I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 108

Finnegan reached out and wiped a stray drop of oatmeal from the corner of her mouth, his tone endlessly gentle. "Don't worry about her right now, Cassie. Focus on getting your strength back first, and then you can go visit Seraphina."

Cassie immediately took another massive bite of her food, gulping it down enthusiastically before slamming the bowl onto the table with a triumphant cheer. "Yay!"

The feverish flush hadn't completely faded from her cheeks, but a good portion of her energy had returned. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Finnegan. "Seraphina promised to take me to a concert, too!"

...

After leaving the estate, Nora headed straight back to the institute.

She pushed through the glass doors of the laboratory building, but before she could even change her shoes, Felix was already marching rapidly down the hallway toward her.

His strides were urgent, and his face lacked its usual laid-back charm. Instead, a rare seriousness pinched his brow. "Nora, there's something wrong with the data on this end. I need you to take a look right now."

Nora's nerves tightened instantly on reflex. Her expression shifted into absolute professionalism as she matched his brisk pace, practically speed-walking past him toward the lab.

But before she even reached the doors, Felix suddenly grabbed her arm and steered her toward the nearby breakroom instead.

The tension in his voice instantly evaporated. "Wait in here for a second. There's something else I need to show you."

Nora shot him a skeptical look. Felix had never been good at hiding secrets, but his current expression was remarkably unreadable. After a second of hesitation, she reached out and pushed the breakroom door open.

The moment the door swung wide, a loud pop exploded above her head.

Felix stepped out from behind her, flashing his signature roguish grin. His tone was a touch more sincere than usual.

"Happy ten-year workiversary, Nora." He paused for a beat before adding, "And this isn't just any milestone. It's ten years of our big, crazy family sticking together."

Nora reached up and discreetly wiped the corner of her eye. Sniffling softly, she offered Felix a radiant smile. "I'm fine, Felix. I'm just a little overwhelmed. Thank you, everyone."

Zelda set the cake on the table and struck a match to light the candles, while Felix enthusiastically urged Nora to make a wish.

Standing in front of the flickering candlelight, Nora suddenly realized that today hadn't been a complete disaster after all.

Some people might toss her decade of devotion aside like trash, but there were plenty of others who treated her ten years as an absolute treasure.