Chapter 1
My Flash Romance With the Richest Mogul
Chapter 1
Bedridden in a filthy room, Skylar Sullivan glowered at the two people on the couch. She had lost her limbs due to a car accident, and she was paralyzed on a narrow bed.
The two on the couch paid no heed to her at all–or was it more accurate to say that they didn’t even regard her as a human being?
Christopher Fowler said, ‘I’ve never liked her. She’s the one who has been clinging to me. Maisy, I’ve liked you ever since I was in college! You’re the love of my life.”
Maisy Williams giggled. ‘Will she feel bad if we do this? Should we get someone to help her?”
“As if anyone would be aroused given the state she’s in!”
Skylar felt like cursing them for their brazenness, yet she could barely utter a word due to prolonged
starvation.
No one had tended to her since she had become crippled. Bedsores had eventually scarred her body, and her skin had begun to rot, emitting a foul odor.
Christopher had been her boyfriend for seven years, and she had known him since she was young. Maisy had grown up with her parents in her stead, imposing on her position as the scion of the Williams family.
Skylar’s gaze lingered upon the countless needle marks on her arm, She remembered how her blood had been incessantly drawn to be transfused into Maisy. Yet, this was how they repaid her.
“Skylar, you shouldn’t even be alive! Your sole existence reminds me of my background. So what if you’re Mom and Dad’s biological daughter? They still didn’t treat you like one. Instead, they used you as my personal blood bank.”
Maisy pecked Christopher’s lips, her condescending gaze looming over Skylar. “Even your man belongs to
me now.”
*Her existence means nothing. She should be honored that she’d been able to serve as your blood bank. Otherwise, how could we have possibly let her live until now?” Gazing at Maisy with deeply infatuated eyes, Christopher tightened his embrace around her.
“That’s true. But now that I’m cured, I don’t need her anymore. Why isn’t she dead yet, even though we’ve
starved her for days?”
“Let’s force some meds down her throat later. It’ll only be a matter of time before she dies!”
Tears filled Skylar’s emaciated face. Overwhelmed by hatred, she glared at them as an intense burning sensation began coursing through her body.
She felt like she was being burned alive by the overdose. Blood gushed from her face, and life seeped out of her, drowning her in regret as she passed.
Chapter 1
“Skye, just endure this for a bit more. We only need another 14 ounces anyway. Won’t you feel guilty if anything happens to Maisy?”
“Yeah, we’ve brought you back after all. You’ve already taken everything from Maisy, and she’s been dutiful to us in your stead all these years. We’re only asking you to give her some more blood. Don’t be so
petty!”
A middle–aged couple, Jeffrey Williams and Sadie Coleman, barked at Skylar, the loathing in their tone
evident.
They scowled at Skylar, whose head hung low in silence. The disdain in their expressions mirrored each
other.
Maisy, however, was cradled in their arms. The way they were so protective of her in front of Skylar made
the latter seem like their enemy in comparison.
“Dad, Mom, I’m fine. Don’t pester Skylar anymore. She’s mad at me because I haven’t done well enough,” Maisy pleaded, her face losing color.
Jeffrey and Sadie were distressed. Once again, they hollered at Skylar, “You’re as fit as a fiddle! Why can’t
you have some pity on Maisy?”
“You don’t need her consent. We’re her parents, and we’ll decide for her. Just carry on with the procedure,
they ordered the nurse.
All of a sudden, Skylar sprang up. She sneered at her biological parents, finally realizing that she had been
reborn.
She had spent the rest of her life desperately trying to please them after they had brought her back home.
Since she had the same extremely rare blood type as Maisy–Rh–negative–Jeffrey and Sadie had taken Maisy home with them by mistake.
They had often told Skylar to donate blood to Maisy. Never once had she turned down their requests; after all, she had wanted to please them.
Whenever she had done so, she had been bombarded with reprimands. Still, she had thought that she hadn’t done her best to impress them. Despite her health rapidly declining after each transfusion, she had complied with their request.
The way Maisy had constantly feigned obedience and innocence in front of them had made Skylar look bad.
Skylar had endured a jarringly long period of torture before she died. In fact, she had bled to death!
“What are you looking at? Stop being so jumpy! You’ll scare Maisy. I really can’t expect any basic courtesy from a country bumpkin like you,” Sadie chastised.
Jeffrey furrowed his brows. “Skye, you’re not behaving yourself today. I’m very disappointed! Tell me if you need anything, but don’t make a scene at the hospital.”
Chapter 1
“Skylar, I’ll give you my birthday present, okay? It’s a Ferrari I received from Dad yesterday. I really need your blood. I promise I’ll give you everything nice I have in the future. Don’t be mad at me,” Maisy pleaded, holding Skylar’s hand.
“What on earth are you saying? That’s your present! Why would you give her a car when she doesn’t even know how to drive?
“Skye, you’re absurd! Why are you always coveting Maisy’s stuff? You’ve already taken us away from her, and now you’re snatching her things away from her as well? Sadie was outraged. She raised a hand to strike Skylar.
A triumphant glint flickered in Maisy’s eyes. So what if Skylar was Jeffrey and Sadie’s biological daughter? She was still inferior to her.
kylar’s indifferent gaze slid up to
Sadie’s.
Sadie froze, feeling somehow unsettled. “What do you want?”
“Sit down! Stop making a scene!” Jeffrey bellowed..
Skylar asked grimly, “Will she die without my blood?”
“Skylar, a–are you trying to kill me?” Maisy staggered backward, seemingly taken aback by Skylar’s words.
“How can you be so cruel? Are you actually trying to kill Maisy? How did I ever give birth to a monster like you? You’re a disappointment. I regret bringing you back into our family!” Sadie shrieked, her face puce with anger.
Sadie genuinely detested Skylar. She was constantly awash in embarrassment whenever she went out with Skylar. [1]
Frankly, Skylar wasn’t an obedient and considerate child at all. What was
some of her blood?
the big deal about donating
“Skylar, Mom’s health isn’t that great. Please don’t upset her, okay? It’s all my fault.” Maisy sobbed.
Jeffrey’s expression hardened as he berated Skylar like he always,did. “Skylar, apologize to your mom and Maisy!”
In her previous life, Skylar had apologized obediently whenever Jeffrey had roared at her for an apology after they had thrown all sorts of accusations at her. Still, it hadn’t been enough to satisfy them.
They had complained that she was only pretending to be weak after every transfusion, which resulted in very little blood being extracted from her.
Glancing down at the needle marks on her arm, Skylar snapped, “You should be the ones apologizing. But even if you apologize, I won’t accept it. I will settle the scores later.” Her tone grew resolute.
As her last word fell, she strode out of the hospital. All of a sudden, a jolt of pain shot through her as she took her first step
Her eyes reddened as she stared down at her feet. It felt so good to be able to walk again. She would settle the score with them later. Right now, she had something more important to stop.
hapter 2
“Skylar, don’t bother coming back if you step out of the door!” Sadie gaped at Skylar in shock, who had just left decisively.
The veins on Sadie’s temples throbbed with rage, Skylar was extremely out of line today!
*How dare she? Jeff, what are we going to do now?” Infuriated, Sadie swerved toward Jeffrey.
Jeffrey trailed after Skylar solemnly. His expression darkened when he saw how she left the hospital without a hint of hesitation.
“She doesn’t have any money with her, so there’s nowhere she can go. She’ll apologize to us tomorrow. Then, we can proceed with the blood transfusion.”
“A
*A troublemaker, that’s what she is! We can’t just forgive her easily, even if she apologizes to us tomorrow. We can’t spoil her anymore,” Sadie chimed in, utterly exasperated.
“Mom, don’t be mad! It’s not good for your health. Maybe Skylar–will return tonight,” Maisy said, her eyes glinting.
Skylar couldn’t shy away from her responsibility to donate her blood to Maisy. She might have thrown a huge tantrum earlier, but she would show up all docile and submissive again tomorrow.
Maisy was determined to prove her utmost significance in the family to Skylar. Everyone cherished her, and even Skylar’s identity as the Williams family’s biological daughter couldn’t change that.
Skylar rummaged through her bag for her phone after she left the hospital. Her hand quivered slightly as she dialed a number. 1
She had to make this decision quickly.
“Grandma Gloria, I’ve changed my mind. I will marry your grandso
A smile spread across her features as she imagined Gloria Hinman’s delighted smile on the other end of the phone.
Skylar mused over her past after she hung up. Gloria was an old friend of Viola Zindel’s, who was neighbors with Skylar’s adoptive mother, Janine Yancey.
Viola had moved to the countryside around three decades ago. Skylar had thought that Viola must have been lonely, so she had kept Viola company during her free time. In return, Viola had taught her many things.
Later, Skylar had left the countryside for college. One time, when Viola had visited her at her college, she had brought Gloria with her as well. Skylar had kept in touch with Gloria since then.
One day, Gloria had suddenly brought Joe Martin to meet Skylar at a restaurant. She had intended for Joe to marry Skylar.
Churptel 2
It had been Skylar’s first time meeting Joe. Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, Joe had stood out in the crowd. She hadn’t dared to meet his eyes, for she feared the indifference in his gaze.
He had said that he was fine with Gloria’s proposal. Gloria had been waiting for Skylar’s response since
then.
However, Skylar had been completely besotted with Christopher back then. She had told Gloria that she had a boyfriend, and Gloria had been extremely disappointed.
Joe had called her the next day, saying that Gloria was ill and that she only had three years left to live. Their marriage was her only wish.
He had said that if Skylar agreed to marry him, he would fulfill all of her demands, as long as they were
reasonable. Nonetheless, she had refused his proposal.
She had gotten into an accident not long after, and she had needed an exorbitant amount for the surgery fees. Jeffrey and Sadie had refused to save her back then, thinking of her as a burden after she had been
amputated.
But Gloria had happened to learn about Skylar’s situation. She paid for Skylar’s surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation expenses.
Skylar had later discovered that Sadie and Christopher had put on an act in front of Gloria. Sadie had
bawled her eyes out, saying that she would treat Skylar well from then on.
Gloria had fallen for it. She had even had Joe assist Jeffrey’s company through their crisis.
After that, Christopher and Maisy had dismissed Gloria’s attempts to visit Skylar.
Skylar’s soul had lingered around for a bit after she had died. Gloria had visited her, and she had seen Glora weeping over her body.
Revenge wasn’t her only purpose in this life; she also wanted to repay Gloria’s kindness.
The odds weren’t in her favor, though. She had just rejected Joe the day before she had been reborn. She
was worried that she would appear fickle and that he would turn down her offer.
Skylar stowed her phone away in her bag and marched toward the bus stop. Her phone rang once she
reached the stop.
Joe’s cool voice echoed from the other end of the line. “Ms. Williams, why did you change your mind?”
Skylar’s gaze fell on the bus stop sign. “Your proposal sounded great, Mr. Martin.”
Joe lapsed into silence. Shortly after, he said in a composed manner, “Let’s meet at the courthouse at 3: 00 pm today.”
In Martin Group’s building, Joe signaled to his assistant, Paul Ziegler, to continue speaking after he hung up.
“The Williams family brought Ms. Williams back six months ago. She’d been living with her adoptive
parents in the countryside since she was young.
“She met her boyfriend, Christopher, in high school. They started dating in high school, and they went to different colleges after they graduated. I’m still looking into other details.” Paul reported the findings of his brief investigation on Skylar
Several pictures of her were placed on the desk. Looking at her photos, Joe noted the intimacy between her and Christopher in a picture where their arms were interlocked with each other.
Both of them seemed youthful, but Skylar’s youth didn’t hinder the fact that she was a dazzling beauty.
“By the way, Ms. Williams has been donating blood to the Williams family’s adopted daughter, Maisy, for the past six months,” Paul added.
Joe glanced at his watch, confirming the time. “Prepare a three–year covert marriage agreement.”
Paul was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Joe to be so decisive about marrying Skylar, who already had a fiance. Wasn’t he worried that Skylar had a trick up her sleeve?
Skylar arrived at the courthouse at 2:55 pm after taking the bus and the subway.
She had her personal documents in her bag, she planned to proceed with the process of officially separating from Jeffrey and Sadie after donating blood that day.
Her eyes glinted coldly. She would never be part of the Williamses again in this life.
Joe arrived promptly in five minutes. Skylar met his gaze the moment she glanced up.
Indifference shrouded his eyes, and he exuded an air of sophistication. As he stared at her, the scrutiny in his piercing gaze was evident.
Skylar wasn’t surprised. If she were him, she would wonder why she had changed her mind as well.
“Sign this agreement before we register for marriage.” Joe withdrew his gaze swiftly and handed two documents over to her.
As she skimmed through the documents, Skylar noticed that it was clearly stated in the agreement that they were to be divorced after three years.
Their marriage was to remain a secret during those three years. Aside from displaying their married status in front of Gloria, it was mandatory for Skylar to keep their relationship a secret in public.
“I have no objections to your terms. I won’t pester you once we get a divorce after three years.”
Joe stopped her when she was just about to sign the agreement. “There will be no room for regrets after you sign this. Have you thought this through?”
Skylar nodded briskly. “Yes.“.
“What are your conditions?” Joe inquired.
Realizing what he meant, Skylar suddenly reined in her words just as she was about to say that she had
Chapter 3
“I know Grandma Gloria asked you to help the Williamses, but…”
Joe raised his brows, wondering if Skylar thought the Williamses deserved a higher status.
Though Jeffrey simply wasn’t fit for it, Joe would still agree to her terms if that was her condition for the
marriage arrangement.
“I hope you’ll stop helping them.” Skylar dropped her gaze, fearing the malice in her eyes would throw him
off.
“Oh?” Joe was slightly taken aback. Nevertheless, he didn’t question any further.
Seeing that Skylar had signed the documents, he glanced at his watch. “Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
The courthouse wasn’t busy, so they managed to obtain their marriage certificate quickly. Everything still felt unreal to Skylar as she strode out of the courthouse and stared at the certificate.
Joe’s voice rang from beside her. “Let’s exchange our numbers. I’ll send you my address; you should
move in with me in two days.”
Before Skylar could refuse, he left promptly. She had planned to move in with Gloria. Not once had she ever considered living with Joe.
However, she wasn’t against this particular arrangement. A harmonious facade of their loving marriage life would put Gloria at ease, after all.
Skylar checked the time. It was 3:30 pm, and she could still head back to Williams Residence to retrieve her belongings. She wouldn’t even step into their house again if it weren’t for the valuable items Viola had
given her.
Her phone rang on her way to Williams Residence. Without checking the caller ID, she answered the call
swiftly.
“Hello?”
“Babe, Maisy called me earlier. She said you got into a fight with Jeffrey and Sadie at the hospital over her
blood transfusion.
“I feel like it’s quite inappropriate of you to do so. You’ll upset them, and Maisy needs your blood as well. Your relationship with them will become strained if you leave them right away.
“Where are you? I’ll come find you, and you have to apologize properly to Jeffrey and Sadie later! We’ll head to the hospital tomorrow early in the morning.
“Also, do you want to go watch a movie together after you’ve donated your blood?” Christopher coaxed her from the other end of the phone.
Skylar clenched her phone. She had loved Christopher with all her heart back then, and her feelings
toward him had been unwavering from high school to college.
The day he’d graduated, he’d claimed that she was the love of his life and said he wanted to marry her.
At this point, Skylar had come to the conclusion that men’s promises were nothing but bullshit. Everything she had experienced in the year she had been paralyzed felt just like yesterday to her.
Christopher was slightly enraged by Skylar’s lack of response. “Babe, are you there? Is the signal bad on your end? Should I text you on WhatsApp instead?”
“I’m breaking up with you, dumbass.” Skylar could no longer bear being acquainted with Christopher. She hung up swiftly.
Her phone began buzzing with notifications, yet she completely ignored them. She hadn’t blocked Christopher yet because it wasn’t the right time to do so.
Soon, Skylar arrived at Williams Residence. Jeffrey and the others hadn’t returned because of the rush hour traffic. They probably wouldn’t be back for another 30 minutes.
Since Skylar had only moved in there about six months ago, she didn’t have a lot of things. One suitcase. was enough for her to pack her things
When she descended the stairs, she saw an antique painting hung in a corner of the living room.
The painting was hung in an extremely inconspicuous spot. Skylar had spent three long months restoring it so she could give it to Sadie as her birthday present, but Sadie hadn’t been impressed.
She had told the maid to hang in the least conspicuous place in the living room.
Skylar had felt glum back then. Sadie had even looked impatient when Skylar had offered to explain the origin and significance of the painting. In contrast, she had gleefully accepted the designer bag Maisy had
given her.
Sadie certainly
didn’t deserve the painting, nor did she deserve Skylar’s sincerity.
Skylar strode toward the painting and took it off the wall carefully. After rolling it up meticulously, she stowed it away in her suitcase.
Jeffrey, Sadie, and Maisy returned after 40 minutes. Glancing around and realizing that Skylar was nowhere to be seen, Sadie frowned. “Lucy, has Skylar come back?”
The maid, Lucy Sanders, set her work aside in a haste and replied, “Ms. Skylar returned half an hour ago, then she left again with a suitcase.”
“Left with a suitcase?” Sadie screeched.
“Yes, Mrs. Williams.” Lucy nodded.
Maisy was taken aback. She had assumed she would be greeted with a sheepish–looking Skylar and her apologies. Hadn’t Christopher said that he would deal with her?
“Did she run away from home?” Maisy inquired.
Jeffrey was outraged. “If she has the guts to run away, then she shouldn’t bother coming back! Such
30
insolence! I’m terminating her credit card now!” Skylar had really brought shame upon him.
“I’ll go check her room now. Maybe she’s just trying to scare us by running away. I bet she wants a car as well. She’s hopeless!” Furrowing her brows, Sadie dashed upstairs into Skylar’s room.
She rarely went into Skylar’s room. When she opened the door, she was momentarily startled by the empty and plain room. A sense of uneasiness prickled at her.
“Mom, I think I’ll leave. I don’t think Skylar wants to see me at home. She’ll come back once I’m gone.” Maisy said, approaching Sadie. She noticed that Sadie was lost in her thoughts.
Maisy
sensed that things were spiraling out of her control. She should be the only one pampered in this family! Skylar was always meant to be inferior to her.
Snapping back to her senses, Sadie turned toward Maisy and said warmly, “Just imagine what it would be like if she were as sensible as you are. Just ignore her. She can go whenever she wants.”
“Skylar grew up in the countryside, after all. It’s normal that she lacks basic courtesy since her adoptive mom only graduated from middle school.
“Mom, she’ll become more sensible after we teach her. She’ll come to respect you and Dad just like I do,” Maisy chirped.
Sadie grew annoyed whenever she heard about Skylar’s past.
