That afternoon, Charlene had barely returned from The Henderson Group when her phone suddenly rang.


    It was Sybil''s psychiatrist. He exined that Sybil had seemed lucid for a brief moment earlier, but then quickly spiraled into one of the worst breakdowns she''d


    had in years.


    Charlene''s face paled. She rushed to the hospital, worry twisting inside her. "What happened? How did this happen?" she demanded as soon as she arrived.


    "We''ve looked into it thoroughly," the doctor replied. "So far, we haven''t found anything out of the ordinary."


    But if nothing from the outside had triggered it, then why was Sybil in this state?


    Charlene stared at the monitor, watching Sybil, knocked out by medication and sunk in a deep sleep. She stayed and spoke with the doctor for a while, leaving the room with a heavy heart.


    As the elevator reached the next floor, the doors slid open. Charlene looked up and met the eyes of Leah and Georgina.


    Leah shot her a re, then turned up her chin with a huff, striding into the elevator arm-in-arm with Georgina.


    There were others inside, but after stepping in, Leah nced at Charlene''s profile and deliberately said to Georgina, "Grandma, looks like my dear sister won''t be home for dinner again tonight. I heard little Minnie''s been missing her so much she''s been begging to see her. She just can''t bear to be apart from her. Anyway, my sister and her husband are eating out again tonight."


    Georgina smiled serenely. "Is that so?"<fn38ae> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find~Novel</fn38ae>


    Charlene knew exactly who Leah was aiming those words at.


    With worry for Sybil already gnawing at her, Charlene couldn''t help but suspect Leah and her grandmother had something to do with Sybil''s sudden copse. She''d asked the doctor in roundabout ways, but he insisted Sybil hadn''t had any contact with outsiders.


    Still...


    Hearing Leah and Georgina chatter so pointedly, Charlene''s gaze grew cold.


    If they really had set out to provoke her mother-


    Leah caught the look, lifting her chin defiantly as if to say, "What are you looking at? Think I''m scared of you?"


    Just then, the elevator chimed and the doors opened.


    Charlene cast them a frosty nce and stepped out first.


    There was still work waiting at PrimeStar, so she headed back to the office.


    Earlier, she and Stewart had tried to arrange dinner with Malvina, their mentor''s wife, but Malvina had to cancer at thest minute. Tonight, though she was free, and they


    finally set a time to meet. Confent


    belongs to s


    Around seven, Charlene left PrimeStar for the restaurant where they''d nned to meet.


    As she pulled her car up to the


    Vol


    entrance, ready to get out, she


    spotted three familiar figures


    ahead, a man a wornan, and a little girl.  s


    She recognized them instantly: Thorne, Vesta, and Jasmine.


    Jasmine was happily tugging Vesta along, chatting animatedly as they hurried toward the doors.


    Vesta tried to keep up, gently warning her to slow down and not trip.


    Thorne strolled along behind them, unhurried.


    might


    Leahot like her, but the


    words


    e''d tossed at Charlene in et


    the hospital earlier, had been true enough.  s


    Charlene looked away.


    By the time she''d parked, Thorne and his family had already disappeared inside.


    She headed upstairs.


    When she arrived, Stewart and Malvina were already waiting at the table.


    Malvina spotted her and smiled. “Charlene, there you are!"


    Charlene smiled back, warmth flickering across her face. "Hi, Mrs. Malvina."


    "Come here," Malvina said, affectionately ruffling Charlene''s hair.