Chapter 467
Monday morning, Charlene went to work as usual.
Her schedule was packed, shuttling between Axiom Flux Technologies and
PrimeStar, barely getting a moment to catch her breath.
By Tuesday evening, as she stood in the elevator at the end of another
exhausting day, Charlene glanced at the date on her phone and let her gaze drop,
lost in thought.
Stewart, equally drained from his own workload, suddenly seemed to recall
something. “Tomorrow’s the last day of the waiting period, isn’t it?” he asked, his
voice low.
Charlene slipped her phone back into her bag. “That’s right,” she replied.
After so many years entangled with Thorne, it was all coming to an official end.
Stewart found himself uncertain—should he be happy for her, or should he feel
sorry? He’d never much liked Thorne, but knowing how deeply Charlene had
loved him for years made this outcome bittersweet.
Still, even the hardest things eventually pass.
Once the divorce was finalized, Charlene could truly begin again.
With that in mind, Stewart just gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, choosing not to
say much more.
The next morning, Charlene finished her run, had a quick breakfast, and returned
to the office, ready to dive into work when her phone rang unexpectedly.
It was Thorne.
They’d agreed, during the paperwork, to meet on the very first day the waiting
period was over and make the divorce official. Tomorrow was supposed to be that
day; it made sense that Thorne would call.
She answered with a simple, “Hello.”
Before Thorne could say anything, Charlene cut in, “I’ll be there tomorrow morning
at nine, sharp—”
Thorne interrupted, “I’m out of the country on business right now.”
Charlene paused, caught off guard. Before she could reply, Thorne continued, “I
probably won’t be back for a few days. We’ll have to reschedule the appointment.”
She frowned, silent for a moment.
Sensing her frustration, Thorne apologized, “I’m sorry. This one’s on me.”
Charlene drew a slow breath and, after a brief pause, said quietly, “Understood.”
She hung up before he could say anything else.
Rubbing her temples, trying to compose herself, she barely had a moment before
her phone buzzed again.
This time, it wasn’t Thorne.
It was York Watson.
Charlene’s frown deepened. She knew she’d be seeing York more often at the
company’s headquarters in the future. They weren’t exactly working side by side,
but their paths would inevitably cross.
She liked York well enough, but right now, she simply wasn’t in the mood for
anything more.
If she answered, she’d risk giving him hope. If she didn’t, it would seem rude.
After a moment’s hesitation, she took the call. “Hello?”
York’s voice was warm and pleasant. “Busy?”
“Sort of,” she replied, keeping her tone neutral.
He must have picked up on her
unease, because he chuckled gently.
“I’m not on leave yet—just happened
to have a break today, thought I’d
give you a call. Even if my calls
annoy you, I’m afraid I can’t promise
to stop.”
Charlene said nothing, but York went on, “How have you been? Still swamped at
work?”
“Yeah. It’s been busy.”
He hesitated, then asked, “And the divorce? Sorry if it’s not my place, but… you
and Thorne were going to finalize it tomorrow, right?”
York didn’t know much about Charlene’s marriage, except that it seemed Thorne
had pushed for the divorce and Charlene had simply gone along with it. He’d
assumed everything was set in stone.
Before Charlene could respond, he continued, “I’m tied up for a few more days,
but when I’m finally free—”
Charlene cut him off, her tone candid. “That was the plan, but it’s been delayed.”
York’s smile faltered for a split second. After a pause, he asked, “Can I ask why?
Was it you, or—?”
“He’s overseas for work. He can’t make it back in time.”
“So, once he returns, you’ll go through with it right away?”
“…Yeah.”
That was a relief. York couldn’t help but hope that by the time he was on break,
Charlene’s divorce would be finalized. He kept the thought to himself.
Just then, Charlene spoke up, “Mr. Watson, the reason I took your call was
actually to say—”
He interrupted, “You want to tell me
you answered out of courtesy, not
because you have any special
feelings for me. You just didn’t want
to be rude, and maybe to set things
straight again. I get it.”
Charlene started to protest, “You—”
“I know,” York said, a smile in his
voice. He found her
straightforwardness oddly
endearing. “But my position stands.”
He added, “I don’t have much time
right now. Once I’m free, I’ll ask you
out for dinner. We’ll talk then.”
With that, before she could reply, he ended the call.