Chapter 571
The small Elden Residence’s living room was in shambles, and an unpleasant odor permeated the air.
The neighbors had come knocking again. “What’s going on at your place? It smells awful! Can you do something about it? If there’s a cleanliness issue, you need to clean up.”
“Alright, we’re cleaning up now,” Peter replied curtly.
The neighbor had nothing more to say and left. Peter turned back to look at the messy living room. Then, he glanced at Sadie, who lay on the couch.
Once a wealthy socialite, she now resembled a beggar. The stench almost entirely came from her.
Peter was out delivering food every day and had no time to take care of Sadie. Kenny stayed home all the time.
However, he only ate, slept, or drank. He remained listless.
On the other hand, Samuel was out every day and rarely brought home any money.
Peter could barely handle this situation any longer. He walked a few steps to the guest bedroom and slapped Kenny, who was fast asleep on the bed.
Kenny was jolted awake by Peter’s slap. He furiously retaliated, ” Peter, have you lost your mind? I’m your brother. How dare you hit
me!”
Peter’s response was sharp. “Don’t think being my brother gives you special privileges. Even if you were my father, I’d still hit you.
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to be the head of our family, yet you stay home every day. All you do is eat, drink, and sleep while spending the money that I earn.
“On top of that, you don’t even clean up the house. Look at Mom- just look at what she’s become. If you don’t clean up the house and take care of Mom today, then you’d better leave!”
Kenny felt deeply wronged. He said, “Why should I be kicked out? It’s your incompetence that led to the company’s bankruptcy. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be the scion of the Williams family.”
“Dream on! You’re the useless one. You have hands and feet, but don’t think about supporting yourself. Instead, you shift the responsibility onto me.
“Don’t forget, you could live so comfortably only because I was working tirelessly in the company.” Peter cut through the pretense and pointed out the harsh truth.
“You!”
Peter grabbed Kenny by the collar and dragged him to where Sadie was lying. “Get Mom cleaned up.”
Kenny hadn’t properly looked at Sadie for days. She lay with her eyes open but unfocused. She didn’t look at either Kenny or Peter.
She just kept murmuring, “It’s retribution. It’s all retribution.”
“I can’t stand this anymore. I’m going to find Skylar. I’m going to find her,” Kenny declared. He tried to storm out.
Peter let him go. He was also curious if Skylar really had abandoned them.
Skylar was rear–ended on her way to Natalie’s house after work.
Chapter 571
The vehicle that hit her was a Maserati.
She got out to assess the damage!
The owner of the Maserati was also a woman. She walked over in high heels.
Nearby, several people exclaimed, “Isn’t that Felicia Ingram?”
“It really is her. I can’t believe we’re witnessing a celebrity car accident today. The owner of that small domestic car is going to be in trouble.”
“This is clearly a rear–end collision. Felicia should be at fault.”
“How do you know it’s not a scam? Maybe the owner of the domestic car saw the luxury car and decided to fake an accident. These things have happened before.”
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Because the other party was a female celebrity, many people
quickly parked their cars and gathered to watch.
Felicia was wearing sunglasses and a formal gown. She seemed to be on her way to an event.
Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!
Chapter 572
Felicia was a rising star in the entertainment industry. She had
recently gained fame and was regarded by many men as their ideal woman.
As people wanted to question Skylar, their words died on their lips once they saw her face.
Standing next to the glamorous celebrity, she was not only a match for her in appearance but even more striking.
They couldn’t help but think, “How can someone so beautiful be driving a domestic car? The top model of that car barely cost over ten thousand dollars.”
“Shall we call the police?” Skylar asked Felicia.
Skylar vaguely remembered seeing Felicia in a TV drama before She hadn’t expected to meet her in person, especially during a rear- end collision.
Felicia, wearing sunglasses, could scrutinize Skylar without
restraint. She had heard of a woman named Skylar who worked for Alexander, and this woman resembled her.
It was clear from the photo that they resembled each other quite a bit. However, the images were side profiles and a bit blurry, likely taken surreptitiously.
Seeing Skylar in person, Felicia felt uneasy. She was at a disadvantage compared to Skylar.
No wonder she managed to stay close to Joe. Unfortunately, she lacked a proper background, and flattering men wouldn’t help her much.
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Skylar noticed that Felicia had been silent. Her eyes behind the sunglasses seemed to be fixed on her.
Skylar raised an eyebrow. She realized that this female celebrity might have an attitude.
Skylar took out her phone and called Natalie.
“Nath, I might be late. I was rear–ended and am dealing with it.
