“If only Harvey wasn’t about to have his college entrance exams. I would have gotten him to join us,” Steven said with a touch of regret.
He gazed at Skylar, a sense of pride swelling in his chest as he realized just how much she had grown. It reminded him of his youngest brother, who he hadn’t seen in quite some time.
Skylar, settling down at the table, grinned. “His college entrance exams will be over in a month. When that happens, our entire family should go on a holiday. I’ve earned some money recently from restoring antique art, so this time, I’ll be in charge of our family vacation.”
Steven raised an eyebrow. “Did you learn how to restore antique paintings from Grandma Viola?” He wasn’t surprised, as he knew Viola’s skills from their time in the countryside.
Back then, many of their neighbors used to talk about how Skylar would often be found reading books at Viola’s house, though they weren’t sure if she even understood what was in them. Steven, who had seen Viola’s work firsthand, could recall how she would occasionally restore broken porcelain pieces into pristine antiques.
Despite growing up with Viola, Steven had never asked Skylar about the skills she learned. It was likely because of the aura of intimidation surrounding Viola — no one dared to pry into anything she wasn’t willing to discuss.
“Yeah, Grandma Viola taught me a lot of things. I just couldn’t find any restoration work before. But not long ago, she wrote me a letter saying I could start doing some restoration work on vintage items,” Skylar said, her tone casual but proud.
Steven nodded in delight. “You’ve grown up, Skye.”
Skylar’s eyes softened with concern. “How have you been, Steven? I heard about someone stealing your research paper when we spoke on the phone before. Has this been resolved?”
Steven’s eyes flickered, but he quickly masked his emotions. “It has. Don’t worry.”
Skylar noticed the brief change in his expression, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she smiled and tried to shift the focus back to the meal. “This barbecue restaurant is great. They grilled the meat really well.”
Steven watched Skylar, his gaze full of warmth and affection, but the tension in his heart remained.
The two of them continued to eat, and before long, only a few meat skewers were left on the table. Skylar rubbed her belly with a satisfied grin. “I’m stuffed.”
It was always freeing to dine with family, where she didn’t have to worry about manners. “I’m really full too. Here, have some fruit juice.” Steven offered her a glass.
Skylar took the glass and drank half of it in one go. The tangy fruit juice helped clear the greasiness from her mouth, and she smiled at Steven. “Did you have something to ask me, Steven?”
They had grown up together, and Steven’s hesitation hadn’t gone unnoticed by Skylar when she first arrived. She knew him too well.
Steven chuckled. “You’ve always been quick-witted. There’s really not much I can hide from you. Yes, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Go ahead,” Skylar encouraged.
Steven paused, taking a breath before speaking again. “This morning, the issue between you, Maisy, and Christopher was still in their favor. They controlled the online narrative. Then, in just an hour, everything flipped. A bunch of verified accounts started speaking out. If no one paid them, they wouldn’t have jumped on board so easily. So, Skye, who’s helping you?”
Skylar was taken aback. “I didn’t ask anyone for help.”
She thought back to this morning when she’d been at the police station, and things had suddenly shifted in her favor. It did seem odd, but she hadn’t thought much of it, especially after Natalie had called her.
“You didn’t ask anyone for help?” Steven’s expression grew more serious, his concern deepening. He wasn’t completely relieved; in fact, he felt heavier in his heart. Skylar might have been going through a lot more than he realized.
Skylar shook her head. “I really didn’t.”
Steven let out a quiet sigh, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Maybe he was overthinking things. After all, he had known Skylar for so long, and she was strong-willed. She wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize her life or her family.
“Could it have been the Williamses’ business competitor who wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to suppress them?” Steven speculated aloud.
But Skylar’s mind wandered elsewhere. Could it have been Joe?
She quickly dismissed the thought. Joe had always been wary of her. He didn’t even have a good opinion of her. If something were to happen to her, it would only serve as a reason for him to tell Gloria that she wasn’t worthy of being her granddaughter-in-law.
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