Chapter 422
Charlene thought for a moment, then stood up. “I’ll talk to you later. I need to take this call outside.”
With that, she nodded a quick goodbye to Professor Hancock and the others, then slipped out of the private dining room, phone in hand.
As the door closed behind her, Stewart finally snapped out of his daze. His eyes widened in disbelief.
He had wondered once, at a gala last year, when he saw Charlene and York dancing together, if there might be something more between them. But after that night, as far as he knew, they hadn’t crossed paths again, so how could Gaylord Hearst, picking up on Stewart’s reaction, instinctively glance in Charlene’s direction?
He didn’t know York, hadn’t even heard of him before. But the flicker of discomfort on Charlene’s face, combined with Stewart’s response, immediately put him on alert. Something was going on.
So, this York was there something between him and Charlene?
Across the table, Thorne did know York. When Stewart spoke, Thorne cast a lazy, almost indifferent glance toward Charlene, intending to look away just as quickly. But the strange tension on her face caught his attention, and he paused, his gaze lingering thoughtfully as she left the room. Outside, Charlene answered the call, barely opening her mouth before York spoke first. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to pick up.” Charlene had always attracted attention, even as a teenager. Declarations of love from the opposite sex were nothing new to her. But after she got married and had a child, her life changed. She made no secret of her marital status at work, and for years, no one had confessed their feelings for her.
She and York were casual friends at best. And since her divorce from Thorne wasn’t finalized, York’s recent confession had left her uneasy. Now, with him calling again so soon, she was even more on edge.
Before she could reply, York continued, “I’ve been thinking about our last conversation. At the time, even I thought my feelings were just a spur-of-the-moment thing. But after really reflecting on it, I realized it wasn’t impulsive at all. Somewhere along the way, I started to genuinely like you. What I said before was me being honest with myself. I truly care about you, maybe even more than I realized back then.”
Charlene had already guessed why he was calling, but she hadn’t expected him to lay it all out like this.
York’s voice was calm and steady, suffused with sincerity, as if he’d spent a long time pondering every word. Before she could respond, he added, “Last time, you told me you were ‘married.’ Not that you are married, but that you have been. Can I ask, does that mean things are over? Are you divorced? Could you tell me where things stand now?”
There was no pressure in his tone, only gentle curiosity.
Charlene had always liked York’s respectful way of speaking. He was never pushy, just quietly hoping for an honest answer.
She was never the type to be cold, especially to someone so considerate. So she told the truth: “I filed for divorce today, but it’s not official yet.”
“The waiting period isn’t over, so you can’t finalize it yet?”
“Right.”
York chuckled softly. “Seems my timing isn’t half bad.”
“It’s not. ” Charlene grew even more uncomfortable, her voice dropping. “Thank you for your feelings, but I-“
“I know,” York interrupted, his tone still warm. “You’re not ready to jump into something new. Maybe you’ve never even considered being with me. Honestly, I get that you don’t have feelings for me right now.”
Charlene fell silent, caught off guard by how perfectly he’d read her mind.
York’s voice came through again, gentle and sure. “I know all that. But I don’t mind waiting.”
Charlene snapped back to herself, remembering her daughter, Jasmine. She opened her mouth to explain that she had a child, but York spoke first again. “You said you were married. I figured you might have a kid, too. I’ve thought about that, and my answer’s still the same.”
“So, I hope I can be the first in line. If you ever think about starting something new after your divorce, I hope you’ll consider me first.”
Charlene had been on the receiving end of plenty of confessions before, but never one quite like this.
Before she could say a word, York’s voice came through, low and inviting. “Where are you right now? Have you eaten? I just got back into town. Can I buy you dinner?”