Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 711

The words brought an instant, heavy silence to the office.

Professor Campbell froze with his teacup halfway to his mouth, acting as if he couldn't believe his own ears.

"Wh... what did you say? Say... say that again..."

"My wife is the Fairchild heiress who went missing over twenty years ago in Northampton..." Hudson paused slightly. "Finnian's biological sister, Evangeline Fairchild."

Professor Campbell swallowed hard. "You're... you're not messing with me, are you?"

Hudson let out a light chuckle. "Jude knows about it too..."

He tilted his chin toward the door. "If you still don't believe me, I can call Finnian in here. You'll believe him, right?"

The Professor immediately turned his head to look at Jude.

Jude pursed his lips before forcing a tight smile. "Hudson is right. Nora... is Evangeline Fairchild."

Professor Campbell stood absolutely still. After a long while, he slowly sank back into his chair. "Is she... is she really Felix's... daughter?"

"Yeah."

The Professor instinctively lowered his gaze, his voice cracking when he finally spoke. "No wonder..."

No wonder the first time he saw her, he felt her eyes looked so familiar...

She was truly Felix's daughter.

After what felt like an eternity, the Professor finally snapped back to reality, his voice rough. "Then... is there any news of Felix?"

Hudson shook his head. "Not yet."

Professor Campbell looked as if all the bones had been pulled from his body, sinking limply against the back of his chair.

He kept his head bowed, the harsh fluorescent lights catching the silver in his hair. His hands rested on his knees, his fingers curling and uncurling on their own accord.

He had lived a long life, transitioning from the spirited ambition of his youth to the graying temples of his twilight years. He had weathered countless storms.

But the name 'Felix Vaughn' was the one thing he couldn't bear to hear.

Whenever it was mentioned, it felt like someone was scraping the meat from his bones.

Seeing his mentor's expression, Hudson knew he was hurting. Just as he was trying to find the right words to comfort him, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

The caller ID read: Artie.

"Professor, I need to take this."

The Professor waved a hand dismissively, gesturing for him to handle his business.

Once Hudson stepped out, only Professor Campbell and Jude were left in the room.

The Professor sat in a daze for a few moments before taking a deep breath. He instinctively looked up at Jude, only to find the younger man staring blankly out the window.

It was then that the Professor belatedly realized something else entirely.

Nora was Evangeline Fairchild...

But Evangeline Fairchild was... Jude's fiancée, arranged from birth!

This boy had waited for her for over twenty years, never so much as dating anyone else.

How was that possible?

The two of them rarely interacted, and Jude wasn't the type to give his heart away so easily. Not to mention, Nora was Hudson's woman!

But looking at Jude's expression, the agonizing silence radiating from him was far too similar to his own past.

Except, there was one major difference.

He and Henry were rivals, sworn enemies!

But Jude and Hudson weren't just friends; they were brothers!

"Jude..." The Professor instinctively tried to offer more advice.

But Jude simply cut him off with a flat, quiet voice. "Professor, I'm going to step out for some fresh air. I'll be back shortly."

"...Alright."

Watching the door close behind Jude, the sound of his footsteps fading down the hallway, the Professor sat alone in his office. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, heavy sigh.

What a tragic twist of fate!

...

With the holidays approaching, the very first thing Hudson did upon returning was distribute the year-end bonuses.

While the researchers all boasted base salaries in the millions, who would ever complain about extra money, especially for bonuses?

After handing them out, Hudson held a brief year-end summary meeting, quickly going over the project milestones for the upcoming spring.