Jasmine, thinking Leah simply hadn''t heard her, tilted her chin up defiantly. "I said,st month for my mommy''s birthday, my daddy gave her a really big diamond. But that diamond was red, not like this one!"


    Leah was even more confused. "That''s... that''s impossible!" She whipped her head around to look at Vesta. "Vesta, did you hear what she just—"


    Vesta, however, remained remarkably calm. "Alright, let''s drop it." She then turned


    to Jasmine with a gentle smile. "If you don''t like it here, Minnie, we can go somewhere else."


    Jasmine, feeling that Vesta was on her side, nodded happily. "Okay!"


    As Vesta led Jasmine by the hand, she cast a warning nce back at Leah. "Don''t go spreading this around the family."


    With that, she and Jasmine left the jewelry store.


    Leah stood there, stunned by Vesta''sposure. She couldn''t understand what was going through Vesta''s mind. Vesta was brilliant; there was no way she hadn''t connected the dots and realized that the diamond Jasmine was talking about was the very one they all believed Thorne had bought for her proposal.


    Could Thorne have bought another diamond? And why did Vesta want to keep this a secret from the family?


    Though her mind was a swirl of questions, Leah''s absolute trust in Vestapelled her to follow them out of the store without another word.


    ...


    Over the next few days, Charlene split her time between the hospital and her office. Jasmine, while not visiting in person, called every day to check on Helena''s condition.


    Thanks to the expert care of Dr. Lindy and his team, Helena''s health began to improve steadily.


    It was only then that Irma finally learned how seriously ill her old friend had been Upon hearing the news, she rushed to the hospital immediately, apanied by Thorne and Jasmine.


    Sitting by the bed, Irma grasped Helena''s hand, her eyes welling up with tears. "To think something so serious happened and you didn''t tell me," she scolded gently.


    Helena squeezed her hand in response. "I didn''t want to worry you."


    Irma sighed, her gaze shifting to Thorne before she fell silent. She knew that Thorne''s doctors had been instrumental in Helena''


    ???


    recovery. The rest of the Ross family knew it too, and though they disliked Thorne, they couldn''t deny their gratitude.


    Vernon cleared his throat and addressed Thorne politely. "Mr. Henderson, we''re very grateful for your help in this matter. Would you happen to be free for a meal


    sometime soon?"


    Vernon was merely being courteous. He fully expected Thorne, with his known aversion to their family, to decline.


    In fact, everyone in the room, except for Jasmine, thought the same.


    But to their astonishment, Thorne smiled. "I would be delighted, Mr. Ross."


    His eptance stunned everyone, from Charlene and the Rosses to even Irma herself. Helena also


    paused, but she quickly met


    that Thorne must have


    of respect for Irma, who was present. The others arrived at the


    out


    same conclusion.


    Jasmine, oblivious to the undercurrents, was simply thrilled and tugged on


    Charlene''s hand to leave.