Novel Catalog
Chapter 253
The mirror reflected a man whose eyes burned with unrestrained desire—a side of himself Joe had never quite seen so clearly before.
By the sink lay an unopened pack of cigarettes. He took one out, lit it, and soon, a stream of smoke curled into the air, lingering in the quiet bathroom.
His gaze dropped to the bite marks on his shoulder. He sighed softly, flicking the ashes away, thoughts drifting toward the woman who had left those marks behind.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Skylar stood in front of her own mirror, breath catching as she took in her reflection—hair tousled, cheeks still flushed.
“I’ve completely lost it!” she exclaimed, grabbing her hairdryer in a flustered attempt to distract herself.
As the warm air blew against her damp hair, her mind wandered. Her hand trembled slightly, not from the cold, but from the vivid memory of what had nearly transpired just moments ago.
Taking a few deep breaths, she shook her head in frustration.
“I need to keep my guard up when helping others… I can’t fall into the same trap again,” she muttered.
She should be thankful—truly thankful—that Joe had kept his cool. If he hadn’t… she didn’t want to imagine what could have happened under such circumstances.
But then again, maybe the fact that he didn’t give in meant something else entirely.
Maybe he doesn’t like me that way at all…
Once her hair was dry, Skylar flopped onto her bed, hoping sleep would wash away her embarrassment.
It didn’t.
Eventually, she sat up with a groan. “Oh, right. I still have some orders to go through.”
Luckily, there weren’t many. Most were simple commissions, so she managed to finish sorting them out within half an hour.
Just as she was about to put her phone away, a notification lit up her screen.
Bank Transfer Received: $500,000
She blinked, stunned, before checking the sender—Frank.
Before she could even process the surprise, another message popped up from him:
“Skye, think of this as my thanks. I burned the dress. Grace and Chad are finally sleeping soundly. It’s all thanks to you.”
Skylar couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of satisfaction as she stared at her bank balance. That amount was enough to finally buy a home of her own in Jipsburg.
Still, she responded politely, thanking Frank and listing a few precautions he should take to keep his family safe. Then, satisfied, she began browsing real estate listings.
Unknowingly, she drifted off to sleep with her phone still in hand.
At the same time, elsewhere in the villa…
Maisy, ever the night owl, was wide awake. It was past midnight, but sleep eluded her as usual.
Her mood was foul. Since returning from Janine’s home, nothing had felt right. She had made the effort to visit, but Charles and Harvey remained cold and distant. Their wariness of her was obvious and grating.
When she re-read the threatening text message from them, anger flared anew.
They’d warned her—threatened her—not to target Skylar again. Said they saw through her. That no matter what she did, what was Skylar’s would always remain Skylar’s.
Their message felt like a slap in the face.
Just then, a message popped up on her phone from a guy she had only met once:
“Want to hang out?”
Maisy hesitated. Her thoughts drifted to the incriminating video Christopher had used to blackmail her. The humiliation still stung. But she tried to reason with herself.
It was just a one-time mistake. I wasn’t careful, that’s all. I’ll be smarter this time.
Another message came in:
“I’ve got the good stuff. Want to try it out?”
Maisy chewed her bottom lip in hesitation. But frustration, resentment, and a desire to escape her problems quickly overwhelmed her logic. Her parents’ judgmental glares had worn her down.
Why not blow off some steam? she thought.
“Sure,” she replied.
Ten minutes later, she crept down the stairs, wrapped in a stylish coat. The house was quiet—everyone asleep, or so she thought.
Confident she wouldn’t get caught, she slipped toward the front entrance.
But just as she stepped outside, a figure emerged from the kitchen.
It was Kenny, holding a steaming cup of tea.
He blinked, surprised to see Maisy sneaking out in the middle of the night. He tilted his head, silently questioning her.
Maisy stiffened, unsure how much he had seen.
Kenny, noticing the uneasy look on her face, frowned. Something wasn’t right.
He didn’t say a word, but instinct told him to follow.
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