Unknown Divorce: Revelation Beyond Time Novel by Miss Lyra (Chapters 171 to 180) 

Chapter 171

In the divorce agreement, she made it crystal clear she wanted nothing.

No splitting of assets or custody battle over Jasmine, she figured he’d promptly have her sign the divorce papers.

But since she left the agreement and returned home, about three months had passed without a peep from him. As Charlene was about to bring this up, a knock sounded at the door.

Then, Terence Henderson’s voice echoed, “Charlene, heard you were under the weather. Feeling any better?”

Before Charlene could respond, Thorne called out, “Come in.”

The door had been left ajar, given the foot traffic earlier.

Following Thorne’s invitation, Terence stepped in, greeting his brother first, “Hey.”

Thorne grunted an acknowledgment.

Terence’s gaze landed on Charlene. Their interactions had been few, and knowing he was concerned but unsure what to say, she broke the silence, “I’m much better now.”

Scratching his head, Terence replied, “Oh, good, good.”

Charlene smiled and said, “It’s been a while since you’ve been back.”

“Yeah… I missed the food here, so I decided to come visit. When I got here, granny told me you were running a fever.”

Soon after, Irma came up, relieved to see Charlene looking better, “The soup’s ready in the kitchen. Dr. Ableson said you could have some. Shall we go down together, or do you want Thorne to bring it up for you?”

With no real appetite and feeling her room was too stuffy, Charlene opted to go downstairs and spend time with the family.

Terence didn’t see Jasmine, so he asked, “Where’s Minnie?”

Irma responded, “She had a bit to eat earlier. Couldn’t drink much, we’ll try again later.”

Charlene, now seated, accepted the bowl of soup passed by the butler, blowing on it gently before taking small sips.

Thorne sat beside her, his phone buzzing with a new message. Perhaps to keep her from seeing, he angled his body away slightly, engrossed in his phone.

Charlene continued her soup in silence.

Irma, noticing Thorne’s distraction, chided, “Can’t whatever it is wait until after the soup?”

“Just a sec,” Thorne replied.

The soup was soon finished.

“Maybe a few more sips?” Irma suggested.

Charlene declined, standing up, “No, I’m full.”

Though Thorne had turned slightly, Charlene inadvertently caught a glimpse of him texting Vesta, seemingly explaining some project details.

Realizing she noticed, Thorne moved further away. But Charlene had already lost interest, settling in the living room with a newspaper.

Shortly after, Terence offered her some freshly washed fruit.

“No, thanks. You have it,” Charlene said, looking up to see Thorne already heading upstairs, phone in hand.

She looked away.

Terence sat beside her, catching her attention with a glance. “What’s up?” she inquired.

“Well, I’m not as sharp as you or my brother, and I’m having trouble with some physics problems…”

Before Charlene could respond, Terence added, “I wanted to ask my brother, but he’s tied up. Said you could help me out.”

Chapter 172

Charlene paused but didn’t say much, taking the set of papers from him.

Terence’s grades were quite impressive, and his fundamentals were solid. Charlene took a look at the two tests he handed over, helped him streamline his thoughts a bit, and he quickly grasped where he had gone wrong.

“Wow, Charlene, you’re amazing, thank you!”

Once he got it, Terence, unconcerned about his appearance, hunched over the coffee table and started writing away.

After he finished the physics problems, he packed up his books and pen, declaring, “Done! Finally, I can play on my phone now!”

Charlene giggled, tossing aside the newspaper she was flipping through. Feeling a bit perked up, she thought about heading upstairs to grab a book to kill some time. Meanwhile, Terence leaned closer, lowering his voice, “Hey, Charlene, you know my racing queen, right? She was in another car race recently and totally rocked it. I nagged a video; want to check it out?”

Charlene hesitated, her smile fading slightly, “No thanks, I’m not really into car racing.”

“Really?” Terence was surprised, having thought Charlene shared his interest, “I saw you with binoculars at the race that day; I thought you were interested…”

Charlene explained, “I was looking for some people I knew at the event that day.”

“Oh, I see…” Realizing she truly wasn’t interested, Terence didn’t press further. He turned back to his phone to continue watching Vesta’s race replay, murmuring, “My crush didn’t compete this time. I miss seeing her in action…sigh.”

Charlene announced, “I’m going to head upstairs to grab a book.”

