I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 403

Dr. Reed waved his hand dismissively, leaning on his cane as he made his way toward the door. "Just focus on healing up right now. Don't worry about anything else. Once you're better, I could lecture you for a solid week without breaking a sweat!"

With a final chuckle, the esteemed doctor left. Nora lay back against her pillows, dazed for a long time. She still couldn't quite believe that the legendary specialist had just been sitting there, casually chatting with her.

Xander walked over and sat back down in the chair. He picked up the water glass from the bedside table, twisted the cap off, and brought it to her lips. "Have some water. You did a lot of talking just now."

Nora gave a soft smile and took a sip. A bit of color finally returned to her chapped lips.

Xander placed the glass down and looked at her. "Are you hungry? The doctor said you can have liquid foods once you woke up. Should I have some soup sent over?"

Nora just stared at him, as if she hadn't heard a word he said. Her gaze suddenly grew intensely serious, causing Xander to freeze mid-motion.

"What's wrong?"

Nora suddenly called his name, her weakened voice echoing in the quiet room. "Xander, isn't it time we made our marriage official?"

Now that the dust had settled, she no longer needed to borrow the influence of the Fletcher family. She was finally free to start a brand new life.

She hadn't even told Xander about the danger she was walking into, yet he had rushed to the scene immediately, handling the horrifying aftermath with such devotion.

A month ago, she would never have imagined being swept up in something like this with a man like him. Fate truly had a way of leaving hidden clues in the dark.

A gleam of light flashed across Xander's glasses, and his hands paused completely. He looked down at Nora, a rare hint of shock breaking through his usually unflappable composure.

She slowly reached out and grasped his hand, her fingertips tightening affectionately around his.

"Xander, ever since my family fell apart, I became incredibly cowardly. I was terrified of everything. And after my marriage failed, that fear only intensified. Even after returning to my career, I was petrified of failing, of becoming a burden to the people around me. Because of that, I agonized over every single decision, overthinking every step and weighing the pros and cons endlessly."

"But do you know what was running through my mind when all of this went down?"

Xander looked at her with dark, profound eyes, deeply moved by her words.

Nora continued, her voice hitching slightly. "I was thinking... I still have so much left to say to you. If I died right there, without ever truly starting a new life... what an absolute tragedy that would be."

Xander's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. The way she was looking at him was so fiercely determined that any lingering hesitation in his heart completely evaporated.