Chapter 632
Noreen repeated what she’d said before: she never considered Katy a bother.
To make it easier for Noreen to look after Katy, Castle upgraded her cabin. Noreen insisted it wasn’t necessary, but Castle was firm.
He explained that the upgrade wasn’t just to thank her; he also wanted Katy to have a quieter environment, to avoid anything that might upset her.
Only then did Noreen agree.
The luxury suite on the top deck was indeed comfortable, with a first-class view.
The purity and endlessness of the ocean helped Noreen forget her troubles on shore, allowing her to completely relax.
After a year of non-stop work, the tireless machine that she was had finally earned a brief respite.
For the first two days, she and Katy barely left the room. They ate when they were hungry and slept when they were tired.
Katy’s spirits were also much improved. She was chatty and talkative, and a long- absent smile had returned to her face.
On the third day, there was a company dinner, and Noreen brought Katy along. Everyone ate, drank, and had a great time.
After dinner, Noreen took Katy for a stroll on the deck. The sea breeze was wonderfully pleasant.
“Dolphins!” Katy, with her sharp eyes, spotted them guiding the cruise ship and excitedly pulled Noreen over to see.
Other passengers on the deck saw them and crowded around as well.
Katy slipped through the crowd like a little eel.
In the process, Noreen bumped into someone. By the time she finished apologizing, Katy had vanished into the throng.
Noreen frantically searched for her until a crew member told her they’d seen the little girl run off to the right.
She hurried in that direction, asking people along the way, and finally spotted Katy standing in front of a railing.
Noreen breathed a sigh of relief and called out to her as she walked over. But Katy didn’t respond.
She passed through an archway and was just about to reach for Katy’s hand when the girl suddenly burst into tears.
In the next instant, someone
clamped a black cloth with a
pungent smell over Noreen’s face. She struggled for only a fe seconds before losing
consciousness.
When she woke up, the first thing
Noreen saw was Katy’s
tear-streaked face. Her mouth
covered with thick tape, and she was
tred securely to a chair
Lounging on a nearby chaise lounge was a woman with a stunning figure. It was Mrs. Joyner’s sister!
Noreen had seen her at the restaurant.
“Awake, are we?” Sue Joyner took a slow sip of red wine, raising an eyebrow at Noreen.
“What are you doing?” The drugs made Noreen’s voice weak and powerless. She didn’t even have the strength to struggle; her body felt limp.
Sue set down her glass, stood up, and walked over. She grabbed Noreen’s chin, forcing her to look up. She studied Noreen’s face carefully.
Her already cold expression suddenly darkened, and then she raised her hand and slapped Noreen across the face. It was a hard slap.
The force of it snapped Noreen’s head to the side, leaving a fiery sting on her cheek and the taste of blood in her mouth.
“Bitch! Who told you to seduce my brother-in-law!”
Startled, Katy began to struggle violently. Sue glanced back at her, annoyed. “You move again, and I’ll kill her!”
Katy instantly froze, her eyes wide with terror.
“I think you’re mistaken. There’s nothing going on between Mr. Joyner and me. It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of.”
Sue’s behavior was erratic; she didn’t seem stable. Worried she might hurt Katy, Noreen knew she had to de-escalate and try to reason with her.
“Are you kidding me? In all these years, my brother-in-law has only ever set off fireworks for one woman my sister, when he proposed. But now he’s done it for. you. Her voice rose. And you have the nerve to say there’s nothing between you?”