I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 285

Finnegan finally snapped under the weight of her painfully detached, strictly professional attitude.

He took a step forward, lowering his voice as he closed the distance between them, barely keeping his temper in check. "Nora, do you really have to speak to me like this? I was just giving you a friendly warning. If you don't appreciate it, fine, but there is absolutely no need to attack me."

Nora turned her head to look right at him, her expression utterly blank. "Mr. Fletcher, I'm not attacking you. I'm simply speaking to you with the exact tone a business partner should use. You're the one overthinking things."

Xander subtly shifted a half-step forward, smoothly placing himself between Nora and Finnegan.

He looked at Finnegan, his tone lazy and accompanied by a soft chuckle. "If you aren't going to eat, Mr. Fletcher, then kindly step out of the way. No matter how much power a man wields, he doesn't have the right to deprive someone of their lunch break. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Furthermore, Ms. Newman doesn't seem to have any personal ties to you. Trying to restrict her freedom? That lacks a certain logic."

Finnegan's face twisted into a dark scowl at the swift shut-down. He opened his mouth, desperate for a comeback, but the words died in his throat.

He finally stepped back, fixing his gaze on Nora. "Fine. But wait for me by the entrance after work today. I have something to discuss with you. It's about Finn."

Nora's eyebrow twitched upward.

She was genuinely curious about what he had to say. When it came to Finnegan Fletcher, she wanted to see what wild lies he was ready to spin next.

She gave a curt nod and agreed. "Fine."

Xander frowned slightly at the exchange, but kept his thoughts to himself.

He turned sideways, gesturing for Nora to lead the way.

The two of them exited the hospital, crossed the street, and stepped into the restaurant he had booked in advance.

Nora took a seat, flipped through the menu for a moment, and ordered a few dishes before sliding the booklet over to Xander. "See what you'd like, Mr. Harrison. It's on me."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Xander glanced down at the menu, randomly picked two items, and handed it back to the waiter.

At least, in those fleeting moments, it had felt real.

The lavish surprises Finnegan arranged for their anniversaries, the little sprinkles of romance in their mundane days, the way he was always the first to apologize after an argument.

Every single detail had screamed that their marriage was utterly perfect.

But the conversation she had overheard reduced it all to a sickening joke.

It turned out every single thing Finnegan did was a calculated performance. The person he truly loved had always been someone else.

It was true that he had gone to war with his family to marry her, but over those five years, he had never personally picked out a single anniversary gift.

When he apologized after their fights, it was never because he cared about her feelings. It was because Seraphina Shaw had been watching from the sidelines, and he needed to put on a show. Nora was nothing more than a convenient prop used to make Seraphina jealous.