Unknown Divorce: Revelation Beyond Time Novel by Miss Lyra (Chapters 271 to 280)  

Chapter 271

Seated across from the Henderson family, the new guests had only just arrived, still taking in their surroundings and the people around them. It was their first time laying eyes on Jasmine.

One of them couldn’t help but remark, “I can’t believe Thorne’s kids are this grown. Does that mean Thorne got hitched ages ago?”

Rumors had been swirling lately that Thorne had children, but they’d dismissed them as mere gossip. Now, seeing it firsthand, they realized the truth of it.

Thorne took a sip of his coffee, nodding affirmatively. The others chuckled awkwardly. They had brought their daughter along today, hoping for an introduction, maybe even a match. But Thorne was already married, it seemed.

Their daughter was lovely, gentle, and quiet, but Thorne hadn’t spared her a glance the entire time they’d been there, a solid half–hour. Clearly, he wasn’t interested, and perhaps even if he were single, their daughter might not have stood a chance.

Meanwhile, over at the arcade, Granger and Daisy had played for over an hour before leaving due to prior commitments.

Charlene had been engrossed in writing her thesis before coming out. It was nearly done; she planned to review the latest sections later, and then send it over to Kenton for feedback before finally submitting it.

Lost in thought, she was immersed in a VR game, oblivious to someone exiting the nearby cinema and spotting her.

Leah noticed her playing alone, chuckled to herself, and turned away, heading out.

Half an hour later, she arrived at the opulent Hawkins family mansion. She dashed upstairs, surprised to find Rhoda there. “Mom, weren’t you supposed to go shopping? What brings you to Auntie’s place?”

“Oh, I just finished shopping and thought I’d drop by,” Rhoda said casually.

Though the Spencer family lived in a nice enough place, it paled in comparison to the mansion Thorne had bought for Maureen. Ever since the Hawkins family had moved in, Rhoda found reasons to visit frequently, drawn by the grandeur.

Leah felt the same way. The Spencer and Hawkins families were close, so she too found herself visiting often as if it were her own home.

Settling in comfortably, she teased, “Mom, Auntie, Vesta, guess who I saw at the arcade?”

Vesta, lounging by the expansive bay window with a book, immediately guessed but had no interest in the topic.

Rhoda, however, was intrigued. “Did you see Charlene?”

“Yep!” Leah replied, munching on a handful of popcorn. “Since my brother–in–law isn’t letting her tag along to Henderson Mansion anymore, she’s all alone at the arcade, playing games. Poor thing, she looked so pitiful from behind.”

Chapter 272

They had known about this for quite some time.

Yet when Leah mentioned it, Rhoda couldn’t help but laugh with genuine delight.

Vesta, on the other hand, remained engrossed in her book, her face betraying no emotion.

Maureen was much the same.

It seemed as though Charlene was no longer worth their concern.

Sensing Leah’s desire to continue, Maureen spoke calmly, “Leah, your cousin is studying. Let’s not disturb her.”

“Oh…”

Leah observed her cousin Vesta’s intense focus and remarked, “Didn’t the teacher arrive this morning? It’s past five in the evening now, and she’s still studying. Just watching her makes me feel tired. Aren’t you exhausted, cousin?”

Rhoda chimed in, “Of course, she’s tired. But your cousin is destined for great things. I’ve always told you to learn from her, but you never listen.”

Then, with a warm smile, she added, “But Vesta, while hard work is important, you should take a break. Why not come and grab a bite?”

Without lifting her head, Vesta replied, “No need, Thorne and I have dinner plans. I’ll just read a bit more before heading out.”

After finishing her game, Charlene spent over three hours revising her paper at the Ross family home. Once she was sure it was perfect, she sent it off to Kenton.

She stretched her arms, left her room, and headed downstairs, only to find her grandmother standing at the door in the chilly winter air, apparently waiting for someone.

Charlene frowned and hurried over, “Grandma, you-”

Before she could finish, the sound of a car pulling up interrupted her.

Just as she reached the door, she saw a vehicle drive into the courtyard. Jasmine quickly hopped out, running towards them, “Mom, Great–Grandma!”

“Ah!”

Helena’s eyes twinkled with joy as she bent down to embrace her.

Initially, Jasmine intended to run to Charlene, but seeing Helena’s open arms, she hugged her first.

Helena asked, “Have you eaten yet? Are you hungry?”

“I just ate with Dad, so I’m not hungry,” Jasmine replied, stepping out of Helena’s embrace and tiptoeing over to Charlene, “Mom, carry me!”

Charlene bent down to pick her up, maintaining her smile even as the faint scent of perfume wafted from Jasmine.

This time, Thorne hadn’t personally brought Jasmine over.

Jasmine had left the car door open, so the driver stepped out to close it, nodding a greeting at Charlene and Helena before driving off.

With school the next day, Jasmine didn’t stay up long. After a bath, she was tucked into bed.

Charlene made sure she was snug under the covers, then picked up her phone and sent Thorne a message.

[Have the driver pick Minnie up tomorrow afternoon. And don’t just drop her off without a heads–up next time.]

Whether he hadn’t seen it or was simply busy, Thorne didn’t respond that night.

The following day, after dropping Jasmine at school and returning to the office, Charlene finally received a message from Thorne.

[Okay.]

Charlene read the message, set her phone down, and got back to work.

After two days of hard work, the weekend arrived.

On Monday morning, Charlene received a response from Kenton: [Looks good, you can submit it.]

It had been a while since Charlene and Stewart had last seen Kenton.

Chapter 273

That evening, after officially submitting their work, they decided to take Kenton out for dinner.

This time, Kenton didn’t turn them down.

As they arrived at the restaurant, Charlene got out of the car with Kenton and the others, heading upstairs, completely unaware that Granger’s car was parked not too far away.

Granger, however, paused for a moment when he saw Charlene and the group before he stepped out of his car, carrying a sleepy Daisy.

Moran was the first to arrive.

Seeing him, he greeted, “You’re here?”

Granger nodded, “Yeah.”

A few minutes later, as Daisy was just waking up, Thorne, Vesta, Jasmine, and Leah showed up.

Seeing Leah, Granger averted his gaze.

Leah, on the other hand, was all smiles, walking briskly over to him with a sweet greeting, “Granger.”

Granger looked at her with a cool expression, not responding.

Leah felt the awkwardness creeping in, but then Jasmine approached. Noticing Daisy seemed a little off, she asked, “Daisy, are you feeling okay?”

Daisy replied, “Not really…”

Granger, catching Jasmine’s eye, offered a gentle smile, “Daisy’s fine, just a bit groggy from.waking up.”

With Jasmine there, Daisy climbed down from Granger’s arms and joined her on the couch to chat.

When Vesta arrived, she took a seat next to Thorne, sipped the water he handed her, and then pulled out a book from her bag. She said to Granger and the others, “I’m gonna read a bit. You guys chat. Don’t mind me.”

Everyone was aware that Vesta was studying under Lanny. Watching her commitment, Moran couldn’t resist teasing her, “Bringing a book to dinner? Isn’t that going a bit overboard?”

Leah, now sitting next to Granger, chimed in, “My cousin’s been like this all week–super dedicated.”

Granger was aware of Vesta’s ambition to become Kenton’s student.

And Kenton was, in fact, dining not far from their private room.

Yet, he kept that to himself.

As he thought about it, a realization struck him.

Earlier downstairs, when he saw Charlene with Stewart and Kenton, he initially assumed Charlene was there because of Stewart.

But if that were true, she would have been standing next to Stewart.

Charlene wasn’t the most social person, yet she seemed quite familiar while chatting with Kenton.

PrimeStar’s projects had only been in development for a few months.

Charlene had left The Henderson Group to join PrimeStar around the same time–about three or four months ago.

Lanny had mentioned a few days back that Charlene was more capable than him.

