Unknown Divorce: Revelation Beyond Time Novel by Miss Lyra (Chapters 11 to 20) 

Chapter 11

The next day, when Thorne arrived at the office, he bumped into Charlene.

Charlene had no idea Thome and Jasmine had returned from their trip abroad.

Encountering Thorne at the office caught Charlene off guard, making her stop.

Seeing Charlene, a flicker of surprise crossed Thome’s eyes, too, but he assumed she had just returned from a business trip and didn’t dwell on it.

With an expressionless face, he treated her like a stranger, coldly passing by her and heading into the office.

In the past, if Charlene had learned about Thome’s sudden return, she would have been thrilled.

Even if she couldn’t rush into his arms, she’d still look at him with excitement and joy, cheerfully saying “Good morning, no matter how cold he seemed.

But Charlene merely glanced at his face and lowered her eyes, her face lacking the excitement and joy that used to light it up. But Thorne didn’t notice any of this as he had already walked away.

Watching Thorne’s confident and upright figure leaving, Charlene wondered when he had returned. But since he was back, the divorce would probably be on the agenda soon, right?

Having decided on the divorce, Charlene didn’t dwell on Thorne again. Returning to her desk, she immediately got into her work mode. Half an hour later, Josh called and instructed, “Make two cups of coffee and bring them to Mr. Henderson’s office.”

Initially, to make Thorne fall for her, Charlene had learned that Thorne loved coffee and had put a lot of effort into mastering the art of coffee making.

Her efforts paid off. After tasting her coffee, Thorne insisted on having the coffee she made, whether at home or in the office. Learning Thorne loved her coffee made her ecstatic for a long time. She believed it was the first step towards success.

However, she underestimated Thorne’s indifference and guard toward her. He did like her coffee, which was true, but that was all. Thorne’s attitude toward her remained cold and distant.

So, whenever he wanted her coffee, he would have Josh contact her, and after she made the coffee, Josh or someone else would come to pick it up. He never gave her a chance to get close to him.

Only occasionally, when Josh or the others were busy, would she have the chance to deliver the coffee to his office.

From Josh’s tone on the phone, it seemed she was supposed to bring the coffee directly to Thorne. After making the coffee, Charlene placed it on a tray and took it to Thorne’s office.

Thorne’s office door was open.

As she reached the doorway and was about to knock, she saw Vesta sitting on Thorne’s lap, and they seemed to be kissing. Charlene’s steps halted, her face turning pale.

Seeing her, Vesta hurriedly got off Thorne’s lap.

Thorne’s face darkened as he coldly said, “Who allowed you to come here?”

Charlene clenched the tray in her hand. “I came to bring you the co…-”

“Alright, Charlene.” Thorne’s other secretary, Coy, happened to arrive. He was aware of the relationship between Charlene and Thorne He said, “You know, this is pointless.”

Coy didn’t spell it out, but Charlene suddenly understood his insinuation. He assumed she knew Vesta was at the office and showed up under the guise of delivering coffee just to interrupt Thorne and Vesta’s time together.

Looking at Thorne’s expression, he seemed to think the same.

In the past, she might have done something like this. But how could she do such a thing when she was about to divorce Thorne? Yet, they didn’t give her any chance to explain.

Chapter 12

Coy’s voice was ice–cold as he said, “Please leave. Now.”

Charlene’s eyes brimmed with tears, her hands trembling as she held the tray. The coffee sloshed out of the cup, scalding her fingers. Despite the pain, Charlene didn’t make a sound and turned to leave.

But she had only taken a few steps when Thorne’s voice followed her from the office. “don’t bother coming to work again if there’s a next time.”

She had resigned. Even without this incident, she would have left the company when they found someone to replace her.

But she knew no one there cared about her story. Speaking up seemed pointless.

Without a word, Charlene turned and walked away, carrying the tray.

Before she left, she overheard Vesta soothing Thorne. “There, there, dear Thorne. I’m sure she didn’t mean it. Let’s not stay angry, okay?”

