Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 638

She didn't have to wait long.

Less than half an hour later, the maid returned and handed her a small, transparent evidence bag.

"I pulled these from Mrs. Lancaster's hairbrush, and a couple were left on her pillow..."

Liana took the bag and examined it. Inside lay several strands of long, dark hair with a slight natural wave, catching the light with a healthy sheen.

"Perfect. Get out."

Once the maid was gone, Liana wasted no time. She immediately dialed a private number.

"I need a rushed DNA comparison. Run it against the baseline sample I provided you previously. I'll overnight the new sample to you right now."

The voice on the other end confirmed the order.

"San Francisco is a long way from Northampton. It's going to take at least two days just for the sample to arrive. Even with a priority rush, the testing itself will take a minimum of six hours..."

"Just get it done."

She hung up and immediately called for a courier to securely ship the package.

Two and a half days.

That was all it would take to finally get an answer.

...

Meanwhile, Nora was still lounging in her wicker chair. The warm winter sun was so soothing she was dangerously close to falling asleep.

Just as she started drifting off, she suddenly felt weightless. Someone had scooped her up into their arms.

"Ah!" Nora gasped, instinctively throwing her arms around the person's neck. It took her a few seconds to realize who it was, and she immediately puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, keeping her voice low. "What are you doing? I've been giving an Oscar-worthy performance all morning, and you... you're ruining it by carrying me!"

Hudson let out a low chuckle as he carried her toward the main building. His voice was dark and magnetic. "Acting sad for a morning isn't going to cut it. Sitting out here looking mildly depressed won't convince anyone you're actually planning a divorce."

Nora looked incredibly frustrated. She squirmed as they entered their suite, demanding to be put down.

Hudson obliged, setting her gently on the edge of the bed before crouching in front of her, a smirk playing on his lips.

Nora pouted angrily. "Then what do we do? We can't exactly go sign actual divorce papers, can we?"

"Even if we did officially sign the papers, do you honestly think he'd just hand over the Ivory Pill?" Hudson arched a brow, a knowing smirk lingering on his face.

Nora froze. "...But that's exactly what he said he would do..."

"Of course he wouldn't."

Hudson's tone was measured and calm. "A divorce means nothing on its own. We could just remarry the next day. He's not going to just watch us sign a piece of paper and call it a deal."

"Then why did he demand it?"

"He's testing your boundaries. He wants to see exactly how far you're willing to go for my sake."

His thumb gently brushed against her cheek. "If you're so desperate for the Ivory Pill that you'd actually divorce me, you'd be playing right into his trap."

Nora's eyelashes fluttered. A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on her skin as the reality of the situation fully sank in.

Hudson pressed his lips together, his voice dangerously low. "Tell me. What do you want me to do to prove I respect you?"

"I want a divorce, Hudson!"

The words dropped like a bomb. The silence that followed was suffocating.

Grant, who had just taken a sip of wine, nearly choked, desperately throwing his sleeve over his mouth to muffle his coughing fit.

Sebastian violently choked on his food next to him, hacking up a lung.

Spencer and Finnian both frowned deeply, staring at the couple in pure shock.

Only Jude sat frozen, his wine glass hovering halfway to his mouth, his grip on the stem tightening imperceptibly.

Hudson leaned back in his chair. He let the silence hang for several agonizing seconds before finally speaking, his voice thick with gravel. "Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious."

Nora stood tall, her spine rigid. "I'm exhausted. Being with you... makes me miserable."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes grew red and rimmed with tears.

Even though she knew it was all an act, saying those cruel words out loud made her feel genuinely heartbroken.

Right now, all she wanted to do was throw herself into Hudson's arms, wrap her hands around his neck, and kiss him.

Whoever wanted to act in this stupid play could do it themselves. She was officially over it!