I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 119

Finnegan's brows slammed together in a harsh scowl.

He paused for a couple of seconds, quickly masking his expression. When he spoke again, his aggressive interrogation had morphed into a forced, protective tone. "Nora, since Finnegan is gone, I have to step up and look after you."

He emphasized the name deliberately, as if trying to drill the lie into her head.

"I have to look out for your best interests," Finnegan continued, his face adopting an infuriating look of profound responsibility.

"Even if you are looking to remarry, you shouldn't just rush into things with the first man you find. This is a massive life decision. And you need to consider Cassie's feelings. Xander already has a child of his own; how is he supposed to give Cassie the family she deserves?"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, a suffocating knot of unvented frustration tightening in his chest.

Watching his self-righteous performance, Nora found the entire situation utterly ridiculous.

A man who had actively chosen to fake his own death, stolen a new face, and adopted a fake identity was now standing in front of her, parading as her deceased husband's older brother just to gatekeep her love life. What possible moral high ground did he think he stood on?

The Fletcher family just needed her to play the role of the tragic, loyal widow in name only, and they needed Cassie to remain their obedient little heir. So even with her husband allegedly dead, she was supposed to rot in that empty position and never seek a new life.

As for whether he still harbored romantic feelings for her, Nora wasn't arrogant enough to assume that.

All she knew was that she was, in fact, preparing to remarry, but she absolutely could not let Finnegan find out yet. Given his controlling nature, he would undoubtedly sabotage everything.

She let out a slow, shallow breath, forcing all her surging emotions back down, and looked up with a flawless, practiced smile. "Thank you for your concern. I will give it some serious thought."

Hearing this, the burning irritation in Finnegan's chest instantly smoothed over. He knew it. Nora wouldn't just remarry someone else that easily. She was clearly still hung up on him and was just putting up a tough front.

He looked Felix up and down, his voice dripping with condescension. "Dr. Ford, I am Nora's family. Technically, you are the outsider here. What exactly is the meaning of this little display?"

Felix let out a sharp laugh.

This man was truly a piece of work, parading around as family. Felix held his tongue on the real truth, merely stating, "When Nora and I first met, I highly doubt you even knew she existed."

He glanced over his shoulder at Nora, his eyes softening dramatically. "Isn't that right, Nora? If we do the math, we've known each other for over ten years now."

He turned his attention back to Finnegan, a look of undisguised triumph flashing across his face. "And how long have you known her, Mr. Fletcher? A decade, at best?"

Finnegan's face turned completely ashen. He couldn't utter a single word in response.