I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 236

Nora couldn't help but laugh at him. "Felix, please don't tease me. At my age, the prime of my youth is long gone."

Just as the atmosphere finally eased into a rare moment of comfort, Nora's phone suddenly rang.

She glanced down at the screen. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.

Seeing it filled her with an inexplicable sense of dread. She picked up the phone, stood up, and walked over to the entrance of the restaurant to answer.

A deep voice came through the line, cold and utterly devoid of warmth.

Nora's heart instantly leaped into her throat. Her lips trembled before she managed to force out a single word. "Father."

Benedict Newman's voice crackled through the speaker, as hard and unfeeling as ice, completely lacking any emotional inflection. "You have half a month left. How are things on your end?"

Nora's grip on her phone tightened. "Almost done. I'm just waiting for the final paperwork."

"Good. Understood," Benedict said, hanging up immediately without a single word of parting advice.

He hadn't asked how she was doing, nor had he even bothered to offer a simple sound of acknowledgment.

The dial tone blared sharply in her ear, twisting like a dull blade slowly sinking into her chest.

Nora lowered the phone from her ear, staring down at the unfamiliar string of numbers on the screen. Her mood suddenly grew as heavy as lead.

Ever since Nicholas and her mother passed away in that car accident, her relationship with her father had remained frozen in time.

Her father blamed her entirely. She had tried to explain, tried to make amends, but every single attempt was met with an even colder silence.

Felix had already poured two glasses of water. Seeing her pale face, his smile faded slightly. He slid a glass over to her, asking softly, "Who was it?"

Nora took a sip of water, replying flatly, "Benedict."

Felix paused for a moment, choosing not to press the issue. He picked up a freshly grilled meat skewer, handed it to her, and told her to eat while it was hot.

Nora took it and bit into the meat. The taste of cumin and chili exploded on her tongue, exactly as it had years ago.

She suddenly stopped chewing, her eyes growing red, though a smile still lingered on her lips. "It tastes exactly the same."

Felix smiled and placed two more skewers on her plate. "Of course. No matter who's manning the grill, this place never loses its magic."

Nora's smile was laced with a bitter ache. She feared she would never have days like this again.