Chapter 1754

chapter1754

Listening to Thelma's respectful tone, almost as if she were addressing an elder, Charles felt an unexpected twinge of discomfort. Before he could dwell on it, Clement broke the moment.

"What do you want for dinner tonight? I'll book a restaurant," Clement suggested.

Charles thought for a moment before replying, "How about fondue?"

Then, he turned to Thelma. "Do you like fondue?"

Caught off guard, Thelma hesitated before answering, "Oh? Yes, I do. I like it."

"Perfect. Then join us," Charles said casually.

Both Clement and Thelma were momentarily stunned. And just like that, they were having dinner together.

A few hours later, they ate and chatted at a bustling fondue restaurant until 10:00 pm.

Charles and Clement had a few drinks, while Thelma stayed with soft drinks. When they were finally ready to leave, she prepared to hail a ride home.

Although slightly tipsy, Charles was still composed and logical.

"It's not safe to take a cab at this hour. I'll have Darell take you home," he offered.

Clement checked the time. "It's already this late? Getting a cab isn't safe." Besides, Thelma was beautiful, making her more vulnerable to potential dangers. With no good reason to refuse, Thelma nodded. "Alright. Sorry for the trouble." "It's no trouble at all. Darell will drop us off one by one," Charles replied, brushing off the concern with ease.

Thelma murmured her thanks again and climbed into the car. Out of habit, Clement took the front passenger seat, leaving her to sit in the back with Charles.

She had initially intended to sit up front, but Clement's quick action had left her no choice.

Charles seemed a bit tired. When he got into the car, he leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.

Clement's home was just a few

blocks away. Once he got out, the car was left with only Thelma,

Charles, and Darell Poe. The

atmosphere in the vehicle was quiet, almost unnervingly so.

Thelma felt a slight tension rising in her chest. She wasn't sure why, but being alone with Charles made her nervous. Perhaps it was because she had never imagined herself in this situation.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day catching up with her. Before she knew

it, her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted off.

"Mr. Sullivan, we're here." After some time, Darell's voice pierced the silence with a reminder.

Startled awake, Thelma sat upright, still caught in a fog of sleep. Her disorientation only deepened when she felt something unexpected-Charles' hand brushing against hers.

Her entire body tensed instantly, and her heart thudded wildly, out of sync with her attempts to act calm.

"Sorry about that," Charles said, pulling his hand away.

The moment his hand landed, Charles realized something was off.

He wasn't used to having someone else in the backseat with him, and tonight was the first time. Pure habit had caused his hand to land on hers by accident.

"Oh, it's fine. I'll just get off here. My place isn't far, and I can catch a cab," Thelma said, glancing out of the window to figure out where they were.

Late-night cab rides weren't a new experience for her. As a struggling actress without a car of her own, è she was used to either hailing a ride or using public transportation. But taking the subway wasn't an option at this hour. s?novel

She wasn't too concerned about safety. She always kept her phone on during her commutes, and if anything went wrong, she could call the authorities immediately.

Charles glanced down at his palm, faintly aware of the lingering warmth from the accidental touch.

"You don't have to. I'll go home directly, and Darell will take you home," Charles said as he exited the car.

Feeling like she had done something wrong, Thelma couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. Hurriedly, she nodded. "Alright, thank you, Mr. Sullivan."