Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 269

A gift like that definitely deserved a thank you.

Noreen kept it simple and shot Healy a two-word message: Thanks.

Healy was at a bar with friends when he saw her text. He replied in seconds.

He also sent a photo of himself raising a glass. “Cheers from afar,” he wrote.

Noreen didn’t respond this time.

Healy waited with his phone in hand for a while, just in case.

Once he was sure Noreen wouldn’t reply, he finally put his phone away.

Jude nudged him with his elbow. “Didn’t you stash a bottle of Armand de Brignac Rosé here somewhere? Go on, bring it out—liven up the night for us.”

Healy shrugged. “Gave it away.”

Jude stared. “You gave away that bottle? To who? That’s generous!”

“Do I need to file a report with you?” Healy leaned back into the booth, making it clear he wasn’t about to spill any details.

No matter how Jude pressed, Healy didn’t give an inch.

“Fine, keep your secrets! Let’s see how long you can keep it up.”

Jude glanced over at Seth, who’d been glued to his phone since the night started. His expression was unreadable—calm, distant, impossible to guess what he was thinking.

“Texting Bianca?” Jude asked.

Seth neither confirmed nor denied it.

Jude kept going, “Bianca must be feeling terrible right now. She wouldn’t even come out for a drink. The whole point of this get-together was to cheer her up.”

He sighed, unable to help himself. “Honestly, who would’ve thought Noreen would actually land that deal? We really underestimated her. She’s got guts—signing a risky agreement like that with Mr. Charles. Most people wouldn’t dare.”

Something clicked for Jude, and he added, “She kind of reminds me of you back in the day, Seth—fearless, willing to take risks, never holding back. They say business is a gambler’s game. I never believed it before, but now I do.”

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