Chapter 1216
Reassured by Ned's promise, Rosa's anxiety eased. They spent a few minutes admiring the gazebo and its surroundings. However, Ned soon seemed tired and suggested they return. Rosa, reluctant to leave the pleasant hot spring resort, agreed.
Earlier, she had enjoyed a solitary soak while Ned rested. Now, she wished to linger in the evening's serene atmosphere, but his eagerness to depart, and the persistent unspoken distance between them, left her uneasy, even after his promise.
The next morning, Sullance Group employees continued their hot spring resort activities. By noon, they boarded the bus for their departure. Skylar, also on the bus, noticed Ned's car passing. She glimpsed him in the back seat, eyes closed, apparently resting but still appearing troubled by pain. They shared a similar headache.
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Skye? Your phone's been ringing," Janine gently nudged her daughter.
Startled, Skylar answered the call without checking the caller ID. Janine, noticing Skylar's distracted demeanor—a change from her seemingly fine state after last night's walk—sensed something was amiss.
After Skylar hung up, a mechanical voice announced, "Hello, I'm Leo…"—another telemarketing call. The relentless barrage of marketing calls, and the seeming transparency of personal information, had left Skylar overwhelmed by harassment calls. She ended the call with a frown.
"Mom, there are so many scam calls lately," she warned, "and don't trust any text messages with links."
"Okay, dear. Steven and Charles warned me too," Janine replied with a smile. "Was that one spam?"
Society's rapid changes had spawned more cunning scammers; several of Janine's friends had fallen victim. Skylar nodded.
Janine continued, "Remember Mr. Carlson? He was scammed out of over three hundred thousand dollars. He lost everything, even his Liberty County house. They have no morals, stealing the life savings of elderly people without a second thought. Don't they fear retribution?"
"How can scammers have morals?" Skylar countered.
The conversation highlighted the vulnerability of kind, trusting individuals who worked hard their entire lives only to lose everything to scams—a prevalent and heartbreaking reality.