She couldn''t resist adding a reminder for Seth. "You''d better hold on tight, Seth. Bianca is quite a catch. When she was abroad, she had several European nobles vying for her attention."


    "I know," Seth replied seriously.


    Yvonne then shifted the topic to Harcourt Group, trying to probe for information. "Now that you''ve started your ownpany, you haven''t been involved with Harcourt Group at all. My knowledge of thepany is probably the same as yours."<fn3ff7> Read full story at fin?novel</fn3ff7>


    Seth told her, "The group is managed by a team of professional executives now. He doesn''t have to worry about much. My own business is more demanding, so I really don''t have the time to split my focus."


    His response left Yvonne at a loss for words. She knew she could only push so far; after all, she was only his future mother-inw. Bianca shot her a look, signaling her to drop it, and Yvonne fell silent.


    In their minds, it didn''t matter. Seth was Wade''s only son, the sole heir to Harcourt Group. It was a foregone conclusion, not something they needed to worry about.


    Wade personally drove Noreen to the Winrich Capital offices. On arrival, Noreen invited him in for a tour, and he epted. He was curious to see how her newpany was faring.


    His visit was impromptu, and he worried that Noreen might be unprepared or that a newpany would inevitably have some organizational ws. To his surprise, the entire office was running like a well-oiled machine. Even with their boss hospitalized for several days, order and efficiency had been perfectly maintained.


    By the end of the tour, Wade''s admiration for Noreen had only grown. He sat for a while in her office, and after sipping the tea she had prepared, he got to the point.


    "The Rivercrest Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual conference soon. I usually preside over it, but my health isn''t what it used to be, and simply don''t have the energy for it this year. I was wondering if you might have the time to attend in my ce."


    Noreen was so stunned she shot to her feet.


    Her shock was justified. An invitation to the Chamber''s annual conference was an opportunity most entrepreneurs could only. dream of. Even as the richest


    vel


    woman in Rivercrest City, she might not have met the Chamber''s stringent membership criteria. The conference was thergest, most prestigious, and most influential gathering of the city''s business elite, bringing together the best and brightest from every industry.


    "Mr. Harcourt, I... I''m afraid I wouldn''t do a good job."


    While she had apanied Seth to countless high-stakes meetings, it was always as his assistant. She had almost no experiencemanding such a stage herself. She didn''t have the confidence to ept such a heavy responsibility.


    Wade gestured for her to calm


    down. "You''re only attending on my behalf. I''ve already delegated the organizational duties to other members of the Chamber. Think of as a chance to learn and gain experience. There''s no pressure."


    “I''m just worried I''d fail to meet your expectations."


    If she were attending on her own merit, she wouldn''t have these reservations. But representing Wade meant she had to consider the weight of his reputation.


    "If you don''t feel up to it," Wade said, his tone still gentle, "then we can pretend I never mentioned it."


    ***