Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 351

Nora felt the tips of her ears burn.

No wonder the maids had all smiled at her so knowingly when she came down the stairs. They looked at her like they knew exactly what she had endured.

She had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror upstairs. Despite sleeping in, the dark circles under her eyes were impossible to conceal after being tossed around until dawn. Coupled with this massive, carb-heavy recovery spread, anyone with half a brain could guess what had happened.

But Nora was too starved to care. She picked up her silverware and dug in.

Between Jade and Lawrence's relentless drama at the gala yesterday, she hadn't managed more than a few bites. Then came the marathon of the night, leaving her energy completely depleted. Her stomach felt like a hollowed-out cavern.

She finished the oatmeal, demolished half a plate of pancakes, and polished off most of the beef stew.

Only when she was about half-full did the clawing hunger finally begin to subside.

"Would you like anything else, Madam?" a maid asked gently.

"No, thank you. I'm good." Nora shook her head and stood up.

With her stomach full, her brain finally started working again.

She realized she hadn't seen Hudson since she woke up.

"Where is he?"

"Mr. Lancaster went out early this morning. He said he'd be in the backyard and told you to eat first without waiting for him."

Nora nodded, wiped her mouth, and headed toward the back of the estate.

The grounds of Cloudwater Estate were expansive. Past the main house lay a massive, manicured lawn leading toward the kennels, where Bane and a dozen other fierce guard dogs were kept.

As soon as Nora stepped outside, she heard a chorus of low, rumbling barks.

She followed the sound and spotted Hudson walking toward her in the distance.

His head was bowed, lost in thought, his pace unhurried.

The lighting was dim, casting a harsh, pale glare from a single bulb that made the concrete walls look freezing and desolate.

Hugo and Harvey Holloway were bound to separate steel pillars. Their faces were painted in shades of black and blue, yet their backs were ramrod straight, their eyes hardened with stubborn defiance.

Olive cracked her wrists, pacing circles around them before stopping to pat Harvey's cheek. "Still playing tough, huh? I love breaking the stubborn ones."

Harvey yanked his head away, dodging her hand with a sneer. "Kill me if you have the guts. Because if you don't, I'll be the one to end you eventually."

"Oh, dying is the easy part..." Olive raised an eyebrow, pulling a heavy pair of pliers from a nearby toolbox and aiming it right at his fingers.

"Tell me, where should I start? The thumb? Or maybe the index finger?"

Harvey didn't flinch. A mocking smirk even touched his lips.

Olive's temper flared instantly. She clamped the pliers down, ready to do some permanent damage.

Arthur quickly stepped in, catching her arm. "That's enough. Let me handle this."