After the Cold Marriage His Crazy Love (Iris and Julian) novel Chapter 357

Chapter 357 Found at Last

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Iris wrapped her arms around Cayden, her voice trembling through tears. “Dad…”

That single word broke whatever was left of Cayden’s composure. He held her tightly, as if she might slip away again any moment.

Brandon picked up the DNA report from the table. After reading it, his eyes welled up. He took a deep breath, wiped his face, then moved closer and wrapped his arms around both of them. The three of them stood there in the middle of the room, holding onto each other like they’d just found something irreplaceable.

With a tearful laugh, Brandon said, “We finally found our sister. Mom would be at peace now.”

Cayden had always been devoted to his late wife. The thought of her never finding rest over all these years made him sob even harder.

Their friends in the living room had overheard everything. Concerned, they hurried into the

room.

They found the three of them crying in an embrace, and for a moment, everyone just stood there, confused.

Some stepped forward to offer comfort, while others picked up the discarded report to see for themselves.

All of them knew about Cayden’s missing daughter. Over the decades, these old friends had supported him in every way–financially, emotionally, and through countless searches.

“Iris and Brandon… they’re siblings?”

“No way. Let me see that.”

“Good Lord… it’s really true.”

The older gentlemen in the room grew emotional, their eyes turning red. Relief and excitement washed over them. They patted Cayden on the back, offering both consolation and congratulations.

Once the tears had subsided a little, Iris gently wiped her father’s face. Cayden held her hand firmly, his gaze fixed on her. “Let me look at my daughter,” he whispered.

Iris‘ eyes shone with fresh tears. She bit her lip, gave a small nod, and tried to smile, though her throat felt too tight to speak.

One of the friends remarked, voice thick with emotion, “Cayden, your family’s genes are

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something else. It’s like dropping an eagle’s egg into a sparrow’s nest–sooner or later, that eagle’s gonna soar.”

“Damn right,” another added. “If Iris had grown up in the Whitmore family, who knows how much further she could’ve gone.”

“Cayden, you can’t let those people get away with this.”

“Absolutely. They need to pay. Thirty years of pain… that’s a lifetime of suffering.”

As the room buzzed with anger, Cayden turned to Iris, his voice gentle. “Sweetheart, I know she raised you. You might still have feelings for her. I’ll follow your lead on this. If you want me to press charges, I will. But if it’s too painful for you, then we can—”

“Press charges,” Iris cut in, her voice clear and firm..

Cayden stared at her, surprised.

Brandon smiled, his shoulders relaxing.

Around them, the friends nodded in approval.

“That’s our girl. Knows right from wrong.”

“You’ve got a strong one here, Cayden.”

“Anyone who buys or sells a child deserves the worst. It ruins families–parents spend their whole lives searching, some die of heartbreak… It’s not just stealing a child. It’s stealing a family’s soul.”

To make sure there was no chance for the offenders to slip away, Iris went to the police station that same afternoon with her father and brother.

The officers there knew Cayden well. When they heard he’d found his daughter, their congratulations felt genuine.

A team was dispatched immediately to pick up Grace.

By the time they returned, the sun was dipping behind the hills, staining the police station bricks in shades of deepening red.

Grace was led in handcuffed, flanked by two officers.

From several yards away, her eyes met Iris‘. She also saw Cayden and Brandon standing beside her.

For the first time, real fear–and something like regret–flickered in Grace’s expression.

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Cayden and Brandon’s stares were hard, filled with a quiet, simmering anger.

After giving their statements, they watched as Grace confessed to everything, her voice monotone as the officer transcribed her words.

As she was being taken to the holding cell, Grace suddenly looked toward Iris. “Can I… say a few words to my daughter?”

“She’s not your daughter,” an officer corrected sharply.

Grace swallowed. “Can I talk to her, please?”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you. Save it for the judge.”

The cell door clanged shut.

Iris finished signing the necessary forms, then walked out of the station with her father and brother.

Night had settled in.

For the first time in years, Iris felt like the sky inside her had finally cleared. The questions that had haunted her for three decades were answered.

She wasn’t unloved. She’d just been with the wrong parents.

“Come live with us,” Cayden said, holding her hand as they walked to the car. His eyes were wet again. “You’re a Whitmore. You should’ve grown up in our home, with your family around you. We want to make up for lost time–all thirty years of it.”

Tears traced quiet paths down Iris‘ cheeks. “You don’t owe me anything, Dad. It wasn’t your fault.”

Brandon gently added, “Come home, Iris. We can’t get those years back, but we can make sure the rest of your life is full of the love you should’ve had all along.”

Iris thought for a long moment. Then, finally, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll come home.”

Cayden beamed like a kid, squeezing her hand like he’d never let go.

Right there in the parking lot, he started calling every relative he could think of, sharing the

news.

It was then Iris began to understand just how large her family was–old–money, tightly knit, steeped in tradition.

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All four of her grandparents were still alive. Cayden was the eldest of his generation, followed by three uncles and two aunts.

Each of them had their own families, with children and grandchildren of their own.

And this was only one branch of the family tree–her grandfather’s side.

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