Skylar waited for ten minutes, but Christopher didn’t send the money. She’d known he wouldn’t.
In those ten minutes, she gathered all the records of their transactions and screenshots of every conversation where he’d promised to pay her back. This evidence was enough to file a lawsuit—or take even further action if she wanted. She decided to report it as a scam to the police first.
Next, Skylar checked her messages from Sadie and Jeffrey. Both reprimanded her for being disobedient, and Jeffrey specifically mentioned terminating her credit card. Now that she thought of it, she remembered the card he’d given her when she first returned to the Williams family—but she’d never used it.
Maisy’s messages were straightforward and dripping with arrogance. She bragged about how much Jeffrey and Sadie loved her, making it clear that her intention was to mock Skylar. In her previous life, Maisy’s gloating had always upset her.
But this time, Skylar wasn’t bothered. She had a chance to start over. From now on, she would only acknowledge Janine, her adoptive mother, as her real mother. Her biological father, Finn Sullivan, had died in an accident when she was only three years old, and Janine had raised four children on her own.
Just as she was about to put her phone down and drift off to sleep, another message popped up. It was from Steven Sullivan, her eldest brother who had always doted on her.
“Skye, are you getting used to life with the Williamses?”
Skylar felt a twinge of emotion. “Steven, I’ve missed you.”
He sent a voicemail instantly. “Skye, just come home if you’re homesick. Mom’s been mentioning you a lot.”
“Same. I really miss Mom. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“I’ll cook for you once you’re back.”
“How have you been? I remember you were working on publishing a paper, right?”
Steven paused before chuckling softly. “I’m doing fine.”
After hanging up, Skylar scrolled through her photo album and found a picture of her family. Tears pooled in her eyes as she gazed at it. She hadn’t seen them in ages—not since the accident that had paralyzed her. She’d been able to answer their calls occasionally, but only when the Williams family was in a good mood.
Jeffrey had refused to let anyone visit her. Meanwhile, everyone assumed she was being well taken care of. People believed Sadie must have been looking after her, but the truth was far different.
Skylar wiped away the tears, then turned off her phone. She needed rest. She couldn’t afford to show up with swollen eyes when she returned home.
The next morning, Skylar’s alarm went off at six. Used to waking up early, she got up, took a quick shower, and went downstairs.
When they had left Pearlhall Residence the previous day, Joe had told her he didn’t like having maids around. Instead, he had the staff from Pearlhall come to clean daily. Joe rarely ate at home, either.
Skylar went into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge. Thankfully, there were some fresh vegetables inside. She guessed that the staff from Pearlhall had been replenishing the fridge every day.
She found a pack of noodles and decided to make chicken noodle soup. It was a hearty breakfast, much more satisfying than just toast and eggs.
Joe, dressed in a suit, descended the stairs just as the aroma of the soup filled the air. He froze for a moment, momentarily stunned to find Skylar cooking in the kitchen. The apron she wore didn’t do much to conceal her figure, and it took him by surprise.
Skylar, slightly uneasy under his gaze, came out of the kitchen holding the bowl of soup. “Mr. Martin, would you like some chicken noodle soup for breakfast?”
She’d added mushrooms and vegetables as garnish. She preferred a hearty meal to start her day, especially given her busy schedule.
“Thanks, but I’m not used to having breakfast in the morning,” Joe replied curtly, declining.
He left a black card on the counter. “Use this card for your daily expenses and household needs.”
Skylar glanced at it, then back at him. She was more than capable of earning her own money and didn’t need his card. But refusing might raise his suspicions. It would be better to take it, then return it once their arrangement was over.
At Martin Group, Paul brought Joe a cup of coffee as soon as he settled into his office. As Joe sipped it, the rich aroma triggered a memory of the chicken noodle soup Skylar had made that morning.
Paul was in the middle of running through the day’s schedule when Joe suddenly interrupted.
“Go to the restaurant across the street and order a chicken noodle soup takeout.”
Paul, puzzled, paused. Chicken noodle soup? Didn’t Joe dislike breakfast?
“Got it,” Paul replied, still confused.
Half an hour later, steaming chicken noodle soup arrived at Joe’s office. He took a spoonful, but the moment the rich, indulgent taste hit his tongue, he frowned. This soup was nothing like the light, simple flavor he expected.
He set the spoon down, looking dissatisfied.
“Take it away,” Joe said, pushing the bowl aside.
Paul blinked, still bewildered. “Is it too hot, Mr. Martin?”
“Just take it away.”
“Okay…” Paul muttered, still confused. Had he misunderstood Joe’s intentions? Maybe he’d just lost his bearings after yesterday’s elevator incident.
Though puzzled, Paul made a mental note to try the soup himself when he returned from the business trip.
Skylar, meanwhile, visited a lawyer after leaving Galaxy Villa. Then, she went to the police station and filed her report against Christopher.
Around noon, she took a cab to Janine’s house. The Sullivan family had moved to Jipsburg three years ago when her younger brother, Harvey, had scored first in his high school entrance exam.
On the ride, Christopher continued calling. Skylar glanced at her phone, then silenced it immediately.
At the Williams Group, two police officers were staring at Christopher, who was still trying to reach Skylar. His colleagues whispered among themselves, exchanging looks as they speculated about what had happened.
Christopher, realizing Skylar was ignoring all his calls, muttered to himself.
“Listen, this is a misunderstanding. Skylar’s my girlfriend. I’d never scam her. We just had a fight, and now she’s filing a fake report.”
“Please come with us and make your statement,” the officers instructed.
Christopher glanced at the time. He was supposed to meet Maisy soon.
He’d finally built up the courage to get closer to Maisy after learning about her relationship with Skylar. Maisy had always been his unrequited love from college, and his feelings for Skylar had long faded.
Skylar had been kind and considerate, and Amelia liked her, too. So, the idea of breaking up with her had never even crossed his mind.
But now, standing before the police, it dawned on him that Skylar really intended to break up with him. She’d meant what she said about returning the money.
Defiantly, Christopher called Skylar again, but she ignored him. In the end, he could only follow the officers to the station.
Meanwhile, Maisy, dressed in designer clothes, glanced at her phone with impatience as she waited at the main entrance of Phoenix Mall. Christopher was already three minutes late.
Just as she was about to call him, she spotted several people walking out of Martin Group, right across the street.
Among them was Joe, the CEO of Martin Group, who regularly made headlines in financial news.
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