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“Mr. Ziegler, you seem to care about my sister. Do you still refuse to admit your relationship with her?” Kenny asked coldly. “The Williams family is strict, and we don’t want our sister to be someone’s sugar
baby.”
He added, “You’d better not stick your nose into our business if you don’t plan to marry her. I call the shots here, and she’ll never be with you in the future.”
Kenny stared at Paul grimly. As a man himself, he could tell Paul cared about Skylar a lot.
Since he was Skylar’s oldest brother, he had to assert his dominance so that Paul would be afraid of him.
“If people find out that your sugar baby is someone from the Williams family, our family’s reputation will
be ruined. Skylar, look at what you’ve done!” Samuel chided.
“Get lost.” Skylar always thought that she had a good temper. However, she couldn’t put up with Kenny’s
and Samuel’s shameless acts, no matter how well–mannered she was.
Paul was infuriated by the brothers’ statement, too. He rolled his sleeves up and said, “I’ve learned boxing for years. It has been a while since I put my skills to use. I can talk sense with you if you slander me. But I can’t take it when you’re slandering Ms. Sullivan,”
Joe was on the other side of the road.
Even if Joe disliked Skylar, Gloria was fond of this granddaughter–in–law. Paul would never allow anyone
to mess with her.
He wondered what had gone wrong with the Williams family’s manner and morals.
“Why you!” Kenny nd Samuel were startled.
Initially, Skylar was disappointed because of them, but she felt a sense of warmth when Paul defended her. She wondered how she could tell Paul she wasn’t afraid of getting into a fight.
Joe, who was across the road, saw how Kenny and Samuel refused to let Skylar go. He was suffering from a severe headache and was getting impatient, so he called Paul.
“I don’t hire someone who’s timid and wastes time in handling something. You should come back again after getting trained in Aglana for a few years,” Joe said through the receiver.
Paul was shocked. “I was just taking care of Ms. Sullivan’s image just now. I never waste time! I mean it!”
He clenched his fist and walked up to Kenny and Samuel before hitting and kicking them.
The two had never expected Paul to attack them.
“How dare you hit me?” Kenny stumbled a few steps backward, It had been a long time since he had been
this embarrassed.
Surprised, Skylar blinked and fixed her gaze on the phone thrown over by Paul before he attacked them. The name “My distinguished boss” was displayed on it.
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Skylar wondered if it was Joe and if he had told Paul to attack Kenny and Samuel. That also meant Joe
was nearby.
She looked around and saw a familiar car across the road. The window had been rolled down halfway, and she could see Joe’s face. He looked somewhat pale under the neon lights.
Paul massaged his wrist. “I’ll not just beat you up, but I’ll also investigate you! If you have the nerve to spout nonsense again, I’ll make sure you regret messing with me… and my boss
“I guess Mr. Martin doesn’t know someone working with him has such a bad attitude. Aren’t you afraid of losing your job if I expose what you did to Mr. Martin?” Samuel questioned furiously.
He needed to film a scene that required him to reveal his abs in two days. His abs must be bruised right now. The director would probably make his life difficult if he had to postpone the filming. Otherwise, he had to look for a double again.
He couldn’t help but curse.
“Ms. Sullivan, please give me the phone. Thank you.” Paul held his hand toward Skylar.
Skylar gave him the phone. “I should thank you.”
“You can speak to this phone, as I’m talking to Mr. Martin right now.” Paul passed them the phone, telling them to make a proper complaint.
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Paul thought he would probably get a pay raise if they were to make a good complaint.
Kenny and Samuel were surprised by how Paul was unbothered and not afraid of getting fired. They could sense something amiss but couldn’t tell which part had gone wrong.
Looking at the phone handed by Paul, the two were speechless.
you
“I’ve given you the chance. You two should read some books and learn how to treat your younger sister and maintain your relationship with your family. You’ll regret your actions one day,” Paul said and put the phone next to his ear.
He received a compliment from Joe as he had wished, so he hung up happily.
Skylar was pleased to see how embarrassed Kenny and Samuel looked. They brought this upon themselves.
“I’m leaving. Thank you for today, Mr. Ziegler. I’ll treat you to a meal next time,” Skylar said to Paul before getting into her car.
Paul felt honored and nodded. “Okay!” He had something he wanted to ask her.
His parents had an heirloom, but he wasn’t sure if it was authentic. People around them told them that it was a counterfeit. He didn’t feel comfortable asking someone else to appraise it, but he felt safe if it was Skylar who did it.
Kenny and Samuel could only watch Skylar leave. They were in too much pain to protest. Since it was embarrassing, they wouldn’t want to make a big deal about that.
Paul then crossed the road.
The brothers exchanged looks, and Samuel said through gritted teeth, “Skylar will definitely regret her actions. She only pleased me last time because she wanted me to acknowledge her as our younger sister.
“And she must be finding a different way to attract our attention by putting on that act. You can find a plot like this in most scripts.”
“I don’t think so. Her relationship with Mr. Ziegler doesn’t seem like what Dad told us about.” Kenny frowned and felt something weighing on him, but he didn’t know how to express it in words.
Samuel said fiercely, “No matter what, I only acknowledge Maisy as my younger sister. Maisy is my only sister!*
Paul got into the car across the road and said, “Mr. Martin, Ms. Sullivan is fine.”
“Okay,” Joe replied. He looked cold and frustrated.
Paul asked hesitantly, “Mr. Martin, are you still attending the banquet held at the pier by the Coleman family?”
Joe’s eyes darkened. It was obvious that he disliked such occasions. “Go back to Galaxy Villa.”
Char
Skylar had arrived at Galaxy Villa before him. She received a message from Gloria as soon as she entered
the house.
Gloria knew that Skylar had accepted a painting restoration job. So, she asked if she was free or had
other events after work.
Skylar replied, “Grandma, I’ll leave work at 4:00 pm tomorrow.”
Gloria’s reply came almost instantly, “George has been urging me to bring you to his house. I’ll have the chauffeur pick you up tomorrow. Then, we’ll go to George’s house together.”
Skylar wrote, “Okay, Grandma. See you tomorrow!”
She had been so occupied lately that she almost forgot what she had promised George in the hospital the
other day.
After setting down her
1, she went to the kitchen. She was starving after that series of events at the bar.
Joe came back and saw Skylar busy in the kitchen. The smell of the food from the kitchen wafted toward
him.
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When Joe met Skylar for the first time, he knew she was beautiful and stood out among the crowd. She looked gentle as she busied herself in the kitchen. Her soft look would make one forget about how tired. they felt.
Skylar smiled when she saw Joe standing at the kitchen door. “I’ve prepared two dishes. Would you join me for a meal?”
“Okay,” Joe replied.
Perhaps because he was home, his head hurt less. It was probably because he felt more relieved.
He had drunk a few glasses of alcohol during the gathering that night. He had barely eaten anything, but he wasn’t hungry. However, he suddenly felt slightly hungry when he saw Skylar’s smiling face.
After getting changed upstairs, he went downstairs. On the dining table were two dishes and two plates of pasta.
She had prepared salad and steak.
Although these were common dishes, she made them look exceptionally appetizing
“Mr. Martin, thank you for today,” Skylar thanked him as soon as she took a seat.
“No trouble at all. You don’t have to thank me.” Joe was slightly displeased at the way Skylar addressed him. She sounded very distant when she thanked him. However, he wasn’t too bothered.
He added, “I should thank you instead, as I’ve been eating the food you prepared.”
Skylar smiled. “Let’s dig in. If we keep thanking each other, the food will get cold.”
“Okay.”
Joe rarely ate salad, but he had half a plate that day. Although the salad was just a mixture of vegetables, Skylar made them taste great.
“I’ll send you to work tomorrow morning. The chauffeur will pick Grandma and then you when you get off
work,” Joe said after he was done with the meal.
“Thank you.” Skylar nodded.
Suddenly,
nly, she remembered something. She stood up to look for her bag before taking a paper bag out,
and there were small tea bags inside.
“I had the herbal store prepare these tea bags for me. It’s the same as the one you’re taking. I switched a
few ingredients, and they’ll probably help you sleep better, Skylar explained.
A skeptical look flitted across Joe’s eyes when he saw the tea bags Skylar handed to him.
He wondered if she was being nice to him.
“I’ll meet Grandma tomorrow, so I’ve also prepared some herbal sachets for a foot bath. She can bring
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them home,” Skylar said as she cleaned the table.
Joe rose to his feet and offered, “I’ll wash the dishes.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it today. You looked unwell. Are you having a headache again?” Skylar brought the plates.
to the kitchen.
Since there were only two of them, there weren’t many plates to wash. It would only take her a while to finish washing them.
Joe was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Skylar to be this observant and notice his condition. Probably because I’ve had a few drinks tonight.”
It was easy to have a headache after drinking, so Skylar didn’t say much.
Seeing her washing the plates in the kitchen, Joe leaned against the couch.
The two knew each other better after spending some time together.
However, Joe zoned out slightly as he stared at the tea bags at the side.
After some time, he heard someone talking next to him. However, he couldn’t hear it clearly, so he turned
to look at Skylar.
Skylar repeated, “Do you need a head massage?”
Joe seemed to sense something, and his face turned cold instantly, “I only helped you today for Grandma’s sake. You’d better not overthink it.”
“Aren’t you the one overthinking, Mr. Martin? I only asked you because your head probably hurt so much that you looked unwell. Since you don’t need my help, I’m going to my room,” Skylar said furiously. She
was quite upset.
Joe had taken her act of kindness as an ill intention. She thought she should’ve just let him suffer the
pain.
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If Gloria hadn’t told her Joe wasn’t as unfriendly as he looked and was actually a nice person, Skylar wouldn’t have offered him a head massage.
Besides, Gloria wished Skylar could help Joe to relieve his headache. That way, she would be more at ease and wouldn’t have to be so concerned about her grandson.
Skylar went upstairs in a huff.
Looking at Skylar going upstairs furiously, Joe massaged his forehead. He wondered if he was overthinking.
12
At Williams Residence, Jeffrey and Sadie looked slightly grim
“Skylar was too much! How could she do nothing and just let Mr. Ziegler beat them up? Couldn’t she stop him? Kenny and Samuel are her brothers.” Maisy’s eyes reddened. She looked as though she truly felt bad for the brothers.
Kenny and Samuel were deeply moved. It was worth it for them to pamper Maisy since she was young. She was completely different from Skylar.
“Skylar was rude to Dad at Martin Group today. What’s wrong with her?” Maisy continued to add fuel to
the fire.
It would be best if everyone in the family would hate Skylar.
Jeffrey looked sullen and said, “She’s hopeless! It’d be better if we don’t acknowledge her as our daughter!
“She’s still our daughter. Jeff, we should give her a chance if she’s willing to come home and apologize,”
Sadie said.
She added, “The hospital has been calling to inform us they’ve run out of blood. We don’t need her, but Maisy does. Why did she become this cruel? Is she going to sit by and watch while Maisy runs out of
blood?”
Sadie was blaming Skylar for everything.
“Skylar surely hates me and wishes me dead,” Maisy said, her tears threatening to spill.
“I don’t think she’s that cruel. I think you guys have probably misunderstood her relationship with Mr. Ziegler. They don’t seem to be in that kind of filthy relationship,” Kenny said with a frown.
“Now that you’ve mentioned it, I feel the same, too.“–Jeffrey had been mulling over things for a while.
