Caleb was a hopeless romantic. He admired Skylar from the moment she entered the room, and it wasn’t just her skill that drew his attention—he was captivated by her determination.
When the three interviewers presented the answers to Alexander, he immediately pointed to one of the papers and asked, “Whose is this?”
“It belongs to Skylar, the young woman among the three,” one of the interviewers explained. “Her speed in identifying the fakes was astonishing. At first, we thought she might be cheating, but we always change the items for the interview to ensure no one can predict the answers in advance. Yet, she successfully identified every fake, accurately.”
The disbelief in his voice was palpable. Alexander, and even Caleb, were stunned. Caleb knew Skylar was skilled, but he hadn’t expected her to be this impressive.
He blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing, not in mockery but in genuine awe.
Alexander, however, wasn’t as amused. His face turned dark, though there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.
“This young woman has sharp eyes. She must have studied authentic pieces extensively,” Alexander said, his tone now tinged with respect. “Have them proceed with restoration tasks.”
“We’ve already assigned them to restore an antique pocket watch,” the interviewer replied.
Alexander nodded. “Make sure they also work on a painting. We have several that are in fragments. They don’t need to restore the whole piece, just part of it, following our guidelines. Let’s see what they can do.”
Most importantly, Alexander wanted to test Skylar’s abilities.
Since he was young, Alexander had only admired Viola, the master who had taught him most of what he knew. However, Viola never took on apprentices and had mysteriously disappeared years ago. Now, as he watched Skylar, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something of Viola’s spirit in her—particularly in her decisiveness when identifying the fakes.
With confidence in Skylar’s abilities, Caleb couldn’t tear his eyes away from the monitor. The more he watched, the more fascinated he became.
It was love at first sight for Caleb. He had known it from the moment he saw her restoring antiques. But now, he questioned if his love for extreme sports and motorbikes made him unworthy of her.
A new seed of change was sprouting within him. He had made up his mind to turn over a new leaf—for Skylar.
Meanwhile, the monitors displayed Skylar’s professionalism and focus as she worked on the restoration task. She was quick, efficient, and thorough. Though the task wasn’t extensive enough to last all day, she would still need a few hours to complete it.
In the past, Caleb wouldn’t have had the patience to watch someone restore antiques. He would have preferred skydiving. But now, he didn’t want to leave the monitor for a second.
Back at Daniel’s shop, Caleb had once struggled to keep his focus on Skylar. If he’d stared at her too long, Daniel would’ve had something to say about it. But now, he couldn’t look away.
Even Alexander became increasingly absorbed, asking the security team to zoom in so he could catch every detail of her work.
Both Alexander and Caleb were focused entirely on Skylar. Even the security guard, who normally didn’t understand the appeal of watching someone restore antiques, couldn’t help but notice Skylar’s graceful movements. Her hands were delicate, fair, and slender—almost mesmerizing.
Skylar, oblivious to the intense attention she was receiving, finished her work and stood up to wash her hands. She was the first to finish again.
Having seen Skylar complete her tasks with ease earlier, the other two candidates weren’t nervous. They assumed Skylar was showing off and might have botched the restoration.
Instead of sitting back down, Skylar walked over to the window and gazed out at the scenery, taking a quiet moment for herself. She glanced at her watch. It was 12:30 p.m.
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