<b>Chapter 246 </b>
The meal was all about simple, gentle vors–easy on the stomach and nourishing.
Noreen had brought a bottle of wine, nning to have a proper talk with Dn over drinks,
But Dn stopped her. “Let’s skip the wine today. Soup’s enough.”
“Alright,” she agreed without protest.
She honestly didn’t feel like drinking, but after years in the business world, she was just used to the routine–alcohol often felt like a required essory to any negotiation.
Noreen didn’t even get a sip of water before she started bringing up the funding issue.
“Have some soup first,” Dn insisted. “The chicken broth here is excellent. Try it.”
The soup was rich andforting; after just a small bowl, she felt warmth spreading through her whole body.
Dn was like a one–man sales team, enthusiastically rmending one dish after another until she waspletely full.
Strangely, he barely touched his own food.
Only after Noreen had eaten did Dn finally get down to business. “So, what’s this dinner really about?” he asked.
She was straightforward–she needed funding.
But she kept it vague, not mentioning any specific projects. After all, nothing was set in stone yet, and she didn’t have full confidence herself.
Even so, Dn agreed to invest.
But the maximum he could offer was under fifty million.
That was as much as he could possibly manage.
Noreen understood Dn’s situation. His life wasn’t as morous as it looked from the outside. The power struggles at Omniva Group never stopped, and there were always board members stirring up trouble, refusing to ept his authority.
She was genuinely touched. “Thank you, Dn.”
He paused before replying, “You haven’t called me by my first name in a long time.”
“Well, things are different now,” Noreen said, always one to respect boundaries. “You have a different role. I shouldn’t be so casual.”
Since they were business partners now, it was best to keep things professional–she didn’t want to make things awkward for him.
As they left the restaurant, Jude and Bianca arrived just momentster.
Getting out of the car, Jude spotted Dn’s vehicle and muttered, “Isn’t that Dn’s car? I thought he was out of town.” <fne615> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fne615>
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“He is,” Bianca replied, a little too quickly. “I called him this morning–he said he had to leaveter this afternoon.”
“I guess I must’ve been mistaken.” Jude didn’t dwell on it.
Inside, the manager greeted Jude warmly. “Mr. Jude, you just missed Mr. Dn! Why didn’t you two make ns together?”
Jude hesitated. “Dn was just here?”
“Yes, he just had lunch with a Ms. Gilmore. They left a moment ago.”
“Noreen?” Jude asked, his tone unreadable.
“That’s right, that’s the name. She made the reservation herself.”
At that, Jude’s expression darkened. Bianca’s face didn’t look much better; her hand clenched so tightly at her side that her knuckles turned white.
On Monday, Noreen and Carman went to Padgett Novak’s office.
The hotline tform was entering its testing phase, and Carman was there to keep an eye on the data.
Padgett handed Noreen a folder.
She flipped through it and realized it was information on the Port Redevelopment Project.
“I noticed you were interested, so I gathered some materials for you. Hope it helps,” Padgett said, as warm and amodating as ever.
“You have no idea how much this helps!”
This sort of thing wasn’t something money could just buy.
Not only that, but Padgett had organized everything so clearly that even someone new to the field could understand it at a nce.
“You’re really thorough,” Noreen said, genuinely impressed.
Padgett smiled. “I studied this in college, so I know a bit more than most. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, just ask me anytime.”
“That’s a relief! Don’t me me if I end up pestering you with questions.”
Noreen felt like a castaway who’d finally spotted a lighthouse after drifting at sea for ages.
“I won’t mind,” Padgett promised.
Off to the side, Carman watched the exchange, unable to hide a frown.
…A new rival?
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