I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 96

The man pressed himself against her ear, his breathing turning heavy and ragged.

"Go ahead and call the cops. I'll just tell them we're a couple having a lover's spat."

He dropped his voice, using a sickeningly intimate tone. "If you don't want your reputation ruined, just be a good girl and cooperate!"

Seraphina's heart hammered so hard it felt like it might crack her ribs. The stench of smoke and stale sweat rolling off him made her want to vomit.

The grip around her waist tightened like a vice. Cassie was sobbing hysterically just a few feet away. When Seraphina turned her head to check on her, the man seized the opportunity, burying his face into her neck.

"Mom!"

Cassie suddenly shrieked. Crying out for her mother in a moment of sheer terror was pure, untempered instinct.

Seraphina thought she was doomed, but right at that moment, a chillingly familiar voice sliced through the air.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Let her go!"

Seraphina and Cassie both snapped their heads toward the sound.

Nora stood a short distance away in her gray hoodie and jeans, a few loose strands of hair framing her face.

Her predatory gaze locked onto the man, then shifted to Cassie, her pupils contracting slightly at the sight.

She immediately forced herself to remain calm.

She took a bold step forward, holding up her phone with the screen glowing brightly, her voice dropping to an icy octave.

"I've already called the cops. If you don't run right now, you're going to jail."

The man's face drained of color. He instantly shoved Seraphina to the ground, frantically snatching his jacket off the grass before sprinting away.

After a few steps, he whipped his head back to shoot Nora a venomous glare, his eyes practically dripping with toxic hatred.

But he didn't get far. Security guards responding to the emergency alert came charging down the main path, tackling him to the ground in a three-man pile-up.

The man's face was shoved into the dirt, his arms wrenched behind his back, completely neutralized.

"It's okay, sweetie. The bad man is gone. You're safe now."

Cassie sobbed until she was gasping for air. Eventually, she lifted her tear-streaked face, looking at Nora with wide, watery eyes. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

So she really hadn't imagined it. Her mom was actually here.

A deep sense of relief washed over Cassie, overwhelmingly grateful that her mother had shown up.

Seraphina stood awkwardly to the side, looking utterly pale. Nora shot her an icy glance. "Seraphina, shouldn't we get to a hospital?"

Seraphina forced a tight smile, desperately trying to regain her composure. "I'm fine."

A small crowd had already gathered, drawn by the commotion. Someone stepped forward, asking in concern, "Are you okay, Cassie's mom?"

Seraphina instinctively glanced at Nora, but Cassie immediately corrected them. "Seraphina isn't my mom."

She tightened her grip around Nora's neck, refusing to let go. In that moment, her mother's embrace felt so comforting, so secure—far warmer than Seraphina's ever could be.