Unknown Divorce: Revelation Beyond Time Novel by Miss Lyra (Chapters 471 to 480)

Chapter 471

When Jasmine found out that Thorne had flown all the way from overseas just to surprise her, her spirits finally lifted.

Clutching her phone, she dashed excitedly down the stairs. Dad is back

Charlene watched her for a moment, standing frozen, then followed Jasmine downstairs and called the gatehouse to let Thorne’s car through.

As Thorne’s car pulled into the Ross family’s driveway, Jasmine bolted out the front door and threw herself into his arms the moment he stepped out of the car.

It was her birthday, but Thorne hadn’t called all day, and Charlene had been out and about, busy with her own things. Jasmine had spent the whole day feeling overlooked and hurt, convinced they hadn’t given her a second thought.

That heaviness had lingered all day, clouding everything.

But seeing Thorne make the effort to come home just for her birthday, feeling for the first time that he truly cared, Jasmine’s bottled-up emotions surged to the surface, her eyes turning red with tears.

As she collapsed into his arms, Thorne ruffled her hair and, kneeling down to hug her, realized she was crying.

His hand paused, surprise flickering in his eyes. But it didn’t take him long to piece it together: not only had he forgotten to call, but Charlene must have done something else to make Jasmine feel neglected. No wonder she broke down the moment she saw him.

He looked up and caught sight of Charlene standing a little ways off, not making any move to approach.

Their eyes met, but Charlene said nothing.

She understood why Jasmine was crying-she knew Jasmine felt ignored and was hurt by it. But Charlene just stood there, watching quietly, without saying a word.

Thorne didn’t push her or scold her. Instead, he quickly turned back to Jasmine, wiping away her tears. “Daddy should have called you first thing this morning to wish you a happy birthday, and I should have gotten home sooner. That was wrong of me. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Jasmine’s hurt didn’t just come from Thorne, but now, with someone to lean on, with someone finally comforting her, the feeling only grew stronger. The more Thorne spoke, the harder she cried.

He didn’t tell her to stop, though. He simply held her close, gently patting her back in silent reassurance.

After a while, Jasmine’s sobs quieted as her sadness faded, until eventually, she stopped crying altogether.

When she was calm again, Thorne let her go and handed her the present he had brought.

Jasmine’s face lit up as she wiped away her tears. “Thank you, Daddy,” she said, her voice still a little shaky.

While Jasmine and Thorne chatted, Charlene remained where she was, watching from a distance.

Eventually, Thorne asked, “We’ve got about an hour left until midnight. Is there anything else you want to do for your birthday?”

Jasmine tilted her head, thinking it over, then shook her head. “No, nothing else.”

Thorne glanced at Charlene, then asked, “So, do you want to come home with me tonight, or would you rather stay here with your mom?”

Jasmine hesitated, finally looking over at Charlene.

Charlene waited quietly, letting her decide.

Jasmine knew that Charlene wasn’t as attentive as she used to be, but whenever Jasmine asked for something, Charlene always tried her best to meet her needs. Deep down, Jasmine knew her mom still cared for her.

Feeling reassured, Jasmine walked over and took Charlene’s hand. She turned to Thorne. “I want to stay here with Mom tonight.”

Thorne nodded, turning to Charlene for her response.

Jasmine’s birthday wasn’t over yet, and her words just now were her true birthday wish. There was no way Charlene could refuse.

So Charlene squeezed Jasmine’s hand and said, “Alright.”

Then she added, “It’s getting late. We should all get some rest. Minnie, say goodnight to your dad.”

Jasmine said, “Goodnight, Daddy.”

But as she said it, she couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant to see him go. She quickly added, “Daddy, you have to come pick me up in the morning!”

Jasmine knew her mom still cared for her.

Feeling reassured, Jasmine walked over and took Charlene’s hand. She turned to Thorne. “I want to stay here with Mom tonight.”

Thorne nodded, turning to Charlene for her response.

Jasmine’s birthday wasn’t over yet, and her words just now were her true birthday wish. There was no way Charlene could refuse.

So Charlene squeezed Jasmine’s hand and said, “Alright.”

Then she added, “It’s getting late. We should all get some rest. Minnie, say goodnight to your dad.”

Jasmine said, “Goodnight, Daddy.”

But as she said it, she couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant to see him go. She quickly added, “Daddy, you have to come pick me up in the morning!”

Thorne smiled. “I promise.”

