Unknown Divorce Revelation Beyond Time (Charlene and Thorne) novel Chapter 761

Thorne glanced at Vesta. Clearly sensing her plummeting mood, he smoothly turned down the invitation. "I have other arrangements for lunch. Next time."

Realizing he was sacrificing a prime networking opportunity just to protect her feelings, Vesta's spirits immediately lifted, and a soft, genuine smile finally graced her lips.

Dalton and Raleigh, who had also noticed her dread at the prospect of dining with Charlene, breathed a sigh of relief when Thorne intervened.

Since Thorne had declined, the organizers didn't push the issue.

As for Charlene and Stewart, they couldn't care less whether Thorne and Vesta attended. In fact, their absence was a blessing—having to look at those two over a meal would have been nothing short of a nuisance.

The rest of the day passed with all of them occupying the same venue but moving in completely separate orbits.

That evening, after wrapping up their engagements, Charlene and Stewart headed back to their hotel to rest. As they stepped out of the elevator onto their floor, they bumped right into Leonard Lancaster.

Leonard looked mildly surprised before offering a polite smile. "Mr. Ferguson, Director Ross. What a coincidence."

Charlene and Stewart gave a silent nod of acknowledgment.

It was a coincidence, though not an unlikely one.

The top-tier guests attending the conference were all booked into the same few luxury hotels in the area. It was normal to cross paths.

Leonard opened his mouth to make small talk, but Stewart cut him off effortlessly. "We're turning in for the night. Have a good evening, Mr. Lancaster."

Without giving Leonard a chance to reply, Stewart turned his attention to Charlene. His voice softened. "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too," Charlene replied.

They then swiped their keycards and walked into rooms directly across the hall from each other.

Leonard remained silent. He had absolutely zero interest in the messy soap opera between Charlene and Vesta. He barely knew Vesta, so why should he care?

Getting no response, Corinne shifted gears. "Did you run into them?"

"I just bumped into them in the hall," Leonard replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "But they aren't staying in the same room."

Corinne fell silent for a second, clearly surprised.

But then a smug realization hit her. "Well, she and Thorne aren't officially divorced yet. No matter how hot and heavy things are with Stewart, it's all just a surface show. Everyone in their circle is staying at these few hotels. She's probably terrified that if Thorne and Vesta found out she was sharing a bed with him, they'd use it as leverage in the divorce.

She's playing defense against Thorne and Vesta. Gotta hand it to her, she's certainly cautious."

Leonard knew that while the divorce agreement between Thorne and Charlene had supposedly been hammered out, they were still legally married. Given their volatile dynamic, it made perfect sense that Charlene would be meticulously guarding her reputation against Thorne's potential retaliation.