Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 544

Nora slept until late the next morning.

When she finally came downstairs, she saw Olive mysteriously instructing one of her subordinates to mail something.

"Get this to the lab for testing. Expedite it."

"Yes, Olive!"

The man took the package and, noticing Nora descending the stairs, bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Madam."

Olive turned around, flashing a bright smile. "You're awake! Let me call the Boss right now..."

She pulled out her phone as she spoke.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, he told us not to wake you under any circumstances... and ordered me to call him the second you were up."

Before she even finished her sentence, Hudson's sharp voice came through the speaker. "What is it?"

"Boss, she's awake."

"I'll be right there."

As Olive hung up, Nora asked, "Where did he go?"

"He's still on the estate..."

"Oh."

Nora nodded. She had lived at Cloudwater Estate for over half a year, yet she hadn't even explored half the grounds.

A few minutes later, Hudson walked in. As he approached, she caught the faint, metallic scent of blood.

"Are you hurt?" She immediately grabbed his hands, inspecting them anxiously.

He chuckled, intertwining his fingers with hers. "It's someone else's."

"Whose?"

The corner of his mouth curved into a dark smile. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"Where are we going?"

...

Nora hadn't been exaggerating when she said she hadn't seen half the estate.

Hudson led her past the kennels and deep into the sprawling backyard.

This area was clearly designed for large guard dogs; even though it was impeccably clean, the faint scent of animals lingered in the air.

"Why did you bring me out here?"

He guided her into what looked like a mundane storage shed. He tapped the base of a wall sconce, and suddenly, the solid stone wall began to slide open.

A hidden passageway was revealed!

Confused, she took a few steps past him. Her breath hitched. The tunnel opened into a full-scale torture chamber. The walls were lined with terrifying instruments...

In the center of the room, bound tightly to a wooden post, was Arnold Vance. A dirty rag was stuffed into his mouth, his eyes bulging in pure terror.

Seeing Nora, he began thrashing violently, muffled grunts echoing in the damp space.

"Why... why is he here?"

Nora asked, her voice trembling slightly. Her palms began to sweat.

She had assumed both Arnold and Penelope had been handed over to the police...

Armed kidnapping alone was enough to put him away for another decade!

Hudson didn't answer right away. He guided her to a heavy wooden table.

Resting on a dark velvet cloth were the disassembled pieces of a handgun—the exact weapon Arnold had used the night before!

Hudson looked down, his long fingers picking up the frame. With practiced, elegant movements, he snapped the recoil spring into place with a sharp, satisfying click.

"Honey, do you know how to truly pull a thorn from your heart?"

Nora froze, her throat tightening.

"The law gave him fifteen years for what he did to you back then. He served his time and walked free. But the thorn was still there, wasn't it? Because the law only punishes the crime. It doesn't heal the victim..."

He paused, looking down at her. "Sometimes, the law isn't enough. Sometimes, you have to resolve it your own way."