Chapter 947

A few days later, Joe went to work. In Skylar's eyes, he was indistinguishable from a seasoned Marine. Then, she went to work, needing to clear the backlog of projects that had accumulated during her absence.

Edwin had been released from detention with a minimal penalty, while Derek and his sons faced charges of intentional injury. This had been kept quiet; no reporters had discovered the story, and only a few connected families in Jipsburg were aware.

Ernest was deeply troubled, though Skylar wasn't certain about the source of his distress. Paul only occasionally mentioned that Joe had been in a bad mood, a situation that always presaged trouble for someone.

Their vacation to Fachington had been postponed by two weeks, much to Natalie's disappointment. However, Natalie would be in Fachington for a while longer, so they would still meet.

Skylar had recently spent time visiting Simona, with Caleb in tow. Simona was recovering well and adapting quickly to her new school; her classmates were kind. Wendy had also begun boarding at the school and was diligently pursuing her future. A psychologist met with them weekly to address any underlying psychological issues. Some wounds, however, needed time to heal naturally.

Later, Skylar visited Harvey at school. He was diligently preparing for his college entrance exams, studying throughout the day. He spoke briefly with her before hurrying back to his studies; he, too, faced a period of hardship.

Leaving Harvey's school, Skylar headed back to Galaxy Villa. Suddenly, a sports car cut her off, forcing her to stop. Just as she reached for her phone to call the police, the driver emerged. It was Molly. She smiled and knocked on Skylar's window, asking her to lower it. Skylar refused, instead pulling out her phone and asking Molly to call her. Molly frowned at Skylar's guarded demeanor and eventually called.

They spoke face-to-face. "Give it to me straight," Skylar said. "I'm in a hurry to get home."

Molly furrowed her brows. "Name your price," she said. "As long as you stop interfering with those negative items, I'll pay you whatever you want. I'll meet your conditions."

Skylar studied Molly thoughtfully. Joe had sent people to investigate her, but they hadn't identified her employer. Skylar now believed that her destruction of the negative items had panicked her unseen adversary, prompting this conversation.

"I won't discuss that," Skylar replied. "Tell whoever you're working for to stop immediately. Stop using negative items to harm people. It's inhumane."

Molly knew Skylar wouldn't easily agree, but she had to try. "Negative items don't always harm people," she explained. "They exist for a reason. Let's not discuss that first. You and Joe had a whirlwind marriage after knowing each other for such a short time. You don't know each other well, and there's no love between you. So why are you helping him? The help you're giving him won't stop him from divorcing you for Vera. He's just appeasing Mrs. Martin Senior; you're nothing more than a tool to him."

Skylar had to admit Molly was persuasive. If she weren't so determined, she might have been swayed.

"I don't need your concern about what happens between Joe and me," Skylar stated. "Goodbye."

"Wait!" Molly interrupted, preventing Skylar from hanging up.

Chapter 948