I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 221

Early the next morning, Nora headed back to the Fletcher estate.

The living room was quiet when she walked in, the curtains still drawn, until a patter of small footsteps echoed from the stairs.

Looking up, she saw Cassie standing at the top of the landing in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

A tuft of her hair stuck up from sleep, and when she spotted Nora, her little hand froze in mid-air, her eyes wide as if she were still dreaming.

Her mouth parted, almost calling out for her mother, but the words died in her throat as she remembered the Willow Academy Spring Fair, where Nora had forced her to apologize in front of a crowd.

Her expression shifted instantly into a deep pout, and with a heavy scoff, she spun around, stomping back to her room and slamming the door shut.

Nora stood in the living room, staring at the closed door with a soft sigh.

She hadn't returned to fulfill Finnegan's demand of spending three days a week at the house; she only needed to grab some old documents she had left behind, and then she would leave.

She had never taken Finnegan's words to heart, nor did she have any intention of actually staying three days a week to accompany Cassie.

Walking over to the storage cabinet, she crouched down and began sifting through her files.

Finnegan pushed the front door open, carrying a bag of fresh breakfast pastries.

When he glanced up and saw Nora crouching by the cabinet, his brows arched in surprise, a brief flash of light sparking in his eyes.

"Nora? When did you get back?"

Nora didn't bother to argue. Having found her documents, she grabbed a treat she had bought and prepared to bring it up to Cassie.

Watching her completely brush him off, that familiar, suffocating wave of frustration welled up in Finnegan's chest.

He took a deep breath, swallowing the emotion. "I'll go talk to her," he said, turning toward the stairs.

Upstairs, Finnegan pushed open Cassie's door, but before he could speak, she grabbed his hand from behind the frame and yanked him inside, standing on her tiptoes to shut the door tight.

Pouting heavily, she whispered, "Dad, why did you tell Mom to come back? I don't want to be around her. I'm going out with Seraphina today. She promised to take me camping, and the tent is already packed!"

At the mention of Seraphina's name, Finnegan's expression subconsciously chilled.