Ch. 271..280

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 271As soon as he turned around, Joshua caught a glimpse of the bloodstain on the sheets where Alice laid down moments ago.Joshua let out a sigh of relief and left a note on the bed. With that, he left the bedroom.Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Alice discovered that she was on her period. She was so frustrated that she felt like hitting her head against the wall.She could not believe the impeccable timing. She had planned to seduce Joshua so that she could officially become his wife, but her sudden menstruation ruined her plans.Alice cleaned herself up and rummaged around the medicine cabinet until she found her birth control pill. She swallowed the pill in one gulp. She was willing to do whatever it took to get Joshua to sleep with her!Alice came out of the bathroom with a smile, but Joshua was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a bowl of steaming hot soup on the nightstand, along with a pack of tampons.A maid was busy changing the bedsheets. When she saw Alice emerge from the bathroom, the maid went up to her and handed her Joshua's note. “Mr. Lynch left this for you.“Alice frowned and opened the note. Joshua's handwriting read, (I'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight. Take care of yourself. There's norush. We still have the rest of our lives to spend together.]Alice crumpled the paper in anger. The rest of their lives! Joshua always used that as an excuse to reject her.She had returned to Blue Bay Villa for quite some time, yet she could not even get so much as a kiss from him!Alice was already busy dealing with Luna and the two children. She finally had the opportunity to seal the deal with Joshua, but he ended up finding out about her period.After the maid left, Alice closed the bedroom door. She laid down on the bed and took out her phone. “Mr. Walter, I need your help.““I found a new place. I'm moving tonight.“ Luna decided to notify Anne of her move during breakfast.Clang! Anne's fork immediately slid out of her hand and fell onto the table. She hastily picked it up and asked, “What? You're moving so soon?““Yeah. The rental isn't cheap. I want to move as soon as I can since I've paid this month's rent.“Anne sulked. “I didn't think you'd be able to find a new place so quickly...““I had a lot of help from Theo. “ Luna shrugged. “He has connections.“Anne pursed her lips. “I think it's a little strange that you guys barely know each other, yet he's alreadyhelping you out so much. What's he up to?“ Luna chuckled. “He's not a bad guy.““I didn't say he was.“ Anne sighed. “By the way, Luna, do you know the eldest daughter of the Walters from Sea City? I think her name is Hailey.“Luna froze. “Yes, I know her.“ Hailey Walter was the girl with whom Joshua was to marry many years ago. They used to think that it was just the parents' meddling, but to their surprise, Hailey had taken this arranged marriage seriously and insisted on marrying Joshua as soon as she graduated.At that time, Joshua had no intention of getting married to Hailey, much to his parent's dismay. When they were dating, Luna was head over heels in love with Joshua, and she suggested that Joshua marry her instead.Luna thought he would brush this off, but he took her to the Ministry of Registration and got their marriage certificate the next day. Luna thought this was the beginning of her fairytale love story, but she was wrong.She still remembered what Joshua had told her when they were getting married...“I can't promise that I 'll fall in love with you, but I can promise you one thing: I will never betray you. You'll always be safe with me.“Every time Luna recalled his words, she could not help but feel repulsed. He promised to never betray her and that he would always keep her safe.

Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 273

Luna shrugged and gave Shannon her phone back. “ Get back to work. You shouldn't be looking at stuff like this during office hours.“

Shannon's jaw dropped. “Director Luna, don't you... want to explain anything?“

Luna glanced at her. “Why do I need to explain anything to you? Maybe I should put it this way: None of you will believe me even if I explained, so why should I waste my energy?“ With that, she turned around and went back into her office with a small smile.

To be honest, Luna did not care that Alice had gone to the press. She did not care if everyone who saw that article ended up misunderstanding her and thought she was a selfish, jealous woman. Long gone was the Luna who cared about the opinions of others, who strived to please everyone she met.

All she wanted to do was finish her sketches in time so she could take Neil and Nellie on an outing as Joshua promised.

