Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 257

Everyone was used to seeing Seth and Bianca practically joined at the hip, so catching sight of just one of them for once felt almost disorienting.

So when Seth mentioned that he had another friend joining them, Noreen immediately guessed who it would be.

Strangely, she felt a wave of relief.

Her own odd little compulsions, she supposed.

Bianca was the only one late to arrive. She breezed in with an apologetic smile, blaming the traffic.

But everyone else had come by car, too—if you know the roads will be jammed, you’d think to leave earlier.

Still, since Bianca was Seth’s guest, nobody complained. Out of respect for both Seth and Wade, any grumbling stayed unspoken.

Bianca, Noreen suspected, must have known in advance that she’d be here tonight. She didn’t look Noreen’s way when she entered, nor did she seem the least bit surprised.

Chase was the first to break the ice. "Seth, aren’t you going to introduce us?"

Someone nearby chuckled. "Oh, Mr. Naylor, haven’t you heard? Everyone knows—this is Mr. Harcourt's girlfriend."

"Really, Mr. Naylor, you’re behind the times! They’re practically engaged. Wait a little longer and you’ll be getting wedding cake in the mail!"

Chase held up his hands. "Well, that I genuinely didn’t know. Sorry to be out of the loop. Seth, you could’ve given your Uncle Naylor a heads-up!"

Seth just smiled. "It’s not too late now."

That was as public an admission as any—he and Bianca, together, just like everyone had been whispering.

Practically official.

Chase snorted. "Honestly, blame old Harcourt for not saying a word about it. But you are about the right age, Seth. Time to start settling down, huh?"

Seth nodded easily. "It’s about time, yeah."

Bianca beamed throughout, clearly, genuinely happy. Not just because Seth was confirming their relationship in front of everyone, but because he’d brought her along to this business dinner at all.

Noreen’s own presence here was only thanks to Wade. She used to envy that kind of privilege.

But now, that feeling was gone. Even seeing Wade go out of his way to support Noreen still left a bitter taste in Bianca’s mouth, but she told herself it didn’t matter.

She didn’t care if Wade ignored her; it was enough that Seth cared.

Three courses later, Noreen had already set up a follow-up meeting—her objective for the night clear. Finally, she could focus on eating.

Unfortunately, only leftovers remained, most of them cold.

Not that Noreen minded. She wasn’t picky. She grabbed a fork, ready to take a few quick bites just to fill her stomach.

But then Seth caught the waiter’s attention and asked for more food.

Chase raised his eyebrows. "We’ve all had enough, haven’t we? Why order more now?"

Seth calmly placed an extra helping of roast potatoes on Bianca’s plate, his voice soft and deliberate. "You barely ate anything. Have a bit more. You know you don’t need to worry about dieting."

Bianca flushed with delight, unable to hide her smile. "How did you know I was trying to lose weight?"

"Come on, eat. I’ll get you some more if you want."

"Alright, if you insist."

Noreen: "…"