Chapter 171 
“Ms. Silver, do I look like Mother Teresa to you?” Skylar asked. 
Annie was asking for her help right after threatening her to harm her family. Had she lost her senses? It seemed her logic had taken a vacation to act like such a prima donna. 
“Please, I’m begging you! Just name your price! If one million dollars isn’t enough, how about two million or even five million dollars? I can give you five million dollars! 
“As long as you ensure Mr. Martin clears up his misunderstanding, I’ll wire you five million dollars right 
away,” Annie gritted her teeth as she made her desperate offer. 
Annie had a hunch that Joe meant real business when he said he would target the Silver family. She 
couldn’t allow her own reckless actions to drag down her family. 
“Sorry.” Skylar walked straight out from the side. 

Forget about five million dollars; she wouldn’t accept it even if it were ten. Annie was manipulative and likely to stab her in the back once she got what she wanted. She wasn’t trustworthy; therefore, not worth 
her time. 
Annie clenched her trembling hands, biting her lip as she dialed Rowan’s number. 
“Rowan, I made a mistake.” Then, she briefly explained what had just happened to Rowan. 
After a brief pause, Rowan responded, “You’re too reckless, Annie. We had talked about Skylar a couple of 
days ago when I met John. John mentioned that Joe cares a lot about Skylar and advised us not to 
underestimate her. 
“Who would dare to mess with Joe’s favorite? Annie, you’ve got into trouble.” 
Annie gripped her phone tighter and was drowned in a panic she had never experienced before. “Help me. 
figure out a way to meet him,” she pleaded. 
“No way. If I help you again, Joe won’t see me as a friend anymore. You’re on your own now. Good luck. 
Instead of coming to me for help, you might as well talk to Skylar.” Rowan refused without hesitation. 
Neither of them were fools. People like them understood the consequences of going against Joe. Rowan was pragmatic and saw things clearly. He wouldn’t risk alienating himself from Joe.” 
Annie ended the call, feeling utterly lost, sitting alone in the restaurant. 
After leaving the restaurant, Skylar headed straight to the supermarket. She planned to prepare a feast for tonight, so she had already planned out the menu in the morning. 
She even took the time to ask Gloria what Joe liked to eat the most. Yet, Gloria advised her not to fuss. too much over Joe’s food preferences. 
Gloria advised against fussing too much over Joe’s food preferences, as he could easily request them 
Chapter 171 
from the housekeepers–Skylar’s hands weren’t suited for cooking every day. 
After a half–hour chat with Gloria on the phone, Skylar had a clear iden of Joe’n culinary preferences. With all the ingredients purchased, she could head home and start cooking. By tonight, the dishes would be 
ready. 
As she exited the supermarket, she unexpectedly bumped into Marcus, accompanied by a woman whol appeared to be a naïve college student. 
“Skylar?” Marcus sounded surprised. 
Skylar greeted him with a smile, “Mr. Lennon.” 
“Why are you shopping alone? Need a hand with all those items?‘ Marcus‘ eyes sparkled as he looked her 
over. 
Ever since their encounter at the club, Marcus couldn’t get Skylar out of his mind. Now that he had run into her alone, he couldn’t let the opportunity slip by. It would be foolish to pass up this opportunity. 
Skylar pushed her cart away, avoiding him. “Thank you, but I’m good on my own.”