Samuel scoffed. “They hooked up secretly. What can you see from the outside? In our circle, I’ve seen many who regard one another as brothers but end up sleeping with each other’s wives.”
“Your sister is still around. You’d better not spout nonsense, Samuel,” Sadie chided.
Chap
Samuel rubbed his nose. “I was just telling the truth. We all know Maisy well. Skylar might have something with another man, but Maisy will never do that.”
“Samuel, thank you for your trust, Dad, Mom, please don’t worry about me.” Maisy looked a little sad.
They were worried about her health.
Seeing how Maisy was concerned about them instead of herself, Sadie felt she knew the daughter she
had raised better.
“Did Mr. Martin mention when he’s marrying you?” Samuel asked as he looked at Maisy.
Samuel disliked Paul. If he were to have a chance to talk to Joe, he’d definitely make him fire Paul.
There was a subtle change in Jeffrey’s expression.
However, Maisy was quite upset. “I didn’t get to talk to Mr. Martin because of Skylar.”
Samuel wanted to probe further but stopped when he saw Jeffrey’s sullen expression. “I have to go to the filming site. It’s so troublesome. The director must be mad if I were to apply for leave.
“I promised to film every scene myself and not use a double when I first joined the cast. If I were to apply for leave, the director would have to look for a double.”
The more he talked about it, the more furious he felt. He wondered why he had a younger sister like Skylar.
Meanwhile, Kenny looked troubled. Some crazy thoughts crossed his mind, and he wondered if they had treated Skylar badly before
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Gloria came to pick Skylar up after work.
In the car, Gloria told her George had bought too many things, including stationery, antiques, books, old paintings, porcelain, emerald ware, and more.
“You can leave it if it’s something you don’t know. But let George know if there’s any counterfeit. He’s rich, so he can’t only blame himself for not knowing more if he’s been deceived. You don’t have to worry about upsetting him by telling him about the counterfeits,” Gloria said.
Skylar smiled and replied, “Okay, I got it.”
George’s house was located in a rural area. It was a vintage–style residence with a pavilion and attic.
When she set foot into the place, Skylar thought she had arrived at a scenic spot.
“You should stay here tonight. I’ve got a hot spring over there, and you can enjoy it,” George said to Gloria
with a smile.
It had been more than a year since Gloria’s last visit. Seeing George had renovated his house again, she
asked, “When did you build the hot spring?”
“There has always been a water source for the hot spring. I thought of going to a hot spring not long ago, so I had them make one,” George replied casually.
Gloria wasn’t interested. “I just got discharged from the hospital, and my heart isn’t that well. I’d better not go into a hot spring. Your house looks just like a resort. The air is pretty fresh, too. Let’s go. Show Skye your treasures.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” George led the way.
Skylar followed behind the two elders and enjoyed the views around her from time to time. The scenery
was breathtaking
She recalled that, back in college, she would spend Saturdays in rural areas with her classmates. When they passed by George’s house, some of them had thought it was a tourist spot.
They had even asked where they could get the ticket but had been stopped by the guard. They had beent told it was a private residence, not a tourist spot.
They had been shocked when they heard it was a private residence.
Some of her classmates had marveled at how luxurious the house was.
Skylar couldn’t help but feel the same way when she entered the house. No wonder Gloria had told her not to worry about upsetting George if there were counterfeits.
“Our family owns a resort, and there’s also a hot spring. It’s nearby. I called Joe when I went to pick you up. The two of you can stay there tonight.” Gloria seized any chance to create opportunities for Skylar and Joe to spend time together.
She had been young once, and she knew Skylar was pretty and had a good figure. If Skylar were to wear a fitted swimsuit, Joe, who had always been cold, would probably be captivated by Skylar.
“Tell Joe to come to my place. It has been a while since I last saw him. I can talk to him for a bit,” George.
hurriedly said.
Gloria rolled her eyes. “They’re spending time together as a couple. Why do you need to get in the middle
of them?”
Although Gloria had scolded George, he didn’t get angry and merely chuckled. Anyone could tell that they had been good friends since they were young.
“My grandchildren can only come back from abroad later. Once they’re back, you should come together. Let’s gather everyone on my 70th birthday,” George suggested.
Gloria nodded. “Alright. I agree.
As they chatted, they arrived in front of a three–story building.
I’ll go for a walk and come here to
“I store all those things in this building. After waking up in the morning have a look. The more I look at these antiques, the more I like them.” George turned and said to Skylar.
When Skylar saw the three–story storage, she was amazed.
The building was like a mini museum.
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Chapter 96
Skylar was still amazed after entering the building..
4
George was interested in many things. A lot of items from his collections were something she hadn’t
expected to see.
“Skye, take your time to look around.” George was worried Skylar would feel tired.
Gloria was interested in the collections too. “I didn’t know you’ve collected a lot. If Viola were to see this,
she’d think you’ve wasted money.”
“How I wish she could come over and have a look. She mentioned many of these things before, but I don’t
know if they’re authentic,” George replied with an expectant look.
“I’m not sure when she’ll be coming back. But now, it’s the same to have Skye look at them. If she says it’s
fake, then it sure is,” Gloria said.
George nodded. “Viola taught Skye all her skills, so she’ll never be wrong.”
Meanwhile, Skylar looked at every collection attentively. She held her phone and took photos when she noticed anything wrong. She paid no attention to the conversation between Gloria and George–she was too focused on studying the collections.
After checking out all the collections, she went to the second floor.
The collections on the second floor were less complicated. Most of them were antique paintings.
When she was done looking at everything on the third floor, the night had fallen.
George and Gloria rested on the first floor.
Seeing Skylar descending the stairs, Gloria waved at her. “Quick, take a break. George has collected many things. Are you tired from checking them out?”
“I’m fine. I’ve not seen such great collections for a long time.” Skylar smiled, and her eyes shone. They could tell she was really into these antiques that were full of stories.
George chuckled. “How’s it? How many of them are fake?”
“Say it. Quick! So that George will be upset,” Gloria said to add fuel to the fire.
Skylar switched on her phone. “This colored vase is fake, and it was replicated in Jansdale. Besides, this antique painting wasn’t drawn by the painter from 1368 to 1644 AD.”
As Skylar swiped the photos, George’s face grew solemn.
Gloria looked grim, too.
Looking at their reactions, Skylar hesitated if she should continue.
Gloria seemed to notice that Skylar had stopped talking and swiping the photos. The tension on her face slightly dissipated as she smiled.
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“Skye, keep going. We’re not looking stern because of how many counterfeits there are. It’s because the two items you mentioned just now were given by our old friend.”
“Old friend? I’m not sure if your friend was conned. This emerald ware was used to store the bones of the
deceased.
“Luckily, you’ve placed the emerald ware here, Mr. Querbach. If you were to put it in the living room or bedroom, you’d likely suffer from diseases like bone cancer.” Skylar looked serious, too.
“What?” Gloria and George gasped at the same time.
Skylar knew George, Gloria, and Viola were good friends, so she said seriously, “You need to send the emerald ware away tomorrow noon. It’d be better to send it to a church so that it won’t harm others.”
“Okay. I’ll do as Skye said.” George wore a stern look.
Gloria looked at George and said earnestly, “We’re old but not dead yet. It seems people are irritated because of this. I think you should be more careful.
“Next time, it’d be better to let Skye look at the gifts given by others. Someone might harm you knowing.”
you
without
“I know, I know. I’ll have to trouble you in the future, Skye.” The solemn expression on George’s face vanished, and he looked gentle when he looked at Skylar.
“No trouble at all, Mr. Querbach.” Skylar grinned.
Gloria glared at George. “Skye had spent a long time helping you to check out those collections. Won’t you give her something nice?”
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“Okay, okay. I’m old, and my memory is getting bad. I prepared a gift before you came.” George chuckled as he walked to a cupboard. Then, he pulled out the drawer and took out a box.
“Open it up and have a look,” he urged.
It was a token of appreciation from an elder, so Skylar didn’t turn him down.
She opened it up and saw an emerald bracelet. The quality was excellent, and it surely cost a fortune.
“This is too valuable…” Skylar said. She dared not accept such a valuable gift. After all, she had only helped him to authenticate his collections.
“It’s a gift from George. Just accept it. It’s his token of appreciation.” Gloria gestured for Skylar to accept the gift, as it was merely an emerald bracelet.
Gloria had many similar bracelets. Once they were home, Gloria would let Skylar pick a few and wear a different one on different days.
George laughed and said, “It’s nothing. Just take it.”
After listening to them, Skylar could only nod and accept the gift. “Thank you, Mr. Querbach.”
“Let’s go and eat. I told them to prepare the dishes with the vegetables I planted.” George walked out of the building and led the way.
Skylar helped Gloria to walk. She could tell Gloria was slightly tired after a series of events that day.
“Are those vegetables planted by you edible? I’ve just come out of the hospital. I don’t want to get admitted again,” Gloria teased.
No one would’ve expected the young George, who used to be a mercenary, would start farming when he got old.
None of them would’ve imagined this at that time.
“I’ve been eating the vegetables I planted this year. I’ve not used any fertilizer, and they’re all organic.” George appeared more gentle as he talked about the vegetables he planted.
Skylar smiled as she watched the two argue. She was also enjoying the views.
The garden was well–managed. It was clean, and the air was fresh, too.
When they almost arrived at the dining room, Gloria answered a call, “You’ve arrived? It’s too late now. Wait outside. Skylar will go to you. You two should head straight to the hot spring resort.”
After hanging up the phone, Glória turned to look at Skylar. “Skye, Joe’s here and waiting outside. You should go look for him now. ll have a good chat with George. You can come pick me up tomorrow.”
“Go ahead.” George chuckled as he waved.
It was great to be young. Even if it were just unrequited love, it would be unforgettable.
“I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting old, but I envy the youngsters sometimes,” George lamented as he looked at Gloria after Skylar had left.
Gloria seemed to be reminiscing about something. “Right. We were fearless back then. And we could just let things slide with a smile even if we were hurt terribly. Look at us now. We’re old.”
“Does Joe like Skye?” George asked.
Gloria scoffed and replied, “I don’t know who he took after. I bet he wouldn’t have gotten married if I hadn’t brought Skye to him.“–
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George laughed. “It simply meant that he wasn’t fond of anyone if he didn’t get married.”
“He must be foolish if he were to wrong Skye,” Gloria scoffed.
“It’s hard to judge when it comes to relationships. That’s up to the youngsters, so there’s nothing we can do.” George knew it well.
Youth’s love was subjective and driven by personal feelings.
Gloria sighed. “Sending Skye to him was the only thing I could do. The rest is up to him.”
She could tell Skylar and Joe had only gotten together because of her. They had no feelings for each
other.
That was her main concern.
As soon as Skylar walked out, she saw Joe’s car.
The window had been rolled down, and Joe was sitting in the backseat, staring at her with his deep–set
eyes.
Skylar was startled at the sight of that. She wondered if he had misunderstood her again and thought she
had made Gloria call him to ask them to stay at the hot spring resort.
Joe got out of the car and opened the door. “Get in first. It takes 20 minutes to get to the hot spring resort.
11
“Okay, thank you.” Skylar got in the car.
The two sat on other ends in the backseat with a huge gap between them, keeping a distance from each
other.
They didn’t talk much in the car. Soon, they arrived at the hot spring resort.
