He pressed on, turning to Charlene. "What about you? You see him all the time for work. Have you heard anything?"


    "No," Charlene said, shaking her head. While it was true they met frequently, their conversations were strictly business, with almost no personal interaction.


    "That''s strange..." Stewart murmured. He couldn''t figure it out, but his thoughts were cut short as another guest approached to chat with them.


    From a distance, Leah watched Charlene being showered withpliments and seethed. "I thought we were going to lock her and Stewart down for good," she hissed under her breath to Rhoda. "When are we going to make our move?"


    "Your grandmother said the timing and the ce are wrong tonight," Rhoda replied. "We have to wait for the next opportunity." Truth be told, Rhoda was just as impatient, but she knew that a n like this required absolute precision. They had to be patient, ensuring everything was done perfectly and without leaving a single


    trace.


    Charlene''s work continued to progress smoothly. She and Thorne met twice more in the following days, but their interactions remained confined to business matters.


    After observing their professional dynamic a few times, Gaylord had nearly forgotten the personal animosity between them. Like Thorne and Charlene, his own conversations with them were purely work-rted; in all their meetings, not a single private word was exchanged.


    Before she knew it, International Women''s Day had arrived.


    Charlene had been so immersed in work that she slept in. When she finally came downstairs, her aunt Maisie greeted her with a warm smile. "Charlene, you''re awake! Someone sent you these for the Women''s Day celebration. I put them on the coffee table for you. Go have a look."


    Charlene paused. She had assumed it would be a single bouquet, but when she entered the living room, she saw three.


    Two of the cards bore names, so she knew they were from Gaylord and York. But the third, which only carried a holiday greeting, was anonymous.


    "Who would know our address but not sign their name?" Charlene''s cousin, Nadine, wondered aloud. "Are you sure you don''t know, sis?"


    Charlene shook her head. As Nadine had implied, neither Gaylord nor York knew her current address. They must have gone to some trouble to find out she was staying with the Ross family and have the flowers delivered the anonymous third sender must have done the same.


    Nadine leaned in, her voice low. "Do you think they''re from... you know... Thorne?"


    Charlene''s first instinct was to deny it. "No way."


    But Nadine wasn''t convinced, noting


    how Thorne''s attitude toward


    Charlene had seemed different


    As Charlene moved to greet her, she saw Thorne following right behind his daughter.


    Charlene epted the flowers from her daughter. "Thank you, Minnie."


    Minnie then turned to her father. "Daddy got you a present, too!"


    As if on cue, Thorne stepped forward and handed Charlene a gift-wrapped box. "For you. Happy Women''s Day."


    "...Thank you," Charlene said, epting it reluctantly. With Minnie watching, she had little choice.


    Just then, Minnie''s eyes fell on the coffee table. "Wow, so many flowers... Mommy, did other people send you these?"