Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 564

Nora laughed. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"

The two women hadn't seen each other in ages and immediately fell into endless chatter.

Meanwhile, Finnian and Hudson exchanged brief pleasantries before naturally transitioning into business talk. Sienna rolled her eyes at the boring conversation and dragged Nora away, leaving the two men far behind.

The welcome lunch was hosted at The Fairchild Bistro.

The private room was fully heated, and the moment they walked in, the warm aroma of delicious food wrapped around them.

Dishes were served one by one. A beautifully plated steamed sea bass was placed right in the center of the lazy Susan, covered in shredded ginger and scallions and drizzled with sizzling hot oil.

They took their seats. As the table spun, the sea bass stopped directly in front of Sienna.

The rich scent of the fish oil wafted up. Sienna, who had been laughing with Nora, suddenly froze. Her face drained of color.

A second later, she clamped a hand over her mouth, shoved her chair back with a loud screech against the floor, and bolted out of the room without looking back.

Nora paused, then put down her fork and hurried after her.

The door clicked shut, leaving the men staring at each other in confusion.

Hudson set down his wine glass, leaned back, and raised an eyebrow. "Is she pregnant?"

Finnian shot him an annoyed glare. "Impossible."

He always used protection. There was no way she was pregnant.

Hudson chuckled softly but didn't push it.

In the restroom, Nora found Sienna leaning against the sink, splashing cold water on her face.

Droplets rolled down her jawline, leaving wet spots on the white porcelain.

"Sienna, are you okay?" Nora grabbed some paper towels and handed them to her.

Sienna took them and patted her face dry. "I'm fine, really. My stomach's just been a bit off the last couple of days. The smell of that fish oil just made me gag."

Nora looked at her pale face, her brow furrowing. "Are you sure you're not pregnant..."

"No."

Sienna denied it immediately, almost as a reflex. Realizing her reaction was a bit too defensive, she forced a laugh. "I'm definitely not. It's just a stomach bug. I've been throwing up practically everything I eat. That fish was just too raw."

Hearing her explanation, Nora didn't push further.

She had experienced a similar false alarm herself in the past.

Finnian closed his eyes. When he opened them, a faint glimmer of hope shone in his gaze.

"Just finding this lead is a miracle in itself..."

He pressed his lips together. "Hudson, if there's anything I can do for you, just say the word."

"Actually, there is a favor I need from you..."

Hudson paused. "How well do you know the Whitman family?"

Finnian looked surprised. "The Whitmans? Who are you looking for? They only have one heir left, Cade Whitman. But he's a useless playboy who just wastes his family's money. He's nobody."

"Then who's calling the shots?"

"Elias Whitman," Finnian replied honestly. "Cade doesn't manage anything. Elias is still holding the reins, even though he's in his nineties. He rarely sees guests. It won't be easy to get a meeting with him."

He gave Hudson a curious look. "The Whitmans and the Lancasters don't have any overlapping business. Why do you want to see Elias?"

Hudson nodded. "I just do. Can you set it up?"

Finnian agreed immediately. "Consider it done."