Skylar arrived for her interview at 9:30 a.m., right on time as instructed.
There were two other candidates waiting with her. Both men appeared to be around ten years older than she was. When they saw her, their expressions faltered slightly.
She was young—too young, in fact. Could she really have the experience and skills necessary for the position, or was she here because of connections? Only those with true talent made it onto Alexander’s team. He had a reputation for turning away anyone who tried to use influence to get in.
As they glanced at her, both men exchanged subtle looks of disdain. To them, she seemed too attractive to be genuinely talented.
Skylar noticed their judging glances but didn’t mind them in the least. She was used to it.
One of the men spoke up, his voice laced with annoyance. “I thought they weren’t going to give me an interview. Surprising, huh? I got the call last night. Did you get one too?”
“Yes,” the other man replied. “I was ready to start looking elsewhere. It’s a shame I couldn’t get into Mr. Gardner Senior’s team. Looks like luck’s on our side, though.”
They continued talking as if they were already colleagues, laying the foundation for their future together. They completely ignored Skylar, as though she wasn’t even there.
Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long. In about ten minutes, they were called into the interview room.
Though it wasn’t Alexander himself conducting the interviews, three middle-aged professionals in their 40s were there. They looked like trusted members of Alexander’s team—people who had earned their place through hard work and expertise.
One of the interviewers spoke up. “Your task is to identify which items are fake. Take a good look at the ancient coins, paintings, bronzes, and ceramics. Then, write down which ones are fake in order.”
A collection of 50 to 60 items had been arranged on the table and mounted on the wall. Skylar wasn’t sure how many stages the interview would have. She knew every interview process could differ.
Identifying the real from the fake had always been easy for her, and with the years of experience she had, she didn’t need much time anymore. It was almost like a natural instinct; she could sense the history and stories behind each piece. Her connection with antiques made it easy to pick out the fakes.
Moreover, she had been learning under Viola’s guidance since childhood, so this task felt like second nature.
Skylar completed the task in a matter of minutes. Her speed caught the attention of the three interviewers. At first, they thought she was rushing through it, perhaps trying to draw attention to herself rather than taking the process seriously.
The other two candidates also seemed shocked by her quick pace, then looked at her with disdain. To them, her rapid responses felt like an insult, as if she wasn’t taking the interview seriously.
The three interviewers exchanged cold and skeptical glances, clearly unsure of what to make of her.
Meanwhile, Alexander and Caleb watched the entire scene from the monitor room. Alexander’s expression was icy.
“She’s just showing off, just as I expected,” he muttered under his breath.
Caleb looked at him, unsure. He had never seen Skylar evaluate so many items so quickly, so he couldn’t say for sure how she had done. But he trusted her. “It’s the results that matter, not the speed. Why are you jumping to conclusions, Grandpa?”
Alexander rolled his eyes. “What’s gotten into you? It’s like you’re under some kind of spell.”
“Just wait, Grandpa. You’ll see what I mean,” Caleb replied, holding on to his faith in Skylar. However, he couldn’t help but feel confused by the collection of items placed before them. Alexander’s fakes were incredibly convincing. Even he couldn’t tell which ones were the real deal.
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