His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 329: A Call to Frederick

Julian finally let go.

Iris hurried into the living room to grab the first-aid kit.

A few minutes later, Julian was lying back on the bed, his hand resting lightly on her thigh while Iris sat cross-legged beside him, carefully applying antiseptic to the cut.

Since the wound wasn't deep and had already stopped bleeding, she decided against wrapping it.

Julian closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back. Three years had passed—the security guard from that time had long since quit, hospital surveillance footage would definitely be erased by now, and tracking down which doctor had been paid off seemed nearly impossible.

Too much time had gone by; evidence had faded. Where could he even begin?

After putting the first-aid kit away, Iris slipped off the bed and pulled the comforter up over Julian.

"Goodnight," she said softly, then turned to leave.

But Julian sat up suddenly, knelt at the edge of the mattress, and wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.

Iris stiffened, her heart beginning to pound.

He buried his face in the curve of her neck, breathing in deeply, and slowly tightened his hold.

His warm breath brushed against her skin, sending a tingling sensation spreading through her.

"Where are you going?" His voice came out rough.

"It's late... I was heading back to my room to sleep."

"You came all the way here just to talk? No other intentions?"

"What other intentions would I have?" Iris murmured, her tone shy.

"Stay with me tonight," he whispered, the words raspy against her ear.

Iris felt her cheeks grow warm. "Isn't that a little too often?"

"I've been holding back a lot as it is."

*****

Later that night, pale moonlight filtered through the blinds.

The room was quiet, still.

Exhausted, Iris lay sprawled across Julian's chest, sound asleep.

He held her close, breathing in the gentle scent of her hair, his fingers lightly twisting a few long strands.

Sleep wouldn't come to him—his mind was crowded, restless with worry.

The next morning, Julian got up early.

He took care of Harper—waking her, helping her brush her teeth, making breakfast.

Before Iris was awake, he stepped into his study, settled at the desk, and called his father, Frederick.

He didn't bother with small talk. "Three years ago, when someone tried to hurt Harper—were you involved?"

Frederick sounded genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? Hurt Harper? What happened?"

"The kidnapping, forcing Iris to terminate the pregnancy—did you have any part in that?"

Frederick's voice shot up in anger. "No matter how much I disliked Iris, I would never do something so cruel. That was your child—my granddaughter. No wonder Iris took off with the baby and still watches me like a hawk, never letting me be alone with Harper. Put her on the phone—I'll explain it to her myself."

"She won't believe you."

"I'm Harper's grandfather! Why would I ever harm my own grandchild? Why wouldn't she believe me?"

Julian's tone hardened. "Look at everything you've done to her. You know exactly what I mean."

Frederick shot back, indignant, "I paid her two hundred million afterward, didn't I? Why is she still holding onto this?"

"You think she shouldn't hold a grudge?" Julian said sharply. "And if I find out you were involved in any of this, I'll make sure you face the consequences—family or not."

Frederick exploded. "If I had anything to do with it, may I die with no descendants and suffer a terrible end."

Julian fell silent.

"Back when I first found out Iris was pregnant, I told you what I thought. I said we should welcome the child—I love being a grandfather. Why would I ever hurt a baby, especially one that was part of our family?"

"I'll take your word for now. But I'm not dropping this—I'll find out who was behind it, and they will pay."

Frederick's tone shifted, growing more serious. "Julian... what's going on between you and Iris now?"

Julian grew wary. "What are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing, it's just... Harper can't be taken away by her. You need to find a way to keep your daughter."

"She has custody. If she wants to take Harper, there's not much anyone can do."

"Then fight for custody."

Julian let out a cold laugh. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

There was a brief silence on the other end before Frederick finally replied, "If it comes down to it, just remarry her. I won't let her take my granddaughter away—no chance."

"Easier said than done," Julian replied, bitterness seeping into his voice. "She doesn't want to marry into this family again, and she doesn't want to marry me. If you want to keep your granddaughter, you'd better find a way to make things right with her yourself."

"What about you? Aren't you going to do anything?"

Julian deliberately needled him, his tone dripping with disdain. "If she wants to take Harper and leave, fine by me."

"You—" Frederick's roar was cut off as Julian ended the call.

He dropped the phone on the desk, stood up, and walked out to the balcony, gazing distantly at the sky.

Only one person came to mind now: Arthur.

Arthur and Zoe were siblings—getting hold of Zoe's phone would've been easy for him.

If Arthur had planned all of this, then the one pulling the strings had to be Lily.

Three years ago, Lily was still clinging to her fantasies about him, still desperate to become his wife.

So the motive was there. But how to prove it?

Julian's expression darkened. He turned, grabbed his phone, and strode out of the room.

The nanny was playing with Harper in the living room.

Julian glanced upstairs—Iris still wasn't up.

He walked over to Harper, crouched down, and kissed the top of her head.

"Sweetheart, Dad has to go out for a bit. If Mom wakes up, let her know for me, okay? I'll probably be back by this afternoon."

He gave her a warm look. "Be good."