Alice 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. โI used to think that way. Although itโs a small action, making breakfast for my family gave me the greatest sense of fulfillment ever.โ She let out a sigh before she continued wistfully, โUnfortunatelyโฆ I discovered that I couldnโt even protect the people I love. I was such a failure. Ever since then, no matter what I did, I couldnโt feel accomplished or fulfilled anymore.โUpon 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 foole
โI 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, Joshuaโs assistant contacted me and told me he wanted to host an art show for me because of Alice.โLuna bit her lip. โSoโฆ The reason you stayed in Banyan City is that you wanted to thank Alice in person?โLuna doubted that because ever since Theo had met Alice, he showed no indication of wanting to initiate a conversation with her.โI wanted to confirm something first,โ said Theo as he brought his glass up to his lips and took a sip. โWhen 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 donโt believe the woman thatโs with Joshua now is the real Luna Gibson. Although she claims to go by Alice now, from my knowledge of her, she wasnโt as superficial and deceiving as Alice.โTheoโs statement greatly shocked Luna,
8:29am. Luna stepped foot in the design department with a minute to spare.As soon as she entered, Shannon winked at her. โSomeoneโs waiting for you in your office. Heโs been waiting for a while now.โLuna furrowed her brows in confusion and pushed the door open. Joshuaโs 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. โCame to the office with only one minute to spare. How obsessed are you with that man?โ Luna paused before she offered a polite smile. She strode to Joshuaโs side and snatched the draft he was holding. โFirstly, I wasnโt late. Secondly, I didnโt break any company policies. Besides, who I choose to befriend and have breakfast with is my personal business, right, Mr. Lynch?โ Joshua could not help but frown at Lunaโs harsh attitude. โWhat did I tell you last night? I told you he canโt be trusted, and you should stay away from
Joshua asked with a frown.โWell, itโs either she has ulterior motives or that sheโs a saint,โ said Jude as he leaned back against the couch in Joshuaโs office. โAlthough, from what I know about her, I donโt think itโs the latter.โJoshua was sitting in his office chair as he gazed off into the distance. โMaybe she has ulterior motivesโฆโIf that was it, what was she after?Jude shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch and shot Joshua a glance. โYou know, Iโm not that bad-looking myself, but why are all the women always after you?โJoshua picked up his cup and took a sip of his coffee. โWhat are you trying to say?โโThe eldest daughter of the Walters, Hailey has gone missing.โ Jude yawned and gave a stretch. He raised his eyebrows at Joshua before he continued, โMr. Walter wanted me to ask you if youโd seen her lately.โโNope.โ Joshua furrowed his brows. โI havenโt seen her in a long time.โ Joshua recalled that the last time he saw her was at his and Lunaโs wedding.
โHow did you know I was working late tonight?โ asked Luna as she munched on the food Theo had brought for her.Theo chuckled. โWhat if I told you Iโd been waiting for you outside since 5pm?โLuna almost choked on her food. โReally?โโOf course not, silly.โ Theo leaned against the chair and stretched. โWhen I was at your friendโs place this morning, I asked for her number, too. I called her just now, and she told me you werenโt home yet, so I guessed that you were probably still working.โLuna felt relieved upon hearing Theoโs 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. โLetโs go.โTheo chuckled again and helped her clean up the food containers. โLetโs go. The landlord is waiting for us.โLuna 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 k
He still remembered what Luna had told him in the past. โIf we have kids, Iโll teach them to be true to themselves. They should act courteous in public, but when theyโre at home, they can do whatever they want.โIt was apparent that Alice had forgotten her promise. It seemed that six years truly could change a person, so much so that Joshua could not recognize her anymore.He sighed and led Alice into the house. โDaddy!โโWelcome home, Daddy! We know youโve had a long day at work!โ As soon as they set foot in the house, they came face-to-face with Neil and Nellie. The two children stood to either side of the door and bowed at Joshua, smiling.Joshua immediately scowled at this sight. He took a closer look at his two children standing before him. Nellieโs face was red and tearful, while Neilโs face was etched with impatience. It was obvious that the two children had been forced to do this against their will.Joshua let go of Alice and shot her a cold glance. โIs this the so-cal
