Chapter 181

"Nora, no matter who you become or what you are, in my eyes, you will always be my wife!"

"I never agreed to divorce you!"

"I never went to court either. Legally, we're still husband and wife! You're still my wife!"

Frederick believed Nora was still legally his wife.

"Frederick, five years and you're still this ridiculous!"

Nora pulled out the records she had looked up at the Suncrest City courthouse last time. She found the photo and handed it to Frederick.

"Look carefully. The Suncrest City court system shows we are divorced!"

Frederick glanced at the phone Nora handed him.

He was stunned to discover that Sierra had secretly filed their divorce papers five years ago. His jaw tightened.

He knocked her phone away.

Then, ignoring Nora's struggle, he pulled her tightly into his arms.

"I don't care what that system says!"

"You're my wife. You'll always be my wife!"

"Nora, let's stop fighting. Can we start over? Five years ago, everything was my fault. These past five years, I've been looking for you every single day, thinking about you every single day!"

"These five years, my mom pressured me countless times, but I never gave in."

"In my heart, no one can compare to you!"

"You are my one and only wife!"

Frederick poured his heart out.

Five years. He had so much he wanted to say to Nora.

He wanted to hold her and let out every bit of longing he had built up over those five years.

"You jerk!"

"Let go of my mommy!"

"Let go or I'll bite you!"

Elise had been watching Nora closely. When she saw Frederick forcefully grab Nora, she swung her little fists and pounded hard on Frederick's thigh.

Frederick ignored Elise's attack and Nora's struggle.

He held her tight. So tight.

As if letting go would make Nora disappear.

"Mr. Kennedy, what do you think you're doing?"

"Harassing my fiancée in public — is this how people from Suncrest City behave?"

Just as Nora was struggling to breathe in Frederick's grip, Jasper stepped in from the side.

He grabbed Frederick's wrist with one hand and pulled Nora free with the other.

Nora gasped for air once she was out of Frederick's hold.

Her face was flushed red. Frederick had nearly squeezed the breath out of her.

"Jasper?"

"You again!"

"Nora is my wife. When did she become your fiancée?"

Frederick hadn't expected Jasper to pull Nora away from him again. He thought back to five years ago, when Jasper had quietly followed Nora to Rosewood City without telling him a word.

No matter how many times Frederick had tried to get it out of him, Jasper had refused to admit it.

He stepped forward, facing Jasper, and tried to pull Nora back to his side.

"Elise, tell Frederick — do you want Jasper to be your dad?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow. He stayed perfectly calm in the face of Frederick's fury.

"I want Jasper to be my dad!"

"Frederick, can't you see that Mommy doesn't like you? I used to kind of like you before, but now that I know you make Mommy unhappy, I don't like you anymore!"

"Just go!"

"I'm going to live with Mommy and Jasper from now on. Stop bothering us!"

Elise hadn't seen Jasper in days.

Thrilled to see him now, she rushed over and stood by his side, even reaching up to take his hand.

Frederick looked at the three of them — Elise, Jasper, and Nora — standing together, while he stood alone on the other side.

Unwilling to be rejected by both Elise and Nora, he quickly crouched down in front of Elise.

"Elise, do you know who your real dad is?"

"It's me!"

"I'm the one who had you with Mommy. I'm your father. How can you want Jasper to be your dad?"

Since Nora was pushing him away, Frederick turned his hopes to Elise.

Elise had liked him so much before — so why did she turn cold the moment she found out he was her father?

He was sure Jasper was behind all of this.

Frederick picked Elise up.

"Jasper, I don't care what you've done for them these past five years. They are mine."

"Don't even think about taking them from me."

Nora looked at Frederick and thought he was a joke.

"I belong to myself. I'm not anyone's property!"

"Frederick, after everything, do you really think we can go back to how things were?"

"Someone get him out of here!"

Nora raised her voice on that last line.

Immediately, the Gonzaga family members gathered around her, and the event security guards, with a nod from Brent, moved in as well.

"Mr. Kennedy, what exactly is your relationship with Ms. Hearst?"

Austin had met with Frederick not long ago and knew Frederick was interested in partnering with the Gonzaga Group. That was why he had sent him an invitation to their 40th anniversary celebration.

But he never expected Frederick to know Nora.

And from the looks of it, they had quite a history.

"Nora is my wife!"

With the Gonzaga family closing in and every eye in the room now on them, Frederick stared straight at Nora and said it plainly.

"Ms. Hearst, is what Mr. Kennedy saying true?"

Austin was floored.

If Brenda hadn't steadied him, he wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face.

"We're divorced."

"Frederick and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other now."

"Austin, I'm sorry for the scene today. But Frederick is making things very difficult for me. Please have security escort him out."

Nora and Austin had known each other since childhood, often running into each other at events their parents attended. After college they went their separate ways and didn't keep in close touch, but they were still on good terms.

She shot Frederick a look of pure disgust. She couldn't stand to look at him for even a second longer.

"Mr. Kennedy, since Ms. Hearst doesn't wish to see you, perhaps you could reach out to her privately at another time?"

"Our anniversary event is about to begin, and we're streaming live today. Would you mind stepping out for now?"

Austin knew Nora had been married before, but he had no idea her ex-husband was Frederick.

He walked up to Frederick and gestured politely for him to leave — giving Frederick a graceful way out.

Frederick looked at Austin's uncomfortable expression, then at the coldness in Nora's eyes.

He knew he couldn't push this right now.

Winning back Nora's forgiveness would take time.

"Nora, I'll leave for now."

"But I didn't go through all this trouble finding you just to walk away. I'm not leaving Rosewood City."

"Elise, I know I missed five years of your life, and I'm sorry. But from now on, I promise I'll be by your side every single day. I won't miss a thing."

Frederick kissed Elise on the cheek.

He looked at Nora with tender eyes.

He wanted so badly to kiss her on the forehead, but seeing how cold she was, he knew that wasn't happening.

He set Elise down and followed the security guards out.

Elise went back to Nora's side and watched Frederick walk away. She felt something strange stir inside her.

She couldn't quite name it.

She had always wanted a dad. Now she suddenly had one — but this biological father of hers had once hurt her mommy.

"Are you okay?"

Once Frederick was gone, Jasper looked at Nora's neck.

It had turned red where Frederick had held her so tightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were done with me and Elise."

Nora hadn't been in touch with Jasper since she turned him down in the elevator that day.

She had assumed he wouldn't get involved in her life anymore.

When he stepped in just now, her heart skipped a beat.

"I promised you — whenever you need me, I'm here."

Just as Nora was moved by his words, she heard clapping nearby.

She turned toward the sound and saw Henry, sitting in his wheelchair.