It was another busy day. When it was time to get off from work, Luna's assistant knocked on her door. “ Director Luna, someone is here to see you.“

Luna glanced at the time —it was 5pm. She smiled faintly, thinking it was Theo who came to pick her up from work. She instructed her assistant, “Alright, let him in.“

Someone pushed the door open a moment later, but it was not Theo as Luna had expected.

It was Granny Lynch. She entered the room with the help of two servants and sat down on the couch grouchily. She had a hostile expression and appeared to be furious about something. ”Well, well. If I hadn't seen the news today, I wouldn't have found out that you're working here!"

The corners of Luna's mouth turned up in a small smile. ”Ma'am, you fired me from my position at Blue Bay Villa because Aura gave you something in return. Are you trying to get me fired from Lynch Group now? Whose gift did you accept this time?

Alice's?”

Granny Lynch grew even more livid at the mention o f Alice's name. ”How dare you even mention my granddaughter-in-law! You think I don't know what you did?”

Granny Lynch leaned against the sofa and knocked her walking cane against the floor. ”You ruined the artwork painted by Alice's favorite artist, all because you were jealous of her ! Alice came to see me today because of this, so upset that she cried! How could you? That's her favorite artist. She's been a fan since she was a teenager, but you ruined her favorite painting just like that!”

The more she scolded Luna, the more worked up Granny Lynch got. She wanted so badly to knock Luna on the head with her walking cane. ”When Joshua and Aura were together, you sabotaged their relationship. Now that Joshua's real wife and Nellie's birth mother has returned, you're trying to break this family apart again! "

Granny Lynch lifted her hand and pointed at the door. ”Get out! Lynch Group doesn't need an employee like you! Either you get out now, or I find Joshua right this instant and get you fired! "

This amused Luna. She adjusted her position and leaned against the back of her chair, her gaze never wavering from Granny Lynch. ”Alright, go find Joshua, then. Let's see if he's willing to fire an employee as hardworking as I am.”

Luna's smug attitude enraged Granny Lynch even more. She had never felt this disrespected before in her life.

Granny Lynch got up and walked toward Luna. ” Hardworking? Lynch Group has enough hardworking employees as it is! ” With that, she picked up one of the sketches strewn on the desk, one that Luna had just finished mere moments ago, and proceeded to tear it in half.

Luna watched as the paper got torn into two right before her eyes. Granny Lynch, however, did not think that one was enough. She extended her hand toward Luna's desk, wanting to grab another piece of paper.

”Enough ! ” Luna yelled, outraged. She could not stand watching hours of her hard work turned into scraps. She grabbed Granny Lynch's hand and snatched the two pieces of paper away from her.

”How dare you stop me ! ” Granny Lynch glared at Luna with deranged eyes. ”You ruined someone's artwork. What's wrong with me ruining one of yours?” She reached out to grab another one of Luna's sketches.

Luna clasped her hands around Granny Lynch's wrists. She had been trying to suppress her anger, but she could no longer take it anymore. Luna hated it when people touched her sketches!

