Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 748

Hudson's voice was hoarse. "If... if I hadn't dragged you into this mess in the first place, you wouldn't be..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but his arms tightened around her.

Nora wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her face against his chest. "Don't say you're sorry. I have never regretted a single moment."

She looked up at him, her bright eyes shimmering like crushed diamonds. "Hudson, if it wasn't for you, I probably would have never known what it meant to truly be loved."

Hudson's throat worked tightly as he lowered his head, pressing a reverent kiss to her lips.

He rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling in the quiet space.

Neither of them spoke.

Just then, the phone in Hudson's pocket vibrated.

He didn't pull away, completely ignoring the interruption.

But the phone kept buzzing relentlessly. Nora pressed a hand to his chest, gently pushing him back. "You should answer it... It must be an emergency."

Hudson finally let her go. He pulled the phone from his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and slightly furrowed his brow before answering.

"Professor Campbell. Happy holidays..."

"Happy my ass!" Professor Douglas Campbell's furious voice barked through the speaker.

Hudson raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Who pissed you off this time?"

Douglas let out a heavy sigh. "We just got word. A research facility in Germany just cracked the Vanguard TBM Chip technology."

He paused, his tone grim. "Their tech is already fully operational, and they've started mass production."

Hudson's grip on the phone tightened for a fraction of a second.

"What's the pricing?"

"Multiplied by several factors," Douglas spat, barely containing his rage. "A chip that used to cost thousands is now in the millions. And they hold an absolute monopoly on the patent. They're refusing to sell to us altogether."

Hudson lowered his eyes, remaining silent.

"If we don't catch up immediately, the entire industry is doomed. Once foreign corporations choke out our supply chain on core technology like this, we'll never recover."

Hudson pressed his lips into a thin line. "Did you look into the background of this research facility?"

"We did." Douglas paused. "They're called Apex Research Co. They used to be a bottom-tier shell company. I've never even heard of a single high-profile developer on their payroll, but they practically materialized out of thin air."

He switched the phone to his other ear, his voice dropping. "And the guy who supposedly led the breakthrough? His name is Vincent Blackwood. He's twenty-three. There's practically zero trace of him before this. It's like he fell out of the sky."

Hudson's brow twitched. "Vincent Blackwood?"

"Yeah," Douglas replied. "I'll send you his photo."

A few seconds later, Hudson's phone buzzed with an incoming image.

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