<b>Chapter </b><b>320 </b>


    Things weren’t looking too bright on the Omniva Group side either.


    Sophia nced at Noreen. “You’re interested in the Seymour Group?<b>” </b>


    “I’m just watching for now,” Noreen replied, nomittal. “Who knows–maybe Jude will pull off a miracle and turn the Seymour Group around himself.”


    Sophia had a hard time buying that.


    “Oh, by the way, I found out something else.” Sophia leaned in. “Jude’s been selling off his collectibles to invest in TechVenture.”


    Noreen just stared at her in disbelief.


    How could someone trip over the same stone a hundred times and never learn?


    Honestly, it was a miracle Jude hadn’t given himself a heart attack by now.


    On Wednesday, Noreen cleared her entire schedule for one thing: visiting her mentor.


    They hadn’t seen each other in seven years. Now, standing at his front door, her nerves were shot.


    She couldn’t bring herself to press the doorbell. Her hand hovered, then fell, hovered again, then dropped back down. By the end of it, her palms were mmy with cold sweat, but the doorbell remained untouched.


    Inside the house, Halley Joyner was getting restless too.


    In the end, he had no choice but to nudge the housekeeper to take out the trash, just to “identally” bump into Noreen outside.


    The housekeeper did as told, and Noreen forced herself to introduce, “Hello, my name is Noreen. I’m here to see Professor Joyner.”


    “Oh! Professor Joyner is homee on in,” the housekeeper said, ushering her inside.


    At this point, there was no turning back; Noreen had to go in.


    By the time she stepped into the foyer, Halley was already sitting in his chair, sipping tea with a newspaper open, looking thoroughly absorbed.


    Noreen lingered awkwardly by the door, too nervous to take another step.


    The housekeeper announced, “Professor Joyner, you have a visitor.”


    Halley raised his eyebrows and shot a nce toward the entrance.


    When he saw it was Noreen, he simply gave a curt look before returning to his paper, as if nothing had happened.


    Noreen really wished she’d asked Dn Wilder toe with her. At least then, someone could break this ice–cold silence.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>08:44 </b>


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    She felt like a schoolgirl being punished, standing stiffly at the door, not daring to move.


    Only after Halley turned a page in the paper did he finally speak, his tone cool and distant. “What are you here for?”


    The housekeeper, who was half–heartedly dusting a vase, nearly lost it.


    Who was it that, after getting Dn’s call about Noreen’s visit, had been so excited he barely slept all night? And now he was ying it so cool, as if he couldn’t care less<b>. </b>If Noreen really did get scared off, he’d be the first to regret it.


    Noreen answered honestly, “I came to see you.”


    “Well, now you’ve seen me. You can go.”


    Noreen hesitated. “I haven’t eaten yet.”


    “What, nning to freeload dinner off me now?”


    “It’s not freeloading–I brought a gift.” Noreen quickly offered up the present she’d brought. <fna8f0> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fna8f0>


    “Don’t try to bribe me.”


    “It’s not a bribe, it’s just a small token of respect.”


    Halley looked unimpressed.


    “It’s a calligraphy piece by Master Linden,” Noreen said hurriedly, unrolling the scroll. “I remember you always liked his work.”


    She tried her best to look sincere.


    Halley had nned to keep up the cold act, but as soon as he met her eyes, the facade began to crack.


    “Fine. Tell the housekeeper what you’d like to eat–she makes a great stew.”


    “You still remember I like stew?”


    “Who said I remembered? I’m just saying she makes a good one.”


    Halley had always been the type with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. The fact that he was even talking to her meant the anger had pretty much faded.


    Noreen knew she’d been at fault back then. So she apologized sincerely, said a few kind words to soften him up, and soon enough, he relented.


    She ended up staying for dinner.


    She’d nned to spend the afternoon, but some urgent situation cropped up at Naylor Automotive Group, so Noreen had to cut her visit short.


    “Workes first,” Halley said.


    She hurried out of the Joyner house, and as her car pulled away, she passed a Rolls–Royceing from the opposite direction.


    Henry Brooke, sitting inside, caught sight of Noreen through the window. His brow furrowed


    08:44


    instinctively.


    Why did she seem to pop up everywhere he went?