“Skylar’s been studying in college for a few years now, hasn’t she? By right, she should be sensible and mature. The truth is, she’s just a narrow–minded and ungrateful whelp!
“Don’t bother about her. Let’s go down and eat,” she said.
In the cab, Skylar took in the view of the bustling streets outside the window. Everything felt like a dream- she had really been reborn.
“Miss, your phone has been ringing.” The driver chanced a glance at her through the rearview mirror. He thought she looked pretty. She appeared to be only in her 20s, but the sullen look in her eyes said otherwise. Had something happened to her? Her phone had been ringing incessantly.
“It’s fine. It’s the scammers,” Skylar replied, looking down at her phone. Christopher had been spamming her on WhatsApp.
She could imagine how agitated he was right now, but that image in her mind soon overlapped with the image of him devouring Maisy. Her grip on her phone tightened, and the ringing stopped.
Another call came in instantly.
Skylar’s lashes fluttered slightly when she saw that it was from Joe.
Chapter 4
Skylar picked up the call. “Mr. Martin.”
“Grandma would like to meet you tonight. Do you have time?” Joe’s cool voice echoed from the other end
of the phone.
Just as Skylar was about to reply, the cab had already made its way into Galaxy Villa.
“I’ve arrived at Galaxy Villa. I’d like to meet Grandma Gloria as well.”
She had only gotten married to Joe for Gloria’s sake. Now that Gloria wanted to see her, she would
certainly set aside other affairs to meet her.
The call went silent for a few seconds before Joe’s voice rang through again. “Wait at home for about half an hour. Paul will pick you up.”
“Alright. Thanks.” Skylar hung up and entered the villa. Joe had given her the villa’s password, so she didn’t encounter any issues.
Just as she had changed into slippers, her phone suddenly rang again. Amidst the silence that hung in the villa, the noise of her ringtone was deafening.
Skylar took her phone out and realized it was a call from Sadie. She sneered and declined her call. Frankly, she was in no mood to entertain those scumbags since she was going to meet Gloria tonight.
Upon realizing that Skylar had refused her call, Sadie’s expression darkened.
“Jeff, Skye actually rejected my call!”
Jeffrey lost his composure immediately. Infuriated, he bellowed, “What are you calling her for? You should’ve just let her be!
“She’s been out of college for three months, and she hasn’t even secured a job. She’s literally penniless. Don’t give her any money either. Let’s see how long she can hold up!”
“You’re right. She didn’t grow up with us, after all. That explains why she isn’t close with us, and she doesn’t understand us either. Maisy is much more sensible.” At that thought, Sadie grew even fonder of
Maisy,
“I’ve terminated her card. Ignore her, and she’ll come back in two days.”
“Once she’s back, I’ll definitely teach her a lesson.”
It was already dark out. A Maybach MPV pulled up in front of Pearlhall Residence, the Martin family. residence, and Skylar emerged from the car. She thanked Paul swiftly.
Paul was slightly surprised. During their journey to Pearlhall Residence, Skylar hadn’t asked about Joe’s
insolence! I’m terminating her credit card now!” Skylar had really brought shame upon him.
“I’ll go check her room now. Maybe she’s just trying to scare us by running away. I bet she wants a car as well. She’s hopeless!” Furrowing her brows, Sadie dashed upstairs into Skylar’s room.
She rarely
rarely went into Skylar’s room. When she opened the door, she was momentarily startled by the empty and plain room. A sense of uneasiness prickled at her.
“Mom, I think I’ll leave. I don
I think Skylar wants to see me at home. She’ll come back once I’m gone.” Maisy said, approaching Sadie. She noticed that Sadie was lost in her thoughts.
Maisy sensed that things were spiraling out of her control. She should be the only one pampered in this family! Skylar was always meant to be inferior to her.
Snapping back to her senses, Sadie turned toward Maisy and said warmly, “Just imagine what it would be like if she were as sensible as you are. Just ignore her. She can go whenever she wants.” [1]
“Skylar grew up in the countryside, after all. It’s normal that she lacks basic courtesy since her adoptive mom only graduated from middle school.
“Mom, she’ll become more sensible after we teach her. She’ll come to respect you and Dad just like I do,” Maisy chirped.
Sadie grew annoyed whenever she heard about Skylar’s past.
“Skylar’s been studying in college for a few years now, hasn’t she? By right, she should be sensible and mature. The truth is, she’s just a narrow–minded and ungrateful whelp!
down and est
“Don’t bother about her. Let’s go down and eat,” she said.
In the cab, Skylar took in the view of the bustling streets outside the window. Everything felt like a dream- she had really been reborn.
“Miss, your phone has been ringing.” The driver chanced a glance at her through the rearview mirror. He thought she looked pretty. She appeared to be only in her 20s, but the sullen look in her eyes said otherwise. Had something happened to her? Her phone had been ringing incessantly.
“It’s fine. It’s the scammers, Skylar replied, looking down at her phone. Christopher had been spamming her on WhatsApp.
She could imagine how agitated he was right now, but that image in her mind soon overlapped with the image of him devouring Malsy. Her grip on her phone tightened, and the ringing stopped.
Another call came in instantly.
Skylar’s lashes fluttered slightly when she saw that it was from Joe.
Chapter 4
1/4
Chapter 4
Skylar picked up the call. “Mr. Martin.”
“Grandma would like to meet you tonight. Do you have time?” Joe’s cool voice echoed from the other end of the phone.
Just as Skylar was about to reply, the cab had already made its way into Galaxy Villa.
“I’ve arrived at Galaxy Villa. I’d like to meet Grandma Gloria as well.”
She had only gotten married to Joe for Gloria’s sake. Now that Gloria wanted to see her, she would certainly set aside other affairs to meet her.
The call went silent for a few seconds before Joe’s voice rang through again, “Wait at home for about half
an hour. Paul will pick you up.”
“Alright. Thanks. Skylar hung up and entered the villa. Joe had given her the villa’s password, so she
didn’t encounter any issues.
Just as she had changed into slippers, her phone suddenly rang again. Amidst the silence that hung in the
villa, the noise of her ringtone was deafening.
Skylar took her phone out and realized it was a call from Sadie. She sneered and declined her call. Frankly, she was in no mood to entertain those scumbags since she was going to meet Gloria tonight.
Upon realizing that Skylar had refused her call, Sadie’s expression darkened.
“Jeff, Skye actually rejected my call!”
Jeffrey lost his composure immediately. Infuriated, he bellowed, “What are you calling her for? You
should’ve just let her be!
“She’s been out of college for three months, and she hasn’t even secured a job. She’s literally penniless. Don’t give her any money either. Let’s see how long she can hold up!”
“You’re right. She didn’t grow up with us, after all. That explains why she isn’t close with us, and she doesn’t understand us either, Maisy is much more sensible.” At that thought, Sadie grew even fonder of
Maisy.
“Ive terminated her card. Ignore her, and she’ll come back in two days.”
“Once she’s back, I’ll definitely teach her a lesson.”
It was already dark out. A Maybach MPV pulled up in front of Pearlhall Residence, the Martin family residence, and Skylar emerged from the car. She thanked Paul swiftly.
Paul was slightly surprised. During their journey to Pearlhall Residence, Skylar hadn’t asked about Joe’s
whereabouts.
Both of them had just registered their marriage this afternoon. In fact, it would only be natural for Skylar
to wonder where Joe was.
Women in Jipsburg had coveted Joe for years. To be honest, Paul had thought that Skylar was using
Gloria to get close to Joe.
Other women just weren’t as fortunate as Skylar had been when it came to winning Gloria’s favor. Now, he was intrigued to find out whether Skylar would inquire about Joe’s whereabouts.
As Skylar trailed after the butler, Edgar Quinn, who greeted her at the entrance, Paul arched his eyebrows
in surprise.
However, Skylar called out to him as he turned to leave. “Mr. Ziegler.
Paul halted his steps. As expected, she was going to ask about Joe’s whereabouts.
“Is your emerald charm a family heirloom, or was it a gift from someone else?” Skylar stared at the emerald charm resting on Paul’s neck, a glint flickering in her eyes.
Paul was stunned. Glancing down on the emerald charm he wore, he replied, “It was a gift. I quite like it,
so I’ve been wearing it a lot lately. I heard it’s from around 1368 to 1644 AD.”
A faint smile spread across Skylar’s face. It was still bright out when Paul had come to pick her up, so she
had been able to see the charm clearly.
The engraving on it resembled the style of the impressionist painter, Clyde Monet. It exuded an air of
sophistication.
Since Skylar had to repay Gloria’s favor and she was already married to Joe, she couldn’t just stand by and watch Joe get sabotaged by the people around him. They were bound together by a contract, after all.
Her gaze fell on a spot on the charm. There was a dark mark there, indicating that blood had seeped in.
“The charm is indeed from 1368 to 1644 AD.” Skylar nodded. However, it wasn’t auspicious at all.
“I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it the moment I saw it. Ms. Williams, is this your forte?” Paul stroked his charm. Indeed, the charm was breathtakingly gorgeous.
“Yeah, but I’m not an expert, though,” Skylar replied.
*The person who gave this to me mentioned that it was carved by a famous painter from 1368 to 1644
- AD. It’s definitely worth collecting.
“Forgive me for being blunt, but I think your charm was probably looted from a dead body. It’ll bring
misfortune to the wearer and those around him.
“Mr. Ziegler, you haven’t worn it for more than ten days, right?” Skylar said, unbothered by the fact that Paul would probably be scared out of his wits.
He was always around Gloria. Given Gloria’s current health condition, she was prone to falling ill.
Paul was flabbergasted. “Looted from a dead person?” His hands, which were clasped around the charm,
quavered.
“How do you know, Ms. Williams?”
Could it be that she was trying to scare him? Was it just because he hadn’t informed her about Joe’s
schedule? Still, it was unlikely
Skylar glanced at her watch. “I have to meet with Grandma Gloria now. If you trust me, take it off and return it to the person who gave it to you. Otherwise, don’t see Grandma Gloria for a month.”
He would naturally believe in her after a month. Even though Joe, who was often with Paul, would have a
streak of bad luck, Skylar was unfazed. She would be content as long as Gloria remained well.
With that, she promptly followed Edgar into the mansion.
Paul, on the other hand, was left in a daze at the entrance. Still spiraling in turmoil, he was caught in a
dilemma about whether to continue wearing the charm or not.
Gloria’s face broke into a warm smile as she walked over to Skylar. Tears glistened in her eyes.
*Skye, I couldn’t sleep all night after you rejected my proposal yesterday. Fortunately you changed your
mind! Hurry up and show me your marriage certificate.”
“I’m sorry, Grandma Gloria. Skylar’s heart ached as she saw Gloria weeping.
“Stop calling me ‘Grandma Gloria‘. You’re my granddaughter–in–law now, so just ‘Grandma‘ will do.” Gloria brushed her tears away, lamenting that she could no longer hold back her emotions due to old age.
Skylar handed the marriage certificate to Gloria. “Alright, Grandma.”
Taking the certificate from her, Gloria broke into a wide grin. “This is great,” she murmured. “Skye, you’ll
come to know that Joe is a really reliable person. You won’t regret marrying him.”
Gloria scrutinized the certificate carefully, as if she would never get enough of it.
Skylar nodded in agreement. Despite having seen Joe only twice, she could tell that he was a reliable
man.
The fact that he had even sacrificed his marriage for Gloria’s sake was enough proof of respect for her.
“Oh yeah, Skye. I remembered that Viola had left a letter with me before. She told me to pass it on to you if you got married within a year.
“If you didn’t, I was supposed to pretend that I’d never received anything like that. Seeing that you’re
already married to Joe, it’s about time to pass the letter to you.”
Gloria took a letter from the table beside her and passed it to Skylar.
Upon hearing about Viola, Skylar asked hastily, “Grandma, do you have any news regarding Grandma Viola?”
“You can’t find her if she doesn’t want to be found. She called me a year ago, before she left, asking ust
not to worry about her.” Gloria sighed, shaking her head.
Skylar felt a lump welling up in her throat. As she recalled how defiant she had been toward Viola in her
past life, she felt distressed.
Chapter 5
Ever since Skylar had been young, Viola had warned her that she shouldn’t put the skills Viola had taught
her to use before she got married.
That was the case for the knowledge Skylar had learned from Viola’s books as well. Viola had also told
her not to disclose what she had learned to Janine. Otherwise, she would be in deep trouble.
Back in Skylar’s previous life. Christopher’s mother, Amelia Campbell, had needed roughly one million dollars to cover the expenses for her kidney transplant.
Unable to bear the sight of Christopher being distraught, Skylar had secretly helped someone restore a
painting. She had gotten exactly one million dollars in return.
A few days after that, she had gone shopping with Sadie. When she had seen a truck speeding toward
them, she had shoved Sadie aside without thinking twice.
That was how Skylar had ended up being paralyzed from the waist down.
Fortunately, none of those events had yet to happen in Skylar’s current life. She had not seen Viola again,
not even before she had died in her past life.
As Skylar read the letter Viola had left for her, she couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. The sense of familiarity in Viola’s handwriting made the flood of tears give way.
Skylar learned from the letter that Viola had made one last divination.
Viola had given the last of her fortune to Skylar, having predicted that Skylar would encounter a calamity
in her life so great that it would probably kill her.
She might not even live past three years
In the letter, Viola also said that if Skylar were reading this letter, it meant that she had survived that calamity, akin to the rebirth of a phoenix. Now, Skylar knew no limits but the skies.
Finally, Viola told her that they would eventually meet someday. Their reunion wasn’t supposed to be
forced.
When Skylar was young, she had wanted to learn divinations from Viola. Viola had turned her down,
saying that it wasn’t a gift to be able to read divinations.
Though Skylar wasn’t as skilled as Viola was, she could still sense whether certain antiques were auspicious or inauspicious. Later, she had focused more on Viola’s books instead.
“Oh, dear, Skyel Why are you crying? Is something wrong?” The sight of Skylar crying made Gloria’s heart
ache.
For some reason, she felt awash in anguish whenever she saw Skylar’s tears. Noting how aggrieved Skylar seemed, she was suddenly reminded of something
“Grandma, I’m fine. I just miss Grandma Viola too much.” Skylar’s tears subsided, and she smiled. She didn’t want Gloria to worry.
After a while, Gloria called Joe in secret while Skylar was in the bathroom. “You brat, did you give Skye a hard time at the courthouse today?”
Joe was about to leave after completing his work. He was stunned by Gloria’s question. “What did she tell
you?”
I
Gloria snorted. “She didn’t say a thing. Have you forgotten how perceptive I am? I could tell she’s upset.”
“It wasn’t me.” Joe strode toward the elevator, pressing his temples. What was Skylar trying to gain from
Gloria?
He
thought she would abide by the terms of their agreement when they had registered for their marriage
earlier. Now, it appeared that she was quite shrewd,
A cold glint flashed across Joe’s eyes.
“It’s better not be you! Come over and pick her up tonight. Remember the task I gave you–I need a great-
grandchild as soon as possible,” Gloria ordered before hanging up.
Joe felt utterly helpless. Just as the elevator arrived, he noticed that Paul seemed disoriented. He had
been distracted ever since he had dropped Skylar off at Pearlhall Residence.
“What’s wrong with you?” Joe asked.
Sullenly, Paul produced the emerald charm, which was still on his neck. He told Joe about everything Skylar had said in front of the mansion. They were the only ones in the elevator.
Paul asked, “Did I offend Ms. Williams in any sort? That would explain why she spooked me out. Such
superstitiousness is absurd.”
It was just an emerald charm. How could Skylar possibly tell if it was looted from a dead person?
Joe raised his eyebrows, and his expression hardened. He felt like Gloria had been tricked by Skylar.
“Just ignore her,” he said coldly.
Paul nodded fervently. “Alright.”
He finally felt at ease after being in turmoil for an hour
he figured Skylar must have intended to frighten him.
or two. Now that Joe had told him to ignore Skylar,
As he marveled at how valuable the charm was, he thought it would serve as a great family heirloom. He planned to pass it down through the generations of his family.
The elevator descended to the first floor rapidly. Just as it reached the 30th floor, it suddenly shook. violently. The lights in the elevator flickered thrice before returning to normal.
They figured it was just a minor malfunction, but the elevator suddenly plummeted downward at an alarming speed. Even Joe, who was usually composed, seemed slightly perturbed.
Paul’s eyes widened. “Holy crap!” Was he going to die here today?
The lights in the elevator completely died down.
“Mr. Martin!” Paul shrieked in terror.
Eerily, the elevator came to a sudden halt just as it was about to crash to the ground. The lights that had gone out earlier illuminated the entire elevator again, as if their earlier predicament had just been an
illusion.
Paul gulped. He belatedly realized he was sitting in the corner in a sorry state, whereas Joe seemed unscathed. His gaze seemed more intense than usual.
After surviving the ordeal, he instinctively glanced down at the emerald charm resting on his neck. Damn, this was creepy!
Pulling the charm off his neck, Paul scrutinized it. “Why do I feel like Ms. Williams wasn’t joking with me?”
Joe arched his brows. Not once had he ever indulged in such superstitious beliefs.
He glanced up at the ceiling of the elevator and said, “Call the technicians over and have them thoroughly inspect and repair all the elevators in the building. The elevators must be usable tomorrow.”
“Alright!”
As Joe strode out of the elevator, Paul remarked nervously, “Mr. Martin, could you help me ask Ms. Williams whether she was joking or not? Can I still wear this thing?”
Paul would never have been this conflicted if it hadn’t been for the incident earlier.
Glancing over at the exquisite emerald charm in Paul’s hands, Joe replied, “Wear it. It was just an accident earlier.” He implied that Paul shouldn’t give much heed to Skylar’s advice.
Paul thought Joe made a lot of sense. “I’ll call the technicians now.”
He figured the entire technical support team would seemingly lose their bonuses. How could they trap Joe in the elevator and have him experience a terrifying ordeal?
It seemed like they would have to pull an all–nighter to inspect all the elevators now.
When Joe arrived at Pearlhall Residence, he noted how delighted Gloria looked.
She hadn’t been particularly warm to him for the past few years, but she was now laughing heartily with Skylar as they watched a dating variety show on television.
Chapter 6
In the past two years, Gloria’s favorite show had changed from dramatic soap operas to dating variety shows. The more scripted it was, the more she enjoyed it.
It seemed that Skylar indeed got along with Gloria.
Joe’s gaze intensified as he scrutinized Skylar, who was engrossed in discussing the show’s participants with Gloria. He had been standing there for some time, yet none of them had acknowledged his presence.
Gloria saw him first. Startled, she raised her brows and asked, “When did you come? You didn’t even
make a sound!”
