His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex Wife novel Chapter 351

Chapter 351 Aching Heart

Brandon was stunned, his mind reeling.

63

Finished

He couldn’t think straight anymore. An ache settled in his chest for no clear reason. When he pictured Zoe growing up in a home like that and still turning out so bright, kind, and full of life -it really was something.

“Given his parents, I’d say Arthur’s tolerance for cheating is zero. And thanks to his father, the odds of him being abusive are pretty much a hundred percent.”

Brandon wasn’t so convinced. He turned to look.

Just then, Arthur–furious–grabbed Lily by the hair and dragged her like trash toward the car. He shoved her roughly into the passenger seat. Lily was sobbing, trying to explain, but he wasn’t listening. He slammed the door with all his might.

A deafening “Bang” echoed, like the door might come right off its hinges.

Brandon sounded almost panicked. “Is he going to hit her?” he muttered.

Julian slid into the car beside Brandon.

“You like Zoe?” he asked, buckling his seatbelt.

Brandon fastened his own, leaned back in the passenger seat, and let out a low sigh. “Yeah,” he said quietly.

“She doesn’t believe in marriage,” Julian said as he started the engine and pulled carefully into traffic. “You might want to look somewhere else.”

“I’m thirty–two, and she’s the first woman I’ve ever felt this way about,” Brandon said after a long pause. He offered a faint, tired smile and gazed out the window. “Maybe it’s an age thing, but I haven’t met anyone else who makes me feel like she does.”

“Ever tried making a move?” Julian asked curiously.

“Yeah. She doesn’t give me an opening.”

“From what Iris says, she doesn’t give any guy an opening,” Julian replied with a helpless chuckle. “A friend of mine, Daniel–he was into Zoe too. Chased her for two years, got nowhere, finally called it quits.”

Brandon propped his elbow on the window frame, resting his chin in his long, slender fingers. He stayed silent, lost in thought, eyes clouded with worry.

1/4

15:21 Thu, Jun 25

Chapter 351 Aching Heart

Julian glanced over.

63

Finished

Seeing how down he looked, Julian changed the subject. “Iris really might be your sister, huh?”

“Seems that way,” Brandon answered softly.

“When do the DNA results come in?”

“Tomorrow.”

“If Iris turns out to be your sister, guess I’ll have to start calling you ‘brother“,” Julian said with a light laugh.

Brandon raised an eyebrow. “Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all—I’m good with it,” Julian said, his tone warm and almost eager to please. “If Iris agrees to marry me again, I’d even give you a New Year’s bow.”

Brandon cracked a smile. “We’re the same generation, no bowing needed. And anyway, whether my sister gets back with you or not–that’s her call.”

Julian’s voice turned earnest. “Just putting in a good word would help. And I’ll return the favor— say nice things about you to Zoe, try to set something up.”

Brandon gave a small laugh, then sighed as he looked out at the darkening sky. “Deal.”

“I’ll drop you at the hospital first. Need to stop by the office and handle a few things.”

“Appreciate it.”

*****

Evening fell, the sunset staining the sky a deep red.

Iris emerged from the bathroom holding her lower stomach. She found the last pad in the drawer and hurried back to the toilet.

After a quick shower and fresh clothes, she collapsed weakly onto the bed, curling up with a hand pressed to her abdomen.

The cramping was intense–sharp, needle–like pains that spread through her nerves, making hard to breathe. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and a cold shiver ran through her body.

Her periods used to be manageable, with only mild discomfort on the first couple of days.

But this time was different.

2/4

15:21 Thu, Jun 25

Chapter 351 Aching Heart

63

Finished

It hurt worse than she remembered–maybe even worse than when she’d given birth to Harper.

Once the worst wave passed, she reached for her phone and called Julian.

He picked up after two rings, his voice unusually gentle. “Iris, I’m almost home.”

“Julian,” she whispered weakly, “on your way back, could you grab me two packs of pads?”

“You don’t sound good. Cramping bad?”

“Yeah.”

“Just lie down and rest,” he said, urgency creeping into his tone. “What kind do you need? I’ll go

now.”

“Any supermarket brand is fine these days–they’re all decent. Just get a mix of daytime and overnight.”

“Got it.”

Iris didn’t have the energy to keep talking. She let the phone drop and curled tighter under the blanket.

Ten minutes later, Julian walked through the front door carrying two boxes of pads.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify