Ch. 1..10

Read Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 1 - Luna Gibson was pregnant.

She headed home happily with the test report in her hands, all while she pondered on how to break the news to her husband, Joshua Lynch, as a surprise. He had been overseas on a business trip for more than half a month, and he would finally return home tomorrow.

The moment she entered her home, however, she noticed a pair of ladies' shoes that were not hers. She frowned.

She recognized them. It was her sister's, Aura Gibson, and she just bought them not too long ago.

Was she not on that business trip with Joshua?

It was then she heard a woman's voice that resounded from upstairs.

This voice... It was her sister, Aura's voice!

Luna bit her lip as her body trembled inadvertently. Which other man could it be if it was not her husband?

Instinctively, she raised her feet and walked upstairs. The closer she got, the louder the voices of the man and woman that drifted out of the bedroom.

"What are we going to do when she comes back later?" Compared to Aura's soft, feminine purr, Joshua's voice sounded particularly cold and deep. "I don't care."

"She's been dreaming of having your child for a long time now, but I beat her to it. How do you plan to explain this to her?" The man's voice remained cold and remote. "I don't care."

Luna's heart froze in her chest. A moment later, she retracted her hand that sat on the handle. She turned and left, not daring to face the situation in the room.

Even if she opened the door, what good would it do her? It was a well-known fact that her husband did not love her.

She was the one who insisted, who fought the whole world, to marry him.

In their two-year marriage, to give him a child, she visited every hospital in the city and experimented with all sorts of home remedies.

When she was finally pregnant with his child, he slept with her half-sister, in their marriage bed. Adding insult to injury, Aura was pregnant, too.

Luna trudged out of the villa helplessly as tears cascaded soundlessly down her cheeks. She ignored the heavy downpour, and as she feebly walked, Aura and Joshua's voices interweaved and rang in her ears.

No wonder Joshua wanted Aura to be his assistant, no wonder he insisted on bringing her along every time he went on a business trip.

They had been together all this while.

Fully dressed Aura stood by the window of the bedroom and studied her sister's distant figure. A cold smile hung on her lips. The man's voice that Luna heard was a product of Aura's clever editing. Joshua's voice was nothing but a mere recording. She knew Luna would not dare enter the room.

"My wife is Luna. Please, have some respect for yourself.""I don't plan on getting a divorce in the next few years."Joshua's ruthless voice when he rejected her rang in her ears. With a cold scoff, Aura took out her phone and dialed a number.

Luna had unknowingly walked in the pouring rain all the way to a bridge, and there were barely any cars on the bridge as a resul of the rainy weather.

Out of nowhere, a cargo truck rushed in her direction as she, too immersed in her sadness, did not react in time.

Slam!

She flew into the air from the impact before she fell heavily onto the edge of the bridge. She felt as if all her organs had shifted in her body as thick, fresh, blood dripped from the top of her head, and it dyed her vision red.

In her dazed state, she saw someone get down from the truck and stretched out a hand to check her breathing. After confirming she survived, the man made a phone call. "Mr. Lynch, she's still alive. Should I drive the car into her again?"

Luna's heart ached as if the truck had run over it and smashed it to smithereens.

The driver was asking Mr. Lynch.

She only knew of one Mr. Lynch her whole life-Joshua Lynch.

The man she loved the most, to whom she dedicated her most beautiful years and all her love, Joshua Lynch.

Did he try to get rid of her, just because she discovered his and Aura's secret affair?

Was it... Was it because he wanted to give the child in Aura's belly a proper name and identity? The child in her belly was his, too...

"Don't blame me. Blame yourself for falling in love with the wrong man!"

The driver ended the call before he kicked her ruthlessly with his shoe-clad foot.

She was less than two meters away from the edge of the bridge.

The driver was a strong, full-grown man, and he mercilessly kicked her broken body. In just a few tries, she was flung into the air "See you in our next lifetime."

Luna fell off the bridge.

The image of Joshua as he stood under the cherry blossom trees all those years ago came back clearly to her. He was the same boy: exceptionally handsome, warm, and gentle.

"I hate you, Joshua Lynch..."

Sea City.

A tall, handsome man walked out of the meeting room, looking dignified but somewhat arrogant. His assistant next to him leaned forward in a panic. "Sir, it's your wife. Something's wrong."

The man frowned slightly, and his footsteps never paused. "What trouble did she get herself into now?"

"Madam, she...she was knocked into the sea by a truck, and her body hasn't been found."

The man's pupils shrank immediately.

Right at that moment, Joshua's phone rang. It was a call from the hospital.

"Mr. Lynch, your wife didn't want me to tell you about it, but I still think you need to be ready. Your wife is pregnant, and it's three months in..."

Six years later.

An international flight from Europe landed in Banyan City.

Luna dragged her luggage behind her and passed security clearance.

Six years ago, she was Luna Gibson. After she survived the ordeal of an accident, she chose to go simply by Luna.

The chestnut-colored hair fanned across her shoulders carelessly. She donned a bright red shirt and black trench coat over it, making her look cold and mysterious.

Two children, a boy and a girl, followed behind her as they wore the same coat and dragged the same suitcase.

Judging purely from appearances, they looked to be no more than five or six years old, but the aura they emitted was so noble and glamorous yet cold that no one dared approach them.

"Luna!"

Anne Zimmer, who had been waiting at the entrance, hurriedly waved to her in greeting. "Over here!"

Anne Zimmer was a famous plastic surgeon in Banyan City. Five years ago when she studied in Europe, she had the chance to participate in Luna's surgery. Gradually, they grew closer and became best friends.

As Luna was back in Banyan City, she was happy to host her.

She rushed up to her and grabbed the luggage in Luna's hands excitedly. "The house is all ready. We'll head over there right

now!"

"Thank you." Luna smiled slightly and turned to introduce the children behind her, "Neil, Nellie, this is your Aunt Anne."

"Hi, Auntie!"

The little princess Nellie blew a kiss to Anne sweetly. "Please take care of us from now on!"

Instead, Neil merely looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. "Aunt Anne, you don't have a boyfriend, right?"

Anne paused. "How do you know?"

The young boy pursed his lips, stepped forward, and tugged the luggage out of her hands. He thus dragged two suitcases-one large and another much smaller-behind him and walked ahead. "Women who engage in too much hard labor will have a hard

time getting married."

Anne was stunned silent. That little rascal!

Luna had no choice but to ease the situation, "He's just bad with words, but he's a kind boy deep down. He's just worried you'll

be exhausted."

Anne pursed her lips. "That sounds better."

With that, she hooked her arm in Luna's and asked, "Why did you decide to come back all of a sudden? And you only brought Neil and Nellie. Where's Nigel?"

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Read Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 2 - At the mention of her eldest son, Luna's heart ached.

She smiled bitterly. "Someone is taking care of him back there. We might stay a little longer this time."

She had to take care of some issues.

Six years ago, Joshua and Aura colluded and got her k****d, even though she was three months pregnant. After news of her d***h was announced to the public, Aura even shamelessly produced her so-called will as proof she committed s*****e.

The reason for her supposed s*****e was because she betrayed Joshua and felt guilty.

Ridiculous. The true traitor lived happily whilst she had to carry the brand of a cheater even in her d***h. For everything they owed her, she would make them pay with their blood!

Of course, there was also Nigel's body...

The woman sighed heavily as she turned toward Anne. "How's the job opening I asked you to look into?"

Anne looked slightly awkward. "I asked someone to inquire into it, but at the moment, there's no opening for any position in the Lynch Group except..."

"Except for a cleaner."

Luna's lips curled into a smile. "I'll be a cleaner, then."

"How can you do that?" Anne understood well enough the hardships Luna went through these past few years.

Six years ago, she struggled to survive after her accident. She waited until her three children were born before she started her plastic surgery and physiotherapy, and she then paved her way for a new start.

She eventually became a renowned jewelry designer in Europe, but all of a sudden, she gave up her fame and glory and announced her retirement, returning to Banyan City under her own name...

