Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 261Alice rolled her eyes. What was there to feel accomplished about in making breakfast?Just as Alice was about to retort, however, she caught sight of the way Joshua stared at Luna. Alarm bells immediately rang in her head. Luna must have said that on purpose!Alice smiled. “I used to think that way. Although it's a small action, making breakfast for my family gave me the greatest sense of fulfillment ever. “ She let out a sigh before she continued wistfully, “ Unfortunately... I discovered that I couldn't even protect the people I love. I was such a failure. Ever since then, no matter what I did, I couldn't feel accomplished or fulfilled anymore.“Upon hearing these words, Joshua immediately turned his attention back to her. She was right. Joshua knew that he could not even begin to imagine what Alice had gone through in these six years apart.Although she had changed and she was no longer the woman he fell in love with, Joshua felt that he should not have doubted her, much less fooled by another woman's words even if just for a split second.Joshua sighed and glanced at Alice. “It's all in the past now.“ He silently made up his mind that no matter what it took, he would help her regain her old self again.Joshua put down his cutlery and stood up. “Let's go.“His tender gaze made Alice feel triumphant. She grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Should I go to the Human Resources department first?“Joshua gave her a gentle smile. “Yes, I'll take you there.“ With that, the two turned and left.Before he walked out of the door, however, Joshua turned around and glanced at Luna. “I want to see you in my office at ten in the morning.“Theo watched as Joshua and Alice's figures retreated. He chuckled. “Well, that was a short encounter.“ He glanced at his watch. “We still have 20 minutes to spare.“Theo lifted his head to stare at Luna. “Why do you seem to care so much about your boss?“Luna laughed. “Aren't employees supposed to care about their bosses?“Theo propped his chin up. “I guess that makes sense.“Luna did not want to be the topic of discussion, so she lifted her gaze to meet Theo's and diverted the conversation. “I'm a huge fan of yours, and I've always been on the lookout for your whereabouts. I know that you don't usually stay in any place for long, so what made you decide to rent a house in Banyan City?“Theo lowered his head and stirred the contents of his bowl with his spoon. “Do you want to know that badly?““It's okay if you don't want to tell me.““No, I don't mind.“ Theo let out a strained laugh. “Do you remember the painting that Alice tried to accuse you of ruining? Well, that painting is called The Girl with the Kite, and it was based on a scene I stumbled upon a long time ago when I passed by a school. The girl was wearing a white dress and chasing a kite. She looked so beautiful under the sun that I was mesmerized and painted the scene as soon as I got home. However, when I tried to track the girl down, I couldn't find her anymore.“He continued, “Many years later, this painting became my most well-known artwork. The more attention it gained, the more I wanted to find this girl and thank her in person. Finally, five years ago, I managed to find out her name. It was Luna Gibson.“Clang!As soon as Theo finished his sentence, the spoon in Luna's hand dropped and clanked against the edge of her bowl. She froze for a moment before she hastily picked up the spoon and shot Theo a nervous glance. “Are you sure that's her?“ “Yes, I'm positive.“ Theo gave a small yawn and gazed into Luna's eyes. “However, when I returned to Banyan City five years ago to track her down, I discovered that she had been dead for a year.“Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 262“I even went to visit her grave. When I heard that she was still alive, I immediately came back to Banyan City to investigate. A few days ago, Joshua's assistant contacted me and told me he wanted to host an art show for me because of Alice.“Luna bit her lip. “So... The reason you stayed in Banyan City is that you wanted to thank Alice in person?“Luna doubted that because ever since Theo had met Alice, he showed no indication of wanting to initiate a conversation with her.“I wanted to confirm something first, “ said Theo as he brought his glass up to his lips and took a sip. “ When I found out that Luna Gibson had died five years ago, I was in grief, so I researched everything about her and even went to look at her social media profiles, including her blog. I don't believe the woman that's with Joshua now is the real Luna Gibson. Although she claims to go by Alice now, from my knowledge of her, she wasn't as superficial and deceiving as Alice.“Theo's statement greatly shocked Luna, so much so that she was at a loss for words. She picked up her glass to take a sip as well. Then, after a moment, she composed herself and finally said, “People change.““I know that, so that's why I'm still investigating her.“ Theo glanced at Luna. “Aren't you wondering who this Alice really is?