Don’t worry,” Skylar explained the situation to Natalie as soon as the call connected.
Natalie didn’t immediately respond. She seemingly processed the information.
As Skylar was about to end the call, Joe’s voice came from the other end. “Where are you?” Joe asked.
“Joe?” Skylar thought. She realized she had inadvertently dialed Joe instead of Natalie.
“I can handle it. It’s just a minor accident. My car isn’t badly damaged,” Skylar replied quietly.
Joe asked again, “Where are you?”
Skylar glanced at the increasing crowd around her and said, “There are quite a few people here.”
“Does it matter?” Joe asked in return.
From Joe’s tone, it was clear he was becoming impatient. Skylar remained expressionless. She didn’t insist further and provided Joe with the address.
Conveniently, the location was close to the Martin Group, so Joe should arrive in less than ten minutes.
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Felicia wasn’t sure who Skylar was talking to on the phone, but she had seen enough.
In her mind, she guessed that Skylar had undergone cosmetic surgery to blend her features with those of others. This was why she looked even more attractive than Felicia herself.
It really was true that ugly people often caused trouble.
Felicia’s face had indeed been used as a model by several cosmetic surgery clinics. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it bothered her.
“Did you slam on the brakes just now?” Felicia asked.
Skylar couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. “Do you have a dashcam in your car?”
She wondered if Felicia was trying to shift the blame onto her to avoid negative publicity.
Felicia’s voice turned serious: “I drive very cautiously. I don’t have a dashcam.”
“Oh, but I do. Let’s wait for the police,” Skylar said calmly and unhurriedly.
Facts spoke louder than words.
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Skylar didn’t feel the need to waste her breath on Felicia.
If Felicia had admitted her mistake and offered to compensate from the start, they wouldn’t have had to involve the police.
Felicia was taken aback. “For such a minor accident, do we really need to bother the police? Just report it to your insurance company and cover my repair costs. It’s not that complicated.”
Felicia had heard that Annie had a hard time dealing with Skylar. Now, it seemed it wasn’t because Annie was incompetent but because Skylar wasn’t as naïve as she appeared.
She wasn’t easy to deal with. Felicia had indeed hit her car on
purpose.
After taking a photo with Joe at the bar, her family started paying more attention to her. Her parents encouraged her to keep going.
Learning about a potential obstacle, she felt the need to confront it head–on.
“You seem skilled at shifting the blame,” Skylar remarked in a cold, mocking tone.
Skylar wondered if there was no longer any bar to entry in the entertainment industry. It seemed like anyone could get in easily.
Felicia frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
A male fan of Felicia’s shouted at Skylar, “Did you purposely slam on the brakes just to cause an accident? You saw someone driving a luxury car and decided to take advantage?”
As soon as the guy spoke, many others joined in questioning
Skylar. If the Maserati owner hadn’t been Felicia but someone else, it wouldn’t have had the same effect.
Skylar wondered if fans nowadays follow celebrities blindly. She didn’t want to engage further.
Fortunately, this wasn’t a main road, so there was another lane for cars to pass through.
While Skylar was being criticized by the crowd, she called the police and waited for them to arrive.
Felicia noticed Skylar’s calm demeanor in the face of the crowd’s accusations and her lack of any sign of retreat. She couldn’t help but feel a chill. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“There’s nothing to say. We’ll wait for the police,” Skylar replied coldly. She glanced at Felicia.
Just then, Felicia received a call and told the person on the other end about the accident. It seemed her celebrity agent, Adele
Wilkinson, had given her some advice.
After hanging up, Felicia started taking selfies and snapping pictures of the damaged cars.
She immediately posted on Facebook. Celebrities needed to chase clout. If Felicia could capitalize on this clout today, her fame could rise another notch.
Skylar observed Felicia’s actions from the sidelines. She opened her Facebook and saw Felicia’s post.
Within minutes, the incident had started trending on Facebook.
It seemed likely that Felicia had paid for this clout. Otherwise, the incident would not have gone viral so quickly.
Today, Skylar was just unlucky enough to be a scapegoat for
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Felicia’s fame.
“Never mind, I don’t need your compensation. I have an event to attend shortly and don’t have time to wait here. Besides, we’re blocking traffic,” Felicia said.
She adopted a very generous attitude after finishing her Facebook updates.
She tried to shift the blame onto Syklar with just a few words.
“Have you finished taking photos? Your Facebook post was very timely. Ms. Ingram, you’re used to being flattered in the
entertainment industry and believe everything should go your way. I saw your recent post. My car is in the photos as well. If things go as expected, your fans will probably start harassing me online.