Joe brought Skylar to the restaurant at the resort. After dinner, they stayed at one of the villas. There was a private hot spring at the villa.
€
As soon as they entered the villa, Gloria called. “Have you enjoyed the hot spring? I had someone send you the clothes. Go ahead and soak in it.
“You must be tired after a long day. You’ll have a comfortable sleep after going into the hot spring.
Remember to take photos for me.”
Joe had put the call on loudspeaker so that Skylar could hear everything Gloria said clearly.
As soon as Joe hung up the phone, the doorbell rang. He went to open the door and returned with two bags in his hand.
One of the bags was pink, and the other one was blue. They could easily tell which one belonged to them.
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from the color.
He handed the pink bag to Skylar. “Go get changed.”
“Okay.”
Then, they went back to their own room.
They were staying at a villa, so there were many rooms. They didn’t have to stay in the same room and would feel more comfortable to get changed.
However, when Skylar thought of getting into the hot spring with Joe, she felt slightly awkward.
After changing into the swimsuit prepared by Gloria, Skylar stood in front of the mirror hesitantly, wondering if she should go out.
The swimsuit fitted her perfectly. It accentuated her figure and made her look exceptionally voluptuous.
She had never dressed this sexily before, let alone facing Joe in a swimsuit. However, she didn’t have other swimsuits she could change into.
After hesitating for a while, Skylar decided to just go with it.
As long as she was pleased with herself, nothing mattered to her. Even if she were to walk to Joe in her birthday suit, he wouldn’t spare her another glance. Hence, she didn’t need to worry too much.
Besides, she wished to relax in the hot spring, too.
The hot spring was big enough to accommodate up to eight people.
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Joe came in his swimming trunks. He found a spot, sat down, and leaned on one side.
The surroundings were serene. The sound of birds singing, the fragrance of flowers in the air, and the comfortable temperature of the hot spring would make one more relieved
Skylar saw Joe resting with his eyes closed when she arrived.
The water level was right below his chest. The ripples and soft glow of the moonlight made his chest
muscles look more defined and sexier.
She knew Joe was good–looking, but she hadn’t expected him to have such a great figure.
After glancing at him, she immediately looked away. Joe suddenly opened his eyes when she stepped into the pool.
He looked at Skylar with his sparkling yet unfathomable eyes.
She wore a red bikini that accentuated her fair skin. She had a slim waist and a pair of slender legs, and
her body was hot and curvy.
He was stunned for a moment as his heart pounded, thinking if she wanted to seduce him with that look.
At that moment, he had to admit that he had reacted like how a man would’ve reacted.
Skylar didn’t notice the change in Joe’s expression. She felt extremely comfortable when she went into
the water.
As expected from a natural hot spring, the temperature was just right.
She found a spot and sat down.
After sitting down, she caught Joe staring at her.
“Come over and sit here,” Joe said as he stared intently at her.
Skylar was startled.
Joe saw her hesitant look and said, “We’ve said before we should act like a loving couple in front of
Grandma. Now we have to take a photo and send it to her.”
Mentioning Gloria helped bring him back to his senses. Gloria had prepared a sexy bikini for Skylar to captivate him.
He was a man, after all. Hence, it was normal for him to react like any other man would’ve reacted when he saw the sexy Skylar.
Skylar grinned. “Okay.” She stood up and walked up to Joe.
The beautiful moonlight that night was met with a subtle change in the atmosphere. With the sound of the rippling water, Joe’s eyes darkened as Skylar approached slowly.
She was exactly his ideal type. She looked alluring, even with just a smile.
Skylar looked pure yet seductive. And now she was in such a sexy outfit. Joe felt he wouldn’t turn her
down if she were to offer herself.
He snapped out of his thoughts as soon as this idea crossed his mind. He felt as though he had been
bewitched.
“Okay. Let’s look for a right angle and take a photo. I didn’t bring my phone, so just snap it with yours,” Skylar said and sat next to Joe.
Joe gave Skylar a sidelong glance and saw her grinning from ear to ear. That idea he had just suppressed appeared in his mind again. They were so close to each other, and he saw her chest when he withdrew
his gaze.
His breath was slightly heavy as he hummed in response.
The smile on Skylar’s face froze when she saw Joe, who had barely said a word. They hadn’t chatted much since they met that night.
She wondered if he looked grim and was in a bad mood because he was forcing himself to spend time
with her for Gloria’s sake.
As soon as the thought hit her, she decided not to talk to him that night so that he wouldn’t misunderstand her.
Joe grabbed the phone, found the right angle, and took a photo of them. They smiled as he captured the photo.
In the photo, their cheeks had turned slightly red because they were in the hot spring. And they looked just like a loving couple with wide smiles on their faces.
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Gloria looked at the photo and grinned. “Okay, my plan is going in the right direction.”
“Did the two get closer?” George asked.
Gloria replied smugly, “Of course. I didn’t plan the trip to the hot spring resort just for them to go into the
hot spring.”
Chuckling, George nodded. “The older, the wiser. You had all kinds of ideas when you were young, and now you’re even better.”
Gloria laughed and looked solemn again. “You know my health and the Martin family’s situation. If Joe doesn’t have a sensible person by his side, he’ll have to face those people alone after I leave. It’ll be too
much for him.”
“Skye is a sweet girl. Viola has always been right,” George said with a stern look in his eyes.
Gloria and George had been through a lot in their lives, yet many things were out of their control even when they were at this age.
They had done what they could, and the youngsters should figure out the rest themselves.
After taking the photo and sending it to Gloria, Skylar stood up and went back to the original spot.
Joe set his phone own and saw Skylar avoiding him, treating him as though he was such a nuisance. She went to a spot furthest away from him. His face instantly grew grimmer at that sight.
Somehow, he felt irritated.
Skylar found the right angle and leaned backward before closing her eyes comfortably. She was enjoying the serenity and paid no heed to Joe.
She thought he would want her to stay away from him.
All the villas were attached with partitions built between the hot springs. They could easily hear what others said if it was quiet.
Just then, a sound that would make one blush came. The sound seemed to come from the villa next door.
It wasn’t clear, but they could tell what kind of sound it was.
Skylar blushed slightly.
If she were the only one there, she would listen to it just for fun. However, the situation became awkward because Joe was also present/
When she opened her eyes, she saw Joe looking at her.
Their eyes met.
Skylar felt Joe look grim, and his dark gaze looked exceptionally terrifying.
At times like this, other couples probably couldn’t hold themselves back.
Now that Joe and her were trapped in such a situation, Skylar couldn’t help blushing.
They had been in the hot spring for more than ten minutes. She felt a little dizzy after soaking in it for too long, so she stood up. “I… I’m tired. I’ll go back to rest.”
Joe raised an eyebrow as he watched Skylar flee the scene.
He could feel a sense of desire surge within him, and he instantly furrowed his brows.
When Skylar arrived at the door, she heard a soft female voice. “Mr. Hughes, I love you so much…”
The sound cut in and out, so she couldn’t hear it clearly. But she seemed to hear the mention of “Mr. Hughes.”
“Mr. Hughes,” she wondered.
She stopped and recalled what Natalie had told her that day at the bar. Women tended to have good
instincts sometimes. They would easily notice the changes in their partner.
Just like her previous life, Skylar could feel the changes in Christopher. However, back in Williams Residence, she had to donate her blood. At the same time, Jeffrey and Sadie had been picking on her, so
she couldn’t be bothered to delve into his changes.
She had underestimated humanity and hadn’t expected someone to be this despicable.
Nonetheless, everyone was different. She didn’t want Natalie to get betrayed.
Hence, she wondered if the “Mr. Hughes” that woman had called out was the person she had in mind or if it was just a coincidence.
She frowned.
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Skylar thought of Jeremy, whom she had met before, and he had doted on Natalie. So she thought it was most likely a coincidence.
Joe’s face fell when he saw Skylar stop suddenly.
The sound kept ringing in their ears. It was irritating.
Seeing Skylar standing rooted to the spot at the door, he suddenly realized she could be waiting for him.
Joe composed himself when he thought of her intention. He picked up the glass next to him and took a few sips of water as he stared coldly at Skylar and her great figure.
He wondered if she stood there just to seduce him.
“What’s wrong?” Joe asked indifferently.
His cold voice was just like the night breeze. Skylar only came back to her senses when she felt the chill.
She turned to look at Joe. “I just suddenly thought of something. Nothing. Goodnight.”
She immediately grabbed a towel from the side, wrapped her body, and returned to the villa before
rushing back to her room.
After showering and drying her hair, she got ready for bed. However, she felt a bit thirsty as soon as she lay down.
There was no water in the room, and she had sweated when she was in the hot spring just now. S
needed to get hydrated.
She opened the door and walked out. Then, she found the fridge. There were some beverages, water, and
even alcohol in it.
Since she wasn’t a fan of beverages or smoothies, she only grabbed a bottle of mineral water.
After that, she closed the fridge and took a few sips of the water. The water quenched her thirst instantly.
Just when she was about to turn around, she bumped into a hard surface.
“Ahh!” She took a step back in panic. But someone held her by her waist.
Under the dim light, Skylar met a pair of dark eyes. “Mr. Martin!”
Surprised by his sudden appearance, she wondered if she had bumped into his chest just now.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Joe released his grip around her waist.
Her sleepwear was baggy and wouldn’t show her figure. If he hadn’t seen her in a bikini, he wouldn’t have
thought she had a great figure.
She had such a slim waist.
Tm here to grab some water Joe’s voice was slightly hoarse
Skylar nodded and moved to the side. “There’s still water inside I go to my room?
Joe glanced at her. “Okay”
Skylar had barely taken a few steps forward when doe called her
“Are you still thinking about your ex–boyfriend?” he asked:
11
Skylar frowned at his question Christopher had hurt her deeply, and she would never fat for someone
easily again in her life.
Her voice was a little cold as she replied, “Mr. Martin, he’s my ex–boyfriend, as you’ve said”
Christopher didn’t deserve a place in her heart. A jerk like him was no different from a dead person to her
Joe raised an eyebrow. The more one loved someone, the more they would hate that person when they
got betrayed
He could feel that Skylar truly hated Christopher. It also meant that Christopher still had a place in her
He grabbed a cigarette when the realization dawned upon him.
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As he lit the cigarette, the light cast upon his face flickered.
Skylar couldn’t fathom what was on Joe’s mind, so she could only guess. ‘Don’t worry, Mr. Martin. I know what to do. I won’t date anyone in the three years of our marriage. I’ll never make Grandma worry.”
He was probably afraid that she still had something to do with Christopher and that their matters would inadvertently alert Glori
There was something she couldn’t tell him. He wouldn’t have thought she was still entangled with Christopher if he had known her experience in her previous life.
After all, she didn’t enjoy being tortured, and she wasn’t that lowly.
“Okay,” Joe replied softly..
Suddenly, Skylar felt something welling in her chest. She couldn’t hold herself back and said, “Mr. Martin, since you told me not to be in a relationship in three years, I wish you could do the same too.”
It was a mutual agreement. It didn’t make sense if she was the only one abiding by the request.
Joe could feel the hostility from Skylar. His frustration vanished in an instant. Then, he replied patiently, I’ll abide by the agreement.”
Skylar didn’t dwell on that matter. “Okay then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
When Skylar returned to her room to sleep, Joe grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a few sips. Then, he went outside to smoke.
He saw the message from Jeremy on his phone.
