Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 50

With that, he ruthlessly struck a few haphazard chords.

Chaotic, grating noise exploded through the rehearsal room—harsh and utterly unlistenable.

Nora didn't even blink.

Leo glanced up at her without breaking rhythm. He hammered the strings harder and faster, the notes spiraling into an erratic mess. It was a blatant auditory assault designed to drive her out.

But Nora just stood there, completely unbothered, and eventually pulled out her phone to check the time.

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

Fifteen minutes...

Leo's wrist was aching, yet the woman remained rooted to the spot like a statue, completely unfazed.

He abruptly stopped playing and scowled at her.

"Are you deaf or something?"

Nora lowered her phone and met his gaze.

"Yes," she nodded. "I actually was deaf for quite some time."

Leo froze.

"What?"

Nora didn't bother elaborating. She just walked over to him, looking down at the guitar in his lap.

"That's a nice guitar," she remarked. "A Gibson Hummingbird. It's got a warm tone, perfect for acoustic sets. But that chord progression you were just butchering? Your fingering was completely off."

Leo bristled, his brow snapping together. "Who the hell are you saying had the wrong fingering?"

Nora ignored his outburst and held out her hand. "Let me borrow that."

Leo practically barked out a laugh of sheer disbelief.

Fine.

He couldn't wait to see what kind of garbage she was about to play.

Nora took the guitar and sat down on the couch.

She adjusted her posture, anchoring her left hand on the fretboard while her right hand strummed downward with the pick.

The very first note struck Leo completely dumb.

It wasn't some flashy, hyper-speed solo; it was an incredibly simplistic, bare-bones melody.

But in her hands, that simple melody transformed into something entirely profound.

"Alright, you're pretty badass."

He leaned back against the couch, crossing his legs. "For the sake of that riff, I'll give you two days. After that, you pack your bags and get the hell out."

...

Cloudwater Estate.

The door to the study was left slightly ajar.

Hudson sat behind the heavy oak desk, twirling an unlit cigarette lazily between his fingers.

The man standing across from him wore a sharp charcoal suit. Tall, slender, and with distinguished features, he peered through wire-rimmed glasses, radiating an icy, intellectual aura.

It was Dr. Harrison, who had just rushed back from Northampton.

"Hudson, have you been taking your medication again?"

Liam's brow furrowed. "I warned you before. That drug has severe side effects. If you can manage the symptoms, you absolutely shouldn't be taking it."

Hudson didn't answer. He simply looked up, his gaze devoid of emotion.

Seeing him refuse to speak, Liam's frown deepened, his voice dropping into a grave, urgent tone.

"Hudson, your condition... you can't keep putting this off..."