Skylar glanced at him, and the smile on her face vanished in an instant. She nodded at him politely.
“I just got here.”
Skylar’s drastic change of expression slightly threw Joe off. He felt like he had overlooked something, but
he couldn’t be sure.
“How could you work until so late when you’ve just gotten married today? You’re still being held up at work for so long, even when you have so many people working for you!
“In that case, I think it’s about time to restructure the company. Hurry up and go back to Galaxy Villa with Skye. Treat her well, okay?”
Gloria rolled her eyes at Joe. She missed how adorable he had been as a child; his current aloofness
upset her.
Well, she preferred Skylar a lot more now. She reveled in Skylar’s company because they could watch and discuss dating shows together.
Joe let out a subdued response in agreement. He said nothing further.
Sending daggers his way, Gloria said, “It’s a blessing that you were able to marry Skye! You better treat her
well.”
Joe frowned. He was curious about how on earth Skylar had managed to appease Gloria.
“Grandma, I’ve already prepared the herbs for your foot soak. Make sure to soak your feet before you go
to bed, Skylar reminded, worried that Gloria might be too engrossed in the variety show.
Gloria nodded vigorously. “Alright! I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll soak my feet now.”
Joe was rendered speechless.
There was no traffic on the road, so they arrived at Galaxy Villa within 30 minutes. They had been
completely silent along the way.
When Joe entered the house, he noticed a small suitcase at the door. Its size left him in awe. A few
things were propped on top of the suitcase, one of them being a rolled–up painting. It seemed antique.
“There are four rooms on the second floor. One of them is mine; you can pick whichever room you like,” Joe said after changing into slippers.
Although they were legally married, he had no intention of making love to her during the three years they would be together.
Judging from what he had heard about her from Paul as well, she seemed to have ulterior motives.
Skylar concurred and also changed into slippers. Then, she went upstairs with her suitcase. Trailing after her, Joe pointed to one of the rooms. “This is my room.”
“Alright.” Skylar continued walking and chose a room that was one room away from Joe’s.
She could tell that Joe didn’t want to be acquainted with her. Thus, it would be better if they steered clear of each other. The last thing she wanted was to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Joe was slightly surprised by her cold and distant attitude.
“It’s getting late, so I’ll get some rest first. Goodnight, Mr. Martin,” Skylar said before disappearing into her
room.
The sound of her door closing snapped Joe back to his senses. Raising his brows, he realized that he had been way too attentive to her today.
Her existence was probably somewhat meaningful since she made Gloria happy. The rest wasn’t that
important.
An hour later, Skylar took a shower after she was finally done with unpacking her suitcase and arranging her belongings. After drying her hair, she plopped herself down on the bed and picked up her phone.
There
were 99 missed calls and countless unread messages on her silenced phone. Lying in her bed, she still felt detached after everything that had happened,
She had been reborn, and she had gotten married to Joe in a heartbeat. Then, she had also gotten to
meet Gloria again.
The number of Christopher’s messages topped the rest. He was still sending her messages. There were also messages from Sadie, Jeffrey, and Maisy.
Skylar clicked on Gloria’s mess first. Gloria had sent Skylar a picture of her soaking her feet and a
voicemail.
*Skye, I’ve already soaked my feet. It feels so comfortable! You don’t have to reply to me; I’m feeling kind of sleepy, so I’m going to head to bed now.
“Oh, yeah, let me know if Joe mistreats you. I’ll teach him a lesson!”
A surge of warmth flooded through Skylar. Her fingers danced across the screen as she thanked Gloria and sent a goodnight GIF to her.
ה
Skylar clicked on Christopher’s chat. He had bombarded her with countless voicemails. Given all the time they had spent in high school until now, he certainly knew her very well.
The emojis he sent depicted how aggrieved he felt. The texts from him also showed how sorry and
remorseful he was, and he begged her to speak to him.
Skylar didn’t listen to any of his voicemails, worried that she might throw up if she did. Just as she was about to close chat and check what Sadie had said, Christopher called again.
She answered the phone.
“Skye, why have you been ignoring me for the entire day? I’ve been restless and unable to eat ever since you mentioned a breakup. You know I can’t live without you, right?
“Are you mad at me because I told you to apologize to Jeffrey and Sadie? Skye, I’m doing this for your own good. You’ve just returned to their side, so you should get along with them.”
Skylar immediately recalled how Christopher had played a vital role in influencing the way she had constantly sought approval from Jeffrey and Sadie. She sneered
“Christopher.”
“Yes, babe? I know you can’t bear to see me sad.” On the other end of the phone, Christopher raised his eyebrows smugly. He had her figured out after all.
“There’s so much to learn in this world, yet you chose to master how to be a jerk! If you don’t want the cops to barge into your office, pay me back 100 thousand dollars in ten minutes,” Skylar hissed. She hung
up promptly.
A few days ago, Christopher had said that his family needed urgent money.
Without probing into the situation, Skylar had transferred 100 thousand dollars to him instantly. Janine had been sending her money over these years, and Skylar had also saved up during college.
Initially, she had intended to send the money to Janine. It wasn’t until she had been paralyzed in bed that she had found out that Christopher had splurged the money on buying clothes and skin care products for
Maisy
Scumbags like them should be stuck with each other for their entire lives. However, he had to return her
money!
Christopher was flabbergasted. Was Skylar out of her mind? How could she make him return the money?
He had promised Maisy that he would go shopping with her on Saturday, and 100 thousand dollars might not even be enough for her to spend.
He began to wonder whether he had been spoiling Skylar too much lately. She was delusional enough to think that she could just threaten him with a breakup. Did she think he really loved her?
Christopher bet Skylar would apologize to him in less than two days. By then, she would listen to whatever he said. He clicked on Maisy’s chat.
“Maisy, don’t forget that we’re meeting at Phoenix Mall’s main entrance at noon.”
Chapter?
hapter 7
14
Skylar waited for ten minutes, but she didn’t receive the money from Christopher. She had known that he wouldn’t return the money.
Within ten minutes, she collected various records of her transactions to him and screenshots of every
conversation where he had promised to pay her back.
This evidence was enough to file a lawsuit against him, or result in even worse circumstances if she
wanted. She decided to report it as a scam to the police first.
Next, she clicked on the messages from Sadie and Jeffrey. Both of them had reprimanded her for being disobedient, and Jeffrey specifically mentioned terminating her credit card.
Now that she thought of it, she indeed had a card that Jeffrey had given her when she had first returned
to the Williams family. But she had never used the card.
Maisy’s messages were pretty straightforward; she had done nothing other than brag about Jeffrey’s and
Sadie’s love for her.
Her intention to mock Skylar was unmistakable. In Skylar’s previous life, Maisy’s gloating had often upset
her.
Fortunately, Skylar now had a chance to start all over again. She would only acknowledge Janine, her adoptive mother, as her own mother from now on.
Her adoptive father, Finn Sullivan, had passed away in an accident when she had only been three years- old. As a result, Janine had laboriously raised four children alone.
Just as Skylar was about to set aside her phone and drift off to sleep, she received another message.
“Skye, are you getting used to life with the Williamses?” It was Steven Sullivan, her eldest brother who had always doted on her since childhood.
Skylar stirred. “Steven, I’ve missed you.”
Steven sent a voicemail the next instant. “Skye, just come back if you’re homesick. Mom has been mentioning you a lot these days.”
“Same. I really, really miss Mom. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“I’ll cook for you once you’re back.”
“How have you been doing lately? I remembered that you said you’re going to publish a paper, right?”
Steven fell silent. He let out a chuckle shortly after. “I’m doing fine.”
After hanging up, Skylar found a photo of her family in her album. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she stared at the photo.
She hadn’t seen them in ages, not since she had become paralyzed. She had been able to answer their calls sometimes, but only when the Williamses were in a pleasant mood.
Cute 7
2/1
Jeffrey had refused to let anyone visit Skylar. Meanwhile, everyone had thought that she had been well
taken care of.
People had assumed that Sadie must have taken good care of her since she wouldn’t have had to amputate her leg if she hadn’t shoved Sadie aside. Besides, Sadie was her biological mother, after all.
Wiping her tears away, Skylar switched off her phone. She needed to rest well since she couldn’t show up with swollen eyes once she returned home.
Skylar’s alarm rang at six in the morning. Being used to waking up early, she went downstairs after a brief
shower.
When they had left Pearlhall Residence yesterday, Joe had told her that he didn’t prefer having maids
around.
Instead, he had people from Pearlhall Residence come over to clean every day. He rarely ate at home as
well.
Skylar went downstairs and rummaged through the refrigerator. Thankfully, there were some vegetables
Inside.
Seeing how fresh the ingredients were, she presumed that the people from Pearlhall Residence probably replenished and cleaned the refrigerator every day.
She spotted a pack of noodles in the fridge, so she decided to make chicken noodle soup.
Already dressed in a suit, Joe made his way downstairs and caught a whiff of the tantalizing aroma.
Still not used to his married status, he was momentarily stunned when he saw Skylar cooking in the kitchen. The apron she wore couldn’t hide her luscious curves.
Skylar also felt somehow uneasy when she left the kitchen with the noodles. She asked politely, “Mr Martin, do you want some chicken noodle soup for breakfast?”
She had added mushrooms and vegetables as garnish. In fact, she preferred a hearty breakfast over mere toast and eggs.
“Thanks, but I’m not used to having breakfast in the morning.” Joe refused blatantly.
He left a black card behind before he left. ‘Use this card for your daily expenses and household needs.”
Skylar glanced at it and took it. She was capable of earning her own money, so she didn’t need his card. However, refusing his offer would arouse his suspicions.
She figured it would be better for her to accept it; she would return it once their contract had come to an
end.
At Martin Group, Paul brought Joe a cup of coffee as soon as Joe settled down in his office.
Taking in the aroma of his coffee, Joe took a sip of it. As the liquid traveled down his throat to his stomach, he was suddenly reminded of Skylar’s steaming hot chicken noodle soup this morning.
Paul was in the midst of reporting that day’s schedule to him, announcing that they were scheduled to visit the neighboring city in two hours.
“Go to the restaurant across the street and order a chicken noodle soup takeout.”
Upon hearing an instruction that was totally unrelated to work, Paul thought he must have misheard. Chicken noodle soup? Didn’t Joe dislike having breakfast?
“Yes.”
It turned out that Paul hadn’t misheard at all. Still puzzled by Joe’s sudden cravings, he went out to instruct someone to buy takeout.
Joe was finally greeted with steaming chicken noodle soup half an hour later. He took a spoonful.
The moment the rich aroma of the soup exploded on his taste buds, he felt nauseous. The taste of chicken noodle soup shouldn’t be this indulgent. He set down his spoon.
Paul was bewildered. “Mr. Martin, is the soup too hot?”
“Take it away.
“Oh, okay.” Paul was still spiraling in confusion when he took the noodles away. Had he lost his brain cells after experiencing the elevator ordeal yesterday, to the point that he could no longer decipher Joe’s
intentions?
Nonetheless, the chicken noodle soup seemed delectable. He made a mental note to try it once he returned from the business trip.
Skylar visited a lawyer after she left Galaxy Villa that morning. Then, she filed a report at the police station.
Around noon, she took a cab back to Janine’s house. Her entire family had moved to Jipsburg three years. ago when her younger brother, Harvey Sullivan, had scored first in his high school entrance exam.
While she was in the car, Christopher kept calling her. She glanced at her phone and silenced it Immediately.
Meanwhile, two police officers at Williams Group were glaring at Christopher, who kept making phone calls. His colleagues broke into a flurry of whispers, pointing at him as they speculated about what had happened.
Christopher realized that Skylar had ignored all of his calls.
“Listen, this is a misunderstanding. Skylar’s my girlfriend; how would I possibly scam her? We had a fight, so she filed a fake police report,” Christopher stated calmly.
*Please come with us and make your statement,” the police officers said.
Christopher glanced at the time, realizing that it was almost time for him to meet with Maisy.
Chapter T
He had finally mustered up the courage to get closer to Maisy after finding out about her relationship with Skylar.
Maisy had always been his unrequited love during his college years. His feelings for Skylar had long subsided after the sheer amount of time they had spent together.
Skylar was kind and considerate, and Amelia liked her as well. Thus, the thought of breaking up with her had never crossed his mind.
Now that he had met with the police, it suddenly dawned on him that Skylar really intended to break up with him. She had meant it when she had told him to return the money.
Feeling defiant, Christopher video called Skylar again but she ignored him. In the end, he could only follow the police to the police station..
Fully dressed in designer clothes, Maisy glanced at her phone impatiently at the main entrance of Phoenix Mall. It was already three minutes past the time she agreed to meet with Christopher.
Just as she was about to call him, she noticed a few people striding out of Martin Group, which was just right across the street.
One of them was Joe, the CEO of Martin Group, who constantly appeared in financial news.
Chapter 8
In Jipsburg, someone like Joe was way out of Maisy’s league. Due to their status in Jipsburg, the Williamses would forever be in the Martin family’s shadow.
Maisy sighed. “Oh, the things I’d do to marry him!” Instinctively, she trotted toward Joe’s direction.
Just as she was about to cross the road, Joe got into his car and left promptly. Maisy’s chest immediately
swelled with determination.
She would make Jeffrey create an opportunity for me. The way she saw it, she had the perfect looks and a great figure. Even Skylar’s boyfriend was completely smitten with her. Perhaps Joe will fall for her once he saw her too!
Speaking of Christopher, what was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he there yet when they’d agreed to go
shopping? Had he gone to find Skylar?
A flicker of arrogance crossed her face.
“I’m intrigued to find out how Skylar is going to deal with all of this!” She snorted. “How dare she give me a hard time at the hospital yesterday? Such audacity!”
Feeling bored while waiting. Maisy took her phone out and called Sadie.
“Mom, I called Skylar earlier. She’s still ignoring me. Should I go find her and apologize to her?”
“Don’t bother with her. Your dad terminated her card, so she’ll probably be back in a day or two. She’s really a nuisance! If only she was more like you, we would’ve been more than grateful.“53
Thinking about Skylar’s actions made Sadie’s blood boil. She had been so furious that she hadn’t been
able to sleep last night.
Maisy comforted Sadie swiftly and called her eldest brother after ending hanging up on her.
Maisy told him about everything that happened and sobbed, “Kenny, should you and Peter give her a call instead? Mom and Dad couldn’t sleep all night because she ran away from home. And she’s… she’s also your biological sister, after all.”
Kenny Williams was swamped with work. His experiments hadn’t been successful, and hearing about Skylar’s antics only made him even more overwhelmed.
“We only acknowledge you as our sister. If she wants to cause trouble, let her be.”
Maisy chortled, “Kenny, I know you’re busy. Remember to take enough rest.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
Skylar had the keys to her home. She was greeted with a waft of an enticing aroma once she opened the door. Janine’s cooking skills were divine, she could transform even the simplest ingredients into
delectable dishes.
Everything in front of Skylar seemed so familiar to her that it felt like a dream.
Her eyes reddened as she glanced over at Janine and Steven, who were busy in the kitchen. Their conversation drifted out of the small kitchen.
“Skye loves this. Mom, you should make more.”
“If you can remember what her favorite dish is, of course I can as well. I’ve already made more of her
favonte dishes. When will Charles and Harvey be back?”
“They called me earlier, saying that they’re stuck in traffic. But they’ll be back soon.”
“Great. It’s been so long since we had a meal together.”
Just as Skylar was about to approach them, a message popped up on her phone. She clicked on it and
realized that Joe had texted her.
“I’ll be away on a business trip for a few days.”
She replied, “Okay.” Then, she put her phone away. Entering the kitchen, she exclaimed, “Mom, Steven, I’m
back!”
In the past, one of the reasons she had returned to the Wiliams family was to ask for their help. She had been aware that Steven and Charles Sullivan, her second brother, had encountered some difficulties in the past two years, yet they had no one to guide them in Jipsburg.
However, Skylar hadn’t had the chance to speak about it. After all, Jeffrey and Sadie despised the
Sullivans.
“Skye, you’re back! Go sit in the living room and watch some television. The food will be ready soon,” Janine crooned, her eyes brimming with affection for Skylar. She had really missed Skylar.
Steven also urged her, saying. “The kitchen can only fit two people. You should go watch some television
instead.”
“Okay.” Skylar beamed at them. Her family’s affection flooded her with warmth.
Joe was slightly surprised at Skylar’s brief response when he was on his way to the airport. He arched his
brows.
Paul didn’t miss this subtle movement. “Mr. Martin, are you not satisfied with the plan? I’ll have them redo
it,” Paul said, about to send a message to the group.
Joe looked at Paul. “How can you tell that I’m not satisfied?”
Paul was lost for words. He couldn’t possibly tell Joe that he could draw conclusions by observing Joe’s subtle expressions through years of experience, could he?
Thus, he let out an awkward chuckle.
All of a sudden, the car, which was moving steadily on the road, came to an abrupt halt. Paul’s new laptop
fell off his knee with a crash.
He just bought his laptop, and it wasn’t just a mediocre one–it had cost him ten thousand dollars! But the laptop had broken in half.
Paul’s pupils were as wide as saucers. Just then, he heard the driver, Lucas Stokes, shriek, “It’s a chain
accident!” His face paled with horror
Their car had nearly been hit by a tanker. Joe glanced over, realizing that the car in front of them had
been crushed by the overturned tanker.
Only the logo of the car could be seen, and its model was barely recognizable.
The cars on the right and the ones in front were all affected. In an instant, chaos began to ensue as the
elevated bridge became jammed with vehicles.
Janine and Steven prepared a table full of dishes. By then, Charles and Harvey had also come back.
They flocked to Skylar once they saw her, yet they didn’t dare bombard her with questions. They only
wanted to know whether the Williamses had treated her well.
“Skye, tell us if they dared to mistreat you. We’ll back you up!” Harvey detested the Williamses, including Maisy, his biological sister,
During their first meeting, Maisy and the Williams had behaved so pompously, as if they were royalty. Harvey had decided that he would only acknowledge Skylar as his sister!
“Harvey’s right. Don’t be intimidated if you encounter any trouble.” Charles had always doted on Skylar. Seeing how much weight she had lost, he could tell that she hadn’t had a good time with the Williamses.
“Don’t talk nonsense. They’re her family. How could they possibly mistreat her?” Janine took a few bottles
of drinks from the fridge.
She knew her sons despised the Williamses, but they were Skylar’s family, after all. Insulting them would
probably put Skylar in a tight spot.
Skylar smiled. “I’ve moved out of Williams Residence and found a place to stay. I won’t ever go back.
again.”
“You moved out?” All four pairs of eyes stared at Skylar with concern.
Why had she suddenly moved out? Could it be that the Williamses had mistreated her? Otherwise, why
would she move out?
