Richest Mogul

After breakfast, Skylar took a two–hour nap. When she woke and went downstairs, Joe was still there.

“You didn’t go out?” she asked.

Dressed in athletic wear, Joe replied, “I was waiting for you. Thought we could go for a walk and hike together.”

The villa neighborhood was quite large, with a hill nearby. Many people went hiking there on weekends. It wasn’t a tough climb- just an hour to the top.

Skylar perked up at the idea. “Give me a minute. I’ll change into my athletic wear.” Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

She’d passed that hill so many times, always planning to hike it one weekend to enjoy the view of Jipsburg City from above, but never finding the right moment.

After she was done changing, they set off on foot. Half an hour later, they reached the base of the hill.

By then, many hikers were already coming down. She glanced at her watch–it was 11:30 am. “I heard there’s a vegetarian

restaurant at the top of the hill. Would you like to try it?”

“Sure, let’s give it a try.” Joe agreed.

They continued their hike. The weather was perfect. As they climbed, they enjoyed the natural scenery and occasionally glimpses of the bustling city below.

Skylar felt her mood lighten with each step. They kept a steady pace, only pausing to drink water.

In less than an hour, they reached the summit. The restaurant had a long queue. While waiting, Skylar sat quietly, taking in the panoramic view of the city, now distant and small.

Just as they were about to be seated, someone called out Joe’s

name.

“Joe? What a surprise! You… You’re here hiking too?”

Skylar turned, immediately recognizing the voice. It was indeed a surprise to run into her here.

Vera smiled brightly at them. Next to her was a gentleman who bore a resemblance to her. “This is my cousin, Justin Bowen. Justin, this is Joe Martin. You should know him. And this is… Skylar Sullivan.”

After the brief introduction, Justin, who was already familiar with Joe, extended his hand. “I’ve seen Mr. Martin at several events, but we never had the chance to speak. It’s quite a coincidence that we run into each other like this today.”

Joe glanced at Justin’s hand but didn’t shake it right away.

11

Sensing the awkwardness, Vera quickly took Justin’s hand. Justin, it’s the weekend, not a workday. You don’t need to be so formal.”

Justin realized his mistake and chuckled. He said, “Right, right. My mistake.”

“Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we eat together? It’s good that we met you, or we’d still be waiting in line. I didn’t expect the restaurant here to be so crowded.”

Although Vera kept talking, her conversation was solely directed at Joe. She completely ignored Skylar.

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Skylar didn’t mind. The scenery was so beautiful that Skylar preferred to be quiet, taking in the views and daydreaming.

Justin chimed in, “I’ve heard from my assistant that this restaurant is known for its unique vegetarian dishes. It’s the only one of its kind in Jipsburg.”

As he spoke, he subtly assessed Skylar, who was standing next to Joe. Familiar with the Ruells‘ recent ordeal, Justin instantly recognized Skylar’s name. He was taken aback by her striking beauty, especially considering her apparent youth. She seemed significantly younger, perhaps seven or eight years younger than

him.

He wondered about her relationship with Joe. Seeing Joe here on the weekend and hiking with someone was out of character; Vera, too, was behaving oddly that day. Usually quiet, she was especially chatty today. Justin wondered if it was because of Skylar.

Furthermore, it was unexpected to see Joe accompanied by a woman, given his previous lack of romantic involvement. Justin had always assumed that Joe was waiting for Vera. But now…