Noreen wasn’t the least bit shaken by Ruby Wilder’s betrayal; her expression remained as cool and indifferent as ever.
“And another thing,” she continued, her tone icy, “at the Aurelion Group’s celebration, Bianca left with Yves entirely of her own ord. I even warned her that Yves was trouble, but she followed him anyway. She did it on purpose, hoping you’d get med by Mr. Harcourt for failing to keep her in line.”
It was obvious Ruby was desperate–she was spilling what she thought were secrets, hoping Noreen would take her side.
Maybe she thought this confession would win Noreen over and help her secure the job. But she’d misjudged her audience.
If Ruby hadn’t yed these little games, she would’ve received an offer within a couple of days. She’d sabotaged her own future.
Carman’s studio was as busy as ever, but Noreen noticed the team had thinned out since herst
visit.
She found Carman’s assistant to ask about it and learned that several staff members had recently jumped ship for higher sries elsewhere.
If it were just one or two, it might be normal turnover. But seven or eight people leaving at once? That was no coincidence.
Noreen asked Johnson to look into it, and soon had her answer.
Just as she suspected, Bianca had poached them–lured them away to SkyMind with big paychecks.
If they couldn’t steal Carman himself, they’d strip his team instead. It was a tant move against her.
Noreen discussed it with Carman.
“We’re stretched thin,” Carman admitted. “Even if we start hiring now, it’ll take time to get everyone up to speed. Progress is bound to slow down.”
Noreen had made a personal guarantee to Mr. Naylor at Eastvale Corporation. If InnoCore’s new Al model wasn’t online by the deadline, it would jeopardize their partnership.
“We’ll have to power through this stretch,” she told the team. “Once we’re past the crunch, I’ll make sure everyone gets a bonus.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Gilmore! We’re with InnoCore all the way!” someone called out.
Those who stayed–unmoved by money–were the ones who truly cared about InnoCore. To them, thepany was like a child they’d helped nurture and protect.
Noreen reminded Carman to take care of his health, no matter how busy things got.
The next morning, Healy stopped by Winrich to discuss the coboration again.
He’d even brought Swiss choctes and a bottle of wine as gifts.
“Mr. Healy, you’re full of surprises,” Noreen said with a polite smile.
10.37
It was standard practice to exchange small gifts between business partners, and Healy had chosen well–thoughtful, tasteful, and not over the top.
“I picked these up while skiing in Switzend over the New Year,” he exined. “Just a little something I hope you’ll ept.”
“Did you have a good trip?” Noreen asked casually as she skimmed through some files.
Healy smiled. “Not bad. Seth came along, too.”
Noreen’s hand paused for a fraction of a second, then she regained herposure. “Next month, InnoCore’s new Al model goes live. We’ll need data from the Naylor Automotive Group for training. Please make sure your team is ready.”
“Of course! Just let me know when you need it.” Healy pulled out his phone. “Would it be alright if we exchanged WhatsApp details? It’ll make things easier.”
This time, Noreen agreed.
When her eptance shed on his phone, Healy looked so moved, he was nearly in tears.
After Healy left, Carman called. They needed Naylor Automotive to send over a batch of data for the
base model.
Noreen messaged Healy on WhatsApp. He replied almost instantly: “No problem, I’ll have my team get it over to Mr. Holt right away.”
She sent a thumbs–up emoji, then as she was about to exit the chat, her finger brushed Healy’s profile picture, opening his contact card.
Beneath it, she spotted histest status update.
Even in the small,pressed photo, Noreen instantly recognized Seth and Bianca, side by side in their ski jackets.
So that’s why–he’d gone to Switzend to go skiing with Bianca. That’s why he’d stood her up.
He really hasn’t changed at all.
<b>Chapter </b><b>200 </b>