The CEO’S Unplanned Heir novel (Aurelia and Leopold) novel Chapter 1157

"You never cease to amaze me. I guess I underestimated you."

"Still waters run deep," Skyler quipped, a smug grin curling the edges of his lips. Angel had once described him as a dark horse.

Raines let out a derisive snort. "So have you been playing the fool all this time, pretending to be a child who refuses to grow up?"

Skyler wrinkled his nose at him. "I am a kid at heart. I've grown up on the outside, but it doesn't mean I have on the inside. Everyone knows I'm the eternal Peter Pan."

"And what if they all treat you like a jester behind your back, laughing at you in their minds?" Raines probed.

Skyler's demeanor shifted to stone-cold seriousness, his gaze piercing. "You're the only one who'd think that. Your tone... it's eerily similar to Geoffrey's."

A muscle in Raines' cheek twitched as if he had been seen through an X-ray.

"I'm a lawyer. I tend to be rather blunt. I hope you don't take it personally."

Skyler shrugged nonchalantly. "Everyone is pretty good to me. I'm always invited to the family feasts. They've pretty much adopted me as one of their own. Poor Geoffrey, though. He's got to jump through hoops to get into the Stirling family, maybe even reinvent himself."

Raines clenched his molars tightly. "Why does your brother want to get in with the Stirling family so bad?"

Skyler bobbed his head playfully. "The Stirling family is the wealthiest family in Elysium, isn't it? He wants to rub elbows with them. Unlike me, with my charm and good nature, I don't have to try. People just like me. Geoffrey, on the other hand, is up to no good. Nobody likes him. For Geoffrey, getting into the Stirling family is impossible."

Raines drew in a sharp breath through clenched teeth.

"Isn't it a bit harsh to talk about your brother like that?"

Skyler replied firmly, "Unless he turns over a new leaf, I can't see him as my brother. After all, you can't mix oil and water."

What a foolish creature!

"Enjoy your delusions," Raines muttered as he adjusted his collar and walked away. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, Skyler would see right through him.

Skyler stuck out his tongue at Raines' retreating figure and tossed a handful of fish food into the pond.

Raines seemed quite miffed.

Despite his efforts to hide it, Raines couldn't escape the scrutiny of a Ph.D. in psychology like Skyler.