Noreen finally stopped walking.

After handing her the medicine, Seth had left without saying a single word.

He was so unfazed, so distant, that she almost didn’t recognize him.

As soon as she got home, Noreen called Evelyn.

The moment Evelyn picked up, she asked if Noreen had received the medicine.

Noreen replied she’d just gotten it.

“Then Seth must’ve waited quite a while,” Evelyn murmured.

But Noreen had a reason for this call. She needed to make it clear to Evelyn: from now on, don’t let Seth deliver medicine to her anymore.

There was nothing left between them. No possibility, not even the faintest chance.

Carman always said that Noreen seemed so calm around Seth.

Noreen didn’t deny it.

But no one knew how much it had cost her to be that calm, how many tears she’d shed before she could face him without falling apart. fn9393 Get full chapters from FιndNovel/fn9393

Only someone foolish would repeat that same mistake with him.

“Evelyn, please don’t ask him to bring me medicine anymore. I don’t want to have any contact with

him outside of work.”

Evelyn went quiet for a long time before letting out a sigh. “Alright, I understand.”

“Maybe you could just give me the prescription? I can pick up the ingredients and make it myself.”

“That won’t work,” Evelyn replied gently. “Some of those herbs are nearly impossible to find. I had to ask friends in the countryside to get them for me.” She added, “Please, don’t feel like you’re troubling me. You know I never mind, and I’m much more experienced at preparing this sort of thing.”

She paused, then sighed again. “Noreen, I know you and Seth broke up, but does that mean you’re cutting me off too? Mr. Harcourt asks about you, you know. He never says much, but he cares–he’s always keeping an eye on your career…”

Noreen could draw a hard line with Seth, because she’d already done more than enough for

him–there was nothing left to give.

But she couldn’t be cold to Evelyn or Mr. Harcourt.

“Evelyn, it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you. I just didn’t want to bother you. But if you really don’t mind, then you can keep making the medicine.”

“But please, don’t let Seth deliver it anymore. I’lle pick it up myself, or we can use a courier service. It’s convenient now–if you don’t know how, just give me a call and I’ll arrange everything.”

“Alright, whatever you say.”

15:41

Finally, Evelyn sounded happy again, and Noreen could breathe easy.

***

After thinking it over, Noreen decided she had to visit her mentor.

Afraid that she might upset him, she chose to go a day early.

But first, she needed to prepare a proper apology gift.

She reached out to an auctioneer she’d worked with before, asking if there were any uing auctions with good pieces, particrly art or calligraphy.

The auctioneer sent her a list of uing lots, and Noreen quickly found two that caught her eye. The dates worked out, so she had Sophia rearrange her schedule to fit in a trip to the auction.

The auction took ce on a Monday. As soon as Noreen wrapped up her meeting, she headed straight there.

The moment she stepped into the lobby, she spotted Seth.

She hadn’t been looking for him. Seth just had a way of standing out–whether it was his stature, his presence, or those striking looks, he was impossible to miss, even in a crowd.

He looked like he was waiting for someone.

Noreen was about to turn away and head into the auction room when Bianca arrived.

So, it was Bianca he’d been waiting for.

Noreen had been to plenty of auctions before, always as Seth’s proxy, which was how she’d gotten to know the auctioneer in the first ce.

The auctioneer, not knowing she’d left Aurelion Group, assumed she was here on Seth’s behalf again and immediately escorted her to the VIP section.

15:41