Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 411

“You’ll help me, won’t you?” Mrs. Joyner asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Fighting back the lump in her throat, Noreen nodded firmly. “Yes.”

Her answer seemed to put Mrs. Joyner at ease. “You know,” she said, holding Noreen’s hand, “Castle has told me so much about you. He says you’re intelligent, with incredible foresight and ability. He admires the kind of courage you have, a maturity beyond your years.”

Noreen was surprised to hear that Castle Joyner held her in such high regard.

“That’s why I always wanted to meet you, to see if you were as brilliant as he described. It seems Castle was right.” Mrs. Joyner genuinely liked Noreen, seeing a reflection of her younger self in the young woman.

They talked for a long while before Mr. Joyner returned. Castle rushed upstairs to find his mother, clearly aware of her illness. He was surprised to see Noreen there and gave her a brief nod.

Noreen returned the gesture and stood up. “I’ll go find Mr. Vincent and the others.”

She found Sophia wandering the estate, marveling at the sights. She was in the middle of taking a picture of a priceless orchid when she spotted Noreen and insisted on taking a photo with her, declaring it would be a crime to visit such a magnificent place without documenting it. Noreen sighed but obliged.

Meanwhile, the butler was politely turning Henry away at the gate. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Brooke, but Madam is unwell and not receiving visitors. Please come back another time.”

Henry frowned, his gaze falling on Noreen and Sophia in the distance. Mrs. Joyner was seeing Noreen but not him. Her “illness” was clearly just an excuse. It seemed she was set on choosing Noreen. Realizing the opportunity was lost, Henry stopped pressing the butler and simply said, “I understand.”

Mrs. Joyner chose a pure white gown for herself, explaining that it would help conceal her pale and weary complexion. The comment sent a pang of sadness through Noreen, but she forced a smile, only letting her eyes well up when Mrs. Joyner wasn’t looking.

Castle arrived to pick up his mother; as the event’s host, she needed to be there early. Noreen’s hair and makeup weren’t finished yet, so she would follow later. Before leaving, Mrs. Joyner told Castle to arrange a car for Noreen, and he agreed.

Once Noreen was ready, she was about to message Mrs. Joyner when a black SUV pulled up in front of her. The driver got out, opened the door, and said he had been sent by Mr. Joyner to pick her up.

Without a second thought, Noreen got in.

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