Charlene dumped the coffee down the sink, ran cold water over her reddened fingers, and skillfully applied ointment from her purse to the burn.

She scoffed in her heart, ‘It’s funny. I’m now quite the cook and barista.‘

Before marrying Thorne, she couldn’t do household chores, cook, or make a decent cup of coffee. But after the marriage, she learned for Thome and their child.

The time and effort she put into learning, turning from a total disaster to nearly perfect, was a journey filled with hardships that only she knew about.

As for the ointment in her purse, it was the first aid for their child from a mother. However, since Jasmine went to live with Thome in Goldland, she scarcely used these ointments. Thankfully, they hadn’t expired yet.

After treating her burn, Charlene pushed down the sharp pain in her heart and returned to her desk to continue working.

She had finished sorting the documents on her desk when she overheard some colleagues whispering.

“Did you hear? Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend showed up at the office!”

“Girlfriend? Mr. Henderson has a girlfriend, huh? Who is she? Is she pretty?”

“Nobody knows her background, but the receptionist downstairs said she’s from a wealthy family, super pretty, and has an amazing aura.

Realizing Charlene was about to stand up to go to a meeting with them, the colleagues quickly shut their mouths and approached her with forced smiles. “Work first, gossip later.”

Charlene knew they were talking about Vesta. But she showed no reaction, turned away from the office, and joined her colleagues in the elevator.

Exiting the elevator, they were about to head to the meeting room when they saw Vesta and four senior executives walking toward them. The executives were all over Vesta, acting cautious and sucking up to her.

Draped in designer brands, Vesta exuded the aura of a wealthy heiress with every move. Despite her polite words, she acted like she already owned the place, treating the executives like subordinates with detachment in her politeness.

The executives were all smiles. “Considering your relationship with Mr. Henderson, this is the least we could do, Ms. Hawkins. You’re too kind.”

“Indeed.”

As they spoke and saw Charlene and her colleagues step out of the elevator, the executives frowned upon seeing them even though they had made their way.

“Watch where you’re walking! What if you bumped into Ms. Hawkins? Have you no manners at all?”

Chapter 13

Speakily glancing at Vesta while hastily retreating to lean against the wall, Charlene’s colleagues were intimidated.

Vesta caught a glimpse of Charlene too, but she quickly looked away, unimpressed, and headed to the elevator surrounded by a group of managers.

Charlene’s colleagues sighed with relief before eagerly diving into gossip as the elevator doors closed.

“Was that Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend? Wow, she’s stunning and draped in designer brands. They must cost a fortune, right? No wonder she carries herself with elegance and confidence, a true mark of the elite. She’s simply in a different league compared to us.”

“Absolutely!”

They then quietly asked Charlene, “What do you think, Charlene?”

Looking down, Charlene said, “Yes.”

Vesta was the bastard daughter of Charlene’s father. Calling Vesta a product of an affair might not be entirely accurate. After all, when Charlene was eight, her father, determined not to let Vesta and her mother suffer, divorced Charlene’s mother to marry Vesta’s mother instead.

After the divorce, Charlene lived with her mentally ill mother and was raised by her grandmother and uncle.

Over the years, while her uncle’s business faltered, the Hawkins family’s enterprises thrived.

People said to compensate for Vesta’s difficult childhood, her father spared no expense in giving her the best of everything and invested a fortune in her upbringing.

And, living up to expectations, Vesta was exceptionally accomplished. Thus, the once illegitimate daughter, Vesta, was then a legitimate heiress of a wealthy family.

Having lived the life of an heiress for over a decade, Vesta exuded an aura of nobility that even Charlene, the original heiress, couldn’t match.

Charlene had thought her childhood ties with Vesta would end their association. But fate seemed to favor Vesta particularly.

Charlene and Thorne were childhood friends, but no matter how hard she tried, Thorne never saw her the way he instantly fell for Vesta at first sight.

