CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144: WHAT HE CAN GIVE, I CAN TOO

After parting ways with Iris Crawford, Lachlan Wyatt never encountered her again in the vast Royal Palace.

His quarters were in another corner of the palace, while Iris’s bedroom was near The First Prince’s residence. Previously, Lachlan would seek her out, sneaking through her window, but now...

Lachlan returned to his own bedroom, his entire being collapsing heavily onto the bed.

The thought of Iris leaving with Dante, like she had been chosen, constantly replayed in his mind. Lachlan couldn’t believe it; she left, truly gone.

All those days and nights they spent together couldn’t compare to the status of a First Prince.

Lachlan clenched the bedsheet beneath him, his fingers turning a pale blue from the force, yet no matter how hard he tried, he could no longer hold onto Iris’s hands.

The word "engagement" cast a darkness over his eyes. The man couldn’t imagine that Iris, having just ended a chaotic marriage with Jordan Jacobs, was now ready to fall into someone else’s arms.

Why.

How could this be.

Lachlan raised his hand to cover his eyes, taking a deep breath that couldn’t be exhaled smoothly. His chest heaved up and down for a long time before he slowly lowered his hand.

In his beautiful pupils, there was a glimmer of water, which he forcefully held back before closing his eyes tightly.

******

Another night passed, and Iris and Dante decided to return temporarily, after which Dante would take action to help her investigate the criminal group in the Federation M.

Skye Lockwood and Cynthia could be happy, and the criminal group could be struck against. Iris didn’t think sacrificing herself was such a big deal.

Even though she was never one to relinquish even a tiny bit of her own interests in lesser matters.

—Except when the one to be saved was someone like her former self, a weak compatriot.

She didn’t inform Lachlan about her return. Dante’s private jet had already coordinated domestically, and she was busy packing her clothes in her room by herself, not wanting to see Lachlan, so she sent Steven Rhodes to notify him.

Upon hearing a knock, Iris thought Steven had returned, so she said "Come in," only to find that it was not Steven who entered.

Pausing as she folded her clothes, Iris raised her eyes to meet Lachlan’s gaze, her hand halted, "Why are you here?"

"You sent Steven to notify me because you didn’t want to see me?"

Lachlan’s voice was somewhat urgent, "Are you in such a hurry to take my brother back to meet your parents?"

He’d never met Iris’s parents! Except for Orion Crawford!

Orion Crawford was of the same generation as him, and they had been good friends even before he knew Iris. However, when it came to elders, Lachlan was entirely an outsider.

A social circle he never had contact with, yet that First Prince brother could easily...

Lachlan was really angry, "Can you not be mad at me, Iris..."

"I’m not mad at you."

Iris’s eyelashes trembled, her beautiful face as lively as ever, "Everything is already set, Lachlan, wake up, will you?"

"It’s just a First Prince!"

Lachlan was provoked by the word "set," and with force, he overturned all the clothes Iris had neatly folded. His eyes reddened, he pointed vigorously at his own chest with his other hand, "I’m a prince too! Since the rumor outside says a prince is getting engaged, then get engaged to me!"

Get engaged to me!

It felt like experiencing an earthquake and a flood of emotions rushing over her heart; Iris didn’t even know how to respond, "What do you mean..."

"The rumor outside only knows a Royal Prince is getting engaged. Isn’t this to avoid scandal and save face for The Royal by pulling you in as a remedy?"

Lachlan laughed, his eyes red, "Why, don’t I count as a prince? An engagement with me, and an engagement with my brother, wouldn’t it sound the same to outsiders?"

Iris stepped back two steps, no longer in the mood to care about the clothes Lachlan had overturned on the floor, "Are you crazy, you want to get engaged to me?"

"I think you’re the crazy one for wanting to get engaged to my brother!"

Lachlan didn’t know why he was suddenly lecturing Iris, "Have you thought through your life plan? The last marriage failed because you weren’t clear-headed, and now you want to plunge in again!"

Iris couldn’t speak, looking at Lachlan with confusion and pain, and this reaction made Lachlan even more uncomfortable. He stepped forward and held her shoulders, "The Royal is not as simple as you think, Iris, don’t think marrying in solves everything."

If it were truly that blissful, why did his mother try every way to escape?

"Then according to you, aren’t you also a Royal? Would marrying you lead to happiness?"

This retort silenced all of Lachlan’s words.

Yes, he insisted marrying The First Prince wouldn’t bring happiness, yet he was also part of The Royal Family.

Wasn’t he slapping his own face?

Lachlan’s grip on Iris’s shoulders loosened, and then was pushed away by Iris, "You just don’t want me to marry, do you? In your best scenario, I’d never get married, spending a lifetime entertaining you, killing time when you’re bored."

Her words were always so brutally honest, even though they could indeed sting Lachlan, yet in doing so, weren’t they also wounding herself?

Upon hearing this, Lachlan articulated each word, "It’s true I don’t want you to marry, I don’t want to give you up! We’ve shared a relationship, yet you can righteously and comfortably marry someone related to me by blood? Doesn’t seeing Dante make you ashamed?"

With so much unspeakable entanglement between them, it was already impossible to separate, didn’t seeing Dante bother Iris inwardly?

