Yes-man 215

Jude had never imagined he’d find himself in a situation like this.

If he’d known this was coming, he would’ve kept a much lower profile back then.

Now, the embarrassment was so intense he wished he could curl his toes and sink straight through the floor.

“Say something!” Seymour hissed, practically ready to explode.

Jude forced out two words, stiff and awkward: “Ms. Gilmore.”

Noreen gave a faint nod, her face expressionless, eyes never meeting Jude’s.

Anyone with half a brain could see what was happening.

That nod–she was only doing it out of courtesy to Seymour.

She had no interest in Jude whatsoever.

Seymour could tell, but he pretended not to notice. He pressed on, “You two are close in age. You should get to know each other–us old folks are on our way out. It’s up to your generation to shape the future of Rivercrest City.”

“Especially someone as talented as Ms. Gilmore. You’re bound to become a pillar of our business community. Jude here could use your guidance–he’s interested in Al too. Just invested in an Al initiative recently, called SkyMind.”

Jude wanted to melt into the floor.

If he’d known it would be like this, he’d have preferred being shipped off overseas.

At least then he’d only have to suffer, not lose face.

When Noreen heard Jude’s investment in SkyMind, she finally looked at him directly.

Her gaze made Jude squirm; he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was mocking him.

Noreen said, “VP Wilder sure has a ‘fine son.‘

“}

Seymour, missing the sarcasm, took it as a compliment.

“At least he looks decent. As for everything else… average at best.”

Noreen just smiled, saying nothing more.

Jude couldn’t get away fast enough. He tugged at Seymour, desperate to leave.

If he stayed a second longer, he’d never be able to show his face in public again.

Meanwhile, Carman was wrapping up the product demonstration and began thanking everyone who’d helped along the way.

Dylan’s name came up.

Seymour’s jealousy flared when he heard Dylan had invested in InnoCore…

1/3

The reason Omniva Group had started to decline was the bitter power struggle between the two Wilder family branches.

Seymour was a bit more capable than his older brother, but unfortunately, his own son, Jude, was a disappointment.

The eldest Wilder, though lacking in business acumen, had a son like Dylan–a rising star.

When Dylan took over Omniva Group, he quickly cut down Seymour’s influence.

Now, with his position at risk, Seymour was desperate–dragging Jude around, trying to make connections wherever he could.

But no matter how hard he pushed, he was always a step behind Dylan.

He lowered his voice, ordering Jude, “I don’t care how you do it–make sure you secure a partnership with InnoCore. If you fail, pack your bags and move abroad. That’s final.”

Jude was silent.

His good days were over.

The SkyMind launch party ended earlier than planned, the atmosphere a far cry from the lively beginning.

Guests hurried out, skipping even the most basic goodbyes.

It had started with a bang–now it ended in a whimper.

Bianca locked herself in the dressing room and sobbed.

Lillian tried everything to comfort her, but eventually could only sit quietly by her side.

Seth finished dealing with the aftermath of the event before coming to find Bianca.

She’d cried herself out by then. Her emotions had settled, but her eyes were still swollen and red.

Seth said gently, “Come on, let me take you home.”

“Okay.”

The one thing Bianca was grateful for was that Seth had always been on her side.

As the two of them stepped out, a burst of applause echoed from across the hallway.

Bianca stopped in her tracks, glancing toward the InnoCore launch event.

The place was buzzing with excitement.

All the media and guests who’d left their party had flocked to InnoCore instead.

A familiar name rang out over the loudspeakers.

“Let’s have a round of applause for InnoCore’s permanent partner–Ms. Noreen Gilmore! She’ll be giving the keynote address!”

Even Seth couldn’t help but look over.

Noreen walked onto the stage, every eye in the room on her.

17:37

She wore something simple–no dazzling makeup, no expensive jewelry.

And yet, she was the embodiment of poise and quiet confidence.