However, Henley and his group had already turned to head upstairs, missing the moment Stewart stepped out

of the car.

Stewart quickly diverted his attention back to Teague, greeting him with a warm smile.

After the brief catch-up with Teague, they were about to head upstairs when Thorne arrived.

Just as he stepped out of his car, Teague’s face lit up with surprise. “Mr. Henderson!”

Thorne greeted Teague with a handshake, maintaining a calm demeanor and a faint smile as he noticed Charlene and Stewart. “When did you get to Starfall, Teague?” “Just arrived,” Teague replied cheerfully. “Last time you mentioned grabbing a bite together, Mr. Henderson. When’s good for you? How about tonight?”

Thorne shook his head, “I’m fully booked today. How about in a couple of days?”

“Sure, sure, a couple of days works.”

Watching Thorne and Teague exchange pleasantries, Stewart muttered under his breath, “Just when things were quiet for a couple of weeks, we run into them again.” Charlene remained silent, though she realized it had indeed been half a month since she last saw Thorne.

Even when she visited Irma at the hospital last weekend, he wasn’t there.

Over the past ten days or so, Jasmine had called her a few times, particularly in the last couple of days. It was likely because winter break had started, and with Thorne and Vesta being busy, Jasmine found herself bored and ended up calling Charlene several times. Charlene hadn’t picked up those calls.

To Thorne’s credit, he seemed to have kept his promise. Whatever he told Jasmine, it kept her from showing up at the Ross household, saving Charlene some hassle.

As she reflected on this, Thorne and Teague had finished their conversation, and the group entered the elevator.

Noticing that Stewart and Charlene weren’t engaging much with Thorne, Teague sensed some tension between them, and his smile grew a bit awkward.

Charlene caught Thorne’s gaze on her.

She looked up and met his deep eyes.

Thorne suddenly asked, “When are you free next?”

Charlene quickly averted her gaze and replied coolly, “I’m not free anytime soon.”

It wasn’t hard to guess that this question was about Jasmine. It had only been half a month since she last saw Jasmine, with more than ten days before a full month would pass. She was busy these days and didn’t have time for Jasmine. Thorne chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed by her attitude, and simply remarked, “The holidays are approaching.”

Charlene paused, suddenly grasping his meaning.

If she didn’t make time for Jasmine soon, the holiday season would be upon them before she knew it.

She had been so busy she’d forgotten all about it. But…

“I don’t mind skipping one month,” she said coldly.

After all, she had spent quite a bit of time with Jasmine last month. Skipping this month shouldn’t be a big deal.

Thorne raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Teague, listening to their exchange, was a bit puzzled. He didn’t quite understand what they were discussing.

With a ding, the elevator reached its destination, and Thorne bid farewell to Teague before exiting.

Once the elevator doors closed, Teague asked, “So, Ms. Ross and Mr. Henderson aren’t dating?” Charlene replied, “We’re not.”

Teague didn’t quite believe her, thinking maybe Charlene was just upset with Thorne and saying that out of spite. Besides, he thought Thorne and Charlene seemed like a good match.

Before he could say more, his phone rang, and the topic was dropped.

After dinner, Charlene and her group headed back down to the parking lot, where they ran into Thorne and the Hawkins family again.

Charlene and Stewart overheard Jacques telling Thorne, “Treat my sister well. If you ever hurt her, I won’t let you off easy!”

Meeting Thorne in person for the first time, Jacques was initially intimidated by his commanding presence in the private room and held back from speaking too boldly. However, as dinner progressed and Thorne treated him with kindness, Jacques relaxed, and by the end of the evening, he felt comfortable enough to playfully issue his warning.

Despite the tough words, Jacques was genuinely pleased with Thorne as a future brother-in-law. In his heart, he felt Thorne was a perfect match for his sister in every way. Thorne’s kindness toward his sister and their family only reinforced that view.

So, while Jacques’ words seemed stern, everyone present understood the underlying sentiment. Thorne responded with a smile, “Of course.”

Vesta, listening, smiled warmly too.

Stewart observed the scene with a slight smirk, while Charlene’s expression remained neutral. Teague finally realized, turning to Charlene, “So, you and Mr. Henderson really aren’t a couple?”

It dawned on him that the woman with Thorne was indeed his girlfriend.

Charlene answered simply, “No, we’re not.”

At that moment, Thorne and Vesta noticed Charlene and Stewart and glanced in their direction.

Stewart, uninterested in further interaction, turned to Teague, “Teague, let’s get in the car.”

Earlier, Teague had sensed some tension between Stewart and Thorne. Now, seeing the situation, he nodded to Thorne and proceeded to get into the car, with Charlene and Stewart following behind. Their car quickly disappeared from the parking lot.