After receiving Joe’s message, John finally descended the stairs.
The moment Suzy respectfully greeted him with, “Mr. Gardner,” all three members of the Williams family turned their heads in unison.
The air shifted immediately.
Though they had entered with a degree of confidence, standing face-to-face with John Gardner left them visibly uneasy. Peter, in particular, found his usual arrogance dampened. Despite being only a few years younger than John, he couldn’t help but feel inferior in the man’s presence.
Jeffrey stepped forward first. “Mr. Gardner, we came here today to talk about you and Skye.”
John, who had just taken a seat, lifted an eyebrow. “Me and Skylar?”
He was clearly puzzled. He’d only met Skylar once. What relationship could they be referring to?
“Yes,” Peter jumped in quickly. “We already know she’s your secret lover. She didn’t tell us earlier because she was afraid we’d scold her.”
Jeffrey followed up, nodding solemnly. “Our family is strict. We don’t tolerate anyone damaging the relationships of others. Skye made a mistake, but she’s still young. Of course, this must’ve taken both of you. You must’ve pursued her, too, right?”
“Skye’s always listened to us. She’s very obedient. She must be feeling guilty now that she’s with you,” Sadie added, her tone falsely remorseful.
John’s expression gradually darkened. His handsome features turned icy cold.
So this was what Joe meant when he said there was no need to be polite to the Williams family.
They were trying to leverage a misunderstanding about his relationship with Skylar—for their own gain.
He leaned back slightly, his voice crisp and biting. “Just tell me your real purpose.”
The three exchanged nervous glances. John’s indifference had unsettled them, but they still tried to salvage their plan.
Jeffrey cleared his throat. “We accept your relationship with Skylar. Really, we do. But we were hoping you might lend our family a hand during this difficult time.”
Peter nodded quickly. “Helping us is really like helping yourself, Mr. Gardner.”
John had heard enough.
His jaw tightened as he stood up and said coldly, “You’re all mistaken. Skylar and I have no relationship whatsoever.”
Peter quickly reached for his phone and showed John a photo.
It was a candid shot—John and Skylar having lunch together in a restaurant the day before. Clearly taken from a distance, the image suggested familiarity, even intimacy, if viewed through the right lens.
“We have photographic proof,” Peter said triumphantly. “This clearly shows the nature of your relationship with Skylar.”
John glanced at the image briefly before meeting their eyes with a frosty gaze.
So someone had secretly taken a picture. And these three had the audacity to use it against Skylar?
It was clearer now why she had severed all ties with her so-called family. They weren’t relatives—they were opportunistic parasites.
“You call this a relationship?” John’s voice turned sharp. “A photo of me and Skylar eating lunch proves nothing. If you insist on continuing this nonsense, I’ll have my lawyer speak to you. Are you ready to face the legal consequences for defamation and damage to my reputation?”
Jeffrey and Peter went pale. They hadn’t expected such a firm and immediate rejection.
They had prepared for resistance—but not this level of hostility.
They were being kicked out before they could even propose their full plan.
“You can’t deny the truth,” Sadie said anxiously, trying to salvage their case. “If you weren’t helping her behind the scenes, how could she have gotten into Mr. Gardner Senior’s team? You can fool others, but you can’t fool us!”
That struck a nerve.
John’s expression turned grim. The insult wasn’t just to Skylar—it was to his father.
“You dare question my father’s standards? Accuse him of nepotism?” John snapped. “Do you even understand who the Gardners are in Jipsburg?”
He could barely contain his fury.
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and quickly typed out a message to Joe:
“The Williams family is unbelievable. They think I’m in a relationship with Skylar and even claim she joined my dad’s team because of me. All just to use her to save their own company. How blind can they be?”
His patience with the Williams family had officially run out.
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