Skylar vaguely recalled Penelope once boasting to her that Brayden had paid three months of rent all at once, which added up to a grand total of nearly one thousand seven hundred.
Tobias gave a low whistle. “The bar’s really getting lower and lower these days, isn’t it? All you have to do to buy a woman over is to rent her an apartment, and she’ll gladly carry a child to term for you.”
Skylar felt her dislike for Brayden swell into intense hatred. No amount of wealth was enough to conceal the fact that he was fundamentally a loathsome character.
Annoyed by Tobias’ flippant response, she snapped, “Do you want to get out there too, then? Since women nowadays aren’t as much of golddiggers as they were before, you definitely won’t be lacking in a supply of young girls for your harem.”
Tobias wisely refused to allow himself to be drawn into such a conversation. He had never treated his women meanly. Besides, ever since meeting Skylar, he had never considered putting himself back out on the dating scene.
They drove in companionable silence to the set, where Tobias dropped Skylar off. Hannah was already waiting for her in the dressing room.
As Tobias drove away, his secretary called to inform him that Claudia had arrived at the office.
Tobias hurried into the office to find the woman seated by the side, her long legs crossed elegantly. She was wearing an emerald-green dress that showed off a slender figure despite her age.
“You left the office already so early in the afternoon?” Claudia chided teasingly.
“No one said I have to be here all the time. Did you come here just to interrogate me about my working hours?” Tobias curtly replied.
“Everyone’s having a field day with the news that you’re taking over Quest Group. I really can’t comprehend how you can absorb such a liability just for that woman. You must be mad,” Claudia answered frankly, delving right into the heart of the matter.
Tobias had not imagined that the news would travel so quickly.
“It has nothing to do with her. Nobody can force me to do things I’m not willing to. I was fully on board with taking over Quest Group,” Tobias said gruffly.
Claudia decided not to pursue the matter. Knowing her son’s obstinacy, challenging him would only harden his heart further.
“Bring her back home tomorrow. We can have dinner together,” she suggested in a milder tone.
Tobias raised his head and met Claudia’s eyes with a piercing gaze before he said evenly, “It’s not convenient. She’s very busy…”
“You’ve dated for quite a while now. Is it so difficult to persuade her to meet your mother?” Claudia interrupted.
Unbothered by the note of warning in Claudia’s voice, Tobias continued, “Relax, we’re not preparing to marry each other just yet. We can have dinner with or without her.”
“Why are you being so defensive of her? Are you afraid I’ll drive her away?” Claudia sniffed, looking hurt.
She had meant it as a joke, but Tobias immediately agreed. “I’m afraid you’ll skin Skylar alive. I don’t want to upset her. She’s young and might not be able to withstand your vicious words.”
A look of discontent appeared on Claudia’s face. Whenever the conversation veered towards a sensitive subject like this, a dead-end was inevitable.
“Ingrid’s back home. I think Dad’s attention will be fully focused on her for a while,” Tobias remarked. He, too, was all too familiar with the tension that hovered over both their heads and was anxious to change the subject.
Disdainfully, Claudia replied, “Having a daughter like Ingrid is just retribution for Xander.”
Tobias merely shrugged, reserving his opinion.
Xander had a terrible habit of spoiling Ingrid. He lavished a tremendous amount of affection and gifts on his daughter; Ingrid could do no wrong in his eyes.
Tobias, however, privately wondered if Ingrid was a displacement of the love Xander had wanted to pour into his marriage instead.