And suddenly he remembered how Vesta wanted to join PrimeStar, but Stewart, due to Charlene, had promptly turned. down Vesta, whom they all thought was exceptional.

Back then, both he and Moran believed there was something between Charlene and Stewart, which was why Stewart chose Charlene over Vesta.

But now……

Watching Vesta flipping through her book and earnestly asking Thorne questions when she didn’t understand something, a light bulb went on in Granger’s head. He suddenly stood up, frozen by his realization.

Chapter 274

“Granger?”

Thorne and the others, including Moran, paused and looked at him in surprise as he suddenly stood up.

Seeing his unusual expression, Thorne asked, “Is something wrong?”

Granger snapped back to reality, his gaze lingering on Thorne and Vesta before he slowly shook his head. “No, nothing,” he replied, sitting back down.

Leah started to say, “Granger, I-”

But Granger seemed not to hear her. Instead, he turned to Daisy with a gentle tone, “Daisy, are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”

“Yes, please,” Daisy replied eagerly.

She scampered over and took a couple of sips from the cup Granger held out before dashing back to chat with Jasmine. They had been discussing a little toy Jasmine had brought for her.

After finishing her drink, Daisy handed a small figurine to Jasmine. “I got this when I went to see a movie over the New Year holiday. It’s for you.”

Jasmine was delighted, accepting it with wide eyes. “You went to the movies on New Year’s too?”

“Yeah! My Uncle and that lady took me,” Daisy said, beaming. “After the movie, we played some games. That lady is really good at them, but we had to leave early because my Uncle had something come up.”

“My Uncle Terence took me to a movie that morning too, but he was in a hurry to meet his friends, so we didn’t have time to look around. I didn’t even know they sold these figurines,” Jasmine said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Hearing Daisy praise her Aunt’s gaming skills, Jasmine added softly, “My mom is really good at games too.” “Next time, let’s have your mom and my aunt join us for a game day!” Daisy suggested cheerfully.

As they chatted, both girls noticed Thorne watching them.

“Dad, what’s up?” Jasmine asked.

Thorne gave a small smile, “Nothing, just listening to you two.”

“Oh…”

After ordering their food, Moran suddenly turned to Granger. “By the way, Granger, how’s the project with PrimeStar coming along? Everything on track?”

“Pretty smoothly,” Granger replied.

Moran raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? No hitches or surprises?”

Vesta, who had been reading intently, paused slightly at this.

Having known each other for years, Granger understood that Moran’s “surprises” referred to whether Charlene had made any blunders or mishaps.

He noticed Thorne was also paying attention, seemingly interested in the topic.

Granger lowered his gaze and replied, “Nope.”

“Really?” Moran seemed surprised.

“Yep.” Vesta, hearing this, pursed her lips slightly before turning the page of her book.

Thorne sipped his coffee without joining the conversation.

Finding the topic dull, Moran quickly moved on.

After about two hours, they finished their meal and left.

Just as they did, Charlene and Kenton was also heading downstairs to leave.

Once she was back home, Charlene started diving into the materials Kenton had provided her. The documents. included the latest plans in the Al field from various countries–conceptual ideas that hadn’t yet materialized into actual products.

Charlene studied them for a long time, losing track of time as the sky outside gradually brightened.

It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that her Aunt Maisie gently knocked on her door. “Charlene, breakfast is ready.”

Charlene responded, “Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”

After brushing her teeth and taking a shower, she picked up the phone to call Stewart.

Chapter 275

Stewart rubbed his aching temples, his eyes barely open. “I knew it! You haven’t slept either, have you?”

“I’m heading down for some breakfast. How about we catch up afterward?” Charlene suggested.

Even though Stewart’s eyes felt gritty and sore, he couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice. “Absolutely! We’ve got to talk!”

Ideas have a way of slipping away if you don’t seize them quickly.

“Sounds good.”

After Charlene had her breakfast, she was about to video call Stewart when Padgett’s call came through.

“Hey, I just got a call from Thorne’s lawyer. The titles for those three extra villas Thorne transferred over to you are ready. I’ll go pick them up later. Do you have time to swing by and collect them? Or we can set up a time, and I can bring them to you.”