“Luna paused and smiled at him. ”Of course I am.”Aura's words still lingered in her mind. Maybe Aura had told her the truth about Alice being Luna's real sister because she had finally succumbed to her conscience. That, or maybe Aura was just messing with her. Maybe Alice had no relation to her at all, and she was just a random person who happened to resemble Luna. No matter which one it was, Luna was determined to get to the bottom of it.Theo stared at her and grinned. ”Well, I guess we've discovered a common interest now.”Luna pursed her lips. ”That's one way of putting it. ”Luna had suspected that Theo was interested in her, but as he had explained his intentions of moving back to Banyan City, she no longer believed that was true. Instead, he was merely getting close to her because of Alice.He was an artist, and although he was determined to investigate Alice , he had no means of getting close to either Joshua or her. Therefore, Luna was his only link. She was an employee at Lynch Group who used to date Joshua, and he had witnessed Alice trying to frame her through his camera last night. Obviously, Luna was Theo's only way of getting close to the Lynches.Although she understood Theo's true motives for befriending her, she did not mind it at all. She knew that if she were in his shoes, she would do the same. She and Theo were on the same side, in a way.As she thought of this, Luna lifted her head to look at Theo. ”What if in the end, you find out that Alice isn't the real Luna Gibson? What would you do then?"Theo pondered for a moment before he finally said, “ Well, I'd leave Banyan City and go in search of the real Luna Gibson."Luna was surprised by his answer. “Don't you want to expose her?"“Why should I?" Theo chuckled. “If I, a total stranger, could unravel the truth and find out that Alice is an imposter, then what about Joshua? He's been married to Luna Gibson for more than three years, but if he was fooled, then it serves him right. I f that happens, I won't expose her because I don't think he deserves to know the truth."Luna's heart sank upon hearing Theo's response. He was right.This man sitting right in front of her was a total stranger, yet even he could tell that Alice was not the real Luna Gibson. How, then, could Joshua be so oblivious?Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 2638:29 a.m. Luna stepped foot in the design department with a minute to spare.As soon as she entered, Shannon winked at her. “ Someone's waiting for you in your office. He's been waiting for a while now.“Luna furrowed her brows in confusion and pushed the door open. Joshua's lean and slender body perched on her office chair, his gaze focused on the drafts and sketches strewn all over her desk.When he heard her coming in, Joshua glanced at the time and snickered. “Came to the office with only one minute to spare. How obsessed are you with that man?“Luna paused before she offered a polite smile. She strode to Joshua's side and snatched the draft he was holding. “Firstly, I wasn't late. Secondly, I didn't break any company policies. Besides, who I choose to befriend and have breakfast with is my personal business, right, Mr. Lynch?“Joshua could not help but frown at Luna's harsh attitude. “What did I tell you last night? I told you he can't be trusted, and you should stay away from him!“Joshua could not believe the audacity of this woman. He had given her a friendly warning just the night before, yet she still hung out with Theo and even had plans to move in together!“You met him just last night, right? Tsk. You've known him for less than 25 hours, yet you've already gone on a breakfast date and even plan to move in with him. I never knew you were so desperate, Luna.”Luna burst out in laughter as she saw how flustered Joshua was. ”I 've always been this way, Mr. Lynch. How could you have never noticed?” As she said this, she started cleaning up her messy desk. ”Mr. Lynch, you're the CEO of Lynch Group, so you probably know better than anyone that the office is only meant for business. If you want to discuss personal issues, then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave, Mr. Lynch.”Joshua squinted at her. ”No, I'm here to talk business.” He handed her a folder and said, ”There's a jewelry exhibition in Sea City next month. I want you to come up with a design draft before next week and finalize it within another two weeks.”Luna flipped through the folder and said incredulously, ”You want me to come up with sketches for an entire series within a week?”She let out an exasperated laugh. ”I'm not sure if you' re aware, Joshua, but inspiration won' t come with a snap of the finger. I need time to come up with ideas. I can't possibly create so many designs in a week, much less exquisite ones. Are you insane?”Joshua merely gazed at her impassively. ”Are you not capable of taking up this project?”He tapped his slender fingers against the desk and remarked with an air of indignation, ”Well, I guess you' re not as good as they say you are. Perhaps you can't do it because you're too busy running around with that artist?”Luna knew Joshua was trying to get on her nerves. “ This is an impossible task! ““I believe you can do it, “ said Joshua as he leaned against the chair and glanced at her. “I have a suggestion. If you manage to finish this job within a week, I '11 give you a day off, and you can take Neil and Nellie out for a day trip. How does that sound?“Luna's face immediately lit up at his offer. All this while, Joshua had forbidden Neil and Nellie to contact her, and he would not let her anywhere near Blue Bay Villa.The two children had never been apart from their mother all these years, and as they had not seen Luna in such a long time, they were definitely miserable. It would be wonderful if the three could spend some time together again, even if just for a day.Luna let out a sigh and snapped the folder shut. “ Alright, I'll try my best.““Great. I look forward to hearing from you.“ Joshua smirked and left the office.Just as the door swung shut behind him, however, he turned around to glance at Luna. She was sitting at the desk, immersed in the folder's contents and busy making notes in the margins. It was obvious she was jumping at the chance to see Neil and Nellie.Joshua sighed and left.“Why do you think she's so attached to Nellie and Neil? They're not even her children.“
Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 264
Joshua asked with a frown.
