Chapter 316

"He's probably finished his work?" Paul's tone held a hint of uncertainty.

Skylar didn't press further. Although the dishes hadn't yet arrived, she had bought some local fruit on her way to the restaurant. While enjoying the fruit, she chatted with Natalie on WhatsApp.

Natalie protested about Skylar's sudden trip. "How could you leave me and go on vacation alone? If you'd asked, I could have joined you!"

"Mr. Hughes just returned from his business trip. You two are in your honeymoon phase. I didn't want to intrude. Enjoy your time together."

Natalie seemed to be typing a long message but never sent it. Skylar waited, but Natalie remained silent. Skylar assumed Natalie had heeded her advice to spend quality time with Jeremy.

Half an hour later, Joe arrived, almost breathless. Most of the dishes had been served.

"Mr. Martin!" Paul immediately stood.

Seeing Joe, Skylar smiled. "Right on time, Mr. Martin." Joe had said half an hour, and he was precisely on time.

"Mr. Martin?" Joe raised an eyebrow coldly. He was clearly displeased with the title.

Skylar pretended not to notice his displeasure. She couldn't think of another way to address him with Paul present.

"All the dishes are here. Please enjoy," the waiter said, serving the last dish.

"Thank you," Skylar replied politely.

Paul, sharp and observant, sensed the tension between Joe and Skylar. He wondered what other titles Skylar could have used besides "Mr. Martin."

Joe sat next to Skylar, and a faint scent of perfume wafted over.

Skylar had a keen sense of smell. She didn't wear perfume, but Joe usually wore a light men's cologne. This scent was different.

Skylar smiled politely at Joe and began sampling the local specialties. The dishes were enticing.

Noticing Skylar's polite distance, Joe looked at her with his deep eyes. "Are you tired?"

"Not really. I'm just hungry," Skylar replied.

Just hungry?

Joe's eyes narrowed slightly, and an intimidating air emanated from him.

Skylar didn't notice the tension initially; the restaurant Paul had chosen was excellent. Although Jispurg had restaurants featuring Korel City specialties, they couldn't compare to the authenticity and flavor of the local establishments. However, Paul keenly noticed Joe's unhappiness. He dared not touch his cutlery, although he was drooling over the dishes, too.

Feeling almost full, Skylar realized neither Joe nor Paul had eaten. She looked at Joe. "Aren't you guys eating?"

She had ordered many dishes but couldn't finish them alone, especially since she was watching her diet.

Changes Made:

• Improved sentence structure and flow: Many sentences were restructured for better readability.
• Corrected punctuation: Commas, question marks, and quotation marks were reviewed and corrected.
• Removed inconsistencies: "Chapte: 315" and the number "212" were removed as they seemed out of place.
• Improved word choice: Words like "hurried over" were refined for better precision.
• Clarified ambiguous phrasing: Phrases like "she had been watching her diet to maintain her figure" were made more concise.
• Removed unnecessary repetition: Repeated information was removed for better conciseness.

The passage is now much clearer and easier to read.