The Billionaire's Ex-Wife Returns!
Chapter 33: ’I Have To Find Her’

Chapter 33: ’I Have To Find Her’

Lucy continued checking each room on the floor. Once she was done, she decided to list out the tools and equipment she needed and had Erica and Mark buy them, leaving her to her own devices.

The Southwest Branch was the newest building the Westwood Group had established. As soon as it was finished, many articles were made to praise and speculate about the success of the branch company. Would it become one of Landon Westwood’s achievements? Or will he finally show his incompetency as the new head of the Westwood Group?

And as much as she hated to say this, Lucy had to admit that the building itself had an amazing touch in it.

Standing before a wall, Lucy thought of what to design there. The floor she was on was dedicated to children. It was also why she accepted the job, among other reasons.

Staring at the empty place, Lucy decided to picture a playground for children to play in while their parents shop, have meetings, and have alone time in this building. There needs to be a huge inflated sliding on that side where children will land on countless soft balls to soften their landing. And on the other side, several swings with soft cushions should be placed there and a soft padding shall be placed underneath it.

Although she took up the job as the interior painter and should only focus on making this entire floor come alive through her paintings, Lucy couldn’t stop organizing what the playground would look like had she been given the freedom to design it.

After almost half an hour, Mark arrived with two guards, who each carried a huge box.

They approached Lucy quickly and set the boxes down with the dust flying everywhere.

"These are everything," Mark said, his face glistening with sweat.

Lucy quietly moved to inspect each box. The paints she needed, and the tools were all there. Nothing was missing.

Except, one thing...

"Where’s she?" Lucy glanced over at Mark, who should have come back with the female employee called Erica.

A complicated look flashed across Mark’s face.

"Erica said she’ll be back in an hour to finish a report."

Lucy didn’t need much to tell that it was pretty much a lie to get away from this place. However, she didn’t call it out as she ordered Mark to call Erica and tell her to return in an hour.

Yet, even after an hour passed, Erica did not come.

In fact, she didn’t even come to the site till the evening.

Mark was conflicted and also angry at Erica’s behavior, but she was his mentor so he couldn’t say anything to scold her.

He could only apologize to Lucy on behalf of his mentor.

"I’m really sorry. She must be so busy at the office."

Lucy didn’t care about this. She merely spared him a glance before turning around to go back inside. On the other hand, Mark took that as a signal for him to leave.

As soon as he left, Mark messaged Erica.

[I just came out of the site.]

A few minutes later, he received a reply.

[What did she say? Did she get angry?]

Mark sighed when he saw this. Even without hearing her speak, he could hear the excitement in the message.

He thought back to the way Lucy didn’t say or do anything when she realized Erica was not coming, and just focused on sketching a design in a corner.

[No. She didn’t.]

[Tsk. Don’t go there tomorrow.]

Mark frowned as he replied.

But before he could compose a response, a message from Erica arrived.

[I spoke with my brother-in-law from the planning department earlier. We should go and meet him tomorrow. He said he will get us a spot in their department.]

Mark paused and reread the message. He could barely contain his joy. He had been waiting for this message his entire life!

All these few months of enduring by practically becoming Erica’s errand boy finally paid off.

Mark hid his phone inside his pocket and quickly drove out of there, not knowing that standing behind the floor-to-ceiling window on the eleventh floor, Lucy was talking to someone on her phone.

"I hope everything went well on your side."

It was Mr. Winsky who wanted to check on her.

Lucy glanced down and saw the car disappear in a corner. She turned around, picked up a brush, dipped it into the paint, and faced the wall.

Before the brush could touch the wall, Lucy said, "Can you repeat the conditions I asked when I took this job?"

Mr. Winsky readily answered, "You asked for three conditions. One, you will work on the design alone. Two, the Westwood Group won’t interfere or dictate what you will design and cannot reveal your identity to the public. Lastly, you can terminate the contract and leave anytime if you become unsatisfied while working with us."

These three conditions were raised and approved personally by Mr. Landon Westwood. When he first read the conditions, he almost thought there must be something wrong in her head. Who in their right mind would ask for such unfair conditions? But when their president agreed to it, he wondered who was even crazier between the two.

However, one thing was clear: their president wanted no one else but Corone to do this job.

"Did something happen after I left?" Mr. Winsky inquired, his eyebrows bunching up in worry as he thought of the two employees he had left behind to assist Lucy in her work.

"It would be better if you ask them," Lucy said, as she started painting on the wall.

The dark red paint against the white wall looked like blood splatters.

"And also, will you please relay my message to them?"

"Tell them, they don’t have to come back tomorrow."

***

"Are you alright?" Alaric asked Landon with concern. "You haven’t been sleeping since you arrived here and you wouldn’t stop going out in the middle of a storm to find her, Landon. You should at least think of yourself."

Landon wore his coat and strode with big steps towards the door.

Alaric blocked his way. "There’s still a storm outside."

"Get out of my way."

The cold response Alaric received almost beat down the storm from how rough it was.

It was not this first rodeo, though. And so Alaric persisted in blocking his path.

Glaring at his secretary, Landon spoke in a restrained tone. "Alaric, don’t forget I’m your boss and I’m paying you to follow my orders."

"Exactly. If you die after going out in that storm, how are you going to pay me?" Alaric shrugged. "I don’t think the Underworld has yet to establish their own express send. So, I cannot let you out of here."

It would be easy for Landon to take down Alaric with a punch. He would’ve gotten his way out that way. But the migraine in his head was hammering down on him like a driller.

Moreover, his body was way too hot. Literally. Was it 39 degrees when Alaric checked him? It doesn’t matter. He needed to get out of there and continue his search for Lucy.

He had wasted so much time. So much more for him to let her slip through his fingers again.

He wouldn’t allow her to get away and disappear now that he had found her.

Landon regretted that he had put so much trust in her. He was naïve. He thought Lucy needed time and so he gave her that. But the moment he learned she had cancer, the patience he had exerted snapped.

Just the thought Lucy could die somewhere where he is not haunted him. It gave him endless nightmares and stole away his sleep forever.

Until now, he has not recovered since.

"Alaric, I have to find her."

"I know."

Alaric knew just as much how Lucy’s disappearance affected him. Even though on the surface, Landon kept a stoic face that made everyone tremble in fear and respect, no one had an idea of what kind of turmoil was brewing inside him. And what kind of hell he put himself through because he couldn’t stop blaming himself that Lucy had to leave?

"But I still can’t let you out of here." Alaric was determined to not let Landon out and guarded the door like a hellhound.

Landon glared at Alaric. For once, he was upset. He let his secretary know everything about him and allowed himself to become friends with him. Then he didn’t have to deal with the consequences of forcing Alaric to follow his order. But he was the only person who knew what was happening to him. And honestly, Alaric was an amazing secretary and friend.

As the two stood in front of the door in a stalemate, a ringing sound finally broke into the silence.

Without taking his eyes off Landon, Alaric fished his phone out of his pocket. After he listened for a few seconds to the person on the other side of the phone, he said, "It’s a call from Paul. He says he needs your permission on something."

Landon didn’t want to deal with this, but Alaric had tossed the phone to him.

With an agile move, Landon caught the phone and pressed it close to his ear.

Then Mr. Winsky’s voice came through the line.

"Mr. Westwood, I have something I need to talk to you concerning the painter you hired."

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