Terence, full of energy, responded, “Sure, Charlene, you do seem more upbeat, but make sure to rest up, okay?”

Charlene nodded, “I will.” With that, she headed upstairs.

When she returned to her room, Thorne was out.

She found the book Thorne had borrowed on the desk and tucked it back into her bag. She often brought a book or two with her when she stayed over.

Not finding the book she wanted in her room, she thought it might be in Jasmine’s, so she headed there next.

Jasmine’s door was open.

Before Charlene could reach her room, she heard Jasmine talking from inside: “Ms. Hawkins, I’m so boredom you chat with me a bit longer?”

Charlene stopped in her tracks.

Moments later, Jasmine’s voice rang out, bright and cheerful: “I’ll come down for the soup soon, I promise I won’t skip it, Ms. Hawkins, don’t worry.”

Leaning against the wall, Charlene listened.

“Okay, Ms. Hawkins, bye, muah~”

After hanging up, Jasmine didn’t immediately leave her room.

Charlene, feeling unwell and coughing a bit, stepped into Jasmine’s room, catching her attention.

Jasmine was lying on her bed, kicking her feet in the air happily. Seeing Charlene, she got up, “Mom, why did you leave your room?”

Charlene replied simply, “Came to get a book.”

Jasmine grabbed her hand, asking, “Great-grandma said the soup’s ready. Do you want to come down and have some with me?”

Pulling her hand away, Charlene said, “Mommy already had some. You go on down if you haven’t had yours.”

Jasmine, still in a good mood from her phone call with Vesta, didn’t catch Charlene’s mood and cheerfully said,

“Okay, then I’ll head downstairs.”

Charlene responded, “Alright.”

Chapter 173

After Jasmine left, Charlene found her book and, instead of heading back to her room, she took it to the second–floor bay window to read.

Half an hour later, Irma came up with a steaming cup of tea for her. “Charlene, so this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Charlene put down her book and stood to take the cup. “Grandma, you didn’t have to bring it up yourself. You could have just called me down.”

“You’re still recovering. It’s better if you don’t walk around too much.” Irma settled into another armchair, her tone laced with annoyance. “I thought of asking Thorne to bring it up, but he’s been holed up in his study, tapping away at his keyboard. It’s the weekend, and I don’t understand what could be so urgent.”

Earlier in the dining room, Thorne had been outlining some project details to Vesta, likely explaining his preference for working in his study.

Charlene, without a word, started sipping her tea.

The weather had turned cold, so the tea wasn’t too hot. Charlene gulped it down quickly, making Irma frown. “That’s quite bitter, dear. Take it slow.”

Charlene set down her cup. “It’s not too bad.”

Irma offered her a glass of water and a piece of candy to wash it down, but Charlene declined.

Dinner was almost ready, and Charlene, having already eaten, wasn’t hungry.

Irma then went downstairs for dinner.

About half an hour later, Irma and Jasmine came up, both looking rather upset.

Irma’s voice was icy with anger. “At this hour, Thorne has gone off to the company again. No job should be working him to death!”

Charlene, who had been engrossed in her book, hadn’t noticed the sound of a car leaving. Thorne must have gone to deal with some issue in Vesta’s project.

Jasmine pouted, lying on Charlene’s lap. “Daddy didn’t take me with him.”

Of course, Thorne wouldn’t take her. If he did, the whole of Neural Nexus Tech would know he was married with a daughter her age.

How could he let Vesta face such gossip?

Charlene gently pushed Jasmine to sit up. “Mommy’s still not well. Go sit somewhere else.”

Jasmine mumbled an “okay.”

Still recovering, Charlene couldn’t stay awake past ten and went to bed early after a shower.

Waking up the next day, she found out Thorne hadn’t come home that night.

Dr. Ableson’s medical skills were indeed excellent, and Charlene was almost fully recovered.

Irma had Dr. Ableson prescribe two more rounds of strength and vitality–boosting remedies.

Charlene planned to return to work normally, but seeing that Irma was insistent, saying she wouldn’t know how to prepare Dr. Ableson’s remedies, Charlene agreed to come back in the evening for her medication.

When Jasmine asked for a ride to school, Charlene declined, “Mommy didn’t bring the car back, maybe next time.”

Undeterred, Jasmine suggested, “Then take Daddy’s car. I’ll call him, he’ll definitely agree.”

