Chapter 250
Jasmine’s excitement bubbled over as she spotted Thorne. Racing towards him, she called out, “Hey, it’s Dad! Mom, let Dad in!”
Charlene gave a slight nod, her eyes downcast. “Alright.”
The rest of the Ross family overheard the exchange between Charlene and Jasmine.
They were slightly taken aback at the news of Thorne’s arrival. But with Jasmine there, they didn’t press Charlene for details about Thorne’s visit.
A few moments later, Thorne showed up.
Charlene stepped outside to meet him and asked, “Are you here to take Grandma to the hospital?”
Thorne nodded. “Yes.”
Charlene acknowledged with a nod. “Okay, give me a moment.”
Thorne stayed put in his car, waiting patiently.
After about ten minutes, Helena emerged from the house. Seeing her, Thorne got out of the car and courteously opened the door for her.
Jasmine was also ready to head to school. She waved to Thorne, “Bye, Dad.”
“Bye, sweetheart,” he replied, nodding in acknowledgment to Charlene and the rest of the Ross family before getting back into his car and driving off.
Charlene then drove Jasmine to school.
At eleven–thirty, while Charlene was busy at work, her phone buzzed with a call from Helena. “The surgery went perfectly.”
Feeling relieved, Charlene ended the call.
Not long after, her phone rang again. This time, it was Thorne calling.
Charlene didn’t pick up.
Shortly after, a message from Thorne popped up: “We’re going out for lunch later. Want to join?”
Charlene didn’t respond.
She felt that her silence was clear enough–Thorne would surely understand what it meant, even if he had to use his toes to figure it out.
As expected, Thorne didn’t text again.
But just around noon, her phone rang once more. It was Connie Snyder.
“Charlene, guess who I just saw at the restaurant? Your husband–no, soon–to–be ex–helping your grandma up the stairs!”
Before Charlene could respond, Connie continued, “Are you two back together without telling me?”
“No,” Charlene replied, flipping through a book. She explained about Irma’s fall and hospitalization, adding, “We visited Grandma, and he’s just being considerate.”
That’s why he went out of his way to personally drive her grandma to the hospital this morning.
Connie sounded disappointed. “Is that all?”
“Yeah.”
Charlene interpreted Thorne’s extra politeness and care as his way of ensuring he didn’t owe anything to her or
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Chapter 25
her grandma.
In truth, his actions were more about drawing clear lines between them.
Only someone with wishful thinking would assume he wanted to rekindle their relationship.
That evening, Charlene worked late.
When she finally arrived at the hospital, it was past seven.
As she got out of her car, she noticed Vesta leaning against a vehicle nearby.
Vesta spotted her too.
She pressed her lips together, giving Charlene a cold stare, but remained silent.
Charlene shut her car door, ignoring Vesta’s gaze, and carried a bouquet of flowers into the hospital.
The VIP floor was quiet.
When Charlene pushed open the door, she found Thorne, Granger, and Moran inside.
Remembering Vesta downstairs, she quickly deduced that the four of them likely came together.
Whether Vesta had come up to see Irma or not was anyone’s guess.
Upon seeing Charlene, Moran pursed her lips.
Granger, however, rose from his chair.
Thorne approached Charlene with a simple, “You’re here?”
Charlene diverted her eyes, choosing not to answer him directly. She turned her attention to Irma and offered a warm smile. “Hi, Grandma.”
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