Chapter 71
“Ah!” Skylar cried out in pain..
Joe’s eyes appeared before her. They were devoid of any sleepiness. His eyes were so dark–it was as if they could devour the night sky.
His hand still gripped her arm tightly, with a fierce strength that seemed like it could snap her arm in half.
“I was being kind to your Skylar exclaimed tearfully.
Joe seemed to realize only then. His eyes showed regret. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough.”
It had been an instinctive reaction. He thought someone was trying to abduct him again. In his drowsy
state, he seemed to have returned to that dark warehouse.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Skylar asked while rubbing her bruised arm, exasperated.
He was really too rough. If he had grabbed her neck, it would’ve been broken for sure. He was definitely
trained
She silently swore to maintain a safe distance from Joe in the future. She didn’t want to end up dead for
no reason one day.
When Joe saw the bruises on Skylar’s arm, he frowned. “Let me take you to the hospital.”
*No need. I’ll just apply some ointment.” Skylar refused.
It was already midnight. There was no need to bother the doctors at the hospital at this late hour. These bruises were nothing to her anyway.
Despite growing up in the countryside, her skin was naturally delicate. Even a slight bump or knock would leave severe bruises. However, they would heal in a couple of days with some ointment.
Joe felt guilty. His eyes lingered on her bruised arm.
The fingerprints were so clear that they reminded him of rough sex.
He lifted his gaze and caught sight of Skylar’s glossy red lips. Instantly, his throat tightened.
He frowned and stood up abruptly. “I’ll go get the first aid kit.”
When Joe returned downstairs, he had a large box in his hands.
Skylar thought it was more like a treasure chest than a first aid kit.
As the kit was opened, it revealed an array of medications.
Joe rummaged through it and found a tube of ointment.
Skylar reached out to take it
“It’s hard for you to apply it nicely. Let me do it for you.” Joe opened the tube cover and squeezed some white cream onto his fingertip.
Chapter 21
Skylar didn’t resist. “Okay.”
Despite his cold demeanor, he was actually quite attentive. He gently applied the ointment to her skin with his slightly rough fingertips.
The room was silent, and they were sitting so close on the couch that they could hear each other’s
breaths.
Skylar suddenly felt that they were too close. It was as if their breaths were intertwining.
Joe’s gaze lingered on her long, trembling eyelashes for a few seconds.
“That should be enough,” Skylar quickly reminded him when she saw him squeeze out more ointment.
She only had sensitive skin, not fragile. She knew he didn’t do it on purpose, and he took responsibility, so
she wasn’t so angry anymore.
Her arm should be fine with so much ointment applied.
As Joe looked at the glaring bruise on her fair arm, his eyes darkened. He glanced at his watch and asked, “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah, for about 40 minutes.” When Skylar stood up, she felt a bit dizzy from drowsiness.
After answering him, she added, “I’ll go rest now, Mr. Martin.”
“Wait.”
Chapter 72
Skylar turned toward Joe, tilting her head.
“Let’s go pick up Grandma together if you’re free tomorrow morning She’ll be discharged tomorrow.” Joe’s gaze fell on Skylar’s half–lidded eyes.
Had she been watching over him this whole time?
The thought crossed his mind, but it quickly dissipated.
Skylar now wore a comfortable home outfit. Her long hair, clearly washed, cascaded down her back. With her light makeup removed, her face looked pristine and youthful. Dressed in an extremely conservative, pink–toned outfit, she appeared no more than 18 years old.
If it weren’t for her attire, he might have thought she was deliberately coming downstairs again to seduce him.
“Okay.” Skylar nodded and headed upstairs. She was really too tired,
Joe watched her go up the stairs before settling back on the couch. His gaze lingered on the blanket that had been left on the floor.
Had she come downstairs to cover him with the blanket because she was worried he might catch a cold?
Joe’s eyes darkened slightly in contemplation.
The next morning, Skylar went downstairs to make breakfast.
There was milk in the fridge, so she heated it up and fried some eggs and ham to make sandwiches.
As she was preparing breakfast, Joe came downstairs in casual attire.
They were going to the hospital together later, so Skylar made two breakfasts. “Would you like some breakfast? I made sandwiches, and there’s milk.”
Joe glanced at the table. The sandwiches looked appetizing, no different from those sold outside.
Though he was unaccustomed to eating breakfast, he nodded when he saw the faint smile on Skylar’s face. “Sure.”
An hour later, the two arrived at the hospital.
Edgar had already completed Gloria’s discharge procedures.
After picking up Gloria, they headed straight back to Pearlhall Residence. After a brief conversation with Gloria at Pearlhall Residence, they left.
