Chapter 50

This was a good sign.

Gloria felt pleased. She looked at Skylar and Joe and said, “Edgar sent dinner for me. If you both don't mind that the food may be bland, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Sure,” Skylar agreed immediately.

Joe nodded slightly. Normally, he wouldn't speak unless necessary.

Gloria looked at Joe and harrumphed. “I know there's a generation gap between us. It's okay if you don't have much to say to me, but don't be the same way when you're alone with Skylar.”

She wouldn't forgive him if he scared Skylar away!

Joe was speechless. It was clear Gloria was even more annoyed with him today. He hadn't done anything wrong since entering the ward, had he?

An hour later, Joe and Skylar left the hospital. It was 7:00 p.m. The sky was darkening, and the streetlights were on.

Skylar read Steven's message and replied that she would be home soon. Then, she looked at Joe. “Mr. Martin, I won't be going back to Galaxy Villa. I have to go to my mom's place.”

Joe's gaze was deep. He noticed Skylar showed no anxiety. Earlier, with Gloria, she hadn't seemed panicked or miserable about the slander; it was as if nothing had happened.

He pursed his lips. “Have you seen the trending topic online?” he asked.

Skylar was stunned. She figured he'd found out, so she nodded. “Yeah, I've seen it. I also know what the Williamses plan to do. I'll think of a solution.”

Joe was about to respond when Skylar's phone rang. She glanced at it, bid Joe goodbye, and answered the call as she walked toward the parking lot.

“Hey, Charles. I just left the hospital. It's not far from home, so I'll be back soon. Yeah, don't worry…”

Joe's gaze deepened as he watched Skylar walk away.

Paul approached from a short distance, followed by a man in a suit who looked to be in his mid-thirties.

When Paul reached Joe, he looked around. “Where's Ms. Sullivan, Mr. Martin?”

The other man, Jacky Lourdes, greeted Joe. “Hi, Mr. Martin.”

Joe's face was cold. “She just left.”

“What?” Paul was surprised.

Things were getting intense online. The Williamses hadn't considered that Skylar might be forced into hiding. Their public relations efforts were flawless. Would Skylar be hurt by the Williams family's actions?

“I'll hurry and look for Ms. Sullivan. I'll keep an eye on her so she doesn't do anything stupid!” Paul took out his phone to find Skylar's number. There were too many online trolls these days; many attempted suicide or became depressed because of them. He wanted to prevent that for Skylar.

“She won't do anything stupid,” Joe said deeply.

He then looked at Jacky. “How soon can you resolve this?”

“Within an hour, with your permission, Mr. Martin. I've liaised with the PR team. Sarah Nielson has started working on the PR article,” Jacky explained.

Jacky's tone might have seemed arrogant, but this wasn't surprising to those who knew him. He was the legal advisor for Martin Group and head of the largest law firm in Jipsburg City. He'd never lost a case.

Joe narrowed his eyes, glancing toward where Skylar had gone. “I'll contact you.”

“Oh? You're not going to act now? The Williamses are up to too much. Their family has people in the entertainment industry; they have many tricks up their sleeves.”

Paul was shocked. Joe had wanted to help Skylar immediately; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Paul to find Jacky. But where was his urgency now?

Joe shot Paul a look.