His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 342: A Thumb Drive and a Surrender

"Where are you headed?" Iris asked as Julian set a plate down in front of her.

"The regional office here in the city," he replied curtly. "Eat. It's better warm."

She noticed he'd prepared it just for her. "Aren't you having any?"

"Not hungry." He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the chair. "I'm heading out."

The sound of the door shutting behind him made her shoulders sink.

Iris stared at the neatly arranged breakfast—scrambled eggs, toast, a side of fruit—and suddenly didn't feel like eating any of it.

Julian hadn't been himself today. He was usually more composed, even when quiet, but this morning his mood was off, and his tone had been colder than she was used to.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. A text from Ethan lit up the screen.

"Iris, can we meet today? Something important."

She replied with a time and a nearby cafe, a low knot of worry tightening in her stomach.

Ever since her brother had mentioned the police reward last night, it was all she could think about. If he really was working with the police, his situation was beyond dangerous. If Arden ever suspected him, he wouldn't make it out alive.

After picking at her breakfast, Iris left the apartment alone.

*****

At the cafe, Ethan was sitting in the farthest booth, wearing a baseball cap and a black medical mask.

Iris spotted him the moment she walked in.

"Ethan, what's going on?" she asked as soon as she slid into the seat across from him.

He glanced around before leaning in, his voice low. "Don't get involved with Arden. He's a killer—doesn't think twice about it. Nobody who works for him comes out in one piece."

He pulled a thumb drive from his jacket pocket. "I copied these files from his computer last night when I snuck into his office. Drug trafficking records, money laundering trails. I'm burned now. He knows something's up. I'm turning myself in, and I'm giving this to the police so they can take him down for good."

Iris' heart hammered against her ribs. "So it's true... you've been working with the police?"

"Two years now." Ethan offered a tired, bitter smile. "When Celeste agreed to marry me, she said I had to do one delivery for her across state lines. I was so desperate to make it work, I didn't ask questions. Got pulled over right after crossing. They found enough to put me away for life."

"She set you up to transport drugs?" Iris whispered, anger threading her voice.

Ethan nodded. "Enough to get the death penalty in some states. Guess I got lucky—or maybe you really did rub off on me. The feds offered me a deal: cooperate, and they'd reduce the sentence. So I went back to Arden as their informant. My job was to find his main distribution hub and track down where he stashed dozens of tons of tainted product."

Iris' hands trembled lightly on the table. "Did you find it?"

"Not yet." Ethan's gaze was steady, resolved. "But I'm not letting you get dragged into this. I'm putting him away now."

"The police want that shipment," Iris said quietly but firmly.

"I don't care what the police want," Ethan replied, each word deliberate. "I care that you stay out of it. You can't be near him. This evidence is enough to put Arden away for good."

Iris felt her throat tighten. The police probably already had enough to arrest Arden months ago.

What Ethan had risked his life to steal might not even change their timeline—they were waiting for the bigger bust, the mother lode of drugs.

"You'll go to prison," she said, her voice thick.

Ethan met her eyes. "I know."

She reached over and covered his hand with hers, heart aching. Clear tears escaped, trailing slowly down her cheeks.

He'd chosen wrong years ago, but he was still her brother. And now, after two years of helping take down dealers and disrupt shipments, he was giving himself up—for her.

His cooperation would spare him the worst, but not the time. And now, because he'd blown his cover to protect her, he'd spend years behind bars.

Iris lowered her head to the table and let the quiet sobs shake her shoulders.

When she finally lifted her face, dried her eyes, she went with him to the precinct to turn himself in.

*****

Night had settled heavily by the time Julian drove down to the riverfront.

A cold breeze came off the water, sharp against his face, but it did nothing to ease the dull, persistent ache in his chest.

He thought of the first time he'd seen Iris—how her smile in the sunlight had struck him, quiet and bright, right in the center of a crowded campus yard.

Back then, he hadn't known how to hold something that gentle.

He'd married her, then spent two years misunderstanding her.

He'd earned her forgiveness, started over, only to break her trust again because of Lily.

He had the means to protect her, but instead, he kept pulling her into the chaos, hurting her until she finally walked away—disappointed, gone for three long years.

He'd thought loving her enough would be enough to overcome anything.

Instead, he'd taken what should have been a sure thing and ruined it, step by step.

Now, the only role he truly held was Harper's father. Whatever was left between him and Iris was undefined, fragile. And when he saw other men around her, he didn't even have the right to feel jealous.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Julian answered, bringing it to his ear. "Yeah."

"Mr. Everhart, it's moving forward. We put down the five-hundred-million deposit. Arden took the bait—didn't seem suspicious at all. He's taking the team to see the product now."

Greed made people careless. Even with contaminated product, the promise of massive profit was enough to cloud judgment. However sharp Arden was, he wanted those tons of drugs moved fast—and now, he was walking right into the trap.