Chapter 148: Chapter 148

Skylar Hughes just smiled, without making any explanations, but it seemed like she agreed with everyone.

Paige Sterling claimed she relied on herself, although from start to finish, she had little true ability, depending entirely on Jared Sullivan, yet Skylar had to admit, Paige really hadn’t told the outside world that her father was Jared Sullivan.

Even when rumors spread online that she was kept by an old man, she didn’t step up to explain.

So for her claim of self-reliance to be more credible, Paige likely wouldn’t let people know today that Jared Sullivan was her father, right?

In that case, let everyone misunderstand, this was all for Paige’s own good.

As for Julian Hawthorne...

Skylar believed the reason Julian was so attentive to Paige was for Jared Sullivan’s sake; he couldn’t possibly be interested in a woman as unrefined and shallow as Paige.

She believed the man she fancied wouldn’t be shallow.

The surrounding sisters who fawned over her continued chatting incessantly.

"Skylar, as women, sometimes we should be magnanimous, but not too generous, especially when it comes to men. You have to stand up for yourself at the right times. Look at Paige Sterling, she’s practically glued to Mr. Hawthorne. If you don’t go stop her now, who knows what she’ll do next? Such shamelessness."

But just then, Paige happened to walk over.

Julian wasn’t by her side at that moment, she looked at Skylar and her friends with a playful smile.

"What were you just talking about?"

Getting caught gossiping, the girls were briefly embarrassed but quickly regained their composure.

Homewreckers deserve public condemnation; they hadn’t said anything wrong.

"Don’t you know what we were talking about? How shameless can you be?"

Skylar quickly said, "Paige, my friends usually talk without much filter, people who don’t know them might misunderstand, but they’re actually not bad at heart. Don’t take it to heart, Paige."

After that, Skylar smiled again to explain, appearing with a good temper. If Paige made things difficult for her now, it would seem unreasonable.

"They might’ve misunderstood my relationship with Mr. Hawthorne, but that’s not your concern, right? After all, my affairs with Mr. Hawthorne don’t really involve you."

Paige glanced at her lightly, "But you shouldn’t have come to this banquet, right?"

Skylar’s expression stiffened, "My mom brought me, with my dad’s approval."

Paige couldn’t possibly embarrass her publicly by disregarding Yvette Hughes’ face, right?

Paige remained expressionless, "You truly have an almost obsessive attachment to the Sterling Family."

With such energy, she’d be better off using the Sterling family’s backing to develop herself elsewhere.

Yet Skylar, though she claimed to be ambitious, often tried to display herself as having vision and aspirations.

But her gaze always lingered over others’ possessions. The source of this content ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁

Even Paige, his biological daughter, wasn’t eyeing Jared Sullivan’s assets, but Skylar never relented.

Frankly, Paige thought, if Jared d all his assets, it would be justified, what was Skylar obsessing over?

Skylar understood Paige’s words, she stood firm, speaking righteously, "This is my home, isn’t it?"

Skylar’s face stiffened.

However, her friends didn’t notice and continued to confront Paige.

"You’re really funny; Skylar is a Sterling daughter. Does she need your approval to appear at her own family’s banquet?"

"Exactly, don’t think Skylar’s good nature lets you bully her, and don’t think you can become Skylar’s stepmother. We’ve seen plenty like you, never quite making it into the upper echelons."

Skylar looked like she wanted to explain but wasn’t given the chance, seeming particularly innocent herself.

Look, all these words weren’t spoken by me, had nothing to do with me.

Skylar’s behavior acted as a signal, naturally encouraging her friends to viciously lash out at Paige to curry favor with her.

"Miss Sterling, you’ve seduced someone’s dad, can’t you have some decency and lay low? Now you’re even going after their boyfriend, how incomprehensible. Wonder what your parents will feel when they see this."

"Yes, so uncultured and unsophisticated, no wonder you can’t make it in the entertainment industry."

With everyone chirping, Paige swept her gaze over them, "Have you all finished?"

A group of girls glared at Paige.

Paige shook her head, chuckled, and said to Skylar, "Your ability to gather idiots is something I am no match for."

"Who are you calling idiots?"

A girl, unable to bear it, walked up angrily towards Paige.

Paige stood still and, as the girl came up to slap her, caught her wrist, "I’d rather not get physical at the Sterling’s banquet, so you’d better watch your words with me. Don’t keep involving my dad, and you...

Paige looked at Skylar, "Don’t think I won’t do anything to you just because it’s a banquet. Whatever I, Paige Sterling, decide to do, I never consider the occasion. Control these idiots around you, if they come to provoke me again, I’ll deal with you, too.

With that, Paige turned and left.

The girlfriends were furious beyond words.

Skylar chased after her and stopped Paige in a secluded spot.

"Paige, although what my friends said was unpleasant, I think you know some of it in your heart."

"I and Mr. Hawthorne..."

Paige’s face cooled, "Don’t mention you and Mr. Hawthorne in the same breath, you’re not worthy."

Paige’s tone made Skylar furious with embarrassment, "Even if you don’t acknowledge it, I like Mr. Hawthorne. Are you going to snatch even the man I fancy?"

Speaking as if with her declaration, Julian Hawthorne was truly hers, and anyone else interested would be a homewrecker.

"Is Julian Hawthorne close to you?"

Skylar was speechless, "We’ll get close eventually. We’ve collaborated many times before, Mr. Hawthorne remembers me well."

Paige chuckled, turned, walked in front of Skylar.

She was already taller than Skylar, and at this moment, as Skylar stood at the bottom of the steps, Paige looked down at her almost condescendingly.

She raised a hand, pinching Skylar’s chin.

"Julian Hawthorne is mine, I advise you not to dwell on it. Hearing his name from your mouth makes me uncomfortable, understand?"

Then she flicked Skylar’s face aside and left.

At the corner, she saw Julian Hawthorne standing there with a smile.

He pulled her into an embrace, "So Mrs. Hawthorne’s possessiveness for me is this strong, that even hearing others mention my name makes you uncomfortable?"

Paige pushed him lightly, humphing with pleasure, "I’m just saying."