Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 203

Those unforgettable moments you share with someone—they can become a get-out-of-jail-free card in any relationship.

But when love is gone, not even a lifetime of golden memories can save you.

Noreen managed to hold on for seven years, mainly because there was never a third person involved. That gave her something to cling to, a way to make peace with herself, to use all those bright fragments from the past to convince herself she was okay.

Even when, in that final year, Seth began to grow distant—sometimes cold, sometimes simply absent—she found ways to accept it.

The one thing she could never accept, though, was betrayal.

Because betrayal doesn’t kill the betrayer. It destroys the one who’s been betrayed.

Despite a sleepless night, Noreen still woke promptly at 5:50 a.m. Maybe it was because she’d spent the night with her hands and feet outside the covers—she woke up chilled to the bone.

No wonder she’d had that dream.

Even after everything, even after she thought she’d moved on, she still felt a pang whenever she remembered.

People aren’t spreadsheets; you can’t just delete what you want and keep what you like. Time is the only thing that can dull the edges.

Later that morning, Dylan Wilder showed up at Winrich in person to swap cars with Noreen.

It made her feel a little awkward. “You already did me a favor, and now you’ve come all the way here yourself. I was going to have Sophia Cole drop the car off for you this afternoon.”

Dylan had figured as much, which was why he’d come himself.

They hadn’t had much reason to interact at work lately, and Noreen had been swamped. He hadn’t seen her in a while and, with the chance presenting itself, decided to take it.

Of course, he didn’t say any of that. Instead, he asked about the project.

“It’s moving forward as planned,” Noreen said, “but we’re really short-staffed. Everyone’s working overtime just to keep up.”

“If you need anything, just say the word.”

“Thanks.”

“Maybe he’s busy with someone new?”

Bianca’s expression went cold. It took her a moment to answer. “He’s probably just buried in work.”

Jude shook his head. “Come on, even if he’s busy, he’d at least answer a text. I bet something’s up. I’ll have to do some digging—wouldn’t want to be blindsided by the sudden appearance of a sister-in-law. That’d be wild.”

Bianca, in no mood to argue, put her phone away. “Knock yourself out.”

...

With InnoCore about to launch, Noreen was busier than ever. Some days she barely had time to eat.

Luckily, Sophia was around.

Every day, right on schedule, Sophia showed up with a meal—always something Noreen liked. Her stomach pains hadn’t flared up in ages.

One afternoon, Noreen looked over at Sophia and asked, “When did you get to know my tastes so well?”