Chapter 741

“Yeah,” Paul said, pressing play on the video he’d received. The video, though only a few seconds long, clearly showed Joe and Vera's faces. A dreamy filter softened the image, making them appear idyllically matched. Paul's jaw dropped. He was terrified Skylar would see it.

Joe clenched his jaw, recalling Skylar’s preoccupied gaze at her phone. He glanced at Vera before instructing, “Get him to delete the video and stop it from going viral.”

“Alright, I’ll do it now.”

Back in his office, Joe called Skylar, but she didn’t answer. He frowned. Skylar wasn’t intentionally ignoring him; she was at work. Her colleagues had covered some of her tasks during her short break, but several remained unattended. Alexander, still concerned about her injuries, had dismissed her from the office after only a few hours.

After leaving Gardner Group, she saw Joe’s missed call. Before she could return it, Rowan called, needing her help at his office. It wasn’t far, and after hanging up, she forgot to call Joe back.

Rowan had been waiting at the entrance. Seeing her, the words he’d prepared vanished. He’d seen the video the previous night; perhaps Skylar had, too, rendering his warning unnecessary.

“I feel like my dad’s been acting strangely,” Rowan began. “I don’t go home often. A few days ago, I came to work, having nothing better to do, and entered my dad’s office. It gave me an indescribable feeling. He’s heard about you from Mr. Gardner Senior and Mr. Querbach. He trusts no one else, and wouldn’t listen to me. So, I hope you can take a look.”

Rowan was courteous. Skylar was undeniably capable; it wasn’t mere boasting. If George and Alexander praised her, who could argue?

“Alright,” Skylar replied, nodding solemnly. She felt as though the unseen hand controlling her life was pulling the strings with increasing frequency.

She followed Rowan to his father, Jeremiah Jakeman’s office, encountering surprised employees along the way.

“She’s my friend. Don’t even think about it,” Rowan explained quickly.

Skylar chuckled. Rowan hadn’t made a good first impression, but she found his forthright expression of affection and animosity intriguing.

Jeremiah’s office was impressive; every piece of furniture seemed purposefully placed, suggesting the consultation of a feng shui expert or similar.

Rowan, somewhat nervous, asked, “Is anything wrong?”

Scanning the room, Skylar asked, “I forgot to ask. Besides this unsettling feeling, has anything unusual happened to Mr. Jakeman? For instance, did anything out of the ordinary occur?”

“Something did. My dad talks in his sleep and has frequent nightmares. He has no memory of them upon waking. My mother told him, but he wasn’t concerned. However, she’s been frequently awakened by him lately, and says the nightmares are recent. It’s never happened in their years of marriage. And it’s not just nonsensical mumbling; it’s as though he’s conversing with someone. Other than that, nothing else.”

Rowan kept no secrets from Skylar.