Chapter 426

Jeffrey averted his gaze. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, but I’ve come to my senses. We can adopt you anytime. We could even sign the adoption papers first thing tomorrow morning.”

“There’s no need for that,” Skylar said coldly. The inheritance rights to the Williams fortune didn’t matter to her. Maisy, however, scowled. If Skylar became a beneficiary, Maisy would be excluded. Was Jeffrey disregarding her feelings to curry favor with Skylar?

Jeffrey frowned. “In that case, what do you want?” He’d already offered her the inheritance rights. Was that insufficient?

“Tell me your demands,” Jeffrey said calmly, trying to suppress his dissatisfaction. “We’ll do anything in our power to fulfill them in repentance for our mistakes.”

Caleb glanced at Skylar. The online exposés paled in comparison to the Williamses’ shameless behavior in person.

My demands? What can the current Williams family give me now? Expecting the Williamses to realize their errors was a pipe dream.

Just then, Skylar’s phone rang. It was Joe.

“Did they give you a hard time?” he asked simply. The question was ordinary, yet Skylar’s heart skipped a beat.

“They wouldn’t dare to do anything with Caleb present. Don’t worry. I can handle them,” Skylar said softly.

After a few seconds of silence, Joe said, “Tell me if they bully you. I’ll make their lives a living hell.”

Skylar pictured Joe, his handsome face betraying no emotion, his words carrying the weight of a coming storm. Yet, they empowered her.

Skylar hummed in response.

Jeffrey blurted out, “T-That’s a call from Mr. Martin, right? Could I speak with him for a moment?”

Before Skylar could refuse, he snatched her phone, surprising even Caleb. Skylar’s expression hardened.

Jeffrey plastered a grin on his face. “Hello? Mr. Martin? I’m Skylar’s father. We’ve heard about you two. Why don’t we meet up and chat? Hello? Hi?”

Before he could finish, Joe hung up. All Jeffrey heard was a dial tone. His hopeful expression crumbled into dismay.

Caleb was dumbfounded. A thought popped into his mind: Skylar and Joe. Was Joe Skylar’s husband?

He felt as though he’d been struck on the head. He seldom feared anyone, nor did he look up to many people. Joe was the exception. Since childhood, he’d been afraid of Joe. How could the woman he loved be Joe’s wife? This realization made Caleb frown.

Skylar snatched her phone back and mocked, “You’re the very picture of etiquette, Mr. Williams. After all, you’ve taken my phone without my permission.”

Jeffrey’s face flushed, then paled. He said, “What children speak to their parents that way? I can take anything of yours, including your phone!” He regretted the words instantly. Peter couldn’t stop him in time.