I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 439

Nora's hands curled into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms. She bit her lip as a visceral, burning hatred flared in her eyes.

"It's the Fletcher family, isn't it?"

Her voice sounded unnervingly calm, but the violent trembling of her hands betrayed her.

Xander held her tighter, offering no verbal confirmation. Sometimes, silence was the most damning answer of all.

Nora suddenly let out a broken, hollow laugh. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she slowly looked up at Xander, her voice ragged.

"So, you're telling me that for the five years I was married into the Fletcher family—serving them tea, calling them family, playing the dutiful daughter-in-law year after year—I was actually bowing to the people who murdered my mother and brother?!"

The reality was too horrific to bear, and her voice suddenly cracked and soared in volume. All the grief and agony she had suppressed for years pushed her to the absolute edge of a breakdown.

"I played the grieving widow for that man for five years! If the entire Fletcher family has blood on their hands, then what makes Finnegan any different? If he knew about this the whole time, how dare he play the role of my deeply devoted husband? How dare he fake his death, steal someone else's face, and watch me mourn him like I was some pathetic idiot!"

Unable to hold it in a second longer, the dam finally broke. The emotional armor she had worn for years shattered as tears cascaded down her face. She sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for air as her chest heaved with absolute devastation.

Xander crushed her against his chest, leaving no space between them, pressing the back of her head firmly over his heart.

He rubbed her back in slow, rhythmic strokes. "Listen to me, Nora. Right now, the clues point in their direction, but we don't have concrete proof yet. This isn't a complete chain of evidence. The Fletcher family is a massive syndicate with countless branches and twisted alliances. Even if they are involved, it doesn't automatically mean Finnegan's faction pulled the trigger."

He wasn't defending Finnegan. He just couldn't bear to watch her tear herself apart over her past choices. She hadn't stayed a widow out of foolishness, and she wasn't suffering because she was naive. She had done it because she had a pure, loyal heart, and Xander refused to let someone else's sins become a cage of guilt for his wife.

He pulled her back into his arms, pressing a tender kiss to the crown of her head. "No matter how deep the truth is buried, no matter who is at the end of the trail, I will drag them into the light. But right now, you need to sleep. Tomorrow is your traditional post-wedding visit to your father's house, and you can't show up with dark circles under your eyes."

Nora nodded weakly and finally lay down. She curled into Xander's embrace, but sleep refused to come easily.

Xander held her securely, rhythmically patting her back in the quiet dark until, eventually, exhaustion claimed her and she drifted into a heavy sleep.

The next morning, Nora woke up to find Xander had already made breakfast. After getting ready, she headed downstairs. They ate a quiet meal together before driving to the Newman Estate.

As soon as the car parked, Nora opened the door and stepped out. Xander followed closely behind, carrying the customary gifts in one hand while his other hand firmly grasped hers, silently offering her strength.