Charlotte Thompson gave her brother, Jordan Thompson, a stern look, which made him instantly sit up straight. He chuckled awkwardly and quickly explained, "Sis, I’m heading to the bar for something important. A friend who just returned from abroad wants to meet up there."
Upon hearing his words, even though Charlotte was half-skeptical, she didn’t protest on the grounds that Jordan had been behaving well lately. She gave a slight nod, saying, "Don’t stay out too late. If I don’t see you by nine o’clock, don’t blame me for driving over there and dragging you back."
Jordan instantly shivered at the thought.
He firmly believed that his sister was capable of doing something like that.
Back in Ashton, Henry Thompson and Charlotte each took turns dragging him back home every other day. Henry was quite intimidating; a single look could make him back down immediately.
But Charlotte was different. She could walk into a bar without uttering a word or glancing around. Upon spotting him, she would promptly grab his collar and drag him out.
Thinking about those dark days in Ashton brought tears to Jordan’s eyes.
He nodded with a bitter expression on his face, suddenly finding his breakfast unappetizing.
After finishing his meal, Jordan hurried off to the bar. Charlotte, on the other hand, drove the children to the amusement park.
Little Miss Thompson, Grace, was thrilled to be in the amusement park. She bought a big bouquet of balloons right away, finding the colorful sight enchanting.
Hank Thompson, Chad Thompson, and Jack Thompson excitedly ran off to the bumper cars. Cyrus Thompson, being the more steady one, found such activities childish and grabbed a lawn chair to go read under the pavilion after telling Charlotte.
Watching Cyrus walk off to the pavilion holding Grace, Charlotte couldn’t help but worry about her eldest son.
Could a childhood be complete without amusement park experiences?
Once they were tired from playing, Charlotte led the children into the nearest McDonald’s. They chose a seat by the window, and Charlotte ordered a bunch of things.
Grace, who sat on her lap, waited expectantly for the food to arrive.
The weather was hot, so air conditioners and fans were running inside the restaurant. From a nearby speaker, popular songs were being played. Before long, Hank Thompson, came in from outside with cold drinks.
Grace was told not to drink any and could only watch enviously as Hank flaunted his drink in front of her.
About ten minutes later, Charlotte looked quizzically at the tray the waiter was carrying.
"Hey, I didn’t order this."
The waiter gave her a knowing smile and pointed behind him, saying, "That gentleman ordered it for you."
Following the waiter’s gaze, Charlotte saw a man walking toward her. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI~Fire.net
She was slightly taken aback, then frowned in confusion.
The man casually pulled up a chair and sat down, grinning, "Miss Thompson, what a coincidence, we meet again."
The man was Lincoln Smith, the film producer she had met just a few days ago.
Charlotte herself gave a small smile, responding, "I wouldn’t have guessed Mr. Smith was a fan of fast food."
Internally, she had a premonition that Lincoln Smith’s "coincidental" encounter was likely his continuous attempts to persuade her into joining his production crew.
Lincoln Smith chuckled in response, saying, "Of course. Isn’t Miss Thompson also a fan?"
With all the food Charlotte had ordered now served, the children were happily eating. Charlotte hesitated a moment, let Grace down, her lips curled in a faint smile, and asked, "Mr. Smith, your visit is for..."