“Well, it's either she has ulterior motives or that she's a saint,“ said Jude as he leaned back against the couch in Joshua's office. “Although, from what I know about her, I don't think it's the latter.“
Joshua was sitting in his office chair as he gazed off into the distance. “Maybe she has ulterior motives...“
If that was it, what was she after?
Jude shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch and shot Joshua a glance. “You know, I'm not that bad-looking myself, but why are all the women always after you?“
Joshua picked up his cup and took a sip of his coffee. “What are you trying to say?“
“The eldest daughter of the Walters, Hailey has gone missing. “ Jude yawned and gave a stretch. He raised his eyebrows at Joshua before he continued, “Mr.
Walter wanted me to ask you if you'd seen her lately.“
“Nope.“ Joshua furrowed his brows. “I haven't seen her in a long time.“ Joshua recalled that the last time he saw her was at his and Luna's wedding.
“I haven't seen her in a long time either, and I think it's been six or seven years, too. I heard that she's obsessed with plastic surgery. Apparently,
nowadays, she's either at the hospital getting yet another surgery or on her way there.“
Jude continued, “Both your families had an arranged marriage long before the two of you were born. I know that she's always wanted to marry you, and word has it that she hasn't settled down yet. Now that she's disappeared, I thought that she'd be with you or something.“
Joshua gave him a slight smirk. “Well, if she comes to me, I'll let you know.“ All of a sudden, he seemed to recall something. He lifted his head and glanced at Jude. “Hey, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? You didn't even get to attend my wedding all those years ago, so why don't you come over tonight and get to know Alice and the kids?“
Jude waved his hand dismissively. “Sorry, I can't make it tonight. Maybe some other time.“
Night fell. The entire city seemed to settle down as the sky grew darker and darker. The Lynch Group Tower, however, still bustled with activity.
When Alice called for the third time that night, Joshua finally let out a sigh and put down the documents he was reading.
Joshua took the elevator down. When he arrived at the ground floor, he overheard a conversation between two employees from the design department.
“I don't know what's up with her lately. She didn't come in for work for days on end, but now that she's back, she's been working like a mad woman.“
“Thank God I was quick on my feet. I told her that I had to go home because I had some personal issues to deal with. Otherwise, we'll have to stay here and work until God knows what time...“
The two voices grew further away. Joshua frowned upon hearing their complaints and immediately turned around. He got into the elevator and pressed the button for the 18th floor.
The entire floor was deserted when he got there. The only noise he could hear was the faint rustling of paper and the sound of a pencil scratching from a corner of the department.
Joshua followed the noises and arrived at Luna's office, the only bright place on the otherwise dark and deserted floor. He could see her through the glass window. Luna was sitting in front of an easel, her gaze focused on the sketch in front of her. She was so engrossed in her drawing that she did not even notice him watching her.
The dim light from her desk lamp cast shadows on her side profile. The determined and focused expression on her face was so attractive that she looked like she had just stepped out of a painting.
She looked so beautiful in the dim light that Joshua felt like his heart skipped a beat. This scene reminded him so much of his wife. Many years ago, he had watched Luna draw and design her sketches in a similar fashion.
This woman in front of him resembled the Luna he loved so much; down to the glint in her eyes and the unconscious habit she had of chewing the end of her pencil. Joshua could not help but continue to stare at her in awe.
After a while, he glanced at the time and decided to approach her before a familiar figure appeared at the end of the hallway all of a sudden.
