Chapter 533

While Charlene, Malvina, and the others were happily reminiscing in the lounge,  Thorne had only just taken a seat in another private room when his phone began to ring.

He excused himself and stepped outside to take the call.

Meanwhile, Vesta pulled a journal from her bag and said, “Minnie, I’m going to read for a bit. Why don’t you play on your own for a while, okay?”

“Alright.” Jasmine, having lived in Goldland for two years and quite fluent in English, caught sight of the journal’s cover and title. “Hey, my dad has that journal too!”

Vesta knew Thorne kept a close eye on the latest developments in AI.

In fact, just a couple of days ago when she’d asked, Thorne had mentioned he was already reading that issue.

So when Jasmine brought it up, Vesta simply nodded. “Yes, I know.”

That reminded Jasmine of her mother, and she couldn’t help but say, “The day Mom came home, Dad was worried she’d be bored, so he went upstairs and brought her some  books to read. That evening, after Mom finished reading, Dad talked with her about the journal’s articles. They talked for quite a while.”

Bookshelves

Vesta had heard about Charlene being invited back to Henderson Mansion recently.

But she hadn’t known that Thorne, worried Charlene might be bored, had gone out of his way to bring her books and even initiated a conversation about the journal’s contents.

Vesta’s hand froze as she flipped a page. After a brief silence, she asked quietly, “So… your dad was the one who offered to bring the books to your mom?”

"Yeah, he was."

Vesta pressed her lips together. Then she considered that maybe Jasmine was just interpreting things her own way—perhaps Thorne brought Charlene the books not because he was worried about her being bored, but because he knew Charlene was knowledgeable in the field and wanted her perspective, maybe even to help Vesta herself understand the material better.

With that in mind, she smiled and gently probed, "Minnie, how do you know your dad brought the books because he was worried your mom was bored?"

"Well, it was pouring rain outside that day, so Mom couldn't go back to Great-Grandma's house. She was just sitting on the rug playing with me, kind of bored. Dad came over and first asked if she wanted to play chess, but Mom didn't feel like it. Then he suggested she go upstairs to read, but Mom was too lazy to go up, so Dad went and brought down a few books for her."

Vesta's lashes fluttered, and her grip on the journal tightened. “So... all of that, your dad suggested himself?"

"Yeah." Jasmine paused, then suddenly realized, "You know, it used to be Mom who always started conversations with Dad, but lately it's been the other way around-Dad's the one talking to Mom first. I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it."

Vesta knew better than anyone how cold and distant Thorne had once been with Charlene, how indifferent he'd acted.

Now, hearing Jasmine describe how Thorne's attitude had shifted after Charlene had made her mark in the Al field, and recalling what had happened recently in Jade City, Vesta couldn't help the change that came over her expression.

But she made sure Jasmine didn't see it.

She fell silent for a long moment, took a slow breath, and then asked, "While you were there, did your dad often go out of his way to talk to your mom?"

Jasmine nodded. “He did. And when Mom was working, Dad even came over and sat beside her to watch her work."

Vesta couldn't keep the smile on her face any longer. Her voice grew so soft it was barely a whisper. "Did he, now?"