Since Skylar was young, Viola had always warned her not to use the skills she had taught her before getting married. This advice also applied to the knowledge Skylar had gleaned from Viola’s books, especially the divination skills. Viola had been clear: never share these teachings with Janine, or there would be serious consequences.
In Skylar’s past life, there had been a time when she had secretly restored a painting in exchange for a large sum of money—one million dollars—just to help cover the costs of Amelia Campbell’s kidney transplant. Skylar had done this without hesitation, desperate to ease Christopher’s distress. But her actions came at a high price. A few days later, while out shopping with Sadie, Skylar had shoved Sadie out of the way to save her from a speeding truck. Unfortunately, this resulted in Skylar becoming paralyzed from the waist down.
Thankfully, none of that had happened in this life. Viola was still out there, but Skylar had not seen her again—let alone before her untimely death in her past life.
As Skylar read the letter Viola had left for her, tears welled up uncontrollably. The familiar handwriting brought with it a flood of emotions she had been trying to suppress. The letter revealed Viola’s last divination—she had foreseen a great calamity that would likely claim Skylar’s life within the next three years. But if Skylar was reading this letter, it meant she had survived the trial, a “rebirth” like that of a phoenix. Viola’s words echoed in her mind: Now, Skylar knew no limits but the skies.
Viola also spoke of their eventual reunion, though it wasn’t meant to be forced or rushed. Skylar remembered how, when she was young, she had wanted to learn divination from Viola, but the older woman had refused. “It’s not a gift, Skylar,” she had said. “Being able to read divinations is not a power anyone should covet.”
Skylar might not have had Viola’s skill, but she could still sense the energy of certain antiques, knowing whether they were auspicious or not. It wasn’t much, but it had been enough to help her survive. As she read the letter, her heart ached, and the flood of emotions she had tried to keep inside finally spilled over.
Just then, Gloria entered the room, her concerned voice breaking through Skylar’s grief. “Oh, dear Skylar, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
Skylar quickly wiped away her tears, forcing a smile. “I’m fine, Grandma. I just… I miss Grandma Viola so much.” She didn’t want to worry Gloria, even though her own heart was heavy.
Gloria’s heart ached at the sight of Skylar’s tears. She could feel the weight of her sadness. For reasons she couldn’t explain, it made her feel a deep, inexplicable sorrow every time she saw Skylar cry. Noticing how aggrieved Skylar seemed, Gloria was reminded of something and called Joe in secret while Skylar was in the bathroom.
On the other end of the line, Joe was finishing up his work when he heard Gloria’s sharp tone. “You brat, did you give Skye a hard time at the courthouse today?”
Joe, caught off guard, paused. “What did she tell you?”
Gloria snorted. “She didn’t tell me anything. Have you forgotten how perceptive I am? I can tell she’s upset.”
Joe exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “It wasn’t me.”
Despite the calm in his voice, Joe’s mind was swirling. What was Skylar trying to gain from Gloria? He thought she would stick to the terms of their agreement when they registered for marriage earlier, but now it seemed she had her own agenda.
A cold glint flashed across his eyes as he processed everything. “Just ignore her,” Joe said coldly. “Come over tonight and pick her up. And don’t forget the task I gave you. I need a great-grandchild, remember?”
Gloria hung up abruptly, and Joe, feeling helpless, was about to leave when he noticed Paul standing in the hallway, looking disoriented.
“What’s wrong with you?” Joe asked, noticing the unusual expression on Paul’s face.
Paul, his eyes wide with unease, pulled out the emerald charm still hanging around his neck. He explained everything Skylar had said earlier, right outside Pearlhall Residence, when she had warned him that the charm was cursed. Paul was clearly rattled. “Did I offend Ms. Williams in some way? She scared me with all that talk about curses. It’s just an emerald charm. How could she know if it was looted from a dead person?”
Joe raised an eyebrow, his expression hardening. He was already irritated by Skylar’s behavior, and this didn’t help. “Just ignore her. She’s probably just trying to spook you,” Joe replied coldly.
Paul nodded, though doubt lingered in his mind. “Alright.” He still felt unsettled but hoped it was just a scare tactic.
As they entered the elevator, Paul continued to examine the emerald charm. It was an exquisite piece, and he had been planning to pass it down as a family heirloom. Yet, with Skylar’s warning still fresh in his mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
As the elevator descended, the lights flickered before suddenly going out completely. The elevator jerked violently, plummeting at an alarming speed. Even Joe, who was usually calm and composed, looked slightly perturbed.
“What the hell?” Paul muttered under his breath, fear creeping in. Was this it? Was he going to die here today?
In an instant, the elevator came to a screeching halt just before hitting the ground. The lights flickered back on as if nothing had happened, and everything seemed to return to normal. Paul, still in shock, looked around and realized that Joe appeared completely unfazed.
After a few moments of stunned silence, Paul glanced down at the emerald charm. He gulped. “Why do I feel like Ms. Williams wasn’t joking with me?” he muttered, removing the charm from around his neck.
Joe arched an eyebrow, unbothered. “Wear it. It was just a malfunction,” he said, brushing off the incident as a coincidence. “Don’t worry about it.”
Paul, still unnerved, nodded. “Alright. I’ll call the technicians to inspect the elevators. This can’t happen again.”
When Joe finally arrived at Pearlhall Residence, he found Gloria in high spirits. She had been distant and cool with him in the past, but tonight, she was laughing heartily with Skylar as they watched a dating variety show on television. The warmth between them was evident, and Joe couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort as he watched them interact.
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