Chapter 870
Over an hour later, Charlene and Jasmine finally pulled up to the resort.
Hearing they had arrived, Stewart Ferguson and Gaylord Hearst came down to greet them.
Stewart knew she was picking up her daughter, but Gaylord had no idea. He froze when he saw the little girl climbing out of the car.
Charlene patted Jasmine’s head. “Minnie, say hello to Mr. Stewart.”
Jasmine obediently chimed, “Hi, Mr. Stewart.”
“Hey, kiddo,” Stewart replied fondly.
Charlene gestured to the other man. “And this is my coworker, Gaylord.”
“Hi, Gaylord.”
Staring down at Jasmine, Gaylord felt a knot of complicated emotions.
They had actually met before, but it was two or three years ago. Jasmine was so
little then, she probably didn’t even remember him.
“Dinner’s starting soon. Let’s head inside,” Stewart told Charlene.
“Alright.”
The employees at PrimeStar Technologies only ever knew that Charlene was married and had a kid. It wasn’t until recently they discovered her ex-husband was the infamous Thorne Henderson.
Having never seen Jasmine in person, many of them couldn’t resist sneaking extra glances at her.
“Is that really Director Ross and Thorne Henderson’s daughter? Wow, she looks just like him.”
“Yeah, she really does.”
Jasmine was sandwiched between Charlene and Stewart at the table.
Knowing she was coming, Stewart had intentionally ordered a few kid-friendly dishes just for her.
Once they sat down, Charlene scooped some food into her bowl. “Stewart ordered this especially for you. Take a bite and see if you like it.”
Hearing who it was from, Jasmine paused, keeping her eyes downcast as she muttered, “Thank you, Mr. Stewart.”
“You’re welcome,” Stewart smiled.
Stewart knew Charlene’s tastes
perfectly. Seeing her busy tending to Jasmine and missing her favorite
dishes as they spun around the table, he casually used the serving spoons to plate food for her.
Charlene smiled brightly. “Thanks, Stewart.”
Stewart despised Thorne, but Jasmine was Charlene’s flesh and blood He was more than capable of setting aside his grudgeting the little girl with genuine warmth.
He turned to Jasmine. “What do you want to eat, Minnie? I can grab it for you.” Jasmine hesitated. “I’m… not a picky eater. Thanks.”
Throughout the meal, Stewart continuously served both Charlene and Jasmine.
Jasmine kept her head down, chewing silently. Every so often, her gaze would dart between Charlene and Stewart, only to drop back down to her plate seconds later.
The team was mostly comprised of people in the same age group who all got along seamlessly. Dinner was a laid-back affair, filled with equal parts office gossip and lighthearted shop talk
Charlene jumped into the conversation effortlessly.
But she didn’t miss how withdrawn Jasmine was acting, barely touching her food.
“Do you not like the food?” she asked softly. “I can have the kitchen make you something else.”
“No thanks, Mom. I ate a little bit before you came to get me. I’m just not that hungry.”
“Okay. Let me know if your appetite comes back.”
“Mhm…”
Seeing that dinner was going to last a while, Charlene offered, “Do you want to take a walk outside with me?”
“It’s fine,” Jasmine said. “Latonia can walk around with me. You can stay and talk.”
Charlene couldn’t help but notice how emotionally distant Jasmine had become lately.
Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Charlene didn’t push. “Alright. Call me if you need anything. I’ll come find you when dinner wraps up.”