Chapter 881
He knew that true empathy was an illusion, yet he still desperately wanted to walk the exact path Noreen had taken.
He needed to feel every ounce of what she had endured.
But before he could even drink himself into a bleeding ulcer, the agonizing heartache was already suffocating him.
Therefore, it was only right that Noreen refused to forgive him.
It was perfectly justified that he was ordered to vanish from her life forever.
Even Jude Wilder, an outsider to their relationship, felt the crushing atmosphere. “Even if you drink yourself into the hospital, it won’t change a thing.”
“I know,” Seth replied, his throat unbearably tight.
“Heartache that comes too late is worth less than dirt.”
“I don’t dare expect her forgiveness anymore.”
…
Noreen took her team to Northcrest to discuss the IPO of a communications tech company, where she coincidentally bumped into Padgett Novak.
He was on a blind date.
At the time, Noreen and her team were dining at an upscale restaurant with a fantastic ambiance. A young woman sat at the table next to them.
She looked like a fresh college graduate, her eyes clear and untainted by the exhaustion of the corporate grind.
It seemed her date was running late, and she was on the phone, complaining to her pushy parents.
“What kind of decent guy shows up late to a blind date?”
“And I’m only twenty-two! Isn’t it a bit ridiculous that you’re forcing me on blind dates already? Are you that terrified I’ll become a spinster?”
“Don’t give me that ‘he’s a great catch’ speech. You said the last one was a great catch too-rich and well-connected-but he looked like a foot! Before I went, I told myself looks don’t pay the bills, but guess what? I couldn’t even stomach my dinner looking at him!”
“I’m really not being picky. I just want someone who’s decent-looking. Why do you keep setting me up with these weirdos? And I don’t like guys who are way older than me! A few more years and he could be my dad.”
The young woman’s voice was crisp and she spoke at a mile a minute. It was highly entertaining.
Even Noreen found herself glancing over a few times.
Just as Noreen’s group was finishing their meal, the young woman’s tardy date finally arrived.
“Miss Sloan, I apologize. I was held up by work and kept you waiting.”
Sylvie Sloan looked up, ready to launch into a preemptive strike about his lack of punctuality and use it as an excuse to ruin the date. But the moment she saw the man’s face, she froze.
She stared at him intently, completely losing her voice.
After taking his seat, Padgett offered another apology. “I am truly sorry. I reviewed your profile, and I feel the age gap between us is a bit too. wide. When you go home, you can just tell the matchmaker that you didn’t like me. Dinner is on me tonight; order whatever you’d like.”
He hailed a server and pushed the menu toward Sylvie.
Sylvie blinked. “Actually… age isn’t an issue for me at all. I prefer older men!”
Padgett hadn’t expected her to be so painfully direct.
Having navigated political circles for years, he was accustomed to people speaking in circles and hidden meanings.
Being hit with such a straightforward curveball suddenly left him at a loss for words.
“Do you have a history of domestic violence?” Sylvie pressed.
Padgett shook his head. “Of course not.”
“Do you sleep around or gamble?”
“No.”
“Will you cheat on me?”
“No.”
Sylvie slammed her hand on the
table. “Great. Let’s go get our marriage license after we eat. checked the horoscope before I left the house-today is a highly
auspicious day.
As Noreen and her team walked out, Sophia Cole asked her, “Are you sure you
don’t want to go say hi to Mr. Novak?”
“No, going over now would just ruin the mood,” Noreen said, her eyes rippling with amusement.
Who would have thought they’d witness such a hilarious scene?
It seemed Padgett had finally met his match.
After all these years of going around
in circles, everyone was finally
finding the right person to stalneg
ther side
It was nice.
What Noreen hadn’t expected was that this trip would bring more than just a
pleasant run-in with Padgett.
She also ran into someone she had absolutely no desire to see.
Felix Quigley.
The Quigley Group was also attending the summit.