I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 203

Once inside, Xander stood at the boundary between the entryway and the living room, glancing around before holding his hands out slightly. "Where should I sit?"

Before Nora could even answer, Bonnie's contagious giggles echoed from the dining room.

The little girl was seated right next to Felix, holding a piece of golden crispy chicken in both hands. Her cheeks were puffed out as she chewed, her lips shimmering with a greasy sheen.

Felix used his silverware to place a small meatball onto her plate. Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes shining. "You're such a good cook, Felix!"

Amused, Felix asked how his cooking compared to Nora's.

Bonnie tilted her head, seriously considering it for a couple of seconds. "Nora's is still better. But I can't eat her food all the time."

When Felix asked why, Bonnie swallowed her mouthful of chicken, her expression suddenly turning very solemn. "Because it makes her tired! If I came over every day to eat her food, she'd have to cook so much all the time, and then she wouldn't get to rest. I don't want her to be tired."

Felix reached out, gently ruffling the top of her head. "You're such a thoughtful girl, Bonnie."

Standing in the hallway, Nora felt a profound lump in her throat.

It was incredibly rare for a child her age to care about an adult's exhaustion. It was a complete contrast to her own daughter, Cassie.

To Cassie, a mother was just her personal maid. She demanded her favorite meals, expected them hand-delivered, and would throw violent tantrums if her whims weren't instantly satisfied.

The thought of Cassie made Nora drop her gaze, forcing down the bitter wave of despair welling up inside her. Plastering on a bright smile, she turned to Xander and gestured toward the room. "Please, make yourself at home. I still have one last dish to finish."

Felix immediately stood up from the dining table. "I'll help you."

Nora nodded. They had barely taken two steps toward the kitchen when Bonnie slid out of her chair. She jogged over, grabbing the edge of Nora's apron, and looked up with righteous determination. "Nora, let me help too! I want to help!"

Nora crouched down, affectionately pinching the girl's soft cheek, and gently turned her down. "That's okay, sweetie. You just sit and wait. I can handle it myself."

But Bonnie knit her little brows together. "No way! Ms. Zimmerman taught us today that good kids help their parents with chores. My dad never does chores at home. He's so lazy!"

Over in the living room, Xander cleared his throat. He turned to look at his daughter, a rare flash of awkwardness crossing his face at being so publicly exposed. "Who told you that?"

He had never interacted with Xander in a private setting before. Their previous encounters at the hospital or the institute had solely been about Nora. Sitting face-to-face like this was a completely new battleground.

Xander radiated a freezing, unapproachable aura, yet he was the first to speak. His tone was dismissive, but the words carried weight. "You and Ms. Newman seem quite close, Dr. Ford."

Felix paused for a second before realizing the man was fishing. His tone remained perfectly neutral, though laced with undeniable pride. "Yes. Nora and I have known each other for a long time. Definitely longer than Bonnie has been alive."

Xander arched a brow, a calculating glint flashing in his predatory gaze as a faint smirk touched his lips. "Is that right? That is a long time."

Felix set his water glass down, the base clinking sharply against the glass tabletop.

He met Xander's gaze dead-on, not dropping an ounce of politeness. "Why do you ask, Mr. Harrison? You seem quite invested in Nora."

Xander neither avoided the stare nor denied the accusation. "I am quite invested in her well-being. She is, after all, the closest person to my daughter right now. I may have misjudged her in the past, but it's clear now that Ms. Newman isn't the kind of woman I originally thought she was."

Felix's brow furrowed, his warm demeanor hardening slightly. "And what kind of woman did you think she was? Someone trying to get close to you by using Bonnie for personal gain?"