Chapter 117
Tonight’s campfire was anything but ordinary, featuring a spread that could rival any Thanksgiving feast, with a crackling BBQ to boot.
grilling.
The base for the campfire stew was already bubbling, brewing up a hearty mix that promised plenty of warmth and comfort. Alongside, a BBQ station was set up, with a long table beside it groaning under the weight of top-notch ingredients, all prepped and ready for The fire was lit, casting a warm glow on everyone gathered around.
Moran and the crew had already settled in, forming a cozy circle around the flames.
When Granger and Vesta returned and took their places, Vesta naturally gravitated towards Thorne.
Moran, unable to resist the allure of the marinated delights, had already sneakily started nibbling. Just as he was about to suggest they officially kick off the feast, his thoughts drifted to Charlene. He glanced over at Jasmine, saying, “Minnie, would you mind running up and inviting your mom down? Tell her we’ve got all this
mazing food down here. It’d be great if she joined us.”
Despite suspecting Charlene might just stay up in her room like she did earlier in the day, he felt it was a gesture worth making.
Vesta understood his intent perfectly.
After all, they had done their part; whether or not Charlene chose to come down was entirely up to her.
Thinking this, she also encouraged Jasmine, “Go ahead, Minnie.”
Jasmine frowned, hesitating. Deep down, she wasn’t too keen on having her mom join them.
But with everyone else urging her on, she felt compelled to comply.
Just as she was about to set her drink down and make her way upstairs, Thorne spoke up, “Let me do it.” The group fell silent at his offer.
After Thorne stood up and left for the task, Moran chuckled, “Yeah… Thorne inviting her does seem more sincere.”
Sending a child to invite Charlene down seemed a bit too casual, after all.
Vesta also realized this. She figured Thorne’s gesture was just politeness, not a sign of any deeper feelings for Charlene. After all, his indifference towards Charlene had been clear enough before; it was unlikely anything had changed now. Jasmine bit her lip, suddenly worried.
If Thorne was the one to extend the invitation, there was a good chance Charlene would actually come down. She knew her mom could hardly refuse her dad. Meanwhile…
Charlene had retreated to her room, ordering food and settling down with her computer for the evening. She was just getting into her work when the door opened. Expecting Thorne to just grab something and leave, she barely glanced up. But then he spoke, “There’s a campfire feast downstairs. It’s quite the gathering. Why don’t you come down and join us for a bit?”
Charlene paused.
Like Moran and the others, she thought Thorne’s visit was just a formality. It couldn’t possibly mean anything significant. And even if it did, she wasn’t interested anymore.
ve got work to catch up on. I’ll pass,” she said, briefly meeting his gaze before adding, “Don’t worry. If Irma asks, I’ll cover for you.”
Thorne responded with a soft chuckle, his deep eyes locked on her.
Feeling his gaze, Charlene’s fingers twitched on her keyboard.
Though they had been married for years, she often felt as though she never truly knew him, never quite understood what was going on in his mind. There was a time when she might have tried to decipher the emotions hidden in his eyes.
But now…
Charlene pressed her lips together, sticking to her decision, “Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather not come down.”