Charlene had almost forgotten about this whole thing. Her mind was elsewhere these days.

“Thanks, Mr. Padgett. If you could handle that, it’d be great,” she replied.

Once she hung up, Charlene and Stewart dove straight into their work, pushing through until noon when their brains felt like they might just explode from overuse. They finally took a breather.

The last time Charlene had visited Irma was the previous Sunday. She and Helena had planned to see Irma in the afternoon.

But Charlene hadn’t slept a wink last night, so over lunch, she suggested to Helena they postpone the visit until after dinner.

Helena took one look at Charlene’s tired face and nodded. “Sure, let’s go after we’ve eaten.”

Charlene crashed for a nap and didn’t wake up until nearly six. After dinner, she and Helena headed to the hospital.

When they arrived, Thorne was nowhere in sight. Charlene and Helena spent almost two hours with Irma, and just as they were about to leave, Thorne showed up.

He didn’t seem surprised to see them, almost as if he expected their visit. As they prepared to go, he politely said, “Thank you for visiting Grandma.”

Charlene and Helena didn’t bother to respond.

Thorne pressed the elevator button for them and casually asked Charlene, “Did you get the property titles?”

“Not yet.”

As Charlene and Helena stepped into the elevator, Thorne made a move to join them, but Charlene quickly said, “No need to see us off. You should head back.”

Thorne paused and didn’t insist. He didn’t push the issue of the property titles either, as if it was just an excuse to chat.

Once the elevator doors closed, Helena asked, “What property titles?”

“Part of the divorce settlement. He gave me some of the properties.”

Helena shrugged. “If he’s giving them, you might as well keep them.”

“Yeah, I know.”

When they got home, Padgett was there too, dropping off the documents. He didn’t linger long and left shortly afterward.

Charlene took the property titles to her room, shoved them into a drawer, and headed straight for the shower. Exhausted from the long day and lack of sleep, she didn’t take long to fall asleep afterward.

The next morning, Charlene went for a jog downstairs, had breakfast, and headed to work.

As she was about to turn her car into the parking garage of the PrimeStar building, she noticed Granger sitting in his car, window rolled down.

Charlene frowned. What on earth was he doing here so early? As far as she remembered, PrimeStar didn’t have any meetings scheduled with Granger today.

Chapter 276

As she was lost in thought, Granger spotted her car and walked over.

Charlene slowly rolled down her window. “Mr. Harden.”

Granger replied, “Morning.”

Charlene nodded, “Morning.” Then she asked, “Is there something you need, Mr. Harden?”

Honestly, Granger didn’t have a concrete reason for being there. He was just following up on a hunch he’d had a couple of nights back. He said, “Last Saturday night, outside the restaurant, I saw you with Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Kenton.”

Charlene listened, not quite sure where this was going, when Granger suddenly asked, “You’re also one of Mr. Kenton’s students, aren’t you?”

She froze, her brow furrowing as she looked at him. “You-”

But Granger saw the answer in her reaction.

“So, the two PrimeStar projects were your team’s work as well?”

Charlene pressed her lips together. “What exactly-”

“Just one more question,” Granger interrupted. “The CUAP programming language for PrimeStar, that was your creation too, right?”

Even though he wasn’t a tech expert, Granger knew enough about the industry to understand how groundbreaking CUAP was. He was aware that CUAP had been integral to PrimeStar since its inception.

If this hunch was correct, it meant that Charlene had developed this impressive system when she was just seventeen.

Meanwhile, Vesta, another programming language developed much later, still couldn’t hold a candle to CUAP It was clear just how extraordinary Charlene’s talent in this field was.

Everyone was praising PrimeStar’s technological prowess. But it wasn’t Stewart who deserved the accolades.

The real genius was Charlene.

Charlene remained silent.

Granger, however, had already pieced it all together.

Even though he had suspected the truth, having it confirmed was still a shock.