Jeremy: “Are you in the hot spring resort, too?”
Joe recalled the voice he had heard when they were in the hot spring just a moment ago and tapped on
the screen.
Joe: “Did you bring a woman here?”
Jeremy: “Did the receptionist tell you?”
Joe’s eyes darkened as he replied, “No.”
Jeremy stopped replying, and Joe switched off his phone before he walked to the villa.
The next morning, the chauffeur came to pick up Skylar.
Joe was still in the hot spring resort. He had said he would pick up Gloria from George’s place around 10:
00 am.
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Skylar arrived at Daniel’s store. She washed her hands and got ready for restoration work.
When she was about to enter the workroom, Caleb tugged at her and asked, “Has Mr. Gardner Senior’s
team called you?”
He had been buttering up his grandfather for days, so Alexander would certainly agree to have Skylar join
his team.
Skylar said regretfully, “Mr. Gardner Senior’s team sent me a message yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t
accepted.”
“What?” Caleb widened his eyes. He hadn’t expected this.
“It’s okay. I lack experience, and I didn’t major in archaeology, history, or anything related to those in college. It was normal that they didn’t accept me. I was mentally prepared. Anyway, thank you for telling
me about this opportunity.”
Seeing how shocked Caleb was, Skylar thought he felt bad for her.
Daniel heard them and said, “I’ve recommended Skylar to the auction house. Once she’s done with the work here, she can apply for a job there. They offer higher pay and bonuses.”
“Auction house isn’t better than Mr. Gardner Senior’s team.” Caleb scratched his head and glared at Daniel. He hadn’t expected his grandfather to be this cold–hearted.
He wondered why Alexander was so ruthless. He had reassured Alexander, yet his grandfather didn’t
believe him.
Alexander was stubborn and merely took Skylar as an inexperienced young lady. He reckoned that someone recommended by Caleb wasn’t capable
He thought Caleb had only done that because he wanted to court the woman by showing off he could let her join Alexander’s team.
Caleb had no idea why most grandfathers would dote on their grandchildren, but it was the complete opposite for him.
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Caleb actually wished it was just as Alexander had assumed. Skylar was undoubtedly capable.
Skylar wasn’t only good at restoring antiques, but she also knew how to authenticate them. She could tell at a glance if something was fake or bad.
Caleb reckoned that Alexander must be getting on in years if he insisted on judging one’s capability based
on one’s age and experience.
Skylar pushed open the door and entered the workroom. She didn’t like to be disturbed when she worked, and she preferred a quiet environment.
She also needed to pay full attention. Besides, she wasn’t even bothered by the fact that she hadn’t been accepted by Alexander’s team.
She was only a little disappointed when she found out about the result.
Seeing that Skylar soon immersed herself in work, Caleb was so furious that he texted his grandfather,” I’m going for a DNA test. I don’t think you’re my grandpa.”
Alexander replied, “You should go for a DNA test with your dad when you’re free. I suspect that you’re not
his son.”
Caleb held his phone so tightly that he almost crashed it. He thought he must have committed sins in his past life to have a grandfather like Alexander.
After replying to Caleb’s messages, Alexander looked at the people who came for the interview. He would be interviewing them personally.
These interviewees were experienced in this field, and they were authenticating all kinds of antiques. The interview would take several hours that day, and his team had high requirements for their team members. The incapable ones wouldn’t even dare to face him.
The interview consisted of many stages.
Alexander doted on Caleb. It was just that Caleb wasn’t reliable.
Most of Caleb’s friends preferred challenging activities. Some of them were overconfident in their capability when they had only attended college for a few days and picked up some skills.
Caleb was influenced easily and had less experience in society, so he tended to trust others easily.
Alexander reckoned that the youth these days weren’t comparable to those from his generation. Although they had no skills, they pretended they knew everything. It was simply troubling.
Seeing Caleb had stopped complaining, Alexander set his phone down. Then, he scrutinized the interviewees in silence.
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In fact, these interviewees were considered the cream of the crop, but Alexander wasn’t pleased with them. Most of the young people were reluctant to endure hardships these days.
2/2
In the laboratory, Kenny keyed in a line of command on the computer.
However, the robotic arm that was being tested swayed vigorously before falling to the floor and breaking
in half.
He had tested it for the 300th time in two days, yet he never succeeded.
“Was that information from Steven’s thesis his imagination?” Kenny questioned in a low voice. He wondered if Steven had set him up on purpose.
Back when they were in college, they had been going against each other. Kenny looked down on Steven. He thought Steven was arrogant and acted as if he was the son of a prominent family when he was from the countryside.
Steven had always performed better than Kenny in college, but his family background was nothing compared to Kenny’s. Kenny’s family could provide him with all kinds of resources, assisting him in developing his career.
However, Kenny hadn’t expected Steven would also be hired into the same technology company he had, just joined. This company had the best technology and research equipment in the country.
Then, he thought of Skylar’s attitude toward him. He reckoned it could be Steven who had told her to do
- SO.
He went to look for Steven in a huff when he thought of how Skylar only listened to Steven instead of him. Steven was focusing on the data on the computer when he suddenly felt a pain in his cheek. Then, he heard Kenny scolding, “Did you tell Skylar to look for a sugar daddy to embarrass the Williams family?”
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As soon as Kenny said that, the rest of them held their breath.
Kenny and Steven hadn’t been getting along, but they seemed fine on the surface.
Many of them in the company turned a blind eye despite knowing Kenny had stolen Steven’s thesis.
At this point, Kenny seemed arrogant and didn’t take Steven seriously. After all, he had just come to beat him up.
Steven turned and punched Kenny’s face, his expression grim.
“You said Skye’s your sister. Is this how a brother should behave? Skye will only get married to someone and will never get a sugar daddy!” he exclaimed.
Kenny was stunned after getting punched in the face.
He covered his face and felt an indescribable feeling when he looked at Steven, who was defending Skylar. It was as though they never wished to acknowledge that Skylar had been outstanding in the first place. They seemed to feel better if Skylar didn’t do well and if Maisy was more capable.
They wouldn’t trust or defend Skylar unconditionally as Steven did.
“Have you ever treated her as a part of your family? What does she have to do with Maisy’s sickness and needing a blood transfusion?
“You’ve been guilt–tripping her to make her donate her blood. Have you ever thought about her health? Since you guys despise her this much, you’d better not look for her next time.” Steven spat.
“Also, Kenny Williams, you stole my thesis, yet you have the nerve to come to me! Aren’t you ashamed?”
he questioned.
Steven rarely fought with others. He wasn’t bothered by how Kenny had been picking on him secretly.
However, Skylar was his weakness. He couldn’t bear someone slandering and messing with his younger sister, whom he had been pampering since she was young.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kenny was enraged.
Kenny had been living in regrets since he had stolen Steven’s thesis. He wondered why he would do such
a lowly act back then. Now, he couldn’t even speak righteously for himself.
However, he thought Steven had no reason to act arrogantly when it was merely a thesis.
Steven sneered. He despised Kenny.
Skylar hadn’t seen Joe for days.
Paul had sent her a message, telling her that Joe needed to go on a business trip for several days.
She had recently taken some time to go back and have a meal with her adoptive mother, Janine.
Then, she went to school to visit Harvey. He would sit for the college entrance exam soon, so he had
been studying every day.
She wanted to visit Charles, but he told her that the filming site was in poor condition. He was worried
she would feel uncomfortable there. Hence, he told her to visit again sometime later.
Steven called her and told her to make an arrangement. He wanted to meet the person she had married.
Seeing how Steven insisted on meeting that person, Skylar was slightly troubled. She had no idea how
she should tell Joe about it.
Since she was occupied with work, she made up an excuse to turn Steven down. He didn’t press on the
matter.
Skylar had completed the last painting at Daniel’s place. She would go for an interview at the auction house the next day, as Daniel recommended
That afternoon, she had to go shopping with Natalie.
Natalie and Jeremy had to attend a banquet at 8:00 pm.
As soon as they met, Natalie started complaining, “I don’t like attending banquets like this since I need to socialize. But this time, they’ve invited both of us. I need to go with Jeremy even if I don’t want to attend.
“It’s the engagement banquet for the Gardner family’s youngest son, John Gardner. Do you know who else Is attending? Joe Martin–the man we met at the place where we had stew the other day.
“Joe and John are childhood friends. My husband was their classmate in college, and they’d gather sometimes. But I’ve never met the two of them.”
Skylar spaced out slightly when she heard Natalie mentioning Joe Martin.
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After a while, Natalie walked out of the dressing room in a customized gown.
Natalie had fair skin and a bright smile that would make one forget their worries. She looked youthful and was like a fairy in the perfectly tailored white gown.
“What do you think?” Natalie knew she didn’t have a curvy figure, so she had been envious of Skylar.
The gown she had selected looked less feminine.
However, she knew Jeremy was fond of girls with a personality like hers and didn’t care much about body figures. If not, she would be so concerned about her body.
Skylar was surprised. “It’s beautiful and suits you well.”
“This will do then.” Natalie twirled in front of the mirror.
Although she didn’t have a hot figure, she could pull off most outfits. She would be a beauty if she were to find the right style.
Natalie praised herself secretly. Suddenly, she stared at something behind Skylar.
Seeing that, Skylar turned to look.
On the sixty–inch LED screen, Joe was getting interviewed by a female host.
“Thank you for doing this interview, Mr. Martin. But I have another question. Are you single?”
Joe fell silent for a brief moment and nodded.
Although he didn’t answer the question, his non meant that he was single at that moment.
Skylar arched an eyebrow.
The female host seemed pleased with his answer. “Mr. Martin, you’re still single although you’re such an outstanding person. Could you tell us the requirements you have for your partner?”
“As long as it’s someone I like.” Joe’s answer was straightforward.
“Oh my goodness!” Natalie exclaimed and pointed at somewhere outside the store. “It seems like we’ve bumped into Joe quite frequently these days. Skylar, look. Quick! Isn’t that Joe Martin? I think he’s with the female host who interviewed him.”
Skylar immediately looked over and saw the two standing in front of a restaurant, chatting happily as they
headed to the entrance.
She even caught Joe, whose face was always devoid of expressions, smiling faintly. She could tell he truly admired the female host/
“I remember who the female host is! I think she’s Annie Silver, a well–known figure in my husband’s college. She seemed to be the campus belle. She surely knows Joe Martin.
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“Perhaps they merely took advantage of the Interview to flirt. They’ve probably contacted each other secretly since long ago.” Natalie was excited that she had discovered juicy gossip.
Thinking about what she had found out, Natalie thought she could be a detective.
Skylar thought Natalie had discovered the truth again. She couldn’t express how she felt after knowing Joe was fond of someone. But she thought she should sort things out and talk to Gloria.
By then, she could tell her brother she had a quick divorce soon after her marriage.
Natalie wanted to prove her assumption correct, so she called Jeremy. However, it was Jeremy’s
secretary who picked up the phone.
“Mr. Hughes is in a meeting right now, so he couldn’t answer the call.”
Natalie froze when she heard the soft female voice from the other end of the line. The voice would make
any man fall for her.
Natalie wondered if Jeremy had a new secretary. “I’m Mr. Hughes‘ wife. Tell him to call me back when he’s done with the meeting.”
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On the other end of the line, the woman paused for a few seconds before replying indifferently, “Okay, I’ll let Mr. Hughes know.”