She wanted to work at the Lynch Group as a cleaner so abruptly?

"Actually, there are plenty of suitable jobs for you here at Banyan City besides at the Lynch Group,..."

Luna shook her head. "I only want to join the Lynch Group."

The apartment that Anne found for Luna belonged to her relative, and it stood empty all year round. It was not far from the city center, and it was fairly spacious with three rooms and a living room.

Luna and her two children entered the apartment and spent half the day cleaning and tidying things up.

"Neil, take care of your sister. I'm going out to buy some daily necessities." "Okay!"

After the door closed behind her, the two children rushed to switch on the laptop as Joshua's interview played on the laptop

screen.

"Neil, is this Daddy?" Nellie hugged her furry teddy bear to her chest and bit her lip. "You're right, between the three of us, he looks the most similar to me."

"Yeah." Neil raised his eyes, looked at the man on the screen, and squinted. "Do you remember what I taught you?"

"Yeah!" Nellie nodded as she balled her fists, and her cute, childlike voice sounded serious as she spoke, "I'll act as best as I can!"

After she left the neighborhood, Luna hailed a taxi to the nearest department store.

As she headed to the cashier, she heard a familiar woman's voice, "I didn't expect everyone to be so interested in my and Joshua's wedding."

The voice came from the large screen in front of the store.

On the screen, Aura explained gently, "We're both focused on our careers right now and have no time for a wedding ceremony."

The host laughed as well. "That's true. Everyone knows you've been together with Mr. Lynch for more than five years. Your feelings for each other run deep and sincere..."

Luna's fingers tightened around the trolley handle.

Six years ago, in the will that they forged, she requested Joshua to marry Aura and take care of her forever. That was how they got engaged, openly and honestly. Luna's heart ached against her will at the thought.

Even though they betrayed her, they were shameless enough to make up such a noble-sounding excuse whilst she had to live while she hid her real name and identity.

She was so lost in her thoughts that the trolley she pushed had crashed against someone.

"I'm sor―" She raised her head, but before she could finish her sentence, the last word died in her throat.

The man in front of her was tall, handsome, dignified, but somewhat arrogant.

It had been six years since she last saw him. He seemed even colder and yet more mature and manly. Her fingers that held the trolley's handle started to turn white.

She never expected to run into him the moment she returned home.

Joshua looked at her coldly out of the corners of his eyes. "Don't you keep your eyes on the road?"

Six years ago, the wounds on her face were severely infected because of her fall into the sea during the accident, growing inflamed and bubbling pus. She had no choice but to accept plastic surgery on her face.

Her face had become near-perfect, designed in the hands of the best plastic surgeons. Putting Joshua aside, she even sat before the mirror for hours every day, for the first two years, to make sure the face looking back at her was truly hers.

"I'm sorry." Luna sucked in a deep breath and steadied her raging emotions. "Mr. Lynch, I was too immersed in your fiancé's interview and accidentally knocked into you."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You recognize me?"

"You're so famous. How could I not?"

Luna smiled slightly. "To fulfill your promise to your ex-wife, you agreed to take care of her sister forever. These are famous words in Banyan City."

Joshua's eyes darkened slightly. From afar, he had seen her from the back.

This woman, from her figure, to the way she walked, and to her habit of running her fingers through her hair, was the exact same as Luna's!

That was why he had approached her unconsciously. He wanted to take a look at her face, but it seemed this woman just had a similar figure as hers. It was not just her face and her voice; even her personality was completely different!

Luna used to be gentle and obedient. She would not talk like that.

"Joshua!" Aura's feminine lilt rang out behind him.

After a moment, she ran over like a little bird fleeting to its mother and slipped her arm through Joshua's. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

He turned and left with Aura. "Did you buy everything you needed?"

"Yup!"

Rooted at the spot, Luna watched the two of them walk away as coldness felted her heart.

At home, Luna prepared a sumptuous dinner for her two children. Although a smile was constantly on her face, Neil and Nellie could tell something was wrong with her.

After dinner, Neil returned to his room and hacked into the department store's surveillance system. He squinted as he watched the man followed his mother for quite some time before he ran against her.

She met the jerk at last, and he brought his mistress to the department store!

No wonder Mommy did not smile after she returned home.

The boy bit his lip. He then turned to walk out of the room and squeezed into his sister's room. "We'll start our mission tomorrow!"

Early the next morning, Luna prepared breakfast. "Neil, Nellie, time for breakfast!"

"Nellie was up late last night watching cartoons. Don't disturb her, Mommy," said Neil as he yawned and walked out of the bedroom. "Oh, right, Mommy, aren't you going to the post office to collect our stuff?"

Luna nodded. "We'll go once the two of you are done with breakfast."

They had stayed overseas for six years, and a lot of their items had to be shipped back. The post office called her yesterday to collect her items.

"Why don't you just go now?" spoke aloof Neil as he ate. "We're not five-year-old kids anymore."

Luna sighed helplessly but still took her coat and left. Even though they were only six years old, there were times they were more mature than her.

After he confirmed Luna had left, Neil slipped into his room, looked at the surveillance footage on his laptop, and murmured into the phone, "Nellie, are you there yet?"

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Read Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 3 - Early in the morning, the atmosphere in the Lynch Group was serious and cold. All the staff members stood in a neat line as they respectfully waited for the arrival of their big boss.

When the clock struck 8am, a luxurious car stopped in front of the entrance. A man who looked like a butler rushed down from the passenger seat and opened the back door.

With a cold expression, Joshua lifted his long legs wrapped in black trousers out the door and put his feet on the ground to get out of the car. He was apathetic and arrogant, and his aura was so domineering that everyone in his vicinity could barely breathe.

The man looked forward and strode up the steps.

"Daddy-!" a cute, childish voice abruptly broke through the heavy atmosphere, and everyone hurriedly raised their gaze to look in her direction.

A little girl that seemed to appear out of nowhere climbed up the stairs clumsily. She wore a pink, princess-style dress. Even though her face could not be seen, she radiated a noble air just like Mr. Lynch did.

The little girl climbed up the stairs and clung onto Joshua's leg.

He was a giant compared to the tiny her, and her snow-white arms could only cling onto his calf.

"Daddy-!" Nellie pouted as she called out to him in a whine. The crowd was enveloped in a frenzy.

Joshua lowered his head. As he looked at the ball of pink fluff at his feet, a hint of annoyance appeared on his brows. "Let go!" The child lifted her head, exposing features that looked 70% to 80% similar to his. "Daddy..."

"Sir, this child..." The butler's eyes were wide open as he stood next to him. The child looked very similar to Joshua!

"Daddy, hug, hug..." She reached out her tiny little arms as big eyes stared at Joshua. Her eyes were clear like a cloudless sky. Joshua's heart melted unconsciously.

He did not like children in the past, but for some reason, he wanted to take this strange child into his arms!

After a moment's hesitation, the tall man knelt, reached out, picked her up, and strode into the building. "Seal the area, and start investigating!"

Such a young child couldn't have come here alone.

"Mr. Lynch, the DNA test results are out."

In the topmost floor of the building, in the CEO's office, his assistant handed a report to him nervously. "She...is in fact your biological child."

Joshua snatched the report out of his hands: 99.9% similarity. This little girl was indeed his daughter.

Apart from Luna, he did not remember sleeping with any other woman...

His head raised with a snap of his neck as he gazed at the child who sat on the sofa. She leaned into the sofa with a teddy bear in her arms as she nibbled on fruit candy, enjoying herself immensely.

She looked as if this was not her first visit.

He stood up and walked toward her. "What's your name?"

"I'm Princess Nellie!"

"How old are you?"

The girl raised her head, smiled at him, and stretched out five fingers. "I'm six!"

Joshua's heartbeat skidded to a halt. Six years old!

If Luna did not d*e back then, their child would be six years old!

Had Luna survived the car accident six years ago?

A hint of excitement flashed in the man's eyes.

He sent people to investigate countless times and even hired someone to salvage at sea for a whole month, but he could not find Luna's body at all.

