Chapter 142

"Does your home lie in the same direction as Joe's? Do you both live on Jubilant Street? If so, he could give you a ride," Rowan suggested, arranging it directly.

Skylar blinked. She knew Joe owned many properties, and Jubilant Street seemed to be near Martin Group, but it wasn't on the way to their current residence in Galaxy Villas.

"It's not convenient. I live in Galaxy Villas," Joe refused bluntly, without hesitation or excuses.

Rowan was taken aback. Annie's smile stiffened. The others pretended not to have heard.

"I'll just take a cab," Annie said, clutching her limited-edition bag.

Rowan felt awkward. "I'll drive you then. I have an apartment on Jubilant Street and will stay there tonight."

"Thank you, Mr. Jakeman," Annie accepted.

After Joe got into Skylar's small car, everyone was stunned.

"What brand is that little car? Is it a newly released limited edition?" Lukas asked, frowning in disbelief.

Annie knew. The car had been advertised on her show. "It's a domestic new energy vehicle." She wondered how far things had progressed between Skylar and Joe.

"It must be Mr. Joe's secretary's car," Mark commented, his eyes sparkling. He assumed Skylar, from an ordinary background, was pretending to be innocent and believed Joe was supporting her. He speculated how long Joe would keep her before losing interest and whether she would remain so proud, considering powerless girls were easy to control.

Rowan clicked his tongue. "I almost thought it was some kind of limited edition."

On the way back, Joe was slightly drunk. Her car felt smaller with him in it; a feeling she hadn't noticed before. With Joe, the car seemed narrower.

"If you're tired, you can sleep for a while. I'll wake you when we get home," Skylar offered, glancing at the tired Joe.

Joe opened his eyes. "Okay."

Perhaps the relaxed atmosphere in the car, combined with Skylar's lack of aggression, made him let his guard down. There was no perfume, only a faint scent of medicine—probably one of Skylar's mixes with mood-stabilizing effects. Skylar put on soothing music. Joe, normally suffering from sleep disorders, fell asleep.

They reached Galaxy Villas, and Joe slept soundly throughout the ride. When they stopped, he opened his eyes, still sleepy.

"You're awake? We're home," Skylar said, surprised he hadn't slept longer.

Joe hummed, then looked at his watch. "Let's go home."

He paused, about to open the car door, then turned back to Skylar, who was preparing to exit.

Skylar saw him looking at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's go," Joe said, getting out.

Their height difference was evident under the moonlight; Joe's figure enveloped Skylar's. Skylar looked at their overlapping shadows and blinked.

"Let me hold the bag," Joe said, taking the tote bag from Skylar's hand. It contained the cash she had won—several million dollars. The bag was heavy, but before Skylar could offer to carry it, Joe had already taken it.

"Thank you."

They entered the brightly lit Galaxy Villas; they'd left the lights on. It was already 1:30 AM. Skylar was sleepy. Normally, she didn’t stay… (The passage ends abruptly here.)