Luna did not know what Alice had said to Granny Lynch that made her so worked up, but Luna could not stand by and watch her hard work ruined in mere seconds. It was one thing for Granny Lynch to touch her sketches but another thing entirely for her to tear them up. No matter how mild-mannered a person was, they were bound to snap.Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 274Luna's grip on Granny Lynch was extremely tight as she glared at Granny Lynch. “The painting I ruined was a replica. It wasn't even the real one, but even if it was, you have no right to lecture me on this! ““Director Luna... “There was a sudden knock on the door, and Courtney entered. “Mr. Lynch wants you to “ Courtney stopped in her tracks as she took in the scene before her. The two women seemed to be caught in some sort of wrestle. Courtney's gaze fell o n Luna's angry expression and the way she gripped Granny Lynch's wrists.Although caught off-guard, Courtney soon came to her senses. She immediately rushed forward. “ Director Luna, please let go of Granny Lynch. She's the CEO's grandmother! “As soon as she said this, Granny Lynch frowned and let out a shriek. “Ouch! It hurts! I think I have a fracture! She's squeezing my hands so hard. I think my bones are broken! “Granny Lynch's screams instantly caught the attention of everyone else outside the room. The employees crowded around at Luna's door, trying to sneak a peek at whatever went on inside.Courtney immediately went along with it. She held onto Granny Lynch and asked with a pained expression, “Granny, are you okay? Why don't I bring you to the hospital?““No need...“ Granny Lynch said, her eyes welling upwith tears. “I want to see my grandson. He must do something about this! I 'm just a frail old lady. How can she do this to me?“Courtney clenched her teeth and nodded. “Alright, I 'll bring you to him right this instant! “ With that, she left with Granny Lynch.Luna remained motionless and let out a huge sigh of relief.With the office door still open, the rest of the employees peered in, their faces etched with curiosity.“Get back to work! “ Luna glowered at them and slammed the door shut.She slumped back into her chair and stared at the torn paper on her desk, her mind brimming with rage and frustration.She had spent an entire afternoon working on that drawing. This project was already on a very tight schedule, and with her sketch ruined, she would have to start over again.Luna's chest felt tight. Disappointment, hopelessness, frustration. All kinds of emotions swirled in her head. Luna buried her face in her hands and let out a sigh.“What happened, Director Luna?“ Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Luna heard a familiar voice. It was Theo.Luna sighed and pointed at the torn sketch on her desk. “This happened.“Theo was an artist, so he could understand the frustration Luna felt. He furrowed his brows and tried to piece the two separate halves of paper back together. “Why not let me help you? I'll be your assistant and help you sketch this again.“Luna could not help but smile at Theo's earnest expression. “You're too expensive. I can't afford to have you as my assistant.“She brushed herself off and stood up. “Never mind— I'll worry about this tomorrow.“ It was already past 5pm , and she had already made plans with Theo to move into her new place that night.Theo glanced at her and smiled. “Alright. Maybe moving into your new home will make you feel better.“Luna cleared her things, and the two left her office together. Before they could walk out of the department, however, they ran into Courtney.Courtney shot Luna a cold glance and said, “Luna, Mr. Lynch wants to see you in his office right now.“Luna frowned and tried to circle past her. “Nope. It's past office hours now. I'll talk to him tomorrow.“Courtney immediately grabbed Luna's arm. “It won't take long. Besides, you might not even have to come to work tomorrow. Ma'am found out that Joshua paid the artist ten million dollars to compensate for the painting you ruined, and now she's furious. She wants you to pay for the compensation yourself.“Theo raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. “This again? Why not I go with you, Luna, and explain everything?“Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 275Courtney led Luna and Theo to Joshua's office. When they arrived, Granny Lynch was perched on the couch as she made a scene.“Joshua, I'm a frail old lady, and my bones aren't as strong as they used to be anymore. That Luna girl gripped me so hard just now. I thought my bones were about to break!“That painting was worth ten million dollars! That's not a small amount. How could you pay for it just like that? Don't you know I can buy a full set ofMoon's jewelry with that amount of money?