Noelle watched Janet from the audience, appreciating her beauty from a purely aesthetic perspective.
Arya, who was seated beside her, was equally mesmerized. "I didn't expect her to be this pretty," Arya remarked.
"Yeah." Noelle nodded. She then noticed that Brian, who was sitting next to her, did not seem to be paying attention to Janet at all. Curious, she asked, "Don't you think she's beautiful, Mr. Parker?"
"Just another pretty face," Brian replied, barely glancing up. "Compared to her, I think you're much better looking." He said this while seemingly engrossed in a conversation on his phone.
Noelle could not help but smile at his compliment. "Thank you for the praise," she said. Out of the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Brian's phone screen and realized he was chatting with Teresa on WhatsApp.
She was surprised.
Noticing Noelle's glance, Brian calmly placed his phone face down, cutting off her view. He smirked slightly. "Peeking isn't exactly polite, you know."
Noelle raised an eyebrow. "You're right, Mr. Parker. But… Teresa is a good woman!"
Brian arched his brows, rubbing his temples. "Talking to someone too smart can be exhausting."
Chuckling, Noelle nodded in understanding. "I won't ask questions."
Noelle was not one to pry, but if there was something going on between Brian and Teresa, she thought it would be good news.
After all, Teresa was her friend, and she knew her character well. Brian was also a good person who was very serious about his work. Just from his remarks about Janet earlier, Noelle could tell that Brian was probably a great person in his personal life too.
On stage, Janet had finished her opening speech. As the host, she spoke far more than what was usual for such an event. Fortunately, Becky stepped in just in time to redirect the focus. "Next, we invite Mr. Hoffman to the stage to give his speech."
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