Before Charlene could respond, Jasmine had already dialed Thorne’s number.

The call connected quickly.

Hearing the voice on the other end, Jasmine almost blurted out the person’s name, but catching Charlene’s gaze, she swallowed her words saying, “Never mind,” and hung up.

Jasmine thought she had been sneaky, but Charlene immediately noticed that Jasmine’s initial instinct was to call out Vesta’s name.

Chapter 174

So, it turns out the person on the other line was Vesta.

Jasmine lied in front of Charlene, feeling a bit uneasy: “Mom, maybe you can drop me off at school next time.”

Charlene responded, “Sure.”

Charlene and Terence were heading the same way. They left in the same car.

Terence missed his morning study session, but he started reciting his notes in the car.

Listening to his stumbling recitation, Charlene corrected a word or two for him.

Terence gave Charlene a thumbs up, “Charlene, you’ve got a great memory.”

They reached Terence’s school first.

Charlene also graduated from this high school. Seeing the familiar campus brought back a flood of memories for Charlene.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on them, as Terence was getting out of the car, saying, “See ya, Charlene!”

“Yeah, see you.”

The car merged back into traffic.

Back at PrimeStar, Stewart pinched her cheek, “You look pale. Are you sick?”

“Yeah, had a fever last night.”

“You came to work with a fever?”

“It’s gone now,” Charlene shrugged it off.

“Got to head to Neural Nexus Tech later, coming?”

As Charlene reviewed the latest test data, she replied, “Yeah, sure.”

“Cool, I’ll call you when it’s time.”

“Okay.”

Charlene noticed issues with two data sets and went to find Patton for corrections.

Right as she was about to go over some documents on her desk, Stewart came to get her for their trip.

At Neural Nexus Tech, they got straight to work with Quincy, sparing the small talk.

An hour and a half later, with most of the work handled and time to spare, Quincy offered them each a cup of coffee.

Stewart tasted his, “This coffee’s pretty good, even better than the last batch. Your company’s perks are getting better.”

That prompted Quincy to switch to gossip mode, “Oh, that’s all thanks to Ms. Hawkins‘ influence.”

Stewart rolled his eyes.

Vesta’s name popped up again.

He put his coffee cup down and glanced at Charlene.

Charlene declared, “I’m thirsty.” And she kept on drinking.

Stewart was speechless.

Quincy, fueled by his love for gossip, mentioned, “Didn’t Mr. Henderson hand off a project to Ms. Hawkins to run entirely?”

Stewart replied, “…Yeah.”

Quincy: “Ms. Hawkins must be feeling the pressure, being her first time leading such a big project. I heard her team worked through the weekend. Just last night, they stayed till after 10 PM.”

Stewart replied with a cool tone, “Oh.”

“Honestly, Ms. Hawkins is quite dedicated and responsible. She didn’t take it lightly, even being Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend. She’s not treating the project like a joke.”

Stewart couldn’t help but laugh, “Or maybe it’s because she’s not competent enough, hence the need for so many to work overtime with her?”

Quincy got his drift.

“Everyone needs to grow.”

“Perhaps.” He spoke nonchalantly, glancing at Charlene, “But, you know, Charlene handled her first major company project smoothly from start to finish.”

From his recent interactions, Quincy realized that Charlene was even more capable than Stewart. Therefore, he took Stewart’s words seriously.

He commented, “At least she’s got a good attitude. With that, plus Mr. Henderson’s willingness to invest in her, her future achievements will surely be significant.”

Chapter 175

Af this point, Quincy couldn’t help but let out a sigh, “I mean, no offense, but Ms. Hawkins is living the dream.”

Before Charlene and Stewart could even process his words, Quincy dropped another bombshell, “Check this out. Ms. Hawkins and her team were pulling all–nighters over the weekend, right? But the project was still at a standstill. Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Henderson drops into the office after 7 pm yesterday, works his magic on the core of the project, and just like that, everything starts to fall into place. And here’s the juicy part.”

Quincy leaned in, continuing, “Rumor has it, Mr. Henderson and Ms. Hawkins ended up crashing in the office. upstairs and haven’t been seen since last night.”

At the last bit, Quincy gave Stewart a suggestive eyebrow raise.

Stewart caught on immediately.

