Themotion didn''t go unnoticed. Even the owner of Regaluxe Group walked over to see what was happening.
As soon as he approached, he overheard Seth offering to take Noreen''s drinks.
His tone made it painfully obvious that they were more than just casual acquaintances.
Leonardo Soares, the head of Regaluxe, asked curiously, "Are you two... close?"
Had anyone else asked, Noreen would have instantly denied it.
But she had done her research on Leonardo. He utterly despised being lied to, believing that dishonest peoplecked integrity and made terrible business partners.
Besides, her past with Seth wasn''t exactly a state secret.
A quick background check would reveal the truth anyway. There was no point in hiding it.
So, she gave it to him straight. "My ex-boyfriend."
Seth stiffened momentarily before the coldness in his eyespletely melted away.
From "business associate" to "ex-boyfriend."
Wasn''t that a step in the right direction?
At least thetter acknowledged an actual connection between them.
Leonardo let out a boomingugh. "I had no idea you two shared history! I heard Ms. Gilmore and Mr. Joyner are tying the knot soon. Tell me, Mr. Harcourt, do you regret letting such an outstanding woman slip through your fingers?"
The warmth that had just settled on Seth''s face instantly froze over again.
Even Noreen''s eye twitched.
Mr. Soares really knows how to kill a mood.
Thankfully, Seth kept hisposure. He simply took a sip of the wine in silence, avoiding making a scene.
Though, for some reason, the alcohol tasted incredibly bitter on his tongue.
Noreen excused herself to the restroom, taking the opportunity to put some distance between her and Seth.
When she walked out of the stall, a woman touching up her makeup at the mirror greeted her with a bright smile. "Miss Gilmore! It''s been a while."
Noreen recognized her immediately.
It was Healy Naylor''s ex-girlfriend, Tiana Quinn.
Tiana looked a bit fuller than she had five years ago, but she was just as beautiful.
Noreen offered a polite nod. "Mrs. Cole."
Tiana wasn''t exactly thrilled by the title, given that her current husband wasn''t much to brag about.
But she brushed it off, leaning gracefully against the sink as she struck up a conversation. "Have you heard? Healy is getting married."
Noreen genuinely had no idea.
To be precise, she never kept tabs on Healy, so she waspletely out of the loop.
Clearly, Tiana hadn''t moved on. After all these years, Healy was still her go-to topic.
"I''ve seen his fiancée. She''s quite pretty," Tiana said, giving Noreen a deeply pointed look.
Noreen didn''t quite catch her drift, so she stayed quiet, letting her continue.
Tiana clicked her tongue. "I''d say she looks about forty or fifty percent like you. It''s funny, really. The notorious yboy is finally settling down, and he picks a knockoff version of you. How entertaining S to''
Noreen had nothing to say to the petty gossip.
As far as she was concerned, Healy was just a business associate.
Nothing more.
But Tiana was dying to pry. "Honestly, have you never considered Healy all these years? Hees from good money and he''s not a bad guy."
"I''m not interested," Noreen answered truthfully.
Tiana chuckled. "Unrequited love is a tragedy. No wonder he had to find a look-alike to marry."
Noreen had no desire to continue the conversation. She was just about to excuse herself when Tiana suddenly shifted topics.
"I saw Seth Harcourt just now. He couldn''t take his eyes off you the entire time and he didn''t even try t?n hideat. Seems like he still hasn''t gotten over you."
"You seem very invested in other people''s business, Mrs. Cole."
Tianaughed. "You can just call me nosy, you don''t have to be so polite. And yes, I am. In fact, I have some great gossip about Seth and Perry. Want to hear it?"
Noreen stopped in her tracks.
Perry''s reaction earlier had been incredibly bizarre, and it had left her puzzled.
Tiana''s bait sessfully hooked her rare sense of curiosity.