Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 247

Inside the hospital room, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the tense standoff in the hallway.

Beatrice sat propped up against the pillows. Her silver hair was styled immaculately, and though she looked slightly fatigued, her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. There was not a trace of a dying woman about her.

Jade stood at the foot of the bed, her legs shaking uncontrollably, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt until her knuckles went pale.

Despite studying abroad and running with wealthy trust-fund kids, she had never encountered anyone with Beatrice's suffocating, effortless authority.

Beatrice didn't have to lift a finger. Just the weight of her stare made Jade feel as though she had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowded square, with nowhere to hide.

"You are Jade Reed?"

Jade's knees buckled, and she nearly hit the floor.

They were settling the score.

She knew it.

A massive lie like the substitute bride scheme could never stay hidden, especially not from a century-old dynasty like the Lancasters.

"M-Mrs. Lancaster..." Her voice quivered, her lips trembling so badly she could barely form words. "I... I am..."

"I asked, are you Jade Reed?"

"Yes... I am..."

Beatrice frowned, clearly unimpressed by Jade's cowering, pathetic display. Her voice dropped a fraction. "Look up."

Biting her lip, Jade slowly raised her head.

The harsh lighting made her eyes sting. She squinted, finally getting a clear look at the elderly woman on the bed.

Silver hair, deep-set eyes, a proud nose, and thin lips.

She must have been stunning in her youth.

And she was still striking now.

But it wasn't a gentle beauty. It was a lethal one, like a freshly sharpened blade. Even sheathed, it commanded absolute caution.

Beatrice leaned back against the pillows, her expression entirely unreadable as she watched the weeping, hysterical woman.

"So, you're telling me you are completely innocent?"

Jade nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, I am! It was all their greed. They wanted to climb the social ladder, so they orchestrated this filthy scheme..."

Beatrice didn't say a word. She simply reached into the drawer of the nightstand, pulled out a thick manila envelope, and tossed it onto the coffee table beside the bed.

"Open it."

Jade blinked in confusion. She approached timidly, her shaking fingers fumbling with the seal before finally tearing it open.

Inside was a stack of photos and several pages of documents.

Jade flipped through them, the color draining from her face with every second.

The file was entirely about a man named 'Archer Knight.'