But her efforts had been in vain. Castle hadn''t given her a second nce.


    Sue had been frustrated, but she never imagined her act would end up deceiving Katy, who mistook her for Mrs. Joyner and fell into her trap.


    Sue decided to use the situation to her advantage, using Katy to threaten Castle and force him to marry her.


    Having abused Katy in the past, Sue''s true nature quickly re-emerged, triggering Katy''s deep-seated fear of her. During a struggle, Katy scratched Sue''s face. Sue, already on edge and prone to breakdowns since the cruise ship incident, couldn''t handle the slightest provocation. The sight of blood sent her into a frenzy. She grabbed Katy and tried to throw her from the third-floor balcony.


    When Castle arrived, he saw Katy dangling over the railing. With no time to prepare, he could only try to catch her with his bare hands. But Katy was a twelve-year-old child, and no one could withstand the impact of a fall from that height. Castle used all his strength to shield her, resulting in his own severe injuries.


    The light above the emergency room was still on, and medical staff rushed in and out, their faces etched with anxiety.


    Even Sage Joyner was there, wearing a disguise, likely to conceal his identity and his connection to the Joyner family from the public eye.


    Under Noreen''sforting embrace, Katy''s crying gradually subsided, though an asional sob still escaped her. It was the only sound in the tense hallway.


    After what felt like an eternity, the emergency room light finally went out. As the doctor emerged, Sage Joyner immediately went to him to get an update.


    "His life is not in danger for now."


    Hearing those words, Noreen let out a deep sigh of relief. Her body went limp, and she leaned back against the chair. Katy began to cry again, but this time, they were tears of joy.


    When Castle


    was


    wheeled out of the


    operating room, he was already awake, though his face was still deathly pale. His gaze traveled past Sage Joyner to Katy He opened his mouth with great difficulty, his voice weak. "Don''t cry. Dad''s okay."


    Katy''s tears only fell faster.


    The group followed Castle to his room, where Katy clutched his hand and refused to let go. But she was just a child. After the day''s ordeal and crying herself to exhaustion, she soon fell asleep, her head resting on the edge of the bed.


    Noreen tried to move her to the sofa, but she held tight to Castle''s hand. In the end, Castle asked Noreen to ce Katy on the bed beside him Fortunately, the bed was wide enough that the small child wouldn''t disturb his injuries.


    Once Castle had also fallen asleep, Noreen left the hospital. Dariel asked her if she wanted to stay at a hotel or at the Joyner Mansion. Noreen chose the hotel. It was more convenient.


    These next couple of days were critical for Katy''s custody case. That was why, after his ident, Castle had hiswyer contact Noreen immediately, asking her toe to Harborview City to stand in for him in court.


    Just as the car pulled away from the hospital, Dariel noticed something was wrong. He kept ncing at the rearview mirror. "We''re being followed," he told Noreen.


    "Do you know who it is?" Noreen asked.


    "Not sure yet. I''ll try to lose them," Dariel said.


    Dariel was a skilled driver, but their pursuers were clearly prepared. Arge container truck suddenly blocked the road ahead. At the same moment, the car behind them floored the elerator and rammed straight toward them.


    In that split second, another car shot out from the side, forcefully intercepting the attacking vehicle.


    A deafening crash echoed through the air. Shards of metal and ss sprayed against their car window. Through the chaos, Noreen saw a familiar face.