Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 258

So rude.

Honestly, who says something so disgusting while people are eating?

That killed her appetite.

Noreen excused herself from the table, stepped outside for some air, and called Sophia to ask if she could come pick her up later.

When she returned, she ran straight into Bianca.

Or rather, Bianca had clearly been waiting for her on purpose.

Their eyes met, and Noreen instantly understood Bianca’s intentions.

She stopped walking, choosing to stand her ground and face her.

Bianca arched an eyebrow. “I hear Winrich is planning to bid on the Port Redevelopment Project?”

“That’s right. Why?” Noreen replied, making no effort to deny it.

A smirk played at the corner of Bianca’s mouth as she sized Noreen up, her gaze dripping with contempt. “You really don’t know your limits. I thought after seven years at Seth’s side, you would’ve picked up a thing or two. I actually considered you a worthy rival, but it turns out I gave you too much credit.”

“You’re nothing special, after all.”

She was arrogant—because she had someone backing her, she could afford to be.

Noreen didn’t let it get to her; she smiled right back. “You seem awfully invested in this. Why’s that?”

Bianca’s expression hardened. After a beat, she said, “Noreen, you’re never going to beat me. Seth will always choose me, no matter what you’ve done these past seven years. All your efforts mean nothing to him.”

“As for me, even if I do nothing at all, he’ll still pick me—without hesitation.”

When Bianca left, Noreen’s smile slowly faded.

Bianca had hit her where it hurt.

But it wasn’t Seth’s disregard that stung.

It was mourning for the woman she used to be—the one who had fought so hard for love.

Only she knew how much she wanted to win this time.

…

In the private dining room next door, Henry Brooke had invited Padgett Novak out for a meal.

Before Henry could answer, his phone buzzed. He looked down at the message, a smile spreading across his face. “I’ll introduce you sometime. I have to go—you take your time with dinner.”

After Henry left, Padgett stood up as well. As he stepped out of the dining room, he spotted a familiar figure.

Without thinking, he strode quickly toward Noreen.

She had just finished seeing a few senior colleagues off and was about to call Sophia to check how close she was.

Outside, it had started to drizzle.

To make it easier for Sophia to spot her, Noreen stepped a little closer to the curb.

A sudden gust sent the rain sideways, soaking her through.

She stood there, a bit stunned.

“Careful,” Padgett said, catching up just as she got drenched. He quickly shrugged off his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

At that moment, Seth and Bianca were leaving the restaurant together.

Seth’s gaze landed on the oversized men’s jacket now wrapped around Noreen, lingering there for several seconds.