Chapter 397

“Mrs. Martin Senior just went to the auction. She asked you and Joe to join her,” Skylar said after hanging up. She drove toward the auction. She knew the location from a previous visit, but anticipating heavy traffic, she turned on the navigation system.

As she drove, she wondered why Gloria had suddenly decided to go to the auction. While she was wondering, Joe called.

“I’ll be at the auction in ten minutes. How much longer will you take?”

Skylar glanced at the navigation, which showed a little over ten minutes. After giving Joe an approximate time, he said they would enter together upon her arrival.

The last time she attended an auction with Joe, others had assumed she was merely his companion. But today, with Gloria present, she would be known as Gloria’s granddaughter-in-law. She wondered what Gloria had planned for the auction.

Fifteen minutes later, Skylar saw Joe in the parking lot. This time, her car entered smoothly. Joe was dressed in a tailored suit; he looked striking and reserved. Skylar, in jeans and a trench coat, realized she was dressed far more simply.

“I have a dress for you. Change in the car,” Joe said, handing her a bag.

Inside was a white dress. The parking lot lighting was dim, affording privacy in the backseat. Skylar took the bag and went to the backseat to change. The confined space made it awkward, especially with Joe sitting in the front.

“Hand me your clothes once you’re finished,” Joe said.

Skylar hesitated, then handed him her clothes. When she finished changing and tidying her hair, she was surprised to find Joe had neatly folded her clothes. Her eyes lingered on them for a few seconds; her heart skipped a beat. She took the clothes and thanked him.

“Thank you.”

“It will be cold inside; put on this shawl.” Joe handed her a beige cashmere shawl.

The soft, warm cashmere made Skylar’s heart flutter.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the auction and met Gloria that Skylar truly calmed down. There weren’t many people there that day. Beside Gloria stood another elegant elderly woman.

When she saw Skylar, the woman looked surprised. After hearing Skylar call Gloria “grandmother,” she quietly asked Gloria, “Do you have another granddaughter? I’ve never seen her before.”

Gloria looked proud. “She’s my granddaughter-in-law.”

“What?” The woman exclaimed, looking closely at Skylar. She hadn’t heard anything about this. She had just returned from abroad and called Gloria to attend the auction together, hoping to strengthen their relationship and potentially arrange a marriage between their families. But someone had acted faster. Moreover, she had never seen Skylar before.