His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 336: Ethan's Rage

Iris leaned into his embrace with a quiet nod.

A little past three in the afternoon, she and Scott arrived right on schedule.

Arden Fruit was situated in a remote suburban area outside Edulet City.

Inside the massive warehouse, crate after crate of plump grapes and vibrant red pomegranates covered the concrete floor. A group of women, most of them middle-aged or older, was busy sorting and packing the fruit into shipping boxes.

To any outside observer, it looked like a completely ordinary—and legitimate—fruit distribution business.

The office, however, told a different story.

Cramped and cluttered, it was layered with dust. The furniture was worn, mismatched, and clearly hadn't been cleaned in months. The sofa's upholstery was peeling in patches, and the coffee table was buried under a jumble of papers, empty containers, and forgotten clutter. A heavy coffee set sat on one corner, stained dark from repeated use.

An older woman brought in two mugs of water and set them down carefully. "Mr. Solis will be back shortly. Make yourselves comfortable," she said before quietly slipping out.

Iris perched on the edge of the sofa, rubbing her palms together nervously. "Okay," she replied softly.

After being kidnapped and beaten by Arden in the past, she still carried the trauma—a low, persistent fear she couldn't quite shake.

Scott, in contrast, remained calm and watchful. His sharp eyes moved slowly around the room, taking in every detail.

Before long, the office door swung open, and Arden's cheerful, booming voice filled the space.

"Outstanding work. The overseas profit on this shipment is through the roof—couldn't have done it without you. Expect double bonuses this month."

Then another voice, familiar and clear, chimed in, "Thank you, Mr. Solis."

Iris and Scott both turned toward the doorway.

When Iris saw the three people walking in, her breath caught. She froze, a sharp, cutting pain spreading through her chest.

She'd had her suspicions for a while now, but actually seeing Ethan and Celeste following Arden into the room still hit her like a physical blow.

Ethan looked even more stunned when he spotted Iris. Panic flashed across his face. He rushed over, pulled her to her feet, and gripped her shoulders. "Iris, what are you doing here?" he asked, voice tense.

Iris' eyes welled with tears, disappointment and heartache written plainly across her expression.

Arden greeted her with a smooth, practiced smile. "Iris. Long time no see."

Ethan quickly shifted to shield Iris behind him. "Mr. Solis, she's my sister—she doesn't know anything about this. Why... why would you bring her here?"

Arden raised an eyebrow, his smile turning sly. "Ethan. She's a pharmaceutical PhD—award-winning, patents under her name. The only scientist who can purify contaminated product. And you never thought to mention you had a sister like that?" He chuckled lightly. "If Celeste hadn't told me, I'd never have known what a talent was right under my nose."

Ethan's eyes flashed with fury. He turned toward Celeste, anger tightening his expression. "You dragged her into this?"

Celeste blinked, feigning innocence. "I was just trying to help Mr. Solis. Besides, Iris is the only one with the skills to—"

Before she could finish, Ethan—blinded by rage—closed the distance between them and slapped her hard across the face.

The crack of the slap echoed in the small office. Celeste stumbled and fell to the floor. For a moment, everyone went still.

Celeste clutched her reddening cheek, glaring up at Ethan with a mix of shock and outrage. She couldn't believe he'd hit her—over Iris.

"You hit me?" she shrieked, tears starting to fall. "That's it, Ethan. I want a divorce."

"Fine. Get a divorce," Ethan shot back through gritted teeth, his voice low and dangerous. He took a step toward her. "I swear, I could kill you right now."

Celeste shrank back, trembling. She'd never seen him look so vicious.

Arden reached out and pulled Ethan back by the shoulder. "Enough. Sort out your marital problems on your own time."

Iris hadn't expected Ethan to react so violently—or to defend her so fiercely. For a second, it felt like the brother who'd always protected her was still there, unchanged.

She reached for his hand. "Ethan, it's too late to turn back now. Just calm down."

Ethan turned toward her, taking both of her hands in his. His eyes grew wet, and when he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. "I'm sorry, Iris. This is all my fault."

Then, before she could stop him, he slapped himself hard across the face—a sharp, punishing sound.

Iris grabbed his wrist, her chest aching. "Ethan, don't."

Celeste slowly pushed herself up from the floor, fists clenched, staring daggers at Iris.

It was only then sinking in. Ethan's love for her had always been an act—a performance to secure the marriage. But the way he cared for Iris... that had never changed.

Arden had settled onto the sofa, legs crossed, sipping his coffee as though watching a moderately interesting show.

Finally, Scott spoke up, his tone even and steady. "Ethan, we still have business to handle. Let's stay focused for now."

Ethan took a slow breath, gradually regaining his composure.

Arden's gaze shifted to Scott, his eyes narrowing. "And who is this?"

Both Ethan and Celeste turned to look as well.

Iris stepped in quickly. "This is Scott—an old colleague from my research institute. He's actually more skilled in purification techniques than I am."

Arden's lips curled into a cold smirk. Paranoid by nature, he looked Scott up and down with clear skepticism. "I only need your expertise. What's the meaning of bringing someone else into this?"

Iris sat back down, keeping her voice level. "I know you want my purification methods. But first, I need you to release my R&D team. They're pharmaceutical researchers—not one of them has experience with purification, and they've certainly never worked on anything outside legal bounds."