Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 344

She had gone with Hudson to sign those marriage papers herself.

She knew better than anyone that the name on that certificate was Jade Reed.

How could it possibly be a fake?

Hudson looked at her bewildered, anxious expression and smirked. He leaned in close to her ear. "I told you I'd handle it. I wouldn't lie to you."

Nora blinked, her mind racing until the pieces clicked together.

"That guy from the Bureau of Records... you set that up?"

Hudson nodded.

Nora thought about it for another second. "Did you know Jade was going to cause a scene tonight?"

"No," Hudson replied casually. "I just prepared for both scenarios. If she made a move, I'd shut her down. If she didn't, I had other plans in motion."

He paused, his smirk deepening. "I didn't expect your stepsister to be so impatient. She walked right into the trap and saved me a lot of trouble."

Nora fell silent for a moment, absorbing the sheer weight of what he was saying.

So, he had anticipated Jade's interference from the very beginning?

And planted his own person at the gala just in case?

He knew Jade wouldn't back down. He knew she would expose the truth at some public event, so he laid the groundwork and waited for her to hang herself.

Nora stared up at Hudson, entirely at a loss for words.

This man's mind was as deep and dangerous as the ocean.

She thought he was just doing damage control, but he had paved his escape route long ago.

"You're... terrifyingly good at this."

"Nora is a blessing indeed."

Lawrence Lancaster, who had been sitting quietly nearby, suddenly chimed in with a pleasant chuckle. "Having Nora join the Lancaster family is my blessing as well."

Beatrice shot him a wary glance, unable to tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic.

Seeing Hudson and Nora walking back hand-in-hand, she smiled and waved them over. "Come, sit here."

As they took their seats, Eleanor subtly guided Nora's chair, a gesture that caught Nora off guard.

Eleanor had always been lukewarm toward her at best, so this small act of courtesy was a major olive branch.

"Funny story," Lawrence remarked. "On my way to the gala, I bumped into a man who claimed to be Nora's biological father. He sounded convincing, so I took the liberty of bringing him along."

Lawrence paused, his smile sickeningly warm. "Would you like to see him, Nora?"