Ch. 3051..3060

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3051-"He's fine." Luke paused when he heard the mention of Gwen's father, then continued in a choked voice, "You... Did you know that Ben brought another woman back to your house?"

Gwen paused, then nodded. "I do."

Tyson's men had even mistaken that poor woman for her and captured her instead.

Even after Joshua and Luna arrived, Gwen was still terribly frightened by that incident. If Ben and that woman had not shown up, Tyson's men would have found and captured her instead.

In other words, Ben and his girlfriend saved her life.

"Well..." Luke nodded and explained, "They took her in place of you and told me and Kurt that they found you. I was fooled into thinking that you had been taken away..."

At the mention of this, Luke's grip tightened around Gwen as though he was trying not to lose her again. "After hearing this, I tracked them down to a hotel in town, but when I broke in there, I realized it wasn't you they had caught..."

As he recounted this incident, Luke hoarsely continued, "Do you have any idea how happy I was when I saw that woman's face and realized it wasn't you? At that moment, all I felt was relief and joy, then it was replaced by worry because I realized I hadn’t found you.

"I wanted to find you and see you. The only way I can rest in peace is knowing you're okay..." Luke closed his eyes and leaned his head against the crook of Gwen's shoulder, his voice trembling as he continued, "I finally understand what I did wrong now.

"I thought I was doing you a favor by leaving you, but it turns out it was the most selfish thing I could've done. I should've stayed by your side and taken care of you myself.

"I don't trust anyone except myself for protecting you..."

Gwen's heart sank when she heard how devastated Luke was. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms tightly around Luke's waist, her voice beginning to shake too. "I know, Luke. Let's never be apart again, never..."

She had thought about this during their time apart, and though she tried her best to get over Luke's death, she would still think of him every time she got into trouble.

How strange. She and Luke had been together for less than two years, yet she felt as though they had known each other fora lifetime.

Perhaps it was because of their experiences together. When two people have gone through so much together, they would never be able to stay apart.

Tears slid down Luna's face as she watched them, and she turned around and slumped her head against Joshua's body.

Joshua led her back to their room, closing the door behind him.

After returning to their room, he smiled and gently kissed Luna's forehead. "Let's not intrude on their alone time. I'm sure they have plenty to catch up on."

Luna nodded and let out a sigh. "I never expected this day to come so soon."

She thought Luke would continue to remain in disguise for a while longer.

Neither of them ever imagined that Ben and his skank of a girlfriend would turn out to be catalysts to Gwen and Luke’s reunion.

"But..." Luna lifted her head to glance at Joshua. "If Stefan is Luke...what happened to Steven?"

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3052-Joshua was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know."

Although he had been in touch with Stefan lately, it was always Luke he was corresponding with-never Steven.

When he thought about it, the last time he recalled meeting Steven was almost a fortnight ago.

The two brothers shared a single body, yet it was as though Steven's subconscious disappeared, leaving only Luke behind.

Joshua also wondered about this and brought it up to Luke before.

Although Luke was also in charge of their shared body, he, too, did not have any idea where Steven’s subconscious went, nor how to make him reappear again.

Joshua suggested Luke get this checked out, but Luke had been so busy dealing with Tyson and formulating a plan to rescue Andy that he did not have the time to visit a doctor.

Their utmost priority was to track down and save Andy; Luke could get himself checked when that was done.

Who would have thought that the fake Gwen would cause Luke to expose himself prematurely and ruin all their plans?

At the thought of this, Joshua furrowed his brow and said," We have to find Andy as soon as we can. Only then will Luke

be able to visit a doctor and get things checked out."

Luna nodded.

As much as she wished that Luke could return permanently and remain by Gwen's side...Steven was also a person with his own thoughts and feelings and deserved to be treated with respect.

They could not banish him just because they were closer to Luke.

Although the body Steven possessed was Luke's at one point, the heart beating in Gwen's chest was Steven's. Gwen would have died if it were not for him.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door.

Joshua pulled the door open.

An exhausted-looking Luke was standing outside the door." Joshua, do you have enough men with you?"

Joshua was silent for a moment then nodded. "My uncle owns a company here in Sharnwick City, so we do have enough manpower."

"I need your help." Luke sighed and explained, "Since my identity is now exposed, I'm certain that news of this will reach Sea City. Tyson will hear about this before sunrise tomorrow.

