I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 195

Tears streamed endlessly down Seraphina's face. She pulled away from his embrace, stepping back as she looked at him, her voice shaking with sobs.

"Do you really just feel guilty, or do you have feelings for her? Finnegan, don't think I'm completely blind. Why did you really agree to marry me? Is there even a place for me in your heart anymore?"

Having said her piece, she spun around and sprinted for the door. Finnegan lunged forward and caught her from behind, his arms locking tightly around her waist. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice strained with the exhaustion of a man backed into a corner.

"Seraphina, please calm down. I swear, it's just guilt. Nothing else. I owe her too much. How could you expect me to just stand by and watch her get destroyed?"

Seraphina turned around in his arms, tilting her head to look up at him. Teardrops clung to her eyelashes, her voice fragile and broken. "Are you sure? Is there really nothing else?"

Finnegan raised three fingers, his expression deadly serious as he made his vow. "I swear. Nothing else."

Only then did Seraphina's spiraling emotions begin to settle. She buried her face into his chest, her fingers clutching the front of his shirt. Her voice was muffled, thick with the aftermath of her tears.

"Then you can't yell at me because of her. Do you have any idea how you looked at me yesterday when you rushed out of the hotel? I thought you were throwing me away."

Finnegan reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks, his tone fully softening. "Alright, I'll never yell at you again. But Seraphina, you have to promise me one thing. Stop associating with Sienna. She was Nora's friend for years, and yet she was capable of something so vicious. Do you really think she genuinely cares about you? I'm terrified she might try to pull something on you in the future."

Hearing him express genuine concern for her safety made Seraphina feel infinitely better.

She nodded obediently and agreed, then stood on her tiptoes to press a light kiss to his jaw. Turning away, she went to wash her face and reapply her light makeup.

Finnegan changed into a fresh shirt and drove her to The Vance Institute for work.

Just as his car pulled up to the entrance, he spotted Nora stepping out of Xander's vehicle.

Nora belonged in the Fletcher family. She was meant to be the second daughter-in-law forever.

The mere thought of her marrying someone else made his chest tighten, as if someone had jammed a wad of soaking wet cotton straight into his lungs.

Thankfully, nothing had happened. He had caught it in time.

He forced his tone to soften, effortlessly sliding back into the persona of a concerned brother. "You need a few days of proper rest. What happened wasn't a minor incident. Work at the Institute can wait. Your health comes first."

Nora stared at him, a ghostly smile touching the corners of her mouth, her eyes entirely devoid of emotion. "You don't need to worry about me, Frederick. This is my own business. I know what I'm doing."

Finnegan's brow furrowed, a trace of bitter resentment bleeding through at being pushed away again. "I'm your brother-in-law. It's my job to care about you. Stop shutting me out, Nora. I don't have any ulterior motives."