Chapter 187

Joe treated those he disliked with cold indifference. Marcus knew this, but he hadn't expected Joe's sharp rejection, especially given their mutual friendships with Rowan and others. This greatly embarrassed Marcus. Hadn't everything been fine before and during the flight? Why the sudden change after landing? Could a phone call Joe received have put him in a bad mood? If so, who called? Who would call in the middle of the night to cause Marcus such trouble?

Once in the car, Paul took out his phone, snapped a picture of his forehead, and cursed, "Damn it! How unlucky! I've been so lucky lately. What happened?"

Joe glanced at Paul, then at a photo Paul had posted on Instagram over an hour earlier. Marcus was visible in the background. Skylar must have called Joe after seeing it. Marcus hadn't noticed a ring on his hand before, but now he could vaguely see one in the photo. Perhaps Skylar's reaction to the ring had been negative.

"If Marcus contacts you, keep your distance," Joe said.

Paul was surprised by Joe's coldness toward Marcus. Had Marcus offended him, or had something on the plane affected Joe's mood?

"Did Marcus offend you?" Paul asked.

Joe showed Paul his WhatsApp conversation with Skylar. Paul's eyes widened.

"No wonder I've been so unlucky today!" he exclaimed. He finally understood.

Suddenly, he considered the implications of Marcus's potential illness. Could it affect Rowan, Ethan, and Lukas? Ethan and Lukas, known for dating multiple women, were particularly concerning. Could they have contracted the same disease?

"Should we tell Mr. Jakeman and the others to get checked?" Paul asked.

Joe was silent for a few seconds, then sent a message to a group chat with Rowan and John: "Marcus vomited blood on the plane. If you've had a common girlfriend with him, go to the hospital for a checkup."

This caused a stir.

Rowan immediately replied: "Vomited blood? What's going on? And when did you two become so close that you would meet up personally now? I thought you disliked hanging out with Marcus and Ethan."

John texted: "Could Marcus have AIDS? He always seems to have a cold whenever I see him at restaurants."

Rowan replied: "Fuck this!"

John advised: "Rowan, you hang out with Marcus frequently. Get checked. Let's not meet for now. Good luck."

Joe texted: "Good luck."

Rowan didn't reply. He was likely panicked or booking a doctor's appointment, perhaps also checking his Instagram for overlapping girlfriends with Marcus.

In short, Joe and several others would be losing sleep that night.

Steven exited the company laboratory and saw a haggard Kenny. He pretended not to notice and walked past, but Kenny stopped him.

"Wait, do you know anything about Skylar being a mistress? She also got her lover to sabotage the company. We're facing major problems, and she's likely behind it."

Chapter 188 (begins)