"I think he'll try to harm Andy once he finds out, so I need your help finding Andy before it's too late."

Luke and Kurt had intended to go undercover and win the trust of Tyson so they could find Andy's location and break him out, but since their plans had been foiled, he had no choice but to ask for Joshua's help.

Saving Andy was his utmost priority.

"No problem." Joshua smiled, then dialed Tara's number.

Tara, who was cradling a drink in a bar, did not sound pleased on the phone. "Do you know what time it is, Joshua? Shouldn't you be all cuddled up to your wife now? Why are you calling me at this hour? I know I'm a lazy bum, but I deserve to get some time off work too, you know."

She was no longer willing to put on an act. If it were not for the fact that her father had forced her to learn from Joshua, she would never have willingly put up with this.

"That's not what I'm calling you for." Joshua pressed the phone closer to his ear so Luna would not overhear. "I need your help, now. It's a life and death situation."

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3053 -"Life and death?" Tara perked up when she heard this and frowned. "What happened? Is your wife threatening suicide because she thinks you cheated on her?"

Joshua rolled his eyes at this. Could she be any more childish?

He paused, then continued in a low voice, "I need you to send your men out to rescue someone. An old man."

Tara was silent for a moment before realizing what was going on. "You want me to save Gwen's father, don't you? Alright, then. I'll send my men out."

With that, she hesitated for a moment, then asked, "That's all I need to do, right? Do I need to be there myself?"

"No need," Joshua replied.

"Thank heavens!" With that, Tara hung up and dialed the number of the manager of Moore Group's Sharnwick City branch.

After passing on Joshua’s message, Tara raised her brow, glancing at the man sitting next to her at the bar, and smiled. "Sorry, I must've missed this while I was on the phone, but what's your name again?"

The man glanced at her, frowning. "John Young."

'Mr. Young. What a smart name!" Tara chuckled, then clinked her wine glass against John's.

Then, she turned to him with a grin and added, "So what are you meeting me for, Mr. Young?"

John furrowed his brow as he raised the glass to his lips and took a sip. "I want to do business with you."

Then, he turned to gaze at Tara and added, "I hear that you're now in charge of Moore Group's Sharnwick City branch. I just started a new company, and though we don't have much to our name as of now, I can assure you that I'll provide you with the best service and the best products. I sincerely hope you'll consider giving us a chance, President Moore."

John met Tara that afternoon at the entrance of the Moore Group building.

Since he was not a local, he was unfamiliar with the market and could not compete with the other companies in terms of reputation and connection. Therefore, he had no choice but to meet the new president of Moore Group in hopes she would give him a chance.

After all, a woman like her probably placed more priority on their quality of work and attitude, right?

To John's surprise, Tara requested to meet him at this bar that same night.

Although he had a bad feeling about this, the moment he went home and saw the two people he needed to care for...

He ultimately decided to try his luck and showed up for his meeting with Tara.

He would never have accepted Tara's invitation unless he was extremely desperate.

Tara paused when she saw the look on his face, then poured him another glass of wine, smiling. "Drink.”

John obediently did as she said.

Before he even put down his glass, Tara's voice rang out next to him, "Are you really that desperate to work with me? Is it because you have people counting on you-the sick and the elderly?"

Tara had heard this excuse more times than she could count; this was the reason everyone gave when begging her to give their companies a chance.

John put down his glass and let out a bitter chuckle. "Well, technically that's not true. There's no elderly relying on me, but..."

He paused. "I have a child at home, barely a year old, and another gravely ill person I need to take care of. Believe me when I say I have no choice."

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3054 -Tara raised her brow when she heard John’s response.

She knew who John was, hence why she invited him for a drink to mess around with him. After all, she had to act her role to convince him. If she was to work with him the moment he asked, John would suspect that something was up-

"So you have a child at home and someone gravely ill?" asked Tara. She questioningly stared at John with her eyebrows raised. "Who is it? Is she your wife?"

She remembered from her hours of researching John that his wife had passed away. Not only that, but it was Anne's death that led Luna to commit manslaughter, which landed her in prison.

Therefore, John would probably have only one person to care for, which was he and Anne's infant daughter.

Who else was he caring for? Was Anne still alive?

John did not expect Tara to be so interested in his life. He sipped his drink slowly to stall time, then answered hesitantly, "No, it isn't. It's... It's my sister."

