I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 184

As they passed the front desk, two receptionists were huddled together, whispering.

"That woman earlier really didn't look right. She couldn't even keep her eyes open."

"The guy's sister was with them, so she should be fine, right?"

Xander's steps faltered slightly. He glanced over at the front desk but didn't think much of it, continuing toward the elevators.

His assistant handed over the room key, and the two stepped inside, one after the other.

Meanwhile, with a soft ding, another elevator opened its doors on the twelfth floor.

Gideon stepped out with Nora on his back, while Sienna walked beside them holding Nora's shoes. The three moved down the heavily carpeted hallway, barely making a sound.

Sienna swiped the key card to open the door, keeping her voice low as she rushed him. "Get inside quickly, before anyone sees."

Gideon dumped Nora onto the bed, straightening up to shake out his sore arms. "After today, she'll be mine. Even just to protect her own reputation, she won't dare make a scene. Women care about their image more than anything. When it's over, she'll just have to play along and be with me."

Nora sank into the mattress, the room spinning wildly around her.

For a fleeting second, her mind cleared. She heard the sound of Sienna shutting the door and opened her eyes just enough to see Gideon's silhouette standing by the bed, unbuttoning his shirt.

Mustering every ounce of her remaining strength, she rolled toward the edge of the bed. The warm yellow light from the hallway spilled in through the crack of the door, and at the far end of the hall, a familiar figure in black appeared.

Xander was walking in her direction with his assistant, his pace unhurried and steady.

His assistant was holding the key card, ready to open the door, when Xander suddenly raised a hand, signaling him to stop.

The assistant looked over in confusion, only to see his boss tilt his head toward the far end of the hallway. A woman was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed—it was the exact same woman who had been trailing behind Seraphina Shaw at the summit.

Xander's brows slowly drew together. It hadn't been his imagination. The moment he turned the corner into the hallway, he had definitely heard a voice.

It was incredibly faint, the kind of sound a normal person would easily ignore. But he was far too familiar with that particular tone. It sounded exactly like Nora.

He cursed himself silently. He was losing his mind.

How could Nora possibly be here?