After hanging up the phone, Natalle frowned, “He didn’t tell me he’s changed his secretary.”
Skylar heard Natalie mumbling, so she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Natalie smiled. “Nothing. My husband is in a meeting right now, so he couldn’t answer my call. It was his secretary who picked up the phone
“Something’s strange, though. I wonder why the previous secretary quit, as he was doing quite well. Whatever, I don’t care about his work mat
“It’s a pity I couldn’t get immediate information about the gossip. I’ll ask him when I see him tonight. Then, I’ll share the story between Joe and Annie with you.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for first–hand news from you,” Skylar replied, smiling.
After that, the two went to shop at the mall. Natalie bought a lot of things. Skylar also bought some clothes. She even bought a set for Janine. They left with their arms full.
Jeremy had sent the chauffeur to pick Natalie up. Skylar went to the parking lot after seeing Natalie happily get into the car..
Not long after she left the parking lot, she passed by the intersection. While waiting at the traffic light, she felt slightly stuffy in the car, so she rolled down the window.
Suddenly, she noticed someone looking at her, so she turned to the side.
She saw Joe, who was in the car across the road. He was staring at her, too. And he seemed surprised to see her.
Since the window had been rolled down, Skylar could see Annie, who sat in the car with Joe.
Annie looked very pretty on screen, but when Skylar saw her in person, she thought Annie looked more stunning. Her features were sharp, and she looked just like a rich and beautiful lady from a prominent
family.
Annie seemed to have sensed Joe looking out, so she looked in Skylar’s direction, too.
Women were born to have good instincts.
Annie frowned when she saw Skylar. She noticed Joe staring at the woman across the road for a long time. He had been staring at her as he waited for the red light to turn green.
Skylar swiftly returned to her senses and withdrew her gaze, pretending she didn’t know Joe. She was afraid Annie would grow suspicious.
When the green light lit up, Skylar stepped on the accelerator and sped off. It was as though she was running away for dear life. If not because of the speed limit in town, she would’ve been gone from that
A–22
road.
After driving for some distance, Skylar was amused by her own reaction.
She was his legal wife, yet she felt guilty when she saw her husband with another woman. But since it was a covert marriage, they had to draw a clear line.
Caleb rarely visited his grandfather’s workplace. Alexander had been busy recently, so he couldn’t even get ahold of him.
Everyone from Alexander’s team knew Caleb. They welcomed him with warm greetings when they saw
him.
“Where’s my grandpa?” he asked anyone he saw.
“Mr. Gardner Senior is resting on the sixth floor.”
After knowing where Alexander was, Caleb immediately took the elevator to the sixth floor.
On the sixth floor was a lounge area.
Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!
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After a long day, the team members could head to the sixth floor to grab a coffee or hit the treadmill for a workout. The gym was well–equipped too.
Even though Alexander was getting on in years, he still belleved in exercising to keep himself healthy.
When Caleb arrived on the sixth floor, he found Alexander strolling on one of the treadmills.
Caleb jogged over while saying, “Grandpa, there you are! I’ve been looking for you.”
Startled by Caleb’s voice, Alexander almost lost his balance. He quickly grabbed the handles to steady
himself before glaring at Caleb.
Alexander then asked irritatedly. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s been days since we met. Don’t you miss me, Grandpa?” Caleb asked resentfully.
Alexander scoffed. “What’s there to miss?
Caleb was used to being disliked by Alexander and didn’t take it personally. He turned on the treadmill
next to Alexander’s and started walking.
“Look, old fart. You don’t like me and I don’t like you too. I just think that you’re getting older. Sometimes your eyes might not be that perfect anymore.”
“My eyes are just fine. I just fixed an antique pocket watch yesterday. Age has nothing to do with it, you little punk. If you have something to say, just say it. Stop with the sarcasm,” Alexander glared at Caleb.
Caleb grew up with Alexander. So, Alexander knew what he was up to.
He was there to get Alexander to reconsider the young lady he mentioned before.
Over the past few days, Alexander had looked at Skylar’s résumé.
Sure, the photos showed she had done some restoration work, but photos could be made up. Résumé, on
the other hand, couldn’t lie.
Her qualifications didn’t suggest that she could restore the pieces in those pictures.
who was
That meant Skylar was lying. Alexander didn’t want anybody in his team who wasn’t the real deal.
“Look, Grandpa. I’m serious. Skylar really is talented. She restored two paintings for Daniel. They’re now at the auction house. I watched her work every day while she was restoring the paintings. No offense, but I think she’s better at it than you are,” Caleb said nervously.
Alexander wasn’t buying it. “Don’t try to sweet–talk me.”
“How about this, old fart. I’ll quit my job at Daniel’s place and work with you full–time. But under one condition–you’ll interview Skylar. If she’s as bad as you think, I’ll move into this building and learn from you for a year, starting from the basics. How’s that?
“This is your last chance, Grandpa. I’m the only one in this family with a bit of talent for this. This is also
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the only shop that does restoration work in this town. Who are you going to pass it on to if not me?”
Caleb had no choice but to make the proposal.
Alexander clenched his teeth. He was annoyed, but Caleb did hit a weak spot.
Fine, Alexander thought. He would give Skylar a chance to see what all the fuss was about. Skylar would have to show her true self once she met Alexander anyway.
“Alright, tell her to come tomorrow,” Alexander agreed.
Caleb scratched his head. “You’ll have to contact her through the usual ways. She doesn’t know I’m your
grandson yet.”
Alexander was surprised. “She doesn’t know who you are?” He couldn’t help but think Caleb was lying to
him.
“Yeah, she doesn’t. She thinks I’m just a regular worker. She even worries I might not have enough to eat. Skylar isn’t what you think. You’ll see for yourself,” Caleb explained. He felt a bit awkward, as if Alexander
had discovered his secret.
Alexander turned off his treadmill and wiped his sweat. He then narrowed his eyes as he studied Caleb. Alright, I’ll see what she’s really like.”
Was he going to be a Great–Grandpa soon?
Caleb felt uncomfortable by the intense gaze and quickly changed the topic. “Let’s go. Uncle John is. getting engaged tonight. My parents can’t make it so you and I will have to be there.”
Alexander looked at the time. “Oh, I almost forgot about that.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. Alexander forgot his own son’s engagement, yet he claimed to have a great memory. What a stubborn old man.
Skylar had just returned to Galaxy Villa when her phone buzzed with a new message from Natalie. It was a photo of Joe and Annie toasting each other while being surrounded by other guests.
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The real attention–grabbers at the party were the lovely duo, Joe and Annie.
When they were together, it was as if everybody else disappeared. All eyes were on them only.
They were a match made in heaven, the perfect couple that stole the limelight.
Natalie: “See that? They showed up together at John’s engagement party again. There’s no way they’re just friends, right? I asked my husband, but he told me not to snoop into Joe’s business.”
Natalie: “But I still think you’re the prettiest. Annie is pretty too but she’s got nothing on you. Skye, you’ve got that captivating charm like a little siren who can steal anybody’s breath away!”
As Skylar read the increasingly ridiculous messages from Natalie, she glanced at the photo again.
She felt uneasy. To repay her debts to Gloria, she inadvertently found herself cast as a mistress in Joe’s
relationship with Annie.
Now she understood why Joe always treated her with that cold and distant attitude. It was because he
already had someone he liked.
Later that night, just as she was about to go to bed, Skylar received a call from Alexander’s team.
They apologized for calling her so late at night and explained that they had overlooked her résumé during the screening process and missed her interview. They would like to interview her if she had time the next
day.
Even though Skylar’s spirits had been low after learning about Joe and Annie’s relationship, the call from Alexander’s team brightened her mood.
She had also agreed to meet with the auction house the following day. So, she decided to go for the interview with Alexander’s team in the morning before going to the auction house in the afternoon.
After all, Alexander’s team had high standards, and she wasn’t sure if she could make the cut.
Feeling optimistic about the future, Skylar shared the good news with Janine and Steven. They wished her luck and said that no matter the outcome, she would always be the best to them.
With their support, Skylar felt ready to face whatever came her way.
She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
When Skylar went downstairs to make breakfast the next morning, she noticed that Joe hadn’t returned home last night.
It didn’t surprise her. Natalie had mentioned that Annie had just returned from abroad less than a month. ago. It made sense that both of them would want to spend time together since they hadn’t met for a long
time.
As she finished breakfast and headed out the door, Skylar glanced back at Galaxy Villa.
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She needed to find an excuse to move out and tell Gloria she was busy with work. That way, she could eventually end this spontaneous marriage arrangement with Joe without causing any fuss.
Joe woke up with a pounding headache. He had drunk a lot the night before and ended up crashing on
the Gardners‘ yacht..
Almost everyone who attended the engagement party spent the night
on the s
He rubbed his temples and remembered something. He immediately called Paul.
Paul also spent the night on the yacht. He was already up and answered the call quickly.
“Mr. Martin, are we leaving the yacht now?” Paul asked.
Joe frowned. “Did you tell Skylar I was back in town?”
“No, Mr. Martin.” Paul was surprised by that question. He didn’t recall Joe instructing him to update Skylar
about his whereabouts.
Joe’s expression darkened. “Then tell her.”
“Got it, Mr. Martin, Paul replied.
“Wait, never mind. Forget about what I said.” Joe suddenly changed his mind.
Paul was confused. Was Joe trying to keep Skylar informed about his whereabouts or not?
Joe looked at his phone. He had been out of town for more than a week, yet Skylar didn’t even send him a message or call him once.
His expression grew darker.
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Skylar arrived for her interview promptly at 9:30 am as instructed.
There were two other candidates waiting with her. Both of the men seemed to be ten years older than she
was.
When they saw her, they both frowned a bit.
Skylar was so young. Was she here because she had connections?
Only the real deal got to join Alexander’s team. He turned away many people who tried to use their
connections to get in.
Could a young lady like Skylar have the skills for the job?
Both men gave Skylar a slight look of disdain. To them, she seemed too attractive to be truly talented.
Skylar realized their looks, but she didn’t mind them at all.
“I thought they weren’t going to give me an interview,” one of the men said to the other. “Surprisingly, they called me up last night. Did you receive a call from them as well?”
“Yes, I did. I was ready to start looking somewhere else. I thought it was a shame that I couldn’t get into
Mr. Gardner Senior’s team,” the other man said.
“Looks like luck is on our side,” One of the men replied.
They kept talking as if they were laying the groundwork for their future as colleagues.
They ignored Skylar’s presence and treated her like she wasn’t there.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long. In about ten minutes, they were called in.
It wasn’t Alexander himself conducting the interview, but three middle–aged professionals in their 40s
They looked like trusted members of Alexander, people who had earned their place through hard work
and skill.
“Your task is to identify which ones are fake. Take a good look at the ancient coins, paintings, bronzes, and ceramics. Then, write down which ones are fake in order,” one of the interviewers said.
There were about 50 to 60 items placed in front of them.
The items were all organized on the table and on the wall.
She wasn’t sure how many stages there were in this interview. After all, each interview varied from place to place.
Identifying the genuine from the fake wasn’t difficult for her before. On top of that, she didn’t need as much time to identify them now.
It was almost as if she had a connection with the antiques. She could sense the stories behind them, so it
harter
was easy for her to identify the fake ones.
Plus, she had been learning from Viola since she was a child. These were just the basics for her.
It only took her a few minutes to complete the task.
Her speed shocked the three interviewers.