All of a sudden, the child in front of him and related to him was six years old!

Did that mean that Luna survived but went somewhere he could not find her to birth this child?

At this thought, he grew somewhat anticipative. "What about your mother?"

"Mommy, she's..." Nellie was about to say something, but she remembered her brother's advice and corrected herself, "I don't know!"

Joshua knelt, brought himself to her eye-level, and spoke as gently as possible, "A good girl doesn't lie."

The little princess blinked innocently. "Someone told me that lying is inherited. Daddy, are you a good boy?"

Joshua's expression darkened. "Who told you that?"Nellie pursed her lips, "Have you lied then, Daddy?"Joshua fell silent.

Seeing his boss rendered speechless by a six-year-old child, Lucas Bean wanted to laugh but did not dare to. He reigned in his laughter with much difficulty. Joshua glared at him. "Any news from Surveillance?"

"Yes." Lucas sucked in a deep breath. "This morning, the surveillance system surrounding the company was hacked into by an unidentified hacker, and all the footage has been wrecked..."

Joshua frowned. Looking at the little princess in front of him, a gloom welled up in his heart.

The hacked CCTVs and the appearance of this child could not be a coincidence.

She could not bear Joshua's suspicious look, thus Nellie smiled, put the stuffed bear on the sofa, and raised her fair, tender face "Daddy, I want to take a bath!"

Bathing early in the morning?

The man tucked away the serious expression on his face and beckoned lightly. "Lucas, take the young lady back to the villa and order the servant to give her a bath."

"It's the Little Princess, not the little lady!"

Nellie flattened her lips, her voice childish but organized. "I don't want people I don't like to bathe me!"

This daughter who appeared out of the blue made Joshua feel a little confused. He looked at her and tried to soften his tone as much as possible, "Then what do you want?"

"I want to choose someone I like to bathe me!"

The Little Princess closed her eyes, turned, and headed out of the door. "Lucas, send me home!"

"Mr. Lynch, this..."

Joshua waved his hand dismissively. "Listen to her."

Lucas had no choice but to follow her as he kept a watchful eye on the noble little princess.

Half an hour later, Lucas called Joshua. "Mr. Lynch, the little princess isn't satisfied with all the servants in the villa..."

Joshua, who was studying the CCTVs nearby, was rather displeased to hear the report. "Hire new servants and get her to pick them herself until she's satisfied."

Lucas was stunned.

"Yes, Sir."

He had been working with Joshua for more than five years. Even to his fiancée Aura, he was cold and distant.

All of a sudden, he fulfilled every whim the little princess had...

That was where the phrase 'Daddy's girl' came from!

Luna used all the strength in her body and finally moved the few heavy boxes into the room.

She laid on the sofa exhausted and shouted angrily into the small room, "Neil Gibson! What on earth did you send home?!"

A fuzzy little head peeked out of the room cautiously. "I sent all of your design manuscripts home."

Luna paused. "Why did you send all those back?"

She already gave up on the fame and fortune she enjoyed overseas, and she came home for a new start.

"What if you need it in the future?"

Neil's eyes wavered as he slipped out of his room with an appeasing smile on his face. "Mommy, I sent in your resume for you,

and it's a job you can handle, no sweat. They should be contacting you soon for an interview."

Luna frowned and wanted to say something when her phone rang at that moment.

"Hi, is this Ms. Luna? You've been chosen by our Little Princess. Please report to Blue Bay Villa immediately."

Her body stiffened.

Blue Bay Villa?

"Is... Is it the Blue Bay Villa where Joshua Lynch lives?"

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Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 4 - "Yes, Blue Bay Villa. It belongs to Mr. Lynch."

The man's voice on the other end of the phone sounded exasperated, "The Little Princess is in desperate need of someone to help her with her bath, and she chose you immediately. Come quickly!"

With that, the man hung up the phone.

Luna frowned as she raised her head and looked at Neil before her. "This is the job you found me?"

The boy nodded as he went toward her and held her hand. "Mommy, I know you're back for a reason. It'd be easier for you to approach Joshua Lynch in his home compared to his office, don't you think so?"

Luna sighed; she knew it. She could not hide anything from these sneaky little fellows. She knelt. "You're right, but..." "Mommy, don't worry!" Neil looked at her with his bright eyes. "The Little Princess is easy to deal with!"

Luna smiled helplessly, washed her face, and tidied herself up.

"Oh, where's Nellie?" she asked as she put on her shoes.

Her personal little blanket would drape herself over her whenever she returned home. Why did she not do so today? "Oh, she's busy watching her cartoons! Don't worry, Mommy, Nellie will be fine with me taking care of her."

Luna said nothing else as she turned and left.

Neil was right.

It was much easier to approach Joshua working at Blue Bay Villa than at the company.

She could not miss out on this opportunity.

Still...

Who was this Little Princess?

She researched Joshua thoroughly before they returned home, but there was no mention of such a person.

With a head full of questions, Luna was led into Blue Bay Villa by a servant.

Six years. She finally returned to this villa.

The little tree she planted in the garden had grown tall and strong. Everything remained the same in the villa.

The vase and paintings that she personally picked out still hung in the same spot, clean without a single speck of dust.

Luna felt her emotions jumbled and racing through her chest as she gazed at them.

"Little Princess, she's here!" Suddenly, a man's humble and helpless voice rang out from behind her.

Luna unconsciously lowered her eyes.

Behind her, her little blanket looked at her with a smile on her face as she wore her pink, princess-style dress and held a white teddy bear in her arms.

Nellie?!

She looked at the little girl in front of her, so shocked that she was rendered speechless!

Nellie subtly placed her finger on her lips, indicating her to 'be quiet'.

"This Auntie is perfect." She skipped over. "Hi, Auntie, I'm Nellie!"

Luna's brows furrowed as she lowered her voice. "Why are you here?"

"I'll explain it to you in a while, Mommy!" Her pale and delicate little hand closed around Luna's thumb. "Auntie, let's go upstairs, want a milk bath!"

With that, she pulled Luna behind her and bounded up the stairs.

"Look after the Little Princess!"

Looking at the woman's disappearing figure, Lucas sighed.

The Little Princess was harder to deal with than her Daddy. He labored throughout the afternoon and finally found a maid that suited her taste.

In the bathroom in the child's room, Nellie laid in the bathtub as her lips formed a pout. "Mommy," she whined, "don't be mad. This Daddy is quite nice to me... I didn't suffer or anything."

Luna ruffled her daughter's hair lovingly. "I need to make a call."

Nellie laid on the edge of the bathtub as she gazed at her mother's retreating figure. Did she do anything wrong? Why was Mommy so unhappy...?

"Neil." Standing on the balcony, Luna clutched her phone tightly, gritted her teeth, and spat his name. "This is the job you found for me?"

Neil's voice drifted in from the other side of the phone, and it sounded somewhat apologetic, "You met Nellie already, Mommy?" "Why do you want Nellie to recognize him as her father?"

She knew her eldest son was quiet, her second son was sneaky and a trickster, and her daughter was cute and obedient, but she never expected Neil would go behind her back and arrange for Nellie to meet Joshua!

"Mommy, this will happen sooner or later." Neil sighed. "I knew you'd get angry, so I didn't dare tell you. But Mommy, don't you think...Nellie looks too much like him? Even if we don't tell anyone, we're staying here in Banyan City now, and his men will see her sooner or later. He'd find out somehow."

Luna's grip tightened around her phone.

Even though she was reluctant to admit it, the truth was that Nellie did take after her father a lot, especially her eyes...

Noting Luna's silence, Neil rushed to convince her, "Since he'd find out sooner or later, it's better if we swing the first punch. At least that now Nellie is with him, it'll stop him from marrying his mistress."

Luna closed her eyes. "Then have you considered what'll happen if he refuses to return Nellie to us? I brought you up by myself, and I don't want to see..."

