?Chapter 657:


    And Corrine wasn’t naive. Not anymore. She could read between the lines, sense the undercurrent in Hodge’s otherwise warm demeanor.


    “Mr. Seymour, I just remembered something I need to take care of. Please excuse me for a moment,” she said with a practiced smile.


    Hodge blinked, momentarily caught off guard, but recovered quickly.


    “Alright, let’s catch up another time.”


    She walked off, her expressionposed, the faint curve of her lips never quite reaching her eyes.


    Hodge remained standing, watching her retreating figure with quiet confusion. He couldn’t understand it—why, after all these years, did Corrine feel so distant?


    “Unrequited love. What a pity, huh?” Jules drawled as he stepped beside him, grinning like the devil himself.


    Hodge exhaled slowly, adjusting his tie as if to shake off the moment.


    “And where the hell did youe from?”


    Jules shoved a hand into his pocket.


    “As your long-time buddy, let me offer you a piece of advice: drop it.”


    Hodge arched a brow, unimpressed.


    “What? Are you worried that Corrine will suffer after marrying me?”


    Back in high school, Jules had noticed the way Hodge looked at Corrine, but he had dismissed it as a passing crush. Now, standing here, he realized Hodge was still holding on—pursuing something that was, at best, a fantasy. And that? That was a problem. Even if they were friends, Jules didn’t think Hodge was the right match for Corrine.


    Besides, if Hodge pushed any further, there was one person who absolutely wouldn’t let it slide: Nate.


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    Jules’ grin turned mocking, syrupy sweet.


    “Since when did you be such a dreamer?”


    Hodge ignored his barb and pulled two crisp tickets from his pocket, holding them out.


    “There’s a musical this Saturday. Get Corrine to go with me.”


    Jules eyed the tickets like they were live explosives. To him, they weren’t an invitation to a concert—they were an invitation to disaster. He didn’t even need to think about it. Corrine would refuse, and somehow, some way, the entire event would mysteriously be canceled.


    “Hodge, it’s not that I don’t want to help you,” Jules said with a sigh, rubbing his temples.


    “It’s just that I really, really can’t.”


    Hodge wasn’t surprised. He knew better than anyone how fiercely protective Jules was of Corrine. Back in high school, Jules had practically been her personal errand boy, running to the ends of the earth if it meant making her life easier. It was excessive.


    Hodge leaned in slightly, a knowing smirk ying on his lips.


    “I hear Blue Core Technology is making some serious breakthroughs in AI chip development. How about I introduce you to the Photon Tech research team?”


    A tempting offer. One that, under any other circumstances, Jules wouldn’t have been able to resist. If he had heard it an hour ago, he might have jumped at the chance.


    Unfortunately for Hodge, things had changed. Nate had already handed Jules an entire research team. Compared to that, Hodge’s offer was nothing more than a constion prize.


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