Initially, they thought Skylar was trying to draw attention by answering quickly without taking the process
seriously.
The other two candidates were also taken aback by her speed before looking at her disdainfully.
They thought participating in an interview with someone who seemed to be rushing through it and not taking the interview seriously felt like an insult to them.
The three interviewers shared the same skepticism. Their expressions were cold and reserved.
Alexander and Caleb witnessed the whole scene from the monitor
room.
Alexander’s eyes were icy. Skylar was a show–off, just as he expected.
“What do you have to say now?” He looked at Caleb.
Caleb felt a little bit unsure. He had never seen Skylar evaluate so many items at once, so he couldn’t tell for sure. However, he believed in her.
“It’s the results that matter, not how fast or slow she goes. Why are you jumping to conclusions, Grandpa?”
“What’s gotten into you? It’s like you’re under some kind of spell.” Alexander rolled his eyes.
“Just wait, Grandpa. You’ll know what I’m talking about,” Caleb insisted.
He had faith in Skylar. However, he was confused by the items that were being placed together. Alexander’s collection of fakes was incredibly convincing. He couldn’t tell which ones were fake, either.
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Alexander didn’t believe in Caleb’s words.
However, since he had already promised Caleb to give Skylar a chance, he couldn’t call it off when the Interview just began.
Besides, he had nothing scheduled for that morning. He could stick around and let Caleb see that Skylar
wasn’t who he thought she was.
Though Alexander had to admit, Skylar was a pretty girl. She was definitely the type of a young man like
Caleb would like.
However, she didn’t look like she belonged in this field. She didn’t give off that sense of reliability.
When the two other candidates handed in their answers, the interviewers looked at all of their answers.
They purposely placed Skylar’s answer at the bottom and looked at the other two candidates‘ answers
first.
In their line of work, they had to take things seriously. There was no room for jokes when it comes to antiques. Since Skylar treated the interview as a joke, they weren’t about to respect her either.
The two candidates beside Skylar were getting tense. Everyone kept saying that Alexander’s team had strict standards. It definitely looked like it, as well.
The fakes were incredibly convincing. If they hadn’t spent years in this field, they probably couldn’t tell the
difference.
When the interviewers checked the two candidates‘ answers, they seemed unsurprised by the results.
When they first joined the team, they couldn’t spot all the fakes too. Some of the items were crafted so perfectly they looked identical to the real thing.
Finally, they turned to look at Skylar’s answers. At first, they didn’t think much of it. After all, she completed the task too quickly.
Skylar remained calm. She wasn’t nervous at all.
Yet, in the monitoring room, Caleb was on edge and took a deep breath.
Alexander glanced at Caleb. “Why are you so tense?”
“I’m not tense. Skylar is the real deal. If she’s not worried, why should I be?” Caleb replied while trying to sound confident.
Alexander grunted. Watching from the monitor, Skylar did seem genuinely relaxed. He wasn’t sure if it was just an act
When the interviewers checked Skylar’s answers, they exchanged glances with each other and were all
stunned.
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She had answered all of them correctly. She successfully identified all the fakes. Ever since they joined the team, they had never met someone who could answer all of them correctly.
If it were to be someone who had worked in the team for years, of course, they would be able to identify
the fakes. However, this was Skylar’s first time interviewing.
Skylar noticed the interviewers staring at her. She asked with a polite smile, “Is there something wrong with my answers?”
“No, not at all,” One of them replied.
The fact that there was no problem was the problem.
Luckily, they managed to keep their composure. One of them then said, “Follow me to the next stage of
the interview.”
One of the interviewers took all of the candidates‘ answers to the monitor room.
Caleb saw what was going on and felt his anxiety rise.
What did their reactions mean? What would happen if Skylar failed to identify the fake ones?
Skylar was impressive. It was Alexander’s ridiculously convincing fake antiques‘ fault if she couldn’t spot
them.
“Do you still want to keep watching?” Alexander asked.
“Of course,” Caleb said while acting tough. “I want you to see for yourself how skilled Skylar is at restoring antiques. Honestly, your fakes are too good. It would be normal if she missed a few.”
Alexander was speechless while watching Caleb acting tough. He didn’t know what to make of him
anymore.
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Caleb was a hopeless romantic.
However, when the three interviewers presented the answers to Alexander, he pointed at one of the papers and asked, “Whose is this?”
“It belongs to Skylar, the girl among the three Mr Gardner Senior, her speed in identifying the fakes was astonishing At first, we thought she might be cheating
“But we always change the items used in the interview to prevent anybody from knowing the answers in advance. Yet, she successfully identified all the fake ones accurately, one of them explained. His voice was filled with disbelief
Alexander was stunned, and so was Caleb He knew Skylar was skilled, but he didn’t expect her to be this
amazing!
He blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing.
Alexander’s face turned dark upon seeing Caleb laughing arrogantly. However, there was a hint of
excitement in his eyes.
“This young woman has good eyes. She must have studied authentic pieces extensively on a normal basis. Have them proceed to restoration,” Alexander said.
Tve already assigned them to restore an antique pocket watch,” the man replied.
Alexander nodded. “Have them work on a painting as well. We have a few that are in fragments. They don’t have to restore the entire painting, just part of it following our guidelines. Let’s see what they can do.
Most importantly, he wanted to test Skylar’s abilities.
Since he was young, he had only admired Viola, who taught him much of what he knew. Sadly, Viola never took on apprentices. She had even disappeared over the years, and he had no idea where she was
currently
Was it just him, or did he see a hint of Viola’s spirit in Skylar’s determination and decisiveness when identifying the fakes?
With the confidence that Skylar would succeed, Caleb couldn’t take his eyes off her on the monitor more he watched, the more fascinated he became
The
He really liked Skylar. He knew it was love at first sight from the moment he saw her restoring antiques. However, now he wondered if his love of extreme sports and motorbikes made him unworthy of her.
A new seed of change was sprouting in his heart. He had decided to turn a new leaf for Skylar! Meanwhile, the monitors could clearly show Skylar’s professionalism and how focused she was while working on restoration. She was also fast.
They weren’t given much to restore, so they were unlikely to work on it all day. However, they would still
need a few hours to complete the task.
In the past, Caleb wouldn’t have had the patience to watch someone restore old antiques. He would much rather watch skydiving.
However, now he didn’t even want to leave the monitor for a split second.
When he was at Daniel’s shop, he couldn’t keep staring at Skylar, or else he would get an earful from Daniel.
Alexander became increasingly absorbed as he watched Skylar doing the restoration work. He even asked the security team to zoom in so he could watch every detail of her process.
Both Alexander and Caleb were focused on watching Skylar. Even the security guard from the monitor room also took a look at her.
He didn’t understand why anybody would be so engrossed in something as boring as restoring antiques. However, Skylar did have a pair of beautiful hands. They were fair and slender.
Skylar was unaware that her every move was being watched. After finishing the final step of her work, she stood up to wash her hands.
She was the first to finish again.
Having learned from earlier, the other two candidates weren’t nervous at all. They figured Skylar was just showing off and was likely to have botched the restoration.
Instead of sitting down, Skylar walked over to the window and quietly gazed at the scenery.
She took a look at her watch. It was 12:30 pm.
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The interviewers no longer dismissed Skylar after what happened just now
Earlier, they thought Skylar was just a show off. However, after knowing her capabilities, they couldn’t resist approaching the two antiques she had just finished restoring
Whether it was the fragments of the pocket watch or the repaired sections of the old painting, her
craftsmanship was exceptional
These interviewers had been with Alexander for years. They always believed that they were among the
best in the industry
That was until they had seen Skylar’s work. Now, they were filled with a little embarrassment,
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they might have doubted the possibility of it
When the other two candidates had completed their tasks, Alexander entered the room.
Skylar heard the door open and turned to face Alexander
She had seen his interviews on television. He looked the same as his appearances on screen. Despite
being 70 years old, Alexander still looked vibrant and energetic.
“Let me take a look.” Alexander headed over to examine the restored pieces.
He went through them one by one before finally stopping in front of Skylar’s work.
Skylar held her breath and felt a little bit nervous when Alexander was examining her work.
She knew Alexander had high standards and wasn’t sure if her work would meet his expectations.
Alexander’s eyes grew brighter. He was a little excited.
For years, he didn’t have any new recruits because he couldn’t find someone who could meet his expectations. Finally, he found someone!
Caleb had always been a wild child, but it seemed he had brought Alexander a talented granddaughter–in- law. If Caleb didn’t want to take over his business, maybe Skylar could do so!
“Are you Skylar Sullivan?” Alexander asked while looking at her.
Skylar nodded. “Yes, Mr. Gardner Senior.”
“You’re hired. You can start tomorrow,” Alexander said while trying to keep his excitement under control. He might have been thrilled, but as a respected academic figure, he had to maintain his composure.
His tone was calm.
Skylar, on the other hand, was overjoyed. “Thank you!”
She couldn’t believe it. She actually made it to Alexander’s team!
One of the candidates stepped forward. His face was flushed with anger. “I don’t buy it. How could she do
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a better job than the both of us? Mr. Gardner Senior, I heard you never hire people through connections. But she clearly got in through some back door.”
How could a nobody like Skylar compare to them?
They were well–known in the industry. If they lost the job position to someone who got in through connections, it would be the greatest insult to them.
It was one thing to lose to someone with talent. At least they would be convinced.
However, they were not convinced that they lost to someone like Skylar.
Alexander didn’t get angry at the man’s outburst. Instead, he beckoned them over. “Take a look at her
restoration work.”
One of the interviewers explained, “In the previous round, she was the only person who successfully
identified all the fakes.”
The two candidates inspected Skylar’s restoration work and were stunned. Their faces then flushed in
embarrassment.
It was clear that she was better than they were. Were all youngsters nowadays this crazy skilled?
They had spent over a decade honing their craft and now this young woman outperformed them. It was
humbling.
Alexander watched Skylar closely. From the moment she was questioned to the moment her talent was proven, she had shown no emotions. She remained calm and composed.
Her demeanor reminded Alexander of someone he used to know.
Ten minutes later, Alexander returned to the break room. This time, he was all smiles, beaming with approval and praising Caleb.
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“That young lady is quite outstanding!” Alexander exclaimed.
Caleb was sweating from running around. He rolled his eyes while feeling a bit of pride. “Of course she is! I told you she has the skills but you didn’t believe me. If I hadn’t insisted, your team would have missed out on a real talent.”
“You did well this time,” Alexander said jovially. “Tell me, what do you want? Whatever it is, I’ll grant it.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Take this. You can’t be stingy when you’re wooing someone. That young lady passed my test. She’s good enough to be my granddaughter–in–law.”
Caleb blushed at his words. “Grandpa, nothing’s set in stone yet.”
“What’s not set in stone? Do your best. If you can’t win her over, then don’t call yourself my grandson. It would be an embarrassment.” Alexander huffed and shot an exasperated glance at Caleb, leaving him speechless.
Skylar left the place and immediately called the auction house to let them know she would no longer
attend the interview.
She then shared the good news with Janine and Steven.
To celebrate her success, they invited her over for dinner with the whole family.
Skylar then told Caleb about the good news.
“I knew you could do it. I believed in you from the start.” Caleb felt a little uneasy since he already knew the results. He didn’t know how to tell her that he was Alexander’s grandson,
*When do you have time? I’ll treat you to a meal,” Skylar smiled and said.
