Skylar listened to Daniel’s suggestion, her brow furrowing slightly. The offer to increase her pay for staying longer or coming in earlier seemed enticing, but something about the request didn’t sit quite right with her. She knew Daniel well enough to understand that he was always looking for ways to profit from any opportunity that arose. But she also appreciated the potential for growth in her career, and a pay increase would certainly be helpful.
However, her main focus remained on her work, and the idea of being overworked for a trend didn’t appeal to her. She was already feeling the strain of her responsibilities with her family and the complexities surrounding her marriage to Joe. She didn’t need additional stress, especially not for the sake of a painting that was part of a passing fad.
“Thanks for the offer, Daniel, but I’m already putting in a lot of hours as it is,” Skylar replied carefully, a polite smile on her face. “If the restoration takes longer, I’ll still make sure to finish it properly, but I won’t be able to adjust my schedule just for this.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. He could see that Skylar wasn’t the type to be easily swayed by the promise of more money. She had a strong work ethic, but she wasn’t one to be taken advantage of either.
“Alright, I understand,” he said with a shrug. “But if you change your mind, just let me know.”
Skylar nodded, grateful that the conversation didn’t escalate. She could already feel the weight of her commitments, and pushing herself too hard for a trend wasn’t something she wanted to do.
After a moment, she excused herself to get back to her work, but Caleb caught her attention just as she was about to head back to the restoration area.
“Hey, Skylar,” he called out, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment from earlier. “I’ll hold you to that promise about the stew. But next time, just the two of us, yeah?”
Skylar smiled at his persistence, her mind momentarily drifting to the idea of taking a break from all the stress. Maybe it would be nice to have a casual meal with Caleb and Daniel someday, but for now, her priorities were elsewhere.
“Sure, Caleb. We’ll make it happen. Just not tonight,” she said before turning to head back to her work.
Meanwhile, back in Joe’s office, Paul had already started his investigation into Skylar and Christopher. The request had unsettled him, especially given the fact that Joe and Skylar had spent the night together. The tension in the office was palpable as Paul sifted through information, trying to make sense of everything.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Joe was letting his guard down when it came to Skylar, but at the same time, he seemed to be second-guessing his decision. The idea that Skylar might still be involved with Christopher was a troubling thought, but Paul hadn’t seen anything that confirmed that suspicion. He’d have to dig deeper.
At the same time, Paul couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to Joe’s feelings than just suspicion. Could Joe be afraid of something—or someone? There was an underlying complexity to Joe’s behavior that made it hard to read, and Paul felt like he was only scratching the surface of what was really going on.
As Skylar continued her work, her thoughts were pulled in different directions. The weight of the marriage certificate with Joe was still hanging over her, and she couldn’t shake the unease she felt about the whole situation. She had no idea what Joe was really after, but her instincts told her that there was much more to his cold demeanor than met the eye.
Skylar knew she had to stay focused. She couldn’t afford distractions, especially not with the pressure of her work and the people in her life who depended on her. But as the day wore on, she couldn’t help but feel like the more she tried to push forward, the more tangled everything became.
What was Joe truly thinking? And how much longer could she keep up this facade of a marriage before everything started to unravel?
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