Chapter 162

Watching Skylar and Charles enjoy themselves, it seemed as if Charles were her real brother. This made Samuel furious.

"Let's go take a look," Kenny said, walking toward Skylar.

Samuel scowled. "What's the point? We'll just get the cold shoulder anyway."

"Stop talking so much. Let's just go."

"Fine."

Reaching the lake, they found several groups enjoying camping. The vast expanse of azure blue water shimmered invitingly.

"We could bring the whole family here to camp sometime," Skylar said. "Look over there—having the entire family together seems so cozy."

"Does it remind you of our childhood? The time when I took you swimming? After Mom found out, I got a lesson."

Skylar remembered. "Mom used the broom to hit you, right? The broom she sweeps the yard with? She even broke the broom hitting you!"

"I don't blame her. That summer, two or three kids our age drowned in that river. Mom was just worried something might happen to us." Charles reflected on their lack of safety awareness as children.

Skylar picked up a stone and sent it skipping across the surface with a flick of her wrist. It bounced five or six times before disappearing.

Charles's eyes lit up. "Skylar, you're so good at this! Did you practice in secret?" He also picked up a handful of stones and threw them into the lake.

"I'm just naturally talented," Skylar replied.

Growing up with only brothers, Skylar thrived on rough-and-tumble games. Stone skipping was a childhood favorite; the three siblings—Skylar, Charles, and Harvey—could play for hours.

"Watch and learn, little sis; I'll show you that the master is always better than the disciple." Charles picked up a stone and threw it. The stone skipped ten times.

Skylar gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive, but Harvey won't be easily convinced."

"Ha! Harvey learned everything from me. There's no way he can surpass the master." Charles was quite confident.

Skylar didn't want to burst his bubble. She and Harvey used to practice secretly as children; they had long surpassed his skill. She had held back her strength.

"How childish!" A cold sneer interrupted their fun.

"Everywhere I turn, there you are," Charles frowned at Samuel. His expression unfriendly, he asked, "Can't the Williams family keep their attack dogs on a leash? This isn't the jungle; we have laws here."

"Manners make the man," Skylar stifled a giggle; Charles was good at sarcasm.

Samuel erupted. "Charles, you've got some nerve! How dare you talk to me like that? Believe it or not, I'll have a word with the director, and your role as the male fourth lead will vanish faster than smoke. You want to make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry, right? I'll make sure you don't have the chance!"

Charles's jaw clenched, anger flashing in his eyes. "You're vicious and shameless! You're lucky to have your family backing you up. But your arrogance won't last forever, Samuel! With your lousy acting skills, do you really think you can make it in the entertainment industry? What goes around comes around."

"That's enough! Stop it!" Kenny coldly reprimanded them. He hadn't come to escalate tensions; he wanted a civil conversation with Skylar.

"Skye, do you know who's targeting our family? Do you really have a powerful benefactor?" Kenny tried to keep his tone gentle.

Their family couldn't afford problems. If they had any, Kenny's position at the company would be jeopardized. He'd already tried suppressing Steven once, and the company had turned a blind eye. But things had changed; the company valued Steven more and had even acknowledged his research, rewarding him with a bonus.

A few hundred thousand dollars wasn't a big deal; however, the public recognition stung Kenny's pride.

"Think before you speak!" Charles spat, raising his fist.