Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 292

Seth had arrived with Bianca.

Tonight, Bianca had truly outdone herself. She wore a high-fashion, custom-tailored evening gown, and—most importantly—a set of jewelry worth over five million dollars.

Of course, it still didn’t quite measure up to the Kashmir sapphire set Noreen had worn the last time. But Bianca was sure Noreen wouldn’t dare show up wearing that sapphire necklace again.

And, as it turned out, she was right.

Tonight, Noreen hadn’t even bothered with an evening dress. She looked plain, almost forgettable.

That outrageously expensive sapphire necklace? Who knows where she’d rented it from to make a splash. The moment was over, and now her true colors were on display.

Sure, maybe Noreen had some skills. After all, she’d been working with Seth for years—she must have picked up a few tricks, which was how she’d managed to land the InnoCore and Harborfront redevelopment deals.

But so what?

In investment banking, it’s all about connections and resources.

Resources? Bianca had Seth’s full support—a well that never ran dry.

Connections? She could always count on her father, Forrest, whose network was endless.

That was one of the key reasons she’d been able to secure her position at Grand Trust Bank.

International banks and financial institutions love hiring the children of officials. They bring with them their parents’ networks and their own privileged backgrounds.

So, really, Noreen was never qualified to be her rival.

Bianca looked away, dismissing Noreen from her thoughts as if she no longer mattered.

Draped in luxury, she soon became the center of attention, though most of the people who came to greet her were women.

Seth greeted Bianca quickly, then excused himself, saying he needed to mingle.

But he had no intention of networking. Instead, he drifted over to a spot where he could keep an eye on Noreen.

The room was crowded, and his gaze moved often, so no one would notice whom he was really watching.

He saw Carman sticking close behind Noreen, subtly shielding her from people who nearly bumped into her, swapping out her empty wine glass for a fresh one, and making sure she had something to eat from time to time.

She was still the same as ever—throwing herself into work like nothing else mattered. One glass of wine after another…

Just then, Dylan walked up.

Jude did a double take. “Dylan! When did you get back?”

“Last Wednesday,” Dylan replied.

Jude looked even more confused. “Why didn’t you tell us? Bianca treated us to drinks that night, remember?”

“Didn’t end up happening. Seth got into a car accident.”

Dylan glanced at the bandage on Seth’s forehead and explained, “Something came up. I landed in Rivercrest City on short notice and had to fly out to Harborcrest that same night. Didn’t have time to call you guys.”

Across the room, a waiter brought the warm hawthorn juice to Noreen.

She looked at it, puzzled. “Who sent this?”

The waiter pointed across the room.

Noreen followed his gesture—and across the sea of faces, her eyes met Dylan’s.