He glanced over at Charlene. “Thank you for taking care of her tonight.”

Charlene replied simply, “Of course.”

With that, she said no more, just took Jasmine’s hand and turned to lead her back inside.

Thorne watched them until the door closed behind them, then finally got into his car and drove away.

Chapter 472

Jasmine Henderson was halfway through unwrapping the present Thorne Henderson had given her as she chatted with Charlene Ross upstairs.

Charlene listened, distracted, when her phone buzzed with a new message.

It was from Thorne.

[Something’s come up in Goldland. I need to head back

tomorrow afternoon to deal with it. The divorce will have to be postponed another week.]

Charlene’s brow furrowed as she read the message. She quickly typed a reply.

[Can’t you wait until Monday morning to go back?]

Thorne responded almost immediately.

[I’ve tried. It’s not possible. Sorry.]

Charlene pressed her lips together, hesitating, then decided not to reply.

Maybe sensing she was annoyed, Thorne sent another message, trying to reassure her: [Even if I can’t make it back by next Friday, I promise I’ll be back before the following Monday. You have my word.]

With Thorne giving her a concrete timeline, Charlene felt a bit more at ease.

She put down her phone without replying again.

Thorne must have known she’d seen the message, and when she didn’t answer, he let it go and didn’t reach out again.

After chatting with Charlene for a while, Jasmine started to get sleepy and soon drifted off.

Charlene tucked her in, then went to wash up.

She was exhausted after the long day. Once she’d showered, she climbed into bed and got ready to turn off the lights.

As soon as she settled in, Jasmine, perhaps sensing her mother’s presence, rolled over and snuggled into her arms, mumbling softly, “Mommy… Mommy…

“

Thinking Jasmine was awake, Charlene murmured, “I’m here. Go back to sleep.

But Jasmine didn’t answer, and when Charlene looked down, she realized Jasmine was still fast asleep.

Even so, Jasmine clung tightly to her, little fingers clutching Charlene’s shirt.

The next morning, Thorne arrived right on time to pick up Jasmine.

Jasmine was already dressed and had her tiny backpack ready.

When she heard Thorne had arrived, she grabbed Charlene’s hand and pulled her downstairs.

Helena and Vernon Ross both knew Thorne was waiting outside, but they pretended not to notice, neither greeting him nor inviting him in.

When Jasmine said goodbye, they simply told her, “Have fun, Minnie.’

Jasmine tugged Charlene out the door, and Charlene followed, but only as far as the front steps. She let go of Jasmine’s hand there, not going any closer to Thorne.

Jasmine ran straight to her father. “Daddy!”

Thorne scooped her up, exchanging a few words with her before turning to Charlene. “I’ll bring Minnie back later. Sorry for the extra trouble these next few days.”

Charlene just replied, “I know.”

Thorne nodded. After Jasmine and Charlene waved their goodbyes, he carried Jasmine to the car and drove away from the Ross family home.

Back at work, PrimeStar Technologies, the Henderson Group, and Axiom Flux Technologies all had pressing technical issues that needed Charlene’s personal touch.

Even on weekends, Charlene barely had a moment to herself.

After Thorne and Jasmine left, Charlene accompanied Helena and Vernon to visit Sybil Ross at the hospital, but soon after, she went back upstairs to tackle her own workload.

Thorne’s flight was just after five in the afternoon. Around three, he dropped Jasmine back home before rushing to the airport.

News of Thorne’s whirlwind schedule-returning from Goldland only to jet off overseas again-had already reached both the Hawkins and Spencer families.

Georgina Spencer was clearly displeased.

“He’s already here. Would it really kill him to stay one more day and get the divorce papers signed? Why does he have to be in such a hurry?”

Leah Spencer pouted in agreement. “Exactly.”

Everyone knew Thorne was divorcing Charlene for Vesta Hawkins, and Vesta herself had promised Thorne would be back by no later than the Monday after next to finalize things.

But as long as Thorne and Charlene remained married, there was always the chance something could change.

So even if Thorne couldn’t marry Vesta immediately after the divorce, both families wanted the split to happen as soon as possible.

Vesta, of course, wanted nothing more than for the divorce to be finalized quickly.

But with things as they were, all she could do was wait.

Georgina, thinking about how Thorne had managed to carve out time from his hectic schedule and travel all the way from Goldland just for Jasmine’s birthday, felt a pang of

resentment. “He really does dote on that daughter of his, doesn’t he?”

