The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 385

As night fell, the dim wall sconces flickered to life in the manor.

The guest room door creaked open just a sliver.

Nora looked up and saw Mrs. Hudson, the silver-haired housekeeper in her grey uniform, slipping inside.

She carried a wooden tray holding a bowl of hot soup and a simple sandwich.

Pushing the door almost completely shut behind her, Mrs. Hudson set the food on the floor in front of Nora.

Seeing Nora's emaciated state, her swollen eyes, and the dark bruises still lingering on her neck, a flash of pity crossed the older woman's face.

Having served the Hayes family for half her life, Mrs. Hudson had watched Gideon and Giselle grow up, but she had also witnessed Nora's silent endurance over the last three years.

With a heavy sigh, she crouched down.

Reaching into the deep pocket of her apron, she carefully pulled out an old smartphone.

She pressed it into Nora's hands, her voice tight with anxiety.

"The guards just swapped shifts for dinner. I sneaked my own phone in. Call your family quickly."

Mrs. Hudson glanced nervously at the door. "I heard your mother crying outside today, and my heart just couldn't take it. Keep it short. If the guards catch you, I'll lose my job."

Gripping the warm phone, tears instantly welled up in Nora's eyes.

She nodded frantically at the housekeeper and used her trembling fingers to punch in a number she knew by heart.

It rang twice before connecting.

Mrs. Xavier's voice came through, thick with tears.

"It's gone... We're bankrupt."

Mrs. Xavier coughed violently, her voice sounding twenty years older.

"The Hayes Group pulled all their guarantees, and our overseas accounts were seized this morning. The bank locked down the building, and the court summons are piled high... Xavier Holdings officially filed for bankruptcy liquidation at noon today."

Nora's head spun. Generations of the Xavier family's hard work had been incinerated in mere days under Gideon's wrath.

"And your dad..."

Her mother choked out the words, sheer terror lacing her tone.

"He... he saw Gideon's lawyers outside the company today and took it too hard... He suffered a massive stroke from the stress... He's in the ICU at Metropolis General right now. The doctors said... even if he wakes up, half his body will be permanently paralyzed, and he'll never speak again."

"They said he needs a massive amount of money for his continued treatment, but all our personal accounts are frozen, and we can't even afford his hospital bed..."