Chapter 284
Three days after The Harden Group’s gala, PrimeStar hosted their own soirée.
Granger showed up pretty early that evening.
Without the likes of Vesta, Thorne, or Dalton around, the PrimeStar event went off without a hitch.
The party was bustling with guests.
Charlene and Stewart were quite occupied, not having much time to pay special attention to Granger.
It wasn’t until halfway through the event that they spotted Granger deeply engaged in conversation with Vernon. That’s when it hit them: he hadn’t left early after all. This was particularly notable because the Hawkins family’s gala was also taking place that same night. They assumed Granger had come early intending to leave midway to attend the Hawkins family event.
But surprisingly, he stuck around.
Stewart, visibly pleased, couldn’t help but remark, “Now that’s what I call valuing a partnership with PrimeStar. Look at Granger as an example. As for Dalton… well, he’s not even worth mentioning.” Charlene was a bit taken aback as well.
Granger showing such respect meant Charlene and Stewart couldn’t just let him be.
They approached Granger, politely saying, “Mr. Harden, we apologize if the service has been less than perfect with so many guests tonight.”
Throughout the evening, Granger’s attention occasionally drifted to Charlene, though it went unnoticed by everyone else.
Granger clinked glasses with Stewart and Charlene, taking a sip of his wine before replying, “We’re all friends here, no need to be so formal.” Despite the amiable working relationship they had developed, Stewart never really considered them friends.
He figured Granger’s words were just polite small talk, nothing more.
Nevertheless, Stewart appreciated Granger’s ability to put personal grievances aside for the sake of business.
Even though Granger was conversing with Stewart, his focus was actually on Charlene.
The evening was a big night for both Stewart and Charlene.
Despite Stewart’s protective presence, Charlene ended up drinking quite a bit.
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled, giving her a softer, almost endearing appearance that differed from her usual reserved demeanor. Granger’s grip on his wine glass tightened as he averted his gaze.
Charlene wasn’t drunk, just slightly tipsy.
As the party wound down, Charlene escorted Granger to the door. In the biting cold, he noticed her slender legs peeking out from beneath her elegant gown. He said, “You don’t have to see me off any further.” Charlene nodded, “Alright, take care.”
Granger looked at her, as if wanting to say something more, but he paused and decided against it, turning to leave instead.
When all the important guests had departed, Charlene finally got into Vernon’s car and left the hotel.
Granger hadn’t actually left yet.
15:20
Concerned that Charlene might have trouble after drinking, he waited to see her safely drive away in Vernon’s car before telling his own driver, “Alright, let’s go.”
The next morning, Charlene woke up and joined Maisie and Helena for breakfast as they discussed getting ready for New Year.
Tomorrow was New Year Eve.
The company was officially on holiday starting today.
Charlene chimed in, “I’ll come with you guys for the shopping.”
Helena smiled warmly, “Great, let’s all go together.”
Her smile faltered slightly as she added, “Charlene, is Minnie spending New Year with the Henderson family this year?”
At the mention of Jasmine, Charlene’s smile faded a bit. She replied, “I guess so.”
The last time she had seen Thorne, in the elevator during a meeting with Teague, he had subtly hinted at wanting her to look after Jasmine. But since that day, neither Thorne nor Jasmine had reached out to her.