Chapter 1054

"The ring belonged to Vera," Joe said. "She must have dropped it here last night when she visited."

A dull ache throbbed in Joe's head. Skylar's question had momentarily blanked his mind, but memories quickly flooded back. Hearing it was Vera's ring, Skylar recalled a dinner in Fachington. Vera had worn an emerald ring; it looked familiar, but she'd hidden it under her sleeve when Skylar tried to examine it more closely.

Noticing Skylar's change in expression, Joe asked, "Is this ring a negative item?"

"I'm not sure," Skylar replied, shaking her head. "I don't sense negative energy, but something feels…off. It's unlike any negative item I've encountered before."

Joe's expression darkened. "When I picked it up, my thoughts felt…slipping away. A voice kept urging me to return the ring to Vera, to choose her as my lifelong partner. I couldn't speak, couldn't argue."

He glanced at his watch, his expression shifting dramatically. "It's 10:30 PM?"

"Yes," Skylar confirmed, checking the clock. She resumed examining the ring.

Joe's brow furrowed. "If I said I've been fighting that voice since I found the ring at 6:00 PM, would you believe me?"

Four hours had vanished. He'd felt it was only minutes. He'd heard of negative items confusing the mind, but experiencing it firsthand revealed their insidious nature.

"I believe you," Skylar said sincerely. "You're impressive. The ring's influence is significant, and resisting its temptation as you have is rare."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, you're unsure if it's a negative item?"

"My abilities aren't strong enough to fully determine its nature," she replied solemnly. "I'll examine it further. If it is a negative item, it's been tampered with."

Joe nodded. "I think it has been. It is a negative item."

"Do you know who gave Vera the ring? Can you ask her?" Skylar inquired, studying the ring intently.

"It was likely Molly," Joe said.

Skylar wasn't surprised; Joe had been investigating Molly. She hadn't expected Vera, recently affected by a negative item, to accept such an antique without considering the potential danger. It was reckless. Or perhaps Vera knew it was a negative item and accepted it anyway.

"I'm close to uncovering Molly's backers," Joe added. "I've found some clues." Skylar thought of Viola; identifying Molly's backers would benefit her.

"Do you know this ring was meant for you?" Skylar asked cautiously, hesitant to cause discord, but the ring's impact on Joe strongly suggested Vera targeted him.

"Yes," Joe replied, his voice calm but chilling.

Chapter 1055