Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 1099

Inside the executive suite of NoMore Corporation.

Even though it was late into the night, the office was brightly lit. Jude Wilder was working late again.

A Beast of Burden Statuette sat prominently on his desk.

He was currently in a video conference, listening to a quarterly report, when his nose suddenly twitched. He let out a massive, uncontrollable sneeze.

His secretary stepped forward with a look of concern. "Mr. Wilder, should I make you some cold medicine?"

"I'm fine," Jude said, rubbing his nose. He gestured at the screen. "Keep going."

Back in the apartment, Noreen felt a twinge of sympathy after hearing how much Jude had changed over the years. "It's a shame his father didn't live to see what he's become."

"The more guilt he carried, the harder he pushed himself."

Noreen was still amazed. "But how did you actually do it?"

"I walked him through every detail. Hand-held him through the worst of it. But since he's a guy, taking a few hits at business dinners wasn't a big deal."

Miles away, Jude sneezed violently again.

"I'm going to make you that cold medicine," the secretary insisted.

Hearing Seth brush off the struggles of the corporate world reminded Noreen of her own early days in business.

Women always had a much harder time navigating the corporate ladder. She had been forced to drink more than her fair share, though surprisingly, the harassment had been minimal. There had only been one or two close calls, and they had mysteriously disappeared.

Like Perry back in Glenhaven City.

If Tiana Quinn hadn't told her the truth, Noreen would still be in the dark about how Seth had handled him.

"But I had no choice. I was running out of time."

"I had to be harsh. I had to rip your work apart and force you to hit dead ends..."

"Because that was the only way you were going to adapt to a world that eats people alive."

He kept stroking her back, the heat of his palm seeping into her skin, steady and grounding.

"If I hadn't been brutal enough to force you to grow your own armor, who was going to protect you from the knives in the dark when I was gone?"

All his cruelty, all his impossible demands—beneath that icy exterior was nothing but profound, agonizing devotion. He had used every second he had left with her to forge a naive girl into a powerhouse who could command a boardroom on her own.

"Even then, I still regret it. I still feel like I failed you," he whispered into the dark.