Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 571

By the time the car pulled up to the hotel entrance, the sky was already growing dark. The skies in Northampton were always hazy, especially in winter. From a distance, Hudson spotted several familiar figures gathered in the sprawling courtyard outside the hotel. Nora was bundled up in a creamy-white puffer jacket and a thick plaid scarf. Only her small, delicate face was visible, her luminous skin flushed from the cold. Her nose was as red as a little strawberry as she bent over, packing a snowball with her bare hands. Olive and Archer stood on either side of her, helping her build a lopsided snowman. Its body was noticeably larger than its head, two black pebbles served as eyes, and a random bottle cap formed a goofy, endearing smile. "Ma'am, it's the Boss's car!" Olive's sharp eyes caught sight of the familiar black sedan, and she immediately called out. Nora looked up. Recognizing the license plate, she dropped the snowball and ran over. Hudson quickly stepped out of the car, catching her in a tight embrace. "Slow down, don't trip." Nora beamed, about to speak when she caught sight of Liam stepping out of the passenger side. "Dr. Harrison? What are you doing in Northampton?" Liam wasn't in the best mood, but he forced a polite smile. "Just here to take care of some business." Nora tilted her head, giving him a knowing smile. "Did someone else lose their hearing? Are you here on another special request to treat their ears?" Liam froze. He opened his mouth, glancing at Hudson, then back at Nora, completely at a loss for words. Hudson's brow twitched imperceptibly. He looked down, meeting her sparkling, mischievous eyes. "You figured it out?" The playful smile on Nora's face faded slightly. "Dr. Harrison works for you?" Hudson remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "If you already knew, why did you ask?" Nora blinked innocently. "I was just suspicious. Now I'm sure." Hudson was speechless. This clever girl had just expertly fished for information. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling both amused and helpless. He had spent his entire life calculating every move, only to have her unravel his secrets with a few casual remarks. "Let's go inside first. It's freezing out here." He took her hand, frowning when he felt how ice-cold her skin was. Her knuckles were flushed red from the chill. Wrapping her small hand in his, he led her into the hotel. The moment they entered the room, Nora pulled off her scarf and rubbed her numb fingers. She was just about to grab a coffee to warm up when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Hudson pulled her flush against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder. His large hands enveloped her cold fingers, rubbing them one by one with gentle, patient strokes. The heater had made the room comfortably warm, but it was the heat radiating from his palms that truly soothed her. The stinging chill in her knuckles faded, replaced by a tingling warmth. "Did you know me from before?" Hudson's movements paused. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, his warm breath brushing against her skin. After a long while, he finally spoke. "Yeah. We met fifteen years ago." Nora spun around, her eyes wide with shock. "Fifteen years?! How is that possible? Why don't I remember you at all?" By all accounts, a boy as ridiculously handsome as Hudson would have been impossible to forget, even if she didn't have a crush on him. How could she have zero memory of him? Seeing her sheer disbelief, a faint smile touched Hudson's lips. He reached out and tapped the tip of her nose. "You forgot? You told me yourself. You said you once saved a very handsome older boy just because he was good-looking." Nora's mouth parted slightly. She stared at him, her brain short-circuiting as the pieces clicked together. "You... you were that boy?" "Yeah. It was me." Nora stood completely paralyzed, overwhelmed by the revelation. "So... that time on the phone, when you said you wanted to tell me a story about being saved by a little girl under an old locust tree... you weren't making that up?" Hudson's smile deepened. "I told you it was true. You were the one who didn't believe me." Nora was entirely at a loss for words. She had assumed he was just teasing her. It had never crossed her mind that the story was real. "What about Shadow?" she asked. Hudson nodded slightly. "I intercepted her from the dog traffickers." Nora covered her mouth, utterly speechless. She had thought all their encounters were just fate, but in reality, it had always been him. "So... you were the one who sent Dr. Harrison to Northampton to cure my deafness?" Hudson nodded. "And the substitute bride arrangement?" "I orchestrated that too." Nora was absolutely stunned. "I intentionally leaked the rumor that I was dying and sent Archer to get close to Jade Reed. He convinced her to elope. Terrified of offending me, the Reed family had to find a replacement bride..." "And I knew that replacement would definitely be you." Nora stared at him in profound shock. "You... you planned all of this? Why?"