“Ms. Ingram, you have two choices. One, clarify the facts and apologize on Facebook. Two, wait for my legal letter,” Skylar said calmly.
Skylar remained calm and composed, even when dealing with a celebrity. Her calm demeanor drew skepticism from the onlookers. They began to question Felicia’s actions.
“I feel like Felicia caused the rear–end collision.”
“There’s still a distance from the red light, and this isn’t an intersection. It’s unlikely she braked suddenly.”
Irritated, Felicia pursed her red lips. “Your actions caused the rear- end collision, so you’re fully at fault. I’ve only stated the facts on Facebook, so I don’t owe you an apology. Now, I have things to do, so I’m leaving.”
As Felicia attempted to leave, she was suddenly stopped by
someone.
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Skylar had already saved the photos from Felicia’s Facebook, which saved her the trouble of taking additional evidence. Hence, she didn’t stop Felicia from leaving
Seeing that Paul was the one stopping Felicia, Skylar turned her attention to Joe, who had just stepped out of his car and was walking over.
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Seeing Joe, Skylar didn’t know how to react. The events from last night were still fresh in her mind.
When Joe exited the car, his first glance fell precisely on Skylar. She was surrounded by a crowd and looked somewhat pitiful and vulnerable.
He scanned the Maserati. He couldn’t believe that the accident involved this car.
Joe took a few steps toward Skylar and asked in a deep voice,” Were you frightened?”
Skylar met his gaze. Initially, she felt indifferent, but his question made her feel a twinge of grievance. She replied, “No, I’m just
waiting for the police.”
“Did you cause the rear–end collision?” Joe turned to look down at Felicia.
Felicia’s face showed shock when she saw Joe. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Why was Joe there? Could it be…
Felicia suddenly recalled that Skylar had made a phone call earlier. She had mentioned the accident. It turned out that Skylar’s call had been to Joe.
She had to admit that Skylar was quite skilled. Although, she
couldn’t help but wonder if such a minor accident was worth bothering Joe with. Didn’t Skylar know how busy Joe was? Besides, it was a workday too!
What a pretentious person.
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Felicia stared blankly at Joe. She looked somewhat flustered. “Mr. Martin, it was indeed my fault that I caused the rear–end collision. However, it happened because she suddenly braked.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “Do you know me?”
Skylar was somewhat surprised. It seemed like Felicia knew Joe.
Felicia was astonished. She blurted out, “I met you at the bar last night. We even had drinks together”
It was indeed from last night. Felicia had toasted him several times.
Could it be…
“A bar?” Skylar looked at Joe.
Skylar found it hard to believe that Joe went to a bar after leaving Galaxy Vila. She was even more surprised to learn that he was drinking there with Felicia.
Joe looked at Skylar. “Yes, I went to the bar. But I don’t remember
who she is.”
That was his explanation to Skylar
Felicia felt utterly embarrassed. “You don’t remember?”
After spending several hours together last night, Felicia wast shocked that Joe’s only response was that he didn’t remember her. She didn’t leave any impression on him at all.
“I reviewed the scene. It was indeed a rear–end collision caused by you,” Paul said to Felicia with a neutral expression. He suspected that Felicia was deliberately causing trouble.
She really thought that a photo with Joe and a night of drinking at the bar gave her the right to meddle in his affairs. She even dared
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to appear before Skylar.
“I was too hasty earlier and thought you slammed the braked intentionally. I realize now it was my mistake, as I didn’t notice the speed then.” Felicia quickly apologized to Skylar.
Felicia was skilled at reading people in the entertainment industry and knew better than to offend the wrong people. She hadn’t expected Joe to show up.
She turned to Skylar and continued, “I’ll cover the repair costs and any compensation for your lost income. I’m truly sorry. It was my fault.”
Onlookers were stunned. They were astonished at how quickly a celebrity could change her attitude and wondered about the formidable man who had appeared.
Felicia didn’t care about the crowd’s opinions. She was sincere and took off her sunglasses. “I’m really sorry for my earlier attitude. Can you forgive me? I’ll delete the post and pin an apology post on my Facebook.”
Her sudden change in demeanor and willingness to make amends were evident. Skylar decided to accept her apology. “Alright,” she said.
Her gaze lingered on Felicia for a moment. When Skylar had
watched Felicia’s TV dramas before, she had been surprised at how much the actress resembled her.
The resemblance was even more striking now that she saw her in person. The situation was resolved 20 minutes later.
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Joe had Paul drive Skylar’s car to the car dealership.