"Don't worry, Mommy." On the other end of the phone, the six-year-old boy held up his fingers, pointed toward the sky, and swore, "If in the future you want Nellie to come home, I'll make sure she comes home!"

Luna laughed bitterly and ended the call.

Neil was still a child, after all, and he did not understand Joshua. All those years ago, he could send her-someone whom he shared his bed with every night-to her d***h for his affair with Aura.

If in the future, he refused to let Nellie go... She dared not entertain the thought.

At this point, she could neither expose herself nor take Nellie away. She still had matters to take care of.

She had to improvise.

She sighed and returned to the bathroom.

The Little Princess that acted high and haughty in front of Joshua had finished her bath, dried herself, and was in the middle of putting on her clothes.

She was only six years old, yet she was so mature. Luna's heart ached slightly at the sight.

Seeing Luna walk in, the little girl raised her head and stared at her warily. "Mommy, you're not mad at me, are you?" she anxiously questioned. "Neil said...said I could help you a lot..."

Looking at her daughter's foggy eyes, Luna felt like her heart was melting. How could she still scold her?

She walked over and helped Nellie into her clothes before she gave her a hug. "Mommy doesn't blame you. Be a good girl. You can't call me Mommy in front of other people, but if anything happens, I'm the first person you go to, ok?"

"Okay!" Nellie reached out her arms and wrapped them around Luna's thin shoulders. "I'm Mommy's daughter, forever and always. I won't ever forget this."

Luna hugged her daughter as she held back her tears.

"Nellie."

Moments later, a man's low, magnetic voice drifted in from outside the door. "It's Daddy. Have you finished bathing?"

Nellie raised her head and looked at Luna. Luna nodded and released her.

"I'm done!" The Little Princess sucked in a deep breath and took her time walking out of the bathroom.

The room door opened.

The tall man entered and immediately took Nellie into his arms. His embrace was warm and snug as Nellie laid her head on his

shoulder, sighing softly.

Was this what it felt like to be hugged by Daddy?

She hoped both her brothers would get the chance to feel it, too...

Having a Daddy was not too bad after all!

"I heard from Lucas that you hired yourself a servant?" Joshua frowned, asking lowly.

"Uh-huh." Nellie nodded as she pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "Auntie is still inside, and she's a very, very nice woman

Daddy, you have to get along with her in the future!"

Luna, who was busy scrubbing the washbasin, furrowed her brows slightly.

Why did she feel like...Nellie was trying to match her up with Joshua?

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 5 - Joshua frowned and sent Nellie outside. "Lucas, bring her to get some dessert."

Once the door was closed, he entered the bathroom.

Even though he said Nellie could choose her own servant, she was still a child-her ability to judge people was not as sharp as adults. The worried Joshua purposely came home to have a look.

In the bathroom, Luna tidied up the washbasin and turned around, only to notice that there were only white towels on the rack. She turned and opened the cupboard to find a pink towel and hung it on the rack.

Nellie liked pink.

The bathroom was filled with steam and fog, and her slim figure fleeted around the bathroom familiarly as she busied herself.

Her figure and her movements made Joshua feel like he was dreaming.

"Lulu..." he uttered the two-syllable name involuntarily, and Luna stiffened immediately.

After a moment, she turned around and looked at Joshua with a smile on her face. "Hello, Mr. Lynch."

The woman's unfamiliar features and voice brought his mind back to reality.

"It's you?"

The woman in the department store last night.

Luna smiled slightly. "Hello, I am Luna."

His brows furrowed sharply as he stared at her suspiciously. "What's your name?"

"I'm Luna."

"What? Luna?" He squinted.

A second later, his hand tightened around her throat as he pressed her into the ice-cold bathroom wall. "Are you trying to say your family name is Gibson, and you're Luna Gibson?"

He glared at her, gaze cold, voice venomous. "You deliberately knocked into me to talk to me yesterday, and not only are you here as my daughter's nanny today, but

you even used my wife's name? Someone like you?"

Luna could not utter a word as his grip on her throat choked her.

She struggled, but deep down, she scoffed.

He still remembered she used to be Luna Gibson.

She thought he would have forgotten about her after enjoying his life with Aura as a couple these few years!

"Daddy!" The bathroom door opened as Nellie rushed in frantically. She reached out her little arms and tugged at Joshua's leg. "Let her go! She's in pain! If she's hurt, I'll feel so bad!"

The little girl was physically weak, but her voice was filled with anger and worry.

Joshua paused before he released her.

As she finally breathed in fresh air, Luna fell to the floor in a heap as she grasped her neck and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Nellie rushed toward her and patted Luna's chest anxiously. "Is it bad? I'll get you a doctor!"

With that, she turned and glared at Joshua angrily. "Go and get a doctor!"

Lucas, who stood at the side, broke out in cold sweat.

In Banyan City, Joshua Lynch was a g*d-like existence. Even most of the Lynch family elders did not dare to talk to him like that, yet this little girl took advantage of her identity as his daughter to talk to him with a tone as if he was a servant or slave.

Joshua frowned slightly, turned, and glanced at Lucas. "Get a doctor."

Lucas was stunned silent.

"There's no need for that."

Luna sucked in a deep breath as she stood up. "I'm not so delicate that I need to see a doctor just because of this." With that, she raised her eyes and looked at Joshua. "Mr. Lynch, my name is Luna. Lu-na. I'm sorry for sharing the same name as your ex-wife, but there's nothing I can do about this too.

"As for the incident in the department store, I did indeed knock into you accidentally.As for hiring me..."

She looked at him, her gaze calm. "I just want a job that I'm good at, and it just so happened that the Little Princess and I clicked I don't harbor any other intentions toward you. I hope you won't think too much."

With that, Luna lowered her head, voice soft and gentle as she spoke, "I thought you went downstairs for some dessert?"

At the mention of this, the little girl's face crumpled. "The desserts here are too sweet. I don't like them."

"Do you want some cookies, then?"

"Yeah!"

"I'll bake you some."

"Okay!"

The Little Princess grabbed Luna's thumb and pulled her behind her arrogantly.

When they reached the doorway, Nellie turned around and glanced at Joshua solemnly. "Daddy, if you dare touch Auntie again... Not only will I run away from home, but I'll report it to the police and tell them you're violent and abusive!"

Joshua frowned as he gazed in the direction of the two girls-one older and the other younger-as they walked out of the room. "Give me everything we have on Luna."

"Yes, Sir." Lucas nodded nervously, but Joshua called out to him before he could leave.

"The way I looked just now..." He paused. "Will it make Nellie think I'm a bad man?"

A daughter that almost literally fell out of the sky both delighted and confused him. He was delighted to find out Luna was still alive and that he had a daughter, yet it confused him still...

He had no idea how to interact with a little girl.

All he wanted was to find out the woman's true identity, but he forgot he had to leave a good impression on Nellie.

"A bit, yes..." Lucas wiped at the sweat on his forehead. "The Little Princess chose the servant herself amongst many others. I can tell that she's very fond of Luna..."

The knot between Joshua's brows tightened. Irked, he got up and went downstairs.

In the small restaurant downstairs, the little girl in the pink princess dress sat quietly as she stared in the direction of the kitchen.

"What are you looking at?"

"At my cookies." Nellie licked her lips, voice soft and sweet. "Auntie said the cookies need to be in the oven for another thirty minutes before we can take them out."

As his daughter mentioned Luna, Joshua scanned his surroundings. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

Nellie cocked her head to the side as she gazed at him with her big, dewy eyes. "Are you talking about Auntie?"

At her cute expression, he couldn't help but hold out his hand and patted her head,

"Yeah, her."

"Auntie, she's..."

Nellie pursed her lips before she sniffed and started crying, "Auntie is gone!"

Her waterworks ran rampant as though they were pipes turned on. "She said Daddy hates her, that even though she needs a job badly, she doesn't want to live under suspicion and humiliation. So she went home! Sob, sob, sob, sob!"

Joshua blinked.

The woman... Just left like that?

He lowered his head, looked at Nellie quietly, and asked, "Do you want her to come back?"

