Chapter 148
“Skye!” Harvey called out, waving as he spotted Skylar.
Skylar briskly approached him and asked, “Mom told me this morning that you were on a break for two days to study at home. Why would you suddenly come to look for me?”
“I just miss you. Besides, are you tired from work?” Harvey asked, his concern for her evident.
Harvey had been observing the Gardner Group earlier and had done some research online. He found out that Skylar had joined Alexander’s team, which was considered one of the best in the industry. Skylar was truly remarkable, but Harvey knew she must have put in an immense amount of effort.
She was so kind, yet she had been mistreated by the Williams family after all her brothers had cherished her. The thought of Skylar being bullied made Harvey’s heart ache, and his eyes welled with tears.
“I’m not tired at all. I love my job and am happy with it. Since it’s lunchtime, let me take you around. Then we can grab a meal together,” Skylar said with a warm smile. “It’s been ages since we had a meal just the two of us.”
Harvey couldn’t see any trace of grievance in her expression. She had always been like this—keeping her troubles to herself to avoid worrying her family.
“I’ve saved up quite a bit. Let me treat you,” Harvey said, eager to do something for her.
Skylar shook her head with a laugh. “It’s my treat. I’ve earned some money recently. Treating you to a meal and a shopping spree won’t be a problem at all. Don’t worry about me.”
Harvey lowered his head, his eyes brimming with emotion. Once he got into college, he planned to find ways to make money in his spare time. He wanted to become capable enough so no one would dare bully his family again.
The two then headed to the top floor of the mall for a meal. Harvey loved barbecue, so they ordered several plates of meat and ate until they were both full, laughing at how much they had enjoyed the meal.
Harvey, always focused on his studies, rarely cared much about his appearance. In his free time, he played basketball and other sports, so it didn’t matter to him what clothes he wore.
“You’re so handsome, Harvey. I’ll buy you a few sets of clothes today. After your college entrance exams, I’ll buy you a new phone and laptop,” Skylar said, her eyes glinting with affection. She remembered how tight money had always been for their family, and how Harvey’s clothes were mostly hand-me-downs from Steven and Charles.
“Skye, you should keep the money you earned. Women like to buy bags and clothes, but men don’t really need them. I don’t need new clothes. I look the same no matter what I wear,” Harvey insisted, not wanting Skylar to spend her hard-earned money on him.
“No, you have to wear stylish clothes to match your looks,” Skylar said, teasing him playfully.
“Then just buy one outfit,” Harvey conceded, though he still didn’t want her to splurge.
Skylar wasn’t having any of it. She led him to a store that matched his style and picked out several outfits for him to try on. In the end, every outfit looked great on him, and they settled on three.
When it came time to pay, Harvey insisted on buying just one of the outfits, but Skylar refused outright.
“You two look so sweet as a couple,” the shop assistant remarked, smiling at them.
“He’s my brother,” Skylar replied with a soft laugh.
“He’s my sister,” Harvey said, his face flushed with embarrassment.
The shop assistant realized her mistake and quickly apologized. “Sorry, my bad. At first glance, you two looked around the same age. You’re both so youthful. I didn’t notice she was in office attire and assumed you were a couple.”
Skylar smiled politely, but Harvey, clearly uncomfortable, shifted on his feet.
“Skye..” Harvey mumbled.
“Your birthday is coming up soon, right? Consider this my birthday gift to you.” Skylar swiped her card and handed the bags to Harvey, her heart light with joy at being able to do something special for him.