Skylar then got into Joe’s car. The car was the same one from the night before, with the same driver, Lucas. The only difference now was that it was daytime.
Their relationship had grown more strained.
Once in the car, Skylar said, “Just drop me off at the complex ahead. I have an appointment with Natalie.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. His gaze grew colder. “Are you trying to avoid me? Don’t you want to know why I was at the bar last night or why that woman said she knew me?”
In that situation, it was obvious to anyone that the woman was interested in him. Joe didn’t believe Skylar didn’t notice.
“If you wanted to tell me, you would have. If I were to ask rashly wouldn’t I be meddling in matters that don’t concern me?” Skylar
retorted.
Besides, he hadn’t even remembered Felicia’s name. She could tell from Felicia’s reaction that their encounter was likely just a coincidence at the bar.
Many people knew Joe, but Joe didn’t necessarily know everyone who knew him.
Joe’s expression darkened instantly. “You’re really calm. Don’t forget your status. You’re my wife now.”
“Why do I feel like you want me to be jealous? I’m not jealous. Are you upset?” Skylar looked at him thoughtfully.
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Skylar wondered if Joe had feelings for her. Her heart skipped a beat as she fixed her gaze on Joe.
Joe was taken aback. After a few seconds of silence, he said, ” You’re overthinking it.”
Skylar lowered her gaze and looked out the car window. “So, there really isn’t a need for me to ask.”
Joe was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Just drop me off here. Natalie lives around this area,” After they passed an intersection, Skylar spoke again.
Joe glanced at her with a heavy look in his eyes.
As Skylar got out of the car, Joe’s voice came from behind. “I’ll be home tonight.”
Skylar hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”
When she reached the entrance of the complex, she looked back. Joe’s car had not driven away. He was still in the car, watching her through the lowered window.
Their eyes met, and Skylar felt her heart tighten.
His gaze seemed full of emotion, but she quickly reminded herself it was just an illusion. He had no real feelings for her.
His care was merely due to Gloria’s influence. She quickly looked down and turned into the complex.
After Skylar disappeared into the complex, Joe’s lips curled into a cold smile as he muttered, “Heartless.”
Lucas was once again startled. He wondered what was going on between Joe and Skylar. They had been getting along well before,
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but now they seemed to have conflicts whenever they met recently.
“Head to Pearlhall Residence first, then back to the Galaxy Villa,” Joe instructed.
Lucas replied, “Understood.”
As Skylar entered the elevator, she checked her Facebook.
Felicia’s top Facebook post had indeed been updated to an apology to her.
Her fans‘ comments were overwhelmingly positive. They praised Felicia for taking responsibility and owning up to her mistakes.
Her handling of the situation once again boosted her popularity on
Facebook.
Skylar had to admit that people in the entertainment industry were quite adept at managing their public image.
…
Felicia had just finished an event when she saw Adele had hired online influencers to promote her on Facebook. This move once again boosted her popularity following the accident.
Although it was something to be happy about, she couldn’t shake off her dissatisfaction.
Joe’s attitude today left her feeling embarrassed. She wondered whether he truly didn’t remember her or if he was putting on an act in front of Skylar.
“I did some checking. There’s a D–list actor named Charles Sullivan, who is Skylar’s brother. Coincidentally, he’s the third male lead in your next project,” Adele said
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Adele was Felicia’s cousin. She would benefit from Felicia’s eventual success. If they got Joe on their side, they would become an unstoppable force in Jipsburg.
In addition, Felicia’s family had also been hoping for someone to introduce Felicia to Joe.
Felicia’s eyes darted around the room. She exclaimed, What a coincidence!”
“Right. Our investigations have hit the nail on the head. Skylar had caused a commotion in Jipsburg for being the real heiress to the Williamses. Now, we know that Charles isn’t her biological brother. Instead, Samuel is.”
A plan brewed within Felicia. She remarked, “Charles? He seems pretty popular recently. You’ve not seen Skylar. She’s revolting. She got plastic surgery based on my likeness while incorporating the features of a few others. In the end, she turned out prettier than me. How sickening.”
“Perhaps she’s one of your fans. If not, why would she use you as a template? If that’s the case, Mr. Martin’s type is probably women like you. Skylar is only your replacement.”
Felicia’s eyes brightened. Was Skylar her replacement? Had Joe ignored her during their past meetings to attract her attention?
“Don’t tell my family about this for now. You have to send me to all possible future events. I want more opportunities to interact with Joe.”
Adele immediately agreed. She said, “Alright, don’t worry. We aren’t in a position where we’ll run into Joe frequently.”
