Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 673

“What's wrong?” Hudson asked, noticing Nora's gaze. He turned his head slightly. “Tired of walking?”

Nora quickly shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. “I just think... you're incredible.”

Hudson raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by the sudden praise. He squeezed her soft hand, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. “I can be even more incredible. Want to see?”

The words themselves were harmless, but the seductive smirk playing on Hudson's lips suggested otherwise. Nora immediately looked away, her cheeks burning.

Hudson let out a low chuckle. He laced his fingers through hers and led her toward the next exhibit. “Come on. Let's keep looking.”

As they continued along the route, Hudson shared bits and pieces of the Vanguard Microchips' history. His tone remained casual and unhurried. He didn't exaggerate his achievements, nor did he shy away from the mistakes he had made along the way.

Nora listened intently, feeling as though she were walking the path he had traveled before she entered his life.

She had always known the Lancaster family was powerful—they were, after all, the undisputed rulers of San Francisco's elite. But now, she realized the true force to be reckoned with was Hudson himself.

The sheer scale of the empire and wealth under his control was beyond anything she could have imagined.

This man...

He was born to stand at the top of the pyramid, meant to be admired and revered.

She suddenly understood why everyone who mentioned Hudson, regardless of what they truly thought of him, always respectfully referred to him as 'Mr. Lancaster.'

It wasn't just because of his high status or his ruthless methods.

It was because he truly commanded that respect...

Nora couldn't help but steal another glance at him, only to meet his dark, amused eyes.

“Honey, instead of looking at the exhibits, why are you staring at me?”

Nora quickly averted her gaze. “Well, look at the time. I should probably head back. You go ahead and get back to work...”

She barely took a few steps before Hudson hooked an arm around her slender waist and pulled her flush against him. “What's the rush? We have a lunch break. Aren't you going to keep me company a little longer, Darling?”

Nora blushed furiously, pressing her hands against his chest. “Hudson! Stop... stop messing around. We're at the company, don't do anything crazy...”

“I just want you to stay and talk to me. How is that doing something crazy?”

“...”

“Honey, what goes on in that pretty little head of yours? Is your mind always in the gutter?”

“Hudson!”

Hudson let out a low laugh, knowing that if he teased her any further, his feisty wife would lash out. He took her hand and led her straight to his office.

The Vanguard Fabrication Lab had a strict lunch break policy, allowing a full two hours of rest. Anyone wanting to work through lunch had to submit a formal request to management. This was specifically enforced to stop the genius researchers from getting so caught up in their work that they forgot to eat, sleep, and live.

Once back in the office, Nora started packing up her lunch.

She had just finished placing the silverware and containers into the insulated bag when an arm wrapped around her from behind. A warm, solid chest pressed against her back.

“Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Fairchild, Mr. Winslow...” Arthur greeted them one by one. “Please wait a moment.”

He turned and knocked on the office door.

There was no immediate response.

Arthur knocked twice more, a little harder this time, but there was still no sound from inside.

Gavin frowned. “Is Hudson not here?”

“The Boss should be inside,” Arthur replied, pressing his lips together. “He might not have heard.”

Gavin had no patience to wait for a third attempt. He reached for the doorknob, but just as he was about to press it down, Arthur quickly clamped a hand over his wrist.

“Mr. Hamilton, hold on a second,” Arthur said, dropping his voice. “Mrs. Lancaster is in there too.”

Gavin paused, letting out a short laugh. “So what? In broad daylight, are Hudson and his wife really making out in the office?”

With that, he pressed the handle and pushed the door open.

The moment the door swung wide, the air in the office seemed to freeze.

Hudson sat upright in the chair behind his desk, holding a sleek fountain pen. He was looking down at a stack of documents, the very picture of professional diligence.

Nora sat on the sofa opposite the desk, a good twenty feet away from Hudson, pretending to be incredibly busy wiping down the coffee table...