Chapter 1171

Everyone present was smart enough not to ask too many questions.

The meal proceeded in harmony.

Just as it wrapped up, Halley Joyner finally asked Seth, “So, what exactly is the relationship between you two?”

Noreen’s back stiffened.

Seth sat beside her, his long legs stretched out casually. His gaze swept over her slightly pale knuckles, taking in every ounce of her nervous hesitation.

He had promised not to force her into making any choices.

So, a faint, reassuring smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was incredibly steady.

“Whatever she says we are, that’s what we are.”

With a single sentence, he handed all the power right back to her.

Noreen froze, looking up at him.

Seth didn’t look at Halley. He kept his eyes locked on her, his gaze filled with an unapologetic, deep indulgence.

…

“Hahaha, I can’t believe that jerk Seth is actually learning how to play the game.”

When Noreen got back, she told Claire Chase about what happened, and Claire laughed until she couldn’t breathe.

“On one hand, he acts like he doesn’t need an official title, but on the other, he secretly wears matching clothes with you to assert dominance. He’s an absolute sweet-looking schemer.”

A sweet-looking schemer?

Noreen didn’t quite grasp the metaphor.

Claire gladly enlightened her.

“It means he looks completely harmless on the outside, but underneath, he’s incredibly calculating and possessive. He’s a hunter in relationships, an expert at playing the fool to catch his prey. He only shows that dark, intense side to the person he loves, while remaining cold and ruthless to everyone else!”

Noreen mulled it over.

It was a perfect description.

Claire lazily stroked Beau, teasing her. “Look at you two. One is thirty, the other is thirty-five. You’re practically seventy combined, yet you’re dating like a couple of high schoolers. Keeping it so pure and innocent is making out every single day really enough for you?”

Noreen was speechless.

Why were they back on this topic again?

After her rant, Claire cursed, “But jerk Seth completely deserves it! It’s karma for how he acted before. You should make him look but not touch. Let him suffer!”

Noreen rubbed her temples.

“What if he actually goes crazy from being pent up?”

Claire paused. “Fair point. So, when are you planning to finally cross that line? Can I get front-row tickets? Hiding under the bed works for me.”

“Just go to sleep!”

Noreen yawned, scooped Beau out of Claire’s arms, and headed back to her room.

Claire called out after her, finally realizing, “So

You really are plannet

a future with him!”

Noreen covered her ears in her room.

She wasn’t listening.

“Who was the one who said she’d never look back?”

“Women and their lies.”

Noreen pulled the covers over her head, pretending to be dead to the world.

Getting no response, Claire finally went to bed.

The apartment fell completely silent.

Beau was sleeping beside her, purring softly, a comforting presence.

Yet, Noreen couldn’t seem to drift off.

Katy Joyner had left abroad for

treatment with Jordan yesterdayet

and the sudden absence in the apartment left her feelings. unexpectedly hollow content

unexpected/met

She tossed and turned for a while before finally grabbing her phone and dialing

Seth’s number.

He answered almost immediately.

It was as if the man was on standby twenty-four hours a day.

It was only then that Noreen realized she was calling Seth in the middle of the night.

She had ab utely nothin

to say.

It was so late.

But somehow, her instincts had just taken over.

So, when the line connected, she stayed quiet.

The man on the other end didn’t speak either.

They just sat in the heavy silence.

Noreen could hear his breathing.

It shifted from light to heavy.

Her own breathing seemed to match his rhythm.

Eventually, both their breaths grew erratic.

When the call timer finally hit the one minute mark, the man on the ather end broke the silence