“No worries. We have countless days ahead of us. I’ve been getting along well with Rowan and his friends lately. He invites me to many events. My chances of encountering Joe will increase in time.
“Right, you told me that I will be starring in my next movie with Charles. When the time comes, pay special attention to him for me. Perhaps we can use him to our advantage,” Felicia advised.
“Alright.”
Natalie brought two smoothies over. On the coffee table, there was also a plate of fried chicken and a pizza, along with a fruit platter.
“These are the takeouts that I’ve just ordered. Did you say that someone rear–ended your car just now? What happened?” Natalie scanned Skylar from head to toe to check whether Skylar had gotten hurt.
Skylar described what had happened.
Natalie was stunned. She ranted, “Isn’t she a little too shameless? At first, she wouldn’t admit to her mistakes. Back then, she definitely thought that you were weak and easily controlled.
“Yet, upon seeing Joe, her attitude underwent a complete change. If Joe hadn’t shown up today, who knows what scandals she’d whip up about you?”
After becoming Austin’s assistant, Natalie had heard many stories about the entertainment industry from Hank and witnessed some of them firsthand.
She knew that some people would do anything to make themselves go viral. They would even resort to unethical methods to do so. Natalie looked down on them.
They made Austin seem like a rare gem in the entertainment industry.
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“This is the world we live in. Thankfully, it yielded acceptable results.”
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In a swift change of topic, Natalie said, “I’ll be leaving Jipsburg for around two weeks to accompany Mr. Powell to a movie set in a neighboring city. I invited you here today to talk about my relationship with Jeremy. You’re the only person I can discuss this with.
Natalie gnawed into her fried chicken. At this point, only her favorite food could provide her some semblance of emotional security.
Skylar nodded. She thought of how Jeremy had gotten seduced under the influence of black magic. She wondered if she should tell Natalie about it.
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Skylar decided to keep it to herself for now. She could tell that Natalie’s emotional state had been volatile recently.
“Jeremy met me yesterday. He still hasn’t agreed to get a
peacefully. It might involve both our parents. That’s what/ce. I don’t think we’ll be able to divorce
been dreading the most. It’ll make them
worried. In addition, I’m scared they’ll convince me to forgive Jeremy.”
Skylar asked, “Are you set on divorcing Jeremy? Would you remain determined to divorce him even if he’d cheated on you due to circumstances out of his control?”
Natalie–chuckled and answered, “Circumstances he couldn’t control? Even if he’d been drugged and thus slept with Annabelle without even knowing, I wouldn’t be able to accept it.
“Furthermore, he might’ve slept with her involuntarily the first time. Yet, a long time has elapsed since then. Is he still sleeping with her involuntarily? That video still replays in my brain now.
“Even if he could give me an explanation for his affair, we wouldn’t be able to return to how we had been prior to this incident. I would rather give up on a broken marriage than persevere on this road.”
Skylar said firmly, “I’ll support you no matter what happens, regardless of the decisions you make,”
Tears pooled in Natalie’s eyes uncontrollably. She replied, “I’ll always support you too.”
Suddenly, she felt that they were being overly courteous with each other.
Natalie forced a smile and pointed at the food on the table. She implored, “Quick, try some. This is our favorite fried chicken. My house is too far from our school, so I had someone send it over.”
Skylar swallowed. She remarked, “So that’s why it looks familiar.”
The fried chicken stall was quite small. It was the only one of its kind in Jipsburg, located near their old
school.
The students were probably the only ones who knew how delicious it was.
“I also sent someone to buy the smoothies for us. Although it’s from a chain store, the other outlets don’t give as much toppings as this one outside our school,” Natalie reminisced. She leaned on Skylar’s shoulder.
Skylar also took a trip down memory lane. She said, “Back then, you drank two smoothies a day. Then, weight. You drank eight smoothies a day at you saw online that a smoothie–only diet would help you lose
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your peak. In the end, you didn’t lose a single pound. Rather, you were
and barbecues consecutively. You gained four pounds instead.”
Stand as a result and ate stews
“You even exclaimed about how you were the only one who’d slimmed dow
among all our roommates
after those fattening meals. You’ve got a miraculous body!” Natalie said in admiration.
After finishing their smoothies, Natalie took out a bottle of champagne. It would go well with their fried chicken and nuts.
They drank till ten at night.
Suddenly, someone called them in their drunk state.
Natalie slurred, “Skye, someone’s calling you.”
Skylar had a low tolerance for alcohol and was reacting sluggishly. She picked her phone up Without checking who was calling, she accepted the call and greeted, “Hello.”
slowly.
