Chapter 143

Skylar felt groggy as she walked upstairs. Joe watched her enter the house. She seemed so sleepy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment. He smiled faintly as he watched.

Despite her young age, Skylar maintained a routine as regular as an elderly person's. Earlier, at the club, she had yawned discreetly. The drive home required her full attention. Now, she was completely drained of energy.

“Should I leave the money on the sofa? I’ll collect it tomorrow morning,” she murmured. Skylar suddenly remembered something important: the money she had won.

The thought of her first substantial earnings coming from a poker game brought a smile to her face. She grinned at Joe. “I really owe you one. I probably won’t win that much at poker again in my life.”

Of course, she could try a casino. But once inside, it was easy to get trapped. That day's game had been unplanned; going to a casino deliberately was unlike her.

“Would a few million dollars make you happy? Should I take you there often to win their money?” Joe’s gaze fell on her smiling eyes.

Skylar decisively shook her head. “No, once is enough. One shouldn't be greedy.” She wanted money, but preferred to earn it through her own skills and hard work.

Joe was surprised. “You don’t want more money?”

“Money earned by sheer luck shouldn’t be coveted,” she replied.

Joe was silent for a few seconds. “You make a good point.”

They went upstairs to their respective rooms. After showering, it was already 2:00 a.m. Skylar fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, she slept through her alarm and woke at 8:00 a.m. Fortunately, work started at 9:00 a.m. She hurriedly got ready and went downstairs, where she saw Joe holding something—probably breakfast.

“Have breakfast before you go to work,” Joe suggested as she rushed to leave.

“There’s no time. I ate too much last night, and I’m not hungry,” Skylar replied, reaching the door.

Joe quickly handed her a small bag. “Here’s a sandwich and some milk. Eat when you can.”

Skylar accepted the bag with thanks. She had just started her job and couldn't afford to be late.

After Skylar left, Joe glanced at the bag of money. She hadn’t even looked at it. He smiled slightly and returned to the dining table.

Pearlhall Residence always offered a variety of breakfast dishes. Since living with Skylar, Joe had grown accustomed to eating breakfast. He checked his phone for a message from Rowan.

Rowan: She’s not your secretary, so is Skylar your little mistress?

Joe: No.

Rowan: Then she’s just a casual fling? Marcus was asking about her last night, trying to figure out what’s between you two.

Joe pursed his lips coldly at the mention of Marcus. A chill emanated from him.

Joe: Tell him not to covet what he shouldn’t.

Rowan: Such possessiveness suggests it’s more than nothing. You’re not seriously considering her as a girlfriend, are you? What about Annie? Everyone knows how she feels about you.

Chapter 144 1/2

The changes include improved sentence structure, corrected punctuation, and more natural phrasing. The dialogue was also slightly refined for better flow. I removed unnecessary words and phrases while maintaining the original meaning.