Chapter 268

It wasn’t about how Nora and Louis had crossed paths. What mattered was the footage from the private room-the moment he’d shoved her.
But when Daniel finally saw it, his heart clenched painfully.
It really was him.
He’d nearly put Nora and the baby in danger.
A heavy wave of guilt crashed through his hollow chest, leaving Daniel shaken and remorseful.
Thank God Louis had been with her.
Moving quietly, he slipped back into the bedroom, careful not to wake her. He lay down beside her, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice thick with regret.
Nora and Daniel had agreed long ago: if Daniel wanted this child, he needed to keep his distance.
So he got up early, making sure to be out of sight.
By the time Nora came downstairs after washing up, Daniel was already seated at
the table, eating breakfast.
When he saw her, his greeting was neutral, almost cold. “Morning.”
Nora ignored him.
She sat down and began eating in silence.
It was Daniel who finally broke the uneasy quiet. “I was out of line yesterday,” he
said, voice softer than before. “I hurt you. I’m sorry.”
He took the initiative to apologize.
Nora slammed her fork down on the table.
“Do us both a favor-don’t make me sick before noon.”
Whatever warmth Daniel had managed to gather on his face vanished.
He set his coffee down, his tone growing icy. “Am I really that repulsive to you, Nora?”
“And what did you expect? That you’re everyone’s favorite?”
The air between them crackled with tension.
Even the housekeeper standing nearby barely dared to breathe.
Daniel’s eyes turned cold and dark, like black ice. “What happened yesterday was
my fault. But you, Nora-don’t pretend you’re innocent.”
“Me?” Nora let out a cold laugh.
So much for breakfast-she’d lost her appetite entirely.
“Was I the one who wanted to go out? Was I the one who invited those two drunks?”
She’d barely escaped disaster, and Daniel was still trying to pin blame on her. She met his eyes, wanting to know exactly where he thought she’d gone wrong. Before he could answer, Daniel’s phone rang.
His expression changed instantly as he answered. He stood to leave, but then, almost as an afterthought, grabbed Nora by the arm and pulled her up from her chair.
“You want to know what you did wrong?”
“You’ll see.”
He dragged Nora to the hospital.
Eleanor had attempted suicide-she was in the ER, fighting for her life.
As soon as Mrs. Quinn spotted Nora, she rushed at her in a frenzy. “Nora, this is all your fault!”
“If anything happens to Eleanor, I swear I’ll make you pay!”
Daniel stepped in, blocking Mrs. Quinn’s path.
“I’ve already called the best doctors. She’s getting help,” he said firmly.
Mrs. Quinn clung to Daniel’s arm, sobbing and wailing. “It was Nora—she ruined everything! Dan, you have to stand up for Eleanor!”
Nora leaned against the wall, face blank. “And what, exactly, does this have to do with me?”
Mrs. Quinn exploded, nearly leaping at her. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs
She jabbed a trembling finger at Nora, her voice shrill with rage. “If you hadn’t humiliated her when Mr. Frost was taking on a new apprentice-if you hadn’t just stood by yesterday and watched her suffer the Coopers wouldn’t have broken off the engagement! Eleanor wouldn’t have done this!”
Everything, according to Mrs. Quinn, was Nora’s fault.
But Nora refused to take the blame. “She was never that talented to begin with. If she tried playing dirty and it backfired, how is that my problem?”
“It is your fault!” Mrs. Quinn spat. “You liar, you thief! Ruining one of my daughters wasn’t enough for you-you’re here to destroy the other, too! I swear, I could kill you right now!”
She was hysterical, every ounce of reason gone, and looked as if she truly wanted to strangle Nora then and there.
A flicker of anger finally showed in Nora’s eyes.
“You only ever had one daughter. Don’t you dare mention Aurora-you’re not worthy.”
“You-Dan! Are you just going to stand there and watch while Nora bullies Eleanor?” Mrs. Quinn sobbed, clutching at Daniel’s sleeve, utterly undone.