His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 337: A Price for Freedom

Arden lit a cigarette and leaned back, his tone dripping with boredom. "Yeah, total amateurs. I gave them all that time, and they still couldn't get the purity right."

Scott spoke up, eager. "Mr. Solis, I can do it. Just give me a chance."

Arden studied him through narrowed eyes, cold and calculating.

Everyone in the room knew what this was—high-stakes, illegal, and if you got caught, it meant life without parole, or worse.

Scott understood the risks, yet here he was, pushing to get in. Something didn't add up, and it made you wonder.

Arden was never one to take chances.

None of the men who worked for him had ever seen the actual storage units—the places where the product was kept.

Just as Arden's suspicion began to harden, Scott rushed to explain. "Mr. Solis, I know my career looks promising, but I need money now. My father's on dialysis, needs a kidney transplant—maybe even two. That kind of treatment doesn't come cheap. Can't you give me a shot?"

Arden took a slow drag, a faint smile playing on his lips, his eyes sharp and wary.

Then Celeste pointed at Scott, her voice icy. "Mr. Solis, I know everyone Iris used to work with. I've never seen this guy before."

Iris and Scott both tensed.

Arden grew even more guarded. He chuckled lightly. "Mr. Cox, maybe you've got the wrong idea. I'm a legitimate businessman. Wholesale fruit doesn't bring in big money—it's small change, really."

Scott heard the doubt in his tone and didn't push further.

He turned to Iris instead. "Guess I was wrong. Doesn't look like working for Mr. Solis will get me fast cash after all."

Iris caught his meaning. She faced Arden again. "If you don't trust Scott, fine. But let my R&D team go. They can't refine the product anyway. Keeping them won't solve your problem."

Arden laughed softly. "You're still here, aren't you?"

Iris paused, then steadied herself. "All right. I'll take their place. But I have one condition."

Ethan's stomach dropped. He shot Iris an uneasy look, his eyes darkening—he didn't want her caught in this trap too.

Arden raised an eyebrow, interested. "What condition?"

"I want a percentage of the profits."

Arden's smile returned. Talking money always made things feel more solid. "Deal."

"And I want Scott as my assistant."

Arden's expression cooled instantly. He was quiet for a long moment. "I'll think about it."

"Fine," Iris said firmly. "But will you let my people go first? My R&D department has been shut down for days. Their families are worried sick. If this drags on and the police trace it back to you, you'll have more trouble than you can handle."

"Don't worry about that. I've got protection," Arden said without thinking, then caught himself and laughed it off. "They're a bunch of dead weight anyway. No point keeping them."

He pulled out his phone and made a quick call. "Let them all go."

Hanging up, he smiled at Iris. "Happy now?"

Iris didn't answer, just gave a slight nod.

Arden leaned closer, his gaze turning dark and threatening, his voice low and dangerous. "Iris, don't try anything clever. I can't touch your man, but your brother, your sister-in-law, your mother, your daughter—their lives depend on you making the right choice. Understand?"

Iris' chest tightened. She swallowed hard and nodded again.

Arden laughed lightly, then turned to Ethan. "Take good care of your sister these next few days. Wait for my instructions."

Ethan's face was grim. He nodded once.

"Take good care of her" really meant "keep an eye on her." Ethan knew that well enough.

Ethan and Celeste walked out of Arden Fruit with Iris and Scott.

Standing by the curb, Ethan pulled out his phone. "I'll call a ride."

Iris rested a hand on his wrist. "Don't bother, Ethan."

"The public transport out here is terrible. No subway," he insisted.

Just then, two sedans pulled up and stopped in front of them.

The rear window of the second car rolled down, revealing Julian's strong, defined profile.

"Julian?" Ethan sounded surprised.

Iris opened the passenger door and glanced back at Ethan. "You two take the car behind us."

"I'll ride up front," Ethan said, moving toward the other sedan's passenger seat.

Celeste grabbed his arm, her voice tight with anger. "I'm your wife. You're not riding with me?"

Ethan shot her a sharp look, shook her hand off irritably, and slid into the second car.

Seeing Celeste and Ethan get in the other vehicle, Scott seemed eager to join them. "Iris, I'll ride with them."

"Okay," Iris replied, then got into the first sedan.

Julian took her hand gently, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. His deep eyes held a layer of concern. "Everything go all right?"

Iris let out a long breath and sank back into the seat, relief washing over her. "Went smooth enough. The whole R&D team is out."

Julian's gaze grew more intent. "The trade was that you use your skills for him?"

Iris nodded.

Julian closed his eyes, breathed in slowly, and pinched the bridge of his nose. His voice grew heavier. "Who is Scott?"

Iris stiffened. She turned to him, confusion in her eyes, unsure how to answer.

Julian seemed to have already guessed. His tone was low and serious. "I had someone look into Scott. His background is too clean. Suspiciously clean—I couldn't find a single flaw."

"Why did you check up on him?" Iris asked, nerves threading her voice.

Julian didn't press about Scott's identity anymore. He placed Iris' hand on his thigh, holding it there. "Iris, if I have doubts, you can be sure Arden is even more suspicious than I am."