I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 196

Nora tilted her head up and met his eyes, her gaze clear and unwavering. "You misunderstand, Frederick. I never thought you had any ulterior motives."

With that, she stepped around him and headed straight for the Institute's main doors without a backward glance.

Finnegan stood rooted to the spot, watching her cold, retreating silhouette fade further away. Aggravated, he tugged at his tie, loosening the collar around his neck.

Whatever. In her eyes, he was just her brother-in-law right now. It was completely normal for her to keep him at arm's length.

When the day finally came for him to reclaim his true identity and stand before her as Finnegan, she would be absolutely thrilled by the truth.

The thought brought a faint smirk to his lips, instantly lifting his mood. He turned around, got back into his car, and drove off toward his office.

Nora sat at her desk, booted up her computer, and opened a new document, typing the header "Litigation Materials."

She documented the events of the previous night chronologically, breaking them down into precise details. From Sienna asking her to meet at The Roastery, to drinking the spiked orange juice in the private booth, to Gideon and Sienna dragging her into the hotel room, and finally, Xander kicking the door down and rushing her to the hospital.

Every single detail was recorded with meticulous accuracy.

Gideon had already been taken away by the police and was currently sitting in The Detention Center awaiting formal processing. She had zero intention of signing a settlement agreement. It was attempted assault—the facts were clear, the evidence was undeniable, and there was absolutely no room for forgiveness.

What she didn't expect was that halfway through drafting the document, her phone rang.

Sienna's name flashed across the screen. Nora stared at it for a few heavy seconds, her eyes turning ice-cold before she finally hit accept.

Her voice was as cold as shattered ice. "Why on earth would I sign a settlement? Sienna, I've always treated you well. You said you needed startup capital, and I lent you five hundred thousand dollars without batting an eye. And how do you repay me? Like this? Now, listen very closely.

"You have exactly three days to wire that five hundred thousand dollars back into my account, not a penny less. I am not signing that settlement. I will never sign it. If I don't see the money in my account in three days, I'll sue you alongside him. Your cousin is looking at attempted assault, and you are an accomplice. Weigh the consequences yourself."

Without waiting for Sienna to scream back, Nora ended the call.

Only when the screen faded to black did she realize her hands were shaking. Her chest heaved violently, her heart hammering against her ribs like a frantic drum.

She closed her eyes, taking two deep breaths to force the adrenaline down, before turning back to her keyboard to finish the litigation draft.