“Charlene, are you okay?” Seeing Charlene’s pale face, her colleagues grew concerned.

Charlene snapped back to reality. “I’m fine.”

She and Thorne were nearing their divorce, and whoever Thorne would love from then on would have nothing to do with her.

That day, Charlene didn’t dwell on the matter between Thorne and Vesta any further.

She worked overtime until around nine, and her phone rang as she was wrapping up. It was her best friend, Connie, calling to say she had drunk too much and needed Charlene to pick her up.

Charlene quickly finished her work, grabbed her car keys, and left the office. Twenty minutes later, Charlene arrived at the destination. As she was walking toward the entrance, a little girl appeared from the parking area on the other side.

Charlene froze at the sight of the girl’s familiar profile. She thought, ‘Minnie? Shouldn’t Minnie be studying in Goldland? Why is she here? Has she returned with Thorne?‘

Although Charlene’s job didn’t grant her access to the company’s confidential documents, she knew Thorne’s project in Goldland would take some more time to wrap up.

She thought Thorne’s return was a brief trip for business matters. She hadn’t expected her daughter to come back with him.

Charlene wasn’t sure when they had returned, but considering she saw Thorne that morning, they must have been back for at least a day. Yet, Jasmine hadn’t called her to inform her of their return.

With those thoughts, Charlene tightened her grip on her purse, watching the joyfully skipping figure ahead, and quietly followed.

Chapter 14

As she rounded the corner of the lobby, Vesta and Thome’s friends appeared at the end of the hallway,

Charlene instinctively stepped aside and heard Jasmine exclaim joyfully, “Ms. Hawkins!” and dash forward, leaping into Vesta’s embrace.

Charlene settled into a couch nearby, her back to them, using the potted plants and the back of the chair as a shield.

“Minnie, you’re back in town, too?”

“Because you were coming back, Ms. Hawkins, Dad and I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from you. Dad wrapped up his work early, and we flew back! We made it the day before your birthday so we wouldn’t miss it! This is a necklace Dad and I made for you, Ms. Hawkins. Happy Birthday!”

“Wow, Minnie, you and your dad made this? It must have taken much effort. You’re talented, sweetie. I love it. Thank you, Minnie!”

“As long as you like it, Ms. Hawkins.” Jasmine hugged Vesta, whining playfully, “I haven’t seen you in a week, and I’ve missed you so much. I couldn’t have stayed in Goldland if it weren’t for our daily phone calls.”

“I missed you too, Minnie.”

Suddenly, footsteps approached from the side.

Charlene froze. It was Thome.

Even without seeing him, Charlene was sure just by the sound of his footsteps. After six accustomed to waiting for him daily for seven years of marriage, she had grown

Thorne’s steps, just like his personality, were measured and steady, exuding an air of calm confidence. Even when interacting with his close ones in the Henderson family, he maintained this composure as if nothing could faze him.

She had thought nothing in the world could disturb his peace. But then Vesta entered the scene, proving to be the exception.

Before Charlene could ponder further, she heard Jasmine say, “Daddy!”

Thorne’s friends greeted him as well.

Thorne replied, then wished Vesta, “Happy Birthday.”

Vesta smiled. “Thanks.”

Jasmine said, “Daddy, didn’t you also prepare another birthday gift for Ms. Hawkins? Go on. Give it to her!”

The mood suddenly shifted, followed by a chuckle from one of Thorne’s friends, who teasingly pinched Jasmine’s cheek. “That’s a special gift your dad has for Ms. Hawkins. Probably, he will give it to her in private. Let’s not meddle, sweetie.”

The others joined in the teasing laughter.

Then, Thorne announced, “I’ve given it to her.”

“Oh? When?” Jasmine inquired before adding, “Dad, you sneaked off to see Ms. Hawkins again without me, huh?”

Thorne’s friends burst into laughter.

Charlene, however, thought back to Vesta’s visit to the Henderson Group that morning. It must have been then. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Vesta suggested, “Let’s not just stand here. Let’s go upstairs.”

