Charlene''s steps faltered.


    Seeing her stop, Jasmine looked up. "Mommy?"


    It was just an outing for Jasmine. If Thorne was fine with it, then she had no reason


    to object. She said nothing more. She had driven her own car, and as they went outside, she was about to get in when Thorne asked, "Should I drive?"


    Before Charlene could answer, Thorne walked over to her car and opened the driver''s side door. Charlene froze. But seeing that Jasmine was already happily getting into the car, she didn''t say anything.


    They headed to a shopping mall. Lately, they had been going out together as a trio more often because of Jasmine, but those outings had mostly been to private estates. This was the first time in two years they had gone to a bustling public ce like a mall together.


    "Wasn''t Thorne worried about being seen?" The thought crossed Charlene''s mind as she got out of the car, and she nced at him.


    Thorne wasn''t looking at her. Jasmine was in high spirits, pulling him forward. "Daddy, I want that building block set you promised me—" She cut herself off and turned to call back to Charlene, who had fallen a couple of steps behind. "Mommy, what''s wrong?"


    Charlene didn''t answer, and Thorne turned back too. Jasmine let go of Thorne''s hand and ran to take hers. "Mommy, can we go look at the blocks first, and then we can go wherever you want to go?"


    Charlene averted her gaze and squeezed her hand. "Mommy doesn''t need to buy anything. Just tell me where you want to go."


    "Okay!"


    Inside the toy store, Jasmine ran off on her own Charlene''s eyes followed her, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Thorne looking at her. She didn''t turn her head. Thorne didn''t try to start a conversation, simply walking with her as they followed Jasmine around several shops.


    Jasmine was beaming the entire time. While she was in the restroom, they waited outside. Charlene took out her phone to reply to a message when she suddenly heard Thorne asks there really nothing you to buy?"


    want


    Charlene wasn''t sure why he was suddenly trying to talk to her. Without looking up,


    she continued typing her message and replied, "No."


    Thorne didn''t pursue it, asking instead, "Are youing to The Henderson Group


    for another meeting tomorrow?"


    Charlene didn''t respond, pretending she hadn''t heard him.


    Seeing this, Thorne said nothing more.


    came out, they


    After Jasmine ear


    wandered around a bit more until it started to get dark. Jasmine was getting tired, so they decided to have dinner at a Japanese restaurant. As soon as they entered, they drew nces from the surrounding tables. This included Maureen Spencer and Georgina Spencer''s party, who were seated in a


    semi-private booth.


    They had also been out shopping and never expected to see Thorne, Charlene, and Jasmine together.


    The mall was crowded. If they ran into anyone they knew and Jasmine called Charlene "Mommy," their rtionship would be exposed immediately.


    That''s why Thorne had always been so careful before—even when taking Charlene out for Jasmine''s sake.


    But now, here they were, in a very public ce with little privacy.