Vesta didn’t respond.

After all, she knew better than anyone just how much Jasmine meant to Thorne.

Sensing Vesta’s discomfort, Georgina tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. Once you have a child with Thorne, with the kind of relationship you two have, he’ll definitely favor your child even more.”

Vesta managed a quiet, “Mm.”

Chapter 473

Sunday, noon.

Gaylord Hearst was hunched over his phone, looking busy as ever. His friend leaned over to sneak a peek at the screen.

One glance, and his friend groaned. “Seriously? It’s the weekend. PrimeStar doesn’t pay you enough to keep you glued to work even on Saturdays and Sundays. I thought you’d be racking your brain trying to score a date with Ms. Ross right about now.”

The overtime was Gaylord’s own choice; it had nothing to do with PrimeStar. Gaylord didn’t bother replying.

Back before he found out Charlene wasn’t divorced yet, he really had spent most weekends plotting ways to ask her out.

But then Charlene admitted she was still married.

Sure, the way she talked about it, things with her husband were definitely headed for divorce-but, officially, it hadn’t happened yet.

Noticing Gaylord lost in thought, his friend knocked on the table. “You’ve gone all silent. What’s on your mind?”

Gaylord snapped back to the present.

He used to think Charlene was already single, so her husband had barely crossed his mind. But since learning she was still married, divorce pending, certain thoughts began to creep in.

He’d known Charlene for a while now, and to him, she was perfect: kind, beautiful, easy to talk to, smart as a whip.

Suddenly, he found himself curious about her husband-what kind of man could be willing to let go of someone as incredible as Charlene?

Just as he was about to ask his friend to do a little digging, someone called his name from across the café.

“Gaylord?”

He looked up.

It was Vesta.

She greeted him with a smile, walking over. “Out so early? I figured you’d still be in bed at this hour.”

Gaylord glanced at her, his tone even. “Did you need something?”

Ever since Gaylord joined PrimeStar, the two of them have rarely seen each other outside work.

And after he found out she was dating Thorne, he’d turned cold toward her just like now.

Vesta didn’t seem to mind. She sat down beside him. “Your sister reached out again, you know. The family still hopes you’ll come home and help out with the business. But you just won’t listen, will you…”

She sighed, settling in. “Gaylord, you’ve been away for months now. Staying at PrimeStar forever isn’t exactly a plan. Why don’t you just-“

Gaylord cut her off, puzzled why someone as passionate about Al as Vesta would still urge him to abandon PrimeStar and go back to the family company, especially when she knew what a powerhouse PrimeStar was.

But he had no interest in debating her. “This is between me and my family. I’ll handle it.”

He looked a little put out, but Vesta didn’t press the point. She only said, “I get it, you can’t bear to leave PrimeStar. Honestly, I get it-I’ve always wanted to work there myself. It’s just… I heard your dad’s health isn’t so good lately…”

“I know,” Gaylord replied flatly.

“Well, as long as you’re aware.”

At this point, Gaylord’s friend finally joined the conversation, exchanging pleasantries. “Ms. Hawkins, are you here alone? Haven’t seen Mr. Henderson around.”

“I’m here with my family,” Vesta replied, taking the cup of tea he passed her. “As for Thorne, he’s away on business-won’t be back for a few days.”

“Ah, got it.”

Just then, Dalton Ramirez came striding over. “Ms. Hawkins, what a coincidence.”

Vesta smiled. “It is, isn’t it?”

As she spoke, she noticed York Watson behind Dalton and greeted him warmly. “Mr. Watson! It’s been ages.”

York nodded silently, his gaze drifting to where Gaylord sat.

Vesta caught the look and started making introductions. “This is Gaylord, and-“

But just as she began, York and Gaylord locked eyes, unreadable expressions on their faces. As if on cue, they both interrupted her. “We know each other.” Not just Vesta-Dalton, too, looked surprised, a flicker of confusion passing over his face. After all, everyone’s impression was that the two men had never met.

Chapter 474

Still, no one pressed for details.

Just then, Vesta spoke up. “Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we sit down and have a meal together?”

As soon as she finished, Dalton was about to agree, but Gaylord interjected first. “No, thanks. I have things to take care of. Maybe next time.”

Right after Gaylord, York chimed in, “I’ve got plans of my own, too. Sorry, maybe another time.”

