“So Miss Gilmore’s here too—I must have picked the perfect day to visit,” Castle said warmly, brushing right past Bianca to greet Noreen directly.
Bianca’s face soured at being ignored in front of everyone, but Seth quickly stepped in to rescue her from embarrassment. He slid smoothly into the chair she’d pulled out and grinned, “How did you know this was exactly where I wanted to sit?”
Someone nearby teased, “You two are so in sync, aren’t you? Looks like we’re not here for dinner, but to watch you two flaunt your relationship!”
Thanks to Seth’s timely intervention, Bianca’s mood brightened. She took the opportunity to hand out her wedding invitations to everyone present.
Noreen had guessed right—Bianca’s bag really was stuffed with invitations, and she planned to give one to everyone she met.
Meanwhile, Noreen and Castle were deep in conversation, oblivious to the drama across the table.
Castle told her he’d taken time to seriously test InnoCore when he got back, and was convinced it represented a true leap in innovation. He said the falling cost of AI was an unstoppable trend, one that would make AI applications much more widespread.
He went on to say that InnoCore’s rise proved local companies were capable of genuine technological breakthroughs, and that this would ultimately reshape entire industries and dramatically change the domestic business landscape.
Their discussion didn’t stop at InnoCore. Castle also asked Noreen’s opinion on how international port investments might impact the national economy.
Noreen had her own insights and didn’t hesitate to share them, speaking with confidence and candor.
Castle listened to her with genuine interest. The longer the conversation went on, the more impressed he became—and the more certain he felt that coming here today had been the right decision.
The two were so engrossed in their exchange that Bianca never found a good chance to interrupt and offer her invitation.
Everyone at the table could see it: Castle was clearly taken with Noreen, even inviting her to visit Harborview City and tour Joyner Group’s businesses.
An invitation like that was no small gesture—it was both an honor and a clear recognition of Noreen’s abilities.

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