Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 367

Rain fell all night long.

The steady hum of it worked like a lullaby, letting Noreen sleep better than she had in ages.

When she finally got up, Evelyn was already in the kitchen, clattering pans and setting out breakfast.

“Good thing you stayed over last night,” Evelyn said, nodding toward her phone. “Have you seen the videos in the building’s group chat? It’s scary—a whole stretch of road just collapsed. Somebody’s car actually fell right in. No word yet on whether anyone was hurt.”

She sighed, worry flickering across her face. “I hope Seth didn’t get caught up in any of that.”

Noreen had no answer to that, so she just stayed quiet.

After breakfast, she said her goodbyes and headed out. Her phone’s GPS immediately warned her about the road closure—a detour was unavoidable, thanks to the sinkhole.

She got to the office later than usual. As soon as she walked in, the receptionist called out, “You have a visitor waiting, Ms. Gilmore.”

It was Dylan.

Noreen blinked in surprise.

Dylan offered a sheepish smile. “I’ve been so busy with Omniva Group lately, I never had the chance to properly see your company. If you’re not too busy, would you mind giving me a quick tour?”

“Sure, but I need about thirty minutes—I’ve got a morning meeting to run.”

“No problem.” He seemed perfectly relaxed, as if all the time in the world belonged to him today.

While Noreen disappeared into her meeting, Dylan’s phone rang again. It was Jude, calling to see if Dylan was free.

“TechVenture’s launch event is today,” Jude said. “You should come show Bianca some support.”

Dylan didn’t hesitate. “Can’t. Busy.”

“Busy with what? You’re always busy!”

“Visiting a partner company.”

Jude sounded even more confused. “You need to do that yourself? Just come over already!”

“You’re there, aren’t you? I’ve got things to handle here. Gotta go.” Dylan hung up before Jude could argue.

Jude gaped at his phone, annoyed. He considered calling back but knew Dylan wouldn’t answer, so he tried Dylan’s assistant instead. “Which partner company is Dylan visiting today?”

“Winrich,” the assistant replied.

That’s just how guys are, Jude thought. There’s always a weird possessiveness when it comes to an ex.

But then again…

After Seth and Noreen broke up, Seth never acted like this—not a flicker of emotion, not a trace of their seven years together. He treated her like a stranger.

Clearly, he never really loved her.

If you never let someone into your heart, there’s nothing to grieve when they’re gone.

But what about Noreen?

Why was she so calm, so utterly unbothered?

Jude mulled it over, then reached a conclusion.

Noreen was faking it.

He’d seen what she was like before—everyone had.

Seth made it to the launch event just in time.