Chapter 535

Thorne had been swamped lately. He was barely halfway through his meal when his phone rang again.
As Thorne stepped out to take the call, Vesta seemed to remember something. She turned to Jasmine and said, “By the way, Minnie, school starts on Monday. Why don’t I drive you there?”
Jasmine hesitated, her face showing a hint of discomfort. “I’m sorry, Ms. Hawkins. I already asked my mom to take me. She promised she would.”
“Oh, I see,” Vesta replied, not pressing the matter.
On Sunday evening, just as Charlene finished dinner and was about to unwind, her phone buzzed with a call from Jasmine.
No sooner had she answered than Jasmine chimed in, “Mom, tomorrow morning Dad and I will come over. Then you and Dad can take me to school together.”
“Alright, sweetheart. I’ll be ready,” Charlene replied.
The next morning, Charlene had barely finished breakfast when Thorne and Jasmine showed up.
As Charlene stepped outside with her car keys, Jasmine hopped out of Thorne’s car and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward his vehicle. “Mom, we’re running late! Come on, get in!”
Charlene protested, “I’ll need my car to get back to the office later. It’d be easier if
I just drive myself and meet you both at the school—”
Thorne interjected, “I’ll drop you off at PrimeStar afterward.”
Charlene was about to refuse, but Jasmine tugged her forward, bouncing on her toes. “Yeah, let Dad take you! Come on, Mom, hurry!”
Charlene hesitated, her brow furrowing for a moment. Then she turned and climbed into Thorne’s car.
Today, she wore a custom white lace dress that gave her a serene, graceful air- perfectly complementing her gentle disposition.
As Jasmine settled in beside her, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Mom, you look so beautiful today!”
Thorne glanced over, taking in the sight himself.
Charlene gave a soft, even reply. “Thank you.”
Thorne looked at her again before asking, “What time is your meeting at The Henderson Group this afternoon?”
“Three o’clock.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
“Do you need someone to pick you up?”
Have him send someone to pick her up? If Thorne actually sent his car, and someone saw them, wouldn’t that give away their connection?
Still, considering the current partnership between their two
companies and the fact that lately they’d been seen interacting more in public if someone spotted he
arriving at The Henderson Group in. his car, there was
ough plausible deniability to brush it off
belongs to s
Regardless, whether he cared about people guessing their situation or not, she
didn’t need him chauffeuring her around.
She replied coolly, “No, thank you. I can ride with someone else.”
“Alright.”
After that, most of the conversation was between Jasmine and Charlene; Thorne remained quiet.
When they arrived at the school, both Thorne and Charlene walked Jasmine inside.
Standing together, they made an impressive pair-well-matched in both looks and demeanor, naturally drawing attention from those around them.
Seeing both parents accompanying Jasmine on the first day, Ms. Payne, her teacher, assumed the couple hat reconciled. She smiled warmly at Charlene. “Ms. Ross, it’s been a white.” s
Charlene nodded with a polite smile. “It has. Good to see you.”
Charlene chatted with Ms. Payne for a bit, then, once it was time, gave Jasmine a
few last words of advice before she and Thorne turned to leave.
They walked away, and only when t
Jasmine and Ms. Payne had
finally
disappeared from view did Charlene pull out her phone and open her rideshare app. fo s