As soon as Alice started crying, Joshua could not help but feel sorry for her. He sighed and pulled her into his arms. โNo, please donโt think that. Iโm justโฆreally busy with work lately.โHe lifted his head to wipe away the tears from under her eyes. โItโs okay. Iโm home now.โWith her head down, a triumphant glint flashed across Aliceโs eyes. She nodded meekly and said, โThatโs okay. If youโre busy, you should do work. All I needed to know is that you donโt hate the kids or me, thatโs all.โJoshua gently patted her back to comfort her. โHow could I hate you?โ He let go of Alice and bent down to hoist Nellie into his arms. โCome on, letโs eat.โโOkay!โ Alice replied. She watched as Joshua headed to the dining room with Nellie in his arms before she turned around to glower at Neil. โYou recorded me? Youโre not so stupid after all.โNeil grinned at her. โWell, I learned from the best, though you managed to outsmart us in the end. I guess I underestimated you.โ With that, he turne
Neil rolled his eyes and leaned against the couch lazily. Joshua sighed. โItโs all Lunaโs fault. Sheโs spoiled you.โโThis has nothing to do with Mommy. Fine, Iโll sit properly.โ Neil could not stand hearing anyone talk bad about his mother, so he immediately sat up. โAlright. What did you want to talk to me about?โโAlice is your mother.โ Joshua gave Neil a solemn look. โSheโs carried you and Nellie in her womb for ten months and even suffered a car accident during her pregnancy. Life hasnโt been easy on her. I know you both have spent a lot of time with Luna and that she raised you, but it doesnโt mean you can act disrespectfully toward Alice. Sheโs your birth mother. Both of you are smart kids, so Iโm sure you understand why she wasnโt there for you, but now that sheโs back, you have to treat her with the respect she deserves.โNeil rolled his eyes. Of course, they would respect their mother, but Alice was not their birth motherโLuna was!โAnswer me,โ insisted Joshua coldly when
At that, he looked at Gwen. "Actuallyโฆ"Steven found himself unable to finish his sentence. After a long while, he shook his head and smiled. "Forget about it.""Stevenโฆ" Gwen looked at him, and her tears fell.Her heart was not made of stone. How could she not know Steven's feelings toward her?She was silent for a long while. In the end, she stood up and slowly walked over to Steven with arms opened wide. "Give me a hug."Steven hesitated for a while, but he still stood up.They hugged."Gwen." Steven hugged her thin figure. "I have to meet you earlier in the next life so I can compete fairly with my brother."Gwen nodded with tears streaming down her face. "Okay."They thus hugged once more. Minutes laterโฆ"He's gone," said Stefan.Tears kept falling.They hugged for a while longer before pulling apart. Gwen looked at Stefan with her tear-stricken face. He had tears on his face as well.She bit her lips and reached out to wipe his tears. "AโAre these tearsโฆyours or his?
The next day, Rachel flew from Merchant City to Sharnwick City to diagnose Anne's condition. Theo tagged along as well because he had another identity, Rachel's boyfriend."According to the report, Anne's condition is slowly recuperating." Rachel was relieved after assessing the report. "Although she is very weak, she is going to get better with lots of rest."There is nothing wrong with her vocal cords too. It could be a psychological thing that makes her lose her voice. A knot in her heart that causes it." She looked at Luna, then at John. "Considering all factors, I think that knot is Luna."Rachel continued, "John, I know Luna is the root cause of all these bad things. Being away from Luna, Joshua, and other people is going to guarantee a safer life for you and your family. But have you thought about it from Anne's point of view? Other than you and Sammie, she has her own life and her circle of friends. Never has she blamed Luna for what happened, yet you forced her to leave Lun
It was almost a miracle for Anne to willingly leave the house just to visit him!Robyn, meanwhile, sobbed at the sight.The nurse who accompanied Anne to the ward was puzzled. What was going on with these people?She snuck her phone out of her pocket and took a photo of this surreptitiously. Then, she sent it into the nurse's group chat with the caption, [What a strange family I met today.]The nurses in the group chat began gossiping about this. One of them tagged a fellow nurse named Daisy and said, [Hey, isn't this the guy who saved the old man you're looking after? What a hero!]Daisy was, at this moment, walking into Andy's room to help him change his wound dressing. She saw the message but was not able to type on her keyboard to respond, so she recorded a voice message instead. "Yes, that's the man. What's wrong with his family? What are you guys talking about?"As soon as she finished her sentence, she lifted her head and finally realized that Andy was not there.Instead,
Anne stared at John for a long time before forcibly smiling and told him in sign language, "Robyn didn't return after so long, so I got worried and came by to check on her.""Daddy, Aunt Robyn, are you two hugging?" Sammie asked, blinking innocently as she raised her head in curiosity.John and Robyn turned pale at this.It was understandable for such a young child like Sammie to misinterpret them as hugging, but what would Anne think of this?John leaped off the bed and staggered toward Anne. "Anne, it's just a misunderstandingโฆ"However, he was still so weak that his legs could not hold up the full weight of his body at all, and he almost crumpled to the ground.Quick-witted Robyn managed to catch him before he could fall, but this gesture appeared once again rather intimate to both Anne and Sammie. Sammie furrowed her brow and asked rather indignantly, "Are you hugging again? Daddy, how can you hug Aunt Robyn like this when you've never even hugged Mommy and me like this befor
