Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30 

Hudson took the glass of whiskey offered by the server, took a slow sip, and lazily lifted his gaze. “Sebastian, do you still want those island resort permits, or should I throw them out?” 

Sebastian instantly threw his hands up in surrender, a wildly exaggerated, flattering smile plastered on his face. “I yield! Forgive me, Boss! My mouth runs faster than my brain. I’ll penalize myself with a drink.” 

He downed his glass in one shot. 

Grant leaned in closer, chewing on his unlit cigarette, his eyes narrowing as he studied Hudson. 

“Seriously, Hudson… this whole arranged marriage to break your curse… you actually went through with it?” 

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire suite fell dead silent. 

Every man in the room strained their ears. 

The rumor that Hudson Lancaster was marrying the eldest Reed daughter purely to ward off a terminal illness had been blazing through their elite circles. 

Everyone thought the infamous billionaire was on his deathbed, desperately relying on superstition to buy a few more years. 

Yet the man sitting right in front of them… 

Though he looked exhausted, his posture was entirely lethal, the dense muscle beneath his tailored shirt vibrating with predatory power. He looked about as close to death as a loaded gun. 

Hudson’s hand paused on his glass. A memory flashed behind his eyes, and a faint smirk touched his lips. “I did. Picked up the marriage license yesterday.” 

“Damn!” 

Grant swore loudly, his brow furrowing in disgust. “You seriously legally married that Reed girl? Rumor has it she’s a vicious, spoiled brat. And she’s not even that great to look at. Hudson, why the hell would you-” 

“Watch your mouth,” Hudson interrupted, his dark eyes cutting through the dim lighting to lock onto Grant. “She’s incredible. Stunning, gentle, and incredibly sweet.” 

Grant was utterly speechless. 

The rest of the room froze. 

Stunning? 

Gentle? 

Sweet? 

Were they talking about the same Jade Reed who threw a psychotic fit at a charity gala over a dress and slapped a waiter in front of a hundred people? 

Had somebody spiked Hudson’s drink?! 

Dr. Liam Harrison was Hudson’s most trusted confidant. The brilliant young doctor had been fiercely loyal to Hudson for years. 

He was a Stanford-educated medical genius and currently the absolute best physician in San Francisco. 

Hudson’s expression remained perfectly flat. “Running an errand. He should be back in a few days.” 

“What kind of errand requires a six-month deployment to Northampton?” Grant pressed, the gossip lighting up his eyes. 

Hudson ignored the question entirely, simply swirling the amber liquid in his glass. The ice clinked sharply against the crystal. 

Grant smartly backed off. 

In San Francisco’s elite circles, there were some things you simply didn’t pry into. Especially when it came to Hudson Lancaster-nobody survived trying to guess what was playing out in his head. 

Sensing the tension, Sebastian smoothly pivoted the conversation. “Speaking of Northampton, isn’t that real estate tycoon Edmond Sterling trying to force his way into our city…” 

“Edmond Sterling?” Grant scoffed. “That nouveau-riche bastard who built his fortune flipping dirt?” 

“That’s the one,” Sebastian smirked, looking like he was anticipating a bloody trainwreck. “Rumor has it his first target is the entertainment industry…” 

He paused, shooting a look at Grant. “Grant, weren’t you looking to offload Star Entertainment? I heard Edmond Sterling is making a massive play to buy it out.”