Noreen couldn’t help butugh in disbelief at Seth’s casual, dismissive


    response.


    He knew full well that Jude was stirring up trouble on purpose,


    sabotaging her for his own amusement. Yet Seth still chose to believe Jude’s side of the story, as if she were the one at fault.


    She didn’t buy for a second that Seth couldn’t see through Jude’s clumsy ploys. He simply allowed it–again and again–letting Jude humiliate and torment her as he pleased.


    Fury churned inside Noreen, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her voice sharp as ice.


    “Well, since you’re being so generous, Mr. Harcourt, why don’t you pay me a hundred thousand dors in damages?”


    Seth hadn’t even responded when Jude cut in with a mockingugh. “Are you trying to ckmail us or something? It’s just aptop. Even the fanciest one isn’t worth that much.”


    “Then we’ll pay the highest possible price,” Seth said tly, making the decision for everyone.


    He sounded as if he was doing Noreen a favor, as though this should be more than enough to appease her–if only she knew her ce.


    He checked the price on his phone, wrote her a check, handed it over, and left without another word. Clearly, he was in a hurry to catch up with


    Bianca.


    Noreen swallowed her indignation, while Jude looked more pleased than


    ever.


    “See it now, Noreen? You mean nothing to Seth. Not before, not now.”


    He kicked aside her scattered brochures, smirking as he spoke. “Let me be honest: I trashed your booth on purpose. What are you going to do about it? And that prime spot you worked so hard to secure for your


    07:30


    team? One word from me and it’s gone.”


    “So here’s the deal: from now on, steer clear of me, Noreen. I’m the kind of guy you’ll never be able to handle.”


    His eyes flicked to the check–twenty grand, ording to the amount scrawled across it–and he let out a sneeringugh. “This is all you’re worth. You’re nothingpared to Bianca. Seth gave her her own project, no budget limits, no restrictions–took her <i>to </i>every important dinner, introduced her to all his contacts, pulled every string to give her the best tform possible, to lift her career.”


    “Noreen, everything you couldn’t achieve in seven years, Bianca got the second she walked back in. She didn’t even have to try–she just got handed everything you ever wanted.”


    “And you? You spent all those years chasing after Seth–doing everything for him, getting nothing in return. That’s the difference between you and Bianca.”


    “You don’t even deserve to bepared to her. Got it?”


    Jude finished, feeling a rush of satisfaction, as if he’d finally paid Noreen back for all the times she’d made him feel small. He couldn’t wait to see her break down–to watch her slink off, tail between her legs, forever


    humiliated.


    Instead, she calmly handed him a giant cup of iced coffee.


    He barely had time to register the gesture before she tossed it straight in


    his face.


    Before Jude could explode, Noreen spoke coldly, herposure unshaken. “Here’s all you need to remember: I don’t stoop topete with anyone, Jude.”


    “And as for Seth? He’s just one man. If Bianca wants him, she can have


    him.”


    “Oh, and I only avoid bad luck. If you want to admit you’re bad luck, I’ll be happy to steer clear.”


    ???


    01.201


    “Noreen!” Jude finally lost it.


    She nced at him with pure disdain, mimicking Seth’s earlier tone, “Whatever the damages, I’ll pay you back at full price.”


    “And don’t get greedy, or I might just report you for extortion.”


    With that, she tossed Seth’s check at him as if it were trash.


    Better to let garbage end up where it belongs.


    Jude was left sputtering, furious at the humiliation. But before he could retaliate, a group of security guards approached to ask what was going <ol><li>on. </li></ol>