His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 325: A Shocking Revelation

His eyes crinkled at the corners as a warm smile spread across his face. Julian draped one arm over the back of her chair, leaning his weight in until his face was mere inches from hers. His breath fanned against her ear as he murmured softly, "Is there something you want? Anything you need my help with?"

Iris kept her head ducked low. She slowly reached up, splaying her fingers against his face, and firmly pushed him back. "No."

Undeterred by the rejection, Julian leaned right back into her space. "Really nothing?"

"Really nothing."

The corners of Julian's mouth curled upward uncontrollably, his voice dropping to an impossibly tender cadence. "You kissed me first. And you really don't want anything in return?"

"It's just a good morning kiss." Iris had felt composed at first, but after his relentless probing, a flush spread across her cheeks and shyness overtook her.

Julian gently hooked his index finger beneath her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his.

A tentative shyness lingered in Iris' eyes as she stared back.

Julian's gentle tone shifted, becoming unusually serious. "You don't want anything. You aren't asking for any favors. This kind of behavior... it feels strange. It makes me uneasy and unsettled. So why don't you just ask me for something? Money, a car, a house, jewelry, or capital for a project—anything at all. You have to ask for something. Let me do something for you."

Most people would have been elated to hear such an offer.

But Iris only felt a subtle ache in her chest.

All she had done was give him a spontaneous good morning kiss, yet his reaction was one of shock and profound unease.

It laid bare just how insecure he truly was.

It also reflected, from the other side, just how little she had given to Julian in return, and how sparingly she had shown her love.

Iris reached out, clasping his large hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "There's nothing I want. I just wanted to kiss you."

Julian lowered his gaze to where her hand covered his. Slowly, his fingers tightened around hers. His smile carried a hint of bitterness as he pressed his lips together, letting out a soft, steadying breath.

After a few seconds of heavy silence, he looked up at Iris, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Is this going to keep happening?"

"Hmm?" Iris blinked, confused.

"The good morning kiss."

Iris let out a soft chuckle. "Depends on my mood."

Julian laughed along with her, releasing a long sigh. He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her fair knuckles before murmuring, "I hope it happens every day."

Iris suddenly fell quiet.

Every day?

Could they really go the distance?

A sudden wave of sadness and melancholy washed over her. She slowly withdrew her hand, picked up her spoon, and resumed eating her breakfast in silence.

Julian leaned back in his chair, watching her eat with a deep, contemplative gaze.

The original plan to stay in the hometown for a week ended up being cut short on the fourth day.

On the day they returned to the city, Frederick held Harper in his arms, refusing to let go. Harper patted his back comfortingly as she leaned against him. "Grandpa, Harper will come back to visit you soon."

Frederick's eyes were filled with a deep reluctance to part. "Harper, don't go back. Stay here in Grandpa's hometown. It's way more fun here than in the city. Beautiful views everywhere, plenty of little animals, and Grandpa will play board games with you every single day."

Harper let out a small sigh, kissing Frederick on the cheek. "Grandpa, I need to be with Mommy and Daddy. If you want to live with Harper, then you should come stay at Daddy's villa. That way you can play with Harper every single day."

Hearing this, Julian walked over, effortlessly scooped Harper out of Frederick's arms, and said, "Dad has bad habits. Your grandpa doesn't like living with me. We'll come back to visit Grandpa another time."

Frederick's face fell instantly, shooting Julian a dark, unhappy glare.

That refusal was swift and absolute, and the excuse sounded so high-minded!

Frederick took Harper's small hand in his. "Make sure to call Grandpa often, okay?"

"Okay, Grandpa." Harper beamed a radiant smile, waving her little hand. "Bye-bye, Grandpa."

Julian buckled Harper into her car seat and settled her in.

Iris was saying her goodbyes to Beatrice.

Beatrice looked reluctant to see them go, speaking softly with words of deep affection and care. It was a heartwarming scene.

Not far away, another car pulled out from the village entrance.

Lily stepped out of the passenger side, walking over with a beaming smile. "Julian, you're heading back to the city? What a coincidence. We're going back today, too."

At the sound of her voice, everyone turned to look at Lily.

Lily forced a smile, walking over to bid farewell to the elders of the Everhart family.

Although the Everhart elders had lost their fondness for her, considering that the two families had been close for generations—sharing the same roots and maintaining frequent social ties—they remained fairly tolerant of her. On the surface, at least, they maintained the veneer of polite etiquette.

Lily turned to Iris, plastering on a fake, polite smile. "Ms. Whitlow, I heard from your sister-in-law that you lived with Brandon for three years. When are you two planning to get married?"

At those words, all the Everhart elders looked at Iris in utter shock.

Julian's entire body went rigid, and he turned to look at Iris with a complicated, pained expression.

Iris looked back at Lily, her expression calm. She found the situation laughable and utterly absurd.

She hadn't been in contact with Ethan at all during those three years. How could Celeste possibly know anything about her private life?

Lily must have spent the last two days digging into her past. After scraping together some incomplete information, she was now spreading rumors, using Celeste's name as a shield.

Especially saying this in front of Julian and the elders—it was clearly calculated to plant seeds of doubt in everyone's minds.

And Julian would misunderstand, too.

Iris didn't plan on explaining herself. She knew that the moment she started defending herself, she would fall right into the trap of having to prove her innocence—which was exactly what Lily wanted.

Back then, after Brandon had rescued her, he had sheltered her at Whitmore Manor for about two weeks. He had helped her sort out her identification paperwork, purchased her plane ticket, and personally saw her off at the airport to Edulet City.