“I’ve got the time today. I’m right around the corner actually,” Caleb replied eagerly. When it came to spending time with Skylar, he was always up for it.
Skylar was surprised by his enthusiasm and looked at the time. It’s one in the afternoon. “Have lunch yet?”
you
had
Caleb, who was holding a burger wrapper, quickly tossed it aside. “Nope. I’m starving.”
“Then let’s have lunch together. What do you feel like having?” Skylar asked.
fine with anything. You decide and send me the location later. I’ll go get you now,” Caleb replied.
“Okay,” Skylar replied.
In reality, Caleb was still watching Skylar in the break room.
He quickly ran downstairs, found his motorbike, and even rode around the block before heading to
to Skylar.
Skylar stood by the road and watched as Caleb crossed the street on his bike. He was youthful and full of
energy.
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She smiled as he reminded her of her younger brother, Harvey. Both of them had that same youthful
energy.
When Caleb saw Skylar’s smile, he got momentarily distracted. By the time he snapped out of it, he realized a child was in his way. He couldn’t stop in time and fell down with the bike to avoid hitting the kid.
The smile on Skylar’s face vanished. “Caleb!”
Caleb had crashed his bike before, but nothing was as bad as it was this time.
As the child started crying in fright, Caleb smiled bitterly at Skylar, who was running toward him. “Looks
like lunch’s off,” he said.
“Stop talking. I’m taking you to the hospital,” Skylar said with panic in her voice.
It was like she had been transported back to her previous life, where she had pushed Sadie out of the way
only to get into a horrific accident herself.
Caleb saw Skylar’s pale face and gave her a wide smile. “I’m fine. Really, I’m fine!”
The crash had caused a traffic jam at the intersection.
A car window rolled down, and a man poked his head out to look at Caleb and Skylar.
“Is that Ms. Sullivan?” Paul asked with surprise when he saw Skylar.
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Joe glanced over immediately. He saw Skylar helping Caleb to his feet.
“Ms. Sullivan seems to know the guy who fell off the motorcycle,” Paul said.
Joe frowned. His eyes were focused on Caleb, who was all eyes on Skylar. “Caleb?”
“Yeah. That really is Mr. Alexander Senior’s grandson, Caleb.” Paul was surprised.
Skylar knew who Caleb was. What were the odds?
Joe remained focused on Skylar. Her face was pale, probably from the shock of witnessing the accident.
She usually appeared to be brave, but an accident got her looking pretty shaken up. She was still a woman with a delicate heart, after all.
“Should I go help Ms. Sullivan and Caleb?” Paul was ready to get out of the car.
Joe saw that there were already plenty of people assisting and felt that he wouldn’t be much of a help even if he went.
He withdrew his focus from Skylar when Paul looked at Joe. “No need. Let’s head to the hospital.”
Paul was then reminded that they were heading to the hospital today.
Gloria insisted that Joe have his regular health checks every two months because of his insomnia. So, he
would head to the hospital to keep his health in check.
Since his schedule was empty that day, he could take the time to visit the hospital.
At that time, Caleb and Skylar were already in the ambulance with the help of passersby. The traffic police
also towed Caleb’s bike.
Half an hour later, Caleb and Skylar arrived at the hospital.
After a thorough check–up, the doctor confirmed that Caleb had fractured his left leg and would require
surgery.
What made it worse was that he had an old injury on that leg, and this accident just aggravated it. There
was no avoiding a hospital stay now,
Caleb wasn’t thrilled about being hospitalized. “Is it really that bad? I don’t want to stay here. Can’t I just
get a cast and go home?”
‘Listen to the doctor. Unless you want to give up on riding bikes?” Skylar advised after seeing the doctor’s annoyed expression.
“Are you the patient’s family? Please pay at the counter first.” The doctor looked at Skylar.
Skylar nodded. “Alright, I’ll take care of it now.”
Caleb blushed when Skylar didn’t deny being his family. Did she just admit being related to him?
A few minutes later, Skylar returned to the hospital room.
Caleb was still blushing. “How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you,”
“Pay me back once you get your salary. You should let your parents know about your surgery so they can come and take good care of you. It also requires a relative’s signature,” Skylar said, looking at the receipt.
“My parents can’t make it and my grandpa won’t be able to come either. I could ask Uncle John but he’s busy.” Caleb’s eyes darted as he concocted a plan.
He still hadn’t figured out how to tell Skylar about him being Alexander’s grandson. So, he couldn’t let
Alexander come over.
So, John was his only option. Besides, he could use this situation to his advantage and get some sympathy from Skylar since there were no family members there to take care of him.
Skylar sensed that Caleb was hiding something. She remembered that he had dropped out of high school, which likely meant there were reasons he couldn’t continue his studies.
“Then have your Uncle John sign for the surgery. I’ll bring you food whenever I’m available. If you need anything, ask the nurse to contact me,” Skylar said.
Caleb’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. Did he finally have the chance to taste Skylar’s home–cooked
meals?
Skylar checked the time. “You still have a test result that hasn’t come back. It should be out now. I’ll go
pick it up.”
*Skylar, you really are amazing.” Caleb was extremely grateful to her.
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Caleb couldn’t imagine falling in love with anybody else in his life. He had decided to keep loving Skylar
alonel
Skylar smiled. “Rest well.”
While she was off paying the bills, Caleb gave John a call.
After hanging up, he leaned back on the hospital bed. Despite the waves of pain in his leg, he was feeling pretty good about things.
Skylar picked up the medical report and was about to head back to see the doctor when she heard a voice.
“Skye?”
“It really is you, Skye!”
The voices were familiar. As Skylar raised her gaze, her expression turned cold.
It was Christopher and Amelia.
Christopher rushed over to her. “Skye, did you come to visit my mom? Have you finally forgiven us?”
“Skye, are you here to see me? I’ve missed you,” Amelia added.
Her attitude was the same as before. However, she was harboring a hidden resentment.
When Christopher found out that Skylar had called Janine and made things worse instead of trying to resolve the issue, he blamed her and told her their current situation.
Christopher had been fired from his job and was still looking for one. They were burning through their savings.
To make matters worse, her illness had worsened, and she needed surgery. However, they didn’t have enough money for that.
She had asked Christopher to contact Maisy for help, but she turned them down because she didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings with her family members.
Only then was she beginning to realize that Skylar was a nice girl. At least she could take good care of Amelia.
Without Skyla
Skylar, her days in the hospital room were terrible. They couldn’t afford care workers as well.
“Skye, can’t we go back to how things were? We’ve been together for so many years. Please trust me. Why don’t we get married? I’ll belong to you and only youl Christopher pleaded desperately.
He wasn’t pretending. In the past few weeks, he had been reminiscing about their high school days when their love seemed perfect and pure.
Not sure what had gotten into him, he thought there was no love between them and had fallen for Maisy:
Instead. He knew now that he had made a mistake.
Not far away, Joe watched the scene unfold. He had a distant look and a faint smile on his lips.
Paul’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that Christopher? Ms. Sullivan’s ex–boyfriend?”
It looked like they hadn’t broken up at all.
Skylar was facing away from them. So, all they could see was Christopher acting all lovey–dovey.
They also heard what Christopher said clearly, Was he proposing to Skylar?
From his earlier research, Skylar and Christopher had a long history of being together. They were high-
school sweethearts. It was a sweet and innocent love.
Paul glanced at Joe to gauge his reaction. His expression remained unchanged. It looked like Joe wasn’t
interested in Skylar at all.
With one hand in his pocket, Joe remained focused on Skylar. For some reason, he was feeling annoyed.
Was she going to forgive a man who betrayed her?
“Skye, it was all a misunderstanding. I’ve already cleared it up and gave him a piece of my mind. He won’t let other women near him anymore. There won’t be inappropriate photos spreading out anymore, either.
“Skye, I’ve missed you so much during these times when you weren’t around. Please get back together with Christopher,” Amelia said, her eyes dripping with fake tears. She was a good actress.
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“Maybe I was too blind to believe in you before, but I won’t waste my time with you anymore now. Get out of my way!” Skylar’s anger was barely contained.
She patiently listened to them, not because she still had any expectations but because she wanted to see
how shameless they could be.
She felt relieved now that she had heard them out. They were as shameless as she thought they would be.
Amelia’s face turned bitter. “Skye, how could you…what did we ever do to deceive you?”
She spoke while she clutched her chest as if she was upset by Skylar’s words.
Christopher’s handsome face turned pale. He remembered what Maisy had said to him. He bit his lip and blurted, “You’ve changed. Was Maisy right? Have you been seeing someone else? Are you cheating on
me?”
Christopher basically yelled the last part. He couldn’t believe Skylar would betray him!
He thought she would never leave him. Who knew she would resort to being a sugar baby?
“Skye, you were always the model student and a good kid. How could you just throw away what you and Christopher had for so many years?
“And if you were to throw it all away, you didn’t have to stoop so low to be a sugar baby. It’s breaking Christopher’s heart to see you like this,” Amelia said, her voice dripping with self–righteousness.
She hated Skylar for her actions. If they were to break up, Christopher should be the person to say it first.
Even after they had broken up, if Christopher hadn’t found someone better, why should Skylar get to move on to someone more successful?
Paul frowned. “Are they out of their minds? The Williamses said I was Ms. Sullivan’s sugar daddy. I think all of them need to get their eyes checked.”
He glanced at Joe to see his reaction.
Unexpectedly, Joe shot him back with a cold look. It was as if he was asking Paul if he thought he was
worthy to be one.
Paul screamed in his heart that he was definitely not worthy. He didn’t want to be sent to Aglana.
Joe focused on the medical report in Skylar’s clenched fist. His gaze darkened.
“Give me a break! You’re heartless, and I believe in karma. You’re going to get what’s coming to you. The world is a big place, but your minds are twisted, and you have no boundaries.
“You just can’t imagine anybody acting differently. Get out of my way, now!” Skylar snapped. She had exhausted her patience.
These twisted and manipulative words made her sick to the stomach.
Christopher and Amelia’s eyes widened as if they couldn’t recognize Skylar anymore.
“Skylar!” Amelia yelled. She was filled with so much anger that she was about to faint.
Christopher’s face darkened. “Do you know what you’re saying? Skylar, you’ve changed.”
At that time, Joe was already striding toward them. Skylar hadn’t noticed he was behind her.
Christopher wasn’t going to back down. However, when he saw Paul following behind Joe, he knew this
was his chance to turn things around.
He pointed accusingly at Paul while walking up to Joe and said, “Mr. Martin, your assistant, Paul had been acting inappropriately. He stole my girlfriend! She had just graduated and didn’t know how dangerous people could be. That’s why Paul took advantage of her!”
He shouted and acted like he was the ultimate victim.
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Christopher was determined to destroy Paul!
Just when Skylar thought she had seen it all, Christopher managed to lower the bar even further.
Paul was exasperated. “You shamelessly mess around with other women and the fake heiress from the Williams, then now you’re accusing me and Ms. Sullivan? Since you’re here at the hospital, why don’t you see a specialist?”
“Christopher, I always knew you were shameless. But I did
over and slapped him.
expect you to go this low.” Skylar walked
She wanted to do that for a long time. Everything he had done and the lies he had told had driven her to the edge
How could she have let him waste seven years of her life?
Joe looked at Christopher with an icy look, like a king looking down on an ant. He didn’t say a word, yet he exuded a commanding presence.