"Yes!"

The girl sniffed. "But Auntie said that unless Daddy apologizes, said you misunderstood her, she's not coming back."

With that, she pursed her lips sensibly. "Although Nellie likes Auntie, Daddy's pride is more important.

"So Daddy, you can cook lunch for me today. I don't like to eat meals made by servants. I only eat those made by people I like. In this house, I only like you, Daddy."

The blue veins on Joshua's forehead throbbed.

She wanted him to cook for her personally?

"Daddy, you are so handsome and smart. A small matter like cooking is a piece of cake for you, right?"

The little girl blinked and stared at him seriously.

Joshua fell into a pregnant pause, and it was only after a long while before the man rolled up his sleeves and went into the

kitchen.

As she laid on the small table, Nellie secretly took out her mobile phone and, taking a picture of the man standing in the kitchen

in a mess, sent it to Luna.

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 6 - In the rented apartment.

Luna laid on the sofa with a cold smile on her face as she looked at the man who busied himself in the kitchen.

Back then when they were together, whenever Joshua said he was hungry, she would get up to cook for him no matter the time, even if it was at two o'clock in the middle of the night.

He never cooked before. He never even walked into the kitchen, yet all of a sudden, he was cooking very seriously, all for Nellie whom he had met less than a day ago.

She closed her eyes.

It seemed that he could cook all along, yet it was because she was not worth the effort to him that he did not.

Thankfully, his attitude toward Nellie was pretty good.

He was not as cold-blooded and ruthless as he was to her back then, at least.

Blue Bay Villa.

As she sat on the children's chair, Nellie eyed the sorry-looking dishes in front of her and silently dragged the cookies Luna made in front of her. "I'm not very hungry anymore, Daddy, so I'll just eat this."

Joshua frowned as he looked at the cookies that were only slightly bigger than peanuts. "Is this enough?"

Nellie pursed her lips, worried he would make her eat his terrible cooking, and hurriedly covered her plate. "I'm just a kid and I don't eat much, so this is more than enough!"

With that, she involuntarily looked at the black lumps on the detail as a flash of terror passed through her eyes.

Joshua read her every subtle movement and expression, and a trace of irritation passed between the man's eyebrows.

A few minutes later, the little girl finished all the biscuits.

She put the plate down, smiled, and looked up at the tall man. "Daddy, I'm going upstairs for a nap!"

Joshua got up, picked her up, and carried her upstairs.

"I want to listen to the story of the little mermaid." As she laid on the little pink bed, Nellie's large, dewy eyes blinked at the man lying by her bedside. "Daddy, are you good at telling stories?"

Joshua flipped through the fairy tale book. "Maybe.

After a while, the man frowned and began, "A long, long time ago, there was a sea, and a group of beautiful mermaids lived in the sea..."

"Daddy." The little girl raised her head to look at him. "You sound so fierce!"

Joshua was slightly taken aback.

He tried to soften his usual cold and deep voice, so he slowed down again, "One day, a little mermaid..."

"Daddy, don't you know how to tell stories?"

The little girl flattened her lips as she muttered, aggrieved, "Nellie's Daddy is so powerful, but he can't tell stories..."

Joshua fell silent as he sucked in a deep breath. "Let's not listen to stories. Just go to sleep, okay?"

"Not okay..."

Tears started to roll down the Little Princess's cheeks. "If I don't listen to a story, I'll get nightmares..."

Joshua's heart melted into a puddle as he gazed at the little girl's teary-eyed face.

He ruffled the girl's hair lovingly. "I remember your mother doesn't like to cry. This bad habit of yours, crying so easily, who did you get it from, hmm?"

Nellie pouted. "Mommy likes to cry too. When I was younger, every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I'd see Mommy secretly wiping her tears."

The girl's childish voice hit him as if something punched him in the gut.

He stared at her in a daze, voice slightly husky, "Your Mommy... Does she cry often?"

"Yeah."

Nellie pursed her lips. "But since Daddy said Mommy doesn't like to cry, maybe you're right. Maybe my bad habit of crying so easily is inherited from you, Daddy!"

Joshua did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

He said helplessly, "Daddy never cries."

Nellie leaned against the headboard of the bed as she wrung her small hands together, as if she hesitated to say something. After a moment, she raised her head, looked at his face, all cold lines and hard edges. "When Mommy left Daddy, did you not even cry then?"

Joshua stiffened at her words.

He looked at her meaningfully but said nothing else.

A moment later, he stood up, "Go to sleep, I still have some work to do."

Nellie pursed her lips as her small hands clutched at the edges of her blanket. "But Daddy..."

"Be good."

The man opened the door without looking back. "Daddy will find the right person to take care of you."

With that, the man took his long legs and walked away.

Nellie laid on the small bed as she tossed and turned, worried and confused.

What could she do?

She seemed to have made her Daddy mad again...

Luna prepared a simple lunch for Neil; she had no appetite at all.

Even though Nellie kept sending her messages to assure her of her safety, it was the first time her daughter had left her side, and it worried her still.

After lunch, Neil carried his bag and left. "Mommy, Auntie Anne is waiting for me downstairs. I'm going to school now!"

Luna nodded as she sent him off downstairs.

Neil had always been smart. Before returning, he had already signed himself up for art lessons. The center was near Anne's hospital, so she picked him up on her way after work.

Luna felt safe as she sent her son to Anne. After all, they had been through life-and-d***h situations together.

After sending Neil off, Luna returned home and cleared away the dishes after she sent Neil off, but just as she finished, the doorbell rang.

She just moved in yesterday. Who would visit her? Did Neil forget something?

She sighed helplessly and opened the door as she complained, "When will you be able to..."

The words died on her throat the moment the door opened—a tall man stood outside.

Joshua wore a gray windbreaker. He seemed aloof and indifferent.

"Hello."

Different from the domineering attitude he displayed in Blue Bay Villa, he was surprisingly calm. "Ms. Luna, I'd like to have a cha with you."

Luna crossed her arms at her chest and leaned against the door as her eyes swept across his face calmly. "What about?"

The corridors of the rental apartment were cramped and dark, and the wet smell mixed in the air made Joshua very uncomfortable.

The man scrunched his eyebrows slightly. "Can we talk inside?"

"No." Luna changed her posture, blocking him. "Mr. Lynch, whatever you have to say, just say it here.

"I'm a single woman, and I think it's better for you not to come in, just in case you try to say that I'm plotting against you."

Joshua screwed his eyebrows tightly together at her words.

She was the first woman who dared to talk to him like that, and this woman was a maid who applied to help him take care of his

daughter!

Under normal circumstances, he would fling his hands out and leave, warning her who she was dealing with.

The circumstances were different, alas.

He still remembered that the woman in front of him was Nellie's favorite, thus he said again indifferently, "Luna, you've been hired. From now on, you'll continue taking care of Nellie's daily life."

 

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 7 - Luna's lips twisted into a disbelieving frown. "Mr. Lynch, are you playing a joke on me? A woman like me, who behaved suspiciously toward you, that even my name is ripped off of your ex- wife, are you sure you want to hire me?"

Joshua knew that Luna had treated her before mocking him.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly.

If it was not for the fact that Nellie had just come home and he did not understand the child's temper, he would not put his pride down and hire this dubious woman.

He had read up on her on his way to her apartment.

As a woman who just returned from abroad, she had no monetary issues, yet the first job she applied for after returning home was for a position as a servant at Blue Bay Villa?

If not him and not the Lynch Group, what was her target?

"Wow."

Just as the two of them were locked in a stalemate in the doorway, an exclamation of surprise from her neighbors drifted from the corridor. "That's... Mr. Lynch, right?"

Joshua was a successful businessman who always appeared in the financial news. Only a few in Banyan City did not know him.

The voice of the man behind him made Joshua's brows scrunch together fiercely.

In the next second, he grabbed Luna's arm and pulled her aside, striding into the door.

Slam! The door closed loudly.

A neighbor's voice came from outside the door, "Are you mistaken?"

