A Night of Desire

That morning, Skylar Hayes was grocery shopping at the supermarket when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw it was a call from Marcus Jarvis.

A small smile touched her lips as she answered. "Hello, Marcus."

Ever since she’d returned his wallet and they had met up again, they had indeed become friends, just as Marcus had suggested, and had grown quite close.

Whenever Marcus was free, he would call to ask her out for tea or drop by her place to scrounge a meal.

Skylar thought he was a good person, too. His vibrant energy, in particular, was infectious, and she couldn’t help but feel cheerful whenever she was with him.

So, she didn’t mind having him as a friend, but their relationship was strictly platonic.

Marcus’s voice came through the phone. "Skylar, I stopped by your place. Why wasn’t anyone home?"

Skylar chuckled. "What are you doing here so early in the morning? I’m at the supermarket getting groceries."

"Oh, I caught a fish yesterday and thought I’d bring it over today for you to cook for me," Marcus said, laughing as well.

"Okay, then I won’t buy a fish." Skylar had just reached the seafood counter and was about to buy one, but after hearing what he said, she skipped it.

"Then I’ll head to the supermarket to find you," Marcus offered.

"No, don’t. I’m already done shopping and heading back now. Just wait for me there," Skylar said quickly. She could just take a ride back; it would be a bigger waste of time for him to come pick her up.

"Alright then, I’ll wait for you here."

After hanging up, Skylar went to check out and then walked out of the supermarket.

Just as she stepped out the doors, she came face to face with Sienna Hale. Skylar smiled, about to greet her, when she suddenly noticed Jean Jarvis standing beside Sienna.

She hadn’t expected Jean to be with Sienna Hale and froze for a moment.

Sienna and Jean saw her too. Knowing the truth about Clara Grant’s parentage, Sienna felt a little awkward seeing Skylar again. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Jean, however, let out a cold sneer. "Well, if it isn’t Skylar. Out grocery shopping?"

Skylar gave her a cool glance and ignored her. She had once considered Jean her best friend, but the woman had gone behind her back and carried on an affair with her then-husband, Cedric Grant, for over twenty years.

While she might have been able to stop herself from hating Jean, she had no desire to have anything to do with her ever again.

But Jean seemed unwilling to let her go. She raised an eyebrow and continued, "What, you don’t want to talk to me? I can understand. After all, it must be frustrating to see me become the rightful Mrs. Grant.

"But you can’t blame me for that, can you? If your daughter had actually been Cedric’s, he never would have divorced you. You can only blame yourself for what happened twenty-something years ago, when you were... "

Skylar didn’t know that the Quinn Family was already aware of the truth about Clara. She couldn’t stop herself from cutting Jean off sharply. "Jean Jarvis, what nonsense are you spouting?"

As she spoke, she instinctively glanced at Sienna Hale, her heart filled with worry and fear. ’If the Quinn Family finds out, how will Clara ever hold her head up in their family? And how could I ever face them again?’

Meanwhile, Jean was stewing. Cedric Grant had once mentioned to her that if Skylar were willing, he would want to welcome her back into the Grant Family.

She absolutely despised Skylar and Clara Grant now. She had worked so hard to drive them out of the Grant Family, and now they actually had a chance to turn the tables!

’How could she possibly accept that?’

"How am I spouting nonsense? I remember it clearly. Back then, when you were kidnapped, I was the first one to find you. The scene... I remember it perfectly. You were lying on the ground, your clothes in tatters, a complete mess. It was obvious you’d been for..."

"That’s enough, Jean Jarvis!"

The one who shouted was Sienna Hale, who had been silent the entire time.