“Where are you going? I’ll drive you,” Joe sald. He was driving that day.
Skylar sat in the passenger seat and looked outside, but she didn’t see any bus stops nearby. It was already 9:00 am. Knowing Joe was busy, she said, “You can drop me off here. I’ll just call an Uber.”
Joe glanced at her. “There aren’t many vehicles passing by near Pearlhall Estate. Let me just take you there.”
“Thank you, Mr. Martin. Please drop me off at the antique street on Nova Avenue,” Skylar said without further hesitation.
Getting a cab around here was indeed difficult. She had promised Daniel that she would fir h the restoration of two ancient paintings as soon as possible. These delays over the past few days had set her back significantly.
At the mention of the antique street, Joe raised an eyebrow slightly. Still, he didn’t ask her what she was going to do. After all, her affairs were none of his concern. There was no need for him to be so curious
about her.
Just then, Skylar’s phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was a call from Natalie.
Chapter 73
Just as Skylar answered the call, Natalie’s voice erupted from the phone with a stream of curses.
“That bitch Maisy is unbelievable! First, she quelled the buzz about this issue, and now she claims that the person in the video isn’t her. Then, she hired a woman who looks like her from afar to say that she’s the one who’s frequently seen with Christopher!
“Maisy has completely cleared her name! Even Christopher says that the person in the photos and videos is all that woman. It’s that woman who has a crush on him, and the video was taken out of conte
“What’s worse is that the woman has come forward to admit it and apologize for causing trouble for Christopher and Maisy. With some fake comments, Maisy and Christopher are suddenly innocent!”
Skylar sneered. “They must have spent a lot of money on this plan.”
“What goes around comes around. They’ll get their karma for sure. My dear Skye, I’m going to go crazy with their antics. Don’t stand me up tonight, okay?” Natalie reminded Skylar.
“I won’t. See you at 6:00 pm.”
After ending the call, Skylar noticed Joe looking at her.
Her lips parted slightly. The matter had ended just like this, leaving her with mixed feelings. She didn’t know what to say to him.
However, Joe spoke first. “Do the Williamses treat you poorly?”
It was a question she had been hearing a lot these days, but she never expected Joe to ask her too.
She looked ahead. Her gaze was deep as if hiding some unspeakable troubles, but she replied calmly,” They have nothing to do with me.”
Although she didn’t directly answer his question, her statement made it clear enough.
Joe glanced at her thoughtfully.
Maisy stared at her card, which only had a hundred thousand dollars left, with a dark expression.
Five million dollars! That woman had asked for five million dollars!
The person she had hired to clear her name online was Amy Wright, her former college classmate.
Amy had undergone several plastic surgeries during college to look just like Maisy. When they graduated from college, many classmates thought Amy was her sister or at least related.
Back then, she had thought Amy was sick, but she didn’t expect her to actually be of use. However, Amy was being too greedy, demanding five million dollars at the drop of a hat.
But considering her reputation, five million dollars was nothing–as long as it didn’t affect her marriage to
Joe.
Noticing Maisy’s low spirits, Samuel said, “I’d feel upset in your shoes too. Now that everyone knows you’ve been wronged, let Skylar apologize to you when she comes back. She’s always jumping to conclusions. She should take this as a lesson and reflect on her actions.”
“Samuel, give Skye a call and ask her to come back today. We need to have a serious conversation as a family,” Sadie said.
For some reason, she felt uneasy thinking about Skylar, like she had done something wrong.
Samuel rolled his eyes. “I’ve tried calling her, Mom, but she won’t answer. Let’s not bother with her. Look at all the trouble she’s been causing lately. I’m embarrassed to have a sister like her.”
“Maisy, why don’t you call her?” Sadie suggested.
Maisy felt even worse. Why was Sadie suddenly so concerned about Skylar these past few days?
Yet she kept her displeasure to herself. “Fine, I’ll call her now.”
The phone rang for a long time, but it was left unanswered.
Maisy looked at Sadie helplessly. “Mom, she isn’t picking up my calls. We don’t even know where she’s staying. How can we find her?”
She thought that Skylar might be lying in the arms of some old man, doing some despicable acts to please him. How could she have time to answer her calls?
Sadie frowned. “I’ll call Janine and ask how she raised Skye. How could she teach Skye to be a mistress? My daughter has been corrupted by her.”
Chapter 74
Sadie tried calling Janine several times, but there was no answer.
She didn’t know that Janine had blocked her number since the Incident at the hotel. So, while Sadie could
make the call, there was no response on the other end.
