All Bianca could do was say goodnight to Seth and get out of the car.


    The next day, Bianca and Seth went to the party. As they entered the club, Bianca saw a familiar pair of figures and stopped dead in her tracks. Seth, who had walked a few steps ahead, turned back. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing," she said, her expression darkening as she tore her gaze away. She had just seen Noreen and Dn. The sight of them together brought back Dn''s words at the university, when he had told her that the person he''d loved for seven years was Noreen. The memory still stung.


    When they entered the private room, Healy was already there, along with a few of Jude''s other friends. Bianca scanned the room. "Where''s Dn? Is he not here yet?"


    "He said he had something to do and would bete," Jude replied.


    Bianca sneered inwardly. *His ''something to do'' is being with Noreen, isn''t it?*


    Dn''s definition of te" turned out to be "noting." An hour into the party, there was still no sign of him. Bianca made an excuse to step out and deliberately lingered in the VIP suite area. Sure enough, in one of the private rooms, she saw him. And sitting next to him was Noreen.


    They wereughing, chatting happily with the person across from them. Dn was turned toward Noreen, his attention fully on her, asionally cing food on her te or peeling a shrimp for her. The gesture was so intimate and attentive it felt like a thorn twisting in Bianca''s heart.


    Just then, a waiter pushed the door open to deliver a dish, giving Bianca a clear view of the person sitting across from them.


    It was Halley Joyner.


    She had just had dinner with him a few days ago, and he had been cold and distant. But now, he was all smiles. The discovery made Bianca frown. Dn had introduced Noreen to someone like Halley? With her background and abilities, Noreen would never have had the chance to meet someone of his caliber. She remembered how Halley had dismissed Noreen at the golf course, yet she just kept trying to ingratiate herself. *So maniptive,* Bianca thought, turning away with a cold expression.


    Back in the room, Jude asked why she''d been gone so long.


    "Just getting some air," she said, then asked casually, "Dn still isn''t here?"


    "Nope. He''s not even answering his messages. Who knows what he''s up to. Forget him, let''s just have fun."


    "Probably busy with his love life," Bianca said mockingly.


    Jude started to retort, "Who could he be with-oh." His voice trailed off as realization dawned, and he quickly changed the subject.


    Meanwhile, Dn was stunned to learn that Noreen was nning to apply for Halley''s graduate program.


    "Can you handle it all?" he asked, concerned. She was already juggling several projects and preparing for Innocore''s IPO And on top of Halley''s program was notoriously difficult to get into.


    Halley snorted. "If she can''t pass, it just means she''s not capable enough."


    "But she hasn''t touched this material


    in years<fna9f2> This content belongs to find?novel</fna9f2>


    Dn argued on Noreen''s


    behalf. You have to give her some


    time to prepare."


    "She has three months. Isn''t that enough?"


    Dn found he couldn''t argue with that.


    Just as Bianca had suspected, Dn never showed up at Jude''s party After dinner, he drove Noreen home.


    Before she got out of the car he


    spoke up.


    ***