Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 186

"As long as you're willing to work with me, I can leverage every resource the Aurelion Group has to help you."

"You know about my relationship with Mr. Harcourt, don't you? If I want, he'll back me all the way. Together, we could both win."

She was certainly persuasive.

Noreen was nearly swayed by the pitch.

But Carman didn't budge.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

"I'm not considering it now, and I won't ever consider it in the future. I hope you'll stop trying, Director Lowell."

Bianca narrowed her eyes.

She hadn't expected Carman to be so stubborn. Anyone with half a brain would know which way to choose, wouldn't they?

Yet Carman had turned her down more than once, and she couldn't wrap her head around it.

She frowned, thinking for a few seconds. Then something clicked. "You're in love with Noreen, aren't you?"

Why else would he be so loyal to her?

"So what if I am?"

Carman didn't even try to hide it.

He just couldn't bring himself to tell Noreen, always treading carefully around her, protecting the fragile balance between them. But that didn't mean he was afraid to admit it to anyone else.

Bianca let out a breath, a smile tugging at her lips. "No reason. Just curious."

She was disappointed she couldn't poach Carman, but if those two actually got together, it would at least put her mind at ease on one front.

She honestly wouldn't mind seeing it happen.

As for the project… If she couldn't recruit Carman, she could always try for someone from his team. Those people might not be as fiercely loyal to Noreen as Carman was.

Noreen had Carman and his technical expertise.

But she had Seth's backing.

Besides, feelings were fickle things—there was always a chance for things to change.

Noreen couldn't count on staying on top forever.

Only after Bianca and Carman had both left did Noreen finally move.

He was probably worried her presence would affect Noreen's decision.

Noreen knew she was walking straight into the lion's den, but still, she took a seat.

From Hugh Summers, she learned that this dinner had been arranged by Seth. The invitation was at his request.

If NaviTech wanted to partner with InnoCore, they'd need cutting-edge processing chips as technical support.

And the best chips in the country belonged to Aurelion Group.

Hugh's intentions were clear: resource sharing and mutual benefit.

Noreen didn't mind. After all, everyone was here for business; if cooperation meant maximizing their interests, even working with enemies was acceptable.

Still, she wanted to know what Seth's angle was.

With Aurelion Group's current size and influence, they hardly needed this partnership.

She asked him directly, holding nothing back.

Seth replied, "I'll provide the processing chips, and Mr. Summers will allow SkyMind access to their office modules."

And suddenly, Bianca's words echoed in Noreen's mind.