“It’s not safe for you to live alone. Why don’t you come back and live with us I
aly Harvey d are at home all the time. Steven and Charles are always busy anyway. I can stay in the living room,” Janine said in a haste.
The rent in Jipsburg was too expensive, so she could only afford a two–bedroom apartment. Steven and Charles were constantly busy, and they also had accommodations provided by their respective
companies.
Chapter
Occasionally, the three brothers had to cramp together in one room when they all came back.
“I’m a man, so I should stay in the living room instead. Skye, you can have my room!” Harvey offered his room without any hesitation.
Just as Skylar was about to decline, her phone rang. She had initially intended to reject the call, but she answered it promptly once she realized that it was from Gloria.
“Grandma.”
“Skye, Joe got into an accident!”
Chapter 9
Worried that Gloria might be in a hurry, Skylar asked immediately. “Which hospital was he taken to? I’ll come over right now.”
After Gloria told her the hospital’s name, Skylar hung up swiftly. Casting an apologetic look at her family, she said, “Something happened to Grandma Gloria. I have to go check on her. I’ll come back in a few days once things settle down.”
The Sullivans had all heard of Gloria. They knew she was Viola’s friend.
Janine sighed after Skylar left. “The Williamses probably mistreated Skye. As her mom, how could I not tell what has happened to her? She’s keeping us in the dark because she doesn’t want us to worry.”
Steven was usually calm and composed, yet his expression turned grim at that moment. “I’ll talk to her check in with her more from now on.”
“I’ll also pay more attention to Skye, Charles chimed in.
“I’ll fight the Williamses if they dare to lay a finger on Skye!” Harvey said haughtily. He was still a teenager, after all.
Skylar arrived at the hospital promptly. Spotting an anxious Gloria in the corridor, she hurried over to her.
“Grandma.”
Gloria grabbed her hand hastily. “Skye, you have no idea how horrifying it was! It was a chain accident! The car right in front of Joe was crushed. I was so close to not being able to see him again!”
Skylar had seen the news on her way to the hospital. She was aware that a very tragic chain accident had occurred on the overpass, and more than a dozen cars had collided with each other.
One of the cars had been crushed by an overturned tanker, and everyone inside had died on the spot. The other victims of the accident were also injured, and they had immediately been rushed to the hospital The news hadn’t specified other details.
Looking at how devastated Gloria seemed, it seemed like Joe had been badly injured.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. Joe will definitely be fine,” Skylar crooned. Gloria nodded with teary eyes.
Skylar’s soothing voice was the first thing Joe heard once he left the consultation room. Gloria seemed more at ease after Skylar had comforted her.
“Joe! What did the doctor say?” Gloria inquired in haste. She scrutinized him carefully, worried that he might be injured.
Joe patiently replied, “I’ve done all the necessary tests. The doctor said I’m fine, so rest assured.”
“Thank god!”
ה
Finally relieved, Gloria suddenly recalled something. She took Skylar’s hand and said, “Skye rushed over Instantly once I called her.
“You got into an accident just a few days after registering your marriage–you haven’t even had your wedding yet. Look at how petrified Skye Is! Hurry up and treat her to a meal to calm her down.”
“Grandma, 1-“Skylar intended to say that she wasn’t the slightest bit petrified. She wasn’t concerned
about Joe getting into trouble, she was only worried about Gloria.
Before she could continue, Gloria winked at her and said, “I’m getting on in years, and rushing over to the
hospital really wears me out. I want to go home and rest. Off you go, the two of you,”
Indeed, Gloria had been distressed upon hearing about Joe’s accident. But now that she saw that Joe
seemed to be perfectly fine, she had to seize the opportunity to let him and Skylar spend some time
together.
Thanks to her extensive years of experience, she could tell that they weren’t close to each other.
In that case, they should work on developing feelings for each other. Feelings took time, after all.
Joe knew what Gloria was plotting. Still, he wouldn’t mind treating Skylar to a meal since they were already married.
“Ms. Sullivan, are you free now?”
“Ms. Sullivan? Skye is your wife! Even if you don’t call her ‘babe‘ or ‘honey,‘ you should call her ‘Skye“.”
Gloria seemed displeased.
She then flashed a smile at Skye and continued, “If you find calling him babe too cringy, you can just call
him ‘Joe‘
Joe raised his brows, “Grandma, you should go back first.”
Knowing that she shouldn’t impose on them, Gloria left with Edgar.
Once Gloria left, Skylar said, “Mr. Martin, you must be busy. I shall leave you to it.”
She was well aware of the reason Joe had married her in the first place, so she couldn’t possibly listen to
Gloria and go on a date with him.
The indifference in Joe’s gaze was replaced by surprise when he heard her. Just as he was about to speak, Paul strode toward them.
“Mr. Martin, I’ve booked the tickets for the two o’clock flight this afternoon. We have to leave for the
airport now.”
Paul only noticed Skylar once he got closer.
“Ms. Sullivan!” His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered something critical
Grabbing the emerald charm resting on his neck, he asked, “Ms. Sullivan, can I still wear this?”
Skylar’s expression hardened. “Why are you still wearing it?”
Chanter
“What’s the deal with this charm? Can you tell me more about it? I thought you were joking with me yesterday.”
Paul felt like his hands had gone cold. He wasn’t sure if he was just overthinking things, but he felt as if the chill of the charm had seeped into his hands.
Joe stared at Skylar with one of his hands tucked in his pocket. He had been silent for a while.
“This emerald charm was most likely stolen by tomb raiders. Considering its previous owner’s tragic death and how much it was treasured, it carries the resentment and hatred of its previous owner,” Skylar explained.
Paul’s eyes grew wide. This How did you know?”
“Would
“Would you believe me if I said it was all a guess?” Skylar smiled and asked.
Being reborn as her younger self again had its perks; she could clearly sense the aura emanating from antiques. With that, she was able to deduce their past
However, such topics were too esoteric. Not many would believe it, and she knew Paul wouldn’t heed her words easily either. Joe, who had been scrutinizing her, wouldn’t believe her either.
Thus, she chuckled and said, “I have things to attend to. If you’ll excuse me.” She nodded at Joe and strode out of the hospital.
Finally snapping back to his senses, Paul jerked the emerald charm off his neck. His hands quivered uncontrollably.
“This was stolen from a tomb! Is Ms. Sullivan kidding with me? She said it was just a guess, but it doesn’t seem like it.”
It was summer now, but he rarely felt hot after wearing the emerald charm. He couldn’t tell whether he was hallucinating or not, but the charm felt somehow eerie to him.
Joe was seemingly lost in thought. His gaze darkened as he shot a glance at the emerald charm in Paul’s hands.
“Have someone look into it. That way you’ll know whether she’s joking with you or not.”
“You’re right!”
With a sullen expression, Christopher left the police
Chapter 10
The police questioned had Christopher for several hours. Even though he had presented evidence of his relationship with Skylar, the police had refused to believe him.
The evidence Skylar had provided clearly stated that he had borrowed money from her. Seeing the 100 thousand dollars lying in his bank account, he loathed the thought of having to pay her back.
Christopher had thought that Skylar was just throwing a tantrum. He hadn’t been attentive to her lately since he had spent most of his time accompanying Maisy.
She could just tell him if she missed him. Why did she have to cause such a scene? Was she unaware that such antics would only make him dislike her even more?
Infuriated, Christopher called Skylar again.
Skylar happened to be on the subway when he called. As she stared at the caller ID on screen, her heart throbbed in pain. Clenching her phone, she answered his call.
Christopher had initially thought that she wouldn’t answer his call. He had never expected her to pick up
once he called.
It was at that moment that he realized that she was just trying to put on an act to make him coax her.
“Babe, are you mad because I haven’t been able to spend time with you? I’ve been really busy at work lately. Where are you now? I’ll come and find you.
“We’ve been together since high school; you should know what I’m like by now. I’ll be rewarded with a bonus of 300 thousand dollars at the end of the year, and I’ll give it all to you by then, okay?”
By
the end of the year, he’d come up with an excuse not to give her any money.
I
“My mom has always been nice to you, and you know she’s ill, right? Babe, I really love you. All the money.
I earn in the future will be yours.”
As Skylar listened to his flattery, her eyes flared with hatred. She snarled, “Christopher, you better pay me back as soon as possible. Otherwise, my lawyer will come and get you.”
Christopher thought he had misheard. “Babe? Did any rumors get to you? Since when do you care so much about money? How can our relationship be measured by money?”
His words were cut short by a sudden beep, indicating that the call had been disconnected. Skylar had hung up on him.
What Christopher had said earlier had nearly made Skylar throw up.
Realizing that Skylar had hung up on him, Christopher’s expression soured. His grip on his phone tightened as he muttered, “Skylar, what are you playing at? Do you think I wouldn’t dare to break up you?”
with
He inhaled sharply, his resolve strengthening. He figured he had to return the money to her. The police had already barged into his office today, and his career was going to be over if she decided to sue him.
Chapter 10
Christopher decided to pay her back first and then have Amelia call her later. Skylar would definitely transfer the money back to him again by then.
He texted Skylar once he had transferred her the money.
2
2/3
“Babe, I’ve transferred the money to you. Don’t worry about Mom; I’ll figure out another way. If you’re not feeling well, I can take you out on a trip this weekend.”
Skylar received a notification about the transfer. Staring at the 100 thousand dollars in her account, she was momentarily stunned.
She soon regained her composure. She transferred 90 thousand dollars to Janine and kept ten thousand
dollars for herself.
“Mom, this is the money I’ve saved up from working during school breaks and also from the money your usually give me. You probably need money now, so you can use it first,” Skylar texted.
When Janine saw the transfer notification and Skylar’s text, she was flabbergasted. She called Skylar right
away.
“Skye, you’ve just graduated, and
U don’t have a job yet. You need money as well! I can still work, and I also get an allowance from Steven and Charles every month as well, I can’t take your money.
“I’ll transfer it back to you. You should spend it on clothes when you go shopping. I really don’t need it.”
Noting the genuine concern in Janine’s words, Skylar chuckled. “Mom, I don’t need any money now. You guys
can have it instead. I’m getting off the subway now. Let’s talk more when I go back in a few days.”
Janine stared at her phone. While she appreciated Skylar’s thoughtfulness, she had a hunch that something had probably happened to her. How exactly did the Williamses treat her?
Janine had to find out.
She had Sadie’s number saved in her phone, but she had never thought of calling her one day.
Yet, this was about Skylar. She had raised Skylar, so she could certainly sense when something felt off
about her. Drawing in a deep breath, she called Sadie.
“Janine? Why are you calling me?”
Sadie had also saved Janine’s number for Skylar’s sake. She had intended to delete Janine’s number after that, but it had slipped her mind. It felt uncanny to have someone like Janine saved in her contacts.
“It’s not a big deal. I just want to khow what’s going on with Skye.” Sensing the contempt in Sadie’s tone,
Janine frowned.
However, what Sadie said next made her blood boil.
“Now that you’ve asked, I must tell you. I have no idea how you raised her, but she’s really disobedient and reckless. She talks back to us, and she lacks basic courtesy.
“During my birthday, she gave me a painting that looked shabby, claiming that it was an ancient painting. Look at her, lying so effortlessly!
Chapter 10
“She has clearly been raised poorly since childhood. Did she think we’re totally clueless? I don’t expect her to be as sensible as Maisy is, but she really is an embarrassment!
“She ran away from home again two days ago. Did she go back to your place? Tell her that we’re not going to take her in again if she refuses to come back!
“Even if she does come back, she has to apologize to us properly! She must be sincere; otherwise, we won’t forgive her easily this time.”
As Janine listened to Sadie’s complaints, her entire body quivered with rage. Her eyes turned bloodshot.
She had always been kind and rarely spoke harshly to anyone. Yet, she could no longer hold back anymore upon hearing Sadie compare Skylar and Maisy and belittle Skylar as she rambled on…
“Skylar has always been very sensible! You guys must have done something that made her run away from home. I raised her; I know her best! She would never do the things you said earlier! You should reflect on yourselves. And you owe her an apology instead!”
Janine hung up promptly and wept. Judging by Sadie’s attitude, she knew Skylar
at Williams Residence.
Oh, her dear Skylar!
Probably had it tough
Skylar was on the antique street in Jipsburg. The street was lined with everything imaginable, and setting foot there felt like traveling back to ancient times.
She had a huge bag with her today. The ancient painting she had retrieved from Williams Residence was stowed away in her bag.
Back then, she had bought this tattered painting from an old man on this street for ten thousand dollars. It hadn’t been properly preserved, so it had been extremely worn out and fragmented. It had taken her nearly three months to restore the painting.
The old man had said that his grandfather had left the painting behind and claimed that it was from 1120 BC. Yet, it was impossible to determine the artist due to its poor state. The old man had been around this street for ages, and the highest offer anyone had made for the painting was merely a thousand dollars.
But Skylar had recognized the painting as the work of a painter from 1120 BC who was known for depicting picturesque scenery.
Chapter 11
This artist’s works were usually auctioned for around one million dollars. If it were sold on this street, it could be sold off for approximately half a million dollars instead.
Skylar had wanted it to be a birthday present for Sadie. She had never intended to sell it.
Skylar walked into an antique store. The owner glanced at her coldly when he saw that she was just a
young girl.
Antique shop owners had sharp eyes. He could tell immediately that Skylar wasn’t there to buy anything.
“Excuse me, do you take any antique paintings from 1120 BC?”
The owner, Daniel Zeller, raised his head quickly. “An antique painting from 1120 BC?”
“Yes,” Skylar retrieved the painting from her bag and opened it up in front of the owner.
Daniel’s eyes widened when he saw that the piece had been restored to near perfection. He knew someone from Jipsburg who liked collecting antique paintings. The person loved paintings from around
1120 BC, but they were rare. 1
It was also rare to see such a badly damaged antique painting restored so perfectly. No flaw could be
seen in it at all.
Daniel said excitedly. “Name your price! But you have to tell me something, young lady. Who restored this
painting?”
He had two badly damaged paintings that he had bought at a low price. He had been looking for a restorer, but no one had been willing to take them. They had told him the paintings were too badly
damaged.
He wasn’t worried about the money wasted on the paintings. He just thought it was a pity they were not
restored.
He couldn’t believe this young lady, who’d shown up inadvertently, could solve his problem.
“I restored it,” Skylar smiled and said,
Daniel was surprised. He asked suspiciously, “You were the one who restored it?”
She looked really young. Art restoration was not an easy skill.
“Yes.” Skylar nodded.
Daniel observed Skylar closely./He thought to himself, “Young people nowadays tend to make things up.
She must be bluffing. Look at how calm and composed she is!”
Nonetheless, he was definitely going to buy her painting.
“I have two paintings here. I’ve been looking for restorers to fix them. If they can be restored, I’m willing to pay 500 thousand dollars for each painting. If you know anyone who’s interested, please let them know,”
Chapter 11
Daniel said.
It would be best if she could bring the person to him.
29
To a restorer that was not industry–certified, 500 thousand dollars was a good sum. It could even buy the painting before him.
Skylar was short on money. She was moved by Daniel’s offer. “Let me see the paintings.”
Daniel thought there was no harm in trying anyway, so he took Skylar to see the damaged paintings.
They were almost as damaged as the painting she had brought in had been.
But back then, she had been very busy, and she had to donate blood regularly. So, it had taken her a
longer time to restore that painting
Skylar made her decision and said, “I’ll take this job.”
Daniel realized that Skylar was young and pretty, but she seemed honest.
Daniel thought he had nothing to lose anyway. Since no one else was willing to take the job, he might as
well let her try.
The two of them signed a contract.
Daniel took Skylar’s painting and paid her 500 thousand dollars. Skylar didn’t bargain. The price was fair. Even though it was a 1120 BC painting, it wasn’t painted by a famous artist.
When Skylar left the antique street, it was already three o’clock in the afternoon.
From tomorrow onward, she would visit the store from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to restore the paintings.
She knew that Daniel didn’t trust her. His suspicions would be dispelled tomorrow when she started
restoring the paintings.
She was confident in her skills after learning from Viola all these years.
Joe walked out of Lindfield Airport and took a cab to the branch office.
Paul sat next to Joe and opened his notebook. He looked through the materials and contracts he received and consulted Joe when he had questions.
A phone call interrupted Paul’s consultation.
Joe picked up his phone. “Grandma.”
One could hear Gloria berating him from the other end of the call. “Why are you in Lindfield? I asked you to have dinner with Skye and get to know each other better.
“What is so important that you have to attend to it after an accident? Are all Martin Group’s employees useless? Can’t they let their boss spend some time with his other half?”
Even though the car was moving
it was still too quiet. Paul heard everything clearly.
Chante: 11
He quickly put his head out of the window. He pretended like he hadn’t heard anything. He really hadn’t heard anything!
Joe glanced at Paul and massaged his forehead. “Grandma, Ms. Sullivan is busy too.”
“Call her ‘Skye‘. You’ve registered your marriage. You’re husband and wife! ‘Ms. Sullivan‘ makes her sound like a stranger.”
Gloria was very unhappy with Joe. She feared that his arrogant behavior might scare Skylar away.
She’d been watching reality dating shows. She’d always felt like slapping those arrogant male guests. It served them right when the girl they liked chose another person!
“I don’t care. You should come back quickly once you’re done. I think Skye has been hiding some problems. She tries to solve everything herself. I feel for her.” Gloria sighed lightly.
Joe recalled the condition she’d raised before they had signed the agreement when they were at the courthouse. He’d acutely observed that her problems might have something to do with the Williamses.
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.”
After Joe hung up, he looked at Paul. “When you looked Skylar up, was there anything about her relationship with the Williamses?”
“The Williamses didn’t seem too happy with Ms. Sullivan. Some families close to the Williamses don’t even know about her existence,” Paul replied frankly.
Joe looked like he was deep in thought.
Perhaps Skylar had made that condition just because of her unhappiness with the Williamses. Maybe they were just the concerns of a young lady. However, Joe would keep his word since he’d promised her.
Skylar went to the mall to get some daily necessities after leaving the antique street. There was a car dealership next to the mall. She thought of buying a car.
As Galaxy Villa wasn’t in the city, it was hard to get around without a car. She could purchase a new energy vehicle. They only cost about ten thousand dollars now.
As she was in the middle of choosing a car, Skylar saw Christopher and Maisy right outside.
Their hands were intertwined, but Maisy looked angry. Christopher was coaxing her.
They were quite a sight as they were both good–looking. Passersby looked at them enviously.
In contrast, Skylar’s expression was cold. The sight of Christopher’s familiar and handsome face made. their
past replay in her head like a movie.
Finally, it stopped at the scene of Christopher’s and Maisy’s hands intertwined together. She raised her phone coldly and took a photo of them without any hesitation.
