Chapter 77

When Stewart realized something was wrong, he abruptly ended his talk with Mr. Dale and headed straight for Charlene. Charlene nodded and said, "Everything okay?" "Did you twist your ankle?" "A bit." She had a sore ankle, perhaps from a sprain. Stewart's worry was reassuring, but it also carried a hint of melancholy. She was aware of the glances she was receiving from those in their immediate vicinity. They most likely believed that she was hurling herself at Thorne in an attempt to get his attention. They probably believed she received what she deserved despite her injury. Thorne, on the other hand, didn't even try to assist her in standing up—not even a simple "You okay?

"Stewart was the only person here who genuinely cared about her. "Let me take a look?" "It's fine." There were many people present. Stewart picked her up and moved her away from the crowd to sit down, ignoring her protests. Then he knelt, removed her high heels, and lifted her leg carefully to see that her ankle was swollen. He requested that a waiter get Charlene a pair of sneakers and summon a doctor. Many were shocked to see Stewart showing so obvious concern for Charlene. Many people suddenly believed that the rumors of Charlene hurling herself at Thorne might have been misinterpreted. She and Stewart did appear to be genuinely close, after all.

Vesta looked away and bit her lip. She then turned to face Thorne. Thorne was conscious of the closeness between Charlene and Stewart, but he carried on casually talking to others. Vesta's lips softened into a smile as she observed how little Thorne seemed to care about Charlene and Stewart's intimacy. Additionally, she stopped listening to Charlene and carried on talking to the others. The on-call physician soon arrived. He examined Charlene and recommended some cream to relieve the pain. Stewart put the ointment on Charlene after the doctor had left. When Charlene attempted to take charge, Stewart looked at her and said, "Let me handle this," and she gave in.

The waiter came back with Charlene's sneakers after administering the ointment. Charlene got to her feet and tested her foot. "It's not too horrible. I am able to walk. "That's good." Stewart, however, advised her to forego the evening gallery tour due to her condition. He had requested that someone capture pictures of the exhibits so she could see a video overview of them later. Charlene was disappointed, but she recognized the circumstances. Before taking Charlene home, Stewart excused himself to the others. Once they were gone, the others began to scatter as well. Stewart had to leave for another commitment after dropping Charlene off at her house.

Weary from the activities of the day, Before speaking with Stewart about the "homework" their professor had given them, Charlene decided to take a nap. Her phone rang just as she was about to fall asleep. She picked it up and saw a number she didn't recognize. o o┪ "Hello, who's this?" she hesitantly replied. "Granger," a startled Charlene sat up. "Mr. Harden?" She had been so preoccupied that she had nearly forgotten what had happened that morning. "I've taken care of your vehicle. Before Charlene could reply, Granger replied, "You can come pick it up later." "If you're busy, I can have someone drive it back to you."