Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 122

Gavin's frown deepened, a note of sharp caution slipping into his voice. "Find someone? Who? He wasn't trying to dig up your trade secrets, was he?"

Hudson glanced at him. The corner of his mouth curved up, but the smile never reached his eyes.

"Hardly."

Gavin eyed him skeptically. He fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Who is he looking for?"

"I'm not exactly sure what the connection is to Finnian. All I know is the man's name is Felix Vaughn, born in seventy-six. By my math, he'd be fifty this year."

Gavin's expression froze for a fraction of a second, the reaction so fast it was almost imperceptible.

Hudson narrowed his eyes slightly. "What is it? Do you know him?"

Gavin lowered his gaze. "No. Doesn't ring a bell."

Hudson studied him for a long moment but ultimately chose not to press the issue.

He picked up his teacup and tapped it against Gavin's. "Drink up."

Gavin cast him a look, said nothing, and drained his cup in one go.

...

Monday morning brought the usual scheduled recording for the reality show, The Next Icon.

As soon as Nora stepped into the talent management office, she spotted Leo sitting at her desk. The moment he saw her, his eyes lit up like floodlights.

"Ms. Reed!"

He bounded over with long strides, smiling like an oversized golden retriever, laying on the charm thick.

"Have you had breakfast? I brought you an oatmeal bowl, a breakfast sandwich, and a coffee from that café you love."

The entire office visibly fell silent for a second. Everyone was subtly glancing their way from the corners of their eyes.

Clearly, they were all quietly eating up the drama.

Leo wasn't exactly exaggerating. His popularity had always been explosive. Because of him, the production team kept the studio strictly locked down during rehearsals to prevent any leaks.

Leo was in top form today, nailing his rehearsal performance in a single take.

All that was left was the official taping.

Taking advantage of the break, Nora sat in the audience section, reviewing tomorrow's itinerary.

Leo's schedule was packed tight. Aside from The Next Icon, he had two brand endorsement meetings, a magazine cover shoot, and a commercial gig at the end of the month. Every single day was booked solid.

She picked up her pen, circled a few key time slots, and jotted down some notes on preparations.

Up on stage, the rehearsals rolled on. The next act was a female vocalist. She had incredible pipes, but her stage presence was a bit green, leaving her looking stiff under the lights.

Nora watched for a moment before dropping her gaze back to the schedule.

She didn't notice the predatory stare fixing on her from the VIP viewing suite on the second floor...