Of course, Claire didn't feel a shred of pity.

He was crying over this?

Noreen had shed a thousand times more tears because of him.

He deserved every bit of this pain!

"If you have even an ounce of conscience left, remember that she nearly died for you! So stay the hell away from her! Disappear from her life forever and let her be happy without you!"

It was a vicious threat, and a desperate plea.

She never wanted to see Noreen cry over anyone ever again.

...

Claire didn't tell Noreen about ripping into Seth.

If Seth had the nerve, he could go complain to Noreen himself.

Noreen would always take her side anyway; he'd only be humiliating himself.

But Noreen never brought it up, so Claire figured he had kept his mouth shut.

Over the next week, Claire made a point to check the street below the apartment every single day.

She even took frequent strolls downstairs, just to make sure a certain shameless scumbag wasn't hanging around harassing Noreen.

Thankfully, she never saw him again.

Claire mentally cursed him one last time.

*He better stay away!*

If he dared show his face, she'd chew him out all over again!

Noreen's life quickly settled back into its usual rhythm. She spent her days flying back and forth between Rivercrest City and Northcrest, spearheading an IPO for a telecommunications company.

Even on weekends, she buried herself in her study, working non-stop.

Claire had prepared some bird's nest soup and brought it up to her. When she knocked and entered, Noreen was in the middle of a video conference.

"I want the audit reports and the controlling shareholder's bank statements in my inbox before the Monday morning meeting. Lucy, follow up on their tax certificates." On the screen, Lucy hesitated. "I've tried, but they're not being very cooperative." Noreen's eyes narrowed. "If you can't handle a basic request, maybe you should just quit and find a rich husband to support you."

Lucy instantly went silent.

Everyone at the firm knew their boss was incredibly kind outside of work.

But when it came to business, her standards were ruthlessly high.

She didn't go easy on anyone, man or woman.

Yet, despite her strictness, no one ever complained.

After all, a tough captain makes a strong crew.

Over the years, Noreen had

mentored numerous employees, and every single one had gone on to achieve massive success in the

industry.

FindNovel.net

So even with her fearsome reputation, people still fought tooth and nail for the chance to work under her.

Claire waited until Noreen ended the call before handing her the warm soup. "Take a break, take a break."

As Noreen ate, Claire stood to the side, staring at her intently.

Her intense gaze made Noreen frown. "Do I have something on my face?"

Claire quickly shook her head. "No. Are you still working today?"

"I'm mostly caught up. Why?"

"Then take me out tonight," Claire demanded.

Realizing she hadn't spent much quality time with Claire lately, Noreen agreed without hesitation. "Sure. Tonight, I'm all yours."

Claire's eyes lit up. "Promise? No backing out! I'm in charge of the itinerary tonight!"

"Okay."

When Claire finally dragged her to The Half-Light Club, Noreen's lips twitched. "Maybe we should go somewhere else," Noreen suggested after staring at the club's neon sign in silence for a moment.

But Claire was practically vibrating

with excitement. "No way! We're staying right here! I heard they have I in all of

the hottest male escorts have

Rivercrest City!"

Noreen frowned. "Where did you even hear that?"

"Online! I follow them on TikTok. Every time they call me 'sugar,' my heart just melts."

Noreen sighed. "That's just a marketing tactic."

Claire clamped her hands over her ears. "I can't hear you! You promised you'd hang out with me! Our

problem is we haven't dated enough, whichus why we're so easily fooled. I'm taking you out to expand your horizons!"