Chapter 12
After Skylar paid the deposit, she arranged to collect the car tomorrow.
As she was walking out of the car dealership, she received a call from Amelia.
“How have you been, Skye? Why didn’t you come visit me in the hospital?”
Amelia’s voice made Skye remember how she had treated Amelia like her own mom in her past life.
Whenever Amelia had been in the hospital, Skylar had accompanied her. The patients in the same ward had even thought she was Amelia’s daughter.
But in the end, she had found out that Amelia had known that Christopher and Maisy were together.
After Skylar had amputated her legs, Amelia called her and made her break up with Christopher, saying that she wasn’t a good match for Christopher.
She had said that since Skylar was an amputee, she was an even worse match than she had been to begin with.
Her harsh and sharp tone on that call was completely different from how warm and polite she sounded
now.
In Skylar’s past life, she had cried after being hurt by that phone call.
Now, she was numb.
“I’ve broken up with Christopher like you hoped for. Stop calling me.”
“Wh-”
Skylar had already hung up.
Amelia lay on the hospital bed and looked at her phone. She was stunned.
Skylar had been trying to please her and Christopher so much. Why was she so angsty today? Wasn’t she
afraid that Amelia would be angry at her?
She frowned and sent a voice message to Christopher. “I just spoke with Skye. She said she’s broken up with you. She even hung up on me! What’s happening?”
Christopher was enjoying his dinner with Maisy. When he received Amelia’s voice message, he opted to
convert it into text. He started to feel anxious after he read it.
What was going on with Skylar?,
Joe stood looking at the night view of Lindfield at 10:00 pm from the top level of Jubilance Hotel’s presidential suite.
Paul knocked on the door and walked in agitatedly.
Chapter 12
“Mr. Martin, Ms. Sullivan was right! My emerald charm has a tainted past! It’s a stolen good!”
He’d sent someone to investigate, and he was shocked by the results.
The previous owner of his emerald charm had been poisoned to death!
No one knew what poison had been used. After the emerald charm had been stolen, it had turned black and purple. It had only been restored to its original emerald color after some repairs.
After he explained everything to Joe, he raised his arm. “The hairs on my hand are standing, even now!”
Joe raised the cigarette between his fingers to his thin lips. There was a hint of surprise in his unreadable gaze. “If that’s the case, return the emerald charm as she advised.”
“I’ve just sent it out! I don’t want it anymore. It’s caused me bad luck again and again. It’s too scary!” Paul
replied fearfully.
Three days later, Skylar drove her new energy vehicle back from the antique street to Pearlhall Residence.
She’d received a call from Gloria 40 minutes ago. Gloria was feeling unwell.
Skylar gave her car keys to Edgar so that he could park her car in the parking space. Then, she walked into the mansion anxiously.
Skylar saw Joe as soon as she walked in. He was wearing a white shirt. He had broad shoulders, long
legs, and outstanding physical features.
When Joe heard her enter, he raised his head to look at her.
His gaze was warm when he was caring for Gloria. However, when he looked at her, his eyes were void of
any emotion.
Skylar paused when she saw that Joe was frowning slightly.
Skylar belatedly realized that she was wearing a very plain set of casual sportswear. Furthermore, her white T–shirt was clearly spotted with stains. She had rushed to the mansion without changing her clothes before she had left Daniel’s store.
She raised her head again after glancing down at her appearance,
“How’s Grandma?”
Joe replied coldly, “She’s upstairs,”
Skylar didn’t care about Joe’s cold tone or how he treated her. She gave him a nod and went up the stairs.
When she walked past Joe, he stopped her. “Ms. Sullivan, let’s talk about something before you see Grandma.”
Skylar stopped and tilted her head at him. “What is it, Mr. Martin?”
“Grandma’s not feeling well, and she needs company. She wants us to stay at the mansion for a few days.
Chapter 12
“Joe’s gaze turned serious.
Skylar agreed. ‘I’ve no problem with that. I can stay with Grandma here.”
“She wants us to stay in a room together.” Joe’s eyes darkened as he looked at Skylar.
sust
Skylar was slightly taken aback. Her long eyelashes trembled. “I… I’ll talk to Grandma-
“You know her health condition. We wouldn’t have gotten married if it hadn’t been for her. The doctor said we shouldn’t upset her too much. So, we can just put up an act when we are in front of her,” Joe said.
“We don’t love each other. This is just an act. Don’t worry, I won’t touch you.”
He went upstairs first after he finished speaking.
Skylar was left stunned on the spot as she looked at his well–dressed figure. She quickly came to her senses. It was just an act. She would do it as long as it could make Gloria happy.
However, Joe had intentionally mentioned that they didn’t love each other. Was he reminding her that it was just an act and that she shouldn’t fall in love with him?
He was worried for nothing.
If he hadn’t left so fast, she would have told him he had nothing to worry about.
When she reached upstairs, she saw that Gloria was lying weakly on the bed. She quickly went up to the
bed “Grandma.”
When Gloria heard Skylar’s soft voice, she pushed Joe aside. “Skye, come over quickly.”
Joe’s mouth twitched; he couldn’t help but feel abandoned.
Skylar came to the bedside and asked gently. “How are you, Grandma? Where are you feeling unwell?”
Gloria shook her head weakly. “I’m alright. I’m just feeling weak. I feel better after seeing you two.”
“Are you having a headache? I’ll give you a massage. When I was in the countryside, Grandma Viola liked my head massages. I’ll go wash my hands.”
Skylar walked out. She’d forgotten to wash her hands before coming up.
Joe raised his brows silently. She was trying hard to please Gloria. He didn’t believe that she had no ulterior motives..
After Skylar left, Gloria turned to look at the cold and unmoving Joe. She snorted inwardly.
What use was he? He even had to rely on his grandmother to get a wife!
When Skylar returned after washing her hands, Gloria shook her head tiredly and said, “I’m tired. I’m going
to take a nap. Skye, Joe has always had migraines. Why don’t you give him a massage instead?”
Skylar froze.
Joe hadn’t expected Gloria to say that either.
“Edgar, observe and learn from Skye. She probably has better skills than any masseuse or physiotherapist
Chapter 12
out there. You can give me more massage sessions after learning from her.” Gloria was sharp enough to ask Edgar to keep an eye on them.
Chapter 13
Edgar understood Gloria’s intentions. He had to obey her instructions, so he smiled immediately and said, “I’ll pay attention, Mrs. Martin Senior
What?
Joe looked deeply at Skylar and said, “In that case, Ms. Su-” Gloria glanced at him.
“Thank you, Skye.” Joe stopped addressing her formally.
Skylar couldn’t help but smile. Many people called her “Skye“, but she felt awkward when Joe did it.
At Williams Residence, Sadie received a call from the hospital. She was notified that Maisy was to g
the hospital the next day and that the blood they had for her was no longer sufficient.
go
to
“Mom, do you think Skylar has given up on saving me? She hates me, so she must want me dead. I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. I’m sick and hated by my sister, and my parents are my adoptive parents!” Maisy hugged Sadie as she cried.
Sadie felt heartbroken when she saw the daughter she had raised cry.
“I’ll call her. I’ve ignored her for three days; she must have realized she was wrong by now. I’ll forget her
past mistakes and ask her to go to the hospital to donate her blood.”
Maisy looked carefully at Sadie. “Will Skylar really go? Will she raise any conditions again? I don’t want to make things difficult for you and Dad.”
“If she makes any excessive demands, she can forget about coming back! The day before, she made her adoptive mother call me.
“Maybe she regretted it immediately after leaving the hospital, but she was too embarrassed to say anything. She must be hoping I’ll say something first,” Sadie said as her brows furrowed.
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to deny that Skylar was her biological child!
Skylar behaved so poorly. Sadie felt embarrassed by her.
Maisy smiled. The more Sadie hated Skylar, the more Maisy felt superior to the latter.
Sadie took her phone out to make a call.
At the time, Skylar was giving Joe a head massage at Pearlhall Residence under the “supervision” of Edgar.
It was the first time she and Joe had been so close.
Joe had thought Skylar was fooling Gloria and that she knew exactly what Gloria liked.
But when her soft hands pressed accurately on each acupuncture point around his head, it was like magic. He’d always had problems falling asleep, but he was feeling sleepy now.
Since Gloria had urged him to do so, Edgar was genuinely interested in learning. He understood that with
Chapter 13
every change in technique, Skylar was targeting a new acupuncture point.
Even though Skylar had explained each point to him, he couldn’t remember it!
Forget it. Gloria wasn’t serious about him learning from Skylar anyway.
Someone’s phone rang at an inappropriate time.
Edgar saw that it was Skylar’s phone. “Someone’s calling you, Mrs. Martin.”
Skylar finished up her massage session and walked over to pick up the call.
“Hello?”
“So now you know how to pick up a call, huh? Is it because you know you’ve made a mistake?‘I can forget what happened a few days ago. I can teach you how to behave properly if you don’t know how to. Come back right now so we can go to the hospital tomorrow,” Sadie said condescendingly.
Skylar glanced at Joe, who was sleeping lightly on the couch. Then, she walked out with her phone.
Once she walked out, Joe opened his eyes and looked at her icily.
He could vaguely hear the scolding Skylar was receiving from her phone.
Were the Williamses treating Skylar that badly?
Sadie saw that her call was still ongoing, but Skylar was not responding. She was already in a bad mood,
but now it was worse.
“When did you become mute? Say something!”
“Are you asking me to go back and resume being Maisy’s blood bank?” Skylar asked.
Skylar’s lukewarm voice made Sadie frown. Something felt off. “Blood bank? Maisy’s your younger sister. You’re just donating some blood; why do you have to make it sound that bad? Come back now. I’ll give you a new room that is as big as Maisy’s.”
Skylar laughed.
Sadie got the false impression that Skylar was laughing happily because she’d achieved her goal.
She frowned and said impatiently, “Go with your dad to the company after the hospital visit tomorrow He’s set up a position for you as a clerk.”
“Are you done, Mrs. Williams?” Skylar stopped laughing sarcastically..
Sadie’s true colors were too ugly.
“What did you call me? I’m your mom! How dare you address me as Mrs. Williams?” Sadie was furious.
“Does a mother like you exist? Strangers would think I’m your enemy.” Skylar sneered.
In her
onevious life, she had been put in the smallest room in the whole villa. She had barely seen Sadie
once in two weeks. Whenever Sadie had seen her, she had despised her for being a cripple.
What a wonderful mother! Maisy could have Sadie all for herself.
“What are you saying?! Have you been hearing things from others? Is that why you’re speaking to me so rudely?
“The money you’re spending is ours. Your dad has canceled your credit card. If you don’t want to be poor. and homeless, come back and admit your mistake now!” Sadie thought she’d misheard Skylar.
Skylar had moved her phone away from her ear before Sadie could reply. When Sadie finished yelling. Skylar picked up her phone again.
“Neither you nor Mr. Williams are that old. I don’t think you have Alzheimer’s yet. Ever since you took me in, I’ve never spent a penny of yours. 1
“Ask Mr. Williams to check his credit card records. You’re always in the hospital with Maisy anyway. Why don’t you get a CT scan to check your brain?”
With that, Skylar hung up.
She knew there was a vineyard at Pearlhall Residence, so she headed there.
After the call ended, Sadie’s face was full of disbelief.
Skylar hadn’t spent a single penny?
That was impossible!
People from the countryside were liars. Skylar hadn’t even worked after she had graduated. It was impossible that she hadn’t spent their money.
“What did Skylar say? You seem angry.” Maisy was very observant. She scoffed, Skylar was no match for her!
If she became Joe’s girlfriend, Skylar would have to look up to her.
Sadie threw her phone angrily at the couch. “She’s not coming back. How dare she talk back to me? She even said she didn’t spend a penny of ours. How did Janine raise her? How could she lie so ungratefully?”
Maisy’s eyes flickered.
She knew that Skylar wasn’t lying.
Christopher had said that Skylar spent her high school vacations working. She had also worked in her spare time when she had been in college. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to save up some money.
But…
“Skylar has dad’s credit card. How could she naively think that her lies wouldn’t be exposed? Mom, don’t let her get to you.
Sadie got even angrier after listening to Maisy. “She’s outrageous!”
After hanging up on Sadie, Skylar went to Pearlhall Residence’s vineyard to harvest grapes with the workers. After that, she went to pick strawberries.
Chapter 13.
She was squatting there, picking strawberries, when Joe showed up.
Chapter 14
She looked up at Joe.
His white shirt was tucked into his high–end trousers. He looked tall and towering with his long legs. He exuded a noble air inside out, and he looked cool and handsome under the evening sky.
Skylar blinked. She had to admit that Joe had a very handsome face. He was even more good–looking
than her favorite movie star.
Everyone appreciated beautiful things. She was no different.
Joe looked at Skylar as he said, “Grandma is awake. Let’s go have dinner.”
He couldn’t help but grimace when he noticed that she was looking at him like other women did. Had
Skylar and Gloria set him up with that head massage?
Was Skylar trying to make him see her strengths?
He had known that she was a scheming woman when Gloria had made him marry her.
Skylar stood up. “Alright. I’ve picked some grapes and strawberries too.”
She’d tasted them when she’d picked them. They were very sweet and tastier than the ones she bought
from the supermarket.
The workers said that this year’s weather was good. There was enough sunlight, so the produce was
sweeter than in past years.
After Joe realized that Skylar wasn’t a simple woman, his attitude turned cold. He merely hummed in
response.
Skylar didn’t mind. She didn’t think much about it either.
Seeing that Gloria was awake, Skylar walked over with the grapes and strawberries.
“You picked them yourself?” Gloria smiled as she asked.
Edgar had informed her that Joe, who’d always had sleeping problems, had fallen asleep after Skylar’s
massage.
Joe would know Skylar’s strengths soon.
Skylar treated others sincerely. Ten years ago, when Skylar was still young, Viola had told Gloria that the little girl was kind–hearted. Skylar had often spent time with Viola because she felt that the latter might feel lonely
“Yes, I’ve planted grapes and strawberries before when I was in the countryside, but they were always not sweet. Some of them were even astringent.
“Now I know it’s because of the seed quality and the light they receive. The place I planted them had very little sunlight. I’ll go wash these, Grandma.” Skylar always had a lot to say to Gloria.
Chapter 14
Maybe it was because Gloria was like Viola. They both doted on her sincerely.
Gloria chuckled. I’ve heard about it from Viola. She said you’ve always liked going to the fields. You could farm from a young age.” She felt like she could see the scene in her mind as she said that.
A small child working on the fields like a little adult would have made a cute and heartwarming scene.
Viola had told Gloria that Skylar had always been a sensible child. She had gone to the fields to share the
burden of farm work with Janine, Steven, Charles, and Harvey.
Joe raised his handsome brows when he saw that Skylar and Gloria had completely forgotten about him during their chat.
A weird feeling arose in his heart again.
Skylar looked pure and pretty, but she thought too much. She had been staring at him at the vineyard, but
now she seemed to be pretending to ignore him.
After dinner, Gloria smilingly urged Skylar and Joe to go back to their room.
“With the two of you accompanying me here, I’ll recover quickly! But it’s late now; you should enjoy some husband–and–wife time. Get some rest early.”
Skylar and Joe could only go back to their room.
When they saw that the door of their room had a huge “married” sign, Skylar was stunned.
Gloria must have asked someone to put it up. It looked celebratory, but it was not suitable for her and Joe.
She looked at Joe. “Who’s taking a shower first?”
She’d been busy all day. She’d been so focused when she’d been restoring the paintings that she hadn’t even taken a break during lunch. Now that it was quiet, she felt slightly tired..
Joe glanced icily at Skylar. “Have you forgotten what I said? We don’t love each other. This is just an act.”
“Mr. Martin, have you been thinking too much? Don’t you shower before you go to sleep? An act is an act, but I have to shower before I sleep,” Skylar replied.
Joe was speechless for a moment.
Skylar went to the wardrobe to find some clothes. Edgar said he’d prepared Skylar’s and Joe’s clothes, so they didn’t have to go back to Galaxy Villa for anything.
There were all sorts of clothes in the wardrobe.
Edgar had been very meticulous. He’d prepared everything.
Skylar picked out a nightgown. “I’ll go first, then. Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”
Very soon, Joe heard the sound of bath water coming out of the bathroom.
It was the first time he’d heard a woman shower.
The sound of water irritated him. Joe was just about to walk out when he met Edgar at the door.
Chapter 14
Edgar had a bowl of soup in his hand. “Mrs. Martin Senior asked me to prepare this tonic soup for you. She said it’s good for your health,”
“Tonic soup?” Joe frowned helplessly.
Had Gloria been watching too much television? Why was she doing all of this?
He couldn’t believe she’d gotten Edgar to bring him tonic soup.
“Give it to me. I’ll drink it inside.” Joe took the tonic soup from Edgar and closed the door with a slam.
He heard the sound of water from the bathroom again. Joe’s eyes darkened. When he saw the tonic soup in front of him, he regretted bringing this disaster upon himself.
His head had started to throb again.
As he held a hand to his head, he recalled Skylar’s soft hands on his head before dinner. Every point she had pressed on had made him feel good.
Just then, he received a WhatsApp text on his phone. He checked it and found that it was Paul.
“Mr. Martin, can I message Ms. Sullivan on WhatsApp?”
Joe glanced at the bathroom and replied, “Yes.”
hy are yo..
After that, he felt weird about it, so he asked, messaging her? Are you interested in her?”
Paul’s
eyes widened as he looked at the two WhatsApp messages. Interested in Skylar?
He wouldn’t dare!
Even though he knew that their marriage was fake, he wouldn’t dare fancy his boss‘ official wife!
Paul replied quickly, ‘Absolutely not!!! I just wanted Ms. Sullivan to take a look at an emerald charm I’m interested in. I don’t know if it’s a good buy. I’ll only buy it after Ms. Sullivan sees it.”
He hoped Joe would notice the three exclamation marks.
Joe replied, “Okay.”
After Pual received Joe’s permission, he saved Skylar’s number and messaged her immediately.
After ten minutes, Paul saw that Skylar hadn’t read his message, He hesitated, then sent Joe another message.
“Mr. Martin, Ms. Sullivan hasn’t read my message.
In a moment, Paul received Joe’s reply. “She’s taking a shower.”
It was a mere statement. But Paul couldn’t help the utter shock that overwhelmed him.
Were they sleeping together?
Wasn’t it a fake marriage?
4/4
Were they sleeping together just like that?
In that case, Skylar probably wouldn’t respond to him tonight.
Joe had always worked out. He had well–refined abs and a well–shaped figure. His physical strength was in excellent condition.
So..