Their footsteps faded away.

Charlene remained still, heart aching, deep in thought for quite a while before she came back to the present.

Silently, she entered the elevator to assist Connie from upstairs.

Charlene and Connie’s dining room happened to be on the same floor. As Charlene helped Connie into the elevator, Thorne’s friend, Moran Albright, hesitated in his step.

Chapter 15

Someone by his side asked, “What’s up?”

“I thought I saw someone I knew.”

They had all grown up with Thorne and were aware of Charlene’s crush on him.

Charlene was stunning but in a quiet, unassuming way. She was pretty, sure, but lacking that spark Thorne usually went for.

Thome kept a polite distance, and they didn’t think much of Charlene, either. They rarely saw Charlene, and when they did, they hardly bothered to say hi.

Charlene had become somewhat of a blur to Moran, so he wasn’t even sure whether he’d seen her correctly. But even if it had been Charlene, he didn’t care. He didn’t elaborate, turned around, and returned to their private room.

Charlene hadn’t noticed Moran.

After they left the restaurant, she took Connie home and stayed over to care for her.

When Connie woke up and saw Charlene, she hugged her gratefully. “Thanks for last night. I owe you one!”

Charlene had made breakfast. She patted Connie on the head. “Get up and wash up. Breakfast is getting cold.”

Connie hugged her, burying her face in Charlene’s waist. “You’re so soft and smell so good. It’s so comforting.”

Charlene was speechless.

After freshening up, Connie was greeted by the delicious breakfast Charlene had made, which brought her immense joy. She believed that whoever ended up with Charlene would be truly fortunate.

However, thinking about Charlene and Thorne’s marriage and not wanting to hurt Charlene, she kept her thoughts to herself.

She sat down to eat breakfast while scrolling through her phone. Soon, her expression changed, and she couldn’t help but ask Charlene, “Thorne’s back in town?”

Charlene answered, “Yeah.”

Connie handed her phone to Charlene. Charlene saw it was a post from Thorne’s friend Moran, featuring several photos from a party they attended the night before. The caption read, [Happy Birthday to the beautiful birthday girl.]

Though it was meant to celebrate Vesta’s birthday, four or five photos in the grid featured Thorne and Vesta together. Especially during the cake–cutting, Thorne and Vesta were holding the same crystal knife together.

As for Jasmine, she was nowhere to be seen–probably to keep the gathering a secret from the Henderson family since Irma and Jasmine’s grandmother were close friends. Due to a past incident involving their mothers, Irma had never been fond of Vesta.

If Irma found out Thorne had allowed Jasmine to get close to Vesta, she would probably be furious.

The photos made Thorne and Vesta look like an actual couple to an outsider. But it was clear Thorne had specially prepared this birthday party for Vesta. Charlene looked away when thinking back to her birthday half a month ago, which no one remembered or cared about.

Connie looked at her worriedly. “Charlene-”

“It’s okay. Whatever these people do doesn’t concern me anymore.” Charlene returned the phone. “I’ve asked Thorne for a divorce “What?” Connie was utterly shocked, “You, you’re the one who initiated the divorce?”

Charlene admitted it. “Yeah.”

Connie didn’t actually dislike Thorne before. On the contrary, she used to admire him and even had a crush on him at one point. It wasn’t without reason. Thorne was just too exceptional.

Charlene had skipped three grades and graduated from the top university in the country before she was 18, quickly setting up her tech company and securing several patents. To Connie, that was already beyond impressive.

But Thorne, reportedly, had finished college at 13. Not long after graduating, he went abroad for further study. By the time he returned, he had established several companies, all of which had gone public. And Thorne was still not even twenty!

Thorne’s ventures spanned across technology, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, and tourism.

Chapter 16

In the following years, he founded his company and took charge of the Henderson Group. Under his leadership, Henderson Group effortlessly reached new heights.

