I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 305

Was he the one she was supposed to marry?

She immediately squashed the thought. There was no way. A wildly successful man like Xander Harrison would never agree to a political marriage, especially not with a widow. It made zero sense.

Pushing down her doubts, Nora turned back to Benedict, her eyes involuntarily welling with tears.

It had been so long since she last saw him. She hadn't realized when his hair had turned completely white. His sharp, commanding features now bore the heavy, weathered traces of time.

She parted her lips, her voice choked with emotion. "Dad."

Benedict offered a curt nod, practically looking right through her, and kept his focus firmly on Xander. "Xander, let's talk inside."

A polite, diplomatic smile surfaced on Xander's face. He nodded smoothly. "Go ahead and attend to your guests, Benedict. I can make myself at home."

His lighthearted tone brought a rare, faint smile to Benedict's usually stoic face. "Make yourself comfortable, then. I have matters to attend to."

Benedict exchanged a brief look with Xander, nodded again, and walked away. From start to finish, he hadn't spoken a single word directly to Nora.

Nora kept her head lowered, her hands trembling slightly. It seemed her father truly hadn't forgiven her. He had likely only summoned her today to inform her about the impending marriage arrangement, since time was running out.

She forced a bitter smile. Even though she knew her father resented her to his core, witnessing his coldness firsthand still caused a sharp, agonizing twist in her chest.

The loving father who used to hoist her onto his shoulders now treated her like a stranger. But she knew this was the punishment she deserved.

"Let's go inside."

Xander shook his head, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Nora paused, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"

A meaningful smirk played on Xander's lips. "Let's go inside first. We shouldn't delay the main event."

Without further hesitation, Nora followed him into the main hall. The space was filled with relatives she recognized by name but hardly knew anymore.

Over the years, Nora had practically cut ties with all of them. To put it simply, none of them liked her.

Spotting Nora, the woman seated next to Benedict sneered. "Benedict, why did you invite her back? Today is the memorial for my sister-in-law and nephew. She brings nothing but bad luck."