Dalton had come with York. He hadn’t expected York to turn her down so directly. Caught off guard, he paused, then simply echoed, “Yeah, maybe next time.”

Vesta had always been a little more attentive to Dalton. She noticed the flicker of surprise on his face and immediately realized York’s excuse was just that-a polite way to say he didn’t want to have dinner with her. She couldn’t help but notice that York’s attitude toward her was… indifferent. Not interested, but not unfriendly either-just polite distance.

She gave a slightly awkward smile. “Alright then, maybe another time.”

York nodded politely, clapped Dalton on the shoulder, and turned to leave first.

Gaylord, meanwhile, had already gone back to his seat, scrolling through his phone, ignoring Vesta completely.

Vesta had more or less expected Gaylord’s refusal. In the past, even when he pretended to be aloof, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at her, always paying attention in his own way. But now… after saying his piece, it was as if she didn’t even exist.

Vesta’s brows knitted for the briefest moment, but she quickly composed herself and spoke gently, “As long as you know what you’re doing, I won’t say more. But your parents and family care about you a lot-try to call home more often when you have the time.”

With that, she said nothing further and turned to leave.

Georgina and her friends all knew Dalton and York; recognizing Vesta speaking with them, they kept their distance so as not to interrupt.

When Vesta returned, Georgina spoke up, “Besides Gaylord, those two young men are Mr. Ramirez’s son and Campbell Watson’s grandson, right? Both are from prominent families in Starfall City and are capable in their own right. Fine young men. Especially Mr. Watson’s grandson, you hardly ever see him at social events. Why not chat with them a little longer?”

Vesta had barely sat down when Laverne Hawkins added, “She’s right, Vesta. Gaylord, Mr. Ramirez’s son, Mr. Watson’s grandson-they all have excellent prospects. Your two younger sisters are still single. If any of them seem suitable, maybe you could keep Jane and Leah in mind?”

Rhoda immediately agreed, “Exactly, exactly!”

Before Vesta could respond, Janetta spoke up quietly, “But Mr. Hearst and Mr. Ramirez, they’re both totally devoted to you, cousin. It doesn’t seem right for you to introduce them to us…”

Laverne shot her daughter a look of exasperation. “What’s wrong with that? Feelings can grow over time. They like your cousin, but if she takes the initiative to bring you all together, who knows? Maybe something develops. You won’t know unless you try.”

Janetta fell silent.

Vesta finally spoke. “I’m not really in touch with them these days. I don’t feel comfortable playing matchmaker out of the blue.”

“It’s fine,” Laverne said. “If there’s a dinner or party and Mr. Hearst or Mr. Watson are attending, just bring Jane and the others along. That’s all it takes.”

Chapter 475

Ever since she started working with Axiom Flux Technologies, Charlene had been so swamped that her days blurred together.

This week was no different-if anything, she was busier than ever, barely able to keep her head above water.

By the time she finally caught a breath, she realized an entire week had slipped by.

After work, she dragged her exhausted body home only to find Jasmine already fast asleep.

Lately, Jasmine had been staying at the Ross family’s house, but the two of them barely saw each other.

Charlene stood at the edge of the bed, watching Jasmine curled up all alone on the large mattress. It was a while before she finally headed to the bathroom to shower.

The next morning, when Charlene woke up, Jasmine was already dressed, backpack slung over her shoulders, clearly ready to head out.

When Jasmine saw her mother wake, she scurried over and leaned on the edge of the bed. “Mom, did I wake you up?”

Charlene sat up and shook her head. “No, you didn’t.”

After a moment, she asked, “Heading out to play?”

Jasmine nodded eagerly. “Yeah! Dad’s back-he’s coming to pick me up soon.

Charlene paused, then suddenly remembered it was Saturday. Of course, Thorne was supposed to be back.

She washed up and went downstairs to grab some breakfast, just as Thorne pulled up outside.

Charlene was walking Jasmine out the door when Thorne stepped out of his car.

He didn’t look like someone who’d just gotten off a long flight.

As if reading her mind, Thorne picked Jasmine up and glanced at Charlene. “I got back last night.”

Charlene said nothing. Thorne continued, “Thanks for looking after her. If you’re free at lunch, maybe we could eat together?”

Charlene finally spoke, turning him down. “That’s not necessary.”

Thorne nodded, not pushing the issue. “Alright. See you Monday.”

“Okay,” she replied coolly.

Thorne gave a small nod, hoisted Jasmine onto his hip, and turned to leave.

