I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 413

Xander seemed entirely prepared for his mother's reaction. Completely unfazed and without rushing to defend himself, he calmly opened his laptop.

"I've already secured the venue—it will be an outdoor lawn wedding. The guest list was finalized last night. We're keeping it completely private, inviting only our closest family and friends. As for the wedding dress and attire, the designers are already on schedule. Nora and I have been in close contact with them. We have everything meticulously planned; this isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Genevieve and Sebastian leaned in to look at the screen. The more they read, the more speechless they became. The planning was incredibly detailed.

He had even prepared several contingency plans. Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. "You little punk. You had this engine running all along and just came back to give us a courtesy notice, didn't you?"

Xander pushed up his glasses. He was taking this wedding dead seriously; there was absolutely zero room for half measures.

"It's not a courtesy notice; we want you to be part of our milestone. I'm only good at drafting the logistics, but I need Mom's help to oversee the actual execution. I'm not familiar with the traditional wedding customs, and I won't let anyone say our family lacks proper etiquette. Without you running the show, Mom, I'd be anxious doing it alone."

Xander wanted desperately to give Nora the perfect, flawless wedding. Absolutely nothing could go wrong.

Years ago, Sebastian had given Genevieve the wedding of the century, an event that had shaken the entire capital. Xander deliberately invoked that legacy to enlist his mother's expertise.

The flattery worked perfectly. Genevieve felt immensely proud. Closing the laptop, she laughed. "You hardly ever say a sweet word, but when you do, you know exactly how to lay it on thick."

Sebastian just snorted, taking a sip of his tea. His silence was a clear stamp of approval.

Genevieve's voice was gentle. "This is a Harrison family heirloom. My mother-in-law—Xander's grandmother—personally placed it on my wrist the day I married into the family. She told me this bracelet has been passed down for generations, given only to the eldest daughter-in-law. Whoever wears it is the matriarch of the family."

Hearing the weight of those words, Nora quickly tried to hand the box back. "This is far too precious. I can't accept it."

Genevieve smiled warmly. "Take it. It is exactly where it belongs. You two are officially married, and the wedding date is set. Are you really still going to call me just 'Genevieve'?"

Nora froze. The words caught in her throat. Looking at the incredibly kind and welcoming woman before her, a lump formed in her throat.

She suddenly remembered her own mother. Her mother had looked at her with that exact same loving smile, holding her hand just like this when she had given her a bracelet of her own. *"This was my mother's, she left it to me, and now I'm leaving it to you."*