Joe: “Tell Annie not to covet someone she shouldn’t.”
Rowan stared at the message in disbelief. He immediately typed back.
Rowan: “You have no feelings for Annie at all? You’ve stayed single for years—wasn’t that for her? Just be honest, Joe. What exactly is your relationship with Skylar? Your attitude toward her is far from normal.”
But Joe didn’t reply.
Rowan rarely meddled in other people’s affairs. In Jipsburg, many people were eager to gossip about him, so he never needed to gossip about others. If he truly wanted to know something, he had plenty of ways to uncover it.
Joe, however, was different.
People were always curious about Joe’s personal life—especially his romantic entanglements. But if Joe didn’t want something known, no one could investigate it without his awareness. And crossing him wasn’t worth the risk.
Rowan sighed to himself. “No need to rush. Joe won’t be able to keep his secrets forever.”
Annie had woken up late, her sleep nearly nonexistent. After returning from the club last night, she’d tossed and turned in bed, her mind restless and full of questions.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Skylar—about her presence beside Joe, her quiet confidence, her striking beauty. Seeing Skylar in person for the first time had stirred an unexpected sense of unease in Annie. For the first time, she felt… threatened.
Earlier that morning, she’d even messaged Rowan to ask about Skylar’s relationship with Joe. But Rowan hadn’t known either. It was the first time he had met Skylar, too.
Just as Annie was getting out of bed, a new message popped up on her phone.
Rowan: “Don’t set your sights on Joe anymore. He told me to tell you not to covet what you shouldn’t.”
Annie’s expression froze.
Her fingers trembled as she clutched her phone tightly. The message felt like a dagger—sharp, cold, and cruel. Joe had always been polite to her, distant yet respectful. But this? This was rejection, plain and cutting.
At the hospital, Christopher stood at the billing counter, a hollow look in his eyes.
He stared blankly at the numbers on the screen. The surgery costs were more than he had ever prepared for. His mother’s condition was critical—there was no time to delay. But his bank account was pitifully short of the required amount.
If I hadn’t lost my job…
That thought echoed over and over again in his mind.
Had things gone differently, he might’ve been up for a year-end bonus worth two hundred thousand dollars. But now? He had nothing.
He had applied to dozens of companies, attended several interviews, and yet—nothing. No callbacks. No offers. For someone with his degree, background, and experience, it didn’t make sense.
A bitter suspicion crossed his mind. Was someone deliberately blocking me?
His thoughts drifted to Skylar.
Once upon a time, he would’ve asked her without hesitation. But now… he didn’t believe she would help him again. She had grown cold. Her heart, once so easy to move, now felt out of reach. Still, a small part of him believed that if Skylar wanted to help, she could come up with the money.
But she wouldn’t.
His pride warred with his desperation. And in the end, desperation won.
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
“Maisy,” he said the moment she picked up. “Please, lend me five hundred thousand. Help me get through this. I swear I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
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