After the Cold Marriage His Crazy Love (Iris and Julian) novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152 Something Off

“She’s not after you,” Iris said, her voice sharp with certainty.

Ethan shrugged, clearly unconvinced. “She made the first move, not me. Whatever this is, I’m not the one taking a loss here.”

Iris pressed her fingers to her temple, trying to keep her frustration in check, but it was getting harder by the second.

“We just started seeing each other,” Ethan continued, refusing to back down. “Why don’t you give it some time? It’s not like I’ve got anything to lose. The police still haven’t found Emily, and I’ve already filed for divorce.”

“I know exactly what kind of person Celeste is,” Iris shot back, her voice tightening. “If she’s getting close to you, it’s not for a simple reason.”

“You’re overthinking it.” Ethan sighed, then gently steered her toward her room. “Go get some rest. You look exhausted.”

He opened the door and nudged her inside before adding, almost as an afterthought, “Julian made it clear, we could use any room except yours. Nobody’s touched anything in here. That should tell you something.”

Before she could respond, he closed the door. “Goodnight, Iris.”

The room was exactly as she remembered.

Nothing had changed.

1. She

For a moment, she just stood there, taking it in, a wave of emotion hitting harder than she reached out, brushing her fingers lightly across the surface of the cabinet, her hand trembling ever so slightly.

Everything was frozen in time, like, she had never left.

She moved to the window and pulled the curtains open. The city stretched out before her, lights flickering in the distance against the dark sky, familiar and distant all at once.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her thoughts refused to settle.

Julian…” she whispered under her breath, the name slipping out before she could stop it.

A dull ache followed immediately.

She shook her head, forcing herself to refocus.

There were more important things to deal with right now, starting with Ethan and Celeste.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled out her phone and opened Celeste’s Instagram. Every post painted the same picture, upscale restaurants, designer brands, luxury travel, a life built on status and presentation

The more she scrolled, the more uneasy she felt.

09:47 Sat, May 23 M M

Chapter 152 Something Off

There was no overlap between that world and Ethan’s.

No reason for this to happen naturally.

Something isn’t right.

She locked her phone, her decision already made.

Tomorrow, she would talk to Celeste face to face and get the truth out of her.

No matter what it took.

The next morning, Iris got up early, but nothing about the apartment had improved. The mess was still there, untouched. Ethan sat on the couch with a cup of coffee, looking like he hadn’t slept much.

“Morning,” she said as she walked over.

“Morning.” He gave her a tired smile.

She sat down beside him, her tone quieter this time. “Do you really believe she’s serious about you?”

Ethan hesitated, then nodded. “I do. She treats me well, and she’s great with Frank. I don’t think she’s faking it.”

Iris studied him for a moment, her concern only deepening.

That was exactly why she was worried.

“Have you even asked yourself why?” she pressed. “Her life and yours don’t overlap at all. Why you?”

He let out a breath and shook his head. “I don’t have an answer for that. Sometimes you just can’t explain this kind of thing. Maybe she just likes me.”

Iris knew she wasn’t going to change his mind today.

“I’m heading out,” she said, standing up. “Might be back late.”

“Where are you going?”

“Meeting a friend.”

She didn’t give him anything more than that and grabbed her bag on the way out.

Calling it a “friend” was easier.

Because at this point, that wasn’t what Celeste was

The café was quiet in the morning,

table in front of Iris. She had been

anymore.

streaming through the windows and settling softly across the there for half an hour, her coffee already starting to cool.

By the time Celeste finally walked in, a full hour had passed

Iris glanced at the time, then looked up.

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