Chapter 557

A triple blessing. It felt like a good omen.

From that moment on, Bianca waited in eager anticipation. She expected Seth to call or text after the auction, but hours passed in silence. Finally, she sent a private message to Jude. "Is the charity gala still going on?"

"No, it ended hours ago!" Jude replied. "Seth was the biggest buyer of the night, hands down. Noreen was second; she bought a ton of stuff. She's getting more and more extravagant!"

Bianca wasn't interested in hearing about Noreen, so she ended the conversation. She assumed Seth was just busy and that's why he hadn't replied. She put her phone away and worked on her laptop for a while before the creeping drowsiness sent her to bed. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone chimed with a new message.

*He finally messaged me,* she thought, her heart leaping. She snatched the phone from her nightstand and eagerly opened her messages, only to find it was from Lillian, not Seth. Her excitement deflated.

Lillian had sent a photo from the gala. Noreen was seated at the head table, looking radiant between Mrs. Naylor and Healy. Seth was sitting directly across from her. But Lillian quickly added, "I saw pictures and videos my friend sent. Seth didn't look at Noreen once the entire night. He was a perfect gentleman!"

Bianca smiled, reassured. Even Lillian was certain. "He only has eyes for you. Noreen doesn't stand a chance."

"But my friend said Noreen bought a lot of things tonight and was the center of attention," Lillian continued, her tone shifting. "I wish you hadn't turned down the invitation. You could have gone with Seth and put her in her place. Someone needs to teach her to know her rank!"

Bianca paused before typing back, "She'll be irrelevant soon enough. Why should I care about her?"

"True! But I'm still so annoyed! Healy was talking to her the whole time!" The mention of Healy sent Lillian into a jealous rage. "That bitch! She does nothing but flaunt herself to seduce men! She could have gone after anyone, but she had to choose Healy!"

Lillian ranted for a while longer. Seeing no further replies from Bianca, she eventually quieted down. By the time Bianca fell asleep, there was still no message from Seth.

The next day,

y Seth left for an

international business trip. Bianca

timed her call perfectly, reaching him just as he landed. He answered,

and they exchanged a few brief

words. He had to rush off to a

meeting, so Bianca kept it short, only reminding him not to forget her

upcoming celebration party.

"I have it marked in my calendar. I won't forget," he promised.

Bianca hung up, her heart content. Seth hadn't mentioned the ruby set, which only confirmed her suspicion that he was planning to use it for a surprise proposal. So, she wouldn't mention it either pretending to be completely in the dark She could hardly wait for the big surprise he had in store.

Two days later, just as Noreen arrived at Winrich, she received a call from Carman. After hearing only a few sentences, her expression hardened. She didn't even make it to her office, immediately turning around and heading straight for InnoCore.

As soon as she arrived, Carman briefed her on the situation. "The problem seems to be with the chips supplied by Ascendancy Group."

Noreen's brow furrowed as a possibility instantly clicked into place. She immediately dialed Seth's number. He answered, his voice tinged with fatigue. "What's wrong?"

Noreen explained the situation and voiced her suspicion. "Could it be an issue with the raw materials? We both know Ascendancy Group's procurement department has a history of taking kickbacks, which forces their suppliers to cut costs on materials."