The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 227

Back when Nora was in college.

Maloney had pursued her for two entire years.

Strictly speaking, it had been love at first sight for him.

They had indeed known each other since childhood.

Back when Nora was nothing more than a fragile little seed, he had watched her stubbornly take root and sprout in the most barren of environments.

She was delicate, timid, and relentlessly bullied; yet she was earnest, fiercely resilient, and quietly worked harder than anyone else.

Maloney understood both sides of her.

But he truly hadn't thought much of it back then.

In fact, the only reason he initially paid her any mind was that she was the designated future granddaughter-in-law chosen by Alistair Sinclair.

Alistair was a legend.

He carried a rifle through wars in his youth and dominated the ruthless corporate world in his prime. He was a man of blood and honor, with sworn brothers scattered across the country, building the glorious legacy of the Sinclair Group.

Maloney had immense respect for Alistair.

If Alistair had handpicked a scrawny five-year-old girl to marry into his family, he must have seen something extraordinary in her.

So, Maloney quietly kept an eye on her.

At first, he just thought her features were exceptionally exquisite compared to other girls, and her voice was incredibly sweet.

Especially when she called out, "Grandpa Sinclair." Her tone dripped with sugar, dragging out the last syllable so it melted right into your ears.

This little girl was cunning.

She knew exactly how to charm people at such a tender age.

But soon, Maloney changed his mind.

So what if she was a little manipulative? If she didn't have any survival instincts, she probably would have vanished without a trace by now.

With a family as monstrous as hers—and Maloney used to think his own relatives were insufferable—he quickly realized there were always darker depths to human cruelty.

Nora's life was nothing short of tragic.

The more he watched, the harder it became to stand by.

He couldn't help but step in to pull her up.

Knowing Maloney was a soft touch who would help her, Nora would often gaze up at him with those big, watery eyes, using her soft, pitiful voice to garner sympathy.

It worked every single time.

By then, Maloney had almost forgotten his original reason for observing her.

She was a beautifully amplified version of her childhood self.

But something was undeniably different.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Maloney found himself uncontrollably wanting to see her.

Relying on their past connection, he asked her out to dinner.

Nora was quiet, obedient, polite, and deeply grateful. Outwardly timid, inwardly brave, and occasionally letting her sly little survivor's instincts peek through.

She was exactly the same girl he had always known.

From that point on, Maloney began to pursue her.

He was never one to deny his own feelings.

He liked her, and that was that.

But he deliberately restrained himself.

The main reason was that she had just graduated high school.

He was seven years older than her. He was terrified that coming on too strong would scare her away.