Chapter 1156
“You think I don’t want to? Her mom is home today. She can’t sneak out.”
Jude rubbed his nose. That made sense.
Then he asked curiously, “So did she get you a gift?”
It was Valentine’s Day, after all.
“I’m just thankful she hasn’t kicked me to the curb.” Seth didn’t dare ask for a thing.
Jude was absolutely speechless.
Even a dog wouldn’t want this kind of relationship.
“Hypothetically, and I just mean hypothetically, what if Noreen really does just string you along forever without ever making things official? Or what if she’s playing with your feelings just to get revenge on you? What then?” Jude asked recklessly.
Seth didn’t flinch. His eyelashes didn’t even flutter.
“Then I’ll accept it.”
“If she’s willing to string me along, it means she’s still looking at me. If she wants revenge, it means she still cares about me.”
“Even if she never gives me a title, as long as she lets me stay by her side, I’ll gladly take it.”
Seth paused, a borderline obsessive certainty bleeding into his voice. “So what if she strings me along? Why doesn’t she string someone else along? The fact that she does it to me proves I matter to her.”
Jude stared at him.
He slowly gave Seth a thumbs-up.
He was a ruthless man.
Ruthless enough to brainwash himself.
Meanwhile, at the Gilmore house.
Noreen was actually stressing over what to get Seth.
She had racked her brain for hours and came up empty.
Finally, seeing Claire Chase cooking in the kitchen, a brilliant idea sparked in her mind.
In all the years they had known each other, she had never cooked a meal for him. Mainly because her culinary skills were… catastrophic.
Even Claire had pointed out that cooking was her one and only weakness.
But maybe she should try. What if she miraculously got it right this time?
Seeing Noreen march into the kitchen, Claire looked utterly terrified. “Are you hungry? It might be a minute. Why don’t you grab a snack first?”
“No.” Noreen threw open the fridge. “I’m cooking today. Get ready to try my food.”
Clatter.
The bowl Claire was holding hit the floor.
Noreen ignored her absolute panic and started bustling around.
When Claire ran out to tell Rosalind that Noreen was cooking, Rosalind frowned deeply.
Claire groaned, “I knew I should’ve caught a flight out of here last night.”
Rosalind was slightly calmer. She
pulled out her phone and started t
agency to see
therewere any outbound tour
ite
groups she could join today.
Unfortunately, the agent told her it was too late to book anything.
Noreen slaved away in the kitchen for three hours, producing four dishes and a
soup.
Claire dragged herself to the table, bracing herself for impact.
“Eat up! What are you waiting for?” Noreen urged.
Claire forced herself to pick up a piece of something utterly unrecognizable and
placed it in her bowl, but refused to actually put it in her mouth.
She desperately tried to change the subject to distract Noreen. “City kall opens back up on the eighth. I’m heading to Northcrest on
seventh so can finalzerce the second the doors open.”
Noreen replied with a disinterested “Oh,” and eagerly pressed on. “Hurry up and taste it. How is it?”
Claire was doomed.
Distraction failed.
She stuffed the food into her mouth, looking like she was facing an execution squad.
To be best friends with Noreen Gilmore, you needed an iron stomach.
Seeing Rosalind stalling, Noreen urged her too. “Mom, eat up! I spent all afternoon on this.”
Rosalind gripped her chopsticks tightly.
She fought a silent internal battle
before finally setting them down She looked at Noreen and said, “Why dopt you call that guy who peels Shrimp over? He’d probably love this.”