He looked at Charlene, reflecting on past and recent events.

He suddenly realized he might never have truly known her.

Charlene finally spoke, “Did you come all this way just to tell me this?”

“I was just really surprised and wanted confirmation.”

Even though he had shown up that morning, Granger hadn’t actually planned to confront her with these questions. Given their current relationship, it wasn’t exactly appropriate.

But somehow, seeing her made him blurt it out.

He had surprised himself by doing so.

Before Charlene could respond, Granger assured her, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

Charlene paused, seeing the sincerity in his eyes when he said that.

She chose not to say anything.

Granger took a step back, creating some space between them. “You should go on inside. I won’t keep you.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Charlene stared after him, perplexed.

She frowned slightly, parked her car in the underground garage, and headed upstairs.

In the days that followed, both Charlene and Stewart were consumed with work. Whenever they had a spare moment, they eagerly dug into the materials Kenton had given them, often arriving at the office at dawn and leaving well after midnight.

After more than ten relentless days, Charlene found herself at the airport one morning, waiting to pick up a business partner.

She waited for over twenty minutes before the person she was expecting finally arrived.

Chapter 277

As Charlene made her way forward to greet her business associate, she spotted a familiar figure emerging from behind him.

Her expression remained unchanged when she saw Henley.

Henley hadn’t noticed her yet, but a teenage boy, around seventeen or eighteen, standing next to him, waved enthusiastically toward another exit. “Mom, Sis, Dad and I are over here!”

Hearing the boy’s voice, Charlene suddenly halted, a realization dawning on her about who he was.

She turned her head slightly and, sure enough, there was Maureen and Vesta.

Maureen and Vesta both smiled warmly, while Jacques hurried over to them.

At that moment, PrimeStar’s partner, Teague, approached Charlene with a friendly grin, extending a hand in greeting. “Ms. Ross.”

Charlene unclenched her fists, redirected her gaze, and shook his hand with a smile. “Teague.”

It was then that Maureen and Henley noticed Charlene.

Henley’s brow furrowed slightly. Maureen’s smile faded a little.

Vesta, however, looked indifferent, seemingly unfazed.

Jacques, clueless about what his family was staring at, followed Henley’s gaze and caught sight of Charlene. Struck by her beauty, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “What a pretty lady!”

Vesta frowned at him, giving him a look.

Henley paused, patted Jacques on the shoulder, and said, “Let’s get in the car first.”

Jacques turned his attention back to them and suddenly remembered something, expressing his dissatisfaction, “Where’s my future brother–in–law? Why didn’t he come to pick up Dad and me? With that kinds of attitude, he thinks he can marry my beautiful and outstanding sister? Hmph, I’m the first to disagree.”

Vesta chuckled, giving him a light tap on the back of his head. “Thorne had an important meeting he couldn’t miss, but he knew you were coming to Starfall, so he canceled a dinner and booked a private room to welcome you. How’s that, satisfied?”

“Barely,” Jacques replied, lifting his chin with a touch of arrogance. “My sister is so beautiful and exceptional. If he wants to marry you, he should go above and beyond, shouldn’t he?”

Hearing Jacques‘ words, Vesta and Maureen laughed.

By this time, Charlene had finished her conversation with Teague.

They all got into their cars.

Just before getting in, Charlene overheard someone say, “What a striking family of four. Are they celebrities?”

“No idea, but their family vibe is so nice. I’m a bit envious.”

Charlene closed the car door, shutting out the sounds from outside.

She chatted with Teague during their hour–long drive, and by lunchtime, their car pulled up smoothly in front of a restaurant.

Charlene and Teague had just stepped out when Henley and his group arrived.

Henley was surprised to see Charlene at the same restaurant.

His brow furrowed again.

Vesta, sensing his concern, offered a reassuring smile, signaling him not to worry.

Before Thorne had officially filed for divorce from Charlene, she had been cautious around his family, not daring to upset Thorne in any way.

Now that the divorce was nearly finalized, Charlene would be even less likely to cause any trouble.