"How can a VIP like Mr. Lynch come to a poor community like ours and be refused entry by a woman?"

"Mr. Lynch has a fiancée, and they've been engaged for five years..."

Their voices gradually faded.

After they disappeared, Luna turned to Joshua, her arms crossed over her chest. "They have a point, Mr. Lynch. A man like you shouldn't come to a poor community like ours."

Joshua raised his head and silently swept his gaze across the furnishings in the apartment.

Paintings were on the wall, the green plants on the table, and a teddy bear sat on the cupboard in the entryway.

With a daze, he felt as if he returned to the past-to six years ago.

When he and Luna just got married, she busied herself in the house.

"We need to hang some paintings here to make it look nicer!" "The green plants here, and it will give you a breath of fresh air!" "I put a little bear on the cupboard in the entry, so you'll feel like there's someone greeting you as soon as you enter the door..."

Joshua lowered his head as gazed at the woman who also had beautiful eyes like Luna Gibson.

This woman, whose name was also Luna, seemed to be intentionally imitating Luna. From the way she walked, her figure, to her favorite ornaments; she was imitating all of it!

It was easy to find out what Luna Gibson liked.

Luna Gibson was an artist with quite a generous fame as she enjoyed sharing about her life and inspiration on social media sites.

Everything that appeared on the internet would stay on the internet. As long as she wanted to, she could easily find out about Luna Gibson's interests and habits.

His gaze fell onto the teapot.

He laughed emotionlessly as he gracefully sat on the sofa. "Ms. Luna likes to drink coffee, too?"

Luna frowned, merely humming in reply.

Joshua raised his cup and took a sip before a cold smile slowly surfaced.

It was Arabica, but his wife Luna Gibson's favorite was Robusta.

He raised his head, fingers gently rubbing against the exterior of the cup. "What a pity, Ms. Luna. Not only did you imitate my wife's habits and behavior, you even designed your place to fill it with my wife's touch...

"But alas, the coffee gave you away. My wife likes to drink coffee, but like me, she prefers Robusta. She never drinks Arabica beans."

Luna paused and understood the meaning behind his words.

She laughed. "I see your ex-wife likes Robusta."

When they were together, she accidentally found out he liked Robusta, so she told him she liked Robusta as well.

If he paid more attention, however, he would have realized that the beans she enjoyed were Arabica beans.

"As I expected, you're doing this on purpose."

He set down his cup as it smashed into the glass tabletop, and it clattered loudly.

Joshua's deep eyes stared at her coldly. "Going through all this effort to imitate my wife, what do you want? 'I idolize her, so I want to be like her.' Is that it? 'I idolize you, so I want to imitate her to please you.'

"Which one of these two would you prefer?"

Joshua squinted his eyes at her. "If your aim is to approach me, I suggest you give up now."

Luna yawned, looking bored and uninterested. "That's because you never loved her. No matter how much I imitate her, you won' be interested, am I right?"

Joshua glared at her coldly, though he remained silent.

His gaze did not faze as she instead opened her mouth and continued, "Mr. Lynch, tell me: If I wanted to please you, shouldn't I try imitating your fiancée instead? Since she can turn you from an ex-brother-in-law to a fiancé now, you must love her deeply."

'Love her deeply.'

These three words caused his brows to furrow tighter together.

After a moment, he glared at her and spoke, word by word, "I got engaged to Aura because it was my wife's d***g wish." "Was it a special request from your wife before she died?"

Luna had her leg on one knee, expression calm as water, but the truth was that she was trembling inside!

All those years ago, they treated her so cruelly, yet even many years later, he still dared to say it was her d***g wish!

Steadying her hand that held her cup, she lowered her head and took a sip. "Your wife is such a kind woman that, even on her deathbed, she'd still give her husband away to someone else."

Joshua's eyes turned ice-cold.

He glared at her coldly. "Remember your place. I don't want to hear such words in the future."

With that, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

Not too long later, the door to the apartment was forcefully opened from the outside a

Lucas walked in and placed a document on the coffee table. "Ms. Luna, this is your contract for labor. If you're unhappy with anything, please tell us, and we'll do our best to accommodate you."

Luna raised the contract and started reading.

"Being a servant is just my part-time position." She pointed to one of the terms in the contract and said lightly, "But for the time being, I'd focus most of my time and effort on the Little Princess."

She then pointed out some terms in detail and provided a solution.

Luna and Lucas were thoroughly engaged in their conversation.

Joshua remained in his seat in the corner, gaze faint as he stared into the distance, unsure what he was thinking about.

His eyes drifted away faintly, not knowing what he was thinking.

Half an hour later, the contract negotiations were completed.

Luna took up the pen and solemnly wrote down her name.

With a s****e of her pen, it represented that her plan to sneak into Blue Bay Villa was successful.

After signing the contract, Joshua stood up to leave when his cell phone rang.

"Sir," the butler sounded anxious, his voice drifting in from the other end of the phone, "Ms. Aura Gibson is here! She dragged Miss Nellie out of her room, calling her a fake! Please come home quickly!"

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 8 - "Look after Nellie, I'll come home immediately."

Joshua hung up the phone and stood up to leave.

"Wait, wait!"

Hearing him mention Nellie, Luna hurriedly stood up. "What happened to Nellie?"

His hand that held the door handle trembled slightly. He turned his head and studied Luna's face coldly.

Facing his suspicious eyes, Luna sucked in a deep breath. "I'm Nellie's personal servant; caring for her is what I should do."

The man opened the door and strode into the hallway. "Let's go."

On the way to Blue Bay Villa, Luna tried to ask him about Nellie's situation.

He glanced at her and threw the contract at her, "You're not her personal servant yet."

Luna pursed her lips, signed the contract, and handed it to him. "Can you now tell me what happened to Nellie, Mr. Lynch?" Joshua frowned slightly. "Aura came to look for Nellie."

Luna felt like her heart fell into a deep chasm just by listening to him.

Aura went to look for Nellie!

Why?

Nellie was the smallest amongst her three children. Both of her brothers took away too much of her nutrients when she was in Luna's belly, and it resulted in her looking small and fragile when she was born. This was the first time she had left her mother in six years.

Luna kept wriggling about in her seat in anxiousness. With gritted teeth, she peered out of the window, anxiety written clearly across her face. "Hi, can you drive faster?"

Beside her, Joshua's gaze darkened as he looked at her. "Ms. Luna, you seem to care for her even more than me, even though I'm her father."

Luna stiffened.

She realized it only when he pointed out that her care for Nellie did indeed exceed the parameters of that of a nanny and her charge.

She pursed her lips. "I signed the contract. From now on, Nellie is my source of income, so it's only natural I care about her." Joshua lifted his lips in a vague half-smile as he eyed her. "That's all?"

His ambiguous attitude made her uncomfortable. Lips forming a line, she nodded. "Yes."

He said nothing else on the matter.

Very soon, the car stopped at Blue Bay Villa.

"Sir, finally you're home!" The moment the car slid to a stop, the butler rushed forward.

"How's the situation inside?" Joshua asked, frowning.

"They..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the passenger seat was flung open as Luna sped into the villa like a rocket. Somehow, it felt like the air in the living room was tinged with the stench of blood. When Luna rushed in, Nellie was crouching in a corner on the sofa, her little head dropping, looking lifeless.

Opposite her sat Aura with eyes widened in rage.

"Nellie!" Every other thought flew out of the window as she strode forward and took the little girl into her arms. "Are you okay?" Luna's voice was trembling for no reason. "Are you okay?"Nellie reached out a little hand and held onto her arm silently. "I'm ok." "Who are you?" Aura, who was sitting opposite them, swept her eyes coldly over Luna with sheer contempt. "A new servant? You look like such a siren. Who are you trying to seduce?"

Luna pursed her lips tightly together at her words, but she had no time nor the energy to argue with her, so she lowered her head and lifted Nellie's chin. "Let me take a look."

"I'm fine." The little girl lowered her head stubbornly, not daring to let Luna see it.

