I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 289

Finnegan didn't catch onto her subtle game. He leaned back against the headboard, his eyes dropping back to the unread email on his phone as he gave an offhand reply. "It's pretty much healed. Why?"

Seraphina crawled up from the edge of the mattress and slowly pressed herself against his back.

She rested her cheek against his shoulder blade, wrapping her arms around his waist. After lingering in the quiet embrace for a moment, she finally spoke. "Finn, when are you going to marry me? It's been so long. I want to marry you. Let's just do it. Let's get married."

Finnegan's grip on his phone tightened, his movements halting entirely.

He slowly turned his head to look at her. For some inexplicable reason, the fiery urge that usually consumed him was completely gone.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, swallowing hard. "Seraphina, of course I want to marry you. I've held off because the company's footing hasn't been solid enough. Now that we're partnering with The Vance Institute of Medical Science, I absolutely cannot afford any distractions. If we got married now, you would completely steal my focus. If I mess up the project, the fallout would be catastrophic. You understand that, don't you?"

Seraphina's hands slowly slid off his body.

She pulled away, the seductive warmth draining from her face, leaving nothing but icy suspicion. "Finnegan, have you ever actually planned on marrying me? Are you just trying to get back together with Nora?"

In the past, whenever she threw an accusation like that, Finnegan would immediately panic, pull her into his arms, and desperately try to coax her out of her bad mood.

But tonight, he merely sat there, an undeniable wave of exhaustion washing over his features.

He let out a long, heavy sigh. "Seraphina, I am already completely drained from work every single day. I really don't have the energy to keep defending myself against these baseless accusations. Can you please just drop it?"

Seraphina stared at him in utter disbelief, her eyes trembling slightly.

He really had changed. Was she genuinely just being unreasonable?

She didn't say a word, just stared at him in a stunned daze.

Seraphina nodded obediently and slid under the covers.

Lying on her side, she watched his broad back illuminated by the desk lamp. The sweet smile on her face melted away into something venomous.

She couldn't back him into a corner. She had to play the long game. Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing, perfectly faking a deep slumber.

Long after Finnegan wrapped up his work and quietly slipped into bed beside her, her eyes finally snapped open.

Once the man's breathing leveled out into a heavy rhythm, Seraphina confirmed he was deeply asleep before carefully throwing off the blanket and sliding out of bed.

She padded silently into the bathroom, locked the door, and dialed a number.