Chapter 120

Skylar examined Charles's injury closely. "How did this happen? Was it during an action scene?" Even if it was, they shouldn't have been so rough.

"Yeah, it was a fight scene. A big one, with lots of people battling. Everyone got really into it."

"Someone else got both their eyes bruised. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't zoned out for a moment. Let's go home. I'm starving," Charles said, avoiding eye contact. He didn't want to talk about it.

Steven's face darkened. Seeing Skylar's worry, he said, "Charles is tough. He'll be fine. Let's go, Mom's waiting for us."

"I miss Mom's beef ribs!" Charles looked like he was drooling.

"I miss all of Mom's cooking," Skylar added.

Steven watched his younger siblings as they walked toward the parking lot. He clenched his fist, feeling like he had failed as a big brother; he hadn't protected them well enough.

Meanwhile, at the Galaxy Villa, Joe was home early. He had been reading in the living room from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. He had been outstationed for a week. If he hadn't reminded himself he was married, the silence in the villa could almost have made him feel single again.

He glanced at the clock. It was 11:30 p.m. Could Skylar have also been out while he was away?

Joe rubbed his temples. He remembered her cold, pale face from earlier at the hospital. She still seemed to have feelings for Christopher.

Skylar returned to the Galaxy Villa at 12:30 a.m. She had been spending time with her family and lost track of time. She was surprised to see Joe. "Mr. Martin, you're back." She thought he would be away for a couple of days; after all, he had just reconciled with Annie. Perhaps he'd want to spend more time with her.

Joe looked at Skylar. After she greeted him, she went upstairs without another word.

"Wait a minute," Joe called after her.

Chapter 120

Skylar looked at him. "Do you need something, Mr. Martin?" Her heart sank. Was he going to ask for a divorce? She had been bracing for this moment, but it still felt unsettling.

"If you're free tomorrow, come with me to the Pearlhall Residence." Joe looked at Skylar intently. Were Skylar’s emotions affected by Christopher? Someone as useless as him didn’t deserve her love and care.

Skylar was taken aback. Joe wasn't asking for a divorce, but to visit Gloria.

"Sure," she nodded.

As she was about to go upstairs, she remembered something. "Thanks for helping me out at the hospital today." He was the reason Paul offered to find a lawyer to deal with Christopher and Amelia. If Joe and Paul hadn't been there, those two could have caused a lot of trouble.

Joe stared into Skylar's eyes. "You had feelings for him for years. Can you just move on that easily?"

That was right. She had wasted years of her life on him. Her eyes darkened with regret. How many more years would she waste on someone like that? She regretted the time she spent with Christopher. She wished she could go back in time and tell herself how stupid and blind she had been.

Changes Made:

• Grammar and Punctuation: Corrected numerous grammatical errors (e.g., subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, comma usage, apostrophe usage).
• Sentence Structure: Improved sentence flow and structure for better readability.
• Word Choice: Replaced some words for better clarity and conciseness.
• Dialogue: Improved dialogue tags and punctuation.
• Paragraphing: Adjusted paragraph breaks for better organization.
• Time: Standardized time notation (p.m., a.m.).
• Italics: Added italics to a thought to distinguish it.

The revised passage is more polished and professional. The narrative is clearer and easier to follow.