He was implying that after wrapping up work last night, Thorne and Vesta… in the upstairs office…

Stewart covered Charlene’s ears, exclaiming, “My ears are tainted!”

Charlene was speechless. She heard everything. Covering her ears now was a bit too late.

Besides, Jasmine called Thorne this morning, and guess who picked up? Vesta. That pretty much said it all.

Just as Stewart was about to add his two cents, Vesta appeared.

He let go of Charlene’s ears and huffed, “Well, look who’s up.”

Quincy, spotting Vesta too, cleared his throat, “Alright then.”

Vesta seemed in decent spirits, albeit a bit worn out.

After all, she had been pulling all–nighters for days, and last night, she was reportedly with Thorne upstairs-

Quincy coughed lightly. Her looking exhausted was to be expected.

Vesta nodded at Stewart in greeting before quickly shifting her focus away, heading into the meeting room with her project team.

Charlene and Stewart took a short break before getting back to their tasks.

As lunchtime neared, Charlene and Stewart were in the midst of deciding where to eat. That’s when Thorne walked in.

Catching a glimpse of her, he quickly averted his eyes and made his way to the meeting room where Vesta was.

Seeing him enter, everyone in the room stood up to greet him, except for Vesta, who remained seated but looked up and smiled at Thorne, “You’re here?”

“Yeah,” Thorne replied, “How’s it going?”

“Getting there. Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Good to hear,” Thorne said, then turned to the others, “You’ve all been pushing hard these past few days. How about we all grab some lunch together?”

It was clear Thorne was treating everyone to a meal.

Hearing this, Vesta’s team was over the moon, feeling fortunate to work under such leadership.

Suddenly, Vesta suggested, “Maybe I should also invite Mr. Ferguson and the others?” She meant bringing Stewart, Charlene, Quincy, and their project group along.

Typically, only those in intimate relationships, like couples or spouses, would think to include others in such plans.

Thorne had no objections. “Sounds good.”

Vata got up and headed towards Stewart and Charlene’s side.

Chapter 176

Quincy’s face was all smiles as he was the first to greet, “Director Hawkins.”

Vesta returned the smile with a nod, then turned to them and said, “Thorne is treating my team to dinner at the diner downtown. Mr. Ferguson, Quincy, would you like to join?” She deliberately left Charlene out of the invitation.

Quincy was naturally keen to accept. He glanced at Stewart and then at Charlene.

Stewart promptly responded, “We appreciate the gesture, Ms. Hawkins, but we’ve got our own plans.”

Vesta frowned, insisting, “Mr. Ferguson…”

She hadn’t expected Stewart to steadfastly refuse, despite her repeated attempts.

Her gaze then shifted to Charlene, who was sipping water quietly on the side. Catching Vesta’s look, Charlene responded with a chilly stare.

Vesta withdrew her gaze.

Aside from her looks, Vesta couldn’t fathom what Charlene had that made Stewart so protective of her.

Was she exceptional or outstanding in any way?

With Stewart’s refusal, Vesta simply smiled, maintaining her composure, and said, “Alright, maybe next time then.” With that, she turned and left without another glance at Charlene or Quincy.

Quincy felt somewhat ignored.

“Ms. Hawkins can be quite aloof at times,” he commented.

Though Vesta did have the credentials to be proud, Thorne, the real big boss, always showed them courtesy and politeness whenever they met.

Stewart shrugged, “It’s obvious.”

Vesta acted as if she ran Neural Nexus Tech all by herself.

Even without Thorne’s backing, her self–esteem seemed sky–high.

Thorne, probably informed by Vesta that they wouldn’t be joining for dinner, came over later to cordially shake hands with Stewart, saying, “Then we’ll be off. Mr. Ferguson, please do join us next time.”

“Of course,” Stewart replied.

Thorne offered a smile, glanced at Charlene, then turned to leave with Vesta and the others waiting at the door. After lunch, Charlene and Stewart returned to Neural Nexus Tech.

It was a while before Vesta and her team returned.

By 6 PM, Charlene and Stewart had finished their work for the day and were ready to head out, as nothing urgent was left and there was still plenty of time to handle everything. But it seemed Vesta and her team were still busy, showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.

Quincy mentioned, “Heard they’re pulling an all-nighter.”

Stewart simply responded, “Oh.”

Charlene said, “Let’s head out.”

Stewart offered, “Dinner’s on me.”

