Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 657

Seeing Beatrice's expression, Hudson knew she was entirely in the dark about River Sterling.

It seemed this piece of trash had kept his secret locked down tight...

"Perhaps you didn't know, Grandmother. Uncle Arthur has another son stashed away. Even though he's a disgraceful illegitimate child, he's quite talented. He has a natural gift for petty theft and grand deception. Must be in the genes..."

"Hudson!"

Arthur shot up from his chair, his face livid. He moved so quickly he knocked into the edge of the coffee table, sending a splash of hot tea over the rim of his cup. "Show some respect!"

Hudson remained slouched against the sofa, not even bothering to lift an eyelid. "Did I say something incorrect, Uncle Arthur?"

Arthur felt as if a physical weight had slammed into his chest. His temples throbbed violently, but he couldn't formulate a single counterargument.

He did have a second son, a secret he had kept hidden from the entire Lancaster family. He never expected Hudson to expose him so casually right in front of the matriarch.

"Enough." Beatrice set her teacup down. The porcelain clinking against the saucer produced a sharp click. It wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire hall instantly.

Her gaze swept between Hudson and Arthur, finally settling on Hudson. "You just got back from Northampton. Go home and rest. We will discuss these matters another day."

Hudson stood up, adjusting his cuffs with an airy nonchalance. "I'll be taking my leave, then. Have a good rest, Grandmother."

He took Nora's hand and walked toward the exit, a cold smile curling onto his lips.

It seemed Uncle Arthur had dragged Beatrice into this little performance. But because he had withheld information from her, the foundation of trust was shattered, bringing the play to an abrupt end.

The black Maybach rolled out of the estate, navigating the winding mountain roads.

Nora leaned back against her seat, staring out the window at the blurred palm trees rushing past. Just as she opened her mouth to say something to ease the tension, Arthur, driving from the front, spoke up. "Boss, we're being tailed."

Hudson's brow twitched faintly. He didn't turn around, simply glancing into the rearview mirror.

A dark gray sedan was following them, keeping a steady pace.

"How long?"

"Since we left the estate."

Arthur kept his eyes locked on the road ahead. "There were three cars in total. One of them broke off at the last intersection. They're probably trying to box us in from the front."

"Just drive," Hudson said, his voice entirely unruffled. "Call Archer. Tell him to bring the backup."

The trailing car hadn't anticipated the sudden brake and lane change. Unable to stop in time, it crashed violently into the median. A deafening crunch echoed as its hood popped open, sending a plume of white smoke into the air.

But the other car recovered quickly, accelerating to ram directly into the Maybach's rear flank.

As Arthur wrestled with the wheel, Hudson pulled Nora into his chest, shielding her with his body. In that exact moment, the car shuddered violently. A harsh screech of tearing metal tore through the air as their rear bumper took the hit.

"Boss, our guys are at the intersection ahead." Arthur checked the rearview mirror, then the road in front, his tone lightening significantly.

Sure enough, two black SUVs merged onto the road from both sides, perfectly blocking the pursuing car's path and trapping it in the middle.

Forced to brake hard, the attacker's tires left long, scorched skid marks on the pavement before it slammed into the rear bumper of the SUV ahead, shattering its own headlights into a spray of glass.

Arthur didn't slow down. He threaded the Maybach seamlessly through the blockade and merged into the flowing traffic, swiftly leaving the chaos behind them.

He drove through two more blocks before confirming the tail was gone. Still refusing to let his guard down, it wasn't until they pulled securely into the Cloudwater Estate that he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Hudson released his grip on Nora, looking down at her. "Did that scare you?"

Nora shook her head. "I'm okay."