I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 145

Xander stood in the doorway, soaked to the bone, his black suit clinging to the taut lines of his shoulders and back.

His gaze cut past the officers, locking onto the blade in Winona's hand. His expression turned dangerously icy. Standing closest to him, Nora saw his Adam's apple bob slightly.

When he spoke, his voice was lethal. "Let her go, or I'll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death."

Nora whipped her head toward him in sheer disbelief. Was he out of his mind? Now was not the time for death threats!

Winona was already teetering on the edge of sanity; a threat like that was only going to push her straight off the cliff.

Just as expected, Winona's eyes went utterly feral. Her hand shook violently, the metal blade catching the strobe lights as it danced against Bonnie's skin.

"Winona, please, stay calm," Nora urged, softening her voice to a soothing murmur. "As long as you let her go, you can have whatever amount you want."

Xander grit his teeth and hissed, "Don't push your luck."

Nora shot him a desperate glare before turning her focus back to Winona. "Money is nothing to Mr. Harrison, and you know that. Don't do something foolish. You still have so much time left. Think about your family."

That single sentence pierced right into Winona's most vulnerable nerve. The last shred of humanity in her eyes was instantly swallowed by deep, venomous hatred. She jabbed the blade tighter against Bonnie's throat, her scream echoing through the room.

"Stay away! Let me leave! Step back, all of you!"

The blade pressed harder, and a thin line of crimson bloomed on Bonnie's pale neck. Nora gasped, panic seizing her chest as she screamed, "No!"

The frontline officers simultaneously raised their weapons, red laser dots painting Winona's chest.

The negotiator shouted over the chaos, "Put the knife down! We can talk this out!"

From the corner of her eye, Nora spotted two tactical officers creeping through the shadows along the wall, inching up behind Winona to ambush her.

Nora finally understood. Winona was terminally ill, her married son had abandoned her, and she had lost all hope in the world. Tonight was just a desperate, suicidal gamble to steal a nest egg and wander off to die in peace.