Chapter 4

Skylar picked up the call. "Mr. Martin." "Grandma would like to meet you tonight. Do you have time?" Joe's cool voice echoed from the other end of the phone. Just as Skylar was about to reply, the cab had already made its way into Galaxy Villa. "I've arrived at Galaxy Villa. I'd like to meet Grandma Gloria as well." She had only gotten married to Joe for Gloria's sake. Now that Gloria wanted to see her, she would certainly set aside other affairs to meet her. The call went silent for a few seconds before Joe's voice rang through again. "Wait at home for about half an hour. Paul will pick you up." "Alright. Thanks." Skylar hung up and entered the villa. Joe had given her the villa's password, so she didn't encounter any issues. Just as she had changed into slippers, her phone suddenly rang again. Amidst the silence that hung in the villa, the noise of her ringtone was deafening. Skylar took her phone out and realized it was a call from Sadie. She sneered and declined her call. Frankly, she was in no mood to entertain those scumbags since she was going to meet Gloria tonight. … Upon realizing that Skylar had refused her call, Sadie's expression darkened. "Jeff, Skye actually rejected my call!" Jeffrey lost his composure immediately. Infuriated, he bellowed, "What are you calling her for? You should've just let her be! "She's been out of college for three months, and she hasn't even secured a job. She's literally penniless. Don't give her any money either. Let's see how long she can hold up!" "You're right. She didn't grow up with us, after all. That explains why she isn't close with us, and she doesn't understand us either. Maisy is much more sensible." At that thought, Sadie grew even fonder of Maisy. "I've terminated her card. Ignore her, and she'll come back in two days." "Once she's back, I'll definitely teach her a lesson." … It was already dark out. A Maybach MPV pulled up in front of Pearlhall Residence, the Martin family residence, and Skylar emerged from the car. She thanked Paul swiftly. Paul was slightly surprised. During their journey to Pearlhall Residence, Skylar hadn't asked about Joe's whereabouts. Both of them had just registered their marriage this afternoon. In fact, it would only be natural for Skylar to wonder where Joe was. Women in Jipsburg had coveted Joe for years. To be honest, Paul had thought that Skylar was using Gloria to get close to Joe. Other women just weren't as fortunate as Skylar had been when it came to winning Gloria's favor. Now, he was intrigued to find out whether Skylar would inquire about Joe's whereabouts. As Skylar trailed after the butler, Edgar Quinn, who greeted her at the entrance, Paul arched his eyebrows in surprise. However, Skylar called out to him as he turned to leave. "Mr. Ziegler." Paul halted his steps. As expected, she was going to ask about Joe's whereabouts. "Is your emerald charm a family heirloom, or was it a gift from someone else?" Skylar stared at the emerald charm resting on Paul's neck, a glint flickering in her eyes. Paul was stunned. Glancing down on the emerald charm he wore, he replied, "It was a gift. I quite like it, so I've been wearing it a lot lately. I heard it's from around 1368 to 1644 AD." A faint smile spread across Skylar's face. It was still bright out when Paul had come to pick her up, so she had been able to see the charm clearly. The engraving on it resembled the style of the impressionist painter, Clyde Monet. It exuded an air of sophistication. Since Skylar had to repay Gloria's favor and she was already married to Joe, she couldn't just stand by and watch Joe get sabotaged by the people around him. They were bound together by a contract, after all. Her gaze fell on a spot on the charm. There was a dark mark there, indicating that blood had seeped in. "The charm is indeed from 1368 to 1644 AD." Skylar nodded. However, it wasn't auspicious at all. "I couldn't tear my eyes away from it the moment I saw it. Ms. Williams, is this your forte?" Paul stroked his charm. Indeed, the charm was breathtakingly gorgeous. "Yeah, but I'm not an expert, though," Skylar replied. "The person who gave this to me mentioned that it was carved by a famous painter from 1368 to 1644 AD. It's definitely worth collecting." "Forgive me for being blunt, but I think your charm was probably looted from a dead body. It'll bring misfortune to the wearer and those around him. "Mr. Ziegler, you haven't worn it for more than ten days, right?" Skylar said, unbothered by the fact that Paul would probably be scared out of his wits. He was always around Gloria. Given Gloria's current health condition, she was prone to falling ill. Paul was flabbergasted. "Looted from a dead person?" His hands, which were clasped around the charm, quavered. "How do you know, Ms. Williams?" Could it be that she was trying to scare him? Was it just because he hadn't informed her about Joe's schedule? Still, it was unlikely. Skylar glanced at her watch. "I have to meet with Grandma Gloria now. If you trust me, take it off and return it to the person who gave it to you. Otherwise, don't see Grandma Gloria for a month." He would naturally believe in her after a month. Even though Joe, who was often with Paul, would have a streak of bad luck, Skylar was unfazed. She would be content as long as Gloria remained well. With that, she promptly followed Edgar into the mansion. Paul, on the other hand, was left in a daze at the entrance. Still spiraling in turmoil, he was caught in a dilemma about whether to continue wearing the charm or not. … Gloria's face broke into a warm smile as she walked over to Skylar. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Skye, I couldn't sleep all night after you rejected my proposal yesterday. Fortunately you changed your mind! Hurry up and show me your marriage certificate." "I'm sorry, Grandma Gloria." Skylar's heart ached as she saw Gloria weeping. "Stop calling me 'Grandma Gloria'. You're my granddaughter-in-law now, so just 'Grandma' will do." Gloria brushed her tears away, lamenting that she could no longer hold back her emotions due to old age. Skylar handed the marriage certificate to Gloria. "Alright, Grandma." Taking the certificate from her, Gloria broke into a wide grin. "This is great," she murmured. "Skye, you'll come to know that Joe is a really reliable person. You won't regret marrying him." Gloria scrutinized the certificate carefully, as if she would never get enough of it. Skylar nodded in agreement. Despite having seen Joe only twice, she could tell that he was a reliable man. The fact that he had even sacrificed his marriage for Gloria's sake was enough proof of respect for her. "Oh yeah, Skye. I remembered that Viola had left a letter with me before. She told me to pass it on to you if you got married within a year. "If you didn't, I was supposed to pretend that I'd never received anything like that. Seeing that you're already married to Joe, it's about time to pass the letter to you." Gloria took a letter from the table beside her and passed it to Skylar. Upon hearing about Viola, Skylar asked hastily, "Grandma, do you have any news regarding Grandma Viola?" "You can't find her if she doesn't want to be found. She called me a year ago, before she left, asking us not to worry about her." Gloria sighed, shaking her head. Skylar felt a lump welling up in her throat. As she recalled how defiant she had been toward Viola in her past life, she felt distressed.