Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 361

Carman couldn’t stand anyone badmouthing Noreen. Instinctively, she wanted to jump to her defense.

But Noreen reached out and stopped her.

Leaning back in her chair, Noreen regarded Henry with an almost amused expression. “Go on then, Mr. Brooke. What exactly do you think is wrong with me?”

Henry had never liked Noreen. In his eyes, she was an empty vessel who used her looks to get ahead. As far as he was concerned, if someone relied on shady tactics to climb the ladder, they ought to keep their head down and stay out of the spotlight. But Noreen seemed determined to do the opposite, flaunting herself without restraint. If she wanted to make herself a target, he saw no reason to hold back.

He crossed one leg over the other, his voice dripping with mockery. “Frankly, I just find it amusing when someone pretends to know more than they do. I heard Miss Gilmore only has a regular college degree. These days, that’s worth next to nothing. Maybe I sound harsh, but I’m just stating facts.”

He fixed Noreen with a pointed look. “Someone with an ordinary degree questioning a PhD in finance from a top international university? Don’t you think that’s a bit of a joke?”

Noreen’s tone was cool as she shot back, “So you’re saying a PhD in finance is incapable of making mistakes, Mr. Brooke?”

Henry opened his mouth to retort, but Bianca stepped in at just the right moment. “Ms. Gilmore, you’re being too harsh,” she said gently. “No one is perfect. If there really is an error, I’m more than willing to correct it.” She nodded to Henry in thanks.

Henry’s frown eased, his annoyance giving way to admiration for Bianca’s poise. Not everyone could rise above petty squabbles.

Carman leaned over to Noreen and whispered, “That Mr. Brooke definitely has it out for you.”

It was plain as day.

Noreen had sensed it long ago, though she couldn’t pinpoint when or why Henry’s grudge had started. But it didn’t matter. People were like that. Prejudice was a mountain in the mind—once it was there, nothing could move it. She had no intention of wasting time worrying about the opinions of people who meant nothing to her.

Thankfully, the rest of the meeting went smoothly. Bianca demonstrated her professionalism and didn’t make any more missteps. The only issue was that she had so much she wanted to discuss that the meeting kept dragging on.

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