Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 378

Marcus violently yanked her back. Staring at her unhinged, desperate face, his heart ached with helplessness. Finally, he gave in.

"Fine! I'll help you!"

...

After weeks of intense preparation, the massive music variety show Nora had conceptualized finally began filming.

Before the sun even rose over San Francisco, a sea of cameras and reporters had already surrounded the San Francisco Television Station.

Paparazzi camped out along both sides of the red carpet, and several major media outlets were running live streams. Even though no celebrities had arrived yet, tens of thousands of viewers were already tuned in.

Floor managers aggressively waved their hands, directing the chaotic press lines into order.

Inside the grand studio, rows of high-end computers and state-of-the-art production gear were lined up perfectly. The sheer scale and budget of the production easily rivaled the biggest global music award ceremonies.

Backstage, Nora was catching up with her old university friends.

Zachary York leaned against a makeup vanity, casually sipping a coffee. "You really pulled out all the stops for this, Nora. Not even my top-tier artists got this kind of royal treatment for a stadium tour."

Normally, an executive of Zachary's level wouldn't need to personally attend a variety show taping.

But he had shown up anyway, purely for the thrill of the event.

Nora laughed softly. "Don't tease me, Zachary. What if I get stage fright later?"

"You? Stage fright?" Zachary raised an eyebrow. "You played the Golden Hall in Vienna without breaking a sweat."

The other senior artists chimed in enthusiastically. "Exactly! Our girl has seen it all."

Amid the laughter, Director Warren's booming voice echoed over the PA system: "First rehearsal! All departments, stand by."

Nora took a deep breath, mentally psyching herself up.

Suddenly, Leo Hamilton slid smoothly to her side, flashing his signature arrogant grin. "Ready, Agent Reed?"

Nora smiled and nodded.

Leo's grin widened. "Let's show them how it's done."

The sudden shift in camera focus didn't go unnoticed by the veterans on stage.

In a room full of A-listers, the spotlight being stolen by an absolute unknown—who happened to be breathtakingly beautiful—rubbed a few egos the wrong way.

"Probably some executive's pampered little pet," a female singer muttered bitterly. "This is a vocal competition. Everyone here has serious talent. A pretty face isn't going to cut it."

"She's glued to Leo's side. Ten bucks says she's just his flavor of the month."

Known for his explosive temper, Leo instantly frowned and took a menacing step toward the gossiping singers.

Nora shot her hand out, grabbing his wrist in an iron grip. "We're on a live feed. Your fan base is way too massive to give the tabloids ammunition. Do not let them bait you."

Leo scowled. "Did you hear what they just called you?"

"They said this show is about talent, didn't they?" Nora's lips curved into a confident smirk. "I might lack a lot of things, but talent isn't one of them. Let them talk."

"..."

Fair enough.