Vesta had said she was going out with Thoer, but over an hour passed before she came downstairs again. She had changed into pajamas and removed all her makeup.


    Leah was surprised. "Vesta, aren''t you going out?"


    Vesta''s face was devoid of expression. "Thorne had somethinge up. We''re not going." "Oh..."


    So for her birthday, Thorne had just had a simple dinner with her and their friends? He had given her a gift, of course, butpared to previous years, he seemed to have been somewhat neglectful. Still, they didn''t overthink it, assuming Thorne must have had a genuine emergency.


    For the next two or three days, Charlene was swamped with work.


    One afternoon, while reviewing data at PrimeStar, her phone rang. As she answered, the color drained from her face. She immediately grabbed her keys and rushed to the hospital.


    In the car, the doctor''s words echoed in her mind. She paused, then dialed Jasmine''s number.


    Jasmine had just gotten out of school and was thrilled to see her mother''s name on the screen. "Mommy!"


    Thorne, who was picking her up that day, nced over at the sound of Charlene''s


    name.


    After a moment on the phone, Jasmine''s cheerful expression turned to one of concern. "Okay, I understand. I''lle right now."


    "What''s wrong?" Thorne asked, seeing the urgency on her face.


    "Mommy said Great-Grandma is sick. She''s at the hospital, and she wants me toe see her right now."


    Thorne paused.


    "Daddy, can we go to the hospital to see Great-Grandma first?" Jasmine pleaded. "Alright."


    They arrived at the hospital half an hourter. Thorne called Charlene. "Minnie and I are here. Where are you?"


    Charlene hadn''t expected Thorne toe, but she was too preupied to dwell on it. She told him their location.


    A few momentster, Thorne and Jasmine found Charlene and the rest of the Ross family waiting anxiously outside the emergency room The Rosses were surprised to see Thorne, but with Helena''s condition uncertain, they had no energy to question his presence. They gave him a brief nce before turning their attention back to the ER doors.


    Thorne took their reaction in stride and approached Charlene. Seeing her pale, worried face, he asked, "What happened?"


    Charlene was in no mood to talk to him, but with Jasmine there, she felt obligated to answer. "The flu developed into pneumonia."


    The situation was critical.


    Thorne had already guessed that Helena''s condition was serious when Charlene had called Jasmine to the hospital. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have summoned her daughter in such a rush.


    He fell silent, and Charlene said no more, her gaze fixed on the doors of the emergency room. Jasmine, though not understanding the. medical details, could tell from the adults'' expressions that Helena was very ill. She, too, became quiet.


    The wait felt excruciatingly long. Finally, the doors swung open.


    Charlene and the Ross family surged forward, surrounding the doctor. "She was brought in just in time. We''ve managed to stabilize her for now, but she''s weak and will need to be hospitalized for observation..."


    Learning that the matriarch was out of immediate danger, Charlene and her family breathed a collective sigh of rettef. As they began the process. of admitting her, they suddenly realized that Thorne was stil there, standing quietly behind them.