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Joe said, “I’m outside Natalie’s neighborhood. Tell me when you’re ready to leave, and I’ll fetch you home.” Skylar blinked. She thought she’d misheard him and repeated, “Fetch me home?”
She held her phone up and stared intent/
at the caller’s ID. Then, she said, “Oh, it’s really Joe. Why would
you be kind enough to fetch me home? I’m not going home, definitely not.”
“Have you been drinking?”
Skylar could imagine Joe raising an eyebrow at her coldly in her mind’s eye. How terrifying.
Thankfully, she was a brave woman. She wasn’t scared of him at all.
“Correct. I’ve been drinking. I’ve drunk so much winel” she hung up immediately after finishing.
A chilling gleam flashed across his eyes when Joe realized she’d hung up on her. He immediately called Jeremy to ask him which floor Natalie was on.
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Natalie gave Skylar a thumbs–up and praised her, “Skylar, you’re such a brave woman! How did you gather the courage to hang up on Joe? Do you know how scary he is?”
Natalie did not encounter Joe frequently. She could count the number of times they had met with just one hand, and each encounter was terrifying.
Skylar was talented. She wasn’t scared of Joe at all.
“How scary could he be? It’s not like he could seek me out here. I’ll sleep at your place tonight.”
Natalie agreed without hesitation. She rejoiced, “Excellent! I’ll get another flute of champagne. I’m telling you, I’ve got a lot of alcohol with me here. We can drink as much as we want!”
She stood up shakily and stumbled over to her wine cabinet.
Before she reached it, the doorbell rang.
“Who’s that?”
Natalie headed toward the door. Although she was drunk, she remained vigilant. Natalie looked out of the peephole only to see an expressionless yet handsome face.
“Joe?”
As she opened the door, Natalie turned back to Skylar and said, “You’re right. Joe has found you here!”
When Skylar heard Natalie say that, she sobered up slightly and asked, “What did you say?”
Had she misheard? Had Joe sought her out? How had he found her?
As questions raced through Skylar’s addled mind, she saw Joe standing by the door.
Joe would always become the center of attention no matter where he was. Even if one didn’t know his identity, they would be attracted by his outstanding looks and gorgeous figure. Skylar saw him immediately.
Skylar gulped and asked, “How did you find me here?”
Joe glared at her. When he saw Skylar gawking at him, he knew that she’d been drinking. Joe said, “I’ll take you home.”
“Oh, alright, thank you,” said Skylar. She stood up and walked toward Joe. When she did so, her head spun.
“Hey, why are there two Joes? Which one is real?”
Skylar pointed at Joe. Then, her finger shifted slightly to the side.
Natalie could handle her alcohol better than Skylar. Especially after meeting Joe, his chilly demeanor sobered her right up. After a brief moment of speechlessness, she complained, “You graduated years ago. Why can’t you hold your liquor?”
or der
“I’m not drunk,” Skylar adamantly denied.
Which part of her looked drunk?
She stumbled to Joe. When she approached him, she tripped and tipped to her side.
Joe caught her in time and mocked, “Stubborn woman.
Skylar could barely walk in a straight line. Yet, she was still insisting that she wasn’t drunk.
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Natalie frowned. She warned him, “Joe, you better treat Skylar well. You mustn’t cheat on her! If not, I’ll make you suffer!”
Skylar had been betrayed once. She couldn’t go through it once more. It hurt too much.
Joe stared intently at Natalie. He hummed in acknowledgement. It made tears well up in Natalie’s eyes.
Once Joe left with Skylar, Natalie curled into the couch. She hadn’t felt anything while Skylar was there.
Now that she was alone at home, the alcohol began draining from her system. Her brain cleared up.
At that moment, someone called. The chime of her phone broke through the silence.
Natalie looked down at her phone. When she saw that it was Jeremy calling, her heart throbbed painfully.
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hapter 579
Agony coursed through Natalie’s veins. All those memories rushed to the forefront of her mind. She threw. her phone aside and allowed it to continue ringing.
Initially, she’d thought that Jeremy would give up afterward. Yet, he continued calling. It looked like he would continue calling her until she picked up. If she still didn’t offer any response, he might even come
over.
Natalie did not want to see him at all.
She accepted the call and asked, “Why have you called me?”
Jeremy was silent after Natalie’s icy question. He then asked, “You’ve had a lot to drink, haven’t you?”
Natalie frowned. That explained why Joe found Skylar at hers. He’d asked Jeremy. She replied, “I haven’t drunk much. If you don’t have any pressing matters, I’ve got matters to attend to.”
