The items Paul’s parents had stored were indeed valuable—genuine heirlooms from the Ziegler family.
One photo in particular caught Skylar’s eye: a delicate bracelet adorned with intricate carvings. Paul had messaged her along with it:
“My mom told me to wear this bracelet. She said it’ll help her get a grandson sooner. Isn’t that too superstitious? Say it is, and I’ll screenshot it for her.”
The message was long and teasing, but it was clear Paul was feeling the pressure from his family to settle down—especially to produce a male heir.
Skylar chuckled as she zoomed in on the bracelet.
It was an ancestral piece—blessed by the Zieglers, said to bring peace, fertility, and fortune. She tapped out her reply:
“Not superstitious. It actually might help you get a grandson sooner. No issues with it. You can keep it.”
Paul stared at her message, stunned. Then he handed his phone to Joe, who was sitting next to him in the car.
“Mr. Martin,” he said with a grin, “Miss Sullivan’s skills are totally wasted. She should give up restoration and open a fortune-telling shop. She’d be the best in all of Jipsburg City.”
Joe glanced at the chat, his expression unreadable. He noticed something—Skylar’s replies to Paul were long, detailed, even playful. Nothing like how she responded to him.
Joe’s brows furrowed as he looked at his own WhatsApp chat with her. Her replies to him were often short and indifferent. A simple “Hmm.” Nothing more.
His finger hesitated over his screen, remembering how she’d mentioned divorce the day before.
He hadn’t returned to Galaxy Villa last night. Something about her tone stuck with him—cold, distant. He tapped on his phone again, lost in thought. Then, accidentally, he sent a voice message.
Meanwhile, back at the Williams residence, Skylar had just finished replying to Paul when she looked up. Jeffrey’s face was tense with disappointment.
“Tricks? Is that really what you think this is?” he said bitterly. “When did you become so cynical? Did your foster mother poison your mind against us?”
His voice rose, accusing. “They’re trying to drive a wedge between you and your real family. Can’t you see that? You should know better than to fall for it.”
Sadie dabbed at her reddened eyes, playing the victim. “I’m your mother, Skylar. I carried you for ten months. How could you believe the worst of me? How could you think I’d ever harm you?”
“This is going too far,” Maisy murmured, confused and increasingly frustrated. “Why are you acting like this? Don’t you want to come back to the family?”
She couldn’t understand Skylar’s choices at all.
Janine had no money. The Williamses had wealth and status. Why would Skylar willingly give that up to go back to a hard life? In Maisy’s mind, that was plain stupidity.
Suddenly, the soft chime of a WhatsApp voice message echoed through the room.
Everyone paused and looked at Skylar. She glanced down, surprised to see it was from Joe.
He rarely used voice messages—usually just texted or called directly. Why now?
Concerned he might need something urgent, she tapped to play it.
As the recording began, every eye in the room turned toward her, watching her reaction intently.
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