Chapter 857
Once the ceremony concluded, parents began filing out. Charlene and Thorne prepared to leave as well.
“Well, Mom is going to head out now. Call me if you need anything, okay?” Charlene told her.
Jasmine nodded. “Okay.”
Seeing that Charlene was finished speaking, Thorne gently pinched Jasmine’s
cheek. “I’ll come pick you up after school this afternoon, alright?”
Jasmine paused, tilting her head slightly to look at Charlene.
It was glaringly obvious she wanted Charlene to be the one picking her up.
However, Charlene’s phone started ringing at that exact moment, so she completely missed the hopeful look in her daughter’s eyes.
Disappointed, Jasmine looked away. “Got it,” she mumbled to her dad. Then, she turned back to Charlene. “Go ahead and do your work, Mom. I’m going back to class. Lessons are starting soon.”
Charlene smiled. “Alright.”
Jasmine waved goodbye, and Thorne and Charlene watched her until she disappeared into the building.
Charlene hadn’t answered the call earlier. Only after Jasmine was safely inside did she pull out her phone to return it.
Thorne turned to her. “I have things to handle. I’m heading out.”
Charlene paused, then nodded.
Thorne took out his phone and made a call, talking business as he strode toward the parking lot.
Charlene also needed to head back to PrimeStar Technologies.
They were both heading to the parking lot, but they walked several feet apart. Any passerby would have assumed they were complete strangers.
Once they reached the lot, they climbed into their respective cars and quickly drove off.
Right after they departed, a car parked nearby slowly pulled out. The woman sitting in the driver’s seat was none other than Vesta Hawkins.
She knew it was Jasmine’s first day of school today, so she had made a point to come and spy on them.
Having witnessed Thorne and Charlene’s painfully distant dynamic, her white- knuckled grip on the steering wheel finally relaxed.
Charlene was… undeniably radiant now.
Vesta had terrified herself with the thought that Thorne might suddenly start looking at Charlene differently because of her newfound prestige, which could lead to…
Ever since last year, when Charlene began proving her immense professional talent, Thorne had certainly started viewing her in a new light.
But obviously, a new level of respect didn’t automatically translate to love.
Even if Charlene was dazzling now, and even if Thorne admired her more than before, he… still couldn’t bring himself to love her.
At that thought, a smirk curved Vesta’s lips. The heavy anxiety that had been suffocating her finally lifted.
Meanwhile.
As soon as Charlene walked into PrimeStar Technologies, Gaylord Hearst tracked her down to discuss business.
After stepping into her office, he couldn’t help but voice his concern. “Why did you come in so late today? Did something happen?”
Aside from making sure she was okay, he secretly wanted to know if she had gone to city hall with Thorne to finalize their divorce.
After all… they still hadn’t officially ended their marriage.
Charlene didn’t overthink it, answering casually, “I went to my daughter’s Opening Ceremony.”
“…Oh, I see.”
If that were the case, didn’t that mean she had seen Thorne today?
He kept that question to himself, quickly adjusting his mindset and diving straight into work matters.
After they finished, Stewart Ferguson came in to go over the upcoming schedule with Charlene.
By the time they wrapped up, it was almost noon. Stewart stretched
lazily and couldn’t resist asking “You
saw him today Didn’t you bring up
the divorce again?
Charlene shook her head. “I thought about it, but there’s no way he’ll agree to it right now.”
Stewart pursed his lips. “True. With you, him, and Vesta still dominating the headlines, bringing up divorce now would be a nightmare Forget him his family would never allow it in the middle of this PR storm.”