Just then, Jasmine called out, “Mom, when you’re not so busy, I’ll come visit you again.”

Charlene smiled. “Alright.”

probably be divorced. The next time she and Jasmine would see each other, she and Thorne would

okay?” That thought made her pause. She added, “Take good care of yourself,

Charlene meant it as a goodbye, but Jasmine just took it as her mom being caring. Grinning, she replied, “I will! Bye, Mom!”

“Bye.”

After Thorne and Jasmine left, Charlene finally turned and went back inside.

That evening, Thorne joined Vesta and his old friend Nicol, who’d just returned from overseas-for dinner.

Nicol laughed, “Last time Lean came back home, he kept going on about how much things had changed here. I didn’t really get it until now. Having come back myself, I see it’s true-this place is nothing like it was ten or fifteen years ago.”

chance.” Thorne smiled. “You should come back more often, whenever you get the

“Absolutely.” Nicol grinned, then added, “I’m really interested in PrimeStar these days. I heard The Henderson Group is working with them? Maybe you could introduce me to Mr. Ferguson from PrimeStar sometime, and especially to Ms. Ross, I’ve heard she’s incredibly talented.”

It was Vesta’s first time meeting Nicol, too.

After greeting him and taking her seat, she found she couldn’t really join the conversation, so she sat back and listened.

When she heard this, though, her expression changed.

Before Thorne could say anything, Nicol went on, “You know, when you first told me about PrimeStar’s language programming a few years back, I didn’t think much of it. But now, I really see the value in CUAP. When you mentioned it before, I could tell you were fascinated by it…”

Chapter 476

Thorne chuckled. “That’s right. I’m still very interested, even now.”

Vesta knew well that Thorne had always been a fan of PrimeStar CUAP, that particular programming language. In fact, when she’d considered joining growth, if she got in. PrimeStar last year, Thorne was all for it. He believed she’d experience solid

Maybe it was this genuine interest in CUAP’s developers that kept Thorne so easygoing around Stewart Ferguson despite the fact that Stewart, thanks to Charlene, had never exactly rolled out the red carpet for him. Stewart’s frosty off. Attitude never seemed to faze Thorne; he always just smiled and shrugged it off.

Now, Thorne said frankly, “But I’ve crossed Mr. Ferguson in the past. He doesn’t think much of me these days. If you want his cooperation and ask me to help, I’m afraid it’ll only backfire.”

Nicol looked surprised but didn’t press the issue. “Alright then, I’ll find someone else to help.”

Nicol came from a family deeply rooted in pharmaceutical research. His company’s Al models had been stuck at a plateau for a while, unable to improve their success rate in antibody tasks. They wanted to use a multimodal generative architecture combining atomic structure prediction and generation to design new antibody molecules, but they’d hit a stubborn bottleneck.

For the past six months, Nicol had reached out to several potential partners, but none of the collaborations had panned out. That was why he’d turned to PrimeStar.

Nicol’s influence overseas wasn’t negligible. Partnering with him would be a win for PrimeStar, too, especially since both Charlene and Stewart were quite interested in this new module. After talking it over, the two set up a meeting with Nicol for the following morning.

Nicol arrived with two engineers from his company in tow.

Stewart’s reputation spoke for itself, and before returning to the country, Nicol had seen a couple of Charlene’s presentations online. She’d looked striking in the videos, but seeing her in person, she was even more stunning than the camera had captured.

Time was tight, so after a brief greeting, Charlene and her team dove straight into the issues Nicol’s company was facing with their multimodal architecture.

Charlene and Stewart, together with Nicol’s engineers, discussed everything from integration strategies to data alignment and ways to improve computational resources. They tackled each problem systematically, leaving no stone unturned.

By the end of the meeting, Nicol was so impressed he immediately instructed his people to draft a contract. He was eager to seal the partnership with PrimeStar as quickly as possible.

Once the meeting wrapped up, Charlene and Stewart headed out, with Nicol seeing them to their car, ever the gracious host.

After they left, Nicol called Thorne. “You know, the problems that have stumped our engineers for ages? Mr. Ferguson and his team solved them in no time. Stewart and his girlfriend are truly impressive. I think our company’s deadlock might finally be over.”

Thorne laughed. “When you find the right partners, everything becomes twice as efficient. Congratulations.”

