Chapter 253

The mirror reflected a man with eyes blazing with desire—a sight he'd never seen before. A pack of cigarettes sat by the sink. He took one, lit it, and soon, a plume of smoke filled the bathroom. His eyes unfocused as he flicked the ashes and looked at the bite marks on his shoulders.

Skylar, having fled to her room, immediately ran to the bathroom. She gasped as she saw her reflection—a woman with disheveled hair.

“I’ve lost it!” she cried. She was determined to forget everything that had happened, even if it killed her. She grabbed her hairdryer and began drying her damp hair, her mind racing. Her hand trembled as she replayed the amorous scene in her thoughts.

Taking three deep breaths, she swore, “I need to be more cautious when helping others in the future! I can’t fall for such tricks!” She thanked her lucky stars that Joe hadn't succumbed to his desires; otherwise, she would have woken up without her virginity under those circumstances. Still, his restraint only confirmed that he didn't like her. That's why he'd remained so composed.

Once her hair was dry, she threw herself onto her bed, but sleep eluded her.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I have several orders to review.”

There weren't many commissions that day, and several were easy to process. She completed them within 30 minutes. Just as she was about to put away her phone, she received a bank notification. Someone had transferred $500,000 to her account. She was surprised to see that the sender was Frank. Within seconds, she received a text from him: “Skye, consider this money a token of my gratitude. I’ve burned the dress. Grace and Chad are sleeping soundly. This is all thanks to you.”

A surge of joy washed over Skylar as she looked at her bank statement. She could finally buy a home! Nonetheless, she politely replied to Frank’s text with a list of things to consider before searching for real estate in Jipsburg City. She unwittingly fell asleep during her search.

Chapter 253

Maisy, a night owl, usually went to bed between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. However, she hadn't felt well since returning from Janine's home. She'd visited them on her own initiative, yet Charles and Harvey remained cold and wary.

How frustrating!

When she reread the threatening text from Charles and Harvey, she almost smashed her phone in anger. They'd warned her not to bully Skylar, claiming they'd seen through her charade and knew her true intentions. They went further, stating that Skylar's…[the text is incomplete here, we need the rest of the sentence].

Just then, she received a text from a random guy she'd met. “Do you want to hang out?”

Maisy's mind raced back to the events of the day and the video Christopher was using to blackmail her. She hesitated for several minutes. She checked the time; it was just past midnight—still early. And she was furious.

The guy texted again: “I’ve got the good stuff. Want to try it out?”

Maisy worried her lip. "The video Christopher used was a one-time thing," she thought. "It happened because I wasn't careful. I lost control. I'll be more careful this time."

Frustrated, and weighed down by her parents' disapproving glares, she decided she needed to let off some steam.

“Sure!”

Ten minutes later, Maisy slipped downstairs. The villa was silent; the staff had retired. She wasn't worried about being caught; she'd return before dawn.

As she snuck out the entrance, Kenny emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea. He tilted his head, questioning Maisy's late-night departure. It was late; where was she going? He hadn't been able to sleep, and he followed her out of concern.