"Your sister?" Tara's eyebrows raised at his response.

She vaguely recalled that John was an only son and that both his parents had passed away in a car accident two years ago. He did not have any female cousins either, so who was this 'mysterious sister' he mentioned?

Had he moved on after Anne's death but was uncomfortable with revealing that fact, so he chose to lie by saying it was his sister instead? If so, why would he choose to be with someone who was gravely ill as he put it?

This puzzled Tara, but she knew she was in no place to question him. If she did, John would know that she had researched his background before their meeting.

Therefore, Tara remained silent for a moment before sighing. "I'm pleasantly surprised. Not only are you a loving father, but you're a caring brother as well.

"Well, I can't sit by and watch while others suffer such misfortune. Although I'm not the only person calling the shots for this new project, I can still offer you a chance to compete against some of the other candidates we're considering."

As she said this, she handed an offer letter to John. "Fill in this form. A few days from now, Moore Group will be hosting a public bid where a very important figure that Moore Group hired will take charge of the project. He, like myself, isn't from Scarnfield City, so he doesn't have any connections here. Because of that, he's more likely to value the quality of your work more than anything.

"I'm certain that if you make solid preparations and present your company's best self forward, you'll stand a chance of winning the bid."

John froze, then folded the letter in half and tucked it away as though it was a priceless heirloom. He smiled at Tara and said, "I must say, President Moore, as young as you are, I have a feeling you'll lead the company to a great future."

"You think so?" Tara pursed her lips. "Neither my father nor my cousin agrees. They both think I need much more training than this."

With that, she handed John her name card and added, "Here is my private phone number. Whether you do end up working alongside Moore Group or not, I hope to get to know you better as friends.

"I'm interested in hearing more about your child and your poor sister. Even if you don't get the job, I'd like to help you in any way that I can. Please feel free to contact me whenever necessary."

John paused, then thanked her and kept the name card in his pocket. "Thank you, President Moore, on behalf of my daughter and my...sister."

"You're welcome." Tara grinned. "Do you mind sharing the details of your sister's condition with me? Perhaps I might be able to help you find a doctor that can treat her."

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3055-John turned pale at this.

A split second later, he regained his composure and glanced at Tara, smiling. "Well, her condition is a little too complicated to explain right now.

"I already have a doctor looking after her, which is why I'm struggling financially and have to resort to such desperate measures, so I don't need your help as of now, President Moore. Still, I appreciate your kindness.

"Don't worry. I'll get in touch if there's anything you can help with in the future."

Tara knew there was no point pursuing this matter anymore, so she smiled and clinked her glass against John's, toasting him. "Alright, then. Feel free to contact me, night or day, I'll be here to help."

John paused, then downed the entire glass of wine. "I have to go now, President Moore. I'll see you at the bid!"

With that, he put down his glass and left.

Tara watched him leave with a smile, then finally turned around and dialed Joshua's number.

At this moment, Joshua was in the middle of sketching out a plan with Luke to save Gwen's father.

He sounded rather panicked when he picked up the call. “ What?"

Tara furrowed her brow when she heard his tone. "Hey, does John have a sister?"

Joshua was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Yes, he does, but that information isn't in his current records. She was adopted by John's parents, but she left them when she was fifteen after they managed to track her birth parents down. They've lost touch ever since.

"This happened when John was seventeen, and since they never contacted each other since then, this information was left out of John's records."

With that, Joshua frowned and said, "Why do you ask? Let me remind you, Tara, that you shouldn't stick your nose into John's business. He matters a lot to both me and Luna, and you're not allowed to cross him. Do you understand?"

Tara rolled her eyes at this. "I know, I know. Tsk! Why are you always so serious? I don't even know what Luna sees in you. Nevermind. Bye!"

With that, she hung up without even waiting to hear Joshua's response.

Despite having hung up, she could not help feeling her heart race.

Joshua was so preoccupied at the moment that he did not have the time nor the energy to check on her, so he had no idea she had met up with John. She wondered what Joshua and John's reactions would be when they saw each other at the bid.

However, Joshua only said not to cross John. He never mentioned anything about what she should do if John approached her.

Tara pursed her lips at this thought.

What a pity. She thought she had struck the jackpot, but it turned out John was telling the truth after all.

After coming out of the bar, John hailed a taxi back to his rental house in a distant corner of the city. As soon as he opened the door, he stormed into the bathroom to vomit.

