About half an hour later, Skylar returned to Galaxy Villa and met Joe.
They hadn’t seen each other for over ten days. When Joe saw her step through the door, he looked up, his gaze resting on her calmly.
“You’re back?”
“Yes. There wasn’t much traffic. Only took me thirty minutes from the Williams residence,” she said, setting her bag down as she entered.
Joe’s tone was relaxed. “Had dinner?”
Skylar noted his expression—no trace of irritation, no storm brewing from their last interaction. He seemed calm, almost unreadable. She nodded thoughtfully. “I ate before going to the Williamses.”
“Good. Come on, I want to show you something,” Joe said as he stood up.
“Where are we going? It’s already past eight,” she asked, following him, slightly puzzled.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
To her surprise, instead of heading outside, Joe led her to the garage.
Skylar had never been inside before. She knew it was large, but stepping in now, she realized it was enormous. The space was filled with over thirty luxury cars—more than what most dealerships carried.
She looked around, wide-eyed. “Wow… these cars are incredible!”
Each one was sleeker and flashier than the last. She didn’t recognize all the brands, but the design and aura of each vehicle screamed money and exclusivity.
Joe glanced at her, and a rare softness appeared in his eyes. “Pick one you like.”
Skylar blinked. “What? For me?”
“Yes. It’s a gift—from me to you. Congratulations on joining Mr. Gardner Senior’s team. Besides, the car you’re driving now is too small.”
He hadn’t actually seen the car Skylar drove, but he had assumed she would have picked something from his garage. It wasn’t until Paul mentioned it that Joe found out she had bought a small, economical vehicle worth just over ten thousand dollars.
Skylar shook her head. “It’s new, and it’s electric. Very economical, low maintenance. These cars, on the other hand, are flashy, expensive to fuel, and would draw too much attention at work. But… thank you. I appreciate the gesture.”
Joe’s tone remained even. “You’re Mrs. Martin now. Sooner or later, Grandma’s friends and other family acquaintances will know about you. They may not follow internet gossip, but if word gets out that I’m neglecting my wife, I’ll have a hard time explaining it to the elders.”
Skylar hesitated but knew she couldn’t keep turning him down. “Alright then. Thank you.”
She walked slowly through the garage, eyeing each car. Though they were impressive, none truly captured her attention.
Noticing her lukewarm reaction, Joe added, “If you don’t like any of these, we can go to a dealership tomorrow and find something that suits you better.”
Most of the cars in the garage had been impulse buys—limited editions, luxury releases, or models he thought looked interesting. Many of them had never even been driven. The Pearlhall Residence staff came regularly just to maintain them.
Now, standing here, even Joe found them a little dull. Somehow, none of them felt like the right gift.
Skylar’s gaze eventually landed on a dusty sports car tucked in the back. She recognized it—it was the same limited edition model Natalie once told her about, the one Jeremy had admired but could never afford. Joe had reserved it, clearly never bothered to use it.
She pointed. “This one’s fine.”
Then she added with a smile, “But let’s agree on one thing: when we visit Grandma or attend family events, I’ll drive this car. For work, I’ll stick to my own.”
Joe raised an eyebrow.
“The most expensive car my coworkers drive is just over a hundred thousand. If I show up in this, I’ll be questioned all day long. I’d rather keep a low profile at work,” she explained.
Joe nodded approvingly. “As you wish.”
As they walked back toward the villa, Joe’s phone rang.
He answered. From the tone and casual manner, Skylar guessed it was a friend inviting him out.
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