From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 252

If that were true—if he had defended Amara out of a misplaced debt to Ronald, only to watch her ruin his marriage...

Even the thought of it made Hudson's face turn a terrifying shade of ash. A dull, throbbing pain began to pulse behind his eyes.

He pressed his fingers hard against his temples, but the pressure brought no relief.

"Find out everything about Amara," Hudson said, his voice raspy.

Kevin didn't understand the sudden shift, but he didn't argue.

"Yes, sir."

Hudson did something rare then—he lit a cigarette in the car.

His slender fingers carried a tremor so slight it was almost invisible.

Part of him wanted the truth more than anything; another part was terrified of what it would be...

—

Meanwhile, Michael and Cindy left the Walter building and reported the failure to Amara, though they were too scared to mention Hudson's discovery.

Amara sat on her sofa, listening to the report. Her nails dug into her palms as her face twisted into a mask of pure fury.

"He protected her? Just like that?"

According to them, Hudson had explicitly backed Jade.

In the past, Hudson never would have taken Jade's side over her.

Where had she lost control?

Cindy offered a weak, pathetic excuse. "Amara, honey... we... we didn't have a choice."

Amara figured as much and hung up without a word. She paced her living room, unable to sit still. She needed to see Lyndon and plan their next move.

Whether it was the book sabotage or Cindy's visit, she wasn't just trying to hurt Jade anymore.

Her goal was to erode Hudson's trust in Jade entirely, so that when Jade eventually brought out her evidence, Hudson would still stand by Amara to protect her secrets.

But instead of driving them apart, she'd somehow pushed Hudson right into Jade's arms.

This wasn't right.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go...

Amara's anxiety grew as she hurried downstairs, her heart hammering in her chest.

She had to find Lyndon. They needed a new plan, and fast.

Otherwise, the truth about Ronald was going to come out.

In a dark corner across the street, Jade was watching. Wearing a mask and a hat, she saw Amara rush out of her building and jump into a waiting car. Jade pulled out immediately and followed.

Seeing the car head toward the outskirts of the city, Jade felt a surge of hope.

Bang—

The restroom door was kicked open with a thunderous crash.

Amara's wrist was seized in an iron grip, and her phone was snatched away in the same heartbeat.

Jade looked down at the screen. It was Jewell, bound and terrified.

A wave of white-hot rage crashed over Jade. Her grip on Amara's wrist tightened until Amara cried out.

"Ah!"

Before Amara could process how Jade had caught her so fast, the cold, sharp edge of a blade was pressed against her throat.

"Where is she? Take me to her. Now!"

Amara reacted with a burst of panic, shoving Jade hard and lunging for the phone.

The move caught Jade off guard. She was thrown back, slamming into the hard stall door.

Her elbow hit the metal handle with a sickening crack. Pain flared through her arm, her fingers going numb.

Clatter—

The phone hit the tiled floor. The screen shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.