Paul decided that he’d ask for more photos of different emerald charms before bed so he could choose a few more to show Skylar the next day.
20 minutes later, he noticed that Skylar had read his message.
Paul rubbed his eyes. Was he seeing things?
Chapter 15
He was stunned for a few minutes. That was fast.
He replied suspiciously, “Are you there, Ms. Sullivan?”
There was no reply.
Paul stared at his phone for another ten minutes.
There were no further replies from Skylar. Paul breathed a sigh of relief. He must have been overthinking
just now.
Skylar didn’t know that Paul was overanalyzing her replies. After her shower, she was already feeling
sleepy.
She asked Joe whether he’d prefer the left or right side of the bed. Then, she laid down immediately.
Before she slept, she saw Paul’s message when she was switching her phone to silent mode. She had
checked it and set it aside.
Joe brought his clothes into the bathroom. When he was closing the door, he saw that Skylar was already
asleep.
He was slightly surprised.
Was she pretending to be asleep?
She looked pretty convincing. Her acting skills were so good, one would think she was a trained actor.
After half an hour, he walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed. He saw that Skylar still had the same
sleeping posture.
He couldn’t help but think that she was quite persistent.
He wasn’t used to sleeping beside a woman. After he lay down on the bed, he realized that Skylar wasn’t moving at all.
When he heard her even breathing, his face fell. He couldn’t believe she was really sleeping!
When he turned to turn off the lights, he realized that there were two pillows in the middle of the bed. It divided the bed into two, making the boundaries extremely clear. He raised his eyebrows coldly.
1
Was she… guarding herself against him?
Joe pursed his thin lips.
She was clearly overthinking! Her actions were totally unnecessary. Even if she had been naked before him, he wouldn’t have even taken a glance at her.
Joe fell into a dreamless slumber.
Chapter 15
201
When he woke up, he thought it was still midnight. He was stunned for a moment when he saw a ray of sunlight seeping through the curtains,
Had he slept through the entire night?
At the same time, Skylar turned over and woke up
When she opened her eyes and saw Joe sitting in front of her, she was a bit dazed. She was really not
used to her new marital status.
She smiled awkwardly at Joe. “Good morning,” she said.
Joe paused for a second on Skylar’s pale face. “Good morning.”
I’m going to change.” Skylar got out of bed.
Joe got up too. He put on his watch and looked at the time. It was 7:15 am.
They took turns washing up. Then, they walked out of the room around the same time.
Gloria had woken up early. She had heard from Edgar that Joe and Skylar were still sleeping. She had waited for them from 5:30 am to 7:30 am. The more she waited, the happier she felt.
She knew Joe very well. He was healthy when he was young, but after he’d grown up, he suffered from
insomnia for no reason.
It was rare to see him sleep for such a long time! This had only happened after he’d shared his bed with Skylar. In the past, he would only wake up at this hour if he had jet lag from working overseas.
When she saw the two of them walking down the stairs, she smiled broadly at them and said, “Come have breakfast. I’ve prepared both Western and Chinese dishes.”
“Are you feeling better, Grandma?” Skylar was concerned with Gloria’s health.
“I’m feeling better. Don’t worry about me.” Gloria was concerned that Skylar would worry about her too
much.
She knew herself well, and she knew how much longer she could hold herself together.
She wished that she could hold on until Joe and Skylar were really together. Did Joe think that she didn’t know they weren’t an actual couple?
She was a shrewd old lady!
Gloria stared at Joe.
He was good–looking. He looked less cold today since he was well rested. “You look like you’ve had a good night’s sleep!”
“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad.” Joe intentionally ignored Gloria’s teasing gaze.
“Not bad? Didn’t you fall asleep before 10.00 pm last night? You slept past 7:00 am this morning. Last
night’s sleep was more than you had in a week, right?”
Gloria couldn’t stand his cold face. He’d slept for almost ten hours, but it was just “not bad“?
Joe was speechless.
Is she even his biological grandmother?
Skylar looked at Joe when she heard Gloria. Was his insomnia that bad?
She’d heard Gloria talk about it before. She hadn’t paid much attention then, but now she felt slightly. alarmed after hearing it in person.
Hadn’t he fallen asleep easily when she’d given him a massage the day before?
“Skye, Edgar said he couldn’t remember the acupuncture points you showed him. Could you come back. and demonstrate it for him again tonight?” Gloria asked Skylar.
“Okay, Grandma,” Skylar agreed happily.
There were indeed a lot of acupuncture points on the head. It was hard to remember them after just one
time.
She’d draw a diagram with all the acupuncture points marked clearly for him tonight.
Joe’s eyes darkened when he saw how readily Skylar agreed. It made him believe that she was at
scheming person. 1
Not only was she trying to please Gloria, she was also taking the opportunity to get close to him.
Perhaps he should ask Paul to investigate Christopher.
Their three–year contract might need to be terminated earlier.
He couldn’t allow a scheming person to be around Gloria. He realized that he had been way too hasty when they had registered their marriage.
Skylar arrived at the antique street and parked her car. She took her, phone before she got out of her car.
Only then did she notice the WhatsApp text message she received. She hadn’t had the time to check her
phone this morning.
She saw that it was Paul. She asked, “Were you looking for me, Mr. Ziegler?”
Paul had just checked in at work. When he saw Skylar’s reply, he replied immediately, “I need a favor from you. Are you free now?”
Skylar asked, “What is it?”
Paul quickly sent over a few photos of emerald charms. He’d spent a lot of time choosing them last night.
Paul said, “I’ve gotten rid of my old one. I returned it to the person who gifted it to me. Could you help me take a look and see which of these emerald charms are suitable for me?”
Skylar looked at the time. It was 8:55 am. She replied, “I’m busy now. I’ll let you know tonight.”
Chapter 15
4/4
Doubts arose in Paul’s heart when he saw Skylar’s reply.
Tonight? Would she have time tonight?
He should be in Joe’s office by now, but Joe hasn’t arrived yet! They must have enjoyed themselves last night…
In a few minutes, Joe arrived and gave Paul his next task. “Look into Skylar and Christopher’s current relationship. I want to know every single detail.”
Paul was shocked. “You want me to investigate Ms. Sullivan?”
“Bè thorough about it,” Joe replied coldly.
He suspected that there must be a reason why she’d agreed to marry him suddenly. Something must have happened to motivate her to approach him.
“Alright!” Paul answered, but his expression was one of utter confusion.
Hadn’t Joe and Skylar spent the night together? Why did Joe want to investigate her today?
Was his desire not satisfied? It didn’t seem like it….
Before Paul had met Skylar, he’d suspected that she had an ulterior motive for marrying Joe. However, after meeting her, he didn’t think that Skylar cared about Joe that much.
He asked hesitantly, “Mr. Martin, do you suspect that Ms. Sullivan and Christopher are still together?”
Chapter 16
If they hadn’t broken up, it meant that Skylar was cheating, and she’d made Joe the third party.
He would be a third party with a marriage certificate.
If that was the case, Skylar was really a deceptive person!
“I’m not sure.” Joe didn’t want to accuse Skylar unjustly.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Martin. I’ll investigate it now!!
“Alright.
Skylar was busy from 9:00 am until noon. Daniel ordered takeout for lunch. It was fish and chips.
Besides Daniel, there was another employee in the store, Caleb Gardner, an 18–year–old boy.
Apparently, he didn’t like studying, so he’d started working with Daniel after he’d graduated from high
school.
There were always customers of various nationalities at the store. Caleb could switch between Albionian, Bierstadian, and Francorien easily when he spoke to them. He probably had a flair for languages.
Daniel gave him a monthly salary of 3500 dollars. It included meals and covered basic welfare and
commission, but it didn’t include accommodation.
Caleb was young, and he liked being on live broadcast. As he was handsome and spoke well, he sold goods online through live broadcasts. He was popular.
He’d sold a huge item yesterday. His commission was a full 50 thousand dollars. The live broadcast industry was really at its peak now
“Skylar, let me treat you to stew tonight!” Caleb tried to ask Skylar out as they had lunch.
Before Skylar could refuse, Daniel rolled his eyes at Caleb. He was too old to stand the young lad’s
frivolity.
*She’s spent the whole day restoring the painting. She must be so tired. How would she be in the mood to
have stew?
*Concentrate on your broadcast this evening. You’d better sell all the new items from the last two days.”
Skylar smiled lightly. “I need to go home to be with my grandma. She’s sick and needs some company.”
Caleb was slightly disappointed, “Alright.”
“When I’m done restoring the painting, I’ll treat you and Mr. Zeller to stew,” Skylar said.
Caleb reminded her of Harvey. They were of the same age. She could introduce them to one another in
the future.
*Alright.” Caleb still felt disappointed upon hearing that they would be sharing a meal with Daniel. He’d
wanted to have a one–on–one date with Skylar!
When he’d come to work two days ago, he’d noticed there was a woman restoring paintings in the store. At first, he’d thought it was an old lady, so he hadn’t been interested
He hadn’t been able to believe that she turned out to be such a pretty woman like Skylar
Caleb’s grandfather, Alexander Gardner had always wanted him to learn how to restore antiques, but he didn’t have the patience for it
Hed seen how Skylar worked. Once she sat down, she would be there for half a day. He admired her
serious attitude
She was beautiful, too. She was 100 times prettier than the girls who had plastic surgery.
Just theri, Daniel received a phone cal
“What a coincidence I have a painting from 1120 BC, it’s a landscape painting, and it’s been restored perfectly! I just received it two days ago. I was just about to set out to an auction
“What? George wants it?”
about
When Skylar heard Daniel, she knew he was talking stiut her painting,
Daniel looked conflicted to dout the money it’s just that the promised the auction house. I still have two other paintings from 1120 BC They’re being restored now why don’t I show it to George first when the restoration is done
The person on the other end of the call agreed
After Daniel ended the call, he looked at Skylar cheerly “Skye, 1’s increase your pay Could you come earlier or stay later to fresh up the restoration 1120 BC pantings have been popular recently
He wanted to take advantage of the recent trend
Chapter 17
“How much more would you give me?” Skylar asked.
She was fine with coming early. They agreed that she would get off work at 3:00 pm, so she was okay to stay back for another hour. If she could finish this job earlier, she could get on with her next plan.
“What about 100 thousand dollars?”
If this had been a few days ago, Daniel wouldn’t have dared increase her pay. But after he saw her restoration skills, he knew that she was far better than any industry master.
He’d thought about it. After these two paintings, he planned on recommending Skylar to the auction
house.
Skylar thought about it for a moment and agreed.
Caleb wanted to say something, but he recalled Alexander’s.warning. So, he kept quiet.
At Williams Residence, Jeffrey returned home from a business trip. When Sadie told him about her call with Skylar, he was so angry he threw his glass of water on the table.
*Fine. She’s insisting that she’s never swiped the card I gave her? I’ll check her credit card records now!! wonder who gave her the guts to speak so rudely to her parents!
“She didn’t go to the hospital today. She’s preventing Maisy from getting the blood she needs. She’s a disobedient liar. I don’t want to admit she’s my daughter at all!”
Sadie’s head had been aching from last night until today. “I wonder where she’s living these days. She’s
not at Janine’s house.
“If she gets into trouble outside, all of Jipsburg will know she’s our daughter. What if she embarrasses us? My head aches just thinking about it.”
“I’ll call her. I’ll get her to come back and apologize to you,” Kenny said coldly.
He really disliked Skylar, that biological sister of his. After all, she’d grown up in the countryside. She was also not as good as Maisy at pleasing his parents.
“It’s all my fault. Mom, Dad, Kenny, please don’t be angry.” Maisy lowered her head in grievance.
Sadie’s heart ached for Maisy. “It’s not your fault; it’s Skylar’s!”
Although Kenny had Skylar’s number, he’d never called her before.
The call went through quickly.
Before Skylar could speak, Kenny reprimanded her like a big brother. “Skylar, you better come home and apologize to our parents, and Malsy. We’re a family. We can forgive you for the mistakes you’ve made.”
Skylar was driving. An accident must have happened up ahead, seeing that the cars were moving slowly.
2/2
Chapter 17
There was honking everywhere.
Kenny’s voice annoyed her even more. “You’re crazy.” Cursing, she hung up on him.
She rarely cursed, but it was effective when dealing with self–righteous people like the Williamses.
The Williamses had heard her because she was on speaker.
Kenny’s face fell. “How did her adoptive parents raise her?”
“Look at her! Just look at her! She’s so insolent! She makes me so angry!” Sadie pressed on her forehead as her head throbbed.
Jeffrey’s and Kenny’s faces were long and grim.
Maisy was the only person in the whole villa who was secretly delighted. Everyone else was upset.
Suddenly, Jeffrey’s phone rang, and he picked it up.
“Mr. Williams, I’ve checked. There are no records of your supplementary card being used.”
“What did you say?”
Jeffrey’s assistant thought it was a signal problem, so he repeated himself.
Jeffrey couldn’t believe it. “Was the card number wrong? How could there be no records?”
Sadie and Kenny looked toward Jeffrey when they heard that.
But Maisy was secretly shocked. She had forgotten to stop Jeffrey from checking Skylar’s credit card!
hapter 18
The assistant confirmed it and replied, “Mr. Williams, the card number is correct. There is no record of purchases being made with this card.”
After he ended the call, Jeffrey looked at Sadie, Kenny, and Maisy. He was speechless for a moment.
“Has she been spending her boyfriend’s money?” Maisy suddenly thought of using Christopher.
*Her office employee boyfriend?” Sadie sounded disgusted.
Maisy lowered her head. She was worried that Sadie might find out about her relationship with
Christopher.
She nodded and said, “Yes. I’ve heard Skylar say that her boyfriend gives his salary to her. I have his number. Let me call and ask him if Skylar’s staying with him.”
“She’s not married, yet she’s spending his money. Not only that, she’s even living with him. Has she no self- respect? She’s going to embarrass our family name!” Kenny didn’t hide his disdain for Skylar at all.
Maisy called Christopher.
“Mr. Fowler, I’d like to know if Skylar was spending your money when you were together?”
Christopher was a little confused, but he played along with Maisy. “Well… Yes, she usually uses my money. Is there any problem?”
“Did she say she’d return the money to you?”
“We share everything we have. A few days ago, I transferred my bonus of 100 thousand dollars to her. She said she needed it urgently,” Christopher lied.
Maisy was satisfied with Christopher’s performance. She turned up her phone’s volume so that the others. could hear it on speaker.
“Then, is she staying with you now?”
Christopher was silent for a few seconds. He’d been looking for Skylar. He’d asked a lot of their common acquaintances, but no one knew where she was. However…
“She was living with me until yesterday, but I didn’t give her money when she wanted it. She got angry and left home. Do you know where she is?”
He’d guessed that Maisy had put him on loudspeaker and that Jeffrey and Sadie must be around her.
He knew exactly what Maisy wanted. Between Maisy and Skylar, he’d choose Maisy. After all, the Williamses liked Maisy more.
After Malsy hung up, she looked at everyone’s grim faces with great satisfaction.
*Skylar seems to be getting money from her boyfriend consistently. I wonder what she’s up to. I’m so
worried about her.”
hapter 18
She’s shameless!” Jeffrey was so furious, he threw the glass of water on the table away again.
7/2
After Skylar ended the call, she took a turn and drove into the underground carpark of a mall.
The traffic was bad today. She took the chance to buy some things from the supermarket.
When she got out of her car and took her phone, she remembered what she had promised Paul. So, she clicked on the photos he sent.
After reviewing the photos, she replied to Paul, “The fourth emerald charm is okay.”
Once she entered the supermarket, Joe called her. “Where are you?”
The supermarket at Phoenix Mall.”
Wait for me.”
Skylar was stunned as the call ended. Wait for him? Was he nearby?
She recalled then that Phoenix Mall was right opposite Martin Group. It was also a landmark building in Jipsburg.
When Joe arrived, Skylar was just taking a bunch of potato chips from the snack aisle.
After the accident in her previous life, she hadn’t had the opportunity to eat such snacks, and before the accident, she’d been reluctant to spend money on these junk foods.
This time, she planned to eat as much of it as she wanted and even have some in her car. She’d take some for Harvey when she went home so that they could watch it while enjoying some TV shows. Joe had never been to the supermarket.
Chapter 19
Furthermore, the supermarket was filled with people who just got off work. He felt like a misfit among
them.
So, by the time he found Skylar in the supermarket, his handsome face was so cold that it was frightening.
He had a cold demeanor, but he looked even more distant now.
Skylar was focused on buying her snacks. She only saw Joe when she raised her head after putting down.
a bag of chips.
“Do you need something from me, Mr. Martin?” She asked.
Why did he seem so unhappy?
Joe’s cold gaze darkened. “Are you done?”
“I’m still buying snacks. Is there anything you’d like to eat? They’ve got a new flavor for these chips. Do you want to try it?” Skylar asked politely.
Joe didn’t even look at it. He said coolly, “I never eat junk food.”
“This is a brand produced by Martin Group’s food division. Do you tend to self–deprecate?”
Skylar was good–natured, but she wasn’t one to be snubbed unreasonably.
Joe should just direct it to the person who messed with him. Why was he showing his temper to her?
In the past two days, she’d brushed off his bad attitude for Gloria’s sake. She’d given him enough respect.
Joe’s face fell, and his gaze turned sharp. He was the CEO of Martin Group, and he knew how to terrify his
employees with a single glance.
This was Skylar’s second life. She’d seen people who were scarier than monsters, but her heart still constricted under Joe’s cold and sharp gaze.
“Grandma wants you to go to the auction with me. She likes one of the jewelry pieces. She wants us to get it for her,” Joe said coldly.
If it hadn’t been for Gloria’s request, he wouldn’t have asked her to come along. It was just a piece of jewelry anyway; he could go alone.
The woman before him had a pair of pretty eyes. When she smiled, her eyes were bright and crescent- shaped. She looked gentle and innocent.
However, when she was slightly angry, she appeared like a young beast who was eager to fight destiny. It was as if she’d been mistreated badly.
He felt like… cherishing her.
But the thought disappeared as soon as it arose. After all, he believed she was a scheming woman who was good at pretending.
Chapter 19
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“Alright,” Skylar agreed. She had no reason to reject Gloria’s request.
“Your clothes are not appropriate for the event.” Joe’s cold gaze was critical.
He looked at his watch and said, “The auction is at 7:00 pm. It’s not even 5:00 pm yet, so there’s time to get ready. I’ll ask Paul to take you somewhere. I’ll wait for you at the auction house.”
“Alright. I’ll pay for my items and put them in my car. You may ask Mr. Ziegler to wait for me at the car park entrance.”
Skylar pushed her shopping cart to the cashier after she finished speaking.
Joe stood on the spot and glanced at the potato chips in the aisle.
