I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 10

Nora looked through the car window and saw Professor Vance sitting in the back seat, his face dark and his lips pressed into a tight line. When he caught her looking, he scoffed coldly and turned his head away.

Nora's tears instantly spilled over.

"Mrs. Vance..."

Zelda's heart ached for her. She pulled Nora into a tight embrace. "It's okay now. Let's go home."

She guided Nora into the car, having her sit in the back while she took the passenger seat.

Xavier sat next to her, remaining silent. His expression was still grim, but he stole glances at her every now and then.

The car drove for about twenty minutes before pulling up to an old residential building.

Xavier lived on the third floor in a humble two-bedroom apartment.

Zelda ushered Nora to sit down and poured her a cup of hot tea. "Drink some of this to warm up. I'll grab you some blankets. Just sleep here tonight, and we'll figure things out tomorrow."

Nora cradled the teacup. The steam from the hot tea drifted in front of her face, blurring her vision.

Seeing her professor's graying hair and stubborn expression, her heart felt both a heavy ache and a rush of warmth.

"Professor, I'm sorry."

Xavier scoffed coldly. "Sorry for what? It's not like you wronged me."

Nora lowered her eyes, and fresh tears fell.

Zelda couldn't be bothered with his attitude. She placed a blanket on the sofa, sat next to Nora, and took her hand. "Nora, ignore him. He's always like this. Tell me, what happened? Why were you at the police station?"

Nora shook her head. "It's nothing. I just helped someone out of a tough spot."

Zelda said, "As long as you're okay. Your professor saved a spot for you at an international medical forum next month, presenting the latest progress on our anti-cancer drug development. He originally wanted to go himself, but his health won't allow it, so he thought you could take his place."

Xavier averted his gaze. "Don't look at me. I'm only giving it to you because I can't go. Take it seriously if you want it, or forget it if you don't."

Nora knew he was all bark and no bite, and a wave of gratitude washed over her. "I'll go, Professor."

Xavier finally turned to look at her. "Then spend this next month preparing properly. They only offered this opportunity because your husband saved their lives. This seminar is a huge deal—top experts from across the industry will be there. Don't embarrass me."

"I will."

Nora nodded firmly.

She hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking up, her heart pounding with uncertainty. "Professor, I want to return to the research institute."

Xavier's hand paused, and Zelda looked equally stunned.

Her expression grew somber. "The institute isn't what it used to be."

Nora nodded. "I've made up my mind. No matter the situation, I want to come back."

"Nora? Why are you back?"

Nora nodded with a polite smile in greeting. She turned away and immediately called Zelda, asking, "Mrs. Vance, what is actually going on at the institute?"

Zelda sighed. It seemed some things simply couldn't be hidden forever.

"A company wanted to buy out your professor's project results, but you know how stubborn he is. He refused. So they pulled their investment, and the lab went broke. Your professor ended up in the hospital because he was so stressed about it. His heart was already weak, and this just pushed him over the edge."

Nora's chest tightened. "Why would it come to this?"

Zelda laughed bitterly. "Nora, you know as well as I do that developing an anti-cancer drug is an agonizingly long process. It requires massive upfront investment and yields slow results. Most investors lack the patience and just want to steal the IP for themselves."

Nora fell silent for a moment before a sudden realization flashed through her mind.

Xander Harrison's company, Harrison Group, had been consistently investing in the biomedical sector. If she could secure his investment...

Her gaze turned resolute. "Mrs. Vance, I'm going to secure funding."

Zelda was stunned. "You?"

Nora nodded. "I know someone. It might be worth a shot."

She pulled out her phone, found Xander Harrison's business card, and took a deep breath as she stared at the gold-embossed name.

This was her only chance, and she had to seize it. Whether the institute could be brought back to life all depended on tomorrow.