I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 13

At seven o'clock in the evening, Nora packed up her things and got ready to head to the gala.

She wore a light pink tulip dress with a hem that stopped right at her mid-calf, its impeccably tailored waistline highlighting her slender figure, while her hair was pinned up elegantly to reveal her delicate neck.

Mrs. Vance had picked out this dress for her, insisting that the soft color perfectly complimented her radiant complexion now that she had lost some weight. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Nora felt completely unlike her usual self; she looked utterly transformed. She let out a long breath, feeling a deep sense of refreshing clarity wash over her.

The gala was held at a hotel in the city center, the grand lobby practically dripping in dazzling gold and crystal.

She absolutely could not return empty-handed tonight. Whether the Institute lived or died rested entirely on what happened this evening.

Nora adjusted her mood. Before she could step forward, she saw a black car slowly pull up a short distance away.

The car door opened, and Finnegan stepped out first. He walked around to the other side to offer Seraphina a hand, guiding her out. Seraphina was draped in a dark blue floor-length gown, the hem trailing elegantly across the ground. Finnegan naturally bent down, lifting the heavy fabric for her, gently straightening it out before standing back up and offering her an incredibly tender smile.

Nora watched the scene unfold, a suffocating wave washing over her.

She suddenly remembered that during her five-year marriage to him, he had never once done anything like that for her. Whenever she wore a formal gown, no matter how long the train was, he would simply stand off to the side, waiting for her to sort herself out. He might occasionally offer a hand to help her up, but he never once bent down to adjust her skirt.

He always stood perfectly straight in front of her, refusing to bend.

At the time, she hadn't thought much of it; she even believed it was fine, finding a sense of solid reliability just having him standing tall beside her.

Only now did she understand: it wasn't that he couldn't bend down; he just didn't want to bend down for her.

Nora pulled her gaze away, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment.

Whatever. She would be leaving in a month anyway, so none of this mattered.

Nora lifted the hem of her skirt, preparing to head inside to avoid running into them.

But usually, you attract exactly what you're trying to avoid.

"Nora?" Seraphina's voice drifted over from the side, wrapped in gentle, pleasant surprise.

Nora paused in her tracks. Turning her head, she saw Seraphina linking arms with Finnegan, walking gracefully toward her.

Finnegan wore a sharply tailored black suit, the overhead lights casting striking shadows across his handsome features. As he drew closer, his gaze fell on Nora, and he suddenly stopped.

He was standing right in front of her, using her dead husband's identity to lecture her, all while he *was* that dead husband. How on earth did he manage to spout such nonsense without so much as a blush?

Her heart plummeted, feeling incredibly heavy and painfully hollow.

Nora refused to let these emotions show on her face. She gave a faint smile, the curve of her lips barely perceptible.

"Thanks for the concern, Frederick, but you don't need to worry about that."

With that, she didn't bother checking Finnegan's expression. She lifted her skirt and walked right past them on her high heels.

Finnegan stood rooted to the spot, watching her back with a darkening expression. He felt as though something vital was slipping through his fingers, leaving a deeply uncomfortable knot in his chest. Nora had changed, but he couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what was different about her.

Seraphina pressed her lips together, looking somewhat displeased. "Finn, are you regretting it?"

Finnegan looked down at her, the gloom on his face instantly replaced by a gentle smile. "How could I? After all this time, you still doubt me?"

Seraphina smiled and leaned into his embrace, though an underlying sense of unease still lingered in her heart.