“Let me come over and take care of you,” said Jeremy.
Natalie sat up immediately. She shouted, “Jeremy, can you stop pretending like nothing has happened between us? Don’t be so selfish. You know me better than anyone, so you must know how I’m feeling now. I can’t face you right now. The second I see you, I think of how you cheated on me with Annabelle. I can’t forget it!”
“Natalie, forgive me this time. Just this once. I can prove that you’ve got a skewed understanding of what happened. You’re the only woman I love,” Jeremy said lowly.
Natalie sounded as though she’d heard a hilarious joke She shot back, “With this single occurrence, you’ve damaged every semblance of trust between us. I can forgive you, but I’ll never get back together with you. From today onward, we can be as close as siblings. However, we cannot be a married couple Can’t we separate amicably?”
Jeremy’s fingers tightened around his phone. After a long pause, he responded, “Impossible. You’ll make sense of this after a while.”
Then, he hung up before Natalie could.
Blood drained from Natalie’s face upon hearing Jeremy’s declaration.
Why was he so set on this? Why would he want a marriage broken by an affair?
On the way back to Galaxy Villa, Skylar curled up with her head on Joe’s lap. She breathed steadily.
Joe stared at Skylar, who was snoozing away without a care in the world. He raised an eyebrow. She’d begun sleeping the second she got into the car. How could she insist that she wasn’t drunk?
Joe complained coldly, “How stubborn.”
Lucas immediately straightened up.
Skylar had already fallen asleep. How could Joe still be angry? He was terrified that Joe would throw her out in a fit of rage.
Then, Joe instructed, “Drive slower.”
“Oh, alright,” Lucas answered. Joe’s mood had changed in an instant. It looked like a hurricane was brewing behind his eyes for a second there. In the next moment, Joe became concerned over how fast he was driving.
Chapter 579
2/2
Clearly, he was worried that Skylar’s sleep might’ve been affected if Lucas drove too fast.
Lucas had been driving at a sloth’s pace. Many cars had overtaken him. Every one of them looked back at him after doing so. A question seemed to be written across their glares. Lucas was driving such a great car, yet his driving skills were atrocious.
Despite their slow pace, they finally arrived at Galaxy Villa after 40 minutes.
Joe carried Skylar out of the car.
“Mr. Martin, I’ll open the door for you,” Lucas said. After getting out of the car, he immediately ran over to help Joe.
They’d arrived at Galaxy Villa. Yet Joe didn’t want to wake Skylar up. He definitely treasured Skylar. However, Joe tended to remain expressionless, making it difficult for Skylar to detect his love.
Lucas couldn’t help but feel extremely nervous for Joe.
Before walking in, Joe glanced at Lucas. He seemed to have something to say to him. He asked, “Do you have anything you’d like to tell me?”
Lucas responded, “I do have something to say. However, I’m not sure it would be appropriate.” “Speak.”
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Chapter 580
Chapter 580
“Mr. Martin, you don’t seem to treat Mrs. Martin well. She might think that you don’t care about her. Women need to be coaxed and appeased.
“My wife really appreciates thoughtful gestures. I bring her home dinner and a small cake after work each day. Then, I would shower her with some kind words. A little always goes a long way. Perhaps you could show Mrs. Martin similar kindness to make her feel cared for.”
Lucas gave Joe some genuine advice. He hoped that Joe would listen.
Joe raised a brow. He asked, “She will be filled with adoration for cake?“.
you just because of some food and a
Lucas reminded sternly, “Mr. Martin, you must also feed her with pleasantries.”
Being gentle was the key component of this plan.
Joe looked down at the woman in his arms. He seemed to be thinking about Lucas‘ words.
Lucas couldn’t read Joe. He regretted running his mouth without thinking about it beforehand.
Joe definitely knew that.
“In that case … I’ll take my leave, Mr. Martin,” Lucas said hesitantly.
Joe glanced at him and replied, “Alright!”
Lucas ran away immediately.
Joe carried Skylar upstairs and placed her in bed. As he helped her change, she remained motionless. Skylar was as obedient as she could be.
Most of Joe’s rage dissipated. He asked, “You should’ve been obedient all this time. It would’ve saved us much hassle.”
Skylar seemed to be heartless. She drank till she was unconscious.
Although Joe grumbled about Skylar, the wrinkle between his eyes smoothened to the rhythm of her calm breaths.
When Skylar woke up the next day, she had a horrible headache.
Skylar felt extremely confused when she found herself in Galaxy Villa. She felt as though a chunk of her memory was missing. Wasn’t she supposed to be at Natalie’s place?
