I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 9

Right at the entrance of the restaurant across the street, Finnegan was pushing the door open.

He stood tall, his arm wrapped intimately around Seraphina's waist.

Though still a bit pale, Seraphina wore a gentle, tranquil smile, looking up at Finnegan as they spoke.

Finnegan looked down at her, his eyes practically overflowing with affection.

That tenderness was entirely different from how he looked at Nora.

Towards Nora, he was domineering and controlling, sometimes even treating her with a sense of charity.

But his gentleness towards Seraphina was genuine, rooted in deep care and devotion.

Cassie walked between them, holding her father's hand on one side and Seraphina's on the other. Her little face beamed with a bright, blissful smile, acting completely different than she did around Nora.

Finnegan looked up and spotted her too. The moment he saw the man standing beside her, a frown involuntarily formed, and a dark shadow flashed through his deep eyes.

Why was Nora with another man?

Seraphina tugged at his sleeve, lowering her voice. "What is it, Finn?"

Finnegan snapped out of it, flashing her a smile without casting another glance at Nora. "Nothing."

Nora stood frozen, her heart feeling as if an invisible hand was crushing it. It hurt so much she could barely breathe.

Xander noticed her sudden shift in demeanor. Following her gaze, a knowing, calculating look flashed in his eyes.

Bonnie sensitively picked up on the tension. She tugged at Nora's hand, looking up with genuine concern. "Are you feeling sick?"

Before Nora could answer, Cassie's voice pierced the air.

"Mom!"

Cassie spotted her instantly. Letting go of Finnegan's hand, she ran over, but the smile vanished from her face the second she saw Bonnie.

She glared at Bonnie, then at Nora's hand holding Bonnie's. A wave of jealousy washed over her. Her lip curled, and without a second thought, she shoved Bonnie hard.

Caught entirely off guard, Bonnie fell hard onto the ground. She was stunned for a moment before her eyes turned red, tears instantly pooling in them.

Everything happened so fast that Nora barely had time to react.

By the time she processed it, Cassie was pointing at Bonnie on the ground, her chin held high as she spoke with total entitlement. "She's my mom! Don't you have your own?"

Nora's expression instantly shifted.

"Cassie!"

She scolded sharply, dropping to a crouch to help Bonnie up. "How could you push someone?"

Bonnie was pulled up, crying pitifully.

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