Henley understood Vesta’s reassurance.

But still, he worried about potential hiccups on such a joyful day.

Charlene didn’t pay them any attention.

Just then, Stewart arrived.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, he noticed Henley’s group and quickly locked eyes with Jacques.

Chapter 278

However, Henley and his group had already turned to head upstairs, missing the moment Stewart stepped out of the car.

Stewart quickly diverted his attention back to Teague, greeting him with a warm smile.

After the brief catch–up with Teague, they were about to head upstairs when Thorne arrived.

Just as he stepped out of his car, Teague’s face lit up with surprise. “Mr. Henderson!”

Thorne greeted Teague with a handshake, maintaining a calm demeanor and a faint smile as he noticed Charlene and Stewart. “When did you get to Starfall, Teague?”

“Just arrived,” Teague replied cheerfully. “Last time you mentioned grabbing a bite together, Mr. Henderson. When’s good for you? How about tonight?”

Thorne shook his head, “I’m fully booked today. How about in a couple of days?”

“Sure, sure, a couple of days works.”

Watching Thorne and Teague exchange pleasantries, Stewart muttered under his breath, “Just when things were quiet for a couple of weeks, we run into them again.”

Charlene remained silent, though she realized it had indeed been half a month since she last saw Thorne.

Even when she visited Irma at the hospital last weekend, he wasn’t there.

Over the past ten days or so, Jasmine had called her a few times, particularly in the last couple of days. It was likely because winter break had started, and with Thorne and Vesta being busy, Jasmine found herself bored and ended up calling Charlene several times.

Charlene hadn’t picked up those calls.

To Thorne’s credit, he seemed to have kept his promise. Whatever he told Jasmine, it kept her from showing up at the Ross household, saving Charlene some hassle.

As she reflected on this, Thorne and Teague had finished their conversation, and the group entered the elevator.

Noticing that Stewart and Charlene weren’t engaging much with Thorne, Teague sensed some tension between them, and his smile grew a bit awkward.

Charlene caught Thorne’s gaze on her.

She looked up and met his deep eyes.

Thorne suddenly asked, “When are you free next?”

Charlene quickly averted her gaze and replied coolly, “I’m not free anytime soon.”

It wasn’t hard to guess that this question was about Jasmine. It had only been half a month since she last saw Jasmine, with more than ten days before a full month would pass. She was busy these days and didn’t have time for Jasmine.

Thorne chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed by her attitude, and simply remarked, “The holidays are approaching.”

Charlene paused, suddenly grasping his meaning.

If she didn’t make time for Jasmine soon, the holiday season would be upon them before she knew it.

She had been so busy she’d forgotten all about it. But…

“I don’t mind skipping one month,” she said coldly.

After all, she had spent quite a bit of time with Jasmine last month. Skipping this month shouldn’t be a big deal.

Thorne raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Teague, listening to their exchange, was a bit puzzled. He didn’t quite understand what they were discussing.

With a ding, the elevator reached its destination, and Thorne bid farewell to Teague before exiting.

Once the elevator doors closed, Teague asked, “So, Ms. Ross and Mr. Henderson aren’t dating?”

Charlene replied, “We’re not.”

Teague didn’t quite believe her, thinking maybe Charlene was just upset with Thorne and saying that out of spite. Besides, he thought Thorne and Charlene seemed like a good match.

Before he could say more, his phone rang, and the topic was dropped.

After dinner, Charlene and her group headed back down to the parking lot, where they ran into Thorne and the Hawkins family again.

Charlene and Stewart overheard Jacques telling Thorne, “Treat my sister well. If you ever hurt her, I won’t let you off easy!”

Meeting Thorne in person for the first time, Jacques was initially intimidated by his commanding presence in the private room and held back from speaking too boldly. However, as dinner progressed and Thorne treated him with kindness, Jacques relaxed, and by the end of the evening, he felt comfortable enough to playfully issue his warning.

