Bianca didn't hesitate—she had a thousand portions ordered, generous as ever.
After all, Seth never imposed a budget on her.
He stood quietly by her side, watching as she bustled back and forth, handling every detail. When she finally paused for a break, Seth twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to her.
That small gesture drew an excited gasp from a girl nearby who was filling out a suggestion form. "Your boyfriend is so sweet to you!" she exclaimed.
Other girls glanced over, eyes full of envy.
Bianca's smile never faded.
Just like the sweat that refused to leave Noreen's brow…
But in Noreen's case, it was from sheer exhaustion.
Finally, when the work was done, she sat down for a sip of water, massaging the sore spot on her heel where her high heels had rubbed her raw. Just as she was catching her breath, she happened to witness this little display of affection.
Honestly, it was touching.
Even she felt a tiny pang of emotion—almost.
Harry, meanwhile, was grateful for Noreen's help. "Miss Gilmore, I've arranged a pretty good spot for your display."
"Oh, thank you so much!"
"It's nothing, really. You've done a lot for us too."
Harry enjoyed working with women like Noreen—sharp, socially savvy, and never demanding. She was attentive and helpful, without ever asking for anything in return.
So, he was more than happy to help her out.
Noreen shared the good news with Carman, and the two of them immediately started gathering their materials to head to the display area.
But just as they were about to set up, Harry's supervisor strode over, looking stern. "Wasn't this spot reserved for Summit Peak Group?"
Harry explained that Summit Peak Group had chosen a different spot.
"Even if they declined, you can't just give it away to someone else! Remove them!"
"But sir—"
"I said remove them!" The supervisor wasn't budging.
Harry could only obey, and their display was dismantled.
He apologized to Noreen, but she quickly reassured him, "It's really okay!"
Still, after all the commotion, there were hardly any prime spots left.
She looked up—of course, it was Jude. That mad dog.
As Noreen arrived, Jude shot her a look full of challenge.
Clearly, he'd done it on purpose.
"Is the laptop still usable?" Noreen asked Carman first.
That computer was their most important tool.
"The screen's busted, but everything else works. We can use an external monitor."
Noreen let out a breath, then turned to face Jude—the culprit.
Maybe her glare was too fierce, because Jude, who'd never seen this side of her, faltered for a split second.
Just then, Seth and Bianca walked up—right before Noreen could explode.
"What happened?" Seth took in the mess at their feet, then looked at Jude.
"I just accidentally knocked their stuff over—and now Noreen's looking like she wants to tear my throat out," Jude complained, playing the victim.
Seth seemed to buy it, only saying coolly, "Whatever the damages are, pay up."

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