Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 597

Finnian didn't argue.

He lowered his eyes, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of his teacup, lost in thought.

Just then, two maids walked by carrying a painting. The frame was half-covered by a dust cloth, but a corner had slipped, revealing a blurry sliver of light on the canvas.

Finnian had only cast a mindless glance at it, but his gaze froze the moment it touched the painting.

It was a profile portrait.

The girl in the painting sat sideways by the window, her expression charmingly innocent.

She looked no more than seven or eight years old. Her features hadn't fully matured yet, but that innate, lively grace seemed to have been captured with the most delicate brushstrokes, radiating a vivid lifelike energy straight through the canvas.

Finnian's fingers tightened slightly.

He didn't understand why he was feeling this way.

It was clearly just a painting, and he had never met the person depicted in it, but his heart felt as if it had been gently nudged by something, making his breath hitch for a second.

He instinctively wanted to stand up, to get closer, to see that face clearly.

"What is it?"

Right then, Hudson suddenly spoke up with a casual tone, lacing his words with a hint of teasing. "Still can't forget?"

Finnian stopped his movements and turned his head, raising an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"That's the painting Sienna Quigley gave my wife. If you miss her..."

"Who misses her?" Finnian cut him off, his tone growing colder. "I was just looking."

That cold-hearted woman, only a dog would miss her!

He settled back into the sofa, picked up his teacup, and took a sip, completely avoiding glancing in the direction of the painting again.

Hudson didn't call him out on it; he merely curled his lips into a smile before shifting the topic. "Right..."

He pulled out a mint and held it in his hand. "There's something that's been baffling me. If you don't mind, maybe you could clear it up for me?"

"There's actually a question that can baffle Mr. Lancaster?" Finnian raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Let's hear it."

"I've never heard anything about your mother. Which wealthy family was she from?"

Finnian's hand paused slightly, and he let out a soft chuckle. "Why the sudden interest in my mother?"

"Just curious."

Hudson unwrapped the mint and popped it into his mouth. "I suddenly realized your mother's identity is incredibly mysterious. No one has ever mentioned her, and I can't find any information on her at all..."

It was as if she had been wiped from existence.

The faint sound of a car engine starting drifted in from outside, gradually fading until it vanished at the end of Azure Bay's tree-lined road.

Hudson stared toward the door for a long time before retracting his gaze. He picked up his teacup and took a sip; the tea had already grown lukewarm.

"Interesting..."

...

Three o'clock in the afternoon, San Francisco International Airport.

The arrivals hall was bustling with people. The sound of announcements mingled with the clatter of luggage wheels rolling across the tiles, creating a loud and chaotic atmosphere.

Arthur stood near the exit gate, holding up a sign. It didn't have a name, just a single black word: 'Bullock'.

His expression was neutral as his eyes scanned the crowd pouring out of the exit.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a brown jacket walked out. He wasn't very tall, had a slightly pudgy build, a round face, and wore gold-rimmed glasses.

The man spotted the sign in Arthur's hand immediately and hurried over, his face plastered with an eager smile. He bowed slightly, lowering his posture completely. "Mr. Knight! Hello, hello! Sorry to keep you waiting! My flight was delayed, I'm so sorry..."

As he spoke, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one over.

Arthur didn't take it; he simply gave a brief nod. "Mr. Bullock, thanks for coming."

Nathaniel Bullock quickly put the cigarette away, his smile growing even more accommodating. "No trouble, no trouble at all. If the Boss asks, I'll definitely be here."