Chapter 134
As Felix approached, Henley and Vesta extended their hands in a friendly manner, then engaged in small talk, “Felix, are you here discussing business with Mr. Ferguson?”
“Yeah, Mr. Ferguson’s company has a few projects that really caught my eye, so I thought I’d come over and have a chat with Mr. Ferguson.”
Noticing Stewart and Charlene hadn’t come over to join them, Henley paused but didn’t make much of it.
Felix, oblivious to the underlying tension, found Stewart’s behavior somewhat odd.
After all, in the world of business, even if Stewart wasn’t familiar with the Hawkins family, coming over to say hello and making new acquaintances never hurt anyone.
While Vesta and Henley chatted with Felix, Katle greeted Felix and then walked over to where Charlene and Stewart were standing with Maureen.
Stewart glanced at Charlene.
Seeing Katie and Maureen approaching, Charlene didn’t move an inch.
Katie, with a warm tone, said, “Charlene, it’s been too long.”
Charlene remained silent.
Katie, seeing Charlene’s stubborn demeanor, sighed, “Charlene, you…”
Just then, Maureen spoke up with a cool tone, “Charlene, even if you have all these misunderstandings and grievances against me, it’s between you, me, and your mother. It has nothing to do with Henley and Katie. I hope you can see that not everyone who cares about you should be pushed away.” Maureen, elegant and aloof as ever, reminded Charlene of the time before her mother and Henley divorced. Henley had once told her with deep affection that Maureen was the unattainable moon he had always longed for.
He said it was only after meeting Maureen that he truly understood what love was.
They were mutually smitten.
Henley had insisted that despite Maureen’s cool exterior, she was genuinely kind-hearted and hoped Charlene wouldn’t side with her mother in their disputes, urging her to appreciate Maureen’s virtues.
Unlike the typical homewrecker, Maureen was indeed kind to her, though always with a distant coldness.
Years had passed, and Maureen remained as stunningly beautiful and as unapproachable as ever.
Thus, her advice, coming from a place of sincere concern rather than manipulation, carried more weight.
After all, a woman of Maureen’s stature wouldn’t bother to make life difficult for her stepdaughter without reason-if there was any friction, it was merely due to the girl’s immaturity.
Maureen attempted to assure her that the issues between her, her mother, and Henley didn’t affect Henley and
Katie’s affection for her.
All children crave parental love and familial bonds, a longing that intensifies after a divorce.
-At that time, Charlene, only eight or nine years old, loved both her parents but was more sympathetic towards
her mother.
During the custody battle following the divorce from Sybil Ross, even though Sybil had already begun to lose her grip on reality, Charlene chose to stay with her, despite Henley and Katie’s attempts to keep her. Yet, even after leaving with Sybil, Charlene still held Henley and Katie in her heart, keeping her feelings hidden
to spare her mother’s feelings.
year after the divorce, Katie visited Starfall on a pretext and secretly arranged to meet Charlene, claiming sh
she issed her. Despite her own feelings of longing, Charlene was hesitant but couldn’t resist the opportunity to see Katie.
Unknown to her, Katie had also invited Vesta, emphasizing the importance of strengthening sisterly bonds.
Charlene resisted the idea, but the disapproving look in Katie’s eyes, reminiscent of accusations of being too much like her mother-too sharp, too closed-off-left her questioning whether she was indeed too narrow-minded.