Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 640

Finnian frowned. For some inexplicable reason, his heart began to race.

But he had endured too much disappointment over the years. Every time he harbored this kind of overwhelming hope, it was met with crushing despair.

His body had already developed a defense mechanism against it. The moment the thought surfaced, the suffocating pain of past letdowns rushed in to smother it.

Within seconds, Finnian forced himself to calm down. He tightened his jaw. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. How about this... I'll have someone look into Nora's background. Let's see if we can find anything..."

Jude nodded quickly. "Alright."

...

Meanwhile, Hudson pushed open the door to his suite, but Nora was nowhere to be seen.

He frowned slightly. Just as he pulled out his phone to call Arthur, he noticed movement out on the balcony.

Stepping closer, he saw Nora leaning against the railing, lost in thought.

Hudson's lips curved into a soft smile as he slid the glass door open. "Honey, what are you doing out on the balcony in the freezing cold? You..."

His words died in his throat when Nora instinctively turned around at the sound of his voice, revealing a pair of tear-filled eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Hudson hurried over, cupping her face as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

He had no idea how long she had been standing there, but her radiant skin was icy to the touch.

Hudson held her cold cheeks, his thumbs gently brushing over the damp streaks beneath her eyes. His brow furrowed in distress. "You fool, it was just an act. Why did you take it so seriously? If you don't want to do this anymore, we'll stop right now. I'll find another way to get the Ivory Pill."

Nora shook her head rapidly, her voice thick with emotion. "It's not that I don't want to do it. I just... I felt so awful inside."

"Awful about what?"

She bit her lip, staying silent.

Hudson let out a low chuckle. He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling. "My wife is such a brilliant actress. You could debut in Hollywood tomorrow."

Nora let out a tearful laugh at his praise, playfully smacking his chest. "Stop talking nonsense."

"I'm not." He caught her hand, enveloping it in his warmth. "That shove was executed perfectly. The force, the angle—absolutely professional."

Nora glared at him. "I saw River watching us. If I didn't shove you, he would have gotten suspicious."

Hudson lowered his head, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair. "You've worked hard putting on this show. As your husband, I should give you a proper reward..."

Before she could protest, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight into the bathroom.

"Hudson!" Startled by the sudden movement, Nora quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Soon, the bathroom was filled with thick steam, fogging up the mirrors and glass partitions.

Nora lay in the bathtub, the hot water rising past her shoulders as she leaned back comfortably against the edge.

Hudson crouched beside the tub. He took a towel, soaked it in hot water, wrung it out, and placed it over the back of her neck. His strong fingers applied the perfect amount of pressure, massaging the tension from her shoulders. "Relax."

The massage felt heavenly. The deep-seated exhaustion in Nora's bones seemed to melt away under his touch, and she contentedly closed her eyes.

Hudson's lips curved upward. He swapped the towel for a fresh, hot one and continued massaging down her shoulder blades, his fingertips working the knots along her spine with expert precision.

...

The next morning, the atmosphere at the Aspen Springs Hotel was significantly more strained than the day before.

At the breakfast table, Nora and Hudson sat on opposite ends, refusing to look at each other as they quietly ate their oatmeal.

Sitting between them, Grant looked back and forth, feeling a suffocating, unbearable tension in the air.

He discreetly nudged Sebastian with his elbow and lowered his voice. "What's the situation? Still haven't made up?"

Sebastian replied in a hushed whisper, "Stay out of it. Just eat."

Grant pouted and took a spoonful of his oatmeal, though he couldn't resist sneaking glances from the corner of his eye.

Hudson set his bowl down. The ceramic bottom hit the tray with a soft clink.

The sound wasn't loud, but it plunged the entire table into silence for a fleeting moment.

He looked up, his gaze crossing the table to land on Nora.

Nora was looking down, unhurriedly peeling a hard-boiled egg, acting as if she hadn't noticed his stare at all.

Hudson stood up and walked over to her. "Nora, we need to talk."

Nora didn't look up. "We have nothing to talk about."

Hudson's lips pressed into a tight line. "That divorce you brought up earlier... I agree to it."