I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 219

Seraphina remained completely rigid in his embrace, her heavily bandaged hand hanging lifelessly at her side.

Her heart was pounding erratically, yet she felt completely drained of energy.

She had no idea what to even say anymore. It was glaringly obvious that Finnegan was still utterly fixated on Nora. Begging him for reassurances was a waste of breath.

If she couldn't control Finnegan, then she would just have to eliminate Nora from the equation.

From the moment they returned home, Seraphina refused to initiate a single conversation with him.

She wasn't the type to throw screaming tantrums. Instead, she locked him out with a devastating cold war.

When he brought her water, she took a polite sip, set it down, and murmured a mechanical "thank you" without so much as glancing his way. When he asked if her hand hurt, she replied that it was better, delivering the words with the sterile detachment of speaking to a doctor.

She continued clocking into The Vance Institute of Medical Science exactly on time, meticulously cleaning the house after hours. When Finnegan's mother called to ask about the burn, Seraphina laughed it off and graciously smoothed things over for him.

She knew exactly how to play this man. The deeper his guilt ran, the harder it would be for him to leave her.

She didn't want fleeting sympathy; she wanted to chain him to an insurmountable debt of gratitude.

But things didn't go as Seraphina had calculated.

Finnegan acted as though he hadn't noticed a thing—or perhaps he had, but he simply didn't bother trying to grovel and comfort her like he used to.

"Nora, I'm here about Cassie. You are her mother. You can't just abandon her to Seraphina and me. Starting this week, you are required to come back to the estate three days a week to have dinner with her, tutor her, and tuck her in."

By doing so, he guaranteed she would have to come home frequently.

Nora frowned, shifting her folder to her other hand. "Finnegan, I have a career. The phase-two lab data is at a critical juncture, and I physically cannot spare three days a week. Besides, Cassie won't even want me there. You saw it yourself at the fair. She much prefers Seraphina."

"She's just a child! What does she know about what she likes? You are her mother. Even if she pushes back, it's your job to guide her. That's your responsibility. You don't get to dump her on us just because she prefers Seraphina right now. The world doesn't work that way." His voice rose sharply, drawing the curious stares of a few passing colleagues.

Nora refused to engage in a screaming match in front of her workplace. She knew her responsibilities as a mother, but she wasn't about to let this man manipulate her with moral grandstanding.

Her tone remained flat and indifferent. "Understood. I will do my best to make time, but I cannot guarantee three days a week. The trials wait for no one."