Noreen was too preupied to notice his subtle movements. The lecture began, and she listened intently, asionally jotting down notes. If they hadn''t been in a packed hall, Henry would have been tempted to scoff. Did she even understand this advanced material? What could she possibly be writing down? She was putting on a good show, pretending to be a diligent student. It was probably just for appearances, so she couldter boast that she had attended a lecture by a world-renowned academician. Amon trick in the business world.


    Noreen was so engrossed in the lecture that she hadpletely forgotten Henry was even there. Dn arrived just as the lecture was winding down and a teaching assistant was giving a summary. The seat on Noreen''s other side had emptied, but she was so focused that she didn''t even notice when someone else sat down.


    Only when she had finished herst line of notes and capped her pen did Dn speak. "Looks like you learned a lot."


    "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.


    "I figured you''d be here, so I came over after I finished my work. How is it? Is the material difficult? Academician Joyner''s program isn''t easy to get into."


    "I have to see it through," she said with a sigh. "I already made a promise."


    "You can do it. I believe in you," Dn encouraged her.


    Although Henry and Dn had the same mentor, they had been there at different times; Dn had already gone abroad by the time Henry started. They barely knew each other. Plus, given Dn''s past with Bianca, Henry had never been particrly fond of him. Usually, a simple nod was the extent of their interaction. This time, seeing Dn so friendly with Noreen, Henry skipped the greeting altogether. He stood up and went to find Bianca.


    Bianca had also filled several pages with notes. "Henry!" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"


    "I saw your post on social media and happened to be in the city," he exined. "Are you really going to apply for the Academician''s master''s program?"


    "Of course. He''s a leader in the field. It would be an honor to be his student."


    As she spoke, Henry felt like she was glowing. This was the brilliant, ambitious woman he had always admired. Not like some people... He thought of Noreen and told nca that she was also nning to apply.


    Bianca looked utterly exasperated. "Is she copying me again?" "What do you mean?"


    with


    "Last week, Seth took me to visit the Academician. Noreen was there Dn She must have heard I was applying and decided she had topete with me. It''s ridiculous."


    Henry agreed. "Does she think there are no standards? That she can just apply on a whim?"


    Bianca scoffed, clearly not seeing Noreen as a threat.


    "She''s just setting herself up for humiliation," Henry concluded.


    "Who knows," Bianca mused, "maybe it''s just a publicity stunt. She could use it to generate buzz for herselfter."


    Henry paused. That was actually


    met


    usible. During the InnoCore roadshow, a casual mention of applying to Academician Joyner''s prestigious program would certainly attract attention, especially from his many influential former students in the industry. What a cunning move.


    What Henry couldn''t understand was why Dn was helping her so much.


    ***