Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 687

But just as the thought formed in his mind, his phone vibrated again.

This time, it was Liam Harrison's number.

Hudson pressed his lips together and answered.

"Mr. Lancaster, I have a lead on Madam's background."

Hudson nodded. "Speak."

"Twenty-five years ago, Penelope Reed worked as a nanny for a family. The employer was an expat from Japan."

Hudson's eyes darkened. He paused just as he was about to pop a mint into his mouth.

He didn't interrupt, waiting for Liam to continue.

"I dug into this lead..."

Liam hesitated for a second. "The family's last name was Blackwood. The husband, Kenneth Blackwood, was an executive at a foreign firm in San Francisco. His wife, Sarah Blackwood, was a full-time housewife. They had no children. Penelope worked for them for about a month, and then the family vanished completely."

"Vanished?" Hudson's voice was devoid of emotion. "What do you mean?"

"They just disappeared. There are no departure records for them at customs. I had people check with their old neighbors and community records, but no one ever saw them again..."

"Moreover, exactly a month after they disappeared, Penelope moved from the east side of the city to the west side. When she started working again, she suddenly had a two-year-old girl with her... which should be Madam."

Hudson's fingers tightened around his phone.

He tossed the mint into his mouth. The cool sweetness exploded on his tongue, but it did nothing to suppress the surging tension in his chest.

Hearing nothing but silence on the line, Liam swallowed nervously. "Mr. Lancaster, do you think... Madam might be... Japanese?"

When Hudson still didn't respond, Liam quickly changed his tune. "Of course, it's also possible that Madam was adopted... since the Blackwoods didn't have kids..."

Looking down, Hudson slowly rubbed his thumb against his fingers. His voice was low and commanding. "Keep following this lead."

"Yes, Mr. Lancaster."

Liam agreed, and the call ended.

Hudson casually tossed his phone onto the sofa.

Upstairs, Olive's boisterous laughter rang out, likely discovering something fun with Nora.

Arthur and Archer were eagerly discussing tomorrow's ocean activities, their voices filled with excitement.

The entire villa was brimming with a lighthearted, joyful atmosphere.

But Hudson just stared at his hands. A faint smile touched his lips, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes.

On one side, Finnian's unusually frantic calls; on the other, Liam's investigation into a mysteriously vanished expat family in San Francisco...

The two clues felt like diverging paths converging in the dark toward a single destination. Something huge was about to break the surface...

She sleepily opened her eyes. A bright beam of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, making her squint.

It had been dark when they arrived last night, so she hadn't gotten a chance to see the view.

From her bed, she could see a stretch of sun-bleached white sand and the impossibly blue ocean in the distance.

She threw a light cardigan over her shoulders, slipped into her sandals, and walked over to open the curtains.

The sight took her breath away.

The quiet beach from last night had completely transformed.

Colorful umbrellas and lounge chairs dotted the white sand. Tourists in bikinis and board shorts lounged in small groups.

Out on the water, surfers rode the crests of the waves. Every so often, someone would wipe out, crashing into the water, only to pop back up with a burst of laughter that blended with the sound of the ocean.

The aroma of grilled seafood and fresh coconut water drifted through the air, mixing with the salty, warm ocean breeze.

Unable to resist the temptation, Nora quickly washed up, changed her clothes, and ran downstairs.

"Madam! You're awake! Let's go surfing!" Olive was dressed in a yellow tank top and shorts, her hair tied in a high ponytail. She looked like a bubbly, energetic teenager.

Nora noticed that everyone in the living room had changed.

Arthur was wearing a navy floral shirt and white patterned shorts, fully buttoned up and looking much more relaxed than his usual stiff white shirt and black slacks.