Their conversation continued for a bit before Nicol blurted out, “Stewart’s girlfriend is absolutely stunning. And more importantly, she’s incredibly capable. I thought Mr. Ferguson would take the lead in everything, but she was just as sharp, if not sharper. The two of them work together seamlessly, trading ideas back and forth.”

“I have to admit, I’m genuinely intrigued by Ms. Ross. If she weren’t already taken, I’d be trying my luck!”

Thorne was still having lunch at the time. He raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh? Is that so?”

Vesta and Jasmine were in the private dining room as well. Since Thorne had answered Nicol’s call on speakerphone, they’d both heard every word loud and clear.

Chapter 477

Hearing this, Vesta’s hand paused mid-meal.

Nicol went on, “I’m serious. Whether it’s her looks, her calm demeanor, or the way she carries herself-she’s everything I like. And she’s so talented. Honestly, she’s the kind of woman I’ve always dreamed of meeting. How could I not fall for her?”

Maybe because the divorce from Charlene wasn’t final yet, Thorne knew it was inappropriate to encourage other men to pursue her. So when Nicol finished, Thorne just smiled politely and didn’t say anything more.

Nicol had other things to take care of, and their call ended shortly after.

After the call with Nicol, Charlene spent the afternoon resting at home. Before bed, she carefully gathered all the documents she’d need to finalize the divorce tomorrow, placing them neatly in her bag and double-checking that nothing was missing. She was just about to turn off the light when her phone buzzed-Kenton Wagner was calling.

“Get ready. Someone will be there to pick you up in ten minutes.”

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day she and Thorne made their divorce official.

Charlene hesitated for a moment. “Professor, I…-“

“Could I come by tomorrow morning instead?” she started to ask, but the rest of her words caught in her throat.

She’d been to the institute enough times to know that, for them, time wasn’t just money; it could mean lives on the front lines.

But Kenton didn’t give her a chance to finish. He ended the call abruptly after speaking.

There weren’t many days left in her and Thorne’s required “cooling-off” period before finalizing the divorce. She didn’t know how long this trip to the institute would last. If she didn’t make it back before the period was up, they’d have to reapply for the divorce and start the waiting period all over again.

The thought left her sitting on the edge of her bed, lips pressed in a tight line.

After a while, she snapped out of it, changed clothes, and shot Stewart a text.

His reply came quickly-a simple thumbs-up emoji, letting her know he understood.

Once she was dressed, Charlene hesitated, then messaged Thorne:

I have an urgent matter to handle. We’ll need to reschedule the divorce appointment. I’ll be in touch once things settle down.

She didn’t know if Thorne was busy or just hadn’t seen her message, but there was no response by the time she’d finished packing or even when the car arrived to pick her up.

As the car pulled out of the Ross family driveway, she turned off her phone according to protocol, and the staff in the car quickly briefed her on the current situation.

Charlene hadn’t even reached the institute before she was already knee-deep in work.

Three days passed.

After three nights in a row without sleep, Charlene completed her final assignment. The engineers in the data center collapsed onto their desks as soon as the job was done, catching sleep wherever they could.

Charlene did the same.

Her mind felt like it might explode from exhaustion; she barely had the strength to move. She rested her head on the table and fell asleep almost instantly, surrounded by her equally spent colleagues.

She had no idea how long she’d been out.

When she finally woke, the fatigue was still there, but at least her mind felt a little clearer.

She scanned the latest data, preparing to tackle the next task, when she noticed York sitting nearby, deep in conversation with someone.

When York saw she was awake, he nodded and smiled.

Charlene paused and nodded back politely, but was quickly drawn back into her work by a new batch of data. After the brief greeting, she dove right back in, losing herself in the numbers once again.

Chapter 478

By the time Charlene finished her work and finally came back to herself, she realized with a jolt that York was no longer in the spot he’d been before.

The days that followed blurred together as she worked around the clock, barely stopping for a breath. Only after several more days of exhaustion did she finally wrap up her tasks. She collapsed into bed and slept straight through for nearly twenty-four hours, waking up with her mind clearer, her body lighter, though her complexion was still noticeably paler than before she’d first entered the facility.

That day, she did little beyond sleep, hardly eating a thing. By evening, hunger finally crept in, and she decided to head to the cafeteria for a bite. On her way there, she happened to run into York, who was coming from the other dormitory wing.

He looked at her with a flicker of surprise. “I thought you’d already left the base,” he said.

