Chapter 252

Jasmine dashed over, her eyes lighting up. "Wow, so much good food! And milkshakes!"

Thorne nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, figured you guys were coming, so I had them whip up a little something."

As he talked, his eyes wandered over to Charlene, but noticing she wasn't paying attention, he shifted his focus. to Carl and Nadine. He gave them a friendly nod and gestured for everyone to take a seat. "Make yourselves comfortable," he said.

Thorne had this way about him-an aura that commanded attention. Irma had just finished saying hello, and Nadine and Carl found themselves naturally gravitating towards the seats beside Jasmine, ready to dig into the treats Jasmine and Thorne were handing out. Once the kids were settled and munching away, Thorne handed a plate to Charlene. "Want to give it a try?"

With Irma watching, Charlene took the plate, offering a polite, "Thanks."

She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised to find it was strawberry-flavored, just the way she liked it.

When the conversation turned to their plans for a ski trip, Irma remarked to Thorne, "You should join Charlene and the kids. Skiing can be a handful, especially with three kids to watch over. I've got Abbey and the house staff here, so don't worry about me." Charlene opened her mouth to protest, but Thorne was quick to reply, "Got it."