Despite the tough words, Jacques was genuinely pleased with Thorne as a future brother–in–law. In his heart, he felt Thorne was a perfect match for his sister in every way. Thorne’s kindness toward his sister and their family only reinforced that view.

So, while Jacques‘ words seemed stern, everyone present understood the underlying sentiment.

Thorne responded with a smile, “Of course.”

Vesta, listening, smiled warmly too.

Stewart observed the scene with a slight smirk, while Charlene’s expression remained neutral.

Teague finally realized, turning to Charlene, “So, you and Mr. Henderson really aren’t a couple?”

It dawned on him that the woman with Thorne was indeed his girlfriend.

Charlene answered simply, “No, we’re not.”

At that moment, Thorne and Vesta noticed Charlene and Stewart and glanced in their direction.

Stewart, uninterested in further interaction, turned to Teague, “Teague, let’s get in the car.”

Earlier, Teague had sensed some tension between Stewart and Thorne. Now, seeing the situation, he nodded to Thorne and proceeded to get into the car, with Charlene and Stewart following behind.

Their car quickly disappeared from the parking lot.

Chapter 279

Negotiations with Teague went off without a hitch.

Two days later, both parties had signed the contract. Teague had other commitments and left PrimeStar.

After a long day, Charlene and Stewart headed back to the conference room, picked up some drinks, and took a moment to relax. Just then, Chester walked in and dumped a thick stack of invitations on the table. “Here are the invitations for the end–of–year parties we’ve gotten over the last few days,” he announced.

There were at least twenty or thirty invitations stacked up.

Invitations from Dalton, Granger, The Henderson Group, and Neural Nexus Tech were among them.

Charlene and Stewart sifted through the pile and noticed that the Hawkins family had also sent an invitation.

What caught their attention was that the invitation from the Hawkins family was addressed to both Stewart and Charlene.

Leaning casually against the conference table, Stewart held the Hawkins family invitation, chuckling. “Seems like our company has quite the charm.”

It wasn’t so much the charm of their company as it was the allure of their latest two projects and CUAP that had the Hawkins family hooked.

So much so that the Hawkins family was willing to humble themselves by including Charlene’s name on the invitation.

Little did they know, the coveted technology at PrimeStar wasn’t Stewart’s doing at all…

With that thought, a sly smile deepened in Stewart’s eyes.

In fact, it wasn’t just the Hawkins family. The Ramirez Group, Neural Nexus Tech, and The Henderson Group all had the foresight to include Charlene’s name on their invitations as well.

Only Granger was different.

They sent two separate invitations, one for each of them.

Stewart glanced at them and said with a click of his tongue, “Granger’s got it right.”

The last time Charlene met Granger was the morning he asked if she was a student of her famous mentor.

Hearing Stewart’s comment, Charlene remained silent.

Looking at the invitations, Stewart suggested, “Let’s skip The Ramirez Group, Neural Nexus Tech, The Henderson Group, and the Hawkins family. We’ll only attend the parties of companies like The Harden Group, where our collaborations have been pleasant.”

As for The Ramirez Group and others, a simple gift would suffice to keep up appearances.

And as for The Henderson Group, Neural Nexus Tech, and the Hawkins family, they didn’t even warrant that. Cutting off ties would be best!

“Agreed.”

Charlene was on the same page.

She and Stewart were not only managing the core affairs of the company but also dedicating most of their energy to going through the materials their mentor had recently provided. So, apart from necessary engagements, they had no desire to waste time mingling with unnecessary folks.

PrimeStar was preparing its own party as well.

But given how busy they were, the invitations would have to wait a couple more days before going out.

With the year–end approaching, it was crucial to follow up on business with Neural Nexus Tech before the holidays.

The next day, Charlene, along with Patton and a few others, headed to Neural Nexus Tech.

Upon arriving, Charlene ran into Vesta.

They exchanged no glances, each absorbed in their own tasks.

While busy, Charlene felt someone’s gaze on her. Looking up, she found it was Jacques.

Once she saw him, she quickly returned to her work.

Jacques had been in Starfall for three or four days.