Charlene shook her head, “No thanks, I’ve got other plans.”

Tema had requested her presence back at the family home for dinner.

Upon arriving home, to her surprise, Thorne and Jasmine were already there.

Charlene hadn’t expected Thorne to return, thinking he might stay back at the office with Vesta.

Noticing her arrival, Thorne gave her a quick glance before going back to his laptop.

At dinner, Thorne sat next to Charlene. Seeing him engrossed in his phone, she suddenly spoke up, “Got a moment later? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

Chapter 177

Thorne barely glanced up from his phone when he heard her, muttering a distracted, “Sure”

Seeing him agree, Charlene felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Irma had been chatting with the butler, missing the exchange entirely, but the sight of them talking brought a warm smile to her face.

After dinner, Irma had someone bring Charlene her medicine.

Thorne excused himself from the dining room to make a call.

Charlene, having finished her medicine, was just stepping out of the dining room when the sound of a car engine caught her attention.

“Did he leave?” she wondered aloud.

Irma huffed, clearly annoyed, “Yes, off in such a hurry. Who knows what he’s up to.”

Charlene frowned, suspecting he might be off to Neural Nexus Tech to help Vesta again, despite his promise to chat with her later.

She hoped he would return that evening. But Thorne didn’t come back.

The following days were hectic over at Neural Nexus Tech.

After breakfast, Charlene and Stewart headed straight to the Neural Nexus Tech entrance to meet up.

Vesta and her team were already there when they arrived.

Stewart raised an eyebrow.

“We did,” Quincy replied You’re early. Didn’t you pull an all-nighter?”

“But we had to get an early start to keep up with the schedule. It’s been intense.”

Stewart didn’t bother commenting further, and Charlene focused on her work.

An hour later, as Charlene was about to head to the restroom, Thorne appeared. This time, it didn’t seem like he was there for Vesta.

After a brief greeting with Vesta near the conference room, he headed their way.

Stewart asked, “Mr. Henderson, what brings you here?”

Thorne responded, “I took some time to review the system you’ve been working on. It looks impressive, but I have some ideas I’d like to discuss with you both.”

Stewart glanced at Charlene, who excused herself, “Sorry, I need to run to the restroom. You guys start without me.”

Nods were exchanged, and Charlene left.

Returning from the restroom, Charlene was nearly back to Thorne and Stewart when a sharp cry of “Director Hawkins” echoed from the conference room, followed by a commotion.

As Charlene turned to look, Thorne’s expression darkened, and he rushed towards the conference room. He brushed past her so forcefully that Charlene nearly stumbled, her shoulder aching from the impact. Stewart quickly steadied her, “You okay?”

Holding her shoulder, Charlene shook her head, “I’m fine.”

As she spoke, she saw Thorne emerge from the conference room, supporting a woozy Vesta, before they both disappeared from sight.

Quincy, worried, asked, “What happened to Director Hawkins?”

“She fainted,” Edwin replied. “Probably from all those late nights catching up to her.

Remembering Thorne’s reaction, Stewart’s face soured, “She won’t die!”

Seeing Stewart’s anger, Quincy attempted to lighten the mood, “Stewart, Mr. Henderson was just worried about Director Hawkins, no need to-”

Stewart cut him off sharply, “Shut it!”

Quincy fell silent.

Charlene, trying to ease the tension, smiled, “It’s not that bad anymore. The pain’s almost gone.”

Stewart pressed his lips together, “Want to head home and rest?”

Chapter 178

Stewart leaned in, his voice urgent yet hushed, “Hurry up, Charlene.”

“I know,” Charlene replied, her gaze steady.

Lunchtime rolled around when Edwin approached them, sharing that Vesta was okay now, having been taken home by Thorne for some rest.

She hadn’t finished the herbal remedies Dr. Ableson had prepared for her.

After leaving Neural Nexus Tech that evening, Charlene found herself drawn back to the old family mansion.

However, Thorne was nowhere to be found that night.

Charlene bit her lip in thought and decided to give him a call, but there was no answer. With a sigh, she set her phone aside.

The situation at Neural Nexus Tech was still unresolved, yet their commitments at PrimeStar couldn’t be neglected either.

The following morning, Charlene and Stewart managed to sort out a few matters at PrimeStar before heading back to Neural Nexus Tech in the afternoon.

After today, it seemed like there wouldn’t be much left for them to do there.

