The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 243

"Maloney," Seraphina's gentle voice dropped a fraction lower. "When exactly did you fall in love with Nora?"

"I've been chasing her since she started college. I spent two years failing miserably, so I finally had to use an accident to trick her into marrying me."

The second Maloney uttered those words.

Cassidy nearly burst into uncontrollable laughter again.

Chasing her since her freshman year?

Failing miserably for two whole years?

Was he literally writing fanfiction about his own life right now?

Nora had been secretly obsessed with Maloney since they were teenagers.

During her freshman year, she had even snuck into one of his seminars.

Because it focused on entrepreneurship, the audience was almost entirely juniors and seniors.

Terrified of looking like a desperate groupie, Nora had borrowed a dress from her roommate that was entirely outside her usual aesthetic. She'd painstakingly curled her hair, donning a full disguise before finally working up the courage to attend.

And despite all that, he had still recognized her instantly.

Cassidy still vividly remembered Nora shrieking in their group chat afterward. Maloney had suddenly called her name and invited her to grab lunch. She had completely panicked, blurted out some insane excuse about needing to rush back to her dorm to bring in her laundry, rejected him on the spot, and sprinted away like her life depended on it.

The second she turned her back, she was drowning in regret.

But her pride wouldn't let her spin around and take it back.

So she was left to dramatically sob about her massive fumble in the group chat.

Cassidy remembered crystal clear just how chaotic and pathetic Nora's crush had been back then.

And now he was claiming he chased Nora for two years?

...Wait a second.

Nora had recently mentioned that Maloney admitted he'd been in love with her since college.

So the pursuit was actually real?

Then what part of the story was fake?

And what exactly did he mean by 'using an accident to trick her into marrying me'?

Cassidy sank deep into thought.

Across the table, Seraphina was also drowning in her own thoughts.

For the third time that afternoon, the air grew suffocatingly silent.

"It won't impact my work," Maloney replied stubbornly. "Lee is driving. We're discussing the merger in the backseat."

Nora rolled her eyes.

Whenever they had a disagreement, they inevitably ended up locked in this endless, frustratingly intimate tug-of-war.

Seraphina stared silently at Nora for several long seconds before breaking her gaze. Reaching into her designer bag, she pulled out a pristine envelope, placed it on the table, and slid it over to Cassidy.

"The invitation."

Cassidy straightened her posture. Dropping all traces of her earlier amusement and burying her disdain, she offered a genuine, professional thank you. "I appreciate this. The value of this ticket far exceeds the tiny favor we did for you. If you ever need my assistance in the future, you have my number."

She paused, adding sharply, "Assuming, of course, that assistance doesn't involve helping you wreck a marriage."

Seraphina rolled her eyes at the pregnant woman.

Standing up from the booth, she tilted her chin upward, casting a long, complex look at Nora. "Nora," she promised darkly. "I'll be in touch."

Nora froze, taken aback.

From the phone pressed to her ear, Maloney's vicious snarl tore through the silence. "Tell her to get the hell out of there. If she ever dares to corner you again, I'll completely destroy her."

Completely ignoring her husband's bloodthirsty threat, Nora gave Seraphina a curt nod. "Alright."

Seraphina spun on her heel and strutted out of the café.