Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 633

Nora looked down at the man crouching before her, a whirlwind of emotions churning in her chest.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered his words to her at the movie theater...

[If the day ever comes when someone truly tries to use my life to force your hand, I swear I'll end myself before they can even make the threat. I will never let you be put in that position.]

He was willing to trade his life just to spare her from a difficult choice, even if that choice was entirely hypothetical.

To her, Hudson was a gift from the heavens.

He gave her a love that would endure until his last breath. But what was the foundation of true love?

Trust.

And had she given him that trust?

No.

She hadn't given him anything. Instead, she had become his only weakness, the single vulnerability everyone knew they could exploit to break him.

She had already dragged him down this far. The absolute least she owed him was her trust.

She knew she couldn't fight his battles for him, but she refused to be dead weight. She was actively working to become stronger, so that one day she wouldn't just hide behind his back—she would stand beside him as his equal.

She believed she could do it.

And right now, the only thing she could give him was her unconditional love and absolute honesty.

If she hid this from him, she was no better than his enemies.

With her mind made up, it felt as though a crushing weight had been lifted from her chest. Her eyes shone clearer than they had in days.

She bit her lip. "Hudson. There's something I need to tell you..."

She took a deep breath, meeting his gaze. "What happened today with Liana and Scarlett wasn't a coincidence. There's someone else involved..."

Hudson didn't stop icing her ankle. He just raised an eyebrow slightly. "You mean... River?"

Nora nearly jumped off the sofa, knocking the ice pack onto the rug. She stared at him in absolute shock. "How... how did you know?!"

She always knew Hudson was brilliant, but this was borderline terrifying.

She hadn't even given him a single clue, and he had already locked onto River?

It was almost supernatural.

Hudson chuckled softly. He picked the ice pack back up and pressed it to her ankle again. "It wasn't a hard guess. Where I found you wasn't anywhere near the hotel. Since Sebastian arranged the hunt today, the grounds were entirely locked down. He's incredibly meticulous—he wouldn't have let some random tourist wander into a live hunting reserve..."

"Besides, I had my people run a background check on River the second he showed up near you. His record was entirely too clean. That's always a red flag."

Nora looked at him with sheer admiration.

She was starting to suspect that even if she hadn't recognized River's voice today, Hudson would have figured it out on his own soon enough.

"River is the one who took the Ivory Pill," Nora said quickly. "I might not be good at much, but I have a perfect ear for voices. I confronted him, and he admitted it. He..."

"I'm sorry, honey," Hudson murmured, his voice softening. "I'll never lie to you again."

"You better keep that promise!" Nora held up her pinky finger with absolute seriousness. "Pinky swear."

Hudson smiled warmly and hooked his pinky around hers.

"Pinky swear. Good for a hundred years. Whoever breaks it is a dog."

Looking at her earnest, adorable expression, Hudson's smile widened.

He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head as he took a deep, grounding breath.

Her delicate scent, a mix of winter sunshine and fresh woods, enveloped him completely.

He closed his eyes.

As long as he got the Ivory Pill, he would be cured.

He could spend the rest of his life with her.

For the very first time, he felt that every new day was actually worth looking forward to.

Nora buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, she felt safer than she ever had.

"Oh, right..." she remembered, pulling back slightly. "River's condition for the pill... he wants me to divorce you..."