Given the gravity of the recent events, he’d guessed when she might have arrived. Now that everything had been resolved perfectly, he assumed she would’ve completed her mission and left as soon as yesterday.

Charlene shook her head. “I still have a few things to handle. I’ll need to stay a little longer.”

The truth was, she should have left yesterday, but Kenton had asked for her help with some additional matters, so she’d postponed her departure.

York’s smile was gentle as he nodded, letting her know he understood. He could tell she was still a bit groggy-probably just now awake after sleeping a whole day and night.

He smiled but didn’t press for details. Instead, he asked, “Heading to dinner?”

“…Yeah.”

“Mind if I join you?”

Given the situation, Charlene couldn’t refuse. “Sure,” she said quietly. After they’d picked up their food, they sat down across from each other.

York watched her as they ate. During his last leave, nothing had changed between them, but he’d managed to get Stewart’s contact information. From Stewart, he learned that by the time his leave ended, Charlene still hadn’t finalized her divorce.

Apparently, according to Stewart, her husband had urgent business overseas and wouldn’t be back anytime soon… In other words, Charlene most likely wasn’t officially divorced yet.

Since she was still married, and since she clearly didn’t harbor romantic feelings for him, at least not yet-York knew better than to push. So, over dinner, he refrained from asking about her marital status or prying into personal matters like whether her child was a boy or a girl, how old they were, or what kind of personality they had. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the recent events at the base.

When it came to work, Charlene had plenty to say, and the two of them chatted for a while. But trouble was never far away in this place, and before long, Charlene’s phone buzzed with an urgent message from Kenton.

She quickly dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin, then stood up. “I’ve got an emergency to deal with. Enjoy your meal-I have to go.”

York looked at her, his voice soft. “Alright.”

She was about to leave, but just as she turned to go, her eyes met his. For a split second, she paused. She saw something in his gaze-a flicker of longing, a reluctance to let her go.

She hesitated, dropped her eyes, and looked away, uncertain. After a brief pause, she murmured a quiet, “Goodbye,” then hurried off.

York watched her go, feeling the ache of that unspoken farewell.

He would be leaving the base himself in a few days for a new assignment, and it would be a while before he returned. By then, Charlene would likely have moved on from the base. Their next meeting, if it happened at all, wouldn’t be for another month, at least.

Chapter 479

Charlene finished up at work, left the research center, and returned home. When she finally checked her phone, she saw that Thorne hadn’t replied to her message for more than an hour after she’d left for the center.

His reply to the text she’d sent before heading out was nothing more than a curt, “Okay.”

Maybe it was because he’d already missed one of their meetings; apart from that single word, he hadn’t called her once in the past two weeks.

In contrast, Jasmine had phoned her four or five times in the last ten days.

With this in mind, Charlene typed out a quick message to Thorne: *”I’m done for the day. I’m free on Monday.”*

She sent it and, after waiting a while with no response, gave up and set her phone aside.

As for the missed calls from Jasmine… Charlene figured Jasmine probably just missed her and didn’t have anything urgent to say.

With that thought, she decided not to return the call.

It had been nearly two weeks since Charlene last visited Sybil in the hospital.

After taking a shower and having breakfast, she headed to the hospital with her family to see Sybil.

Sybil’s organ failure seemed to be steadily improving. Charlene, deeply grateful, said, “Thank you, Dr. Quintin.”

Quintin gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “No need to thank me. It’s what I’m here for.”

After visiting Sybil, Charlene and Helena took the elevator down. Just as they stepped out, they ran into Georgina, Vesta, and Leah.

Charlene and Helena paused for a second at the sight of them, but quickly composed themselves and walked out as if nothing was amiss.

Georgina and Leah, however, looked far from pleased.

Ever since Thorne had brought up the subject of divorce, rumor had it that Charlene had been nothing but cooperative.

The divorce paperwork had already been delayed for over two weeks due to Thorne’s business trip. Everyone assumed that once Thorne was back last Monday, the two would finalize everything without a hitch.

But somehow, Charlene had pulled a disappearing act at the last minute, her phone went off at night, refusing to answer calls.

To Leah and the others, it was obvious Charlene was deliberately dodging them, hoping to run out the thirty-day waiting period and stall the divorce.

At first, they hadn’t even realized what Charlene was up to. They only found out after asking around.

Remembering this, Leah shot Charlene a sharp glare.

Georgina’s look was equally frosty.

Charlene met their gaze with a cool, indifferent look of her own.

