Chapter 1194
An inexplicable awkwardness hung between them.
Noreen furrowed her brow and scrutinized Wilbur. Her stare made him shift uncomfortably. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Noreen circled him slowly, her gaze sharp. “Buddy, do you know what it means to not dip your pen in the company ink?”
“Pfft-“
Beside them, Claire spat out a mouthful of champagne, hacking violently into her hand.
Wilbur looked just as flustered. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Hey, Noreen, your imagination is running way too wild,” Claire wheezed, desperately trying to smooth things over. “There’s zero chance of that happening. We are entirely platonic.”
“Really?” Noreen didn’t drop her suspicious glare as she turned back to Wilbur.
Wilbur half-averted his eyes. “Miss Chase and I are just friends.”
“Alright, I suppose I’m just overthinking,” Noreen conceded.
Claire offered a stiff, awkward smile. Yet for some inexplicable reason, her chest felt unusually tight.
Noreen hadn’t been back in the main hall long before she bumped into Healy Naylor. More accurately, Healy had sought her out specifically.
He originally had zero intention of attending the summit. But the moment he heard Noreen was on the guest list, he rearranged his entire schedule just to be here. So as soon as he arrived, he made a beeline straight for her.
However, Noreen was constantly surrounded by colleagues and acquaintances. After a few polite words, it became impossible to have a real conversation. So, Healy pivoted, inviting her to dinner after the summit to discuss a potential partnership.
Noreen never took business lightly, so she agreed.
Having secured his dinner date, Healy didn’t linger. He ditched the rest of the summit to prepare for their evening together.
Not long after he left, Crystal Chelsea made her entrance. She walked in alongside Yves Selwyn.
Crystal had caught wind from her father that the elusive founder of the NoMore Corporation would be attending. She had rushed over, desperate to score an introduction.
She had bumped into Yves at the entrance. Once inside, Crystal immediately started schmoozing with various executives.
Yves tailed her briefly and quickly realized something was off. The people she was buttering up were almost exclusively Winrich’s existing partners. Her blatant attempt to poach them was painfully obvious.
While Yves wanted to use Crystal to meet NoMore’s boss, he knew her standing was lightyears behind Noreen’s. After a brief internal
debate he excused himself an went straight to Noreen. He tipped her off, warning, “Ms. Gilmore, you’d better keep an eye out.”
Noreen simply brushed it off.
Yves lowered his voice. “She’s backed by NoMore Corporation. You really should take this seriously.”
Warnings like these were always a mix of genuine concern and calculated self- interest.
“Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. Selwyn. I’ll stay sharp,” Noreen replied.
Yves couldn’t tell if she actually cared, but he had done his part. Saying anything more would cross a line.
After working the room, Noreen finally got a breather and glanced at her phone. It was completely silent.
Normally, her screen would be flooded with unread messages, all from the exact same man. But today, there was nothing.
Did he suddenly change his ways? Or was he pissed off?
Catching her staring at the blank screen, Claire leaned in with a teasing grin. “Missing your puppy?”
“Not at all.” Noreen swiftly locked the screen.
Claire saw right through her but mercifully kept quiet.
A little while later, Noreen grew restless and asked Claire if she wanted to head back to the hotel early. Claire was entirely on board; she was bored out of her mind anyway.
They headed for the exit, but before
they could reach the doors, a voice called out a sharp warning from behind. A hand firmly grabbed Noreen’s arm, pulling her out of the way of a speeding service cart. Regaining her balance, Noreen turned to see her savior.