I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 74

Cassie stayed quiet for two seconds before grumbling a reluctant, "Fine," and hanging up.

...

Nora returned to the institute.

It was past seven in the evening, but several lights in the labs were still burning bright.

As she walked in, she heard animated murmurs coming from the direction of the lab. A group of researchers was clustered outside Zelda's office. Their voices were hushed, but the barely contained thrill in their tone was unmistakable.

The news of Arthur Caldwell's return had already swept through the entire facility.

She hurried toward Zelda's office, but the moment she pushed the door open, her footsteps faltered.

Xavier was sitting on the sofa with a glass of water in front of him. His color was better than the last time she had seen him, but he was still alarmingly frail. The collar of his dress shirt hung loosely around his neck.

At the sound of the door, he turned. His gaze landed on Nora for a fraction of a second before darting away.

Nora practically moved on instinct, stepping forward. "Professor Vance, what are you doing here? Have you fully recovered?"

Xavier's tone carried its usual icy, abrasive edge. "How kind of you to concern yourself with my health."

Zelda sitting behind her desk, glared at her husband. "Speak properly. Stop making things difficult for the girl. She's been through enough lately."

Nora lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She stayed hovering near the door, keeping a respectful distance from her mentor. The overhead lights cast a soft glow over her frame.

Xavier fell silent for a moment, letting out a heavy exhale.

He shot Nora a look—a fleeting mix of frustration and fierce protectiveness—before stating coldly,

"I assume Felix already informed you that Arthur is returning tomorrow."

Nora nodded. "Yes, he told me."

Xavier tapped his fingers against his knee, seemingly weighing his next words. His voice was slower than usual. "Arthur is a notoriously temperamental man. Back when we worked together, he was prone to abrupt outbursts. One second he was perfectly fine, and the next, he'd slam his fist on the table and storm out."

Grabbing his cane from the armrest, he made his way toward the door. As he passed Nora, his steps hitched for a brief moment.

"Dress appropriately tomorrow," he tossed over his shoulder. The rhythmic tapping of his cane echoed down the hall as he walked away.

Zelda watched his retreating back until he disappeared around the corner. She sighed. "Don't take his attitude to heart. Your professor is just..."

"I know, Mrs. Vance," Nora interrupted with a soft smile.

Zelda studied her for a moment, then smiled back, slipping her glasses on again. "Alright, you should head home and rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Nora replied, "I will. You get some rest too, Mrs. Vance."

With that, she pushed the door open and stepped out.

The corridors were mostly empty by now. Nora returned to her workstation, packing up the recent sets of problematic experimental data. She planned to ask Arthur for guidance tomorrow, praying the legend would be generous enough to offer his insight.

Despite her preparation, a wave of nervous anticipation fluttered in her stomach.