After exploring for a couple of days, he found staying home boring and, learning that his sister was working at his future brother–in–law’s company, decided to drop by out of curiosity.

He didn’t expect to see Charlene as soon as he walked into Neural Nexus Tech.

He assumed Charlene was an employee there.

Seeing her glance at him briefly before returning to her work, he curiously asked the person who brought him in, “What are they busy with?”

The person replied, “Different department, so I’m not sure, but it’s probably something to do with the language system maintenance.”

“Oh…”

Jacques was tempted to take a closer look, but seeing how busy Charlene seemed, he didn’t want to intrude. Instead, he asked, “Where’s my sister?”

The person smiled and said, “Director Hawkins is in a meeting. Would you like to go in and see her?”

Jacques followed them to the meeting room.

A moment later, he noticed everyone inside was intently focused on his sister as she discussed work-related topics.

He remarked, “Everyone seems to really respect my sister.”

Chapter 280

The person who brought him in chuckled, “Oh, absolutely. Director Hawkins is incredibly talented, and everyone on our team really likes her.”

Plus, the daily perks for their team were quite generous, thanks to the close ties between Director Hawkins and Mr. Henderson.

Of course, he didn’t say that out loud.

Jacques beamed with pride upon hearing someone praise his sister. He felt a warm sense of shared accomplishment. Still, he wasn’t planning to interrupt Vesta at work.

“Show me around the other parts of the office, will you?” he suggested.

“Sure thing.”

They stepped out, only to bump into Granger coming through the entrance.

The person accompanying Jacques quickly greeted Granger, “Mr. Harden.”

Granger nodded, his eyes briefly assessing Jacques. With his youthful face and student–like attire, Jacques didn’t really look like your typical corporate type, so Granger quickly figured out who he was.

He kept that to himself, though. Instead, the guide stepped in, saying, “This is Director Hawkins‘ brother, Jacques.”

Jacques had never met Granger before, but he certainly knew of him.

Upon hearing the name Mr. Harden, Jacques ventured a guess, “You’re Granger?”

Granger nodded, “Hello.”

Jacques grinned, “Hey there.”

Just as Jacques was about to say more, Granger’s attention shifted towards Charlene, who was engrossed in her work nearby. “Excuse me, I need to head over there,” he said, moving past them without waiting for a response.

Jacques was momentarily taken aback. Weren’t his future brother–in–law’s friends supposed to be particularly friendly with his sister? Why did Granger seem a bit aloof?

Unconcerned with Jacques‘ thoughts, Granger made his way to Charlene’s side. “Ms. Ross,” he greeted.

Charlene turned, momentarily surprised to see him. “Mr. Harden,” she replied.

It was the end of the year, and Granger was busy. He hadn’t seen Charlene for about two weeks.

In fact, shortly after their last conversation, he had been discreetly summoned for a meeting by higher–ups.

But he didn’t mention any of that. Instead, he asked, “Will you be attending my company’s gala this weekend,

Ms. Ross?”

Charlene nodded and replied, “Yes, I will.”

Ever since he had offered to help her uncle, Charlene had noticed that Granger had been quite amiable towards her.

After all, he had assisted her. Besides, they had been working well together recently, and he had personally sent her an invitation. Professionally and personally, she had no reason to decline.

Granger smiled at her response, “Thank you for honoring us with your presence.”

Charlene replied, “No need for such formalities.”

Sensing that she wasn’t keen on continuing their conversation further, Granger didn’t press. “I’ll let you get back to work,” he said.

Charlene simply nodded and resumed her discussion with Quincy and the others.

Yet, Granger didn’t leave. He stood by, listening to their work talk, occasionally chiming in.

Both Granger and Moran held shares in Neural Nexus Tech, although they didn’t directly manage its operations. Still, they would attend the company’s annual meeting, which was the reason for Granger’s visit today.

A little while later, Vesta finished her meeting and spotted Jacques. “Have you toured the whole company yet?” she asked.

Jacques nodded, “I have.”

Just then, Moran arrived.

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