Who in the circle wouldn’t give Thome a big thumbs up? Plus, Thome’s looks were nothing short of striking.

So, it wasn’t surprising to Connie that Charlene, a genius in her right, had fallen hard for Thorne, another genius. But Thome could be ruthlessly cold to those he disliked

Realizing Thome had misunderstood and mistreated Charlene’s genuine affection for years, Connie completely lost her enchantment with him.

She knew how deeply Charlene loved Thome. Over the years, she had tried to persuade Charlene to think about getting a divorce, but Charlene had always silently shaken her head in disagreement.

So, it caught her off guard when Charlene finally initiated the divorce. She couldn’t finish her breakfast and looked at Charlene with a heavy heart. “What happened?”

Given Charlene’s steadfast love for Thome, Connie knew something must have occurred for Charlene to make such a decision.

After pondering, Charlene said, “Seriously, it’s nothing big. Maybe it’s just the buildup of disappointments. I suddenly felt exhausted and wanted a divorce.”

Connie knew Charlene well enough to understand that once she made up her mind, even if she couldn’t fully let go of Thome, she wouldn’t easily change it. She was serious.

Connie went over to hug Charlene. “It’s okay. Maybe it’s for the best.”

Charlene nodded. “Yeah.”

After breakfast, Charlene left for work.

Before moving out, although she and Thorne worked at the same place, they always left the house at different times and never commuted together.

Plus, he was always so guarded around her that sometimes they wouldn’t run into each other at the office for a month. Now that she had moved out, she bumped into him two days in a row.

Thorne looked as dashing and composed as ever, and just like before, his face grew colder whenever he saw her.

Just like the day before, Thorne glanced at her before looking away.

With a lowered gaze, Charlene softly said, “Mr. Henderson,” and stepped into the company only after he had walked away.

She didn’t know if Vesta was in the office, and frankly, she didn’t care. She focused on her work in silence.

At noon, her grandmother called her.

“Charlene, we received a lamb from the city. The weather’s getting colder. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? I’ll have someone prepare a roast lamb feast for you.”

Hearing her grandmother’s kind voice warmed Charlene’s heart. “Okay, I’ll come over after work.”

Besides the morning, Charlene didn’t encounter Thorne for the rest of the day. As she was about to leave work on time, Coy handed her a document and told her to deal with it urgently.

Charlene paused. Though Coy said it was urgent, a glance told Charlene the document wasn’t needed immediately.

Previously, she would have accepted the task with a smile and promised to complete it quickly, not wanting to stand out. But now, she was no longer striving for perfection, especially not in matters related to Thorne.

She was tired. She only wanted to go home early to spend time with her grandmother, not work overtime.

She had always tried to maintain a good relationship with Thorne’s secretaries.

But it seemed unnecessary anymore, especially since Coy had unfairly accused her the day before. She didn’t have the magnanimity to act as if nothing had happened.

She looked at Coy, her tone cold, “I won’t be doing this work right now. I’m off the clock.”

Chapter 17

Coy’s expression soured, believing that Charlene was using her position to get special treatment. “Ms. Ross, please watch your attitude at work. Do you think this is your home?”

Charlene picked up her purse, her demeanor unchanged. “If you’re unsatisfied, you can fire me right now!

“You”

He had accompanied Thome to Goldland but was also aware of Charlene’s resignation letter. Although he had Thome’s trust, the company wasn’t his domain. Coy didn’t have the power to tell Charlene to leave.

Moreover, Charlene was in good graces with Irma. If Charlene complained there, even if Thome backed him up, it wouldn’t end well for him.

Without paying him any mind, Charlene left.

Coy’s face turned a shade greener as he left the secretarial department.

Josh noticed his foul mood and asked, “What happened?”

Coy relayed the incident.

Josh was stunned.

Usually, he interacted with Charlene more frequently and knew her character well.

He couldn’t help saying. “It doesn’t sound like something Charlene would do. Is there some misunderstanding?”

