Chapter 1245

Rosa reminded Ned of their plans and left, clicking her heels on the pavement. Once the door closed, Ned opened his laptop and accessed a file on Skylar. The file detailed Skylar's history: a high school boyfriend, a stint in antique restoration, three years in Murida, and her recent return. Her family comprised two older, successful brothers and a younger brother excelling at university. The file lacked concrete evidence of a relationship with Joe, offering only a few candid photos of them dining together. Joe, however, had a fiancée, Vera Ruell. Ned stifled the thought of Skylar as Joe's mistress; he instinctively felt Joe's affection for her would be genuine, not exploitative.

Just then, a call interrupted him. "Mr. Sowle, Claudio's compromising information is online. The situation's escalating," the caller reported. Ned replied, "Ensure your tracks are covered." "Understood, Mr. Sowle," the caller assured him.

Rosa arrived at the restaurant, where the detective awaited. He handed her a folder containing information on Skylar Sullivan. Upon seeing photos of Ned with Skylar, Rosa's eyes widened. The detective quickly clarified, "That's Joe Martin, not Mr. Sowle." Rosa recognized her mistake; Joe and Ned bore a striking resemblance. The photos showed Joe and Skylar sharing a meal, their gazes conveying Joe's clear affection for Skylar—a look Rosa had witnessed on Ned's face at the accident site. She clutched the photos, oblivious to crumpling them.

"After Mr. Martin's death in Murida, Skylar remained there for years," the detective noted.

Rosa, with a hint of disdain, retorted, "She was his mistress. I never imagined she'd cling to those feelings for three years." Now, after meeting Ned, was Skylar pursuing another affair? Was she making her intentions obvious?

"There's no conclusive proof of an affair, and verifying it now is impossible," the detective explained. "This is all I could find."

Rosa reviewed the documents, then handed them back. "Shred these. Let's pretend this meeting never happened." "Understood," the detective replied.

After the detective's departure, Rosa dialed Skylar's number.