Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 659

Having secured the answer he wanted, Arthur Lancaster II said his goodbyes and left Lancaster Hall.

Seeing him emerge, the driver scrambled to open the car door.

The moment Arthur sat down, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

It rang twice before a deep male voice answered, "Hello, Dad..."

"River, the old woman wants to see you. Clear your schedule and make a trip to the main estate," Arthur said, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement.

A brief silence followed before River replied, his tone as placid as ever. "Understood. I'll make the arrangements."

River paused, as if remembering something crucial. "By the way, Dad, be careful when you go out these next few days. The men I sent to intercept Hudson failed. None of them made it back. Knowing Hudson, he won't just let this slide. He's going to retaliate."

Arthur scoffed dismissively. "Retaliate? What can he possibly do? The old lady is still breathing. What's he going to do to me? He—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a horrific screech of tires tore through the air just outside the window.

Arthur instinctively looked up just in time to see a massive heavy-duty truck barrel out of a side street. It didn't slow down at all, hurtling directly toward his car.

"Fuck! Swerve!" he screamed, his face draining of color.

The driver wrenched the steering wheel hard. The tires shrieked against the asphalt as the sedan violently fishtailed, narrowly avoiding a direct T-bone collision. But the truck clipped the rear of the car, and the sheer force of the impact launched the sedan forward, sending it crashing heavily into the roadside barrier with a sickening crunch.

"Dad? Dad!"

On the other end of the line, River shot up from his seat. "Are you okay?"

But there was no answer, only the harsh hiss of static.

His face hardened into a mask of pure fury. He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and stormed toward the exit.

Just as he stepped out the front doors of his mansion, he froze.

Years of living on the knife's edge had honed his instincts for danger to a razor-sharp point.

Without a shred of hesitation, he threw himself backward, desperate to retreat behind the heavy doors.

But he was too late.

A silenced bullet fired from a distant rooftop ripped through the air, burying itself deep into his shoulder blade with pinpoint accuracy.

River let out a muffled grunt, staggering back two steps. He instinctively clamped his right hand over his left shoulder. Warm blood gushed through his fingers, rapidly soaking into his dark gray coat.

"Second Young Master!" His bodyguards rushed from both sides, grabbing him by the arms to drag him back inside as others drew their weapons and scanned the perimeter.

In an instant, the mansion erupted into chaos.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a high-rise across the street, Archer expressionlessly dismantled his rifle and packed away his gear. He turned and headed for the stairwell, completely unbothered by the pandemonium unfolding below.

If the Boss hadn't given specific orders, he would have blown the bastard's brains out right then and there.

...

Inside the mansion.

In the master bedroom, the steam from the shower hadn't entirely dissipated, leaving the faint, sweet scent of gardenia body wash lingering in the air.

Nora leaned against the headboard, her brows knitted together.

The memory of the afternoon's ambush was still playing on a loop in her mind. Even though Hudson had held her and comforted her for a while, a lingering thread of anxiety remained.

"Those men from this afternoon... was that River's doing?" She turned to look at Hudson. "And the crew that tried to kidnap me before, the ones working with Ginger Joyce—was that him too?"

Hudson had just stepped out of the shower. His hair was still dripping, his bathrobe tied loosely around his waist, exposing a stretch of pale, muscular chest dotted with water droplets.

He sat down beside her and effortlessly pulled her into his arms. "Yeah, that was all him. But don't worry. Right now, both the Lancaster father and son are lying in hospital beds. They won't have the energy to cause any trouble, at least not before the New Year."

Nora rested her head against his chest. The steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat finally managed to soothe the last of her fears.

"...That's good."

Hudson chuckled softly. "Alright, stop overthinking. Go to sleep."

"Okay."

Nora obediently slid beneath the covers.

Hudson casually untied his bathrobe to change into his sleepwear. When he turned his head, he caught her bright, doe-like eyes staring at him, the tips of her ears glowing an angry red.

"Why is your face so red? See something you like?" Hudson teased, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"N-No... I didn't see anything."