I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 431

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She kept her head ducked, pretending to be utterly fascinated by her glass of water, her ears burning so hot they felt like they might actually melt off.

Xander wasn't faring much better. He gave a soft cough, his eyes darting away as a wonderfully awkward yet sweet tension settled over the room for several long seconds.

Xander was the first to break the silence. Throwing off the covers, he climbed out of bed, moving with slightly more haste than usual as he headed for the door.

"You rest a little longer. I'll go make us some breakfast."

Nora leaned against the headboard, watching his retreating back with a fond smile. She never expected the fiercely intimidating CEO to have such an adorably shy side.

Her smile softened as a lingering thought crossed her mind. "Xander."

He paused mid-step and turned back toward her. "Hmm?"

Nora hesitated for a moment. It was a question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time. Before, the timing always felt wrong. She hadn't wanted him to overthink it, nor did she want to pry when they weren't completely open with each other.

But things were different now. They were officially married. There were no more secrets between them, and she didn't want to hide her thoughts anymore.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you. People always talk about your 'white moonlight,' and they say Bonnie is the daughter you had with her."

She pressed her lips together, her gaze locked onto his face, her heart skipping a beat the moment she finally voiced the question.

Xander froze for a brief second. He didn't shy away from the topic. After a moment of silence, a gentle, melancholy smile touched his lips.

"Bonnie is my niece. The 'white moonlight' everyone talks about was actually my late sister, Valerie Harrison. We weren't blood-related; she was adopted by my mother when we were young."