Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 478

She paused, her tone dipping slightly. "It's just... it doesn't snow here in San Francisco..."

Hudson chuckled and took her hand. "It should be snowing in Northampton in about two months. Let's go there to see the snow, just the two of us."

Nora blinked, her eyes lighting up instantly. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Hudson nodded with a warm smile.

If we can share the falling snow, we will have shared a lifetime until our hair turns white.

It would be one last wish fulfilled.

"It's a promise then!" She held out her pinky finger. "We'll go right when the first snow hits Northampton."

Hudson stared at her slender, pale finger. The corner of his mouth curved up as he hooked his own pinky around hers.

"A promise is a promise. It won't change for a hundred years."

Anyone who broke it...

Would be a liar.

...

In the blink of an eye, Grant's birthday arrived.

Grant always went all out. For this birthday bash, he had rented out the entirety of Mid-Level Manor.

The luxurious estate, built into the highest peak of Azure Bay, featured a sprawling European-style main mansion, natural hot springs, infinity pools, and even a miniature golf course and a private equestrian center.

By the time Nora arrived, her arm linked with Hudson's, the sky was just beginning to darken.

Dressed in a sharp burgundy suit, Grant was standing at the entrance greeting guests. When he spotted the couple, a massive grin spread across his face.

"Hudson! Nora! You finally made it!"

He was in spectacularly high spirits tonight, radiating a smug, triumphant energy. With his charming eyes crinkled in delight, he looked exactly like a peacock strutting its feathers.

"Alright, that's enough flattering," Hudson cut in, glancing toward the entrance. "You're the star of the night. Stop neglecting your guests and get back to the door."

Grant chuckled. "Sebastian is handling the VIPs inside. I don't need to babysit everyone."

Leaning closer to Hudson, he dropped his voice. "By the way, if you and Nora find the party too loud, I had the private hot spring in the backyard cleared out. No one will bother you there."

Hudson laughed softly. "Good to know."

Nora watched the two friends banter, a smile playing on her lips.

Grant winked at her. "Have a great time tonight, Nora."

She nodded. "Happy birthday, Grant."

As the trio chatted happily, none of them noticed a pair of pitch-black eyes staring fixedly at them from a dark corner of the grand hall.

The gaze was tracking Nora with a starved, obsessive intensity...