Stewart couldn’t hide his relief at the thought, saying to Charlene, “I’m never setting foot in Neural Nexus Tech again. I’ve had enough of being treated like a second–class citizen.”

Charlene chuckled, “Okay.”

Upon their arrival, they were relieved to find Vesta and her team were not in another meeting.

Vesta was indeed back at work, seemingly buried under a mountain of tasks.

Neither Charlene nor Stewart had any interest in Vesta’s well–being; their focus was on wrapping up their work and bidding Neural Nexus Tech farewell..

By nearly 5 PM, they had completed their tasks.

Their future visits to Neural Nexus Tech would be few and far between.

However, there were still unresolved issues waiting for them at PrimeStar, requiring their attention.

As they headed down to the parking lot, they ran into Thorne and Vesta coming out of another elevator. The encounter was awkward.

Thorne approached, “I’ve heard the system issues are nearly resolved. Mr. Ferguson, your efforts are much appreciated.”

Stewart responded coolly, “Mr. Henderson, you’re too kind. It’s all part of the job.”

Though polite, Stewart and Charlene had already blacklisted Neural Nexus Tech in their minds.

As they conversed, moving towards the parking area, a figure suddenly lunged at Thorne from the side, brandishing a knife.

Charlene and Stewart, focused on leaving, initially didn’t notice the assailant approaching.

By the time Charlene realized what was happening, it was too late. Vesta, closer to Thorne, reacted instinctively, pushing him out of the way. The knife plunged into her chest instead, the scent of blood filling the air.

The attacker was quickly subdued, but Thorne, pale with shock, scooped up the injured Vesta and rushed her to the car, which sped away from Charlene and Stewart’s sight.

Stewart tugged at Charlene, “Let’s go.”

Charlene, snapping back to reality, nodded, “Yeah…”

That evening, as Charlene returned to the mansion, Thorne was absent.

Indeed, for the next two days, Thorne didn’t return to the mansion.

Jasmine, likely aware of Vesta’s injury, had slipped out of the mansion that very night.

Only one dose of the medicine remained.

By Friday, Charlene returned to the mansion, intending to finish the medicine before leaving for good.

To her surprise, Thorne was there.

She paused, the idea of divorce briefly crossing her mind, before she continued up the stairs.

Thorne was in the second–floor living room, and unexpectedly, Moran was there too.

Upon seeing her, Thorne said, “You’re back.”

“Yeah,” Charlene replied, indifferent to Vesta’s condition.

She was ready to discuss divorce without avoiding Moran, “About what I said the other day- Thorne cut her off, “Take a look at this. If there are no objections, let’s sign it.”

Charlene grabbed the document handed to her.

Chapter 179

It was a divorce settlement. The first clause demanded custody of Jasmine for him. The rest detailed the wealth he was willing to part with for her.

She had sought him out to discuss the progress of their divorce.

Now, facing the divorce settlement, she flipped through it casually without much attention and placed it back on the table, declaring, “I have no objections.”

Saying so, she opened her purse, rummaged for a pen, and prepared to sign.

Charlene’s rise to her current status had been marred by dubious means.

Despite the disregard for Charlene as a person, her love for Thorne over the years was evident to everyone, including Thorne himself and Moran.

Siven Charlene’s devotion to Thorne, Moran had braced for her inability to accept the divorce, expecting her to be devastated and unwilling to let Thorne go.

To his surprise, Charlene not only agreed to the divorce swiftly but also raised no objections to Thorne’s demand for their daughter’s custody. This was entirely unexpected for Moran,

He looked incredulously at Thorne.

Thorne, watching Charlene, seemed deeply surprised by her readiness to agree to the divorce.

As Charlene bent over to sign, she paused, retracting the pen.

Moran smirked to himself.

He knew it–Charlene couldn’t possibly……

Charlene stated, “I’ll have my lawyer review this divorce settlement tomorrow. If everything checks out, I’ll sign it within two days and have my lawyer contact you.”

She had noticed he was willing to part with a substantial portion of his assets, including shares in his company, which she had briefly seen while flipping through the document. In her initial divorce proposal, she hadn’t asked for anything.

Now that he was offering, she wouldn’t refuse.

Throughout their marriage, he might not have loved her, but he never set a trap for her.

