Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 374

The hospital room fell dead silent.

Hudson leaned against the edge of the bed, one arm wrapped securely around Nora's shoulders.

He looked down, his face a completely unreadable mask, his breathing steady and calm.

But pressed against his chest, Nora could feel the muscles in his arm pulling tighter and tighter by the second.

Penelope waited for a few seconds. When he didn't speak, she arrogantly assumed she had put him in his place...

A split second later, a thunderous slap echoed across the room as Hudson's hand connected with Penelope's face.

Penelope's head violently snapped to the side. She stumbled several feet away, barely catching the railing at the foot of the bed to keep from hitting the floor.

The air in the room froze solid.

Penelope clutched her cheek, her eyes blown wide in absolute shock, unable to process what had just happened.

Marcus stood beside her, utterly paralyzed.

He opened his mouth, looking frantically between Penelope and Hudson, completely speechless.

"Penelope Reed."

Hudson's voice was a low, glacial rumble, every single word laced with venomous ice. "My wife used to call you Mom, so I gave you a baseline of respect..."

Penelope's lips trembled, but no sound came out.

Hudson let out a dark sneer. "Now that she doesn't acknowledge you, what the hell are you? Do you really think you deserve to speak to me like that? You're nothing."

He tightened his grip on Nora, pulling her impossibly close. "That slap was payback for my wife..."

His predatory gaze slid off Penelope and locked onto Marcus. "Next time, it won't just be one."

Marcus turned instantly pale.

Without another word, Hudson took Nora's hand and led her out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them with a heavy thud.

"Does it hurt?"

Hudson asked, his eyes swirling with dark, dangerous emotion as he studied the red mark on her face.

Nora shook her head, then nodded, her voice muffled. "I dodged the first one. I only got hit because I panicked when she fell and tried to help her up..."

Hudson gently stroked the top of her head. "You did amazing today."

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