The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 225

"Yeah, exactly!"

Nolan puffed his chest out, practically glowing with pride as he introduced Nora to his cousin. "She's the best ME in the city! Honestly, she's a household name. Remember that horrific murder case in the news recently? She handled the autopsy. They wouldn't have cracked the case without her!"

Nora felt a flush of embarrassment at Nolan's over-the-top bragging. She set down her fork and politely stood. "Hello. I'm Nora Hayes."

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hayes. I'm Felix Kwan, Nolan's cousin. Mr. Devereaux is my uncle."

Nora arched an eyebrow. Felix was coming on a bit strong. They had only just met; there was no need to lay out his entire family tree right out of the gate. Brushing off the mild sense of unease, she offered a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."

Felix let out an easy laugh, looking her up and down. "To be perfectly honest, the way my cousin talked about you, I expected a rigid, humorless woman hiding behind coke-bottle glasses. Someone a lot like my cousin Faye. I never expected you to be so stunning. If no one told me, I would never have guessed you spent your days working with the dead."

It was clearly meant as a compliment, but it rubbed Nora the wrong way. The casual stereotyping of her profession grated on her nerves. Her lips formed a tight, polite smile, but her voice was cool. "Thank you. You must have been misled by some unfortunate stereotypes."

Felix caught the shift in her tone and raised an eyebrow, entirely unbothered. "My mistake for being so narrow-minded."

Nora didn't offer a response, simply sitting back down to resume her meal. Nolan immediately picked up on the tension. He grabbed Felix's arm, scowling protectively. "Watch what you say, Felix. Dr. Hayes is an amazing person. I won't let you offend her."

"Nolan, come here for a moment."

Mr. Devereaux's booming voice carried across the room, cutting Nolan off mid-sentence. Nolan groaned, standing up with extreme reluctance. Before he could complain, Nora waved him off. "Go on. He needs you."

"I'll be right back to find you," Nolan promised, jogging off toward his father.

Now that her plate was clear and her stomach was comfortably full, Nora handed her dish to a passing waiter. She asked for directions to the restroom and stepped out of the sprawling garden. The interior of the massive villa had been completely transformed for the auction, dominated by an extravagant stage set up in the center. Nora had read the itinerary beforehand. Tonight's gala was designed to raise funds for Linden City. Wealthy attendees donated high-end items, which were then auctioned off to their peers, with all proceeds funneled directly to the cause. It was a classic game for the elite—a perfect way to network, show off their wealth, and buy themselves a little good PR at the same time.