His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 9: No Peace

Julian's words hit Iris hard, like a slap she didn't see coming. Whatever hope she'd had evaporated, replaced by a tight, burning ache in her chest.

Her eyes turned red before she could stop them.

She turned away, stared out toward the balcony, jaw clenched tight as she forced herself not to cry.

When the wave of hurt finally passed, she looked back at him and asked, "Do you really see me that way?"

Julian didn't even hesitate. "Yeah. I do."

Another punch to the gut. It felt like someone had ripped something out of her chest. Hollow and aching. She shot back, "So what, you get to mess around, party all night, and I'm just supposed to go have flings too, and we keep pretending this marriage doesn't exist?"

His expression iced over. His hands slowly curled into fists. "Don't even think about it."

"Then what are we doing here?" Her voice broke. "Two years married, and we've never even shared a bed. So what is it? Something wrong with your head, or something wrong with your body?"

Julian's eyes darkened. He stood, crossed the room in two strides, and grabbed her arm, hauling her up.

The sudden contact made her freeze. She looked up at him, tense. "What are you doing?"

He stared down at her, voice low and rough. "You skipped work to complain to me about one thing—no s*x. Fine. Let me fix that right now."

Iris panicked. She pulled her arm back and stumbled away from him.

In her rush, her leg slammed into the chair behind her and she lost balance, falling back.

Julian moved fast, catching her arm again and yanking her upright.

She crashed straight into his chest, her hands landing on the firm muscles beneath his shirt. Even through the thin fabric, she could feel his warmth, smell that clean, understated scent of his skin.

As soon as she regained balance, she pulled her hands away fast and braced herself against the table, slowly backing up.

Her heart pounded. Her breath was all over the place.

She didn't say it, but the way she looked at him made it clear. You're seriously messed up.

There was no point talking anymore.

She grabbed her bag, turned on her heel, and stormed toward the door.

She put on her shoes at the entryway. Julian followed. She finished tying her laces and reached for the door handle.

A loud bang exploded behind her.

She'd only managed to crack the door open before his hand slammed it shut.

The sound made her flinch. Her body went rigid. She gripped her bag tightly and slowly turned to face him.

He had one hand on the door, leaning slightly forward, towering over her.

To her, his size suddenly felt threatening, like she was cornered with nowhere to go. The air around him was ice-cold, pressing in like it was choking her.

She'd always known men were stronger. But she had never felt it like this. In strength, in size, in presence—he could crush her if he wanted to.

Her voice came out small, shaky. "You... you really don't want to do something stupid. That won't end well."

Julian's eyes narrowed, dark and sharp. His voice was low and gravelly. "Let me make something clear. Running around looking for fun? That's not on the table for you."

Iris spoke fast, "I just want to go to work."

Julian let go of the door and stepped back. She turned and ran out, too shaken to even close the door behind her.

She couldn't remember how she got to the lab. Everything felt foggy. She sat there in a daze, completely hollowed out.

"Iris..."

Someone nudged her. She blinked and looked up. Zoe was frowning at her. "Earth to Iris. What's going on?"

Iris sat up straighter and shook her head. "It's nothing."

Zoe sighed, long and frustrated. "The only thing that could get you spaced out at work is him."

Iris immediately deflected. "Did the new test monkeys arrive?"

Zoe plopped into the chair across from her and rested her chin in her hands. "Yeah. I paid out of pocket for them. Went to accounting for reimbursement, but apparently a bunch of vendor payments are still stuck. Company's prioritizing payroll. I have to wait."

Iris patted her on the shoulder. "Double bonus at year-end. Promise."

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "That's a real CEO move right there. Making big promises to buy time."

The smile on Iris's face slowly faded. "Can we just not bring him up?"

Zoe frowned. "You two argued?"

Then she waved her hand. "Actually, how would that even happen? You guys barely talk all year. What's there to argue about?"

What, I'm not even capable of a fight? Iris opened her mouth, ready to fire back, but the words stuck in her throat. She shut her lips and looked away instead.

She had to admit—Zoe wasn't wrong. Just then, a knock came at the door.

Zoe turned.

Iris glanced toward it, expecting someone from finance or sales. "Come in," she called softly.

The door opened, and in walked Lily—caked in makeup, wearing a bright red dress that clung to her curves like it was painted on. She smiled like a pageant queen. "Iris, this place is so tucked away. I almost got lost."

Iris's eyes narrowed.

Zoe's whole posture changed. Arms crossed, voice sharp. "What the hell do you want?"

Lily gave her a fake-sweet smile. "I came to see Iris."

Iris didn't like this woman. Never had. But she stayed composed. "What can I do for you, Lily?"