Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 272

Before long, people started trickling out from inside the terminal.

Noreen kept her head down, busy texting Claire back.

Not far away, three people hurried outside. Leading the way was Henry Brooke, also engrossed in his phone, responding to a message from Bianca.

“Just landed. Free tonight? Want to grab dinner?”

He’d barely hit send when he slammed straight into someone.

The collision was so forceful that Noreen’s phone flew from her hand and crashed to the floor, dying a dramatic, untimely death.

She scrambled to pick it up, only to find the screen black and unresponsive. Just as she opened her mouth to speak—

The man who’d collided with her coolly turned to his assistant. “Replace it for her.”

He didn’t bother with an apology, just strode away without looking back.

Noreen was stunned by his rudeness, a disbelieving laugh escaping her lips. “Wow. Money really does make the world go ’round, huh?”

Henry paused mid-step and glanced over his shoulder, giving Noreen a thorough, almost appraising look—the kind that made her skin crawl.

Finally, he gave a slight, sardonic smile. “Money is impressive, isn’t it?”

—

On the ride back, Noreen recounted the whole airport incident to Claire.

“You’re way too polite,” Claire huffed from the passenger seat, gesturing wildly. “If it were me, I’d have kicked him right in the face. Let’s see how smug he’d look then! Come on, I’m the Combat Queen! I’d have wiped the floor with that jerk!”

Noreen couldn’t help but laugh, Claire’s dramatics instantly lifting her mood. “So, Combat Queen, where are we celebrating tonight?”

“I want a feast! We have to celebrate you properly!”

“Deal. I’m at your mercy! You can pick any restaurant in all of Rivercrest City!”

For the past three months, Claire had been deep in training—horseback riding, archery, wirework, and wielding a mean staff. Even the stunt coordinator had praised her fight scenes for their fluidity.

Noreen could tell Claire genuinely loved acting. No matter how grueling the training, she never complained.

As for Noreen, her own career was practically taking off; Claire didn’t worry about her in the slightest.

What she was more curious about was Noreen’s love life.

Noreen hesitated, then said, “I don’t really want to spend the time getting to know someone new. It’s like writing an essay—you’re almost finished, but then the teacher rips it up and tells you to start over because your handwriting’s messy. You remember the beginning, sure, but you’re too worn out to rewrite it. You’ve already poured everything into that one essay, right up to the last line, and now you have to start from scratch.”

“Honestly, being alone makes me feel more grounded.”

Claire listened, her eyes softening with sympathy. “You’re like someone who’s been bitten by a snake—now you’re terrified of every rope you see. Seth is such a bastard!”

She gripped her fork, looking like she was ready to toss that jerk right off the top of the 458-meter building.