When the nurse pushed Anne to John's ward, she overheard John and Robyn fighting from the door. The fight was about how John was anxious to return home because he was worried about Anne and Sammie.However, as someone who used to work as a nurse, Robyn knew John should not leave the hospital after being shot by a gun. At least, he needed to stay in the hospital and be observed for 24 hours to make sure that he was fine before leaving the hospital. If an infection happened, John's body would crash easily and he would become weak just like Anne.In the ward, John frowned and talked with a serious tone, "I'm really fine. Get me my clothes so I can go upstairs to thank Miss Andie and go back home immediately. If Anne knows that I'm hurt, she is going to worry. She will easily be suspicious since you haven't gone back home for a long time. What if she worries about me and brings Sammie to the hospital to look for me? Can you bear yourself even just thinking about it? She's weak and Sammie
Sammie's soft and cute babyish voice melted Stefan's heart immediately. It had been quite some time since he actually put a smile on his face. "Hi, there. What's your name and how old are you?"Sammie tilted her head to look at Stefan's handsome face and smiled sweetly, "I'm Samantha but everyone calls me Sammie."Then she did not forget to introduce Anne to Stefan too. "This is my Mommy. Her name is Anne."At this point, Stefan had given all of his attention to Sammie and did not notice Sammie mentioned that her mother's name was Anne. He pinched Sammie's cheek and said, "Your Mommy is not feeling well. You have to be a good girl and take care of her, do you understand?"Sammie nodded seriously and said, "I will.""Alright, sir. I will bring them to where they want to go," the nurse saw Anne signing to her anxiously. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I will take good care of them."The promise from the nurse gave an assurance to Stefan that they would be well taken off. He smil
This was the first time Anne brought Sammie out. Ever since she escaped from death, she became a different personโa recluse and was afraid of the sun. This situation became even worse after she became mute.The last time she left the house was two weeks ago when she had to go for surgery.However, she worried about John. In the morning, Robyn told her John was hurt and needed to stay in the hospital to rest. However, she had a hard time believing what Robyn said.After spending so many years together with John, Anne reckoned she was the one who knew John the most. If it was a minor injury, John would never want to stay in the hospital. He cared too much about her and Sammie, so he never dared to let her worry about him. Therefore, it just did not sound reasonable if John would stay in the hospital because of a small injury.Furthermore, Robyn had not returned home since the morning, which was nearly three hours since she left the house. After much consideration, she decided to call
Tara fell silent upon hearing this. She bit her lip nervously and shot Gwen a tentative glance. "I didn't mean to offend you, Gwenโฆ" "I know." Gwen let out an exhale and interrupted Tara before she could finish, "I know you meant no harm, but I can't deny that this is something I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around. In the future, neither of youโeven you, Lunaโshould bring this up again." Her love life was such a mess that not even she could unravel the ties, much less expect other people to understand. Tara pursed her lips and did not reply. Luna stared at Gwen in silence for a while before finally saying, "But you have to face this eventually, Gwennie. After all that you've been through with Luke, all of us hope for nothing but the best for the two of you. Even if you avoid it now, you'll have to face the truth eventually. Otherwise, are you planning on spending the rest of your life in this complicated relationship with Luke? Can you bear the thought of not being
Stefan was mildly amused by the look on her face. He extended his arms out in a gesture of defeat and said, "I never intended on ratting you out to Joshua. You three spoke about these secrets in my presence." With that, he shot Andy a rather helpless look. "Don't you agree, sir?" Andy was surprised to be called out all of a sudden. "Of course!" Although Gwen and Luke had been together for a long time, Luke had never much cared for maintaining good relations with his future father-in-law. He always thought his relationship with Gwen did not concern anyone else outside of the two of them. Combined with the fact that Andy had done some hurtful things to Gwen in the past, Luke grew even more disdainful of his future father-in-law. Because of this, he had never given Andy as much as a second glance throughout their relationship and rarely ever addressed him directly like this. The truth was, Stefan had already called out to Andy once before, during their rescue mission the day befor