Chapter 477

Bianca, who had been silent until then, finally posted after Seth. “We haven’t all gotten together in ages. We should have a reunion now that you’re back in Rivercrest.”
Jude was the first to jump on board. “I’m in! I’m free whenever!”
Healy and Dylan, feeling obligated, also agreed.
Afterwards, Bianca sent a private message to Jude, asking if he wanted to invest
in the high-temperature superconductivity project. Jude, who usually followed
Seth’s lead without question, was uncharacteristically hesitant.
“Bianca, I really want to, but you know I don’t have a say at Seymour Group. It’s not my decision to make.”
Bianca’s eyes darkened. She adopted the tone of a concerned friend. “Don’t forget, Seymour Group’s name is Wilder, not Gilmore.”
…
As soon as there was a slight bit of progress with the acquisition, Noreen immediately called Mrs. Joyner to report. This time, however, it was Castle Joyner who answered the phone.
He told Noreen that his mother was in the hospital.
Noreen’s heart sank.
“You know something about her condition, don’t you?” Castle asked.
“She told me it was breast cancer,” Noreen replied, her voice heavy.
“That’s not the whole story. She has a severe heart condition, which means she can’t have surgery.”
Noreen’s mind went blank. No wonder. No wonder Mrs. Joyner had said she didn’t have much time left. She wanted to say something-words of comfort, of encouragement-but they all got stuck in her throat.
“Centribo is the last thing she’s holding on for. Please, Noreen. I’m counting on you,” Castle pleaded.
“Okay,” Noreen choked out.
The call left her reeling, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. She was still sitting in a daze when Claire finally came home.
She had been gone for three days.
Claire tiptoed in, clearly feeling
guilty. The living room was dark, as Noreen had been sitting on
Weinfe
balcony without the lights on. Thinking Noreen was asleep, Claffe breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to sneak to her room, Noreen’s voice cut through the
darkness. “Spill it. Where have you been messing around?”
“God, you scared me!” Claire jumped, her heart pounding. She was already on edge, and Noreen’s sudden voice nearly gave her a heart attack.
Noreen flicked on the light, her eyes
sharp and scrutinizing. The intensity of her gaze made Claire shrink, but she stuck to her story. “I wasnt messing around. I was with
me
grandma, praying at the monastery
in Southmont.” sŵnovels
“Grandma? I’ve never heard you mention a grandma before,” Noreen said, skeptical.
“My neighbor grandma.” It wasn’t a complete lie; she used to be her neighbor. To prove it, she pulled out a blessed charm. “See? I got one for you too.”
The charm looked familiar; Noreen had one just like it in her car. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Claire put on a pitiful expression. “My knees are all scraped up from praying for
this. And instead of feeling sorry for me, you’re interrogating me!”
Noreen didn’t reply, simply turned and walked away.
“Where are you going? Are you abandoning me?”
“To get the first-aid kit.”
“Oh.” Claire’s mood brightened instantly. She flopped onto the sofa,
waiting for Noreen to tend to her
wounds As Noreen dabbed at her
scraped knees, Claire hissed
“Gently! That hurts!”
to
“Why do you even do this? Kneeling on ninety-nine steps at this time of year to
get a charm? Are you trying to ruin your knees?”
“Hey,” Claire said, surprised, “how did you know it was ninety-nine steps?”
Noreen fell silent.
Claire’s expression soured. “That jerk Seth is really something else,” she muttered.
Noreen motioned for her to switch legs, but as she did, she noticed a suspicious mark high on Claire’s inner thigh. “How did you get that red mark on your thigh?”