“ Theo and Luna could hear Granny Lynch's shrieks even from outside the door.Theo listened to this with a solemn expression. After a moment, however, he glanced at Luna, slightly amused. “Turns out Granny Lynch is also a fan of your work.“Luna scoffed but said nothing in response.Courtney gently knocked on the door before entering the room. “President Lynch, Director Luna is here.“Joshua sat in his office chair as he rubbed his eyebrows, seemingly frustrated with all this commotion. “Let her in.“The door was pushed open, and two people walked in. Joshua frowned and lifted his head. He locked eyes with Theo, and the two men stared at each other. One man's gaze was filled with hostility, while the other was calm and gentle with a slight hint of arrogance. However, a split second later, their eye contact broke.“You b*tch! “ Granny Lynch scowled at Luna, but just as she was about to say more, she caught sight o f the man standing next to Luna. She frowned and glared at Theo. “Who the hell are you?““I'm her friend.“ Theo gave a small smile and sat down next to Granny Lynch. “I believe you had a misunderstanding with my friend.“Granny Lynch's fury seemed to be doused by this polite young man in front of her. “Are you here to settle our dispute?““I guess you can say that.“Granny Lynch snorted in indignation. “Alright then. Your friend here was jealous of my granddaughter-in-law and ruined her favorite artist's painting out ofspite! She even made my grandson pay for the compensation! It cost ten million dollars! “Granny Lynch took out her phone and showed Theo the same news article Luna had seen on Shannon's phone. “Look at this. It's making headlines! “Theo smiled at her. “Alright, Granny. What would you like Luna to do now?““I want her to pay my grandson back, resign immediately, and apologize to my granddaughter-in-law! “ Granny Lynch immediately barked out three conditions. She glanced at Joshua coldly and added, “ I don't even know what spell this woman put on my grandson. He's not willing to agree to any of my conditions! “Joshua frowned at her. “I told you that this whole incident isn't what you think it is.““What do you mean, it isn't what I think it is?! “ Granny Lynch brandished her phone at Joshua and retorted, “The evidence is right here! Besides, you were the witness, weren't you?“I can't believe this! You saw everything with your own eyes, yet you're claiming you didn't! Why are you lying for this woman? What kind of spell did she put you under? Ten million dollars! You paid ten million dollars for her!“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have just fired here from Blue Bay Villa. I should have sent her out of Banyan City and out of this country! This family is being torn apart because of her! “Granny Lynch's accusations finally got on Joshua's nerves. His brows furrowed, and he immediately yelled, “You're the one tearing this family apart! “If it were not for Granny Lynch, none of this would have happened! If Granny Lynch had not given Luna so much pressure on bearing children many years ago, Luna would not have gotten so desperate and depressed.Granny Lynch never expected that Joshua would yell at her like this. She stared at him in rage for a few moments before she turned around and glared at Luna. “It's all your fault ! Joshua has never defied me like this before! “Luna was amused by Granny Lynch's words.Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 276Luna knew Granny Lynch was lying to herself.”Mr. Lynch never defied you, you say? Many years ago, you wanted him to marry Hailey Walter , yet he ended up marrying Luna Gibson instead. After she died, you wanted him to retake Hailey as a second wife, but he got engaged with Aura Gibson. You gave him and Aura your blessing, but in the end, they broke up.” Luna stared at Granny Lynch impassively. ”Mr. Lynch has been defying you all his life. Since when did he listen to you?”Luna thought her statement would shut Granny Lynch up and that she could finally get back at Granny Lynch for ruining her sketch. To her surprise, however, Granny Lynch chuckled.”None of the stuff you said was true. In fact, it wasn't me who wanted Joshua to marry Hailey Walter at all—it was his father's wish. I'm afraid you have no idea how much Joshua respects me.” Granny Lynch continued smugly, ”Many years ago, when he was married to Luna Gibson, I told him that I wanted great-grandchildren, but Luna didn't want any.Joshua told me himself that he'd do as I wished.”Luna Gibson couldn't get pregnant no matter how many times she tried, so I forced her to try traditional remedies some witch doctors prescribed. The witch doctors cast spells on her and even made her eat dirt and ashes as part of the treatment. Luna Gibson thought all of this happened behind Joshua's back when in reality, Joshua knew and even permitted me to do so.”Granny Lynch sighed. ”I