His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 301: A Blade for Her

Out of nowhere, a figure charged forward, and a blade glinted sharply as it was thrust straight toward Iris' heart.

In that split second, Julian didn't have time to react—he just threw himself in front of her without even thinking.

The sharp edge plunged deep into his back.

All the bodyguards rushed into the room at once.

Seeing the situation turning against him, the attacker yanked the knife out, spun around, and leaped right out the window.

A few of the guards quickly took off after him.

The others hurried over to Julian, forming a protective circle around him and Iris.

"Mr. Everhart, we need to get you to a hospital," one of them said, pressing hard against Julian's bleeding chest.

Julian's lips had gone pale, his breathing uneven. "Never mind me—take Iris first."

"Yes, sir." The guard lifted Iris carefully, and several others swiftly escorted her out, shielding her as they moved.

Only one guard stayed behind with Julian.

Gritting his teeth, Julian pushed himself up. His body was throbbing, blood still seeping through his clothes. He turned to the cold-faced Arden and spoke, each word deliberate. "Whatever secret Iris might have found... she won't be saying a word about it. And I'd appreciate it if you'd leave her alone from now on."

Arden pulled out a cigarette, took a slow drag, and gestured toward Julian's wound. "You've got guts, Mr. Everhart. Another inch and that blade would've gone straight through your heart. But since you're willing to put your life on the line for her... who am I to argue?"

"Thanks," Julian replied coldly. Then, bracing against the pain, he turned and walked out.

The guard helped him to the car, and they sped off toward the nearest hospital.

Julian slumped in the back seat, his face growing paler by the minute. His breathing grew shallow, and he began drifting in and out of consciousness.

The guard glanced back anxiously. "Mr. Everhart, why didn't we call the police? They could've helped."

Julian's voice was faint, strained. "If the police get involved, it ties Iris to them publicly. Those drug lords... they'd make sure she didn't last long after that."

The guard clenched his jaw. "They cover their tracks way too well. No evidence, nothing. Even the narcotics unit can't pin them down. We're out here in the open—they're in the shadows. It's hard to protect against that."

"First," Julian murmured weakly, "we need to figure out how Iris crossed paths with people like that. Then we can decide what to do next."

Iris felt like she'd just narrowly escaped death. When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a plain white hospital ceiling.

She heard her daughter crying softly beside her.

"Mommy... Mommy..."

Iris' chest tightened. She was still alive?

She turned her head and saw Harper's tear-streaked face, her little eyes red and swollen from crying. A wave of relief and sadness washed over her at once.

Reaching out with a trembling hand, she brushed Harper's cheek. "It's okay, sweetie... Mommy's okay now."

"You call this okay?" came Zoe's voice, thick with emotion.

Iris looked over and saw her friend standing near the foot of the bed.

She glanced around, finally taking in the sterile room—she was in a hospital.

A weak smile touched her lips. "How did I end up here?"

"Some guys brought you in. I didn't really get a good look at them."

"Who were they?"

"No idea. The nurse said they checked you in, paid upfront, and just... left."

Iris immediately pressed her fingers to her neck, then her wrist, panic rising in her voice. "Did they... inject me with anything?"

Zoe looked confused. "Inject you? Like what?"

"My lab results—can you get them for me?"

"They're with the doctor, but try not to worry. They said it's mostly surface injuries. Nothing internal. You just need rest."

Iris let out a shaky breath, relief slowly settling in.

Harper buried her face against Iris' side, sobbing quietly. "I missed you so much, Mommy... Why did you get hurt?"

Zoe pulled up a chair. "Yeah, what actually happened? After you sent me that SOS, I called the cops right away. We tracked you to that orchard up in the hills, but then... you were just gone. You vanished for two whole days. I was going out of my mind looking for you."

Iris frowned slightly. "When you and the police searched the orchard... did anything seem off to you?"

"Not really. It's a huge property—rows of fruit trees, a couple of storage sheds. Nothing stuck out."

Iris fell quiet, thinking hard. She still couldn't piece together why they'd let her go.

Were the men who dropped her at the hospital working for Arden? That didn't add up.

And aside from the soreness and bruises, she didn't feel any different—no strange substances in her system, no aftereffects.

She held Harper a little closer, grateful just to be alive.

Her injuries turned out to be minor—nothing a little time wouldn't heal.

Before long, her strength began to return.

Late that night, when everything was quiet and Harper had fallen asleep in her arms, Zoe was still keeping her company by the bed.

Iris gently smoothed her daughter's hair and asked softly, "Did Julian say why he didn't come to get Harper today?"

Zoe shook her head and sighed. "He just dropped her off with me and disappeared. That man... I swear. I mean, you two were married. You share a daughter. You go missing for two days, and he doesn't even check in? You're lying here in a hospital bed and he can't bother to visit?"

Iris gave a faint, tired smile. "Can't really blame him, can I?"

"Let's not even get started on men. Anyway, you have to tell me what really happened these past couple of days."

Iris stayed quiet.

She was already tangled up in this mess because of Celeste—no way was she dragging Zoe into something this dangerous.

The less Zoe knew, the safer she'd be.

"Come on, Iris. What happened to you?" Zoe pressed gently.

Iris met her friend's eyes, her expression serious. "Zoe... some things are better left unsaid."