Chapter 99

When Charlene realized Vesta answered the call, she wasn't surprised. After all, she and Thorne were extremely close. So what if Vesta answered his phone? Calmly, Charlene said, "I'm looking for Thorne."

Vesta, recognizing Charlene's voice, replied icily, "He's showering. If you need something, you can tell me."

Tell her? The matter did concern Vesta. Her aunt was the person Charlene's uncle had seen in the neighborhood; however, Henley might be the one who purchased the mansion. His purchase was likely a gesture of goodwill toward Vesta's grandmother, his new mother-in-law.

So, would telling Vesta stop her grandmother and uncle from moving in? No. Besides, Charlene doubted Vesta knew her uncle's family planned to move across from their mansion. Telling Vesta would be pointless, and might even backfire.

Without a word, Charlene hung up.

More than an hour passed, with no call from Thorne. She wasn't sure if Vesta hadn't relayed her message or if Thorne simply didn't want to call back. Either way, it didn't matter. Feeling resigned, she called again, but this time, his phone was off.

Gripping her phone, Charlene calmed herself before calling Thorne's butler. "Are they home?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," the butler replied. "Is there something you need?"

"It's nothing."

Charlene had a restless night. The next morning, after nine, she tried calling Thorne again. The call connected, then immediately disconnected. She couldn't tell if Vesta or Thorne hung up, and didn't want to speculate.

Grabbing her phone and purse, she left. Soon, she found herself back at Thorne's mansion.

The butler greeted her enthusiastically, "Madam, you've returned?"

"Yes."

"Will you be having lunch here? I can have it prepared."

"That would be nice, thank you."

Ascending to the second floor, Charlene paused before entering the master bedroom. Placing her purse down, she sat on the bed's edge. The master bedroom was unchanged. Her skincare products and the clothes she'd worn during her last visit were all in their proper places, next to Thorne's in the walk-in closet. Everything was as if she'd never left.

She stopped trying to call Thorne, and he didn't return her calls. Dinner was a solitary affair. She considered asking Irma for help, but involving the matriarch might complicate things further. Thorne respected the old woman, but whether he'd listen to her was another matter.

After dinner, Charlene worked on her computer. As the night deepened, just as she believed Thorne and Jasmine wouldn't return, a car arrived.

Seeing Charlene's car, Jasmine exclaimed, "Oh, it's Mom's car! Dad, Mom's home!"

"Yeah," Thorne replied, glancing at the car before entering the house with Jasmine.

Jasmine asked the butler, "Where's Mom?"

"Madam is upstairs."