I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 138

Nora took two steps forward and spoke to Alastair with perfect calm. "If there is nothing else, I'll be going now. Cassie is home alone, and I'm worried about her."

Alastair's demeanor toward her was vastly improved from when she had first walked in. He nodded, his tone carrying a rare note of warmth. "Alright, you go ahead. Nora, if Mr. Harrison reaches out to you again, make sure you inform me immediately."

Nora nodded and offered a brief "Okay" without over-explaining herself.

She turned and walked toward the door. Behind her, the brutal sound of the whip continued to fall, mingling with Seraphina's loud wails and Adelaide's muffled sobs.

She didn't look back once, even as her heart gave a dull, phantom ache and her fingernails pressed deeply into her palms.

When she pushed open the door to her house, the living room was dead silent.

Nora stood in the middle of the room and stretched, slowly unraveling the tension that had knotted her spine all night.

She poured herself a hot cup of tea, curled up on the sofa, and stared blankly at the mug wrapped in her hands.

The events of the night flashed through her mind like a movie reel.

Honestly, she hadn't expected Xander to send someone to publicly thank her in front of the entire Fletcher family.

Everyone there assumed Xander was acting as her protector, but none of them understood the real underlying message.

Xander was simply settling the ledger. He didn't want to owe her anything, not even a favor as small as a ride to the airport.

He was a man who maintained ironclad boundaries. Everything was strictly transactional, perfectly calculated, leaving no debts unpaid.

Nora pursed her lips, brushing the thought away. It was better this way.

In his mind, Nora was supposed to be deeply moved. Her cold indifference completely derailed his expectations.

Nora didn't give him a chance to rethink his approach. "Since you're injured, get some rest. I won't bother you anymore."

She hung up without a second of hesitation.

On the other end, Finnegan stared at the severed connection in stunned disbelief.

Adelaide was sobbing uncontrollably. "Finn, look at that ungrateful wretch! I told you not to stand up for her!"

Finnegan's breathing grew heavier. He had assumed that taking those lashes would at least thaw Nora's icy demeanor toward him.

Why wasn't this going the way he planned?