Chapter 67
Charlene glanced at Mr. Roland as he spoke with disdain about the Hawkins family, prompting her to ask, “Do you have some best the Hawkins family, Mr. Roland?”
Mr. Roland shook his head. “Beef? Nah, not really. See, the gal who was arguing with Ms. Hawkins last night, Star, is actually the daughter of a good buddy of mine. I’ve seen her grow up since she was a little squirt. Starr can be a bit wild but she’s not the type to fy off the handle.”
“Her fiancé, that Bush kid, got pretty cozy with another girl a few years back and almost called off his engagement to Start But then, out of the blue, that girl got to know Thorne and dropped the Bush boy like a hot potato.”
Mr. Roland’s story implied Vesta had once interfered in Starr’s relationship with her fiancé, but after climbing the social ladder by getting involved with Thorne, she had backed off.
However, Mr. Roland was not dwelling on the past. But the fiasco from the night before had riled him up.
He sighed, “My friend and Starr were supposed to attend today’s expo as well, but after last night’s drama and Mr. Henderson’s intervention went viral online, people have been bashing Starr left and right online, leaving her in tears, “Furthermore, after discovering Ms. Hawkins and Mr. Henderson’s connection, many old foxes rushed to cozy up to the Hawkins family to avoid becoming targets themselves today. So, my friend and Starr decided to bail.” Listening to this, Charlene and Stewart didn’t know what to say.
When Charlene peeked at Vesta again, she saw even more folks clustering around her.
After wrapping up the conversation with Mr. Roland, Charlene joined Patton and others in exploring and discussing the expo’s exhibits. They were all excited over the multitude of new technologies on display. After a while, Stewart suddenly approached Charlene, gesturing in a direction.
It was Thorne. He had shown up, too. His tech firm had a significant footprint domestically. And known for his tech-savvy, it didn’t surprise Charlene that he’d attend, especially since Vesta was there. How could he not be? And there he was, standing right by Vesta’s side, surrounded by people as if they were a couple.
Charlene spared them a glance before looking away.
Then, she spotted Moran. He was there as well. However, Moran was in conversation and hadn’t noticed her.
Stewart inquired, “Does he know you’re here?”
Charlene shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
After all, although she and Thorne had met occasionally, they had never discussed their situation. Their conversations, if any, revolved around their daughter, Jasmine. So, how could Thorne know she was at the expo? Visibly annoyed, Stewart said, “Are you not going to say hi?”
Charlene and Thorne were still technically married. If she made her presence known as Mrs. Henderson, Stewart wondered about Thorne and Vesta’s reaction.
Charlene understood his point. She shook her head, “No, let’s not.”
First off, it wasn’t really required.
Secondly, if she boxed Thorne in, for Vesta’s sake, he might spill the beans about her past plot against him to everyone.
Without proof, even if she weren’t the culprit, she’d be the one embarrassed. With so many entrepreneurs around, mishandling situation could affect her uncle’s business. Charlene didn’t want to act on a whim.