He was never good at holding his liquor.

"Were you out drinking, John?" a woman wearing an apron walked over to the bathroom, sighing when she saw John's poor state. "Anne and Sammie were both worried sick when they realized you hadn't returned. It took me ages to finally get them to fall asleep.

"Where were you? And why were you drinking? Did you manage to get the money for the surgery?"

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3056-John's expression darkened at the mention of the surgery.

He stilled for a moment. Then, he took out the piece of paper Tara had given him and said, "President Moore didn't try to help me out at all. All she did was offer me a chance to compete fairly against the other competitors."

He sighed and added, "She told me that the person in charge of making the decision wasn't from Scarnfield City and guaranteed that it would be a fair bid. As long as I can present the company and showcase my sincerity, she thinks I might stand a good chance. Of course, I'm not too sure about it."

He sighed once again and stared at the woman before him." Robyn, I'm afraid that I need to spend more time and effort on the company, and you..."

"Don't worry!" Robyn grinned. "I'll help you take care of Anne and Sammie! Hey, I'm not as useless as you think. I graduated from nursing school, after all, so don't you worry!"

With that, she sighed. "Please do the best you can with what you have, John. I know you can do it, and I believe in you. I know you'll do your best and be able to get the money for Anne's surgery."

John smiled bitterly. "Not even I believe in myself as much as you do..."

Sometimes, he would question himself about his decision to take Anne and Sammie away from Banyan City, their home, and go into hiding by faking Anne's death.

His original plan was to hide where no one knew who they were and cut off all ties with their friends and family from Banyan City. After all, John himself was a convicted murderer, Anne had too many ties to people that he would rather not be involved with, and Sammie was not even a year old.

Going into hiding was indeed the best option they had.

However, John never imagined that although Anne had survived her attack, they would be subjected to hefty medical bills that were the result of the numerous surgeries Anne had to undergo to reverse her multiorgan failure.

He had stashed away some money for their relocation, and this money was enough for the three of them to maintain a sensible living, but he never expected that Anne would have to undergo so many surgeries.

Her multiple surgeries and hospital admissions had dwindled his savings swiftly.

Therefore, he had no choice but to reach out for help from his long-lost adoptive sister, Robyn.

Unfortunately, Robyn was not as well-off as he initially thought.

Although her biological parents had found her and brought her home with them, they did not treat her well at all. In fact, they had taken in another girl during Robyn's absence and ended up liking her more than Robyn.

Robyn eventually ran away from home, but she chose to keep her surname. She managed to put herself through college and became a registered nurse.

After John contacted her, Robyn chose to quit her job as a nurse and devote her time to taking care of Anne and Sammie instead.

As a result, John was the sole breadwinner of a family of four, and he was subjected to immense stress.

It was because of this that he had chosen to contact Tara out of desperation.

"John." Robyn sighed and gently patted his shoulder. "Anne, Sammie, and I all believe in you. Just do your best."

John let out a bitter chuckle and hugged Robyn. "Thanks for being so helpful, Robyn."

Then, he let go of her and asked, "By the way...how's Anne doing today? Did she finally talk?"

Robyn's expression dimmed, and she lowered her head. "No, nothing changed.

"I'm fairly certain that mutism isn't a part of the multiorgan failure she suffered from her accident, but for some reason, she refuses to say anything despite what I do."

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3057 -"We just need to be patient." John sighed and patted Robyn's shoulder reassuringly. "Healing is a long process, and we shouldn't rush things."

Robyn smiled. "I'm glad you're so optimistic, John. Anne is so lucky to have you."

John chuckled when he heard this. "I don't agree with that."

Sometimes, he would wonder if it was he who dragged Anne down.

After getting to know Anne's social circle, John realized that she should never have settled down with someone as mundane as him.

All of Anne's friends were members of the social elite. Luna, for instance, hailed from a powerful family even though she had, at one point, been adopted by the Gibsons.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was the heiress to a massive fortune.

Anne herself was a prestigious plastic surgeon and had accumulated a great reputation in this field. It would be easy for her to settle down with a rich, powerful man who could afford to hire bodyguards for her safety.

John, on the other hand, was just a regular man. Although he was ambitious and possessed skills that surpassed the average white-collar worker, he was a far cry from someone

like Anne.

If Anne had not chosen him...perhaps she would never have ended up like this.

