Chapter 146
After that moment, silence settled between them.
Charlene’s cousins hadn’t really met Thorne before. Now, faced with him in the flesh, curiosity sparked in their eyes as they sneaked peeks at him.
Thorne, having held a position of power for many years, carried an air of authority effortlessly. His every move radiated a certain dominance, even without trying.
Noticing their gaze, he shot a brief look their way.
Unable to meet his intense stare, they quickly averted their eyes, too intimidated to look again.
Thorne didn’t make any effort to continue the conversation, nor did he offer any pleasantries; he simply looked
away.
To Charlene, Thorne was the man she loved.
She had dived headfirst into that love and hadn’t managed to find her way out for years.
Considering how Thorne had treated her niece over the years, it was impossible for Vernon to harbor no resentment towards him.
But what could his grievances amount to? The Ross family stood no chance against Thorne.
Now that Thorne had made his appearance, Vernon, playing the gracious host, stood up and raised his glass, “Had I known Mr. Henderson would honor us with his presence, I would’ve ensured a warmer welcome. Please, forgive any oversight on our part.” Thorne, also standing, clinked his glass with Vernon’s, replying politely, “You’re too kind, Mr. Ross.”
His deliberate use of “Mr. Ross” instead of “uncle” didn’t go unnoticed. It was clear he didn’t wish to acknowledge any familial ties with the Rosses.
Charlene had long come to terms with this situation. Now, she neither wanted nor needed his acknowledgment of her family.
She knew his presence was probably at Irma’s insistence.
Coolly, she told him, “We appreciate Irma’s intentions. If you have other commitments, please don’t feel obliged to stay.”
His presence only served to dampen the mood.
Thorne simply replied, “No rush,” leaving Charlene puzzled at his intention.
However, he didn’t continue the conversation with her, instead turning to Kenton, “Our company.recently developed a new feature that renders any product completely invisible to radar detection. Mr. Wagner, would you be interested in learning more?” “Completely undetectable by any radar?” Kenton asked, his interest evidently piqued.
“Yes,” Thorne began, diving into a detailed discussion with Kenton.
Charlene hadn’t expected Thorne to engage her professor in such a topic.
Their exchange revealed Thorne’s deep knowledge of the Al field, something even Kenton found intriguing.
Naturally, both Charlene and Stewart found themselves drawn into the conversation.
Initially, they had only been half-listening while eating, but soon, they were so engrossed that they forgot about their food entirely.
Vernon had thought to remind them to continue eating but seeing their keen interest, he chose not to interrupt, fearing they might miss out on the discussion.
Except for Charlene, no one was particularly close to Thorne, and his arrival hadn’t been met with much enthusiasm.
Given the circumstances, Thorne could have easily felt out of place. However, he managed to command the room, drawing all attention to himself.
Of course, the evening was meant to celebrate Helena.
Thorne didn’t intend to steal the spotlight.
After a few minutes, he suggested, “Mr. Wagner, if you’re interested in continuing this conversation, perhaps we could arrange a time to delve deeper into it?”