"Help me get custody of Katy, and I''ll let you use every connection I have to climb thedder."


    "After that, whether you stay or go is entirely up to you."


    As Castle Joyner spoke, the only person on Noreen Gilmore''s mind was Katy.


    If a fake marriage could secure Katy''s future, she was willing to do it.


    Since it was a sham marriage, there were naturally conditions of secrecy.


    Castle''swyer informed Noreen that until they had secured custody of Katy, she could not reveal the true nature of their marriage to anyone, including her closest friends and family.


    Noreen understood the reasoning. Everything depended on the bigger picture.


    So, without hesitation, she signed the confidentiality agreement thewyer handed her.


    Castle was efficient, setting the engagement party for a monthter.


    Noreen hadn''t even figured out how to break the news to Rosalind Gilmore and ire Chase.


    ire had been staying with her for a week now, with no mention of returning to her acting career. It was highly unusual. When Noreen asked, ire just said that after years of hard work, she was nning to take a long vacation.


    That sounded even more suspicious to Noreen.


    She called ire''s agent, Sandra, behind her back to get the real story.


    "You don''t know?" Sandra said. "ire was bullied on set. I thought she went to you to vent!"


    Noreen''s heart sank. "Bullied? What happened?"


    Sandra exined everything.


    A while back, ire hadnded the lead role in a major director''s film through her own hard work. She had signed the contract and started filming, only to be reced midway through production.


    Apparently, a financial backer had pushed a new actress onto the project, who snatched the role ire had fought so hard for.


    To prepare


    the part, ire had


    started high-intensity training three months early, covering physical conditioning, wirework, and fight choreography. During that time, she was covered in bruises. Sandra had to have a masseuse waiting at the hotel every day to help her recover after filming.


    But the studio just reced her without a second thought.


    What was


    worse, the new actress


    had zero experience with action scenes. So the studio took the dangerous stunt sequences that ire had risked her life to film and. spliced them into the movie, passing them off as the neer''s work.


    Furious, ire went to confront the producers that night. But by the time Sandra arrived, she only saw ire walking back to the hotel alone, drenched in rain.


    After that, she fell seriously ill. Once she recovered, she announced she was taking


    a long vacation and flew overseas to see Noreen.


    Sandra still had no idea what had happened that night. ire refused to talk about


    it.


    "What''s the name of the actress who took her role?" Noreen asked, her voice cold and heavy.


    "Madeline Lynwood, aplete unknown with no acting experience," Sandra replied, having clearly done her own research. "But her backer is a big deal. His name is Felix Quigley, from the Quigley family of Northcrest."


    The Quigley family of Northcrest was indeed a powerful name.


    But Noreen was no pushover either.


    Noreen instructed Sandra to email her all the information on the entire production team; she would have


    vel


    someone look into it. So, this Madeline liked to y the connections gamle did she? As if


    she were the only one with connections.


    Of course, Noreen didn''t tell ire any of this. If ire wanted a peaceful vacation,


    she deserved one, without being bothered by these troubles.


    But there was another matter she had to bring up, however difficult.


    ire was sunbathing and eating fruit at the time. Noreen walked over, took the fruit bowl from her hands, and told her to finish what was in her mouth.


    ire looked baffled but did as she was told. Once Noreen was sure her mouth was empty and she was settled securely in the lounge chair, she spoke, her tone so direct it was devoid of emotion.