Chapter 238
They wanted to have a little chat with her.
Henley started, “Charlene…”
Before Charlene could even respond, Stewart chuckled, “Mr. Hawkins, are you here to announce to everyone about you and Charlene?” Henley’s smile faltered a bit, but he quickly forced a laugh, “Mr. Ferguson, I have something to discuss with Charlene, if you could just-”
Stewart didn’t even let Charlene speak before he chimed in, “If Mr. Hawkins wants to let everyone know about you and Charlene, by all means, go ahead.” Henley didn’t want to get on Stewart’s bad side.
So, with a resigned sigh, he and Laverne had no choice but to leave.
But before he walked away, he said to Charlene, “I’ll give you a call later, don’t forget.”
Charlene didn’t bother to respond. She simply didn’t care. And as for the call, she definitely wasn’t planning to pick up.
Stewart was visibly annoyed, “I’d love to just let it all go up in flames.”
Charlene felt the same way.
But she still hadn’t found any proof to clear her name from the incident with Thorne.
If she really had a public falling-out with the Hawkins family, Thorne and Granger would likely use it against her to protect Vesta.
Besides, she knew firsthand how the Spencer family could twist things around.
Wasn’t her mother still stuck in that care facility, unable to leave?
After chatting with Stewart for a bit, Charlene noticed that Thorne and his friends had stopped playing chess.
It was getting late, so they decided to find Helena.
Helena had just finished chatting about art with Campbell.
Campbell had more friends to entertain, so he went off to greet them.
Seeing that Charlene had come to find her and not wanting to impose on Campbell any longer, Helena decided it was time to head out.
Learning they were leaving, Campbell made a point to gift Helena with a picture of a mountain scene she had admired.
After a bit of polite conversation, Charlene and the others left.
On their way out, they spotted Thorne, Vesta, and their group enjoying tea and conversation in the gazebo.
Thorne noticed them, gave Charlene a brief glance, then returned to his conversation with Granger and Moran. Vesta caught this and smiled slyly before also looking away. Granger, on the other hand, nodded at Charlene and Stewart.
Charlene and Stewart returned the nod before walking away without another glance.
The next day.
Charlene and Stewart were back to work at PrimeStar as usual.
The company’s latest project was gradually coming together, leaving them with plenty to do, and they soon found themselves completely absorbed in their tasks.
For the next few days, they were so busy they barely had time to catch their breath.
One day, Charlene received several apples from different people at the office.
She blinked in surprise, “Is it Christmas already? So soon?”
“Yeah,” a colleague stretched lazily, “The holiday spirit’s pretty strong out there. I’m planning to hang out with some friends after work and soak it all in. What about you? Got any plans?” Charlene smiled, shook her head, set the apples aside, and dove back into her work.
After work, Charlene remembered one of her plants at home was wilting, so she decided to pick up a new one.
At the mall, she saw what her colleague had mentioned-Christmas trees and Santa Claus decorations were everywhere.
The festive atmosphere was palpable.
The streets were bustling with people, all paired up or in groups.
Charlene took in the lively scenes around her and found herself momentarily rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the holiday cheer.