“There’s no misunderstanding. It happened exactly like that. Charlene is exploiting her status. She’s not as commendable as you’ve described.”

Josh paused. “Maybe she’s acting out because she’s resigning?”

But Charlene had been actively working lately, just as before.

Right then, Thome approached. “What’s going on?”

“It’s about Ms. Ross. She left works unfinished.”

“If you’re dissatisfied, just follow the procedure to dismiss her.” It was clear Thorne didn’t care much about the situation.

Sosh and Coy were stunned, not by Thorne’s indifference toward Charlene’s situation, but by his implication that he was unaware of her resignation letter.

Wasn’t Charlene’s resignation his idea? Had they misunderstood?

They were about to speak when Thorne’s phone rang. It was a call from Vesta.

Thorne walked toward the elevator as he answered the call without another glance at them, “I’m off work now. I’ll be there soon…”

Josh and Coy exchanged glances.

Josh mused, “Maybe Mr. Henderson forgot?”

“It’s possible.”

Thorne never seemed too concerned about Charlene’s affairs.

Elsewhere, Jasmine and Helena were close. Whenever Jasmine was home, Charlene would bring her to the Ross family.

Even though Jasmine had returned to the country, she hadn’t called Helena once. Instead, she called Vesta daily, missing her terribly if they didn’t speak for a few days.

Seeing that, Charlene didn’t insist.

Besides, if Helena knew Jasmine and Vesta’s closeness, she’d be livid.

So, this time, even with Jasmine back in the country, she didn’t pick her up from Thorne’s but went alone to the Ross family.

Traffic was heavy, and it was already past six in the evening when Charlene arrived at the Ross family.

Helena’s smile faded to a look of concern as she touched Charlene’s face. “You’ve lost weight, sweetie.”

Charlene’s eyes shimmered slightly. “I’ve been busy at work.”

Helena sighed. “No matter how busy, you must eat properly.”

“I know, Grandma. I’ll take care of myself.”

Sitting next to Helena, Charlene rested her head on her shoulder for some comfort.

Seeing the lamb stew was ready, Helena instructed the staff to serve some to Charlene to warm her up.

Listening to Helena’s caring words and thinking of recent events brought tears to Charlene’s eyes.

Chapter 18

She was worried Helens would be concerned if she knew her distress, so she quickly composed herself and asked, “Has Auri Pinda and the rest not returned from their vacation yet?

“Nope, they are having too much fun and said they’d be back a week later came the reply.

“What about Uncle Vemon? Does he have another business dinner tonight?

“Your Uncle Vernon heard you were coming home and canceled his engagements. He said he’d be back for dinner with us. Should be here any minute now.

“Good”

No sooner had they finished speaking than Vernon Ross walked in.

Seeing Charlene, he said with a smile. “Charlene, you’re back. But then his expression turned to concern. “Why have you lost so much weight? Haven’t you been eating well?”

Charlene laughed it off. “I’ve been too busy. I’ll eat more tonight.”

Vemon sighed and kept adding roast beef to her plate when dinner was ready.

Vernon mentioned she had lost weight, but Charlene noticed that he looked worn out. Though she never worked at the Ross Group, she knew the difficult times it was facing. Vernon was busy with work daily, struggling to keep the company afloat.

Over the years, the Ross Group wouldn’t have been in such dire straits if Thome had extended his support.

Besides the two desperate occasions when Irma intervened, Thorne had never helped her. Charlene thought that if it weren’t for Irma, Thorne, with his misunderstandings about her, would probably have been more inclined to destroy the Ross Group than help it.

With those thoughts, the savory taste of the roast beef turned bland in her mouth.

Knowing her predicament, Vernon never asked her to seek help from Thorne, even in times of need.

After dinner, while Helena dozed off, Charlene handed Vernon a seventy–million check.

“Charlene, I don’t need…-”

“I don’t have much use for it,” Charlene insisted, pushing the check back toward him. “There’s not much else I can do to help. It is the only way.”

