After Charlene and Malvina left, Vesta just stood there, frozen in ce, unable to


    snap out of it for a long time.


    She only came to her senses when Maureen Spencer, who had been waiting for


    her at the restaurant, called to hurry her along after noticing she was runningte.


    Vesta hung up, walked into the restaurant, and was immediately met with


    Maureen''s concerned gaze. "What''s wrong? Are you feeling alright?" Maureen


    asked.


    Vesta shook her head. "No, I''m fine."


    Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if all the energy had been drained from


    her. She looked lost and distracted, her whole demeanor off in a way that


    Maureen couldn''t ignore.


    Maureen frowned, worry etched across her face.


    ...


    Not long after Charlene got home from dinner, her phone buzzed with a message


    from Thorne.


    *Something urgent came up at Stonepine. After I get back, I''ll need to dy my


    return to Starfall by a few days.*


    Charlene read the message, took a deep breath, and felt her mood sink.


    But she''d just broken a promise herself not two weeks ago, so no matter how


    frustrated she was, she knew she couldn''t make a fuss about it—at least not this


    time. If it happened again...


    She tossed her phone aside and headed for the shower.


    The next morning, Charlene returned to work at PrimeStar as usual.


    Seeing her back in the office after a two-week absence, Gaylord grinned. "You''re


    back?"


    Charlene nodded. "Yeah."


    Since Gaylord had started at PrimeStar, Charlene had already taken several long


    breaks. When Stewart said she had personal matters to handle, Gaylord had


    wondered what could possibly keep her away for so long.


    Now, he figured she must have been sorting out her divorce. After all, she and her


    ex-husband had a child together, and custody battles could drag on for ages. He


    couldn''t help but wonder if she''d managed to finalize the divorce this time.


    After chatting with Gaylord, Charlene dove back into her work.


    Three dayster, instead of a call from Thorne, she received a call from his


    mother, udia.


    "My mother-inw''se down


    with the flu,plicated by chronic


    respiratory disease and respiratory


    failure. She''s in critical condition at


    Royal Oak Healthcare. She wants to


    see you."


    Charlene didn''t have time for surprise. As soon as she processed the words, she


    grabbed her bag and rushed to the hospital.


    When she arrived, Tiffany


    Henderson, Terence Henderson,


    udia, and the Henderson family''s


    longtime butler were all waiting


    anxiously outside the ER.


    Tiffany nced at Charlene and pursed her lips, saying nothing. udia


    remained silent as well.


    Only Terence greeted her. "Charlene."


    Charlene paused, didn''t reply, and instead asked, "How is she?"


    Terence answered, "They''re still working on her. No news yet."


    The butler, knowing she and Thorne hadn''t officially divorced, greeted her politely


    as well. "Charlene."


    She acknowledged him with a nod after a moment.


    The butler continued, "I''ve already contacted Thorne and Minnie. They''ve booked


    flights and should be here soon."


    Charlene nodded again. In this situation, even Tiffany, who''d never liked


    Charlene, had nothing to argue about.


    With nothing left to say, silence settled once more in the waiting area outside the


    ER.


    Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.


    Atst, the doors swung open.


    Charlene, udia, and the others hurried forward.


    "Doctor, my mother-inw—"


    "Doctor, my grandmother—"


    The doctor pulled down his mask


    and said, "She''s stable for now, but


    her condition is still very serious.


    Whether she pulls through will


    depend on her own strength."