I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 48

Nora stood rooted to the spot, watching them walk away before looking down at the velvet box in her hand.

Opening it, she revealed a delicate gold chain holding a beautifully crafted ginkgo leaf pendant.

She smiled faintly, snapped the box shut, dropped it into her bag, and headed back to the tent to change.

Bonnie practically dragged Xander toward the market. She was in such an impossibly good mood that she refused to walk normally, choosing instead to play a chaotic game of hopscotch on his shadow.

Xander was constantly thrown off balance, but he never scolded her. He simply adjusted his long strides to match her erratic rhythm, occasionally catching her arm to ensure she didn't faceplant into the sand.

He glanced back toward the direction Nora had gone, a sudden, chilling sharpness entering his eyes. Since Bonnie had practically begged him to come today, he was here to observe. He needed to figure out exactly what kind of spell this woman had cast over his daughter—or rather, what kind of manipulation she was using.

All schemes eventually showed cracks.

The market was relatively small, consisting of about a dozen stalls lined up along the sand. They sold handmade soaps, seashell crafts, and one particularly popular booth specializing in handcrafted beaded jewelry.

Bonnie locked onto the jewelry stall instantly, dropping Xander's hand and sprinting straight for it.

The display was covered in a rainbow of bracelets, each uniquely strung with crystal-clear fishing line and various beads, including some that glowed in the dark.

It was obvious every piece was uniquely crafted by hand.

Bonnie leaned over the table, pointing excitedly at one specific piece. "Daddy, this one is so pretty!"

It was an elegant bracelet made of pale blue glass beads interspersed with white shells, centered around a tiny silver starfish. It was minimalist, pristine, and absolutely perfect for Nora.

Xander glanced down at it and was just opening his mouth to pay when another tiny figure abruptly shoved her way to the front.

Cassie's hand darted toward the exact same bracelet, her small fingers colliding directly with Bonnie's.

"Why are you here?!" Cassie demanded, her little brow furrowing into an aggressive scowl.

Bonnie absolutely refused to back down. She snatched her hand back and planted both hands firmly on her hips. "I don't want to see you either!"

Predictably, Finnegan's jaw tightened for a split second before he forced his expression back into a polite smile. "You must be joking, Mr. Harrison."

Out of absolutely nowhere, Nora's face flashed in his mind. Needing a distraction, he looked down at Cassie. "Cassie, today is your mother's birthday too. Pick out a present for her."

Cassie's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right! It's Mom's birthday too!"

She said the words out loud, but her eyes remained entirely fixated on the pale blue bracelet. Honestly, she wanted to buy it for Seraphina, not her mom.

Her mom never cared what she got anyway. Last year, Cassie had scribbled a random, messy drawing, and her mom had treated it like a masterpiece, going so far as to frame it and hang it in the living room. It didn't matter what she bought; her mom would love it unconditionally.

With that logic firmly in place, Cassie looked up at Finnegan. "Finn, can I buy both of these for Seraphina instead? Is that okay?"

There were only two bracelets left on the display. One was the pale blue starfish design Bonnie wanted, and the other was a pink seashell version.

Before Finnegan could even process the request, Bonnie exploded in outrage. "I was here first! I'm buying this bracelet for my Nora!"