never expected the remedies to work, but it turned out they did; Luna Gibson managed to get pregnant in the end. No, wait. I shouldn't call her by that name anymore.She's Alice now. I like this name. She doesn't have to share a name with a b*tch like you anymore.”Luna's heart grew colder at Granny Lynch's words. She stared at Granny Lynch blankly, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath.All the bad memories locked away in Luna's mind began to resurface. She remembered Granny Lynch berating her and all the torturous regimens she had to endure. She could still recall the feeling of swallowing dirt and ashes as though it had happened yesterday.At that time, the dirt and ashes she had to consume a s part of the traditional remedy damaged the inner lining of her stomach. Luna had spent countless nights tossing and turning, unable to sleep due to the pain. She was even afraid of telling all this to Joshua, lest he becomes upset, and sneaked out on her own to buy medicine for the pain. She never dared to complain about any of this to anyone.Luna never thought that her traumatic experience would one day become some form of bragging right for Granny Lynch, that she would use that as a token of showing off how submissive her grandson was.Luna felt as though a knife was stabbed into her heart, and it bled profusely. She took a step back away from Granny Lynch, her face pale. Her back collided against the door abruptly, and she felt a twinge of pain shoot down her body.“Granny, “ Joshua interjected with a frown. “That's all in the past now. Please don't bring it up.“Everything that Granny Lynch had mentioned, Joshua only found out after it was too late. Luna had never told any of this to him, and at that time, Granny Lynch had simply brushed everything off. She did not tell him that Luna had been forced to eat dirt and ashes.Joshua only discovered the truth after Luna left. As soon as he found out, he immediately stormed over to Lynch Mansion to confront Granny, but it was too late.When Luna died, Joshua spent a whole night sitting i n front of her grave in hopes to gain her forgiveness. He was ashamed that he had not fulfilled his responsibility of protecting and looking out for her.Every time Joshua thought of this, guilt and shame clouded his heart. He had promised to be a good husband to Luna, but he failed. To Joshua, this incident was a scar that would never fade. He never thought that Granny Lynch would bring this up so many years later!“Granny,“ Theo immediately piped in as he sensed the atmosphere growing awkward. He let out a chuckle and said, “You mentioned that you want Luna to pay Joshua back for the compensation, right?““Right! “ Granny Lynch scoffed. “If she can pay ten million dollars upfront, I'll consider letting her stay a t Lynch Group.“ Granny Lynch was adamant thatLuna could not afford to pay ten million dollars, much less upfront.Theo chuckled again and took out a check from his pocket. ”Would this suffice?”Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 277Granny Lynch took the check from Theo and glanced at it. Her expression changed to that of a confused one. Why was Joshua's name signed at the bottom?Theo smiled. “The reason I 'm here today, besides picking up Luna from work, is that I wanted to return this check to Joshua.“Granny Lynch frowned as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Then, after a moment, her eyes widened, and she looked back at Theo. “Is this the check that Joshua paid Mr. Allen with? Are you...““I'm Theo Allen.“ Theo grinned at her. “I also want to explain to you, Granny, that the real painting worth ten million dollars is still in my study. I'd never display it publicly. The painting ruined that day was a fake one.“He glanced at Granny Lynch's astonished face and continued, “As soon as he found out the painting was ruined, Mr. Lynch immediately issued me a check as compensation. However, I knew I couldn't take it, so I decided to return it to him.“Granny Lynch was so shocked that she said nothing in response.“Now that I've returned the money, Luna shouldn't have to resign anymore. Do you still have any issues with this?“Granny Lynch lowered her gaze to look at the check, speechless for a moment.“Alright then...“ muttered Granny Lynch, biting her lip. “She doesn't have to resign anymore, but she still has to apologize to my granddaughter-in -law!Although the painting was a fake one, she still ruined it in an attempt to upset Alice! Also, she injured me just now, so she should apologize to me as well! ““Apologize?“ Luna crossed her arms in front of her chest. “The painting I ruined belongs to Theo. If anything, I should apologize to him and not Alice. Besides...“Luna turned her head and glared at Granny Lynch. “I didn't injure you just now, and even if I did, it was because you ruined my design sketch. In that case, shouldn't you be the one to apologize?