Chapter 77
Stewart stopped his conversation with Mr. Dale when he noticed something was amiss and made a beeline for Charlene.
“Everything okay?”
Charlene nodded.
“Did you twist your ankle?”
*“A bit.”
Her ankle was indeed sore, likely a sprain. Stewart’s concern was comforting, yet it also brought a tinge of
sadness.
She knew the looks she was getting from the people around them. They probably thought she was throwing herself at Thorne, desperate for his attention. Even with her injury, they likely thought she got what she deserved.
As for Thorne, he didn’t even make the effort to help her up, not even a basic “You okay?”
The only person who truly cared about her here was Stewart.
“Let me take a look?”
“It’s fine.”
Many people were around.
Ignoring her protests, Stewart scooped her up and carried her away from the crowd to sit down. He then knelt, slipped off her high heels, and gently lifted her leg to find her ankle swollen. He asked a waiter to call a doctor and fetch a pair of sneakers for Charlene.
Seeing Stewart so openly caring for Charlene stunned many. Suddenly, it seemed to many that the gossip of Charlene throwing herself at Thorne was perhaps a misunderstanding. After all, she and Stewart seemed genuinely close.
Vesta bit her lip, diverting her gaze. Then, she looked at Thorne.
Though aware of the intimate interaction between Charlene and Stewart, Thorne continued chatting with others nonchalantly.
Watching how much Thorne seemed indifferent to Charlene and Stewart’s closeness, Vesta’s lips relaxed into a smile. And she also continued her conversation with the others, no longer paying attention to Charlene.
Before long, the doctor on call came by. After taking a look at Charlene, he prescribed some cream for the pain. Once the doctor left, Stewart applied the ointment to Charlene. Charlene tried to take over, but Stewart gave her a look, saying, “Let me handle this,” and she relented.
After applying the ointment, the waiter returned with the sneakers for Charlene.
Charlene stood up, testing her foot. “It’s not too bad. I can walk.”
“That’s good.”
However, given her condition, Stewart suggested she skip the gallery visit in the evening. He had asked someone to take photos of the exhibits so she could review them later through a video recap.
Though disappointed, Charlene understood the situation. Stewart excused themselves to the others before taking Charlene home.
After they left, the rest of the group also started to disperse.
08:37
hapter 27
D
After Stewart dropped Charlene off at her place, he had to leave for another commitment.
Exhausted from the day’s events, Charlene wanted to rest before catching up with Stewart later about the “homework” their professor had assigned.
As she was about to drift off, her phone rang.
Picking it up, she saw an unfamiliar number.
Hesitantly, she answered, “Hello, who’s this?”
“Granger.”
Charlene sat up, surprised, “Mr. Harden?”
She had been so busy that she’d almost forgotten about the morning’s incident.
“Your car’s been taken care of on my end. You can come pick it up later,” Granger said before Charlene could respond further. “If you’re busy, I can have someone drive it back to you.”
