Chapter


    271


    Seated across from the Henderson family, the new guests had only just arrived, still taking in their surroundings and the people around them. It was their first timeying eyes on Jasmine.


    One of them couldn''t help but remark, "I can''t believe Thorne''s kids are this grown. Does that mean Thorne got hitched ages ago?"


    Rumors had been swirlingtely that Thorne had children, but they''d dismissed them as mere gossip. Now, seeing it firsthand, they realized the truth of it.


    Thorne took a sip of his coffee, nodding affirmatively. The others chuckled awkwardly. They had brought their daughter along today, hoping for an introduction, maybe even a match. But Thorne was already married, it seemed.


    Their daughter was lovely, gentle, and quiet, but Thorne hadn''t spared her a nce the entire time they''d been there, a solid half-hour. Clearly, he wasn''t interested, and perhaps even if he were single, their daughter might not have stood a chance. Meanwhile, over at the arcade, Granger and Daisy had yed for over an hour before leaving due to priormitments.


    Charlene had been engrossed in writing her thesis beforeing out. It was nearly done; she nned to review thetest sectionster, then send it over to Kenton for feedback before finally submitting it.


    Lost in thought, she was immersed in a VR game, oblivious to someone exiting the nearby cinema and spotting


    her.


    Leah noticed her ying alone, chuckled to herself, and turned away, heading out.


    Half an hourter, she arrived at the opulent Hawkins family mansion. She dashed upstairs, surprised to find Rhoda there. "Mom, weren''t you supposed to go shopping? What brings you to Auntie''s ce?" "Oh, I just finished shopping and thought I''d drop by," Rhoda said casually.


    Though the Spencer family lived in a nice enough ce, it paled inparison to the mansion Thorne had bought for Maureen. Ever since the Hawkins family had moved in, Rhoda found reasons to visit frequently, drawn by the grandeur. Leah felt the same way. The Spencer and Hawkins families were close, so she too found herself visiting often, as if it were her own home.


    Settling infortably, she teased, "Mom, Auntie, Vesta, guess who I saw at the arcade?"


    Vesta, lounging by the expansive bay window with a book, immediately guessed but had no interest in the topic.


    Rhoda, however, was intrigued. "Did you see Charlene?"


    "Yep!" Leah replied, munching on a handful of popcorn. "Since my brother-inw isn''t letting her tag along to Henderson Mansion anymore, she''s all alone at the arcade, ying games. Poor thing, she looked so pitiful from behind."