Thus, upon seeing his willingness to divide his assets with her, she was inclined to sign immediately but hesitated.

She worried about potential loopholes in the agreement.

Should any issues arise with his company in the future, holding these shares might make her a scapegoat.

Thorne, in drafting this divorce settlement, might not have intended to harm her.

Yet, she couldn’t be sure that, upon marrying Vesta, Vesta wouldn’t exploit any loopholes to her detriment.

Thorne, seemingly caught off guard by her wariness, paused before responding, “Okay.”

Charlene nodded, slid the divorce settlement back into her purse, zipped it up, and without another word, stood up and left.

Moran watched Charlene’s departing figure in disbelief, turning to Thorne, “Is she alright?”

Thorne, watching Charlene walk away, only turned back to softly answer, “I don’t know.“.

“And she didn’t even react to you wanting Minnie’s custody. This is so strange.”

Thorne paused for a while, then replied, “…Yeah.”

“Does she not want Minnie’s custody? That’s impossible, right? Minnie is her pride and joy!” In a sudden thought, Moran asked, “Or, did you guys already settle Minnie’s custody beforehand?”

Thorne, with a deep and thoughtful look, paused before admitting, “No, we never discussed it.”

“Damn, then why?”

Chapter 180

Moran was thoroughly confused.

Just then, Irma stepped out of the elevator, announcing, “Dinner’s ready, Charlene’s already downstairs. What are you two still doing up here? Come on, let’s eat.”

Moran snapped back to reality, replying, “Oh, right, on my way.” Thorne got up as well.

Downstairs, Jasmine was happily nestled on the couch next to Charlene, chatting away.

Charlene sat there, listening intently to Jasmine.

It was a touching scene of mother-daughter bonding.

But knowing that Charlene had given up Jasmine’s custody without so much as a fuss, Moran couldn’t help but feel the scene before his eyes was nothing but a facade. He frowned.

Irma was still in the dark about Charlene and Thorne’s divorce. She cheerfully called out to Charlene and Jasmine, “Charlene, Minnie, dinner’s ready.”

Charlene and Jasmine replied in unison, “Okay, coming!”

Jasmine grabbed Charlene’s hand and they both headed to the dining room, hand in hand.

Moran rolled his eyes.

When Moran arrived, he took a seat next to Thorne. Charlene and Jasmine sat together.

Irma beamed, “We haven’t seen you in such a long time, Thorne. When I saw you were coming, I asked the chef to prepare a couple of your favorite dishes. You must eat up.”

Moran chuckled, “Sure thing, Grandma, I’ll take care of those steaks!”

Irma said, “Alright, alright.”

Charlene was busy serving Jasmine, carefully removing bones from her fish with meticulous care.

At first glance, it seemed like nothing had changed.

But…Moran couldn’t help but stare a bit longer.

Noticing Moran’s gaze, Charlene gave him a cold look. Moran paused.

In the past, because of his close relationship with Thorne and Granger, he knew Charlene had always wanted to get on good terms with them.

Though they never really paid much attention to her, Charlene hadn’t given up easily. She may have been awkward socially, but she always made an effort to come over, greeting them with a gentle smile.

But now, Charlene’s gaze was ice–cold. As if she were looking at a stranger with whom she had no connection.

It was only then that Moran realized, Charlene seemed to act the same way towards Jasmine. She appeared caring and attentive, but her eyes no longer held the warmth of love. Instead, they were distant.

This… This couldn’t be real, right?

Moran could understand Charlene’s change of attitude towards him – after all, no one likes to be met with coldness when offering warmth.

But Jasmine was her daughter. How could she extend that indifference to her? Perhaps this was just another tactic, another way to catch Thorne’s attention. Maybe she was trying to make him want her back by pulling away?

With this thought, Moran turned her gaze to Thorne.

Sure enough, Thorne was also watching Charlene. And he didn’t seem in any hurry to look away.

This never would have happened before.

Moran couldn’t help but smirk to himself. He knew it.

Irma suddenly coughed lightly, “Moran, what are you looking at?”

Noticing Moran had been staring at Charlene all evening, Irma frowned.

Moran quickly realized Irma might have gotten the wrong idea and quickly chose something she knew Irma would like to hear, “Oh, I just noticed that Charlene seems particularly quiet tonight, not really engaging with Thorne. It struck me as odd, so I couldn’t help but look a bit longer.”

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