It was all his fault. He failed to protect her from harm, and she suffered the consequences.

"Stop overthinking," said Robyn when she sensed John's spiraling thoughts. This was not the first time John blamed himself for Anne's downfall. "Anne chose you because you made her happy. Happiness is subjective, and you can't be the judge of someone else's happiness. As long as she loves you, she'll be willing to stick with you through thick and thin, and if she doesn't, she'll never be happy even if you give her all the riches in the world."

John lowered his head and chuckled bitterly. "Well, if she had chosen to be with someone rich, he'd be able to afford her surgeries..."

"No, it's not like that. Besides, once you ace this pitch, you'll be able to afford her surgeries, won't you? There's no point blaming yourself anymore since time won't reverse itself."

Robyn sighed and continued, "Stop overthinking. Is the alcohol playing tricks on you? Should I make you a nice bowl of hot soup?"

"No need." John dismissed her. Although Tara had forced him to drink, she had fortunately refrained from ordering hard liquor.

Besides, he was used to drinking from all the social obligations he had to attend to, so he built up quite a

tolerance. It would take much more to get him drunk.

"I'll go check on Anne." With that, he turned and strode toward the master bedroom.

Robyn lived in a tiny two-bedroom house, and since their arrival, Robyn had kindly offered them the master bedroom and taken the small room for herself.

John pushed open the door.

The entire room was engulfed in darkness, the only light being the moonlight coming through the window.

John could make out Sammie's silhouette lying in her cot. He strode over and squeezed her cheek lightly, then glanced at the bed.

Anne was sitting against the headboard, wide awake. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, staring intently at him as though questioning him about his late return.

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3058 -"I had to attend to a social obligation, and I drank a little." John smiled when he met Anne's gaze. He sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulder.

She had lost so much weight that all he could feel were her bones poking through her skin. Although she had always been a slender woman in the past, she was at least healthy. Alas, that was no longer the case.

John sighed. "Robyn told me you'd slept. Why aren't you asleep, then?"

Anne pursed her lips and began typing on her phone feebly. [ I heard everything you said to Robyn.]

John was silent for a moment before he kissed her forehead. "Anne, I truly think that...you wouldn't have ended up this way if it weren't for me.

"I always blamed you for getting mixed up with the wrong crowd and even turned down Joshua's help, but the truth is, I can't help blaming myself for everything. If you hadn't chosen to be with me and had settled down with someone from Joshua, Luna, or Bonnie's social circle, you wouldn't have ended up like this.

"The truth is, I have no right to impede on who you choose to be friends with. It's your freedom, after all. I was acting impulsively because I was too angry at myself for being such a useless man..." John's voice grew fainter and hoarser

as he spoke.

Anne bit her lip and shook her head. She cupped John's face with her bony hands and gazed at him as though trying to tell him that it was not his fault.

"Of course it's my fault." John chuckled bitterly and pulled Anne into his arms. "No one would ever dare to do this to you if I'm as powerful as Joshua. Bonnie is Luna's friend too, yet no one tried to do this to her. It's all because they know how useless I am at protecting you and decided to target you instead. It's all my fault."

Anne closed her eyes, knowing she had no way of pulling John out of his negative emotions, so she decided to cut this topic short.

She typed, [You don't even need to worry so much about the surgeries. Why don't we just give up trying? Even if I undergo all the surgeries, there's no guarantee that I'll return to my normal health, and eventually, I'll burden you and Sammie. Instead of spending all this money on me, you should save it up for yourself and Sammie.]

She handed her phone to John.

John digested her words and shook his head. "Anne, don't force me to make such a choice. I'll never do that. Don't worry, I promise I'll get the money."

He turned off Anne's phone and pulled her into his arms." Don't worry, Anne. I'll do everything to make you better again, and we can raise Sammie together. I promise! You'll get better soon."

He pressed kisses all over her forehead as he began to cry." You have to get better soon. It's been so long since I heard your voice, Anne. I...I want to hear your voice again."

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3059-Anne sighed and gently wiped John's tears away. She then squeezed out a smile.

"Can you say something, Anne?" John’s voice trembled. "The doctor said that your vocal cords are fine, and nothing went wrong with your ears or mouth. Nothing’s stopping you from speaking. It's just a mental block...

"Tell me what's on your mind, Anne. Tell me, and we can get through it together."

