His voice was low and gentle. “It’s raining out, and the temperature’s dropping. Let mee with you to grab a jacket.”


    “Alright.” Bianca gave Noreen a nod, then left with Seth.


    So Seth could be thoughtful, after all.


    Noreen stood frozen for a few seconds, surprised–she’d never seen this side of him.


    Back in the dining hall, just as Bianca had said, there wasn’t much left to eat.


    Noreen grabbed a couple of bread rolls, nning to make do, and was about to sit down when her phone rang. It was Seth.


    She answered.


    His voice was cold now, none of the warmth from earlier. “Come out.”


    “Now?” Noreen nced at the bread in her hand, hesitating.


    “What, are you nning to keep us waiting?”


    She paused, then quietly agreed. “Alright.”


    She shoved the bread into her bag and hurried to the main entrance. By the time she got there, Seth and Bianca were already in the car.


    The two of them were sitting together in the backseat, leaving only the front passenger seat open for her.


    Noreen lowered hershes, hiding her thoughts, and quietly took her ce in the


    front.


    No sooner had she closed the door than Seth told the driver to go, his impatience


    obvious.


    The bread in her bag was still warm, but Noreen didn’t get a chance to eat–Seth didn’t like anyone eating in his car.


    After seven years as his secretary, she knew all his preferences by heart. They’d be second nature; she obeyed them on instinct.


    Even now, when her stomach ached for something to settle it, she didn’t reach for the bread.


    11:58


    Not that Seth would have given her the chance; he cut straight to business.


    “How exactly did you negotiate with AeroEdge before?”


    His tone was usatory, as if the project’s setbacks were all her fault.


    Noreen kept her voice calm. “The project’s already through two rounds. The term sheet is signed, and the investment ratio was agreed on from the start. If we suddenly change the terms, Aero Edge is bound to have concerns-”


    Seth cut her off before she could finish. “As long as the process isn’t finalized, anything can still change.”


    He paused, eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror, lips curving in a slight, <i>cool </i>smile. “You’ve worked with me this long and still don’t get that?”


    Noreen looked down, then asked quietly, “Then can you tell me why the investment


    ratio has to be cut?”


    This time, Bianca answered. “From where I stand, Aero Edge’s drones just aren’tmercial enough. There’s no way the market will live up to what their proposal promises. That’s why I rmended lowering the ratio.”


    “AeroEdge is an established brand, with solid tech and full after–sales service. That’s what caught Aurelion Group’s eye in the first ce,” Noreen argued.


    “But business is about profit, not sentiment,” Bianca countered, dismissing the point


    with a wave of her hand.


    She shed Seth a teasing smile. “Looks like you haven’t taught your people very


    well.”


    Seth gave a nomittal hum, then nced at Noreen with a casual air. “That’s why she’s just a secretary, not an investment director.”


    Bianca let out a lightugh. “Investment takes brains and vision. Secretary


    Gilmore’s only got a bachelor’s degree–it’s no wonder handling a project like this is too much for her.”


    ???