I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 33

Following Nora's gaze, Felix spotted the scene in the hallway.

Cassie was seated between Finnegan and Seraphina, her face glowing with happiness.

Felix's expression shifted into something far more complicated. When he looked back at Nora, his eyes were full of careful sympathy, and he spoke softly.

"Nora, it's been five years since Finnegan passed, hasn't it?"

Nora stayed silent, pulling her gaze away from the door.

"It must be so hard raising Cassie on your own," Felix said. "But it looks like she's really close to your brother-in-law and his partner. I suppose it takes some of the weight off your shoulders."

Nora lowered her eyes, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. Close? They were acting like her actual parents.

"Felix, Finnegan isn't dead," Nora said, her eyes burning.

Felix froze, his water glass hovering in mid-air. He stared at her, sure he had misheard.

"Nora, what did you just say?"

Nora met his gaze, enunciating every word. "Finnegan isn't dead. The one who died in that plane crash five years ago was Frederick. The brothers swapped identities. Finnegan survived, living as Frederick this entire time. He's been lying to me for five years."

Felix looked as if he had been physically struck, frozen in absolute shock. "Are you serious?"

Once the reality set in, he slammed his glass onto the table and shot to his feet, fury rolling off him in waves.

"He's been playing you this whole time? And you? You're just letting it happen? Nora, we always protected you, and now this bastard treats you like a joke?"

His chest heaved with ragged breaths, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. Nora could tell that if she didn't intervene, Felix would march out there and tear Finnegan apart.

She quickly stood and grabbed his arm. "Felix, please. Calm down. Just sit."

Reluctantly, Felix took a deep breath and let her pull him back into his chair, though the rage in his eyes remained unchecked, a vein pulsing at his temple.

Nora gave a bleak, devastating smile. "Cassie is helping them hide it from me."

Felix actually choked on his breath. He let out a harsh, incredulous laugh, the absurdity of it hitting him like a physical blow.

"So let me get this straight. The daughter you risked your life to have, the one you raised single-handedly, is treating another woman like her mother, and helping that hypocrite of a father deceive you?"

Nora nodded, her throat too tight to offer any more details.

Felix scoffed, thoroughly disgusted. "Finnegan wants to have his cake and eat it too. Faking his death—let's hope karma catches up and makes it a reality."

Nora managed a faint smile. "I'm past caring about what happens to him."

Seeing her rimmed eyes, Felix knew she wasn't truly over it. She was just burying the pain, which was the most self-destructive thing she could do.

He was about to press the issue when a voice from the hallway cut him off.