Joe’s eyes flickered from Skylar to Maisy, who was still lying on the floor, her face a swollen, red mess from the beating. Skylar, on the other hand, remained eerily calm, as if nothing unusual had happened. Her cool composure contrasted sharply with the chaos in the room, and Joe couldn’t help but think, It seems she’s recovered.
The manager, sensing the tension rising to a breaking point, immediately turned to Joe with a frantic expression. “Mr. Martin, I… I’ll handle this situation right away. Please let me resolve this. I can explain everything, and I’m sure we can reach a satisfactory conclusion.”
Joe’s intense gaze swept over the room, silencing everyone with its weight. No one dared to speak, their discomfort palpable. Even Sadie, who typically reveled in her ability to control situations, now faltered under his scrutiny.
Joe had earned a reputation in the city, especially among the upper social circles. People like Sadie had heard whispers of his name, even though they didn’t fully understand his influence or the depth of his power. She was more aware, though, of the fact that her daughter, Maisy, had been eager to meet Joe recently, thanks to her friend Jeffrey’s insistence. Jeffrey believed a connection with Joe could elevate the Williams family’s social status in Jipsburg.
Now, seeing Joe in person, Sadie was horrified by the idea of him witnessing her daughter’s humiliation. She felt a pang of regret for starting the whole ordeal. The scene in front of her was damaging enough, but knowing Joe had seen it only added to her discomfort. She glared at Skylar, who was still holding Maisy down with ease.
“Get off her, Skylar!” Sadie snapped, putting on her best act of a victim. “How dare you get physically aggressive like this?”
Janine, who had been standing on the sidelines, finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. She noticed Skylar’s unshaken confidence and felt a deep, internal conflict. She regretted not having taken a more conciliatory approach earlier, feeling that things might have been different if she had simply apologized to Sadie. The situation had escalated too quickly, and now it felt like there was no turning back.
The manager, sensing Janine’s panic, made his decision. Better to sacrifice a housekeeper than risk losing a valuable guest—or worse, Joe’s approval.
“Janine, tell your daughter to let go of our guest at once!” he barked, his voice sharp.
Sadie, now emboldened, nodded approvingly. “I’m no longer upset. Let’s just drop the matter. But perhaps your hotel should run a background check on future employees to see if they have kleptomaniac tendencies,” she added, trying to maintain her façade of righteousness.
Maisy, now visibly crying, exaggerated her weakness, making Skylar seem like the real villain in the situation. Skylar, with a sense of finality, lifted her knee off Maisy’s stomach, standing tall as if nothing had happened.
“Janine, regardless of the situation, you should still apologize to the guest first,” the manager insisted, more concerned with keeping the peace than with finding out the truth. He glanced at Joe and Paul, both of whom seemed detached from the drama. The manager couldn’t place the strange aura around them—something felt off.
Skylar didn’t back down. “Do I need to repeat myself? My mom isn’t at fault. These women are framing her. Should I call the police?”
Janine hesitated, her voice low. “Skye, I’ll just apologize and end this situation for good.”
Skylar shook her head firmly, her stance clear. She wasn’t about to let Maisy and Sadie get away with this. “Letting them win will only encourage them to do this again in the future,” Skylar replied.
Maisy, still on the floor, sniffled and looked up at Skylar, playing the victim to the hilt. “You even hit me earlier…” she murmured, clearly trying to manipulate the situation.
Skylar met her gaze with a half-smile. “The police will say I was just defending myself… a little too well. Besides, would I have hit you if you hadn’t tried to slap me first?”
Janine nodded, adding, “Yeah, Skye would never make the first move in a fight.”
As Joe watched the exchange, his gaze shifted from Sadie to Skylar, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked. It was a subtle moment, but in that brief connection, there was something unspoken between them. Neither of them acknowledged it out loud, but the intensity of the exchange was undeniable. The rest of the room remained oblivious to the silent tension between Joe and Skylar.
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