The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 354

His heart aching for her, Nathan held Nora tight, offering a calm and rational perspective. "Even if we had found Evelyn back then, she and Liam were a couple. The most we could have done was give Liam a stern talking-to."

"Liam had already made up his mind to get rid of her. We might have stopped him once, but could we have stopped him a second time?"

"Besides, there are no 'what ifs' in this world."

A missed opportunity was just that—missed.

No one could rewrite the past.

Nora knew this logically.

With her years of professional experience, she wouldn't normally let a case affect her so deeply.

But with so many things happening back-to-back, she couldn't help but spiral a little.

Nathan's words were like a flashlight cutting through the dark.

While it didn't completely pull her out of the gloom, it illuminated the path forward.

"Are you going to get in?"

Seeing Nathan still standing outside, Nora realized how awkward they looked—one inside the car, the other hovering by the door.

Afraid someone might spot them, she tugged at his sleeve.

"No rush."

He kept his voice low, matching her secretive tone. "I haven't held you enough yet. I want a few more minutes."

Nora shot him a playful glare.

Sure enough, now that they had laid their cards on the table, the man had completely dropped his act.

Whatever happened to the aloof, untouchable detective?

Despite the blush creeping up her neck, Nora couldn't bring herself to push him away.

He was Nathan, after all.

And it wasn't like he was asking for anything outrageous. Indulging her fiancé for a moment was perfectly fine.

"Just get in first."

Nora's cheeks were flushed. "Or we can just head home..."

She didn't want to be caught by their colleagues. If they were, they would absolutely dominate the precinct gossip mill tomorrow.

Nathan chuckled warmly.

"Nora, everyone already knows we're engaged."

He walked around the hood of the car to the driver's side.

Nora pulled the passenger door shut, her face still burning.

Nathan slid into the driver's seat and was just about to start the engine when Nora's phone rang.

Seeing Harold Peyton's name flashing on the screen, Nora froze and awkwardly held the phone out toward Nathan. "It's your grandfather."

Nathan shot her a sideways glance. "He's your grandfather, too."

Nora's ears burned red.

"We... we aren't married yet."

Nathan chuckled. "We will be soon. He's probably calling to talk about exactly that."

Nora suddenly felt a surge of nerves. "What should I say?"

"He's definitely going to ask what kind of wedding dress you want. Looking at the timeline, our formal wear should have arrived by now."

Nora raised an eyebrow. She hadn't cared much about the wedding details before, but now, a flicker of genuine anticipation bloomed in her chest.

She answered the call, and sure enough, Harold's jovial voice boomed through the speaker. "Nora, my dear! Are you free tomorrow?"