In that moment, a thousand words crowded Noreen''s mind.


    She could have wished them lifelong happiness, together until old age. Or, if she''d let her bitterness speak, she might have offered a more sarcastic blessing-may the two of you be chained together forever, so you can''t go out and ruin anyone else''s life.


    But in the end, she said nothing at all.


    Whether it was a heartfelt blessing or a curse, neither felt right not after everything she''d once given, all the sincerity she''d poured into them. Silence, she decided, was the only answer worthy of her past self.


    After she left, Seth quietly ate his cake. He managed about half of it before murmuring, "Guess this cake will have to count as your blessing."


    He couldn''t bring himself to throw away what was left. Instead, he tidied up, tucked the rest into the fridge, and only then pulled out his phone to make a call. "She should reach out to you in the next couple of days," he said, his voice low.


    Her brief encounter with Seth left Noreen''s heart a little unsettled-but the feeling faded quickly. The moment she stepped out of the hotel, the cold wind swept it all away.


    There''d been a time when she''d survived the long, hard years on nothing but sheer willpower. Later, she relied on the skills she''d honed during those difficult days to keep moving forward.


    Life was just too long, and she had better things ahead of her.


    That very evening, Noreen reached out to Vincent.


    By the next morning, she was on a flight to his hometown.


    Vincent hadn''t expected her to arrive so soon; her sudden appearance took him


    by surprise. She''d even brought him breakfast. As she handed it over, Vincent noticed she deliberately offered it to his left side.


    He shot her a quizzical look.


    "I noticed you''re left-handed," Noreen exined with a smile.


    "Miss Gilmore, you really don''t miss a thing," Vincent said, genuinely impressed by her attention to detail.


    In today''s restless world, that sort of thoughtfulness was rare. And Noreen wasn''t just observant; she was hardworking and thoroughly professional Vincent had seen it firsthand when they''d worked together before. Even back then, he''d thought she was overqualified to be just a secretary.


    Later, when he heard she''d started her own projects, he knew she''d make it-her promotion was only a matter of time.


    Who could have guessed things would take such a turn? Sometimes, it was just a matter of bad luck.


    But she had bounced back. Not only had she pulled off the InnoCore project-the crown jewel of her career-but she''d even managed to snatch the Port Redevelopment Project right out from under Seth and the Aurelion Group.


    Her startup, Winrich, barely a year old, had be a rising star in the industry- full of promise and potential.


    So when Noreen suggested they partner up, Vincent was intrigued. And she wasn''ting to him on a whim, either; she''d clearly done her homework. Her business proposal made that obvious.


    Noreen was a master at capitalizing on opportunities and streamlining operations, and her skills at building corporate structures were second to none.


    Vincent, already tempted, waspletely won over after reading her proposal.


    He promised Noreen that as soon as he wrapped up his family matters, he''d head straight back to Rivercrest City to meet her.


    With things settled, Noreen finally breathed easy.


    After saying goodbye to Vincent, she rang up ire Chase. "Hey, sweetheart, I''ve got half a day free-thought I''de see you."


    ire was shooting a movie in Northcrest, just a short trip away. She was thrilled at the prospect of a visit and promised, with great ceremony, to give Noreen a surprise.


    Noreen pressed her for details, but ire only yed coy, keeping the whole thing a mystery.


    It wasn''t until Noreen arrived that she discovered what ire''s "surprise" actually


    was.


    The nightclub was pulsing with deafening music; bodies writhed energetically on the dance floor. Noreen stumped into a booti rubbing her temples. "Honestly, we''d be better off back at the hotel, splitting a bottle of wine and snacking on something simple."


    ire shook her head, utterly unconvinced.<fnb0c2> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on fin?novel</fnb0c2>


    "You keep saying you''ve moved on, but the truth is, you spent thest seven years living for Seth. He didn''t appreciate you, and now your heart''s empty you''ve lost your spark re dered. Im helping you get your spirit back, don''t you get it?"


    They didn''t see each other often, but ire always made a point to check in on Noreen''s love life. Lately, she''d heard that Noreen had turned down several outstanding men, and she was genuinely worried about her friend.