“Joshua immediately froze at Luna's words. “Granny ruined your sketch?““She tore it in half, “ answered Theo with a smile. “ Luna spent a whole afternoon working on that drawing.“Theo's reply made Joshua's brows furrow. He did not answer but glanced at Luna instead. “Hey, I'm asking you.“Luna rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, your grandmother tore my sketch in half. Although I did grab her just now, I didn't injure her. Even if I did, I don't think I'm wrong to do so since she provoked me in the first place. I won't apologize to her.“Granny Lynch's face turned pale instantly.Joshua rubbed his eyebrows in frustration and shot Granny Lynch a glance. “Apologize to her.“Granny Lynch felt defeated, but she perked up as soon as she heard Joshua say that. “Did you hear that? He wants you to apologize! “ she snarled at Luna. “It's just a drawing, but you injured the CEO's grandmother just now, so you have to apologize immediately! “Joshua could not stand any of that anymore. “ Granny, I want you to apologize! “ he bellowed. “ How many times have I told you to stay out of my business? Luna is working for me now! You tearing up her sketch is no different from tearing up a piece of contract in my office! “Granny Lynch knew she was in the wrong, but she pursed her lips begrudgingly. “That's different; every contract of yours is worth millions of dollars. How can you compare this to her drawings? It's not like she's Moon.“Theo snorted in laughter. “What makes you think she isn't?“Looking at Granny Lynch's bewildered expression, Theo let out a chuckle. “I guess you didn't know this, huh? Well, Luna is the legendary Moon herself. It's a n honor for Lynch Group to have her working here, but she's not getting the respect she deserves.“Granny Lynch's face lost its color. She glanced at Luna dazedly, then looked back at Joshua. “That's... impossible! “Ever since she found out that Moon was the most talented and distinguished designer in the field of jewelry design, Granny Lynch had tried to track down Moon's products, hoping to purchase some for her collection.Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 278Unfortunately, because Moon had officially retired, all her jewelry pieces had been marked up to exorbitant prices. It was almost impossible to get her hands on any of them since they were so expensive.Theo claimed that the woman standing in front of her was Moon herself. Naturally, Granny Lynch could not believe that.“Why is it impossible? “The corner of Theo's lips turned up into a smirk. “Why would a famous artist such as myself be friends with her if I didn't know she was Moon?“Granny Lynch's face turned an even paler shade of white. She glanced at Theo and said, her voice trembling, “Then...the drawing I tore...““That sketch is worth millions, at least.“The blood drained from Granny Lynch's face. Seeing that Joshua did not deny anything, she could confirm that Theo was indeed telling the truth.Joshua glanced at his grandmother's stricken face and picked up the phone. He dialed a number and said to the person on the other line, “Come into my office and send Granny home.“As soon as he hung up, Courtney entered the room and helped Granny Lynch up from her seat. “Come on, Granny, let's go home.“Granny Lynch knew Joshua was trying to help her get out of this sticky situation, so she immediately went along with it. “Alright, alright. I'll be off then. I won't interfere anymore.“Initially, Alice had approached Granny Lynch for help. She even offered to gift Granny a set of Moon's jewelry in return, but the series of events had taken a n unexpected turn. Not only did Granny Lynch fail to stick up for Alice, but she even offended Moon herself without knowing.Joshua scowled as he watched his grandmother leave the room. “Please don't meddle again in the future.““It's all your wife's fault. She's the one who sent me here, “ Granny Lynch murmured. She tucked the check that Theo had given her into her pocket and quickly fled the scene.“My apologies.“ As soon as the door was closed, Joshua let out a sigh and turned to Luna. “This is all Granny's fault—I apologize for that. I '11 give you an extension of two days for you to complete the project.“Luna smirked. “There's also another problem.“ She took out her phone and pulled up the article that Shannon had showed her this morning. Within a day, the report had acquired more than ten million views.“I spoke to some of my friends who are familiar with news like this. They told me that an article can't garner so many views in a day without people promoting it behind the scenes. I hope that Mr. Lynch can look into this matter, not just to prove my innocence, but also for your wife's sake.