Noreen said she''d see how things went.
When she returned to the living room, she found Seth sitting at the dining table with a bowl of soup in front of him.
He looked up just as she entered, their eyes meeting for a brief moment.
After that fleeting exchange, Noreen coolly looked away and turned to Evelyn. "Are you feeling any better after the soup?"
"Much better," Evelyn replied.
Of course, she was still coughing a little.
She hurried to exin, almost nervously, “Seth didn''t know you wereing. He just heard I was sick and came home to check on me."
Noreen wasn''t about to tter herself by thinking Seth had returned for her.
"It''s gettingte. I should head out," Noreen said, cing her empty bowl in the kitchen. "I put the rest of the soup in a thermos. If you want moreter, just help yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, a loud p of thunder shook the house.
Rainshed against the windows-sharp and relentless.
Evelyn''s eyes widened in worry. "The building manager just called. All the nearby roads are flooded—it''s not safe to drive right now. Why don''t you stay over tonight?"
If Seth hadn''te back, Noreen might have considered spending the night at the Harcourt house, just for safety''s sake.
But now, that wasn''t an option she wanted to entertain.
Before she could answer, Seth spoke up from across the room. "You should stay. I''ll be leaving soon anyway."
Evelyn nced at Seth, concern etched on her face. "But it''s pouring out there, and the roads are flooded..."
"I''ll be fine." Seth stood, already reaching for his phone. "I''ll just say goodbye to my dad and then I''m heading out."
Noreen opened her mouth to call after him, but he was already disappearing into the study before she could utter a word.
"Noreen, just stay, will you?" Evelyn pleaded softly, her tired eyes revealing more than she said aloud.
She looked at the two of them and felt a pang of sadness. How many people, she wondered, could truly part ways on good terms?
Noreen only came back to the Harcourt home out of respect for Wade and Evelyn. Soon enough, even that reason would fade.
Evelyn, still sick, tugged at Noreen''s heart. She couldn''t bear to upset her further, so she nodded.
At her agreement, Evelyn finally managed a smile and hurried off to prepare the guest room.
Noreen gently stopped her. "It''s fine, I''ll get it ready myself. You should rest."<fn6e55> Follow current nov?ls on find~novel</fn6e55>
"If you''re sure," Evelyn relented. "The guest linens are all fresh-there are new sheets and pillowcases in the closet. Just make yourselffortable."
Noreen had stayed here before; she knew her way around.
She tidied up the room quickly, then headed out to the living room to tell Evelyn to get some rest, too.
As she reached the hallway, she heard Seth speaking in a low voice on the phone outside the door.
"The initial feedback on Aetheria is great. Ramp up the marketing, don''t worry about the budget."
"Line up a few professional interviews for Aetheria-let''s get
some good press out before the
officialunch. Try to drown out the ative reviews."
"Make sure the data is solid. I want Aetheria to be this year''s breakout hit."
"And keep all this from Director Lowell. She needs this project to prove herself at Aurelion Group."
Aetheria that was the game Bianca had invested in.
Seth really was the silent power behind the scenes.
Don''t fall too hard, Noreen reminded herself.
She stepped out, ignoring Seth, and went straight to find Evelyn in the living room.
Seth kept his word. Once he finished his call, he came out, said a quick goodbye to Evelyn, grabbed an umbre, and left.
Noreen nced outside; the rain wasing down in sheets, so heavy it felt like the sky might cave in.
Evelyn reminded her to make sure the windows and doors were locked tight before bed so the damp wouldn''t seep in.
When Noreen went to close the
window, she thought she glimpsed a car parked under the trees outside,
ΟΙ
but the downpour made it impossible to tell what kind it was.
She didn''t dwell on it, shut the window tight, and went to bed.