A bad premonition surged into her heart as Luna gritted her teeth and raised the girl's face regardless.

As expected.

There was a palm print on the little girl's fair and tender cheeks; red and swollen.

The palm print ran so deep that one could even see the creases imprinted onto Nellie's face!

Obviously, this was done by an adult, and with considerable strength at that.

Luna almost shed tears of distress.

"I'm okay," comforted Nellie softly. "The butler just made me ice cubes, and it doesn't hurt anymore."

Her daughter's sensible attitude made Luna's heart hurt like it was stabbed sharply.

She lifted her head, hands clenched into fists as she raised her eyes to stare at Aura in front of her.

"I hit her." Aura crossed her arms at her chest indifferently. "Want to take revenge for this little brat?” "Who are you calling a brat?" Luna gritted her teeth.

She put down Nellie, stood up, and approached Aura, step by step. "She's just a child. How could you hit her?! An adult bullying a five-year-old child like this, don't you have a conscience?"

Aura scoffed, looking at Luna coldly. "I can't hit her just because she's young? The little imp deserved it for running around calling random men as her father."

The moment she finished speaking, Luna stepped forward and threw a slap across her cheeks.

Smack!

A crisp crack echoed in the living room as Aura fell to the sofa from the impact. Her head rang as she struggled to get up for quite a while.

Luna bit her lip and stared at Aura coldly.

Before, she loved Aura the most.

Aura was her younger sister, so she gave her everything she could. Even after she was married, when Aura could not find a good job, she recommended her to work at Joshua's company.

As a result, Aura became Joshua's personal secretary and conspired with him to push her into the abyss.

At this moment, Aura dared hit her Nellie, and a slap on the face could not resolve her hatred!

"You dare hit me?!" Aura got up from the sofa and rushed toward Luna angrily. "Do you know that I'm Joshua's fiancé, the future lady of this family? Do you want to continue working in this house in the future!? Come, throw her out!"

The servants watched from a distance, but no one dared approach them.

Aura cursed them inwardly and called them trash before she rushed up to fight Luna.

"Don't fight..." Nellie's whimper rang behind her.

The little girl got up from the sofa and tried to stop her, but because she was too anxious, she fell onto the carpet.

"Nellie!" The sound of her daughter falling behind made Luna panic. When she instinctively turned her head to check out the situation, Aura grabbed her hand and—

Smack!

With a slap, Luna's ears rang with the impact, and the sweet pungent taste of blood filled her mouth.

Aura raised her hand as she landed another slap, but since she had never lifted a finger in her life to work, her reflexes were not as fast as Luna, and she was definitely not as strong as Luna.

Luna disregarded her status as a guest and pressed Aura to the ground.

She licked the blood that oozed from the corner of her mouth. "Still want more?"

Luna raised her hand and swung it in the direction of Aura's face when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her wrist in place.

Joshua.

His expression was ice-cold. "What are you doing?"

"Joshua, your servant dared to hit me!"

Taking advantage of Luna's indisposed position, Aura hurriedly climbed up and kicked Luna with all her strength. "How dare you touch me! Who do you think you are?!"

The sharp tip of Aura's shoe dug into Luna's back, making her scrunch her eyebrows in pain.

"Auntie!" Nellie crawled up and ran to her worriedly, shaking off Joshua's hand. "Auntie, are you ok?"

Joshua turned his head, wanting to say something, but immediately caught sight of Nellie's face.

There was a clear adult palm print imprinted on her child-like cheeks.

He pulled Nellie into his arms as a cold and unapproachable aura was emitted from his being. "Who hit you?

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 9 - "She hit her."

Aura pouted slightly and continued, "The moment she entered the room, she accused Nellie of offending me before she slapped her. I couldn't stop her in time."

She even faked a distressed expression as she knelt and reached out to touch Nellie's face. "It must've hurt so much, huh?"

Nellie glared at her, eyes full of hostility, as she slapped her hand away and wriggled out of Joshua's lap. She ran toward Luna and interlaced her fingers with hers. "You...are you okay?"

Luna straightened her back, though the pain from the kick still lingered. "I'm fine."

Aura poured all her strength into the kick, and Luna still carried an old wound from the accident six years ago. The kick almost rendered her unable to stand.

Nellie knew this all too well. She tugged at Luna's finger anxiously and settled her down on a corner of the sofa. "Does it hurt?"

The little girl's concerned voice and attitude made Joshua raise his brow slightly.

"Aura, you said she hit Nellie?"

Aura's hands curled fists beside her.

She did not expect the little brat would be so nice to a mere servant.

"I find it strange, too. Why is Nellie so nice to her even though she hit her?" Aura pursed her lips. "Maybe Nellie thinks that as long as she's nice to the maid and doesn't expose her for hitting her, she can then blame me and make you mad at me."

With that, she forced a few drops of tears out of the corners of her eyes. "Anyway, the three of us were the only ones present. The servant won't admit it, and Nellie won't admit it, too. No matter how hard I try, no one will believe me."

The woman's words made Nellie widen her eyes in shock.

"You did hit me!"

Nellie had enjoyed a good life overseas, well-protected by her family, and this was the first time meeting an adult who was such a good liar!

"Whatever you say, I'm not going to argue with a little girl."

Luna squinted her eyes as she glared at Aura; that woman was calmer than she expected.

It was apparent that Aura was the one who hit Nellie, yet she acted like the forgiving victim, turning truth into fiction!

"Nellie, I'm sorry," Aura sniffed, sounding so sad and pitiful. "I didn't hit you, but since you want me to bow to you, I will." Nellie's big, dewy eyes widened in shock. "But you did hit me!"

"Let's do this."

Aura raised her hand and slapped herself lightly. "Since you said I hit you, I'll hit myself, too. Let's call it even."

With that, she wiped at her tears. "Nellie, let's just put things to rest here, alright? Don't make it hard for your dad because of a small matter like this."

Nellie's whole body trembled in anger!

How could this woman act like this?!

She was the one who hit and her cheeks still ached, but this woman made it seem like she was acting out!

The little girl bit her lips as she pouted prettily. Eventually, she could no longer hold it in as tears streamed down her eyes. "You're the bad guy! You're clearly the bad guy! You were the one who hit me, and you tried to shift the blame to Auntie! You're the worst!"

Nellie's body trembled, wrecked by her sobs.

After all, she was just a six-year-old child, thus she was nothing compared to the devious Aura.

Lips formed into a thin line, Luna reached out and pulled Nellie into a hug and comforted her softly. "Ms. Gibson, you said I hit Ms. Nellie?"

Aura turned her face to the side. "I said this issue ends here. I already apologized, and I won't comment further. Don't mention this anymore; I don't want Nellie to be hurt."

The woman hugging Nellie lifted her lips up in a slight smile. "But what if I insist?"

Joshua sat on the sofa as he studied Luna's face coldly.

She smiled and let go of Nellie before she revealed a recorder pen from her pocket.

In an instant, Aura's face turned pale as a ghost.

A flash of terror passed through her eyes. Instinctively, she rushed forward, wanting to grab for the pen.

Luna calmly avoided her as her fingers held the recorder pen, calmly switching off the recording and winding it back to the part when she just entered the house.

"I hit her."

"Want to take revenge for this little brat?"

"I can't hit her just because she's young?"

"The little brat deserved it for running around calling random men as her father."

Her cold, arrogant voice drifted out from the recorder pen clearly.

Aura stood there and looked as if a paint palette had been poured over her head, turning white at one moment, then black in another, green an instant, and red the next.

After the recording was played, Luna calmly put the recorder back in her pocket. "Ms. Gibson, we have both witness and physical evidence, yet you still insist that I hit Ms. Nellie?"

With that, she lowered her head and examined the palm print on Nellie's face, and her heart ached uncontrollably.

She bit her lip. "This slap was very strong, and the outline of the palm can be clearly seen.

"Ms. Gibson, shall we compare our palms with the slap print on Ms. Nellie's face?"