Didn’t she feel guilty?

Who would have thought, when Iris Crawford heard this, tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled at Lachlan Wyatt. The smile with tears in her eyes made her even more beautiful. She spoke with a sarcastic tone, "Ashamed? Back when we weren’t divorced, you shamelessly said we better not divorce and even found it exciting! So what now, I’m remarried to someone else, and you’re unhappy about it? Doesn’t this fulfill those sordid desires of yours, President Wyatt? Why are you complaining now!"

Lachlan Wyatt felt as if someone had harshly slapped him on the back, leaving his internal organs in pain.

The man widened his eyes, hearing Iris Crawford’s words, his soul seemed to leave his body, "Iris, you..."

He once spoke eloquently, smiling vainly and beautifully, calling her "darling," breaking through her defenses and masks one by one.

Hadn’t he thought about it back then? If one day Iris Crawford truly gave up on this mutually conquering relationship, what would he use to persuade her to stay?

"In the future, you can’t call me ’darling’ either. What if your brother hears it? Wouldn’t that be disrespectful to your sister-in-law!" Iris emphasized the words "sister-in-law," removing the ambiguity between them, their rivalry became like longstanding archenemies.

Lachlan Wyatt was almost out of breath, before he could finish speaking, Iris Crawford in front of him began folding clothes one by one, then pulled up her suitcase, "Later, I’ll fly back with Dante. It’s rare for you to return to the Royal Palace, why not spend more time with your grandmother and the others."

"Iris..." Hearing her speak to him with such a distant tone, Lachlan Wyatt panicked, his heart trembled, "Iris, don’t speak like that..."

Iris, without looking at anyone, pulled her suitcase to walk out.

Behind her, Lachlan Wyatt grabbed her, "Iris, you don’t love him, I can tell, you don’t love him, right?"

Iris flung Lachlan Wyatt’s hand away, "What good is love? I used to love you, didn’t I? Did it matter? Whoever I marry is the same. Besides, how can you, a second son, compare to the first son with inheritance rights?"

Does it matter?

These words pierced the heart, Lachlan Wyatt really didn’t know how to make up for the harm his previous words caused to Iris Crawford, the helpless man childishly held onto Iris’s sleeve and said, "I know, it was wrong for me to say those things..."

Before he could finish speaking, Iris withdrew her hand, continued walking forward without looking back.

Lachlan Wyatt chased a few steps, but Iris’s pace only quickened, the Royal Palace was so large, it was difficult for them to meet again.

Don’t go.

"Iris..."

Lachlan Wyatt’s voice trembled, as if driven to desperation, yet he had no means, could only watch her leave his sight.

"Iris! Why can you get engaged to my brother, but not to me! Didn’t you say it doesn’t matter who you marry!"

"Why not me!"

Lachlan Wyatt shouted at her receding figure, his soul-rending voice, "Do you hate me that much!"

He was also a prince, he could also marry her, he offered another solution, why wouldn’t she listen!

Iris’s eyes also reddened, turned around and gave Lachlan Wyatt a hard look.

"Why..." Lachlan Wyatt didn’t dare take another step forward.

One step.

Iris said no more, at the other end of the corridor, Raymond stood there, taking over her luggage.

That was Dante’s personal steward, now answering to Iris, the meaning was clear as day.

"Don’t do this..." Lachlan Wyatt seemed to wake up from a deep sleep with a start, muttered once again, then raised his voice to say to Iris, "Don’t go! Iris!"

I still... can’t leave you.

But Iris’s pace did not stop.

"Do you want power that badly!" Lachlan Wyatt felt he was on the verge of collapse, "My heart’s about to be dug out, don’t you know! Iris, you’re too ruthless!"

"Are those words ’The First Prince’ so tempting to you?"

"Do you really lack these? I can give you the same things, why! Do you have to marry my brother to disgust me!"

Sister-in-law? The face she made when she called herself sister-in-law really broke his heart!

"Why... not turn around and look at me." In the end, ’don’t go’ became a futile plea, Lachlan Wyatt’s voice fell again, as if everything had climaxed then quickly and heavily fell, with no response again.

Iris’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

She still left.

******

Because of Iris Crawford’s suggestion, Dante chose to travel low-key this time, without releasing any international news, and selected a rather niche business car to avoid attracting attention.

In the car, Iris Crawford glanced at Dante who was already inside, the other party looking at her meaningfully, "I thought you wouldn’t come."

"What do you mean? You guessed your brother would come to find me?"

"Yes." This time Dante returned to the country alone with Iris, Steven Rhodes stayed in the Kingdom of L to continue waiting for news, after all, they would soon return to address the issues in Federation M. With Steven not by their side, Dante spoke more freely, "I can guess his temper, after all, it’s in the blood."

"In his eyes, I’m already a woman seeking vanity and fame."

Iris took a deep breath, said to the driver, "Let’s go."

"Got it." The driver in front replied, making Dante squint slightly, "Are you new?" The driver’s voice seemed different.

"Yes, I just started a few days ago... the previous one wasn’t in good health, so I’m filling in."

Oh. So that’s it. Dante didn’t say much, "Drive to the airport, and help us notify the airline."