Chapter 948

She smoothed down her messy hair, her tone frosting over. “Does it even matter anymore?”

“It does,” he rasped.

“Even if it does, it’s too late.”

“As long as I’m breathing, it’s never too late.” He reached for her hand again, desperate to explain everything that had happened back then.

Noreen’s phone rang.

It was Claire.

She yanked her hand back and answered immediately.

“Honey, I was in the shower and just saw your text! Did you manage to escape?”

“Yeah, I just got out.”

“Should I come pick you up?”

“No, I have my driver.”

Anticipating she would need a quick getaway, she had kept her driver on standby.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you at home.”

Noreen hummed in agreement and hung up.

Seth stepped forward, reaching for her. “Noreen…”

Noreen dodged his touch.

The driver waiting in the lobby saw her emerge and hurried over. “Ms. Gilmore, are we leaving now?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect, the car is parked right out front,” the driver said.

Noreen turned to leave with him.

“Wait. Noreen.”

Seth caught up to her.

Noreen was losing her patience. “Are you going to try and manhandle me again?”

Seth stared at her, his voice grating. “I just want to explain what happened with Bianca.”

“Enough!”

Noreen exploded without warning.

“I don’t want to hear it!”

She didn’t want to hear a single word about his history with Bianca Lowell!

Spinning on her heel, Noreen marched out, robbing him of any chance to speak.

Seth stood frozen, watching her unapologetic, retreating figure.

How had things escalated so violently?

Her attitude toward him had visibly softened over the last few days.

Why the sudden tailspin?

He racked his brain, analyzing every interaction they had recently shared.

Was she angry about him demolishing the house she decorated?

Or was she furious about his entangled history with Bianca?

Mr. Harcourt was utterly at a loss.

But he had brought this mess upon himself. He had no one else to blame.

…

The moment Noreen walked through the door, she looked at Claire. “Drinks?”

Holding Beau the kitten, Claire studied her expression for a second before nodding. “Drinks it is.”

“Go change. I’ll whip up some snacks. We are getting wasted tonight.”

Claire moved fast. In under ten minutes, she had two plates of appetizers ready.

The two of them threw on their loungewear and sat cross-legged on the balcony, pouring their drinks.

Beau stood at the glass doors, desperately pawing at the glass, whining to join them.

Claire deliberately lunged at the glass, scaring the kitten into hissing at her. “Stop terrorizing him,” Noreen scolded.

“I’m teaching him a life lesson. Cats don’t belong on balconies—what i he falls? He needs to learn early on that this place is terrifying, son never tries to come out here again.”

That… actually made twisted sense. Noreen nodded in concession.

A few drinks in, Noreen’s rigid posture finally melted.

Claire seized the opening. “Did jerk Seth piss you off again?”

Noreen didn’t know what to say, or even where to begin.

Her emotions had spiked out of nowhere.

She barely recognized herself tonight.

“Just admit it. He got into your head again.” Claire shook her head with a heavy

sigh.

In the past, she would have yelled at Noreen for being weak.

But after everything she had been erself, she knew that

emotions couldn’t just toggled on and off like a switch.

It was easy to be rational when you were just a bystander.

Noreen understood that perfectly, which was exactly why she felt so conflicted. “I don’t know why my mood is completely unhinged right now one minute I’m fine and the and the next I’m a wreck

She couldn’t explain it.

It was probably because of that stupid “being the other man for love” comment.

A flood of terrible memories had rushed back in, and she simply wasn’t strong enough to hold back the tide.