Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 569

Hudson arrived at the Whitman estate to find the gates adorned with somber black ribbons. The dark mourning wreaths swayed gently in the bitter winter wind. The courtyard gates stood wide open, the sound of weeping and chaotic chatter drifting from within. Liam stood outside the entrance, his expression grim. Seeing Hudson step out of the car, he immediately approached. "Mr. Lancaster, Cade is framing us for Elias's death. He won't let us inside." Hudson didn't miss a beat, striding directly toward the gates. The few men guarding the entrance tried to block him, but a single predatory glare pinned them in place. No one dared to step forward. He pushed the doors open and walked into the courtyard. The Whitman estate was in absolute chaos. Staff members rushed back and forth, carrying floral tributes and looking panicked. Cade stood by the main hall in a wrinkled white dress shirt, his eyes red and swollen. The moment he saw Hudson, he lunged forward. "You have some nerve showing up here! It was you! You killed my grandfather!" Hudson stopped, his gaze sweeping past Cade to look inside the main hall. The memorial had already been set up. Black drapery hung over the room, and an open casket rested in the center. "What the hell are you talking about?" Liam furrowed his brows. "Elias was perfectly fine when we left yesterday!" "Who knows what you did before you left!" Cade scoffed. "My grandfather was over ninety, but he was tough as nails. Why did he suddenly drop dead right after your visit? If it wasn't you, who was it?" Liam's chest heaved with anger at the absurd accusation, but he quickly reined it in. "You're so eager to shift the blame. Did you have something to do with it? You drove him to his grave, didn't you?" "You're full of it!" Cade roared, losing his mind. "Guards, throw these two out!" A few bodyguards surged forward, but before they could even get close, Archer had them pinned to the ground in seconds. Not a single one managed to get back up. Cade stared at his groaning men, his face draining of color. Hudson ignored Cade entirely. His eyes locked onto the body covered by a white sheet in the main hall. "I'm here to fulfill my end of the bargain. Elias made a deal with me yesterday. I promised to ensure the Whitman family's financial security for the next thirty years, and in exchange, he agreed to give me the Ivory Pill." Cade let out a harsh laugh, looking Hudson up and down with obvious disdain. "Protect the Whitman family for thirty years? Since when do we need your protection? Who the hell do you think you are? The old man lost his mind, letting a con artist like you play him!" Liam's expression darkened completely. "Who the hell are you? How dare you speak to Hudson Lancaster like that?" Cade froze for a moment. "Hudson Lancaster? Which Hudson Lancaster?" Liam sneered, pronouncing every word with lethal precision. "The Lancaster family of San Francisco. Is there another one?" The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze. The staff members decorating the hall instinctively stopped and turned their heads toward the entrance. Cade's face shifted through a spectrum of colors, looking as if he had just been publicly slapped. Of course he knew the Lancaster family of San Francisco, and he knew exactly what the name meant in their circles. But he stubbornly stood his ground, refusing to show fear. "I don't know any Hudson! All I know is that he died after you left, and I'm holding you responsible! Get the hell out of here. Don't disrespect my family's memorial!" "Young Master Cade!" A raspy, exhausted voice called out from the side corridor. Everyone turned to see the old butler being wheeled in on a wheelchair. His arm was in a sling, clearly severely injured from when Cade had kicked him the day before. He looked pale and utterly heartbroken, appearing to have aged a decade overnight. His gaze swept over Cade before settling on Hudson. "Mr. Lancaster, Elias did indeed instruct me to hand the Ivory Pill over to you yesterday," the old butler said, then turned to Cade. "Sir, you took the pill, didn't you?" Cade's expression stiffened. "That belongs to the Whitman family! Why should I give it to an outsider?" "It belonged to Elias, and he had the right to give it to whomever he pleased." The butler's voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear. "You can't stop this." Humiliated in front of everyone, Cade decided to drop the act. "Fine! I have it! You want it?" He flashed a wicked grin, revealing teeth stained yellow from smoke and alcohol. "Make Hudson grovel at my feet. Have him admit he shouldn't have hit me yesterday, and beg me for forgiveness three times. Then, I'll give you the Ivory Pill!" Liam couldn't believe his ears. "Are you out of your mind?" "Are you deaf? Was I not clear enough?" Cade sneered triumphantly. "Don't you want the Ivory Pill? Beg for it! Grovel, and it's yours!" Liam's temples throbbed. Unable to hold back any longer, he lunged forward to snatch the item from Cade's hands. Cade stepped back, raising the small sandalwood box. Right in front of everyone, he popped the lid off and tossed the snow-white pill into his mouth.