His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 243: The Line He Draws

Julian's gaze settled on Iris, intense and unguarded.

She kept her head down, quietly eating her chicken soup, composed on the surface, but he knew her too well to believe she was unaffected. If anything, that calm only meant she was holding everything in.

She was pregnant, and she still hadn't told him.

That alone said everything.

She didn't want him involved. Didn't want him to be part of the child's life.

The realization hit harder the longer he sat there.

From the moment she was born, she had never really been chosen. Not by her parents, not in the way that mattered. The attention that should've been hers had always gone to Selena. The brother who once doted on her had slowly drifted away after getting involved with Celeste, until even he had ended up standing on the opposite side.

And through all of it, she had never fought back.

She simply endured.

Not because she didn't care, but because she was used to standing alone.

Because she had learned early on not to compete for anything, not even love.

Julian's chest tightened.

If he couldn't stand firmly beside her now, if he hesitated even a second longer, then what would she have left?

Nothing.

The memory of the hospital came back to him.

The day she took him in for blood work, he had already asked Owen to pull her medical records in advance. When he saw the report confirming her pregnancy, the shock had hit first, then something dangerously close to joy, the kind that made it impossible to think straight.

He hadn't been able to calm down for hours.

Later, when he had someone stay behind to retrieve the full report, he realized it was a screening for thalassemia. His own results came back clean, which meant the baby was safe.

That had lifted a weight he hadn't even realized he was carrying.

But what he had wanted, what he had been waiting for, was for Iris to tell him herself.

He had waited.

And waited.

She never said a word.

Now he understood why.

Even with a child between them, she still wasn't willing to choose him.

Julian's fingers tightened slightly around the spoon.

If I keep holding back, I'll lose both of them.

And Iris wasn't the type to fight for anything, not even him.

He went quiet for a long moment.

Across from him, Lily's voice broke through again, desperate and tearful. "Julian... please, just come back and see me. I won't get in the way anymore. I won't ask for a title or anything like that. I just... I just want to see you sometimes. Like before. We can just be friends. That's enough for me."

"Lily," Julian said, cutting her off, his voice sharp and unwavering, "in my world, Iris matters more than you ever will. If I lose her, I don't walk away from that. I'm done."

The words hit the room like a drop in temperature.

Iris's hand froze mid-motion, her body going still as if someone had hit pause.

On the other end, Lily's voice trembled. "So you're just going to watch me die?"

Julian let out a quiet, humorless breath, something bitter curling at the edges. "If you think you can't live without me, then understand this, I can't live without her either. So if it really comes down to one of us walking away, who do you think I'm choosing?"

Silence.

Lily didn't respond this time.

For the first time, she had nothing left to say.

Iris slowly set her spoon down and looked up at him. "Julian, give me my phone back. You should go."

Julian ended the call without another word and handed the phone over, then picked up his spoon again like nothing had happened. "You know, I think I just learned something from her," he said lightly. "Threatening to self-destruct really does make people bend."

Iris took the phone, immediately blocking the number before letting out a quiet breath. "So that's your plan now? Copy her?"

Julian shrugged, half amused. "If you kick me out, I might have to test it. Jump off your balcony or something."

Iris gestured toward the window without missing a beat. "It's unlocked. Go ahead."

He frowned slightly, the expression almost boyish in its disappointment. "You're cold."

"I'm serious," she said, her tone steady. "Whether you walk out the door or take the dramatic route, just leave."

Julian leaned back in his chair, the faint smile on his face turning thin, edged with something bitter. "Let me finish dinner first. Then I'll go. Fair?"

Iris glanced at the table.

There was no way she could finish all of it alone.

She exhaled quietly. "Eat. Then leave. And don't come back."

Julian didn't argue.

He just smiled faintly, picked up his fork, and placed a piece of fish into her bowl.

The rest of the meal passed in silence.

When they were done, he cleaned everything, washed the dishes, wiped down the kitchen until it was spotless.

By the time he stepped out, it was already past nine.

Iris had fallen asleep on the couch, a book still in her arms.

Julian slowed his steps, walking over quietly before lowering himself onto one knee. He carefully slid the book from her hands and set it aside, his movements gentle enough not to disturb her.

Then he looked at her.

Really looked.

Her cheeks carried a soft flush even in sleep, her breathing light and steady, her expression relaxed in a way he rarely saw when she was awake.

She didn't need makeup.

She never had.

There was something effortlessly beautiful about her, something that had caught him from the very beginning.

Without thinking, his fingers brushed lightly through the loose strands of hair along her cheek.

She shifted slightly.

Julian froze, pulling his hand back instantly, afraid of waking her.

His chest tightened again.

Pregnancy couldn't be easy. Not with her workload, not with everything she was carrying alone.

And he had been the one who pushed her to this point.

The guilt sat heavy.

He closed his eyes briefly.

How did I let it get this far...

Memories surfaced before he could stop them.

The first time he saw her.

She had been standing on a stage, still in high school, speaking as the city's top student, invited to give a talk. She had looked untouchable back then, sharp, confident, completely in her element, like everything about her belonged in that spotlight.

He had been hooked instantly.

And just as quickly, he had convinced himself she was out of reach.

Still, that hadn't stopped him.

He had started taking detours after school, riding extra miles just to pass by her campus, just to catch a glimpse of her walking out.