The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 209

She then offered a polite nod to Maloney. "Mr. Jameson."

Nora blinked in surprise. "Diana."

It had been a while since she had reached out to her siblings.

In the past, she used to check in on them two or three times a month.

Always remembering how they had helped her when she was younger, Nora had genuinely viewed Diana and David Dodge as her real family.

But ever since Bella Monroe unexpectedly returned—which David had deliberately hidden from her, and Diana had remained maddeningly neutral about—a deep rift had formed in Nora's heart. She hadn't initiated contact since.

Honestly, not talking to them wasn't the end of the world.

Family ties were complicated. Stripped of the blood relation, they were just ordinary people. If you clicked, you became friends; if you didn't, you kept your distance.

She would always remember the favors they did for her.

But she no longer held any expectations for their emotional bond.

Diana studied Nora for a moment, gave a curt nod, and didn't say much else. She exchanged a few brief professional pleasantries with Maloney before excusing herself.

Once she was out of earshot, Maloney murmured, "Look."

Nora snapped out of her daze. "Look at what?"

Maloney replied smoothly, "Diana was wearing pants."

Nora: "..."

"I'm not talking to you about this!"

Once inside the grand banquet hall, Maloney took Nora around for introductions.

Aside from Maloney's close friends, Leo Sterling and Silas King, she didn't recognize almost anyone.

Fortunately, Nora had a photographic memory. When she focused, she only needed to hear a person's face, name, company, and title once to lock it away permanently.

After completing their circuit, Nora let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Luckily, she hadn't been expected to carry the conversations.

People had approached them, and all she had to do was offer a few graceful, polite remarks. It was entirely manageable.

"Do you want to go rest for a bit?" Maloney asked.

Nora was wearing stilettos.

Nora: "..."

This gala was crawling with people she knew.

Sebastian and Seraphina were leaning against the wall, deep in conversation.

Nora originally intended to keep her head down and slip right past them.

But the second she stepped out of the elevator, Sebastian's eyes locked onto her.

He looked momentarily stunned. "Nora?"

Seraphina turned to look at her as well.

"Sebastian. Seraphina. Hello," Nora said, forcing a stiff, polite smile while edging toward the hallway. "I should get going..."

Seraphina closed the distance in two steps, looping her arm through Nora's with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Nora!"

"What a coincidence running into you. My brother and I were just talking about you."

Her smile deepened, perfectly masking the venom. "You know, our grandfather absolutely adored you back then. He specifically demanded you be his granddaughter-in-law. It's such a tragedy it didn't work out. Otherwise, I'd be calling you my sister-in-law right now."