“Grandma usually prefers jewelry over wellness products for her birthday. She likes all kinds of jewelry. Go ahead and pick something out,” Joe said to Skylar.
“Okay, I’ll have a look,” Skylar replied with a nod.
She had some knowledge of jewelry and was keenly aware of the difference between genuine and fake pieces. She could tell Joe had brought her to an expensive store, and her eyes sparkled at the array of luxurious options.
Skylar thought about the millions she had earned from her recent gamble. Surely, it would be enough for a nice gift.
After browsing for a while, her gaze landed on a necklace—an emerald gemstone piece. Gloria probably had many gemstone necklaces, but this one caught Skylar’s attention. Its simple design symbolized eternity, a fitting symbol for the occasion.
She checked the price: 400,000 dollars. Thankfully, it wouldn’t max out her card.
“I’ll take this one,” Skylar said, picking up the necklace.
Joe had been following her closely, watching as she carefully selected the gift. There was a certain elegance in her attentiveness, a quality Skylar might not even have noticed herself.
Joe had no objections. “Okay. That’s a design I’m sure Grandma will like.”
Skylar handed her card to the sales assistant, but before the transaction could be completed, Joe intervened.
“We’re gifting this to Grandma together. I’ll pay,” he said, giving the assistant a look that made it clear the matter was settled.
The sales assistant immediately recognized Joe and accepted his black card, not even giving Skylar a chance to object.
Skylar wasn’t thrilled, but she didn’t push the issue. “Let’s split the cost. Give me your bank number,” she suggested, already opening her banking app on her phone to transfer her share.
Joe noticed her insistence on splitting the payment and furrowed his brow. “No need,” he said.
Seeing his annoyance, Skylar didn’t insist further. But as they were leaving the mall, she entered another store and bought a set of women’s clothing for Gloria.
Gloria had always maintained a good figure, so choosing the right size was easy.
Joe slightly pursed his lips as he watched Skylar pick out the clothes. “Just now, when we were heading upstairs, I saw this outfit and thought it would look good on Grandma,” Skylar explained, trying to justify her purchase.
Joe chuckled at her words. “You’re just trying not to take advantage of me, aren’t you?”
“No, that’s not it. You put thought into your gift; I want to do the same. I genuinely want to show respect to Grandma,” she said, her tone sincere.
Why else would she have married him? Skylar kept that thought to herself.
Joe’s expression shifted slightly. “You care about Grandma more than me,” he remarked, but immediately realized his words could be misinterpreted.
Skylar was taken aback but quickly regained her composure. “We’re married because of Grandma, aren’t we?” she replied.
If it weren’t for Gloria, Joe wouldn’t have abandoned his true love to marry her, right?
Joe raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. As they reached the parking lot, Paul appeared.
“You can hand me your car keys, Ms. Sullivan. I’ll drive it back to Galaxy Villa,” Paul offered.
Joe added, “Let’s take the same car to Pearlhall Residence.”
Skylar had no objections. They had already agreed to act like a loving couple in front of Gloria, so she handed Paul her car keys. “Sorry to trouble you, Paul.”
“Don’t mention it, Ms. Sullivan. It’s no trouble at all,” Paul replied as he took the keys and drove Skylar’s car away.
Skylar and Joe got into Joe’s car, and the driver smoothly navigated through the heavy traffic. It was rush hour, and the roads were crowded.
Joe was engrossed in his laptop, attending to work matters.
Skylar, meanwhile, opened Amazon on her phone. There were more customers today, and she was diligently sorting out genuine products from fakes for them. Just as she was inspecting an image, she received a WhatsApp message from Annie.
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