Bianca gave him a long look.


    Healy''s expression was gentle, his eyes slightly lowered, making it impossible to read his thoughts.


    Seth returned after paying the bill and announced that the cars were waiting at the entrance.


    Bianca paused, wanting to say something, but she held back each time.


    Perhaps he had arranged the proposal somewhere else. A restaurant wasn''t the most romantic setting, after all.


    As they walked out together, they saw Dn, who should have left long ago.


    "Hey, isn''t that Dn? I thought he left?"


    Jude was about to call out to him when he saw Noreen emerge from a private room.


    The sound died in his throat.


    Seeing this, Bianca''s face instantly turned cold.


    Lillian was even more furious. "That bitch! All she does is throw herself at men!"


    The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a chill run down her spine.


    Looking up, she saw that Healy, who hadn''t given her a second nce all evening, was now staring at her with exceptionally cold eyes.


    He was clearly unhappy that she was badmouthing Noreen.


    Lillian felt a surge of indignation.


    Being ignored by the man she liked all night was bad enough, but now she was being disliked because of a woman like Noreen.


    She couldn''t ept it.


    "I''m not wrong!" she dered defiantly. "She''s always surrounded by men!"


    Healy raised an eyebrow. His expression remained mild, but his lowered eyes were sharp. "So what? A single woman is allowed to be pursued by any single man in the world. It doesn''t bother me, so why does it bother you?"


    Lillian was stunned into silence.


    Beside them, Seth shot a slow, unreadable nce at Healy, his own emotions well hidden.


    "The car is here," Bianca said, trying to diffuse the tension. It was both a prompt and a warning to Lillian not to argue further.


    Lillian reluctantly got into the car.


    After shutting Lillian down, Healy walked directly over to Noreen.


    Jude watched, dumbfounded.


    Wait...


    Had he missed something?


    Lillian lived on the west side, which was a


    Biano ferent direction from


    so Seth had arranged for two Cars


    This arrangement made Bianca''s mind race.


    Was he nning to propose when they were alone?


    That made sense. It was a private moment between the two of them,


    more


    which would make it feel t


    special. Content Belongs


    Her foul mood, brought on by Dn and Healy''s ''betrayal,'' vanished.


    Seeing Seth''s arrangement, her spirits lifted instantly, and she got into the car with a joyful heart.


    Before the door closed, she shot a dismissive nce at Noreen.


    Noreen, oblivious to all this, was talking to Healy, who hade over to greet her.


    Healy asked if the grad school exam results wereing out on Monday.


    Noreen confirmed they were.


    "So, will you be at Rivercrest University?"


    Noreen found his questions a bit excessive but answered anyway. "Yes, I will be."


    Academician Joyner had just called and asked her toe to the university on Monday.


    Satisfied with her answer, Healy didn''t press further.


    When they reached the entrance, Dn and Healy spoke in unison.


    "I''ll take you home."


    "I''ll take you home."


    Just then, Colby''s car pulled up perfectly in front of Noreen.


    She turned to the two men. "That''s okay, I have my own car."


    Dn quickly changed his tune. "Well, be safe. Text me when you get home." "Okay."


    Healy had wanted to say the same thing.


    But then he remembered that his chat history with Noreen was strictly business rted and he wisely kept his mouth shut.


    His lips pressed into a thin line as he realized he was already a step behind Dn.


    He had to find a way to catch up.


    In the end, Noreen didn''t text Dn when she got home.


    She was busy andpletely forgot.


    Halley had called, asking her to find the research paper she had written eight years


    ago.