Christopher was stunned by the slap. “Did you just slap me for that guy? Skylar, you’ve changed!”
“Are you insane? Did you just hit my son?” Amelia yelled with a shrill voice. “Did you think Christopher genuinely likes you? You were the one clinging onto him. That’s why he had no choice but to be with you.
“Do you think you’re that noble, huh? Even your own parents don’t want you. You’re just a country girl. How
dare you slap Christopher? You deserve nothing but misery!”
Amelia’s outburst sent her into a rage. She looked like she might collapse on the floor. Her face was
contorted in anger.
If she had the strength, she would’ve lunged at Skylar and ripped her mouth.
“Ask your son to stay away from me. If both of you are so innocept and above it all, why don’t you give back every cent you took from me?
“I used to think I was helping the needy and doing a good deed. After all, even a dog would know how to be grateful to its owner. Now I feel nothing but disgusted by both of you,” Skylar said coldly.
Skylar took a deep breath. Her face turned even more pale than before.
She had never felt so exposed before, and it bothered her that Joe was seeing her in this state. It was like her vulnerabilities were on display.
Amelia had been sick. Skylar had spent more time taking care of her than Christopher did. However, the
only thing she got in return was insults and ridicule instead of gratitude.
Humanity could be so ugly.
A crowd had gathered around.
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22
It was a hospital, after all. It was a big fight and there were plenty of people around as well.
Some patients recognized Amelia and quietly whispered to one another, “I can’t stand her as well. As soon as that young lady shows up, she acts helpless and makes her do everything.”
“And as soon as leaves, she’s back to badmouthing her. Calling her a fool for liking her son
e young lady and even saying that the young lady needs to please her or else she’ll have her son break up with her!”
That young lady was so sweet. If she hadn’t been so devoted to her son, I would’ve taken her for my own daughter–in–law.”
“It’s unbearable. Just unbearable.”
The patients weren’t loud, but the others could hear every word clearly.
Joe looked at Skylar and then leaned in to whisper to Paul.
“Ms. Sullivan, would you like me to find you a lawyer? I can make sure they return every penny to you,”
Paul said to Skylar.
He felt s
sick by the audacity of Amelia and Christopher. What a shameless family!
Amelia was startled by the mention of lawyers and how she would need to return every penny to Skylar.
She panicked. “You can’t treat people like this! You gave us that money of your own free will! Christopher, let’s go. Even if she regrets and begs you, don’t forgive her.”
Chapter 118
There was no way they could return that money
Amelia still needed surgery to live a long life. Their savings were almost depleted, and there was no way they could return Skylar the money.
Skylar was so mean!
Amelia clutched Christopher’s arm while trying to hurry him away.
Christopher’s eyes were red with anger, and his face was pale. He looked at Joe while feeling resentful.
Mr. Martin, are you really going to keep a homewrecker by your side?”
“Why? Do you think you can take my place? Who do you think you are? You’re nothing compared to me.”
Paul rolled his eye
Not everybody could handle this job. He was one in a million, and he worked hard to become Joe’s
assistant.
Paul thought Christopher was insulting him. It was one thing when there were tons of people who would give anything to get that job, but it was another when someone as useless as Christopher thought he could just waltz in and take the job.
Christopher’s face grew even paler. When he glanced at Skylar, the coldness in her eyes felt like she was
looking at her enemy.
With a sinking feeling, he realized that Skylar truly hated him. She really didn’t want to get together with
him anymore.
Christopher panicked. “Skye, let’s go somewhere quiet and talk this through, okay?”
“There’s no need for that. Just stay out of my life,” Skylar said, showing no emotions. She gripped the medical report and walked away without looking back.
When she passed by Joe, she paused for a moment and turned to face Paul. “Thanks.”
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Paul replied.
Christopher was about to go after her but was held back by Amelia. She reminded him softly, “We took a lot of money from her. Do you really want to give it all back?”
Amelia watched Christopher’s expression closely and said, “If you can’t let her go, just give her some time to cool off. Only then you can have a heart–to–heart with her later.”
“She used to love me so much. This must all be a huge misunderstanding.” Christopher said while gritting his teeth.
Joe shot a cold glance at Christopher before walking away.
As Paul passed by, he scoffed in disgust. Love? He couldn’t be serious.
Chapter: 118
2/2
Christopher was fickle, and Skylar had finally seen the real him. How could she still love him?
Even when they were in the car, Paul couldn’t help but complain, “Christopher is shameless.”
Joe lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. After smoking for a while, he said, “I don’t want to see Christopher in this city again. Make it happen.”
Paul was taken aback. Joe didn’t want to see Christopher in the city? What did he mean by that?
It meant that no company in Jipsburg City would want to hire Christopher. He wouldn’t be able to make a living in the city.
Paul had discovered Joe’s secret. He seemed to care about Skylar. This was his way of getting revenge on Christopher for what he had done to her.
When Skylar left the hospital, John had already arrived.
Chapter 119
Skylar drove over to pick up Steven before heading to the film set. They couldn’t go in because it was sealed off to outsiders.
Skylar tried calling Charles, but he didn’t answer. He wasn’t responding to his WhatsApp messages either.
She asked some of the staff, but nobody seemed to know who Charles was.
Ever since Charles joined the entertainment industry, he would often work as a stunt double and deliver lines for the movie.
They weren’t sure if the staff were just brushing them off. If he was part of the crew, shouldn’t they at least have some idea who he was?
“Don’t worry. Let’s wait for a bit.” Steven tried to comfort Skylar.
Skylar nodded and checked her phone. She scrolled through her messages with Charles from about an
hour ago. She had told him what time she would be there to pick him up, and he agreed to meet her on
time.
Charles was always dependable. So, it was unusual for him to not answer his phone.
“Maybe he was in the middle of delivering lines. It has happened to me before when I tried to reach him.
Let’s just wait,” Steven said, trying to ease Skylar’s worry.
Skylar nodded. “Let’s sit and chat for a while then.”
“By the way, when will I get to meet your husband?” Steven asked. He had been meaning to discuss this.
Skylar had always been dependable. Suddenly, she married someone else and even kept his identity at secret. It made him feel uneasy and worried.
Skylar knew this question would come up. She blinked before answering, “Steven, I promised him I wouldn’t share anything. But don’t you worry, I haven’t been trick
Then, she thought of Annie and continued, “Our marriage probably won’t last long. Something happened recently. We might be getting a divorce soon.”
“A quick marriage and a quick divorce? Do you know what you’re doing?” Steven frowned. He would be stupid if he couldn’t sense there were problems with the marriage.
“I know what I’m doing. It’s probably hard for me to fall in love with anybody else again after the divorce.
“I don’t regret my decision to marry. I’ve grown up and I’ve seen things. I know what I’m doing. Steven, I just need you to support and trust me,” Skylar said.
Since she was planning to divorce Joe, she wanted to keep their marriage a secret as agreed.
Steven frowned after hearing Skylar talking as if she had been through a lot. He felt something bad must have happened when she was with the Williamses.
What happened at the Williamses that changed her?
She w
was loved and cared for by her family members. She was a carefree person, but now she had
changed. Sometimes, they could even see sadness in her eyes.
“I’ll keep it from Mom. But if anything happens, you have to tell me immediately,” Steven insisted
worriedly.
Skylar smiled. “Will do! I’ll start working with Mr. Gardner Senior’s team tomorrow. Steven, look at me. I’m
on my
y way to achieving my dreams. I’m really happy.”
Looking at Skylar, who was determined to go after her dreams, Steven ruffled her hair. “Go for it. You’re
the bravest of us all.”
“Congratulations to the brave Skye!” Charles’s voice came from behind.
They turned to see Charles standing there. Steven immediately switched to his big brother’s tone. “Why didn’t you pick up your phone?”
“Ah, I didn’t notice. They asked me to act in a scene at the very last minute and I couldn’t have my phone with me,” Charles replied casually.
Skylar noticed the wounds on Charles‘ face and the bruises around his eyes. “You’re hurt. How did that happen?“.
Steven also noticed the bruises after Skylar pointed them out. “There’s bleeding under the skin below your eyes. You should get it checked”
Charles was a little evasive and tried to play it down. “It’s nothing. A doctor who was visiting the set said it was nothing serious. It was just a little accident while filming
“It looks worse than it is. You know how it is. Sometimes, things get overlooked when you’re in character.
1
He quickly changed the topic. “Skye, you’re amazing! I just looked into Mr. Gardner Senior’s team. Apparently, they have super strict requirements. But they offer great benefits. It’s the best team in the
industry.”
Chapter 120
Skylar took a closer look at Charles‘ injury. “How did this happen? Was it during an action scene?”
Even if it was, they shouldn’t have been so rough.
“Yeah, it was a fight scene. It was a scene with a bunch of people all battling it out. Everyone got really
into it.
“Someone else got both their eyes bruised. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t zoned out for a
moment. Let’s go home. I’m starving, Charles said while trying to avoid eye contact. He didn’t want to talk about it.
Steven’s face darkened. He saw how worried Skylar was and said, “Charles is a tough guy. He’ll be fine. Let’s go, Mom’s waiting for us.”
“I miss Mom’s beef ribs!‘ Charles looked like he was drooling.
“I miss all of Mom’s cooking.” Skylar chimed in.
Steven looked at his younger brother and sister as the two walked toward the parking lot.
He clenched his fist and felt like he had failed as a big brother. He didn’t protect them well enough.
Meanwhile, at the Galaxy Villa, Joe was home early. He was reading in the living room from 7:00 pm to 10: 00 pm.
He had been outstationed for a week. If he didn’t remind himself that he was married, the silence in the villa could almost make him feel like he was still single.
He glanced at the clock. It was 11:30 pm.
Was it possible that Skylar hadn’t been home as well while he was away?
Joe rubbed his temples. He remembered her cold and pale face from earlier in the hospital.
She still seemed to have feelings for Christopher.
When Skylar returned to Galaxy Villa, it was already 12:30 am. She was spending time with her family and didn’t realize the time passed.
She was surprised to see Joe. “Mr. Martin, you’re back.”
She thought he would be away for a couple of days. After all, he had just reconciled with Annie. Maybe he would want to spend more time with her.
Joe looked at Skylar.
After Skylar greeted him, she headed upstairs without another word.
“Wait a minute,” Joe called after her.
Chapter 120
Skylar looked at him. “Do you need something, Mr. Martin?”
Her heart sank. Was he going to ask for a divorce right now?
She had been bracing for this moment, but it still felt unsettling.
“If you’re free tomorrow, come with me to the Pearlhall Residence.” Joe looked at Skylar deeply.
Were Skylar’s emotions affected by Christopher? Someone as useless as him didn’t deserve her love and
care.
Skylar was a little taken aback. Joe wasn’t asking for a divorce but to visit Gloria.
“Sure.” She nodded.
As she was about to head upstairs, she remembered something and said, “Thanks for helping me out at
the hospital today.”
He was the reason Paul offered to find a lawyer to deal with Christopher and Amelia. If Joe and Paul hadn’t been there, those two could have caused a lot of trouble.
Joe stared into Skylar’s eyes. “You had feelings for him for years. Can you just move that easily?”
That was right. She wasted years of her time with him.
Her eyes darkened in regret. How many more years did she have to waste on someone like that?
She regretted the time she spent with Christopher. She wished she could go back in time and tell herself how stupid and blind she had been.