“They must have agreed on this!” Sadie’s face turned extremely ugly. If it weren’t for her manners, she would have thrown her phone in anger.
Just then, Jeffrey called. After finishing the call with him, Sadie felt somewhat relieved. She sai Maisy, “Let me take you shopping today. Your dad said he’ll take you to Martin Group tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Maisy stood up sharply.
“Yeah, that’s what your dad said.” Sadie nodded.
Samuel was also excited. “Maisy, I’ll pay for the clothes and jewelry you buy today.”
“Thanks, Samuel.”
Christopher had asked around, but no one knew where Skylar was.
Due to the reversal of the situation online, many of their friends sympathized with him. They believed that he was being victimized by a persistent woman, so anyone with information would tell Christopher.
But now, Christopher had no choice but to contact Natalie.
Natalie was Skylar’s best friend. Perhaps she knew where Skylar was.
When Natalie answered the phone, she was busy making soup and didn’t bother to check who was calling.
“Hello, Natalie. It’s Christopher.”
“Who did you say you are?” Natalie put down the ladle.
“Christopher, Skylar’s boyfriend. We’ve met before…”
“I’ve met many people. Who are you? Besides, Skylar doesn’t have a boyfriend!” Natalie promptly hung up.
Glancing at the caller ID on her phone, she clicked her tongue. “Disgusting jerk.”
With her slender fingers, she tapped on the screen and blocked Christopher’s number.
A scumbag like him didn’t deserve a spot in her contacts. Dreaming of finding Skylar through her was ridiculous.
Skylar had been busy until 5:00 pm to catch up on the work she had fallen behind on these past few days.
When she came out, Caleb handed her a glass of water. “Have some water.”
Skylar took it gratefully. “It’s 5:00 pm. Why haven’t you left yet?”
“I’m waiting to leave with you.”
Seeing Caleb staring at her, she smiled. “Do you have something you want to say?”
Caleb blinked. “Is it that obvious?”
He did indeed have something to say. He just didn’t know how to broach the subject.
“You should usually be gone at this time. Go on. Spill it out.” Skylar was quite fond of Caleb.
Caleb wasn’t one to hide his thoughts, so he immediately blurted out, “I saw online that your ex–boyfriend seems to have been wronged. Are you going to get back together with him?
“You should know that it takes two to tango
Even if he was pursued, he sure wasn’t firm enough in
rejecting the woman. Otherwise, how could he be so easily kissed?”
Christopher’s previous accusation that Skylar was overly suspicious had made Caleb feel that Christopher wasn’t worthy of her.
hapter 75
People should take responsibility for their actions. How could Christopher shift the blame onto Skylar?
After drinking the glass of water, Skylar still felt a bit thirsty, so she poured another one.
Smiling, she said, “You’re absolutely right. You’re so young but so perceptive. You sure have a bright future ahead of you.”
In her past life, some people had spoken ill of Christopher, but she believed they didn’t truly unde and him. Yet Christopher had deceived her for over seven years.
Caleb froze. “Really?”
“Absolutely. You have potential, and you’re also right about my breakup with that scumbag. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” Skylar smiled.
Caleb had thought he would need to give Skylar a lengthy lecture to open her eyes to the truth about Christopher and help her recognize that he was trustworthy.
But she had already seen through Christopher’s true colors on her own.
Caleb didn’t know how to proceed. He scratched his head. “I guess I was worrying for nothing.”
“That’s not true. After what you said, I can see the true colors of that scumbag even more clearly. I’ll never believe his lies again.”
Skylar took off her apron and grabbed her bag from the storage cabinet.
Caleb’s eyes sparkled. “Really? That’s great. I know so many girls who are blinded by love. They won’t
listen, no matter what others say.”
“Lookers–on see most of the game, or maybe those people are just really good at disguising themselves. You often have to pay a heavy price to see through a scumbag’s true colors.”
A glint of pain flashed in Skylar’s eyes. It seemed like she had been deeply hurt.
Caleb was taken aback by that. He placed a hand over his heart, feeling a sudden ache.
“Are you… really okay?” he asked cautiously.
“I’m fine,” Skylar said, glancing at the time. “I have to go. I have plans with friends at 6:00 pm.”
Caleb blinked several times. Noticing no sadness on Skylar’s face, he realized he had been imagining too much. “Oh, I just remembered something. Have you sent your résumé to Mr. Gardner Senior’s restoration
team?”
If Skylar joined Alexander’s team, he would often get to see her in the future.