John's tears ran along Anne's neckline and into her shirt." Anne, I really want to hear your voice. I can't wait to talk to you again."

He had been under immense pressure since leaving Banyan City and especially after their arrival in Scarnfield City.

He chose to come here because he was under the impression that Robyn was doing well for herself, but it turned out that was not the case.

She was already struggling herself, and their arrival only made her situation worse.

John had always been a hardworking person, and he never intended to trouble his sister.

However, since they made such a trip and Robyn insisted they stay, John had no choice but to move in with her and bear the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner of their

tiny family.

Three women were counting on him. One was gravely ill and mute, one was an infant, and the other was forced to quit her job to care for the former two.

Sometimes, John feared that he would one day snap. Every time his emotions had him in a chokehold, he longed for nothing more than to talk to his wife and feel better again.

If she could open her mouth to call out his name again and tell him she believed in him, things would feel easier, but...

Anne could not do that.

John's arms tightened around her. "Anne, do you think I was wrong? Do you think I shouldn't have faked your death, taken you away from Banyan City, and cut your ties with Luna? Do you think it was my fault we're stuck in such a bad situation now?"

Anne paused, then shoved John away so she could meet his gaze and shook her head.

She never once blamed him for their situation.

He chose this path with the best intentions in mind, and she was in no place to complain.

Anne opened her mouth to try to convey this to John, but the only syllables that came out were hollow 'aahs'.

She could not form a single word.

Therefore, she had no choice but to type on her phone again. [It's not that I don't want to talk to you, John.]

She had been unable to speak ever since she came out of her coma and found out about everything that had happened.

She did not know what condition she was suffering from, nor whether it was psychiatric in origin. All she knew was that as much as she wanted to speak again, nothing would come out.

"I know." John embraced her again. "You love me and Sammie so much. There's no way you'd refuse to talk to us if you could. It's just... It's just too hard."

Anne sighed and wrapped her arms around John's back.

If only she could talk again.

If only she could talk, she would be able to find a job somewhere and help split their financial burden.

Pursuing my ex-wife is not easy chapter 3060-John hugged Anne longly before finally regaining his composure. He kissed her forehead and held her face in his hands tenderly. "Shall we go to bed together? I'll make you a nice cup of warm milk if you can't sleep."

Anne nodded.

With that, John smiled and kissed her again before finally leaving the room.

The living room was dark, which meant Robyn had gone to sleep.

John switched on the lights, then walked into the kitchen to grab the milk carton and heated it in a cup.

He returned to the bedroom with Anne's cup, only to find her staring out the window at the apartment building across from theirs.

At this moment, the entire building was ablaze with light and activity. Cars were parked outside the building with countless men dressed in black rushing into the building as though they were in search of someone.

John furrowed his brows. "Is that the police?"

Those men did not appear to be policemen, but if not, who else would they be? Why would they be searching for someone in the middle of the night?

At the thought of this, John took out his phone.

Ever since they moved in with Robyn, she had added him to the group chat with the rest of the tenants of their building so he would stay up-to-date on the latest news, such as electricity outages.

Although he had no idea what was happening in the building across from them, he was certain someone else would know.

He was right; the group chat was filled with messages from the tenants. By reading the first message, he could vaguely make out what was happening.

Apparently, there was a kidnapped old man kept in the building. With the old man's family having tracked him down, they were turning the entire building inside out to search for him.

Besides that, every tenant of the building had been awarded 10000 dollars as compensation for their trouble.

One of the tenants of John's apartment building just so happened to be a real estate agent that possessed the keys to some of the vacant units right across. He blatantly asked the rest of the people in the group chat if any of them wanted to sneak into a vacant unit whereby they could pretend they lived there and claim the reward money.

[You know damn well I'm up for that! Whoever's giving out this money probably won't mind giving me some too!]

[This is even more than three months of my salary combined! Why would I pass up this opportunity?]

[This is practically free money falling from the sky! Why would I say no to that?]

Everyone was intrigued by this.

John paused, then lifted his head to glance at Anne, who was sipping her milk. "Anne."

She turned and looked at him questioningly.

John inhaled and said, "You... Why don't you try to sleep first? I..."

After some hesitation, he finally decided to come clean with his idea. "Ten thousand is a lot, especially in this current situation we're in. I..."

He paused, then finally finished his sentence. "I want to get this money."