Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 480

"Are they always like this?"

The corner of Hudson's mouth twitched upward as he steered her toward the outdoor terrace. "Let them argue. We'll go get some fresh air."

The terrace was relatively quiet. A cool night breeze carrying the faint scent of pine swept over them, cutting through the stifling heat and alcohol-laced air of the ballroom.

Nora leaned back against the plush outdoor sofa, sipping a glass of fruit juice as she watched the elegantly dressed crowd mingling inside.

Hudson sat beside her, draping his arm casually over the back of the sofa behind her, radiating a relaxed, lazy elegance.

"Bored?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Nora shook her head. "Not at all. It's nice to watch."

"If it gets too loud, we can head home."

"We can't do that. It's his birthday. Leaving right after we arrived would be rude," Nora said, taking another sip of juice.

Hudson let out a low chuckle. He was about to say something when his phone suddenly vibrated in his suit jacket.

He glanced down at the caller ID, and a faint twitch crossed his brow.

Noticing the subtle shift in his expression, Nora looked at him. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine. Just need to take this," Hudson said, standing up. He leaned down, his voice dipping into a low, reassuring murmur by her ear. "Be good and wait for me here. I'll be right back."

Nora nodded. "Okay."

Hudson straightened his jacket and strode purposefully toward a quiet side corridor, quickly vanishing around the corner.

Nora withdrew her gaze and went back to sipping her juice.

She had barely taken two sips when someone practically materialized beside her, bringing a strong waft of expensive perfume.

"Nora!"

Nora almost snorted, thinking that Tiffany was wildly misjudging her brother.

He wasn't untouchable in the slightest.

Seeing Nora brush off her warning, Tiffany looked deeply frustrated. She leaned in closer, whispering frantically, "My brother is actually super intense behind closed doors! Can you believe a guy who looks like that spent years hopelessly pining over a secret crush? He..."

She stopped abruptly, clearing her throat as she realized she was spilling too many secrets. "Anyway, just keep an eye on him, okay?"

A secret crush?

Nora raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. That was entirely new to her.

Did Hudson really need to pine after anyone?

Was there actually a girl in this world who he wanted but couldn't have?