Aura was rendered speechless.

She bit her lip and turned her head in panic. "Joshua, I..."

Behind her, the tall and stern man remained seated gracefully on the sofa, but the air that emanated from his body turned colder and heavier, like an iceberg that remained unmoving for thousands of years ready to break apart, swallowing humans in an avalanche in an instant.

"Mr. Lynch, you should be clear now who hit Nellie." Luna sucked in a deep breath and stood up, pulling the teary-faced Nellie into a hug. "Since I'm not responsible, I'll bring Ms. Nellie upstairs and apply some ointment on her wound."

With that, she hugged Nellie in her arms and walked upstairs.

Joshua narrowed his dark gaze and looked at the woman's back.

"Joshua..." Aura gritted her teeth. "Actually, I..."

"Nellie is my daughter." His low voice was cold and distant. "I don't know how she spent the last six years, but I'll try my best to give her a better life."

His bottomless eyes glanced at Aura's face that was red and swollen from Luna's fists. "Since the servant has paid you back for hitting Nellie, I won't do anything to you."

Overjoyed, Aura hurriedly leaned forward. Before she could speak, she heard his cold voice again:

"But in the future, you don't have to come to Blue Bay Villa again."

The woman's heart plummeted to the bottom of her chest, and she bit her lip silently. "But Joshua, I'm still your fiancée in the eyes of the public regardless, and if you ask me not to come here again..."

"You know it's just for show."

The man stood up as he turned his tall figure back on her. "I agreed to act with you as a fake engaged couple because of Luna. Now, you hurt our child.

"I think if she knows what happened today, she won't allow you to meet Nellie again."

Afterward, the man raised his leg upstairs indifferently. "Send her off!"

"Ms. Gibson, please."

Aura bit her lip. She stared viciously in the direction of Luna and Nellie's retreating back.

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy [by Inked Snow] Chapter 10 - "Does it still hurt?"

In the small bedroom upstairs, Luna knelt in front of Nellie as she carefully applied ointment on the little girl with a cotton swab. "It hurts!" Nellie looked at Luna, teary-eyed. "Mommy, it hurts."

"Shush." Luna frowned and raised a finger, placing it to her lips. "Be careful what you say. I'm your servant, so call me Auntie."

"Oh."

Nellie wiped her tears as her pair of big, dewy eyes were filled with distress. "Auntie, this is the first time someone beat me like this since I was born." Her small body trembled from her sobs.

Luna's heart clenched in pain as the tip of her nose turned pink.

It was all her fault.

She should not have left Nellie in this villa alone to make Joshua less suspicious of her.

Inhaling deeply, she held Nellie's hand, her eyes full of self-blame. "It's not your fault; it's all because of that bad woman." Nellie pursed her lips. "I hate her to d***h."

"You're not allowed to talk like this in the future." Lips tucked together, she softly continued, "She's the one your daddy likes. If you fight with her, you'll only make it difficult for your daddy, so stay away from her in the future, okay?"

Aura was an adult and Joshua had spoiled her all these years, while Nellie was just a little girl who had just returned to him.

If she could not afford to get on her wrong side, then she needed to avoid her.

"Yeah, I know. The next time I see her, I'll walk the other way."

"Good girl."

Taking a deep breath, Luna continued to apply medicine on Nellie's injury.

In the corridor outside, the tall man stood, separated by the door. He listened to their conversation as his eyes gradually darkened.

Back in his study, the man said softly, "Lucas, keep searching for a suitable maid for the Little Princess."

Lucas was startled. "Sir, that Luna..."

Joshua raised his eyes and glanced at him indifferently. "A woman who came with a purpose. I won't keep her around for long."

"Yes, Sir!"

After the medicine was applied, Nellie laid down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. After Luna tucked her in, she returned to the servant's room that Lucas arranged for her.

The servant's room was clean and tidy, and though it was small, it had everything she needed.

She took off her clothes, turned her back to the mirror, and checked her injuries on her back.

Aura kicked her with all her strength, and it landed squarely on her old injury. Luna sighed at the reflection of her bruised back, and she squatted to search for medicine in the first aid kit.

When Joshua pushed the door open, he saw her squatting on the ground in her underwear, her back facing him.

Her skin was paler than snow, a stark contrast with the bruise on her waist inflicted by Aura's kick.

The man frowned. "What are you doing?"

Luna stiffened as she heard the male voice that filled the room. She stood up instinctively and turned to face him. "Mr. Lynch."

Wearing nothing but a white bra, her shapely figure was all too alluring. Her features were already exquisitely carved, and coupled with her fully-exposed curves, she was a sight to behold.

"Even now, you're trying to seduce me?" He narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms at his chest and leaned against the doorframe, eyes filled with haughty derision.

Only then did Luna realize she was inappropriately dressed.

She hurriedly pulled on a jacket. "Why are you here, Mr. Lynch?"

He looked at the palm print on her face-red and swollen. "Does it still hurt?"

Following his gaze, Luna raised a hand and touched her face.

She was only worried about the injury on her waist that she forgot about the slap she received from Aura. Her cheek still looked rather swollen.

She smiled. "No, it doesn't."

He lifted his feet and strode into the room, sitting down on the side of the bed.

"Why were you recording us?" He looked at her, his gaze ice-cold. "Ordinary people wouldn't think of recording anytime, anywhere."

He was still so alert to his surroundings and the people around him.

Luna's gaze narrowed at that, though she managed to squeeze a humble smile on her face nonetheless. "When we were, Lucas and I were discussing my salary. I was afraid that he wouldn't accept some verbal promises in the future, so I secretly recorded our conversation.

"Unexpectedly, you then received a call from Ms. Nellie about the accident, and I followed, but the recording kept running and I forgot to turn it off."

"That's it?" The man walked in front of her and stared at her as if he could read all her thoughts.

His gaze made Luna uncomfortable as she turned her face away and dared not look at him. "Of course, that's all."

"I don't like devious women." Joshua raised his hand to clasp her chin and forced her to look at him. "Keep your tricks far up your sleeve. I can make your life in Blue Bay heaven, or I can make it h**I for you here in Banyan City."

With that, he flung her away coldly and left in strides.

Luna stood there as she gazed at his retreating form at the end of the corridor, and cold sweat soaked through her clothes. Right then, her phone rang.

Only then did Luna come back to her senses and closed her room door.

The call came from Anne.

"Neil finished his class, and I sent him back. Are you not at home?"

"Anne." Luna took a deep breath. "I'll accompany Nellie here tonight. Can you help me take care of Neil and take him out to eat?

"Sure!"

After ending the call, Anne raised her hand and rubbed Neil's little head. "Come, Godmother will bring you to eat some delicious food!"

Neil flattened his lips and avoided Anne's hand. "Isn't Mommy coming home tonight?"

Anne nodded. "She should be. You're spending the night at my house tonight!"

Neil curled his lips and sighed faintly. "It's so sad to be me."

"Hey, you little rascal, how can it be sad to live with me?" Anne rolled her eyes and took Neil to the nearby shopping mall. After buying some stuff for Neil, she took him to the restaurant on the top floor of the mall for dinner.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, Neil saw Aura sitting in the corner.

He pursed his lips and pulled Anne to a seat not far from Aura to sit down.

Aura was talking on the phone as she gnashed her teeth. From Neil's location, her voice could be clearly heard.

"I didn't expect her to not only survive the accident all those years ago, but also give birth to a daughter. Now she's sending her daughter back, just to claim her territory, to tell me that she's not d**d, and to show off that she has a daughter!

"Since she chose not to come back herself and is willing to send her daughter here as a pawn, how can I make it worth her trouble if I don't k**I that little brat?

"That little brat. I let her off the hook today with just one slap."

Neil's hand that held the menu trembled slightly as a trace of coldness flashed in those big dark eyes.

Nellie was beaten?

No wonder Mommy wanted to be with her and would not return for the night.

The little guy pursed his lips and silently reached into his pocket.

He would avenge his sister!