I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 238

She had no idea how to repair her relationship with her father. The fracture had begun on the day of Margaret and Nicholas's funeral and had steadily widened until it became an uncrossable chasm, the other side of which she couldn't even see.

She didn't know who the man her father was forcing her to marry was either. What if he turned out to be another control freak who dictated her meals, judged her friends, and told her how to live her life?

What kind of life would she lead then? Everything was an unknown, and the unknown was what she feared most.

But she knew one thing for certain: she would never again offer her truest, most vulnerable self to anyone.

Her emotions had already been severely overdrawn. Whatever fragments remained, she needed to keep for herself—for the things that wouldn't betray her.

She made a silent vow in her heart. No matter who this man was, and no matter whether he supported her career or not, she would cling to her own ideals.

No one would ever force her to give up her work or her future again. Not even her father.

It was the early hours of the morning when Felix finally dropped Nora off at her front door.

Standing by the entrance, Nora waved at him, murmuring her goodbyes. Her steps were a little unsteady, but her mind was still relatively clear.

Felix parked his car a short distance away, hidden in the shadows just beyond the reach of the streetlights. He watched Nora walk inside, watched her turn off the lights, and waited until the glow from her window vanished completely before he finally turned the steering wheel and drove off.

As he drove, his eyes rimmed red, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Even if he stayed single for the rest of his life, he swore to protect her forever.

He would do it exactly on her terms. When she didn't need him, he would stand at a distance; when she did, he would be the first one there. That would be enough.

As soon as Nora got home, she collapsed onto her bed, completely forgetting to even wash up.

The alcohol drowned her consciousness entirely, leaving her without a single dream.

"The experimental progress has picked up quite a bit. In half a month, that VIP is hosting the Medical Innovation Summit. You're qualified to attend now."

Hearing the news, a complex rush of warmth flooded Nora's chest.

She pressed her lips together, her voice tight with emotion. "Thank you, Professor."

Professor Vance had never been good at handling sentimentality. The moment he heard her tone, he immediately waved his hand without even looking up.

"Go on, get to work. I don't want to waste any time. Weren't you heading to the Fletcher Group?"

Nora gave Zelda a helpless look, and the older woman could only offer an equally exasperated smile.

This old man was as stubborn as a mule.