Theo, dressed in all white, strode over with a takeout bag in his hand as he gently knocked on Luna's office door. “Director Luna, it's time for dinner.“ Theo's voice was low and gentle.
Luna perked up at his words. “Hey, why are you here?“
“I didn't want you to starve, so I brought some dinner.“ Theo walked toward her, all smiles as he set the paper bag on the table and opened the takeout boxes. “I'll give you two options: You can eat and finish your work later, or you can eat and let me take you to my place afterward.“
Luna knew what Theo was trying to say. They had agreed beforehand that she would go over to his place and look around before deciding if she wanted to move to that area.
She sighed and started clearing her things. “Alright, I choose the second one.“
This whole conversation was misinterpreted by the man standing outside her door. Joshua could not help but clench his fists at her decision.Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 265“How did you know I was working late tonight?“ asked Luna as she munched on the food Theo had brought for her.Theo chuckled. “What if I told you I 'd been waiting for you outside since 5 pm?“Luna almost choked on her food. “Really?““Of course not, silly.“ Theo leaned against the chair and stretched. “When I was at your friend's place this morning, I asked for her number, too. I called her just now, and she told me you weren't home yet, so I guessed that you were probably still working.“Luna felt relieved upon hearing Theo's explanation.Otherwise, she did not know how to react if Theo had indeed waited for her for more than three hours.She stuffed the rest of the food into her mouth as quickly as she could. “Let's go.“Theo chuckled again and helped her clean up the food containers. “Let's go. The landlord is waiting for us.“Luna nodded and followed him out of the office. Joshua had been watching everything from his position in a dark corner of the office with none of them knowing. He watched with a somewhat displeased look on his face as the two walked to the elevator.As Theo got on the elevator, he abruptly turned around and glanced in Joshua's direction, seemingly looking straight at him.The elevator doors closed, and the two descended. A split second later, Joshua's phone rang. It was Alice again, asking him to come home.Joshua muted the call in frustration and got into the elevator. When he came out of the building, he caught sight of Theo's car that seemed to head in the opposite direction of Anne's house.Was Luna genuinely going home with Theo? That woman had no shame!Joshua squinted as he clenched his fists even tighter.The phone in his pocket started ringing again. This time, however, it was Nellie calling.“Daddy, what time are you coming home? That crazy lady said that we're not allowed to eat without you. Neil and I are starving! “Joshua froze. “Alice isn't letting you eat dinner?““Yeah! She said that we're bad children, so she's trying to teach us some manners.“ Nellie pouted as she said it. “That crazy lady isn't letting us have any snacks either. She says it's bad for us! The last thing I ate was the apple that my teacher gave me at kindergarten, but it's been more than six hours now. I'm going to starve to death! ““Alright, alright. I'm coming home now.“ Joshua hung up the phone and glanced in the direction that Theo's car had left. Then, after a moment, he turned around and got into his car.In the end, Luna was just an employee of his. It did not matter who she chose to go home with. It was none of his business, anyway.Half an hour later , Joshua's car stopped in front of Blue Bay Villa.”Joshua, you're home! ” Alice came out of the house and greeted him with a cheerful smile. ”The kids and I have been waiting for you.”Joshua glanced at her, then looked toward the house. He caught sight of two small heads huddled together, watching them from a window of the second floor.Joshua paused, then put his arm around Alice's shoulder and led her back to the house. ”My working hours are very inconsistent. I'd come home on time on some days, but I '11 also have days when I'll work late. In the future, you and the kids can have dinner first if you're hungry. You don't have to wait for me.””No. How can I let that happen? ” Alice pursed her lips and grabbed Joshua's hand, grinning. ”I have to teach the children manners. I can't have them growing up and becoming rude people. I wouldn't want them embarrassing you in the future ! ” She paused and remarked, ”Luna took great care of Neil and Nellie, but I don't think she ever taught them proper manners. I can't blame her, though. She's never been exposed to etiquette like this since she doesn't come from a noble or distinguished family. ”Joshua could not help but frown at her words. He had grown up in a noble and distinguished family that placed a lot of emphasis on proper manners and etiquette. As such, he hated it when people tried to educate their children that way.He had discussed this with her when he first got together with Luna. He had told her that he wished for their children to be brought up like ordinary folks and not be confined to rules and restrictions like those he had grown up with.
