Chapter 4

Skylar answered the call. "Mr. Martin."

"Grandma would like to meet you tonight. Do you have time?" Joe's cool voice echoed from the other end of the phone.

Just as Skylar was about to reply, the cab arrived at Galaxy Villa.

"I've arrived at Galaxy Villa. I'd like to meet Grandma Gloria as well."

She had married Joe only for Gloria's sake. Now that Gloria wanted to see her, she would certainly prioritize the meeting.

The call was silent for a few seconds before Joe's voice returned. "Wait at home for about half an hour. Paul will pick you up."

"Alright. Thanks." Skylar hung up and entered the villa. Joe had given her the password, so she encountered no problems.

Just as she changed into slippers, her phone rang again. In the quiet villa, the ringtone was deafening.

Skylar answered and saw it was Sadie. She sneered and declined the call. Frankly, she was in no mood to deal with them, as she was meeting Gloria tonight.

Realizing Skylar had refused her call, Sadie's expression darkened.

"Jeff, Skye actually rejected my call!"

Jeffrey exploded. Infuriated, he shouted, "What are you calling her for? You should have just left her alone! She's been out of college for three months and hasn't even secured a job. She's penniless. Don't give her any money either. Let's see how long she can last!"

"You're right. She didn't grow up with us. That explains why she's not close to us and doesn't understand us. Maisy is much more sensible." Sadie felt even fonder of Maisy.

"I've terminated her card. Ignore her, and she'll come back in two days."

"Once she's back, I'll definitely teach her a lesson."

It was dark. A Maybach MPV pulled up to Pearlhall Residence, the Martin family home, and Skylar got out. She thanked Paul quickly.

Paul was surprised. During the drive, Skylar hadn't asked about Joe's whereabouts. They had only registered their marriage that afternoon; it would be natural for Skylar to wonder where Joe was. Women in Jipsburg had coveted Joe for years. Paul had thought Skylar was using Gloria to get close to Joe. Other women hadn't been as fortunate in winning Gloria's favor. He was curious to see if Skylar would inquire about Joe.

As Skylar followed the butler, Edgar Quinn, Paul raised his eyebrows in surprise. However, Skylar called out to him as he was leaving. "Mr. Ziegler."

Paul stopped. She was going to ask about Joe.

"Is your emerald charm a family heirloom, or a gift?" Skylar stared at the charm around Paul's neck, a glint in her eyes.

Paul was stunned. "It was a gift. I like it, so I wear it often. I heard it's from 1368 to 1644 AD."

Skylar smiled faintly. It had been light when Paul picked her up, so she'd seen the charm clearly. The engraving resembled the style of Claude Monet. It was sophisticated. Since Skylar had to repay Gloria and was married to Joe, she couldn't let him be sabotaged. They were bound by a contract. Her gaze fell on a dark mark on the charm – blood.

"The charm is from 1368 to 1644 AD," Skylar nodded. "However, it's not auspicious."

"I couldn't take my eyes off it. Ms. Williams, is this your area of expertise?" Paul stroked the charm.

"Yes, but I'm not an expert," Skylar replied. "The person who gave it to me said it was carved by a famous painter from 1368 to 1644 AD. It's definitely collectible."

"Forgive my bluntness, but I think your charm was looted from a dead body. It will bring misfortune to the wearer and those around him. You haven't worn it for more than ten days, right?" Skylar said, unconcerned about upsetting him. He was always around Gloria, who was prone to illness.

Paul was flabbergasted. "Looted from a dead person?" His hands trembled. "How do you know, Ms. Williams?" Could she be trying to scare him? Was it because he hadn't told her Joe's schedule? It seemed unlikely.

Skylar glanced at her watch. "I have to meet Grandma Gloria. If you trust me, take it off and return it. Otherwise, don't see Grandma Gloria for a month." He'd believe her then. Even if Joe experienced bad luck, Skylar wouldn't mind as long as Gloria was well.

She followed Edgar into the mansion. Paul remained at the entrance, conflicted about the charm.

Gloria smiled warmly at Skylar, tears in her eyes. "Skye, I couldn't sleep after you rejected my proposal yesterday. Fortunately, you changed your mind! Show me your marriage certificate."

"I'm sorry, Grandma Gloria." Skylar's heart ached seeing Gloria weep.

"Stop calling me 'Grandma Gloria.' You're my granddaughter-in-law, so 'Grandma' will do." Gloria brushed away her tears.

Skylar handed over the certificate. "Alright, Grandma."

Gloria grinned. "This is great. Skye, you'll find Joe is reliable. You won't regret marrying him." She scrutinized the certificate.

Skylar nodded. Despite seeing Joe only twice, she knew he was reliable. His sacrifice for Gloria proved his respect.

"Oh, Skye. Viola left a letter. She asked me to give it to you if you married within a year. Otherwise, I was to pretend I'd never received it. Since you're married to Joe, it's time."

Gloria gave Skylar a letter.

Hearing about Viola, Skylar asked, "Grandma, do you have any news regarding Grandma Viola?"

"You can't find her if she doesn't want to be found. She called a year ago before leaving, asking us not to worry." Gloria sighed.

Skylar felt a lump in her throat. Remembering her defiance toward Viola in her past life, she felt distressed.

This revised version improves grammar, punctuation, and flow. It also corrects some inconsistencies and minor errors in the original text. The repetition of "rarely" was removed, along with other redundancies. The misspelling of "Maisy" was corrected to its consistent spelling. Some awkward phrasing has been smoothed out for better readability.