Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 712

Claire had come straight from the airport. She wasn't wearing an evening gown, but she still radiated a natural star power.

"Sweetie! I made it! Pretty impressive, right?" Claire greeted Noreen with an enthusiastic hug.

"You didn't have to rush all the way here. Weren't you on vacation?"

"Vacations can wait. Besides, I'm a part-owner of Winrich. I can't just sit on the sidelines forever, can I?"

Noreen listened with a smile, not taking her words too seriously.

"Have you, uh, gained a little weight recently?" Noreen asked casually.

Claire clutched her chest dramatically. "Wow, way to hurt a girl's feelings!"

"It's just that you were too thin before, so even a little extra weight is noticeable," Noreen said matter-of-factly.

"Hey, it's a vacation. You're supposed to indulge. And let me tell you, the hot guys abroad are something else. You missed out."

Noreen was speechless.

Not long after they went inside, Halley Joyner arrived. Noreen took him to the VIP lounge to talk for a bit, leaving Claire to wander the party on her own, sampling desserts and sipping juice.

She was having a good time until a grating voice cut through the air. "What are you doing here?"

The sound of that voice was enough to make Claire want to vomit. And given that she was already suffering from morning sickness, the disgusting sound was a trigger, and she retched on the spot.

Madeline watched her with growing disgust. "Have you no class? You're so embarrassing. No wonder Felix won't go public with you. You really don't deserve him."

Claire dry-heaved for a moment, feeling awful. Madeline's taunts only made it worse. "Right, right, you're the only one in the world who deserves him! You two are a perfect match! Happy now?" she retorted, rolling her eyes before heading straight for the restroom.

Claire bit her lip hard and turned to walk away. She bit so hard that she tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.

She stood alone on a small terrace for a long time, letting the wind cool her face, until Noreen found her.

Seeing her safe, Noreen let out a sigh of relief. "What are you doing hiding out here?"

Claire's eyes were empty. She gave a bitter smile. "If I disappeared, you'd be the only one who would look for me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Noreen sensed something was wrong with her mood and grew worried.

Claire didn't want to spoil Noreen's big day, so she forced a smile. "Nothing, just a random thought. By the way, I heard Seth got out. Did you know?"

Noreen froze. She hadn't known. In truth, she hadn't made any effort to find out anything about Seth these past few years. So, naturally, she had no idea he had been released.