Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 214

She didn’t insist. Instead, she quietly pulled out her phone and searched for the livestream of the InnoCore launch event.

“Bianca…” Jude’s concern was palpable; he worried about how she was holding up.

“I’m fine. I just want to take a look.” Bianca’s voice was steady, but her complexion told another story—she looked anything but fine.

Jude had no idea how to comfort her.

The tension Bianca felt from watching the livestream was a hundred times worse than anything Jude had imagined.

He watched her grip her phone tighter and tighter, her knuckles turning white.

“So Dylan went to the InnoCore launch, huh?” Her voice trembled slightly.

Jude scrambled for an explanation. “He’s one of InnoCore’s investors. It makes sense for him to show his support.”

“What about Healy?”

Jude was sweating bullets. “His dad made him go! Honestly, his heart is with you, and he came here first thing after that.”

But Bianca barely heard his explanations.

All she could focus on was the fact that they’d both chosen to go to Noreen’s side.

“Even Mr. Harcourt is there, supporting Noreen,” she said quietly.

Jude had no reply for that one.

He wanted to tell her to stop watching, but just then, his phone rang.

It was his father, Seymour.

Jude answered, only to be met with a tirade. Seymour ordered him to get to the InnoCore event—now.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Fine. Then I’ll book you a ticket overseas this instant,” Seymour thundered.

Jude caved immediately. “Okay, okay! I’ll go!”

After hanging up, he fumbled for an excuse. “Bianca, my dad’s sick—I need to visit him at the hospital. I’ll make it up to you with dinner another day, I promise.”

Bianca didn’t even look at him. Her voice was cold and distant. “Go ahead.”

“You know I hold myself to high standards. That’s why it’s so hard to accept this outcome.”

“It’s okay. There’s always next time.”

“Yeah…”

…

Meanwhile, Noreen didn’t have the slightest clue about what was happening at SkyMind’s afterparty.

Why would she waste time worrying about people who had nothing to do with her? Time was precious!

Wade’s appearance meant the world to Noreen. Even more impressive was that he hadn’t come alone—he’d rallied the entire Rivercrest Chamber of Commerce to attend.

That kind of support meant far more than any investment of millions.

When Seymour Wilder arrived with Jude to see Noreen, she had just turned off her phone—calls from people eager to collaborate were coming in nonstop, and she couldn’t take it anymore.

Seymour was surprisingly polite. “Ms. Gilmore, let me introduce my son, Jude.”

Then he nudged Jude forward. “Go on, greet Ms. Gilmore!”