His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 42: The Family Crisis

The streets were quiet late at night, smooth to drive on. The orange streetlights streamed through the car window, hitting Julian's cold, handsome side profile.

He focused on driving, then suddenly spoke to break the silence. "You're applying for a PhD?"

Iris froze, turning to look at him. Her heart fluttered for no reason.

They barely talked, barely saw each other. How'd he know that?

Her silence said it all.

Julian added, "I saw your notes you left in the living room."

Iris nodded, realization hitting her. "Oh, right!"

"You're this busy, and you still have time for a PhD?"

"I'll squeeze in time to study."

"Emily got scammed. Even if you go over there, it won't help."

"It's family. I have to go check. Maybe I can help somehow."

"Yeah," Julian replied, then went quiet again.

The car fell silent once more.

Their conversations were always like this—short, shallow. There was an invisible wall between them, keeping them distant and cold. Iris was used to it.

They arrived at Rosefield Court. Iris got out of the car and ran up to the fourth floor.

Julian locked the car and strode after her.

When Iris got to her parents' house, the door was half-open. The police's voices were urgent and anxious. "If you withdraw the money now, you can still get some of it back. Wait any longer, and it'll be gone for good."

Iris rushed inside, out of breath.

Julian followed her in, walked to Iris's parents, and greeted them politely.

Grace took Julian's hand and sobbed quietly.

Ethan sat on the sofa, his shoulders slumping like he was carrying a mountain. He covered his face with his hands and cried bitterly.

Emily leaned against the wall, holding her phone under her arm. She looked hostile toward the two police officers in front of her—stubborn eyes, a defiant look, and totally unyielding.

The police sighed, their tone hardening. "We've been trying to talk sense into you for half an hour. You really got scammed! That platform's fake. It's a trap set by an illegal overseas organization!"

Emily shouted angrily, "It's real! It's real! I put in 1,000 dollars before, made 3,000, and withdrew it all. Then I put in 5,000, made 15,000, and withdrew that too! It's going up right now—I can't withdraw it now, or I'll lose out big time!"

The police threw their hands up, their patience completely gone.

Ethan looked up, his face pale, eyes filled with tears. He asked in a shaky voice, "How much did you put in total?"

Emily stayed quiet.

Ethan jumped up, yelling, "How much did you put in?!"

Emily hesitated, then mumbled, "Two million."

Ethan was furious, slapping his thighs in panic, his voice cracking. "We only have a few ten thousand dollars in savings! Where did you get two million?!"

Emily shouted back, "I'm gonna get rich this time! I took out over 800 thousand in bank loans, and over one million in online loans! I'll make at least double that!"

Iris's dad, Keith Whitlow, slammed his fist on the table, then clutched his chest, taking deep breaths to calm down.

Grace plopped down on the floor and burst into tears, totally distraught.

"Are you crazy?! Have you lost your mind?!" Ethan was so angry he balled his fist and charged at Emily. She dodged, and he couldn't bring himself to hit her. Instead, he turned and punched the wall. His fist started bleeding.

Iris rushed over, grabbing Ethan's arm. "Ethan, don't hurt yourself!"

Ethan heard her voice, saw her, and forced down his anxiety and anger. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, his pale face looking even more flustered. His voice softened. "Iris, what are you doing here? Go home! Hurry home!"

When Ethan saw Julian too, he hurried to say, "Julian, take Iris home."

Julian walked over, speaking politely to Ethan, who was a year younger than him. "Ethan, calm down first."

"I can't calm down! Take Iris away now!" Ethan pushed Iris into Julian's arms.

Julian held Iris's shoulders.

They'd been married for two years, and he'd never been to Iris's parents' house. This was his first time and it was for something like this.

Iris crashed into his unfamiliar embrace, then pulled away quickly to help Grace up.

Grace's face was covered in tears. She beat her chest, heartbroken. "Iris! What do we do? Two million! Emily's crazy—she borrowed two million for online investments! The police say it's a scam, but she won't believe them!"

"You're the crazy one!" Emily snapped at Grace, gritting her teeth. "I didn't get scammed! When the money doubles, I'll withdraw it. I know I can! What do the police know? What do any of you know? If I withdraw now, I'll lose all the profits I made before!"

The police shook their heads and sighed. They turned to Ethan. "We've tried all we can. She won't believe us. The only thing left is for her to come to the police station after she realizes she's been scammed."

Ethan bent over, almost on his knees, begging bitterly. "No! Please, officer! Help me! I can't pay back two million!"

One of the officers said, "How about we take her back to the police station to talk to her some more?"