Benedict shot a cold glance her way but didn't utter a single word to defend Nora.
Nora clenched her fists, lacking the will to advocate for herself. She viewed herself as a sinner; what right did she have to make excuses?
Xander, however, stepped smoothly in front of her. "Victoria, that's completely out of line. Nora is still a daughter of the Newman family. Does she really need permission from a relative to attend her own mother and brother's memorial?"
Victoria frowned, slamming her hand on the table as she shot to her feet. "Xander Harrison! This is Newman family business! It has nothing to do with you! You're an outsider. You have no right to interfere!"
Despite the verbal assault, Xander's expression didn't sour. A faint, unbothered smile remained playing on his lips.
Nora felt awful for dragging him into this mess and was just about to speak up, but Xander suddenly reached out and laced his fingers with hers. Looking directly at the assembled crowd, he declared, "If you refuse to respect her identity as a Newman, then how about her identity as my fiancée?"
The declaration hit the room like a boulder plunging into a lake, sending massive ripples through the crowd!
Everyone stared in absolute shock.
Nora's eyes went wide. She looked up at the man standing beside her, her pupils trembling wildly.
What did he just say?
Fiancée?
Was she hearing things? Coming from Xander Harrison, that statement was as plausible as dinosaurs roaming the earth.
Her palms began to sweat, encased within his large, warm hand. An inexplicable sense of absolute security washed over her.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own