I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 350

She had actually heard from her dad that her mom might pick her up to go to the Manor, but since Aunt Seraphina had headed over early, she just tagged along without thinking too much about it.

Would her mom be angry now that she saw her here?

Cassie hesitated, wondering if she should go over to apologize. Sensing her internal debate, Nora gently waved her hand, signaling that it was fine. Relieved, Cassie instantly went back to playing happily.

She just knew her mom loved her the most and was always so understanding.

Just then, Finnegan slowly took a seat next to Nora and glanced at her. "Hungry? Have some dessert first."

Nora completely ignored the offer and cut straight to the chase. "When is Dr. Reed arriving?"

Finnegan raised an eyebrow, picked up a flute of champagne, and took a slow sip before answering in a leisurely tone. "He should be here soon. Dr. Reed just called to tell me he hit a bit of traffic."

Nora gave a tight nod and checked the time. It was the height of rush hour, so a traffic jam made perfect sense. She didn't overthink it.

But when another half hour dragged by with no sign of Dr. Reed, Nora couldn't help the anxiety bubbling in her chest. She checked the time again, her brows knitting together. Was Finnegan lying to her?

Just as Nora was about to demand an explanation, the grand hall's lights flickered to get everyone's attention. Alastair Fletcher stepped up to the front, cleared his throat, and his booming laughter echoed across the room.

He began a long-winded speech, touching on the family's corporate history and their rise to power, before smoothly transitioning to mention a strategic partnership with The Newman Estate.

Nora frowned as she listened. When did the Newman family ever have a partnership with the Fletchers? Why had she never heard a single word about this?

While she was still trying to piece it together, she heard Alastair announce her name loud and clear.

Nora couldn't stomach another word. She whipped her head around to glare at Finnegan, only to find him looking incredibly calm, without a single ripple of emotion on his face.

He had known all along. He had dragged her here purely for this sham of an engagement party. Dr. Reed was never coming.

Nora shot to her feet. The entire room went dead silent as every single gaze locked onto her. Her face remained hauntingly calm, completely shattering the Fletchers' picture-perfect fantasy.

"I believe there's been a massive misunderstanding. My only connection to the Fletcher family is that the late Finnegan was once my husband. He had some business dealings with Frederick, but aside from that, there are absolutely no personal or romantic ties between us."

The atmosphere in the grand hall instantly froze into solid ice.

Standing a short distance away, Seraphina's expression darkened. She clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned a stark white, entirely numb to the stinging pain.