I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 156

Felix frowned, completely overcome with worry. He glanced at Nora, then at Zelda, nodded in agreement, and turned to leave the room.

Once the door clicked shut, only Zelda and Nora remained in the quiet space.

Zelda tucked the blanket securely around her and gently patted her cheek, her voice full of tender scolding. "Next time something like this happens, you absolutely cannot shoulder it alone. If you had just called me this morning, I would have been here by noon with hot soup, instead of leaving Xander to watch over you until you woke up."

Nora offered a sweet, almost childlike smile, indulging in a rare moment of clinging. "Okay, I understand, Zelda. I just didn't want you two worrying. Who knew it would end up making you worry even more?"

Zelda gave her an exasperated look before deliberately softening her tone, seamlessly shifting the subject. "Nora, what do you think of Felix?"

Nora paused. "What do you mean? Felix is great."

Looking at Nora's utterly oblivious expression, Zelda sighed inwardly. When it came to research, this girl had a mind sharper than anyone else's—she could spot patterns in raw data with a single glance. But when it came to romance, she was frustratingly dense.

Zelda patiently laid it out clearer. "I don't mean as a colleague or a friend. I mean as a man treating a woman. Have you never considered that possibility?"

Nora's eyes widened in shock. "Zelda, what are you talking about? Felix and I are just colleagues and friends. He truly cares for me, and I see him as a dear brother. And he sees me the same way! Last time he even said he saw me as a sister. Don't play matchmaker."

Outside the room, Felix had just walked up to the door and heard every word. His footsteps jolted to a hard halt.

He had just returned from the doctor's office, clutching the discharge instructions. Her words bled through the wooden panel... She only saw him as a brother.

Felix's hand hovered mid-air over the handle, his fingertips trembling slightly before he slowly pulled back.

Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, he took a deep, shuddering breath. He forced his features back into their usual relaxed mask, waited two seconds, and finally walked in.

Wearing his trademark effortless smile, he placed the doctor's discharge summary on the nightstand, his tone flawlessly casual. "The doctor says it'll be at least a week before you can leave. Once you're out, you need to change the dressings regularly. Keep it dry, and come back in three days for a follow-up."

He dragged a chair over and sat down. "Did you hear me? I'll change the dressings for you when you get back. Don't try doing it yourself and mess it up."

Nora nodded, completely oblivious to his internal turmoil.

Watching her focused profile as she read over the documents, the freshly reopened wound in Felix's chest throbbed violently.