Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 172

After a long while, Ginger finally pushed herself up from the floor.

"Hudson, you and Silas are family! The last time you drove a knife right through his hand, he didn't even come after you for it. Can't you just..."

"Tell him to try."

Hudson placed the cigarette back between his lips, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and snapped it lit.

"I'll be waiting."

Ginger's face drained of all color.

Beatrice lifted her eyes to look at Hudson.

"Hudson... are you still holding a grudge against him for what happened back then?"

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Hudson's fingers paused slightly.

He took the cigarette from his mouth, holding it between his fingers. The ash had grown long, but he didn't flick it away.

"Do you think I shouldn't?"

Beatrice opened her mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.

She let out a heavy sigh and waved her hand dismissively. "Enough, I'm tired. Eleanor, help me up to my room to rest."

Eleanor quickly stood up, carefully supporting her arm as they walked toward the stairs.

Ginger glared at Hudson, her teeth gritted. Her expression shifted several times before she snatched up her purse and stormed out without looking back.

For a moment, only Hudson and Tiffany were left in the living room.

Hudson leaned back on the sofa, crushing the nearly burnt-out cigarette into the ashtray. Sparks scattered and quickly died out.

He picked up the teacup from the coffee table and took a slow sip. The tea had gone cold and bitter, but he didn't even flinch.

Tiffany sat in the corner, secretly glancing at him before quickly lowering her head.

She could feel the suffocating tension in the room, so heavy she barely dared to breathe.

"The one with the ulterior motive is me."

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, holding it between his fingers. The swirling smoke obscured his expression.

Tiffany was completely dumbfounded.

"What... what do you mean?"

Hudson didn't look at her, his gaze lowered to the half-burnt cigarette in his hand.

"You know a bit about my condition. It'll be a miracle if I live a long, full life. Every extra year I get is a bonus."

Tiffany's lips trembled. "Hudson..."

He lifted his gaze to look out the window. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass, casting a warm glow across the floorboards. "The name on the marriage certificate is Jade Reed. So, legally speaking, she's still unmarried. I've only given her one year..."

"If she's willing to stay for me after a year, my entire fortune will be hers."

He paused, crushing the half-smoked cigarette with his bare fingers without so much as a flinch. "If she wants to leave, then that fortune will be her safety net."