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“Tobias, Skylar isn’t as innocent as you think. She’s a malicious person! She’s going all out to achieve
fame right now regardless of what it takes, even if it means trampling all over everyone else. Everything
I said in the office was true,” Winnie insisted brokenly.
Whether out of sheer defiance or stupidity, Winnie stood her ground. Tobias eyed her as he lit a
cigarette and spewed out a mouthful of smoke, sneering, “Don’t call me Tobias. We’re not related, and
neither are we on intimate terms with each other. Who said I liked innocent women? They always end
up being quite foolish like you.”
Winnie cringed when she remembered that Sheldon was still on the other end of the line, hanging onto
every word.
Tobias headed downstairs to wait for Skylar, who had excitedly told him earlier that day that she would
be in the studio recording her new single, Demon.
Tobias had never heard Skylar sing. He thought she should focus on honing her acting skills rather
than embarking on a whole other endeavor entirely, but he didn’t have the heart to say so.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAfter all, as the saying went, a jack of all trades was very often a master of none.
Skylar’s emerged breezily from the office, carrying only a thermos flask in one hand.
Tobias drew another long puff of his cigarette. Ash drifted onto his pants, which he dusted leisurely off.
Watching Tobias from afar, Skylar paused to admire the fine silhouette his handsome profile cut against
the night sky.
When the man turned to look in her direction, she hurried over, waving wildly to him. “Are you here to
fetch me home?” Skylar asked, her eyes shining.
Tobias, however, had urgent matters to attend to at the office. Since he had promised to spend the day
with Skylar regardless, he had no choice but to bring her to the office with him.
Even though it was nearly midnight, the fluorescent office lights in the Ford Group building were still
ablaze. Skylar groaned inwardly. Don’t these people have anything better to do than to work? I’d rather
be sleeping! She recalled reading somewhere that working long hours and not getting sleep increased
one’s risk of getting a stroke.
Skylar had long bemoaned the amount of time she dedicated to her work. The employees at Ford
Group, however, were on a whole different level of commitment.
Only the very young and able-bodied could possibly hope to keep up in this intensely competitive and
draining environment.
Eva was still in the office. She’d always been jealous of her cousin. They’d last met each other at their
family dinner but had not been in contact since.
Eva caught a glimpse of Skylar’s resentful face as the latter sat in the office. If not for Tobias sitting next
to Skylar, Eva would have hurried past without saying a word.
Skylar set her thermos flask and brown coat down on Tobias’ desk. The Hermes logo gleamed under
the harsh white glow of the fluorescent office lights. Not too long ago, Eva had haughtily presumed it to
be a fake. Alas, she had been quickly proven wrong.
As Eva tidied up the documents that had been scattered all over the table, she watched Skylar and
Tobias out of the corner of her eye. Skylar was sitting rigidly on the sofa while Tobias coaxed her, “Are
you tired? If you’re sleepy, I can get the chauffeur to send you home. I did keep my promise of
accompanying you today, after all, so don’t say I didn’t.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmPeevishly, Skylar retorted, “I sound like a task you’re way too eager to tick off your to-do list. If you’re
that unwilling, or you think that I’m a hindrance to your work, I’ll leave, then.”
Undeterred, Tobias continued in a meeker tone, “Why would you say that? That’s not what I’m thinking
at all. I’ll head off to my meeting first. I’ll do my best to be back as soon as possible.”
Eva raised her head slightly, sneaking a look at Tobias stroking Skylar’s hair in an effort to pacify her.
Watching that, she felt a growing bitterness rise within her.
Despite the woman that Skylar had grown to become, she was still that unwanted, unhappy girl in
Eva’s mind. Skylar was a mediocre performer with nothing especially worthy about her.
Eva thus could not even begin to fathom why Tobias was so enamored with Skylar. Wasn’t like
supposed to attract like? Eva thought cattily.
Tobias, in the meantime, straightened his tie and headed out of the office.
This left Eva with Skylar. It was so quiet that one could hear the minute rustling of the pages as the
former flipped through them.
Skylar did not even glance at Eva. She took out her phone and began scrolling flippantly through social
media, occasionally breaking into a yawn. Her bent head exposed the creamy white skin at the nape of
her neck. At that moment, unconsciously, Skylar looked the very image of alluring femininity.
On her screen, Skylar saw that Penelope had posted a new Instagram story.
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