Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 213

Now, she’d lost every shred of dignity she had.

Forrest, on the other hand, was no stranger to public spectacle. Even in a situation like this, he managed to keep his composure far better than Yvonne.

“Let’s go,” he murmured, shielding her as they stood.

Yvonne had been itching to leave for ages. The moment Forrest spoke, she grabbed her coat and hurried out with him.

There were only a handful of guests at the main table. With the couple gone, it was just Jude and Seth left behind.

Jude still hadn’t processed what had happened. He sat there, dazed, utterly bewildered.

He had no idea what was going on.

Meanwhile, Seth walked up onto the stage amid a flurry of whispers, gently taking the microphone from Bianca and stepping protectively in front of her to shield her from anyone trying to snap a photo.

“Sorry, everyone,” Seth said, his voice steady, “Director Lowell’s been working under a lot of pressure lately and isn’t feeling her best. I’ll take over the rest of tonight’s program.”

The mood in the room shifted again.

Everyone already knew Seth and Bianca were close—rumor had it their relationship went far beyond friendship. And with talk swirling about a possible marriage alliance between the Lowells and the Harcourts, this was the kind of news that made waves among Rivercrest’s elite.

The Lowell family, thanks to this connection, had become the toast of Rivercrest.

Seth’s appearance on stage, and the way he looked after Bianca, only fueled the rumors further.

So what if Bianca had made a bit of a scene tonight? With Seth on her side, it barely mattered.

Despite the curiosity—people were itching to slip next door to catch a glimpse of the business tycoons, or maybe sniff out a new business opportunity—no one dared leave just yet.

After all, no one wanted to cross Seth.

So, the celebration wasn’t completely deserted. Still, it was clear that everyone’s mind was elsewhere.

Some made excuses to sneak out, calling their assistants and urging them to get over to the neighboring event as quickly as possible, fearful they’d miss out on something big.

Others secretly pulled up InnoCore’s livestream on their phones right there at the party.

Jude was among them. He just couldn’t help himself—he desperately wanted to know what was happening.

And there, seated right in the center, was the very person Jude had always looked down on—Noreen.

She was right in the spotlight, surrounded by the city’s most powerful.

Jude was so stunned, he didn’t even notice Bianca had come down from the stage.

He forgot to lock his phone screen, and Bianca caught a glimpse.

Already humiliated, her expression turned even paler.

A suffocating sense of shame pressed down on her.

Jude fumbled, hastily snapping his phone shut, but in his panic, he knocked over his glass of expensive champagne.

He’d never even had a sip—the whole thing spilled across the table.

“Let me see,” Bianca said, her voice trembling.

Jude didn’t dare show her. He stammered, “I—I was just, uh, watching a… a borderline stream. Not really something you’d want to see.”