Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 185

Healy quickly replied to Bianca, "Maybe next time. I have some work matters to discuss with Ms. Gilmore—it's really not a good moment."

This answer clearly caught Bianca off guard.

She hesitated for a second before forcing a smile. "Alright, let's head in then."

Then she turned to Seth, adding, "Let's go, we shouldn't keep Mr. Summers waiting."

Truth be told, there was no real need for her to say this out loud.

But she did—and it was obvious she was dropping a hint.

Mr. Summers?

Noreen's brows shot up.

Could she possibly mean Hugh Summers from NaviTech?

Just before stepping inside, Bianca cast a quick, almost careless glance at Noreen.

That look carried both contempt and a hint of triumph.

It told Noreen everything she needed to know—her suspicions were right.

Seth had made his move.

He really would do anything for Bianca.

Noreen found herself feeling a bit more charitable toward Healy, simply because he'd had the good sense to read the room.

That alone was enough to make Healy, who had been on edge the whole evening, quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

During dinner, the conversation stayed focused on business.

Healy was genuinely impressed by Noreen's sharp instincts and skillful maneuvering—she was clearly in a league of her own.

He suddenly realized that, in the past, he'd always looked at Noreen through a tinted lens.

He'd assumed she had only managed to stay by Seth's side for so many years because of her looks and clever tricks.

When Seth left her for Bianca, Healy hadn't been surprised. After all, beauty fades, and charm only gets you so far—eventually, you need real substance.

Still, she kept quiet. She was curious to see just how far people were willing to go for their own interests.

Carman, for his part, wasn't buying a word of it.

"As far as I know, Director Lowell made the final call on my project. How does this have anything to do with Noreen?"

Even now, caught out, Bianca didn't so much as flinch.

"At the time, Noreen handled all the projects for Division Three and handed them off to me. The write-up for yours was so vague, I couldn't see any potential, so I turned it down."

"Director Lowell had to decide: trust someone he'd barely met—you—or the colleague who'd been at his side for years, like Noreen. Who would you have picked?"

Carman met her gaze and calmly threw the question back at her.

Bianca paused, then said, "I'm just stating the facts. You're free to draw your own conclusions. I didn't come here to justify myself—I want to work with you. Winrich is a tiny investment firm. They can't offer you meaningful resources or growth. But we at Aurelion Group can."

Mentioning Aurelion Group, her confidence only grew. "You chose Aurelion Group in the first place for a reason—you recognized our strength. So why not consider joining forces with me?"

She laid all her cards on the table, certain he'd say yes, her face radiating self-assurance.