Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 492

Nora was currently at the absolute peak of her popularity. Combined with the aura of her identity as 'Rose,' who wouldn't want to take a bite out of her?

"Who the hell asked you to beg for mercy on my behalf?" Leo scoffed mercilessly. "What a pathetic piece of trash. You really think you can play the victim here?"

Julian's face went from pale to green. Tears welled in his eyes as he pressed his lips into a thin line, looking every bit the tragically bullied underdog.

"I'm not, Leo, you really misunderstood..."

"Get the hell out of here. I don't have a pathetic little brother like you! Stop trying to act close!"

Seeing that they were completely surrounded by cameras, Nora felt her scalp go numb. She quickly pulled Leo aside. "Alright, that's enough! Stop fighting right here..."

She turned and shouted to the cameraman tracking them, "Don't air this segment!"

The cameraman nodded vigorously, thinking to himself that even if she hadn't given the order, he wouldn't dare broadcast it anyway.

He lowered his camera, pretending he hadn't caught a single frame.

Nora dragged Leo to the end of the hallway and lowered her voice. "Are you out of your mind? There are cameras everywhere. Aren't you afraid of getting caught on tape?"

Leo snorted coldly. "Let them tape it. You think I'm afraid of a punk like him?"

Nora let out an exasperated laugh at his reckless attitude. "Enough. It's not worth getting angry over someone like that. Behave yourself. Do not actually start a physical fight with him. Otherwise, even the Hamilton family won't be able to suppress the trending topics. Do you hear me?"

Since the music show had aired, Leo's popularity had skyrocketed.

He was already a mainstream pop star, but the exposure and hype from this show had multiplied his fanbase exponentially.

His fan engagement metrics across all major apps were holding steady at number one. He was undeniably the face of the new generation of A-list stars.

While Nora knew Leo didn't care for the superficial fame, since he was currently sitting on top of the world, he certainly didn't need to ruin his reputation and become a public pariah.

Leo absolutely could not afford to get canceled right now.

[I'm in a meeting. It's not a good time to talk. What is it, honey?]

Nora pressed her lips together, firmly swallowing the sour knot of discomfort rising in her chest.

[I've arrived in Chicago. The crew is shooting on location here, so I'll be around for a few days. When are you free? Can we meet up?]

She sent the message. It took about two or three minutes before a reply finally came through.

[I'm swamped the next few days. I won't have time. Enjoy yourself first, and I'll ask you out when I catch a break.]

Nora stared at that line of text for a long moment, her thumb tracing the edge of the screen. Finally, she typed a single 'Okay' and hit send.

She placed the phone on the nightstand and leaned back against the headboard, staring blankly ahead.

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was...