How had she come home?
Joe asked from beside her, “You’re up?”
Skylar glanced over immediately and questioned, “When did you come home?”
Joe sat up. He was shirtless, showing off his rippling muscles without inhibition. He said, “Have you forgotten what happened next?”
Alarm bells began ringing in Skylar’s brain. She couldn’t be bothered to enjoy the view before her. She questioned, “Did something happen last night?”
Why did she lose her composure every time she drank? She forgot everything that happened while under the influence. Skylar had no clue of how she returned home.
Chapter 580
Chapter 581
“Two years ago, he bought this overseas. Afterward, chaos befell his family. His children were involved in car accidents, and others fell sick. Coincidentally, I saw this painting hung on his wall. Could this painting have been the cause?”
Without hesitation, Skylar agreed, “Alright. You can set a time for it.”
“That’s great. I’ll start making arrangements. If possible, we should make the trip by today. It takes around five hours to get there. We’ll be able to come back by tomorrow.”
Chapter 582
Indeed, Joe had been in a meeting. Half an hour through the meeting, he saw that Skylar had called and texted him. He glanced at the time and called her back
His call went through after a few seconds.
Joe asked, “I was in a meeting just now. Are you already heading there?”
As he spoke, she also heard the click of his lighter. Skylar said, “Yeah, we’ve set off already. We’re on the highway now.”
Joe flicked his lighter open. However, he didn’t light a cigarette. He merely looked down, a cold glint flickering in his eyes. He said, “When you get there, do te
“Alright.”
me.”
“Be careful,” Joe added.
Skylar’s eyelashes fluttered as she responded, “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself.”
worry. I’ll take care of myself.”
The second she hung up, Skylar felt as though there was a hole in her heart. It was uncomfortable.
Alexander asked with a smile, “Was that Joe calling you?”
Skylar halted her train of thought. She replied, “Yeah. I was telling him that I wouldn’t be going home tonight. I was scared he’d be worried.”
Alexander nodded cheerily. He said, “Joe is a good kid. He’s pitiable as well. Only his Grandma truly pampered him growing up. Men tend to be hard–headed. Although Joe seems uncaring, he does value a select few. I can tell that he cares for you.”
Skylar added, “He’s good.”
At this age, Alexander was extremely perceptive. He could tell what they were going through at a glance. However, he did not point it out. They would only truly comprehend it once they went through it themselves.
It did not matter how much advice their elders gave. They would probably not be able to understand it
anyway.
They were a good pair. He would let them pave their own way, and then they would learn their lessons. A few hours later, they arrived in Liberty County. Although they were in a rural area, Harry lived in a mansion. It was like a mini estate, and it was the only one of its kind in the village.
There weren’t many people in the county. It made the estate seem even quieter.
It was a great place to retire. One could enjoy peace and focus on spiritual development here.
Many people chose to build mansions here after consulting divination masters.
Before stepping onto his estate, Skylar felt he’d chosen a good location to build his mansion. One relaxed easily there.
However, the second she stepped into the estate, Skylar felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. A chill prickled over her skin.
Harry was a nice man.
On the way there, Alexander had told her about Harry’s background. He had five sons and two daughters.
Chapter 582
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His three sons had fallen sick one after another in the past two years and were extremely weak. His other two sons were fine as they were overseas.
His two daughters had recently endured a string of terrifying ordeals. One moment, they were victims of a car accident; the next, they were nearly drowning after suffering severe cramps while swimming. It seemed danger was a constant, unwelcome guest in their lives.
Harry had been affected too. His body health had been deteriorating in the past few years. He needed a wheelchair to get around. If not, he would be panting desperately after a few steps.
Under such circumstances, Harry found himself in a weird situation. He’d asked divination masters to help him investigate.
They’d looked at his mansion and ancestral graves. There was nothing wrong with them, and multiple divination masters had agreed.
Harry could only dispel his supposition that this was the result of black magic. He thought of it as a coincidence.
Alexander hadn’t told Harry about who was coming. He was terrified that Harry would be disappointed by the outcome.
Chapter 583
“So that’s what happened. He must’ve done so on purpose. He approached you on purpose just to give the porcelain figure to you,” Alexander said. His eyes narrowed as his expression turned somber.
“Right… It seems like everything began after I came back from overseas. Accidents happened one after another. I’ve asked numerous people to help me understand what’s happening, but none could tell. How did you figure it out?”
At the mention of Viola, Harry’s eyes widened.
Chapter 584
As Skylar collapsed, the figurine slipped out of her palm.
“Mr. Martin?”
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