Were they really his company’s products?
Paul was going to fetch Skylar in his car, but Skylar said she had her car with her. So, he went over to meet her.
He got to the mall’s parking exit and got into Skylar’s new energy vehicle.
Paul was six feet tall. Even though he wasn’t as tall as Joe, his head reached the ceiling of the car. It made the car feel smaller.
“Mrs. Martin, Mr. Martin has so many cars in the garage. Why didn’t you drive his car?”
“My car is more environmentally friendly,” Skylar replied.
However, her true thoughts were that she and Joe were just contractually married. They weren’t truly husband and wife anyway, so she had no right to his things.
Chapter 20.
7/2
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Chapter 20
Paul took Skylar to a stylist’s studio straight away.
He must have booked the whole studio since no other customers were anywhere to be seen.
Skylar obeyed the stylist’s suggestions and changed into a haute couture black dress. At first, she didn’t
think much about it.
After she was done with her hair and make up, she realized that she couldn’t recognize herself in the
mirror.
The dress looked simple, but the back was cut out. It showed off her delicate back and gave her an elegant and noble air.
When Paul walked out of the rest room to collect Skylar, he was stunned.
He’d known that Skylar was pretty from the first time he met her because she had delicate features. However, he hadn’t expected a simple gown to transform her into such an eye–catching beauty!
She was the kind of beauty who would cause men to pause in their tracks and have all kinds of thoughts.
Paul didn’t dare take another glance.
He left quickly after picking her up.
Skylar wore heels with her dress, so it wasn’t convenient for her to drive. Hence, Paul drove her car.
As it was a small car that was worth a mere 100 thousand dollars, they were stopped by security when they arrived at the auction house’s car park.
“I’m sorry, sir. This is the auction house’s car park. You’re not allowed to park here if you’re not a guest.”
The security guard had a stern tone. Even though he’d said sorry, he spoke arrogantly. He was implying that this was not a place for commoners.
When he saw the luxurious car behind them, his attitude changed completely.
Skylar raised her eyebrows from the passenger’s seat.
Paul knew that there were many places out there where people looked down on people of a lower class. However, he’d never received such treatment when he was out with Joe.
His expression turned cold as he said, “Don’t you know who I am?”
The security guard wasn’t paying attention at first. He didn’t even look into the car.
He thought that anyone who drove such a cheap and small car wasn’t worth it.
They might just be commoners who wanted to experience an auction. He’d seen a lot of people with the same expectations.
But when he heard Paul, he took a look at him and was utterly stunned. “Mr. Ziegler?”
Chapter 20
Paul frequented the auction house with Joe of Martin Group. The employees of the auction house were trained to recognize the big shots of Jipsburg like him.
“You’re doing an excellent job. I’ll let your superiors know later,” Paul said.
The security guard was so frightened that he started to sweat. He quickly bowed and explained, “We have
a crowd tonight, so we’re stopping cars we don’t recognize. It’s my fault for not recognizing you, Mr. Ziegler.”
Paul sneered. “Is that so?”
Then, he drove into the car park.
Skylar observed everything coolly. She didn’t think much of it.
Judgy people who looked down on others were everywhere in this world. The Williamses were like that.
After a while, Skylar met up with Joe.
Joe was dressed in a haute couture suit: He looked handsome and tall as usual, but he exuded a cold and noble air about him.
When he saw Skylar, his deep eyes paused for a moment.
Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, and her eyes were as refined as art. The elegant black dress. transformed her into a charming night spirit. She had a sexy figure that could catch anyone’s eye with a single glance.
His gaze became unreadable instantly.
Chapter 21
What was she wearing?
The two thin straps on her shoulder looked like they could be snapped easily.
When Skylar got closer to Joe, she realized that he was scowling. Was he unhappy that her dress was embarrassing him?
She thought the stylist had chosen well and that her make–up had been well done. She liked her look today very much.
“Do I look bad?” Skylar asked.
Joe’s eyes were dark as he frowned slightly, showing his displeasure. “There are a lot of high–society people in today’s auction. You will attract some attention dressed like that.”
“If I can really do that, in addition to my beauty, I need to thank your stylist. The dress and makeup he provided were top–notch.” Skylar could hear the ridicule in Joe’s tone.
Paul gaped as he listened to them talk.
Skylar didn’t seem to care how Joe felt.
If she did, she would have been eager to explain to him if he was misconstruing her as a seductress, right?
The staff at the auction house had arranged seats in advance.
Maisy and Jeffrey sat in the back corner.
There were lots of people today. Apparently, the items auctioned today are treasures. Even if one could not get the items, it was a chance to broaden one’s horizons.
Jeffrey was only able to attend the auction today thanks to someone’s introduction.
Maicy had begged Jeffrey to let her tag along after she’d found
auction.
out that he would be attending the
The Williamses had their own company and properties in Jipsburg. Still, they were not part of the upper- class society gathered here.
Jeffrey wanted to use the opportunity to get to know these people. Maisy had the same intentions. She wondered if she’d see Joe, the guy she had a flitting glance at today.
All the men wore suits. As she was seated behind, she couldn’t see what was happening in front too
clearly.
“Dad, you said the Martin Group gave us a contract that helped our company move ahead in the industry.
If Mr. Martin of Martin Group was here at the auction, could we find a chance to speak to him?” Mai whispered.
Jeffrey felt hopeful, too. “I hope to do so if there’s a chance.”
2/2
He suddenly thought about something he’d heard from others. “Mr. Martin is not married. You’re an outstanding young lady, Maisy. If you could get to know him, then… You know what I’m trying to say, right?”
Maisy knew what Jeffrey was thinking. She blushed and lowered her head. “I know, Dad.”
“You’re smart. No wonder you’re my daughter.” Jeffrey couldn’t help but praise her.
Suddenly, he froze.
Maisy saw Jeffrey looking stunned as he looked ahead, so she asked immediately. “What is it, Dad?”
Jeffrey was staring at the man and woman at the front row. The man was Joe. The woman’s back looked familiar. It looked like Skylar, who had put him in a bad mood the entire day.
“Joe brought a female companion today. She looks like Skye.”
“A female companion?” Maisy looked in the direction Jeffrey was looking.
She only
lv saw Joe’s back, but it was enough to make her obsessed. He was wearing a suit like others, but he looked more attractive than others.
But
She couldn’t believe that he’d brought a female companion. The woman wore a haute couture dress that Maisy couldn’t afford to buy or order. The dress revealed the woman’s well–defined back, and her skin was as delicate as porcelain.
She looked like…..
She really looked like Skylar from the back…
Maisy was jealous of the womans nyum
Skylar.
“Dad, she just looks slightly like Skylar. But there’s no way she could know Mr. Martin.”
Maisy thought the woman looked slutty. She obviously wanted to seduce Joe with that dress.
Maybe her dress was counterfeit anyway.
Jeffrey took another look. “You’re right. I must have been mistaken. She doesn’t look like Skye at all.”
Skylar didn’t know that Jeffrey and Maisy were there as well. After she sat down with Joe, the auction.
started in a few seconds.
“What does Grandma want?” Skylar asked Joe. She’d started to feel tired after seeing a few auction items.
Her head pounded. She must have been too busy these few days. Her body felt weak. It was one of the symptoms of donating blood regularly.
Joe glanced at Skylar. Due to his height, he was half a head taller than her, even sitting down. As she was wearing this dress, he could easily see her seductive features with a slight tilt of his head.
This dress… was not suitable for her.
“A diamond ring,” he replied coldly.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw a man walking toward Skylar. He was looking at her from top to toe. Joe’s face fell. He looked at the man icily.
When the man saw that Joe was beside Skylar, he stopped. At the same time, he felt a slight sense of pity. It was rare to meet a woman he was attracted to immediately. He couldn’t believe she was with Joe. However, Joe had never been with any women before.
If she’d just been accompanying him to the auction, Joe wouldn’t have given him a warning gaze like that… The next auction item was an antique painting.
The staff started auctioning it after explaining its background.
Skylar was surprised when she saw the painting. Daniel was fast. She hadn’t expected him to send it to the auction house so quickly.
She was also curious how much the painting she’d sold for 500 thousand dollars could be auctioned off
for.
Joe saw how intently Skylar was staring at the antique painting. He recalled that she’d brought a roll of painting with her when she’d moved to Galaxy Villa.
Was she interested in antique paintings?
Chapter 22
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“Do you want this painting?” Joe whispered.
Skylar shook her head. “No.”
Would she have looked at it so intently if she was not interested?
What a duplicitous person!
Joe’s expression was still cold.
Jeffrey stared at the painting confusedly. “Why do I feel like I’ve seen this painting somewhere?”
“Antique paintings have a lot of similarities. I also find it familiar. It looks like…” Maísy thought of the painting that was hanging at the Williamses.
It was the painting Skylar gifted Sadie. Sadie hadn’t even taken a second look at the painting. It did look. like this painting.
“That’s impossible. How could that be?” Maisy denied her
guess.
Skylar must have gotten the painting from Amazon for not more than ten dollars.
Skylar couldn’t have had access to a painting that could be auctioned.
“What’s impossible?” Jeffrey asked curiously.
“It’s nothing, Dad. Wow, this painting could actually be sold for two million dollars!” Maisy was shocked when she heard the price that was being called out.
Jeffrey didn’t understand art, but he suddenly thought of the painting they had in a corner of their house. It looked like this painting.
“Three million dollars!” Joe made a bid suddenly.
Skylar looked at Joe in surprise. “Do you like this painting?”
She’d sold the painting for 500 thousand dollars. The price had now been three million dollars by Joe. This artist’s painting had never been sold for more than two million dollars!
Chapter 23
If she’d known that he liked
que paintings, she would’ve sold it to him.
If he’d offered two million dollars, she would have delivered it to his doorstep. She could even help him maintain it every day for three years.
What a waste.
“Not really.” Joe smiled coldly when he saw the shock in her eyes.
Since she was interested in the painting, he thought he’d bid on it and give it to her. He didn’t want to owe her anything. She’d really made Gloria very happy during the two days.
“3.2 million dollars.” Someone else put in a bid.
They must really like the painting.
Joe was about to raise his hand to raise the bid to five million dollars, but Skylar stopped him.
She whispered gently, ‘If you like ancient paintings of this style, three million dollars could buy you two of them, I’ll get some authentic ones for you. You just have to pay me the commission.”
Joe stared at her. His gaze turned unreadable.
“3.2 million dollars, once.”
“3.2 million dollars, twice.”
“3.2 million dollars, sold!”
After the painting was sold, Skylar looked on as the painting was packed up. She couldn’t help but think that Daniel had made a good sale today.
It was a win–win for her and Daniel.
“Maisy, don’t you think the painting looked like the one Skye gave your mom?” Jeffrey was shocked that the painting sold for such a high price.
Maisy was a little distracted. She was looking greedily at Joe. Did he like ancient paintings?
When she heard Jeffrey’s question, her mouth twitched. She replied, “it does look like the one Skylar gave Mom, but she must have bought an imitation piece online.”
“An Imitation piece? What an embarrassment!” Jeffrey felt disgusted whenever he thought of Skylar.
There were eight auction items in total tonight. The last item was a diamond ring.
But it wasn’t a normal diamond ring. It was called The Darling Goddess Ring and was previously owned by a duchess of Westernia. Lots of people had come to bid on it upon learning that it would be auctioned today.
The starting bid was 20 million dollars.
Chapter 23
IN V 2/2
“30 million dollars.”
“40 million dollars.”
Joe raised his sign. “100 million dollars.”
When Skylar heard Joe’s bid, she thought he was being ostentatious.
The price had been going up by 10 million per bid, but he’d raised the price to 100 million in a single bid. How much higher could anyone else go?
The price of 100 million dollars deterred anyone else from bidding too.
Without further ado, the ring was sold for 100 million dollars.
Maisy wished she owned that ring. She wondered who Joe would give that ring to.
The woman beside him?
That couldn’t be possible, right?
Maisy hadn’t heard that Joe had a girlfriend. The woman must just be a female companion for the auction.
When Joe and Skylar were about to leave the auction, Jeffrey told Maisy quickly, “Let’s go talk to Mr. Martin.”
It was a rare chance. If they didn’t seize it, he wasn’t sure when he could meet Joe next.
“Alright, Dad.” Maisy stood up and adjusted her dress. She was very confident about her appearance and figure.
The two of them walked toward Joe.
When Skylar stood up, she suddenly felt dizzy and almost lost her balance. Fortunately, Joe held her in
time.
“I’m sorry. I think I’m sick,” Skylar explained weakly to Joe. Her face was cold and pale.
Chapter 24
Joe thought that Skylar was pretending to fall into his arms. He was impatient until he heard her explanation.
Her face was pale, and there was sweat on her forehead. She looked sick.
my cold on to
“I’m okay. Take me back to Galaxy Villa. I don’t want Grandma to worry. I don’t want to pass my her either,” Skylar said.
Joe nodded. He took off his suit jacket and put it on Skylar’s shoulders. Then, he placed his arm over her shoulders as they walked out quickly.
Jeffrey and Maisy were making their way out of the crowd. They were about to reach Joe when he walked away quickly with the woman.
They wanted to go after him, but they were stopped by the staff. They were informed that Joe was going through a VIP pathway.
Jeffrey and Maisy felt extremely embarrassed.
They’d just been a step away! What bad luck!
Before Skylar and Joe got in the car, Skylar heard him calling Gloria. He also asked Paul to drive her car back to Galaxy Villa.
As for the diamond ring Joe had bought, it would be sent to Pearlhall Residence by the auction house.
Skylar fell asleep in the car as she listened to Joe.
Joe looked at Skylar, who was sleeping quietly in the corner. Her head was leaning against the car window.
She was a head shorter than him, so she should be around five feet and seven inches tall. However, she looked small as she nestled in the corner of the car.
She was crying silently. Joe wondered if she was too uncomfortable because of her sickness or if she’d thought of something.
Her tears appeared tinted with the neon color of night lamps. They hung on her eyelashes, making her, look like a poor little child who’d been bullied and abandoned.
It made him curious about what she’d been through.
Was it because of Christopher?
Had she agreed to marry him just to piss Christopher off? Joe’s heart sank for no reason at that thought.
“Drive faster,” he said coldly to Lucas.
After half an hour, they arrived at Galaxy Villa. The Martins‘ family doctor came by to do a simple examination on Skylar.
Chapter
After confirming that it was just a common cold, he prescribed some medicine for her.
After the doctor left, Joe pulled at his tie while he walked toward Skylar’s bed. He used a head
thermometer to check her temperature. It was 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Skylar, get up and take your medicine.”
Skylar was feeling groggy, and she couldn’t hear clearly. She only heard the word “medicine“. All of a sudden, she didn’t know if she was in her previous life or if she was having a dream.
When Christopher and Maisy had been together, they’d forced that torturous medicine down her throat. It had made her whole body burn, and she’d had no way to relieve herself from it.
It had also traumatized her psychologically. All those memories overwhelmed her like a tide..
“No. I won’t take it.”
Her voice was hoarse from her fever. She shut her eyes tightly, but tears appeared on her cold and pale
face.
She couldn’t stop crying.
Was she so delicate? Joe pursed his thin lips.
He was about to force Skylar to take the medicine when Gloria called him.
“How’s Skye? Did you take care of her? You brat, Skye’s your darling wife now that she’s married you. Your need to behave and take good care of her when she’s sick!”
Joe pursed her lips tightly after hearing Gloria’s reprimands. “She has a fever. I was just about to give her
medicine.”
“What? A fever? That’s serious! Then, why are you still here? Hang up and take care of Skye!*
Joe hung up speechlessly and looked toward Skylar.
She’d curled herself up. Her pretty face was red from the fever, but she was still crying. The sight was heart–wrenching.
Chapter 25
Joe tugged at his tie again. He said gravely, “Skylar, you’re having a fever of 102.2 degrees. You need to take some medicine.”
Skylar gritted her teeth tightly when she heard the word “medicine“.
“I hate you, Christopher!” she said in a daze.
When he heard the name “Christopher” and saw the tears on Skylar’s pretty face, Joe understood why she
was upset.
She bit her lips so tightly that they might bleed.
He frowned and said, “Skylar, wake up.”
Maybe she had actually bitten through her lips. The pain woke her up, but her head was still throbbing, and
she still felt weak.
She saw Joe when she opened her eyes.
The scene that had felt like a dream dissipated, but her heart was still aching.
She reached her hand out to Joe. “Thank you. Is that aspirin? Give it to me.”
Joe gazed at her deeply and passed the medicine and a glass of water to her.
“I’ll feel better after taking this. Please get some rest, Mr. Martin.”
Joe said coldly, “You’ll be okay by yourself?”
Skylar smiled and nodded. “Yes. It’s just a cold and a fever.” It was a minor illness. She can handle it.
Joe looked at how tough Skylar was behaving now and recalled how delicate she’d looked when she’d been crying. Was she trying to act tough in front of him?
He considered that possibility and the speculations he’d made about her. Then, he agreed coldly
leaving Skylar’s room.
After Joe left, Skylar laid back down.
efore
Perhaps the dream had been too real. It made her feel like she’d returned to her previous life. It kept her
awake.
Skylar still felt weak, but she felt better since she’d taken a nap and some medicine.
Her phone rang. She picked it up when she saw that it was Steven who was calling. “Steven.”
“Why do you sound so weak, Skye? Are you sick?” Steven asked quickly. He’d watch her grow up. He knew
that this was how she sounded when she was sick.
Skylar’s eyes turned red. It must have been because she was sick; it made her miss her family. “I’m okay. Steven. It’s just a minor cold. I’ll feel better after a nap.”
Chapter 25
2/2
“Where are you living now? I’m not busy now; I can take care of you.” Steven was worried that Skylar wast alone in a rented house.
Skylar quickly came up with an excuse. “I’m renting with someone now. My housemate will take care of me. Don’t worry, Steven.”
She hadn’t figured out how she should inform them about her swift marriage.
Steven relaxed a little when he heard that someone would take care of Skylar. “Oh, right, is something going on with you and Christopher?”
“I’ve broken up with him. Has he looked for you?” Skylar licked her fever–dry lips. The pain she felt from the dream seemed to have crept up again.
“He just called me, asking where you were. You should have broken up with him earlier! I’ve never liked him. I feel like he’s changed for the worse in these last two years, Steven said.
Skylar said self–deprecatingly, “You’re right.”
Even Steven had seen that Christopher had become evil. How could she be so blind in her previous life?
“Steven, come take a look. Don’t you think this thesis looks like yours?”
Skylar could hear that someone was calling Steven. She asked worriedly, “Has something happened, Steven?”
Chapter 26
Steven was silent for a few minutes. He must have covered his phone so Skylar wouldn’t hear what they
were saying.