“Of course, even if you don't want to investigate, I have my own means of proving myself. I have a surveillance tape from that night that I can release to the press any time I want.“Luna tucked her phone back into her pocket and continued, “I'll give you two hours to get rid of whoever is behind this. If you fail to do so, I 'll take care of it on my own. Unfortunately, if that happens, Mrs. Lynch would become the laughing stock, not me. We don't want that to happen, do we?“With that, Luna turned around and strode out of the room.“Please take care of this, Mr. Lynch.“ Theo leaped out of his seat and smiled at Joshua before sprinting after her.“Shall we eat dinner now, or do you want to move your stuff first?““Let's get dinner first...“Joshua watched as the two figures retreated, and their voices grew further away until he could not hear them anymore. He frowned and thought for a moment before finally lowering his head to peer at his computer screen.He had been immersed in work the entire day. If it were not for Granny Lynch's appearance, he would not have found out about that article.He leaned back against his chair and stared at the headline, and Granny Lynch's voice still lingered in his mind, “It's all your wife's fault. She's the one who sent me here.“Joshua narrowed his eyes as he thought of this.Then, all of a sudden, his phone rang. It was Alice.”Joshua, isn't it time to get off work? What time are you coining home?”Joshua's expression darkened as he switched off his computer. ”I'm coining home right now.”Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 279“Sir, I have good news. Someone is involved in the promotion of that news article,“ Lucas' voice rang out through the phone.Joshua frowned at the report. “Did you manage to find out who it was?““I can't seem to track him down. The spammers were hired by a foreign company, and some Andrew Walter owns it, but there's no information aboutthis person at all. I think it might be an alias.“Joshua's brows furrowed even tighter together. “ Keep looking.“Joshua hung up the phone, and his grip on the steering wheel grew tighter. How much had Alice changed within the last six years? Was there anything else about her that he had yet to find out?The car soon arrived at Blue Bay Villa.“Joshua! “ Alice had been waiting at the front door, and as soon as Joshua's car stopped, she approached him with a smile and draped a coat over his shoulders. “It's a bit chilly outside, isn't it?“Joshua glanced at her. “Yes, it is. Autumn is coming.““I'll go out tomorrow to buy you some warmer clothing.“ Alice slipped her arm through his, and they both headed toward the house together. “I asked the servants to prepare some snacks for Neil and Nellie. I called you home before they even became hungry. I 'm genuinely  trying hard to be  agood mother to them, “ said Alice in a gentle voice.Joshua frowned upon hearing this. “Have you seen the news today?“Alice's eyes widened. “What news are you talking about?“Joshua smiled at her. “The one with you and Luna in it.”“Oh, that's the one you meant. Well, I saw it, but I don't know who's behind it. I wonder who thought it was a good idea to send the security footage to the press.“When I went over to visit Granny today, she mentioned it to me as well and got so worked up when she found out. She wanted to go over to Lynch Group Tower and confront Luna, but I stopped her.“ Alice gave Joshua a feeble smile. “Old people always believe news like this.“Alice was so kind and understanding that, for a moment, Joshua forgot about Luna's threat. “Let's go in.“Joshua and Alice entered the house arm-in-arm.This time, however, the two children were nowhere to be found. Joshua immediately glanced at the stairs.“I thought you didn't want them to welcome you home. You're not angry, are you?“Joshua froze, but after a moment, he shook his head.As the two made their way to the dining room, Alice shouted in the direction of the second floor, “Neil, Nellie, it's time for dinner! “By the time they were seated in front of the table, the two children were still nowhere to be found.Alice sent Lily upstairs to check on them.A few minutes later, two heads appeared above the second-floor railing. Neil pursed his lips and declared, “I'm not hungry.“Nellie, too, pouted and said, “Me neither. I don't want to eat.“With that, the two children disappeared once more. Joshua could not help but frown at this.“See, this is why I didn't want to let them have snacks.“ Alice sighed. “Children don't have any self- control. If you let them have too many snacks, they end up being too full for their regular meals.“She batted her eyes at Joshua. “Why don't I go back to banning them from eating snacks tomorrow?“Joshua did not answer. After a long pause, he let out a sigh. “I'll go talk to them later.“The smile on Alice's face stiffened. She had no choice but to relent. “Alright, then.