Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 619

Nora blinked, choosing not to interrupt him.

"Once that toxin invades the organs, it strips away the five senses," Dr. Silas Vane explained, his tone heavy. "The medication I prescribed only suppresses it temporarily. It's a band-aid, not a cure."

"Then what's the cure?" she pressed.

Silas fell silent for a moment. "We need something called the Ivory Pill."

"The Ivory Pill?" Nora's heart skipped a beat.

Wasn't that what Phoebe Vaughn had mentioned to her before?

Did even Phoebe know about Hudson's poisoning?

She was the only one...

The only one kept in the dark from the very beginning.

Silas didn't notice her turbulent expression and continued, "It's an ancient royal panacea, capable of miraculous healing. But it's incredibly rare. Until we find it, he has to rely on my medication to keep the symptoms at bay."

Nora snapped back to reality. "And if we can't find the Ivory Pill, will Hudson... die?"

"Of course not!"

Silas let out a hearty laugh. "Do you think I'm a quack? Don't worry, he won't die."

Nora's eyes immediately lit up. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you, Dr. Vane. Thank you for telling me all this."

Silas waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "Don't mention it. It's nothing."

They had arrived at the gates of Cloudwater Estate, where a driver was already waiting. Silas waved to Nora one last time. "Alright, kiddo, go on inside. I'm heading out."

"Safe travels, Dr. Vane."

Silas climbed into the car with a chuckle. But as the vehicle pulled away and the estate faded into the distance, the smile slowly vanished from his face.

"Ugh!"

What a mess this was.

Silas let out a long, heavy sigh. He had lived a long time and seen a lot of things, but he had never met anyone as calculating as Hudson Lancaster.

Hudson had actually predicted that his own wife would come seeking the truth, and had prepared an airtight lie for Silas to feed her.

Shaking his head, Silas pulled a small flask from his coat, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig.

He knew the state of Hudson's body better than anyone.

The Ivory Pill was the only true cure. It could save his life, yes, but they hadn't secured it yet. No one even knew for certain where it was.

Everything he had just told Nora was a mix of half-truths. It could fool her for now, but it wouldn't last forever.

If the day came when the poison fully flared up...

Silas tipped his head back for another long drink, squinting at the streetlights blurring past the window. Nora's bright, determined eyes flashed in his mind.

When she said she wouldn't live without him, she hadn't been joking.

As soon as he stepped out, a figure standing in the shadows startled him.

"...Madam?"

Once he recognized her, Arthur pressed his lips together. "Did you need something?"

"Yes," Nora nodded.

Arthur instinctively glanced back at the two inside the yard, then pointed toward the garden. "Let's talk over here."

They walked to the back garden together.

Bane's ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. Seeing Nora, the massive dog bounded out of his kennel, trotting happily around her, tail wagging so hard his entire body swayed.

"I know about Hudson's poisoning," Nora said bluntly.

Arthur's brow twitched imperceptibly. "Madam, how did you..."

"That doesn't matter," Nora cut him off. "Can you tell me everything about the Ivory Pill?"

Arthur fell silent.

He knew Nora wasn't the type to be brushed off with a few vague words. Since she was asking so directly, she clearly already knew the core of it.

"Actually... we almost had it," Arthur finally admitted.

He hesitated for a second. "The Ivory Pill originally belonged to the Whitman Family in Northampton. Elias Whitman had agreed to give it to the Boss, but before the handoff could happen, Elias died."

Arthur gave her a detailed rundown of everything that had happened at the Whitman estate, down to the ridiculous detail of Cade Whitman faking swallowing the pill right in front of them.