I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 191

Xander Harrison closed the magazine and stood up from the sofa, casually slipping it back into the rack.

He glanced at Finnegan Fletcher, then tilted his head to look at Nora Newman on the hospital bed, his lips curving into his usual enigmatic smile. "I'm afraid it's not up to you when I leave, Mr. Fletcher," he drawled. "This is a hospital, not the Fletcher family's living room."

Finnegan's frown deepened. He was about to retort when Nora beat him to it.

Her voice was frail but held a firm, distant edge. "I don't need your help, Frederick. You're still recovering from your own injuries, so please go home."

Finnegan whipped his head toward her, his expression a mask of pure disbelief. "Nora, are you seriously thinking about moving on and marrying someone else? How could you do that to Finnegan's memory?"

Nora knew all too well that if he discovered her true intentions to leave the family, this man would leverage every ounce of the Fletcher family's wealth and influence in Capital City to stop her.

She couldn't take that risk.

Meeting his gaze with absolute calm, she kept her tone perfectly neutral. "You're overthinking it."

A wave of relief washed over Finnegan, and his features immediately softened.

He took a step closer, smoothly shifting from an interrogator back to a caring brotherly role. "Then as Finnegan's older brother, isn't it only right that I look after you?"

Nora met his eyes intently, not backing down for a second. "And what would Seraphina think about that? Frederick, we might be family, but you still need to respect boundaries."

She emphasized the word "boundaries," deliberately drawing a hard line in the sand between them.

A flash of awkwardness crossed Finnegan's face, his lips parting, but no words came out.

Before Nora could even reply, Finnegan turned on his heel and strode out of the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Nora slumped back against her pillows, letting out a long, exhausted exhale, before looking at Xander. "Thank you, Mr. Harrison."

Xander shook his head and settled back onto the sofa, his voice cool and indifferent. "You really don't seem to like your brother-in-law."

A faint, self-deprecating smile touched Nora's lips, laced with deep exhaustion. "It's not about liking him or not. We don't have that kind of relationship. If I did harbor feelings for him, that would cross every moral boundary imaginable."

Xander watched her with that same unreadable smile, a fleeting glint of approval passing through his predatory gaze. "You never cease to surprise me, Ms. Newman. You certainly know how to draw a line."

Nora lowered her eyes, murmuring softly as if speaking only to herself. "You must be joking."