Growing up, she excelled academically and could contribute to research and development. But she was not cut out for business.

Fortunately, a few years back, she had secured several patents in artificial intelligence. The tech company she co-founded with Stewart and others also paid dividends annually. Adding it all up, she could easily earn tens of millions without lifting a finger.

Vernon was ashamed. “You’ve given me money several times, but the company is still…”

Barely surviving.

“It’s my lack of ability,” Vernon admitted.

“High investment in transitioning the company is normal, uncle. Try not to stress over it.”

It reminded her of what Stewart had said during their last meeting. “The AI field is growing rapidly. With your development skills and my operational expertise, our company could have been worth billions by now, leading the industry. Thankfully, the Al sector still offers vast opportunities, and I hope you can rejoin us soon.”

If she still possessed her former skills, her return to the company could significantly improve its fortunes, eventually enabling her to provide even more financial support to her uncle.

It was past ten o’clock when Thorne got home.

Rubbing her eyes, Jasmine greeted him, “Dad, you’re back?”

“Yes,” he replied tersely. “Go to bed if you’re tired.”

“Okay. Good night, Dad.”

“Good night.”

After Jasmine went upstairs to sleep, Thorne took the glass of water the butler handed him, finished it, and headed upstairs. The bedroom was pitch black, seemingly empty. Thorne paused before turning on the light. As expected, it was empty.

Chapter 19

But he hadn’t thought it through, suspecting Charlene might have gone to the Ross family

As he stepped into the bathroom, a thought suddenly struck him. Charlene usually took Jasmine with her whenever she visited the Ross family.

Unusually, she hadn’t taken their daughter with her. Could it be she hadn’t gone to the Ross family after all? Or perhaps something had come up with the Ross family.

Recalling what Coy had mentioned when leaving the office that afternoon confirmed his suspicion. He paused but decided not to interfere

The following morning, while having breakfast, Thome told Jasmine, Tve completed your enrollment process. You’ll report to school tomorrow morning”

“Got it,” Jasmine wrinkled her nose. “Can you take me to school tomorrow, Dad?”

“I might not be free”

“Okay then,” Jasmine said, her eyes sparkling as she added, “I’ll call Ms. Hawkins later and ask her to take me to school.”

Before Thorne could reply, his phone rang. It was from the Henderson Mansion.

Picking up, he heard Irma’s voice.

“I heard you’re back in town?”

“Yeah.”

“Did Minnie come back with you?”

“She did.”

“I’ve missed Minnie. Why don’t you and Charlene bring her over for dinner tonight?”

“Sure.”

“And Charlene? Let me speak to her.”

“She’s not here.”

How come she’s not there at this hour?”

“She might have gone to the Ross family.”

“Might have? As her husband, you have no clue where your wife might be?”

Thorne stayed silent.

“You-” Irma sighed, finally falling silent.

Then, with a softer tone, Thorne changed the subject. “Have you eaten?”

“I’m fed up with your attitude!”

Thorne chuckled. He continued his breakfast as usual.

Irma knew this grandson of hers had always been independent. Considering the current state of his marriage with Charlene, Thorne had made significant compromises.

With Thorne’s personality, even with good intentions, she couldn’t push too much.

With that, she sighed, “Forget it. I have nothing more to say. Bye.”

“See you tonight.”

“You-” Irma hung up, clearly frustrated.

Initially uninterested, Jasmine tuned in toward the end and asked curiously, “Dad, who was that?”

“Your great–grandma.” Remembering Irma’s words, Thorne dialed Charlene, “She wants us over for dinner tonight.”

Jasmine adored her great–grandma, who was equally fond of her. Hearing this, she said joyfully, “Oh, I’ve missed her, too.”

Thorne hummed in response while looking at his phone.

At that moment, Charlene was having breakfast with the Ross family.

When she saw Thorne’s call, she hesitated. The excitement and joy she once felt at the sound of his ring were no longer there.