Skylar was slightly worried, but she heard Steven again in a few minutes.
He said, “it’s okay, Skye. It’s just a minor issue. I’ll handle it. Get some rest. If you still feel unwell, you have to go to the hospital, okay?”
“Alright, I will.”
Skylar didn’t press him. She knew Steven. He’d always been her big brother, and he took care of the rest of his siblings well. He wouldn’t worry them if it was something he could handle.
She clicked on her banking app on her phone to check her balance.
Daniel had given her 50% of her pay for restoring the paintings. She’d get the rest of them after she completed her job.
She had 800 thousand dollars in her bank account now.
After Steven graduated from university, he’d worked for a scientific research company. However, his salary had been low.
Furthermore, he’d signed a ten–year contract, so he couldn’t resign. He would have to pay a huge amount as compensation if he resigned.
In her past life, Steven had been stuck in his career before her car accident. He hadn’t seemed to be able to progress further.
She’d decided that she would try her best to help them in this life. But she didn’t have enough money yet.
She fell asleep as she thought about this.
In the next room, Joe was having trouble sleeping.
Compared to how comfortably he’d slept at Pearlhall Residence last night, he was completely awake. now. It irritated him.
He got out of bed and walked to the first floor to get a glass of water.
When he got out of his room, he saw that the light in Skylar’s room was still on. His eyes flickered, and he walked over.
He knocked on the door three times. “Skylar.”
There was no response.
Was she still having a fever? Had she fainted?
Joe glanced at the light coming from under the door. His gaze darkened as he walked in.
Chapter 26
Skylar’s eyes were tightly closed. She was lying quietly on her bed, and he could barely hear her breathing.
Joe walked over and checked her temperature with the head thermometer. Her temperature was down to 99.5 degrees.
Joe put the thermometer down and took another glance at Skylar.
If she could abide by the contract obediently for three years without any ulterior motives, he’d give her another sum of money when their contract ended.
His gaze darkened again when he recalled the way she’d uttered the name “Christopher“.
Paul should be able to find out what had happened between her and Christopher soon.
Skylar wok
When up again, it was 6:00 am.
She no longer had a fever, but she still felt slightly weak. So, she called Daniel to take sick leave. Then,
she went downstairs to make breakfast.
Galaxy Villa was far from the city. There weren’t a lot of options for takeout, either. She just wanted to have some porridge for breakfast.
When she went down, she was surprised to see Joe at the dining table. There was some porridge and
buns on the table.
When Joe saw her, he said, “Grandma sent these.”
Skylar felt warm after learning that Gloria had sent them food, “Grandma is so nice to me.” She picked up
her phone to send Gloria a message.
Chapter 27
“Thanks, Grandma. I’m feeling much better today. I’ll visit to keep you company at Pearlhall Residence. once I recover completely,” said Skylar.
She only realized that Joe was looking at her the entire time after she sat down. So, she asked, “Do you
need something?”
Joe shot her a sarcastic, biting look. “Aren’t you surprisingly good at buttering up to Grandma?”
“I’m not buttering up to her. It’s called giving and receiving. Grandma’s nice to me and had someone deliver breakfast for me, so it’s only fair that I politely thank her.
“Do you have something against sincere social interactions, Mr. Martin? Or do you think it’s Grandma’s duty to deliver this breakfast for me, so I don’t have to thank her at all?” Skylar refuted.
That made Joe completely speechless. He found Skylar incredibly sharp–tongued. It was no wonder Gloria always forgot about his existence when she was with Skylar.
For the rest of the meal, the two didn’t exchange another word. It was only when Skylar wanted to do the dishes that Joe spoke up. “Keep them there. I’ll do it.”
“Okay, thanks.” Skylar didn’t bother playing nice or refuse his help.
She decided that she would take the initiative to bear the household chores whenever Joe got sick within
these three years.
Although she was a little displeased this morning, she couldn’t deny that Joe had taken good care of her at home and on the way back from the auction house last night.
Because of that, she didn’t plan on arguing with him over petty matters.
She fell asleep again after returning to her room.
It was already 10:00 am when Skylar cracked open her bleary eyes.
She felt more energized after her nap this time. Yet, she had just gotten out of bed when she received a
call from Charles.
“Skye, I heard you fell sick. Are you feeling any better now? Do you need me to accompany you?” he asked.
“I’m fine now, Charles. I took some medication last night and woke up feeling much better this morning. Plus, I just took another nap. I’m completely fine now. I’m even thinking of going to visit Mom’s workplace.
“Alright, then. I wanted to show you that I’m as competent of a brother as Steven is. Too bad you didn’t give me the chance to do it.7
Skylar chuckled and replied, “You’re already an amazing person in your own right.”
Chapter 27
Laughter bubbled from Charles. “I don’t care much for others‘ praises, but I love it when you shower me
with compliments.”
The siblings chatted for a little more before ending the call.
Then, Skylar changed into a fresh set of clothes and put on simple, light makeup before driving to Janine’s
workplace.
There wasn’t much congestion on the road, so she soon arrived at Jubilance Hotel, where Janine worked
as a housekeeper.
Jubilance Hotel was not only a five–star hotel but also had an award–winning restaurant inside it.
Janine was a mother of four children and usually didn’t make an effort with her appearance. Even so, she was a natural beauty and didn’t have many wrinkles, despite being 48 years old.
Sometimes, others often mistook her for Skylar’s sister if the two were out in public together.
Janine earned little from her housekeeping job. Her monthly salary was about 4500 dollars. Even if she worked every possible shift, she’d only earn about 5000 dollars.
After deducting her rental fees, she’d end up with 3500 dollars a month. The remaining amount was barely enough for her to do anything with it.
Fortunately, Steven and Charles had been helping to cover some of the household expenses after they’d started working. Plus, Harvey was frugal with money. All of them chipped in some effort to support the
family.
Thanks to that, they were now confident that their futures would be bright.
Janine had just shifted to this job last month, so Skylar hadn’t visited her yet.
Skylar knew Janine had a half–hour lunch break at 11:30 am. She bought some pizza from a nearby restaurant and arrived at Jubilance Hotel when it was almost time for Janine’s break. Once she was
outside, she called Janine.
The call rang for ages, but Janine didn’t answer.
Skylar glanced at her watch. She waited a little longer after seeing that it was three minutes until 11:30 am. After three minutes, she tried calling Janine again, but the latter still didn’t answer.
She headed into Jubilance Hotel, wanting to ask around at the front desk. “Hi, my mother’s name is Janine Yancey. She works as a housekeeper at this hotel.
“It should be her lunch break now, so I’d like to see her. Could you use your hotel’s internal line and ask
her to come out?”
The receptionist had just agreed and nodded when the front desk’s phone rang. Then, the receptionist answered it, furrowed her brows, and hung up before turning to Skylar.
“Something went wrong on your mother’s end. Since you happen to be here now, you can come with me
to check on the situation.”
Chapter 28
“What happened?” Skylar asked with urgency.
Janine had always been kind and warm. She could get along with anyone, anywhere.
Skylar knew that and wondered what had caused the receptionist to suddenly frown.
“Your mother was cleaning the elevator. She got into an argument with a guest who was going to the restaurant on the 36th floor for a meal. The guest has lodged a complaint against our hotel.”
The receptionist was panicking a little. She explained things to Skylar while also dialing the manager’s
number.
Jubilance Hotel had always valued customer service, so they took complaints seriously.
Although Janine had only been there here for a month, she was on great terms with her colleagues. They liked the Janine a lot and thought she was friendly.
Yet, now that the complaint had been lodged, no one knew how the manager would handle the situation.
Skylar immediately followed the receptionist into the elevator and onto the tenth floor. She heard an ongoing conversation inside the hotel’s offices before entering the space.
“You must be strict when dealing with this woman. We can look past her being rude to hotel guests in the
elevator, but how dare she hit my mother?” said one of the guests.
Then, the other guest joined in. “My diamond ring, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is missing. Only three of us were in the elevator, so this woman must’ve stolen it! I demand that you search her now!”
“You’re going too far, Sadie! I would never steal from someone. Plus, you were the one who beat me first. I was only defending myself! Janine challenged.
Skylar halted once she heard the familiar voices. They belonged to Maisy and Sadie.
She hadn’t seen the two of them since she’d left the hospital that day.
Skylar had seen Maisy and Christopher on a date from afar when she’d bought her car. However, she’d
never encountered them face to face.
Skylar listened to the mother–daughter pair hurling aggressive accusations at Janine. She pursed her lips and clenched her fists, suppressing her fiery hatred as she rushed toward the office.
“Janine, apologize to the guest and allow us to perform a body search as the guest requested. The manager immediately dealt with Janine once he arrived.
Janine had never imagined the manager would push all the blame onto her without trying to learn the
truth.
“If you fail to find my ring. I’ll get the media to expose your hotel for having staff with tendencies to steal things.” Sadie carried herself with a condescending, arrogant demeanor.
Chapter 20.
She wanted Janine to know the difference between their social classes. Since Janine hadn’t educated Skylar well enough, Sadie had taken it upon herself to teach Janine a lesson.
Maisy, who stood aside, looked down on Janine even more now that she knew Janine worked as a hotel housekeeper.
At the same time, she became even more determined not to return to Janine’s side.
Maisy
her.
refused to have a housekeeper for a mother. If her friends found out about it, they’d surely mock
Janine saw Maisy’s indifference and how she’d joined forces with Sadie to frame her. Her initial motherly love and guilt toward Maisy vanished at once.
Her eyes reddened as she held her ground in front of the manager. “What they said isn’t the truth. They’re framing me!”
“You should apologize first.” The manager didn’t believe Janine’s words. He only focused on Maisy and Sadie, who donned branded clothing pieces from head to toe.
“I…” Janine’s fists balled. No matter how miserable she’d been, she’d never cried a single tear since Finn’s
death.
Yet, the shame she felt from being framed now reddened her eyes.
in the elevator. If I call the police now, they’ll investigate the surveillance footage at once.” Skylar’s cold eyes snapped toward Sadie and Maisy.
“You two are the ones who should apologize. There are surveillance cameras t
She had witnessed many of their schemes. Now that she’d crossed paths with them again, she still found them as hideous and beastly as ever. It didn’t matter that they dressed up nicely.
“Skyel” Janine was surprised to see Skylar.
Skylar approached Janine’s side. “Mom, they aren’t legally allowed to perform a full body search, even if
you’re their employee.”
“Do you know what you’re saying, Skye?” Sadie questioned angrily.
“Skylar, we haven’t seen you in days. Yet, the first thing you do when you show yourself is upset Mom? Aren’t you going a little too far?” Maisy sneered with an accusing tone as she eyed Skylar from head to
toe with disdain.
She assumed Skylar had been hiding somewhere since she hadn’t seen the latter in days.
Not only that, but she also firmly believed Skylar must have been drowning in tears every day and had possibly become depressed or haggard.
Chapter 28
“What happened?” Skylar asked with urgency.
Janine had always been kind and warm. She could get along with anyone, anywhere.
Skylar knew that and wondered what had caused the receptionist to suddenly frown.
“Your mother was cleaning the elevator. She got into an argument with a guest who was going to the restaurant on the 36th floor for a meal. The guest has lodged a complaint against our hotel.”
The receptionist was panicking a little. She explained things to Skylar while also dialing the manager’s
number.
Jubilance Hotel had always valued customer service, so they took complaints seriously.
Although Janine had only been there here for a month, she was on great terms with her colleagues. They liked the Janine a lot and thought she was friendly.
Yet, now that the complaint had been lodged, no one knew how the manager would handle the situation.
Skylar immediately followed the receptionist into the elevator and onto the tenth floor. She heard an ongoing conversation inside the hotel’s offices before entering the space.
“You must be strict when dealing with this woman. We can look past her being rude to hotel guests in the
elevator, but how dare she hit my mother?” said one of the guests.
Then, the other guest joined in. “My diamond ring, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is missing. Only three of us were in the elevator, so this woman must’ve stolen it! I demand that you search her now!”
“You’re going too far, Sadie! I would never steal from someone. Plus, you were the one who beat me first. I was only defending myself! Janine challenged.
Skylar halted once she heard the familiar voices. They belonged to Maisy and Sadie.
She hadn’t seen the two of them since she’d left the hospital that day.
Skylar had seen Maisy and Christopher on a date from afar when she’d bought her car. However, she’d
never encountered them face to face.
Skylar listened to the mother–daughter pair hurling aggressive accusations at Janine. She pursed her lips and clenched her fists, suppressing her fiery hatred as she rushed toward the office.
“Janine, apologize to the guest and allow us to perform a body search as the guest requested. The manager immediately dealt with Janine once he arrived.
Janine had never imagined the manager would push all the blame onto her without trying to learn the
truth.
“If you fail to find my ring. I’ll get the media to expose your hotel for having staff with tendencies to steal things.” Sadie carried herself with a condescending, arrogant demeanor.
Chapter 20.
She wanted Janine to know the difference between their social classes. Since Janine hadn’t educated Skylar well enough, Sadie had taken it upon herself to teach Janine a lesson.
Maisy, who stood aside, looked down on Janine even more now that she knew Janine worked as a hotel housekeeper.
At the same time, she became even more determined not to return to Janine’s side.
Maisy
her.
refused to have a housekeeper for a mother. If her friends found out about it, they’d surely mock
Janine saw Maisy’s indifference and how she’d joined forces with Sadie to frame her. Her initial motherly love and guilt toward Maisy vanished at once.
Her eyes reddened as she held her ground in front of the manager. “What they said isn’t the truth. They’re framing me!”
“You should apologize first.” The manager didn’t believe Janine’s words. He only focused on Maisy and Sadie, who donned branded clothing pieces from head to toe.
“I…” Janine’s fists balled. No matter how miserable she’d been, she’d never cried a single tear since Finn’s
death.
Yet, the shame she felt from being framed now reddened her eyes.
in the elevator. If I call the police now, they’ll investigate the surveillance footage at once.” Skylar’s cold eyes snapped toward Sadie and Maisy.
“You two are the ones who should apologize. There are surveillance cameras t
She had witnessed many of their schemes. Now that she’d crossed paths with them again, she still found them as hideous and beastly as ever. It didn’t matter that they dressed up nicely.
“Skyel” Janine was surprised to see Skylar.
Skylar approached Janine’s side. “Mom, they aren’t legally allowed to perform a full body search, even if
you’re their employee.”
“Do you know what you’re saying, Skye?” Sadie questioned angrily.
“Skylar, we haven’t seen you in days. Yet, the first thing you do when you show yourself is upset Mom? Aren’t you going a little too far?” Maisy sneered with an accusing tone as she eyed Skylar from head to
toe with disdain.
She assumed Skylar had been hiding somewhere since she hadn’t seen the latter in days.
Not only that, but she also firmly believed Skylar must have been drowning in tears every day and had possibly become depressed or haggard.
Chapter 30
Joe’s frosty gaze snapped over to Skylar, who had pinned a woman on the ground. The woman’s face seemed red and swollen from getting beaten up.
As for Skylar, she appeared unwavering and calm. The supple skin on her face made her seem fairly
innocent.
Joe thought to himself, “It seems she’s recovered.”
Paul was shocked to see Skylar at the scene. His features darkened as he turned to the manager right away. “You’d best sort this out.”
That left the manager in a panic. He couldn’t understand why Joe was there today and had to witness such a scene. The manager knew he’d lose his job if he failed to resolve the issue.
Skylar realized then that Martin Group owned this hotel and the entire building. That was why Joe was
here.
Right away, the manager succinctly explained every detail about what had happened earlier and how he planned to resolve the matter to Joe.
Joe tried to gather the reason behind the situation while listening to the manager. Then, his intense gaze swept past everyone inside the office. It made them feel suffocated.
Sadie knew little about the company’s affairs. Even so, almost everyone in the upper social circles had
heard about Joe..
Not to mention the fact that, in the past two days, Jeffrey had kept suggesting they find a chance to introduce Maisy to Joe.
Jeffrey hoped that would allow the Williams family to rise in Jipsburg City’s social ranks.
Sadie was shocked upon seeing Joe. She also felt slight regret about causing trouble for Janine. She couldn’t stand that Joe had witnessed Maisy getting beaten up. It was far too damaging to Maisy’s image.
She peered ahead and saw that Skylar was still violently pinning Maisy down. It almost made her lose
control over her senses.
She couldn’t belleve Janine was just watching the fight play out and didn’t bother telling off Skylar.
Still, Sadie soon snapped out of her thoughts and put on a pitiful act like she was the victim. “Get off her, Skylar! How dare you get physically aggressive?”
Only then did Janine realize how complicated the situation was. She felt the incident would impact Skylar, which made her regret being so firm earlier,
Janine wished she had tolerated things and apologized to Sadie instead. Perhaps the situation wouldn’t have gotten this complicated if she’d acted differently instead.
The manager happened to notice Janine’s panic. He instantly understood the decision he had to make.
Chapter 30
2/2
After all, he was only sacrificing a housekeeper. Hotel guests were like gods, and that applied even more so to guests who were respectable figures.
“Janine, tell your daughter to let go of our guest at once!” the manager barked.
“I’m no longer upset. Let’s just drop the matter. Your hotel should run a background check on future job. applicants to see if they have kleptomaniac tendencies before hiring them,” Sadie said self–righteously.
Maisy had teared up by then, making her seem extra weak. On the other hand, Skylar appeared to be the
bully.
Skylar lifted her knee off Maisy’s
stomach before standing straight like nothing had happened.
“Janine, regardless of what happened, you should still apologize to the guest first. The manager no longer cared if the women knew each other. He only felt he needed to end the situation well in front of
Joe.
However, he couldn’t explain why something felt odd about Joe’s and Paul’s demeanors.
“Do I need to repeat myself? My mom isn’t at fault. These women are the ones framing her. Shall I call the police, then?” Skylar held Janine’s hand for support.
Janine spoke in a low voice, “Skye, I’ll just apologize and end this situation for good.”
Skylar shook her head to make her stance known. She knew that letting Maisy and Sadie have their way would only inflate their egos. It would make them more shameless in the future.
“How dare you?” Sadie was livid because of Skylar.
Maisy acted like she was afraid of Skylar. She lowered her head and bit her lip before murmuring, “Your
even hit me earlier…”
Skylar was used to seeing Maisy’s sly act of being the victim. She shot a half–smile at the latter while saying, “The police will say I was only defending myself a little too well. Besides, would I have hit you if
you hadn’t tried to slap me?”
“Yeah, Skye would never make the first move in a fight,” Janine testified.
Joe glared at Sadie before staring deeply into Skylar’s eyes. His and Skylar’s gazes met, but none of the others around them noticed.
