Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 696

Liana's face drained of all color.

Hudson and... Nora?!

Why was she here? Did someone figure out her true identity? No! That was impossible. If the family knew Nora was the missing heiress, someone would have told her. They couldn't have kept it a total secret.

Don't panic, she told herself, taking a deep, shuddering breath. This elaborate reception had to be for Hudson. The Fairchilds were desperate for his cooperation in the microchip sector. Nora was just tagging along as his wife. Rationalizing the situation, her racing heart began to slow. Yes, that had to be it. She just needed to assess the situation upstairs.

Inside the grand study, Nora and Hudson followed Finnian through the heavy oak doors.

"Grandmother, Dad... Nora is here."

Matriarch Fairchild's gaze immediately bypassed Finnian, locking onto Nora. In an instant, the elderly woman's eyes welled with tears. She stood up, her steps hurried and trembling as she crossed the room to grasp Nora's hands.

"You look exactly like her..." The Matriarch's voice shook violently. "Your eyes, your face... you are the spitting image of your mother."

Nora had spent days mentally preparing for this moment, but the raw, unfiltered grief in the older woman's eyes shattered her defenses. A painful lump formed in her throat. The word slipped out before she could stop it.

"Grandmother."

The Matriarch broke down completely. She reached up, her trembling fingers hovering just inches from Nora's cheek, terrified that if she touched her, the illusion would shatter like fragile glass.

"My Evie..." she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I've looked for you for so long. Why did it take you so long to come home?"

Nora didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into the frail, shaking hand. The moment skin met skin, the Matriarch's tears fell freely, splashing hot and heavy onto the back of Nora's hand.

"It's my fault... I failed to protect you."

Nora looked into his hopeful, anxious eyes. "Dad."

Henry nodded vigorously, a heavy weight visibly lifting from his shoulders.

Seeing the emotional exchange, Finnian eagerly leaned in. "What about me?"

Nora looked at his beaming, expectant face and couldn't help but smile. "Finnian!"

Finnian's face lit up with a blinding, ecstatic grin. Hudson, watching from the sidelines, mentally scoffed at the man's pathetic display and looked away in utter disdain.

While the family reconnected inside the study, Liana had quietly crept to the top of the stairs. She didn't dare go too close to the door, terrified of being caught eavesdropping. Just as she was agonizing over how to get closer, the heavy oak doors swung open, and Nora walked out.