Samuel and Peter lunged at the same time—one grabbed Skylar’s wrist, and the other stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
“Are you seriously thinking of imprisoning me now?” Skylar asked coldly, her voice low and steady as her gaze pierced through Peter.
“It’s for your own good,” Peter replied, his tone emotionless. “Stay here. I’ll arrange a meeting with Paul. Once you’re together and everything is settled, you’ll get the money. After that, you can do whatever you want. I’ll even acknowledge you as my sister.”
Skylar’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes grew colder.
“To make sure nothing goes wrong, I’ll get some drugs,” Samuel said matter-of-factly to Peter.
Peter nodded without hesitation. “Okay.”
He glanced at his watch—there were people waiting for him at the office, and he couldn’t afford to waste time. He and Jeffrey needed to return to handle the company’s mounting crises. As for Skylar, it would be easier for everyone if she just stayed put. Otherwise, things would get ugly quickly.
Later, they would use drugs on both Skylar and Paul. That was the plan.
But they underestimated her.
Without a word, Skylar pulled out her phone and held it up, the screen still lit with an active call.
“Paul’s been listening to your plans this whole time,” she said coolly. “Would you like to explain yourselves to him directly?”
Peter and Samuel’s expressions froze. Horror dawned on their faces.
“Skylar!” they both roared in unison.
If the villa hadn’t been so isolated, their shouts would’ve rattled the neighborhood.
Just then, Jeffrey—who had caught the tail end of their conversation—turned pale. Before he could speak, Paul’s voice came clearly through the phone speaker.
“Trying to scheme against me?” Paul’s voice was ice-cold. “Even if I’m just an assistant, I have plenty of ways to deal with people like you. What kind of man drugged a woman and calls himself decent? I’ve recorded everything. Don’t think for a second this is over. I’m not done with your family yet.”
His calm fury sent chills down the room.
Skylar, knowing all too well what her so-called family was capable of, had connected the call to Paul right after her conversation with Joe. She wanted him to hear everything for himself.
She figured the target of their manipulation deserved to know. It was, in her eyes, a good deed.
“Paul, please, let us explain,” Peter stammered, the arrogance drained from his voice. “It’s not what it sounded like. Let’s meet—I’ll explain everything.”
Paul ignored the plea. Instead, he directed his next words to Skylar.
“Ms. Sullivan, do you need me to call the police for you?”
His tone was courteous—polite, even—but filled with steely intent. It caught the Williams family off guard. They hadn’t expected such respect from Paul toward Skylar.
“No need to call the police. We’re her family,” Peter said quickly, panicking. “We’d never harm her. Of course she’s free to go—there was never any intention of restricting her.”
The sudden change in Peter’s demeanor—from arrogant to desperate—was striking. He knew full well the Williams family couldn’t afford another scandal. If the police got involved, the vultures circling their company would tear them apart.
He had seriously underestimated Skylar.
And now, under the stunned and sullen gazes of her so-called family, Skylar walked out—calm, composed, and completely free.
Once she was gone, the silence in the room was deafening. Each of them stood frozen in place, the gravity of what had just happened sinking in.
“…Why do I feel like something’s off?” Kenny asked quietly, stepping forward with a furrowed brow. “Why is Paul being so polite to Skylar?”
The question lingered in the air, unanswered—and deeply unsettling.
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