Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 542

Lillian tried to talk to him, but he ignored her, focusing only on downing one drink after another.

"What's wrong with him?" Bianca asked.

Healy just kept drinking sullenly. One of his friends nearby offered an explanation. "Seems like he just got his heart broken. He's been drinking like this for a while."

Bianca fell silent. Lillian wanted to offer some words of comfort, but Healy gave her no opening.

Even his friend couldn't watch anymore. "What's with you, man? I've never seen you act so ungentlemanly. The lady is trying to toast you."

Healy shot him a glare, and the friend backed off. He turned to Lillian instead. "Sorry about that, beautiful. Healy's in a bad mood today. I'll drink with you."

"It's alright," Lillian replied, putting on a polite front.

But just as their glasses touched, the friend remarked, "You know, you look really familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

Lillian assumed he was trying to hit on her. Though her heart was set on Healy, his friends were all wealthy and influential, so making new connections couldn't hurt. She was about to tease him about his cliché pickup line when he snapped his fingers.

"I remember now! It was from that scandalous video..." Realizing what he'd just blurted out, the man quickly covered his mouth.

Lillian's face turned a ghastly shade of pale, then red. The atmosphere became intensely awkward, and Bianca had no choice but to lead her away.

When she arrived at the Harcourt estate, Wade had just finished dinner. He invited her to join him for tea, and as usual, he inquired about her business, offering insightful advice. Noreen found it relaxing that Seth was never around during her recent visits. She always learned so much from Wade—about vision, perspective, and even market forecasting.

He was a man who had built a commercial empire. Even after nearly a decade of quiet retirement, with the Harcourt Group operating at only a third of its peak size, it still remained the top conglomerate in Rivercrest City.

But today, after they finished discussing business, Wade asked Noreen a more personal question. "Have you given any thought to your love life?"

"I'm not really thinking about that right now," Noreen answered honestly. Between her demanding job and studying for her grad school entrance exams, she felt like she needed to split herself in two just to get everything done. There was no time for romance. Claire called her a heartless work machine, and she couldn't really deny it.

Wade paused. "Is it because you haven't moved on?"