<b>Chapter </b><b>221 </b>


    Jude refused to give up. Pulling out his phone, he shot off a message to Noreen.


    The instant an exmation mark popped up in the chat window, his mind wentpletely nk.


    He hadn’t even realized when she’d blocked him.


    Left with no choice, Jude dialed Seth for help. “Seth, Seth, can you do me a favor?”


    “What’s up?” Seth asked.


    Jude sighed. “Can you help me get in touch with Noreen? I just want to talk business with her. Ask her to take me off her block list.”


    Seth sounded resigned. “Can’t help you there. She’s blocked me too.”


    Jude was floored.


    “She blocked you too?”


    In Jude’s mind, Noreen had always been at Seth’s beck and call–she would do anything for him.


    Blocking Seth? No way. Not in this universe. Not even if the world were ending.


    Seven years! She’d chased after Seth for seven years. She’d clung to him no matter what–how could she just let go like that?


    When Noreen quit her job before, everyone had assumed she was just throwing a tantrum at Seth.


    Once she cooled off, she’d go back to him like always. Like a loyal dog returning to its master.


    As for Noreen starting her ownpany,unching her own projects… Jude figured she was just trying to prove herself, to get Seth’s attention. At the end of the day, it was all for him.


    But now Seth was telling him he’d been blocked too?


    What the hell?


    “She really doesn’t care about you anymore?” Jude blurted out.


    Seth’s voice was calm and t, impossible to read. “Yeah.”


    Jude tried tofort him. “Hey,e on, you’ve got Bianca now. That should be enough for you!”


    Seth hung up without another word.


    Jude stared at his phone, confused by the abrupt end to the call.


    Was his attempt at constion that bad? Why did it feel like Seth was genuinely upset?


    But honestly, Jude had his own problems to deal with. He barely had time to worry about Seth’s feelings.


    He rubbed his temples, trying to figure out how to break the ice with Noreen.


    The next day, Jude showed up at Winrich again.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    13:00


    No surprises—he was turned away at the door, just like before.


    Same thing on the third day.


    A week slipped by, and Jude was starting to lose hisposure. Desperate, he ced another call for help.


    This time, he dialed Healy.


    Healy sounded cheerful. “Hang in there. You just have to keep trying. That’s what I did.” <fn244a> Chapters first released on ?ovelFind</fn244a>


    “I’ve tried a bunch of times already! How long did it take you?” Jude demanded.


    “A week, maybe?”


    “I’ve already been at this for more than a week, and she’s still ignoring me.”


    Healy paused, thenughed. “Well, good luck with that.”


    Jude could only sigh. Orders from his father were orders; he couldn’t back out.


    So, the next day, he returned to Winrich once more.


    By now, the receptionist barely reacted to him. Before he could even say a word, she cut him off: “Ms. Gilmore isn’t here.”


    Jude swallowed his greeting and changed tack. “When will she be back?”


    “No idea.<i>” </i>


    “Alright, thanks.”


    Looked like another wasted trip.


    As he was heading out, he ran into Healy, who had alsoe to see Noreen.


    Jude told him casually, “Noreen’s not here today. You came for nothing.”


    Healy looked confused. “She asked me toe, though.”


    Just then, the receptionist spotted Healy and hurried over with a weing smile. “Mr. Healy, Ms. Gilmore is waiting for you in her office. You can go right in.”


    Jude stared, dumbfounded.


    Wait–hadn’t she just said Noreen wasn’t here?


    As the holidays approached, Noreen was busier than ever, barely finding time even for her mother, Rosalind Gilmore.


    While waiting for a flight on a business trip, she called Rosalind, reminding her to go to the hospital for her follow–up appointment.