After a two–second pause, she answered, “Hello.”

Grandma wants us over for dinner tonight.”

Charlene replied, “Okay, I’ll be there.”

You’ll pick up Minnie tonight.”

Charlene didn’t want to go back there. Besides, even if she went to pick up Jasmine herself, Jasmine might not be too pleased. Why bother making things difficult for herself?

She suggested, “Let the driver take her over. I’ll drive there after work.”

Traffic was usually hectic after work. It indeed seemed like the most hassle-free option.

Yet, Charlene had always enjoyed dealing with Jasmine’s matters, never finding it a bother.

Hearing Charlene’s suggestion, Thome was somewhat surprised. But he didn’t dwell on it, considering it a minor issue not worth fussing over.

“Alright then.”

After hanging up, Jasmine knew who had been on the other end of Thorne’s call.

“Was it Mommy?”

“Yeah.”

Chapter 20

So Mom’s coming back with us to Great Grandma’s?”

Yeah.”

Upon hearing that, Jasmine couldn’t help but frown before she said anything. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Charlene. Nor was it that Jasmine didn’t miss her. It had been ages since she last saw Charlene. Unusually, Charlene hadn’t contacted her in over two weeks. Now that they mentioned Charlene, Jasmine realized she did miss her a bit. But knowing Charlene would join them for the evening at Henderson Mansion meant she’d be back from her business trip. She only found out Charlene had been away when she woke up the morning after returning home.

Jasmine was secretly thrilled to find Charlene not at home. She had hoped to spend more time with Vesta during her mom’s business trip. After all, meeting with Vesta would become rare once Charlene was back.

So, Jasmine had been hoping Charlene would stay away longer. But Charlene was coming back after just two days. Now that Charlene was back, she wouldn’t allow Vesta to take her to school the next day.

Charlene wouldn’t let Jasmine go if she knew about it.

Vesta’s car race tomorrow night. After thinking about this, Jasmine’s mood took a nosedive.

She had asked Vesta to drop her at school tomorrow morning, and Vesta agreed. She thought, ‘What should I do?‘”

Jasmine felt deflated. “Dad…”

Thome looked over. “What’s up?”

She could ask her dad to talk to Charlene about letting Vesta take her to school the following day, but that might lead to a fight between her parents. What a headache!

Jasmine lost her appetite for breakfast. However, she would compromise on the school issue and let her mom accompany her. But she was determined to go to Vesta’s car race tomorrow night, no matter what.

So, she pleaded with Thorne, “You promised to take me to see Ms. Hawkins‘ race tomorrow night, but if Mom finds out, she won’t let me go. So, we can’t let Mom know. If she asks, can you cover for me, please?”

“Got it.” With Thorne’s assurance, Jasmine felt a bit better.

Later, after breakfast, Thorne left.

Charlene didn’t run into Thorne when she arrived at the office.

Around noon, Helena called her, inviting her to lunch at “The Feast,” just a few minutes walk from the Henderson Group, where she worked.

As Charlene stepped out of the office and was about to turn the corner to “The Feast,” she overheard someone saying, “Thorne, without your help, I doubt we could’ve secured that contract no matter how hard we tried. I owe you one for this.”

That familiar voice…-

Charlene stopped in her tracks. Peering around the corner, she saw her biological father, Henley Hawkins‘ profile, in full view. Then, Thorne spoke, “Henley, you’re too kind.”

Charlene clenched her fist slowly. She could tell Thorne’s tone was somewhat gentler than usual. Usually, Thorne reserved this kind of treatment for people he really valued. However, she doubted Thorne valued Henley because of her. It didn’t seem like Thorne was helping Henley just because of her.

After all, their meetings had become scarce since Henley divorced Charlene’s mother. Henley publicly acknowledged only Vesta as his daughter. The father-daughter bond between Charlene and Henley had long since faded.

As expected, Henley continued, “With Vesta here alone, her mother and I are worried. We’d appreciate it if you could watch out for her.”

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