Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 133

"Take her place?"

The second Ferris finished speaking, Edmond let out a cold laugh. "Do you even hear the nonsense coming out of your mouth? Do you honestly believe that yourself?"

How could Nora marry as a substitute?

She didn't even like Hudson Lancaster.

Ferris pursed his lips. "It might just be that the information I can access is limited... We're not in Northampton anymore, after all."

He stood by the coffee table, looking at Edmond's dark, twisted expression, hesitating for a long time before speaking again.

"Edmond, I have a buddy here in San Francisco. He knows the local scene and has deep connections. Should I call him over? He might be able to dig up things we can't find on paper."

Edmond didn't say a word. He simply crushed his dying cigarette into the ashtray. Sparks flared and instantly died.

"Bring him here."

Relieved, Ferris immediately pulled out his phone and made the call.

The line connected after two rings. Ferris kept his voice low, rattled off the hotel name and room number, thanked the person profusely, and hung up.

"He's not far. He'll be here in twenty minutes."

Edmond didn't reply. He leaned back against the sofa, his eyes closed, absently massaging his temples.

The room was dead silent. Only the low hum of the air conditioning and the distant whoosh of traffic broke the quiet.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Ferris hurried over to open it. A man in his early thirties walked in.

He wore a dark blue polo shirt, slacks, and highly polished dress shoes. He looked exactly like the kind of seasoned fixer who moved comfortably through San Francisco's high society.

"Joe, take a look at this. Do you know her?"

Joe took the phone and peered at the screen.

The woman in the photo wore a creamy knit sweater, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, exposing a slender, graceful neck. Her features were stunningly perfect, especially those bright, clear eyes with their naturally upturned corners. She looked effortlessly captivating.

"This girl..."

Joe stared at the photo for a few seconds before his eyes lit up. "Isn't this the eldest daughter of the Reed family?"

Ferris's heart skipped a beat, but he tried to maintain a calm facade. "Are you sure?"

Joe handed the phone back, his tone absolute. "Positive! I saw her just last week at Sebastian Caldwell's Argent Club. Hudson Lancaster brought her. The two of them were completely inseparable. Mr. Lancaster had his arm around her waist the whole night, taking her everywhere with him like he was guarding a priceless treasure."

Warming up to the gossip, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Do you guys know who Hudson Lancaster is in this city? He took over most of the Lancaster empire at eighteen. Over the years, there hasn't been a single woman by his side. The whole circle used to whisper that he had some sort of problem. But it turns out, he's not broken—he just has sky-high standards!"