days. Your grandmother misses you. Everyone does. I tried calling earlier, but your phone was off. I figured you'd be with Iris."

Julian's expression hardened, irritation slipping through. "Where did you get her number?"

"I asked Celeste to help," Lily said. "It wasn't hard."

His patience thinned instantly. "What do you want?"

Her voice trembled. "I haven't been doing well. It's getting worse. I... I don't feel okay. Can you come back and see me?"

Julian's grip tightened slightly on the phone, his voice controlled but firm. "Lily, I've helped you before. More than once. But you don't get to keep using that to pull me back every time."

"I'm not doing it on purpose," she said quickly, her voice breaking. "I can't control it. Can you not talk to me like this?"

He exhaled, his tone cooling further. "You have your parents, your doctors, a full team around you. If it's that bad, get proper treatment. I'm not the solution."

There was a sharp silence before her voice came back louder, edged with desperation. "So she matters more than I do? She just lost a relationship. I'm talking about my life here. Does that mean less to you?"