Georgina and Leah hadn’t expected Charlene to dare glare back. Georgina’s expression darkened, but before she could say anything, Leah exploded, “You-!”

Vesta cut in, “Leah.”

Her tone was calm but firm, and Leah understood: Vesta didn’t want her making a scene.

After all, they were in a public place. Besides, Charlene and Thorne weren’t officially divorced yet.

If they caused a scene, it might not end well for any of them.

Leah seethed with frustration but managed to hold her tongue. Reminding herself that once Thorne was back, the divorce would go through no matter how much Charlene tried to delay, she felt a little better.

But then she remembered Thorne had taken that brat of a kid along with him on his business trip and was planning to spend a few extra days abroad. He probably wouldn’t be back for another couple of days. Leah’s mood soured all over again.

She couldn’t help whining to Vesta, “Sis, can’t you just tell your husband to come back early? He can take that brat sightseeing after the paperwork is done, can’t he?”

Vesta, unfazed, replied, “Don’t worry about it. Thorne knows what he’s doing.”

Meanwhile, Charlene got into her car. At last, a message from Thorne appeared on her phone: *”Got it. I’ll be back tomorrow.”*

Chapter 480

After reading the message, Charlene simply swiped her screen away and didn’t reply.

That evening, Charlene went out to dinner with her family.

When they arrived at the restaurant, she told her family to head inside first while she stayed back to find a parking spot. After parking, she grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car, completely unaware that the car in the adjacent spot belonged to Vesta.

Vesta had just finished a phone call. As soon as she hung up, she spotted Charlene.

Charlene locked her car and was about to head toward the restaurant when she suddenly heard someone call out, “Charlie?”,

Only one person ever called her that-Kenton’s wife, her mentor’s wife, Malvina.

Charlene froze for a split second. When she turned around, sure enough, there was Malvina.

Vesta, who had intended to get out as well…her car door already half open…paused upon seeing Malvina. Malvina was not only a prodigy in the medical field but also Kenton’s wife. Though she kept a low profile and rarely appeared in the news, anyone who cared to look could easily find out who she was. So, the moment Vesta saw her, she recognized her instantly.

By the time Vesta came to her senses and pushed her door open, she caught a glimpse of Charlene glancing back at Malvina and greeting her and froze all over again.

Charlene stammered, “M-Mrs. Malvina!”

Malvina smiled warmly at her, walked right up, and opened her arms to embrace her. “My dear Charlie! It’s been ages.”

Charlene was a little overwhelmed by the hug, but she wrapped her arms around Malvina in return. “It really has been a long time.”

After holding her for a moment, Malvina finally let go and pinched Charlene’s cheek. “It’s been years, and you’ve only gotten more beautiful, Charlie.”

Charlene kept hugging her, letting Malvina pinch her cheek without protest. She grinned and replied, “And you’re still just as young and gorgeous as ever, Mrs. Malvina.”

Malvina gave a playful hum. “Of course, I know I am.”

They both burst out laughing.

Malvina went on, “I’ve barely had a moment to breathe these last few years at Rivermere, but I’ve kept up with all the buzz about the company you and Stewart started. You come back to PrimeStar and immediately take the world by storm. You never cease to amaze me, Charlie.”

Charlene blushed at the praise and tried to change the subject. “I’m here having dinner with my family. How about you? If you’re free, would you like to join us?”

“I’m here for work, so I’ll have to take a rain check,” Malvina replied, smiling. “It’s been, what, four or five years since I’ve seen you or Stewart? I was planning to catch up for a meal with you two once my schedule calms down. I didn’t expect to bump into you tonight! If you and Stewart are free, let’s set something up in a few days.”

Charlene nodded obediently. “I’d love that.”

Malvina pinched her cheek again, adding, “Perfect. There’s a young one at home who’s a big fan of the programming language you developed-CUAP. I’ll bring them along next time. Would you mind?”

Charlene shook her head. “Not at all.” Then, after a pause, she added, “And I still haven’t properly thanked you for helping my mother get in touch with Dr. Quintin.”

“Oh, that was nothing,” Malvina said with a smile, glancing at her watch. Noticing the time, she added, “My party’s arrived, I can’t keep them waiting and act all high and mighty. Let’s go in together.”

Charlene let go of her and, linking arms with Malvina, said, “Alright.”

With that, the two of them headed toward the restaurant, completely unaware of the half-open car door nearby and that Vesta had overheard every word.

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