“ With that, she instructed for dinner to be served.Pursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy chapter 280This was Alice and Joshua's first meal together alone. Alice could not hide her excitement and kept offering Joshua more food during their meal. Joshua had wanted to talk to her about what happened on this day, but seeing how enthusiastic she was, he could not bear to bring it up.After he finished his food, Joshua set down his cutlery. “Alice, I have something to tell you.“Alice was in the middle of clearing the table as she handed the dirty plates to a servant and smiled at him. “Can't it wait? What's so urgent that you have to bring it up right here?““There was a surveillance camera in the art gallery that day.“ Joshua gave her a meaningful look. “The painting Luna ruined was a fake one. However, there was a pinhole camera embedded in the painting.“Alice's hands stiffened at that. Then, after a moment, she let out a strained laugh. “How's that possible...“Theo was there on the day Luna ruined the painting. I f he did have surveillance footage of the entire incident, why did he not provide it as evidence?“That's all I want to say. “ Joshua stared at her. “We used to be honest with each other in the past. You used to tell me everything. It was because of our shared honesty that I could trust you, and I was willing to help you and support you in everything.“Now, I don't know who you've become anymore. “With that, Joshua stood up and turned around to leave.Alice clenched her teeth. “Where do you think you're going?“Joshua paused mid-step, but after a moment, he continued walking. “Since you're not truthful to me, I don't think I'm obliged to tell you everything either.“Alice's expression darkened as she watched the man's retreating figure. Finally, she stormed upstairs and into her room. She pulled open the bottom drawer of her nightstand and took out a phone. “Mr. Walter, stop everything, “ she snapped into the phone.Alice knew Joshua would not lie to her about this. However, if Luna had surveillance footage of what truly happened that night, all her plans would be ruined. She could not take this risk.Joshua drove his car all the way to Swan Lake Residences.This was the place where Theo and Luna's new house was located. Last night, after he heard Luna mentioning her move, Joshua had ordered Lucas to track down where Theo lived.When he arrived at the building, Joshua saw a moving van pulling away, leaving Luna and Theo standing on the front steps. Luna held a duffel bag while Theo had her suitcase with him. Together, they entered the building and disappeared from Joshua's sight.Joshua frowned and contemplated for a moment before he got out of his car and followed them.”There's a farmer's market nearby. I'll bring you there tomorrow to have a look, ” said Theo to Luna as they got out of the elevator. He wheeled Luna's suitcase along until they arrived at her front door. Then, with a smile , he left the suitcase next to her and turned to leave. ”Alright then, I'111et you unpack in peace now. I'll see you tomorrow.””Alright.”Although Luna and Theo would be living near each other, they were not exactly next -door neighbors. The units at Swan Lake Residences were studio apartments, and there were six or seven units on each floor. Luna lived three doors away from Theo.When Luna went to sign the contract, the landlord had told her that the two units between Theo and her were empty. He was curious as to why Luna did not want to live next to him.Luna had a reason for this arrangement. She was afraid that if Neil and Nellie were to come over in the future, they would make too much noise and end up disturbing Theo. Besides, Luna wanted to keep a respectful distance from him. Therefore, she decided that it was best to live a few doors down from him instead.Theo seemed to understand that, so he did not insist on coining in but instead went back to his unit. Luna let out a sigh of relief, reached for her keys, and unlocked the door.Just as her door swung open, she heard footsteps behind her, followed by the sound of her suitcase being pushed. Thinking it was Theo, Luna let out a laugh and said, “I thought you wanted to go home. "She pushed the door open and stepped aside. The person behind her wheeled her suitcase into the dark house. The entire place was pitch black, so Luna fumbled around in the dark until she found the light switch and flipped it on.Just as the lights came on, the door behind her slammed shut with a loud thud. She furrowed her brows in mild irritation. She turned around and said, “Theo, didn't you say..."Luna's voice trailed off as she finally laid eyes on the man standing before her. Joshua plopped onto the couch in a swift and graceful motion, shooting her a cold glance. “Why do you look so disappointed to see me?"