Chapter 863

Skylar and Natalie walked and laughed, oblivious to Vera's presence until they were quite close. Skylar's smile faltered at the sight of Vera. Vera merely nodded a slight acknowledgment, which Skylar reciprocated. Natalie, having only encountered Vera a few times through the news, offered no greeting.

After a short distance, Natalie whispered to Skylar, "I've heard Vera's a proud woman who doesn't tolerate nonsense. Avoid interacting with her too much; I don't think she's easy to deal with." Skylar nodded, saying little about Vera. Parting ways with Natalie, she returned to work.

From the mall entrance, Vera watched Skylar enter the Gardner Group building. Lost in thought, her expression was unreadable until the sudden ring of her phone broke her reverie.

"Hello, Mrs. Martin," Vera said, frowning slightly. She wondered why Molly was calling again; she disliked Joe's stepmother, a former actress whose sweetness Vera found insincere and irritating.

"We didn't tell you earlier because we thought Joe wouldn't care for Skylar and would divorce her. But they've been married over six months now," Molly said slowly. Vera felt a jolt; her ears buzzed. "What did you say?"

"I have a way to help you get back with Joe, but you'll need to follow my advice…" Molly continued, but Vera was too stunned to fully register her words. Married… they were married…

No wonder Skylar's demeanor was always so composed; she never acted like a mistress. No wonder Joe had introduced her as his wife at the hospital. He had waited all these years, yet couldn't wait a little longer for Vera? If he'd simply found her abroad and made a promise, she would have returned. Instead, he married a woman from the countryside. He got married.

After two hours of work, Skylar brewed coffee. Sipping it, she found her thoughts drifting to Jenny. After some consideration, she contacted Paul.

"Mrs. Martin, what can I do for you?" Paul greeted her cheerfully.

Skylar smiled. "Nothing specific, but I have a question. When Jenny worked here, did she ever have access to Joe's office?"

"Concerned about someone using Jenny? Mr. Martin's office hasn't changed, and he's been meticulous these past couple of months. But I'll check again. I can also review surveillance footage from when Jenny started," Paul replied cautiously. If Jenny could be secretly involved with Joe's father, anything seemed possible. Since it concerned Joe, caution was necessary.

Reassured by Paul's capabilities, Skylar said, "Alright."

As Skylar prepared to hang up, Paul added, "Mrs. Martin, if you're worried about Mr. Martin, you could always come to the company to check yourself. I might overlook something…"