I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 127

The moment those words dropped, the entire dining hall plunged into dead silence. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet several degrees. No one dared to breathe loudly. Chopsticks hovered frozen above bowls, and even the servants pouring wine immediately stopped.

In the Fletcher family, Alastair's word was absolute law. No one dared to defy him. When Nora used to attend, she had hung on his every command. This was the first time she had ever been late, leaving the entire family sitting around waiting for her.

Finnegan's expression was incredibly grim. He had deliberately cornered her at the institute to remind her, yet she still had the audacity to be late.

Whether she had completely disregarded his words or was intentionally throwing a tantrum, it felt like a direct provocation to his authority.

Seraphina finally spoke up, her voice gentle and perfectly poised, making it seem as though she were genuinely trying to help Nora. "Alastair, let's wait a little longer. Nora might just be stuck in traffic."

Alastair slammed his hand against the table, the sheer force rattling the porcelain plates.

He let out a cold sneer. "Is traffic supposed to be an excuse? She was notified well in advance. If she cared at all, she would have left hours ago. Even with traffic, she wouldn't be this late. It's obvious she has zero respect for the Fletcher family!"

He glared around the room, his face dark with fury. "Since that's the case, and she clearly doesn't see us as family, there's no reason for us to wait for her. Serve the food."

Sitting nearby, Adelaide Fletcher couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had hated Nora for a long time. A widow with no husband still shamelessly clinging to the Fletcher family, and now, in front of all their relatives, she was making them lose face.

She fully intended to give Nora a vicious scolding the second she walked through the door.

Xander's frown didn't relax; instead, it grew tighter. Had he really misjudged her?

Seeing his boss's unreadable expression, the assistant quickly steered the topic back to business. "Mr. Harrison, regarding that prime real estate in the center of Southampton, the sellers are trying to push for a price below market value."

Xander's demeanor instantly turned frigid. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a ruthless, suffocating aura radiating from him. "There is no room for negotiation. Tell them to remember their place and carefully consider what leverage they actually have. If they still lack self-awareness, cancel the flight immediately."

The assistant didn't dare waste a second and relayed the exact message without altering a single word.

A few seconds later, the sellers replied. They were willing to talk, and their attitude had become incredibly compliant. Xander didn't say another word, simply turning and striding toward the security checkpoint.