Abelard Ramirez ran in the same elite circles as Kenton Wagner and Geoffrey, but private gatherings between them were rare.
Since both Charlene and Stewart had been invited, it stood to reason that Abelard could have brought his son, Dalton, along.
Mingling with heavyweights like Kenton and Geoffrey would have been a massive boon for Dalton's career.
Yet, Abelard hadn't breathed a word of it to him.
If someone hadn't leaked a photo of the dinner online, Dalton would have remained completely in the dark.
Like his friend Kelvin Scott, Dalton was absolutely baffled.
Had Charlene and Stewart badmouthed him to Dr. Wagner? Was that why he'd been excluded?
But he was his father's flesh and blood. Despite their occasional clashes, Dalton knew his father well. Even if Charlene and Stewart were extraordinary, his father wouldn't have admired Charlene so much if she'd been petty enough to smear him behind his back.
After hanging up with Kelvin, Dalton considered calling his father, but realizing the dinner might still be ongoing, he opted for a text.
He forwarded the viral photo taken by a server and added: [You guys had dinner together? Why didn't you invite me?]
Abelard was mid-conversation with Charlene when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the message and arched an eyebrow: [Did you want to come?]
Dalton: [...What kind of question is that, old man?]
Regardless of his personal gripes with Charlene and Stewart, he desperately
wanted to network with Geoffrey and Darius.
Abelard: [Next time. If there's an opportunity, I'll bring you along.]
Dalton was speechless.
That same day, Thorne and his sister, Tiffany Henderson, returned to the old family
manor.
Tiffany was the first to spot the news of Charlene's high-profile dinner with Kenton and Darius.
She froze. Noticing her strange expression, Claudia asked, "What is it?"
Tiffany handed over her phone. Claudia's eyes widened at the photo before she passed it to Lloyd.
Lloyd took the device with a look of mild curiosity.
They had all heard the news of Charlene's recent award.
Seeing this photo now, Lloyd paused, then let out a soft chuckle. "Charlene's future is absolutely limitless."
As a politician himself, he
understood the gravity of the image. For Charlene to be dining with Geoffrey
meant they genu
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respected her otherwise, she would never have been allowed in their orbit.
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Furthermore, the fact that Geoffrey's camp had allowed the photo to be leaked proved that Charlene's relationship with them was
ally close.
fo FindNovel.net
She had seamlessly integrated into their elite circle.
Tiffany understood all of this perfectly.
Which was exactly why she was so stunned.
Once she got her phone back, she handed it to Thorne. He glanced at the screen, gave a noncommittal hum, and passed it back.
Seeing his stoic reaction, Tiffany asked, "Did you know she was on such good terms with them?"
Thorne replied evenly, "I ran into them playing golf a while back."
Tiffany stared at her brother, falling silent.
Truthfully, she had never expected Charlene to thrive so spectacularly after leaving the Henderson family.
But then again, all of Charlene's current achievements had materialized post-divorce, propelled by Stewarts backing. None of it had anything to do with them anymore.