Chapter 871
“Okay, Mom. I got it,” Jasmine said.
With that, Jasmine wandered off with Latonia.
Charlene finished her meal, chatted with Stewart about work for a bit, and then headed back to her room.
When she walked in, Jasmine was in the shower.
The moment Charlene sat down, the phone sitting on Jasmine’s bed started ringing.
The caller ID flashed Thorne’s name.
Charlene didn’t pick up, gesturing for Latonia to answer it for her. Latonia offered a wry smile. “Jasmine refuses to take his calls lately, and she won’t let me answer them either. If she wants to talk to him, she’ll call him back after her shower.”
Charlene had been completely in the dark about this.
Thorne had primary custody of Jasmine, so Charlene always tried to avoid meddling in their father-daughter dynamic.
But hearing Latonia say that, and recalling Jasmine’s foul mood all day, she asked, “Did they get into a fight?”
“…Yes.”
In truth, they hadn’t actually repaired their relationship since the debacle at Dr. Lucas’s gala.
Jasmine hadn’t smiled a genuine smile since.
Latonia looked at Charlene, wanting to tell her everything. But since Thorne obviously knew his daughter was upset and hadn’t mentioned it to his ex-wife, she felt it wasn’t her place to overstep.
Besides, it was obvious Jasmine didn’t want her spilling her secrets to Charlene anyway.
If she actually tattled, Jasmine might throw a real tantrum.
And when Jasmine was angry these days, she was actually quite intimidating.
Since she didn’t want to intrude on their personal business, Charlene left it at that, even after confirming they were fighting.
Latonia let out a soft sigh as Charlene dropped the subject.
She understood why Charlene kept her distance, but Jasmine was just a little girl…
Just then, Jasmine stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from her shower. She offered a small smile. “You’re back, Mom?”
“Yeah.”
Latonia quickly informed her that Thorne had called.
Jasmine’s face instantly went blank. “Got it.”
She said it so casually, clearly harboring zero intention of calling him back.
“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Charlene asked. “I can take you around.” Jasmine nodded.
“Where to? The hot springs, the water park, or the orchard downstairs?”
“Let’s go to the orchard. The stars are super bright tonight. I just want
won the grass and net
“Alright.”
Charlene took her daughter’s hand and led her out the door.
Gaylord was still loitering in the lobby.
Spotting them, he jogged over with a bright smile. “Heading out to the
orchard? A few of our coworke
out there too. Want to join the fun?”
Charlene looked down at Jasmine. “What do you think, Minnie?”
She knew her daughter wasn’t shy, but since she was already in a bad mood, a crowd probably wouldn’t help.
“I’d rather just walk around,” Jasmine said softly.
“Okay.”
The second Charlene agreed, Gaylord crouched down to meet Jasmine’s eye level, speaking in his most gentle tone. “I heard you love building blocks, so specifically had a kmited edition set brought or for you. Should I run upstairs and grab it?”
Jasmine looked at Gaylord, then up at her mother.
Charlene knew exactly why he was kissing up to Jasmine.
Before she could intercept, Gaylord stood up. “I’ll go get it right now.”
He dashed toward the stairs without giving her a chance to argue. Charlene was left speechless.
She squeezed Jasmine’s hand. “Come on. Let’s head up the hill first.”
Jasmine said nothing, her little lips pressed into a tight line.