Charlene withdrew her gaze as Patton called her over for some assistance. Without further ado, she turned her back, no longer

reoccupied with what was happening on Thorne’s end.

As she spun around, Moran caught sight of her.

At that moment, Vesta had drifted toward Henley, leaving Thorne by his lonesome.

Moran walked over, nudging Thorne’s side with his elbow before subtly gesturing toward Charlene. “Over there. Your wife’s here, too.”

Following Moran’s hint, Thome looked in the indicated direction and spotted Charlene.

She held a tablet, explaining a prototype’s technical nuances to Patton and his crew.

Charlene and the team were so engrossed that they didn’t sense Thorne and his company’s curious glances.

Moran paused before quizzing, “Who are those folks with your wife? Is she discussing the core tech of the prototype? She’s savvy, huh?” Thome stared at Charlene, his gaze unyielding, words unspoken. Sensing something, Charlene glanced their way. Their eyes met across the distance, and it was a silent exchange.

Charlene hesitated. The distance made it hard for Charlene to decipher the exact emotion in Thorne’s eyes, but she noticed Thorne seemed to smile.

Was he smiling at her? Perhaps she was overthinking it. With confusion and curiosity, Charlene averted her gaze.

Moran noticed and asked, “What’s with the smile?”

Thome replied, “Nothing.”

Moran didn’t press further. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when Charlene saw them, especially Thorne, and reacted as if looking at a stranger, keeping her composure.

Was Charlene playing hard to get, or was she just being tactful?

Given Thorne’s reluctance to make their marriage public, whether at that party or the expo, she had always maintained a distance from Thorne, careful not to reveal any signs of their relationship. Indeed, Charlene seemed quite considerate in this aspect. Vesta approached, asking, “What are you guys talking about?”

Ever quick, Moran responded, “Nothing.” Then, turning to Vesta, he asked, “Have you finished your chat?”

Before Vesta could answer, someone approached them with Professor Hancock, introducing, “Professor Hancock, this is Ms. Hawkins, the tech prodigy I mentioned earlier.”

It was the same Professor Hancock Stewart introduced to Charlene at a previous gathering.

Vesta had seen Hancock then but hadn’t paid much attention, given her focus wasn’t on mingling with the tech elites, barely recognizing Hancock.

A disagreement between Vesta and Stewart slightly marred their previous encounter. But engaged in conversation with Charlene then, Hancock hadn’t paid much mind to it and never brought it up.

Greeting Vesta, he said, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Hawkins.”

“Nice to meet you.”

With the Hawkins family’s tech firm in dire need of tech talents, learning of Professor Hancock’s reputation made Vesta courteous, with Henley coming over to greet Hancock.

After that, Vesta and Professor Hancock had a lengthy conversation, surrounded by numerous prototypes ripe for discussion..

Not being tech-savvy, Henley and Laverne stayed out of the technical chatter.

Charlene withdrew her gaze as Patton called her over for some assistance. Without further ado, she turned her back, no longer preoccupied with what was happening on Thorne’s end.

As she spun around, Moran caught sight of her.

At that moment, Vesta had drifted toward Henley, leaving Thorne by his lonesome.

Moran walked over, nudging Thorne’s side with his elbow before subtly gesturing toward Charlene. “Over there. Your wife’s here, too.”

Following Moran’s hint, Thorne looked in the indicated direction and spotted Charlene.

She held a tablet, explaining a prototype’s technical nuances to Patton and his crew.

Charlene and the team were so engrossed that they didn’t sense Thorne and his company’s curious glances.

Moran paused before quizzing, “Who are those folks with your wife? Is she discussing the core tech of the prototype? She’s savvy, huh?” Thorne stared at Charlene, his gaze unyielding, words unspoken. Sensing something, Charlene glanced their way. Their eyes met across the distance, and it was a silent exchange.

Charlene hesitated. The distance made it hard for Charlene to decipher the exact emotion in Thome’s eyes, but she noticed Thome seemed to smile.

Was he smiling at her? Perhaps she was overthinking it. With confusion and curiosity, Charlene averted her gaze.

Moran noticed and asked, “What’s with the smile?”

Thorne replied, “Nothing.”

Moran didn’t press further. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when Charlene saw them, especially Thome, and reacted as if looking at a stranger, keeping her composure.

Was Charlene playing hard to get, or was she just being tactful?

Given Thorne’s reluctance to make their marriage public, whether at that party or the expo, she had always maintained a distance from Thorne, careful not to reveal any signs of their relationship. Indeed, Charlene seemed quite considerate in this aspect. Vesta approached, asking, “What are you guys talking about?”

Ever quick, Moran responded, “Nothing.” Then, turning to Vesta, he asked, “Have you finished your chat?”

Before Vesta could answer, someone approached them with Professor Hancock, introducing, “Professor Hancock, this is Ms. Hawkins, the tech prodigy I mentioned earlier.”

It was the same Professor Hancock Stewart introduced to Charlene at a previous gathering.

Vesta had seen Hancock then but hadn’t paid much attention, given her focus wasn’t on mingling with the tech elites, barely recognizing Hancock.

A disagreement between Vesta and Stewart slightly marred their previous encounter. But engaged in conversation with Charlene then, Hancock hadn’t paid much mind to it and never brought it up.

Greeting Vesta, he said, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Hawkins.”

“Nice to meet you.”

With the Hawkins family’s tech firm in dire need of tech talents, learning of Professor Hancock’s reputation made Vesta courteous, with Henley coming over to greet Hancock.

After that, Vesta and Professor Hancock had a lengthy conversation, surrounded by numerous prototypes ripe for discussion..

Not being tech-savvy, Henley and Laverne stayed out of the technical chatter.