Chapter 225 Testing Skylar

Chapter 225 Testing Skylar

The next day, Henry didn't go straight to Skylar. Instead, he brought one of his men along.

The guy looked ordinary enough, but he was Henry's most trusted confidant when it came to reading people.

Skylar lived in an upscale apartment. When she opened the door and saw Henry standing there, the joy in her eyes practically overflowed. It was as if she'd completely erased last night's humiliation from her memory.

"Zachary! You... what are you doing here?" She was so surprised she could barely get the words out, quickly stepping aside to let him in.

Henry walked into the living room expressionless and sat down on the couch. His man stood by the door like a statue, silent.

The whole setup made Skylar's heart sink, but she quickly recovered. She brought over a glass of water and sat down next to Henry, asking softly, "Zachary, did you find something? I knew you would."

Henry didn't respond. He just looked at her with those unreadable eyes and asked directly, "Where exactly were you during those years you disappeared?"

Skylar's body went rigid, then her eyes immediately welled up. She lowered her head, her voice thick with grief and fear, as if tearing open a wound that had never healed.

"I was sold overseas... to a place called the 'Coffin Organization.'" She began her story with raw emotion, her voice trembling. "That place was hell on earth. They forced me to do things I never wanted to do. Every day I lived in terror. So many times I wanted to end it all, but then I'd think of you, and I'd tell myself I had to hold on, I had to survive to come back and see you..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. That tragic yet devoted expression could easily move someone to pity.

But Henry's face remained blank. He waited until she'd gotten most of it out, then threw out his second question.

"What about Crimson?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Skylar's crying stopped cold. Her body jerked violently, and on that tear-stained face, bone-deep terror suddenly surfaced.

"No... don't mention..." Her pupils contracted sharply, her hands flew to her head, and her body began shaking violently. She mumbled in broken fragments, "It hurts... no... blood... so much blood... please, let me go..."

She looked completely overtaken by some memory. Her expression twisted in agony, and her whole body convulsed uncontrollably.

"Ms. Reed?" Henry's man sensed something was wrong and stepped forward.

Just then, Skylar screamed, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed straight off the edge of the couch.

Henry remained expressionless as he had the bodyguard pick her up.

"To the hospital," he ordered coldly to his stunned subordinate.

The hospital corridor was thick with the sterile smell of disinfectant.

Henry leaned against the wall outside the room, his entire body radiating barely contained fury.

He'd just learned from the doctor that Skylar had only fainted briefly from extreme emotional distress. Physically, she was fine.

His usually sharp subordinate walked over, his face showing rare uncertainty. He lowered his voice and reported cautiously, "Sir, I think Ms. Reed's reactions were off."

Henry looked up, signaling him to continue.

"When she mentioned the 'Coffin Organization,' that grief and terror seemed bone-deep. It didn't look like acting. But when you mentioned 'Crimson,' her reaction... was too immediate and too extreme." The subordinate chose his words carefully. "It was like someone flipped a switch, and all her emotions instantly peaked. That actually made it feel staged. I can't tell how much of her pain and fear is genuine."

These words echoed Henry's own suspicions exactly.

Skylar's reaction was like a carefully choreographed performance, using the most dramatic method at the most critical moment to forcibly shut down all questioning.

Henry's eyes darkened, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the cold wall.

If even his best reader of people couldn't see through her, it could only mean that Skylar had picked up some genuinely useful skills during those years in that place.

He pushed open the door and walked in.

Skylar was already awake in bed, leaning weakly against the headboard, her face pale as death. Seeing Henry enter, her eyes immediately glistened with moisture. She struggled to sit up, her voice full of guilt and anxiety.

"Zachary, I'm sorry... did I cause you trouble again?" She lowered her eyes, biting her lip lightly, looking like she might shatter at any moment. "Whenever I think about those things, I lose control... I really didn't mean to."

Henry sat down in the chair beside her bed, deliberately maintaining a safe, neutral distance.

He looked at her, his voice flat, "The doctor said you're fine. Get some rest."

This plain comfort made Skylar's heart skip a beat.

He wasn't showing impatience. He'd even stayed with her.

Henry glanced at his watch, stood up, and said in a businesslike tone, "I've arranged for a nurse to come. Tell her if you need anything."

He was leaving.

That realization set off alarm bells in Skylar's mind.

She couldn't let him just walk away like this.

Skylar suddenly clutched her chest and started coughing violently, her already pale face flushing an unhealthy crimson.

She reached out a trembling hand and grabbed Henry's sleeve. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her voice so fragile it seemed ready to break, "Zachary, can... can you stay? I'm scared... When I'm alone here, I can't stop thinking about those things. Please, just stay with me for a little while, okay?"

Her eyes were humble and pleading, like someone abandoned by the entire world, desperately clutching at a last lifeline.

Henry's steps stopped.

He actually wanted to see what game Skylar was playing.

"Alright." He didn't look at her again, just sat back down in the chair.

But to Skylar, this was the first sign that she was winning his trust. A barely perceptible flash of triumph crossed her eyes.

She felt that this life-saving favor was her sharpest card to play.

As long as she played it right, chipping away bit by bit, infiltrating gradually, she refused to believe she couldn't capture his heart.

Whatever Sylvia could give him, she could give him double.

She sank back weakly against the pillow, her voice carrying a satisfied sigh, "Thank you, Zachary."