Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 511

The words hung in the air, and Noreen herself fell silent. She remembered a time, long ago, when Claire Chase had said the very same thing to her. How strange that, after everything, she was now the one on the outside, offering warnings to others.

Sophia, oblivious to Noreen’s inner turmoil, said cheerfully, “He would never let me lose.”

*Yes,* Noreen thought, *that’s exactly what I said, too.* Love truly did make people blind. And she was done with it. She didn’t want it, not from anyone. The magic was gone. Love was something that only existed in novels and movies. When she looked at the people around her, she couldn't think of a single person made happy by it.

“Are you going to be here all night?” Sophia asked, eyeing the thick stack of files on Noreen’s desk.

“Looks like it.” Noreen needed to clear her desk so she could focus entirely on the upcoming IPO roadshow.

“I’ll stay with you.” Sophia began tidying the documents on Noreen’s desk while Noreen dove back into her work. After organizing everything, Sophia sat down to review Noreen’s schedule for the next few days, searching for any possible gap where she could squeeze in a break. Noreen was so exhausted it pained Sophia to watch. But after poring over the calendar, she found there wasn't a single spare moment.

“It’s so unfair it makes me sick,” Sophia grumbled. “You’re here working yourself to the bone, and some people have time to go on vacation.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them, slapping her own cheek in frustration. Her mouth was always running faster than her brain.

Noreen just sighed. “Are you talking about Bianca’s vacation? I already know.”

Finally, with everything in place, she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Carman, noticing the weariness that clung to her, looked at her with concern. “You’ve worked so hard.”

“You too,” Noreen replied, her tone serious. “This roadshow is crucial for InnoCore’s IPO. You need to have the presentation memorized. There can be no mistakes.” She gestured around the empty conference room. “Let’s do a full run-through. Imagine this room is the venue tomorrow, packed with investors and media. We’re going to do a dry run of the speech, completely off-script.”

She knew Carman got nervous in front of large crowds, so she wanted to desensitize him. He stepped onto the makeshift stage and began his presentation. Noreen took out her phone, acting as a member of the press, snapping pictures. They rehearsed it again and again, ensuring everything was flawless.

“That last one was perfect!” she said. “That’s the energy you need to bring tomorrow.”