Jude was at a loss. His father was as stubborn as a rock. "I already promised Seth I''d be there! You''re the one who always told me to stay close to him. Why the sudden change?"


    "Bianca wasn''t by his side back then."


    Jude was convinced his father was losing his mind. "You told me not to invest in her project, and I listened. But you can''t control who my friends are!"


    Seymour ignored him. A staff member knocked and entered. "Mr. Wilder, the flower arrangement you ordered has arrived."


    It was arge celebratory basket. Seymour pointed at Jude. "Give it to him."


    Jude''s mood instantly lifted. "Dad, you old softie. You tell me not to go, but you already ordered a congrattory gift!" He happily took the basket, a wide grin on his face. But the smile froze when he saw the card.


    *Congrattions, Ms. Gilmore.*


    It was for Noreen.


    "I just spoke with Ms. Gilmore," Seymour said. "If you leave now, you''ll get there just in time. Make sure you pass on my congrattions."


    "Dad..."


    "And you will stay until the party is over. If you leave one minute early, don''t bother calling me your father ever again!"


    ***


    With no other choice, Jude dutifully went to Innocore''s celebration. The entrance was overflowing with congrattory flower arrangements, some from the very investors who had backed PerseTech. Inside, the venue was packed with familiar faces from their shared social and business circles.


    Jude braced himself and went to greet Noreen. She was indifferent to him, but he


    was a guest, so she exchanged a few pleasantries and had him seated.


    The restaurant manager


    approached Noreen to confirm that


    the five additional tables she''d


    requested were ready. Arge partition in the middle of the room could be removed to create one massive hall. Noreen approved the plán.


    Jude watched in silent amazement. Noreen had truly made it. Just a


    year ago, she was a meg


    trailing after Seth, handling mundane, assistant-like tasks had kept her position through unsavory means, and he had looked down on her for it. He saw her as no different from the countless gold diggers who schemed their way into wealthy families. He had seen too many of them in his life, women who used deceit and maniption to get what they wanted. He had never treated her with respect, had said many cruel things to her. And she had never defended herself, always maintaining a cool, detached demeanor, which he had mistaken for arrogance. How could a woman who willingly climbed into a man''s bed be so high and mighty?