"Where were you on Valentine''s Day?" Noreen asked next.


    The answer came out instantly, as if etched into his memory. "At my engagement."


    Noreen''s hands tightened on the steering wheel.


    Of course. Valentine''s Day was his and Bianca''s engagement party. As the groom-to-be, he couldn''t possibly have left.


    It meant she had been overthinking everything.


    When the light turned green, the flicker of hope in Noreen''s heart was extinguished, and a familiar calm settled over her once more. They drove the rest of the way in silence.


    After dropping Seth off at the hotel, Noreen drove away without a backward nce, her car quickly disappearing into the increasingly blurry curtain of rain.


    Seth stood silently, watching the spot where her car had vanished, a flicker of loneliness crossing his usually stoic face. But just as quickly, heposed himself and walked into the hotel.


    From a corner of the lobby, Henry watched the scene unfold,pletely stunned. He had juste from visiting Bianca at the hospital and was heading back to his room, his mood heavier than ever. He''d decided toe downstairs for some air, but the rain had driven him into the lobby café, where he''d taken a seat by the window.


    The timing was so perfect, so damning, that he couldn''t have missed it if he tried. Noreen had personally driven Seth back to the hotel.


    Hadn''t Bianca said Seth''s father was feeling unwell, and that''s why he couldn''t stay with her at the hospital? He''d told her he was going *home*.


    So this was his idea of ''going home''? What a joke.


    And Noreen... she knew Seth and Bianca were engaged. Their rtionship was public knowledge, yet here she was, inserting herself between them. What did that make her, if not a homewrecker? She had no shame.


    The thought that Padgett Novak still held a torch for a woman like that made his stomach churn.


    He pulled out his phone and called Padgett, asking him to meet for a drink.


    By the time Padgett arrived, Henry was already well into his first ss. He was in a foul mood, feeling sorry for Bianca and disgusted by Noreen''s shameless behavior, poured Padgett atrink and couldn''t stop himself from asking the question that had been bothering him.


    "What do you even see in Noreen?" he asked, his tone dripping with disdain.


    Padgett''s brow furrowed, clearly displeased with Henry''s tone when speaking about Noreen. Still, he answered politely, "She''s worth it."


    "Worth what? Her looks?" Henry sneered. "I admit, she''s beautiful on the outside, but inside, she''s absolutely rotten. She''s not worth your time."


    "If you''re going to talk about her like that, then ''m not interested in this drink." The usually easygoing Padgett''s expression hardened his eyes turning cold. He looked ready to walk out at any moment,


    Henry was taken aback. For a woman with such questionable morals, Padgett was willing to throw away years of friendship. Just how deep was he in?


    He took a few deep breaths to calm his frustration, trying to reason with him in a softer tone. "She won''t even give you the time of day. What''s the point of liking her?"


    As far as Henry was concerned, Noreen was just ying hard to get, stringing Padgett along. And Padgett was too blind to see it.


    "She''s just been through a really bad heartbreak," Padgett countered. "Her heart''s still healing. She''s not ready to jump into a new rtionship or let someone new in. It takes time."


    Henry scoffed at the exnation. "Or maybe that''s just hertest trick to keep men wrapped around her finger."<fna28d> The rightful source is F?nd-Novel</fna28d>


    "I see this conversation is over." Padgett stood up, his gaze sharp and cold. "And you should probably cut back on the alcohol. It seems to be making you gossip like an old woman."


    ...


    Noreen had just stepped out of the shower, the lingering thoughts in her mind finally washed away. She was about to open herptop to get some work done when the doorbell rang.