Skylar had reached the door by then and glanced back at Caleb. “Yes, but his team requires experience and expertise. I’m afraid I won’t make it. Anyway, thank you. I have to go. See you tomorrow.”
“You’ll definitely- Before Caleb could finish his sentence, Skylar had already walked out.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He decided not to go home yet. He’d go buy Alexander’s favorite food to please him.
He had to make sure Alexander agreed to interview Skylar.
Once Skylar got the interview opportunity, Alexander would surely be surprised by her performance.
Skylar and Natalie had arranged to meet at a restaurant.
It was a place they had frequented since their freshman year of college. The place was not very big, but the food was affordable and delicious.
Whenever they visited after graduation, they reminisced about their college days. The taste remained unchanged, evoking nostalgia.
As they sat down, the owner recognized them. “Did you both graduate from that nearby college?”
“Yeah, we graduated over half a year ago–We came all the way here today just to have your stew. It’s a one–hour drive, but totally worth it,” Natalie replied.
The owner couldn’t stop smiling. “We’re closing down, so this might be your last chance to enjoy our stew. I’ll give you some extra side dishes today.”
Skylar was surprised. “Why are you closing down?”
“We’re all going to be relocated. This entire area is being demolished. Martin Group bought the land. It seems some bigwigs are here today to inspect the area, probably to check the situation.” The owner pointed outside, where a group of people was gathered.
Skylar and Natalie looked over.
When Skylar spotted Joe in the midst of the crowd, she froze.
Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Standing in the middle, Joe exuded a somewhat oppressive presence. It made people hesitant to meet his gaze or harbor any contemptuous thoughts.
After he scanned the area, it seemed he had made a decision regarding the redevelopment of the land.
“Is that Joe? Wow, we’re lucky! If I weren’t married and devoted only to Jeremy, I might have fallen for him,” Natalie exclaimed, her eyes shining as she looked at Joe.
“And look at his figure! Among all the men in suits, he stands out the most. I bet he has abs and a well- defined body. Look at those long legs. You’re a stunning beauty. With a little charm, you might be able to
Natalie persisted in her fantasy. “Even I’d be tempted if you stripped naked, let alone a man. If you lay on
“You’re exaggerating. Does Jeremy know about your wild imagination?” Skylar teased.
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. What are you going to do? Christopher has been looking for everywhere, even calling me. Are you going to forgive him and give him another chance?”
“No.” Skylar ate a piece of beef. Her eyes were lowered, concealing the chill beneath them.
“Wait… I think Joe is looking at you,” Natalie said excitedly, seeing Joe’s gaze through the window.
Skylar glanced over, meeting his eyes. After that, they calmly looked away as if they had exchanged a
“You must be mistaken,” Skylar said.
Natalie murmured, “The way he looked at you just now seemed like he was surprised, as if he recognized you. But since you two don’t know each other, I must’ve been mistaken. Let’s enjoy our stew. It’s been a while since I last came. The smell alone brings back memories.”
As they ate, Skylar joked, “I remember you wanted to be a police officer when you were young, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you figure that out? I wanted to go to the police academy, but my family didn’t support me. Then I saw how busy police officers were and realized they probably didn’t have much time for dating. So, I gave up on that dream for Jeremy’s sake,” Natalie said with a hint of regret.
He stole a glance at Joe’s expression. It was quite intimidating. Did Joe and Skylar have a fight? He still
Skylar had met Natalie’s husband, Jeremy Hughes, before. They had known each other since childhood and had grown up in the same area.
If there were any issues, they were likely just minor spats between the couple.
After dropping Natalie off at Hughes Residence, Skylar noticed a store still open and decided to buy two
Since she passed by Steven’s dorm, she wanted to give him the clothes.
Skylar frowned at the shameless Christopher. “Let go.”
“Hello dear reader… I have some issues with my website,
‘I won’t let go, Skye. I love you! We’ve known each other for over seven years. Haven’t we been good all these years? No one knows me better than you, and I know you well too.
*Skye, let’s get married. Once we’re married, you can test me as much as you want. I really haven’t done anything wrong to you.” Christopher tightened his grip.
He couldn’t afford to lose Skylar. She was the only one who genuinely cared for him. And through her, he might become the son–in–law of the Williams family.
“Christopher, you’ve been lying to me for over seven years. Did you really think I’d keep falling for your tricks? Those photos you posted on Instagram were the same ones I caught you taking with Maisy. You disgust me.”
How had Skylar managed to flip him like that? For a moment, he felt powerless; then, he ended up on the ground.
Skylar, do you even know what you’re doing?”
Christopher’s handsome face twisted with frustration as he pounded on the car window. He even tried to
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