Chapter 478
By the time Charlene finished her work and finally came back to herself, she realized with a jolt that York was no longer in the spot he’d been before.
The days that followed blurred together as she worked around the clock, barely stopping for a breath. Only after several more days of exhaustion did she finally wrap up her tasks. She collapsed into bed and slept straight through for nearly twenty-four hours, waking up with her mind clearer, her body lighter, though her complexion was still noticeably paler than before she’d first entered the facility.
That day, she did little beyond sleep, hardly eating a thing. By evening, hunger finally crept in, and she decided to head to the cafeteria for a bite. On her way there, she happened to run into York, who was coming from the other dormitory wing.
He looked at her with a flicker of surprise. “I thought you’d already left the base,” he said.
Given the gravity of the recent events, he’d guessed when she might have arrived. Now that everything had been resolved perfectly, he assumed she would’ve completed her mission and left as soon as yesterday.
Charlene shook her head. “I still have a few things to handle. I’ll need to stay a little longer.”
The truth was, she should have left yesterday, but Kenton had asked for her help with some additional matters, so she’d postponed her departure.
York’s smile was gentle as he nodded, letting her know he understood. He could tell she was still a bit groggy-probably just now awake after sleeping a whole day and night.
He smiled but didn’t press for details. Instead, he asked, “Heading to dinner?”
“…Yeah.”
“Mind if I join you?”
Given the situation, Charlene couldn’t refuse. “Sure,” she said quietly. After they’d picked up their food, they sat down across from each other.
York watched her as they ate. During his last leave, nothing had changed between them, but he’d managed to get Stewart’s contact information. From Stewart, he learned that by the time his leave ended, Charlene still hadn’t finalized her divorce,
Apparently, according to Stewart, her husband had urgent business overseas and wouldn’t be back anytime soon… In other words, Charlene most likely wasn’t officially divorced yet.
Since she was still married, and since she clearly didn’t harbor romantic feelings for him—at least not yet York knew better than to push. So, over dinner, he refrained from asking about her marital status, or prying into personal matters like whether her child was a boy or a girl, how old they were, or what kind of personality they had. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the recent events at the base.
When it came to work, Charlene had plenty to say, and the two of them chatted for
a while. But trouble was never far away in this place, and before long, Charlene’s phone buzzed with an urgent message from Kenton.
She quickly dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin, then stood up. “I’ve got an emergency to deal with. Enjoy your meal-I have to go.”
York looked at her, his voice soft. “Alright.”
She was about to leave, but just as she turned to go, her eyes met his. For a split second, she paused. She saw something in his gaze-a flicker of longing, a reluctance to let her go.
She hesitated, dropped her eyes, and looked away, uncertain. After a brief pause,
she murmured a quiet, “Goodbye,” then hurried off.
York watched her go, feeling the ache of that unspoken farewell.
He would be leaving the base himself in a few days for a new assignment, and it would be a while before he returned. By then,
Charlene would likely have meal ne
on from the base. Their next
meeting—if it happened at
all-wouldn’t be for another month, at least.