Although she understood Theo’s true motives for befriending her, she did not mind it at all. She knew that if she were in his shoes, she would do the same. She and Theo were on the same side, in a way.
As she thought of this, Bethan lifted her head to look at Theo. “What if in the end, you find out that Alice isn’t the real Bethan Peterson? What would you do then?”
Theo pondered for a moment before he finally said, “
Well, I’d leave Banyan City and go in search of the real Bethan Peterson.”
Bethan was surprised by his answer. “Don’t you want to expose her?”
“Why should I?”
Theo chuckled. “If I, a total stranger, could unravel the truth and find out that Alice is an imposter, then what about Brettley? He’s been married to Bethan Peterson for more than three years, but if he was fooled, then it serves him right. I f that happens, I won’t expose her because I don’t think he deserves to know the truth.”
Bethan’s heart sank upon hearing Theo’s response. He was right.
This man sitting right in front of her was a total stranger, yet even he could tell that Alice was not the real Bethan Peterson. How, then, could Brettley be so oblivious?
8:29 a.m. Bethan stepped foot in the design department with a minute to spare.
As soon as she entered, Shannon winked at her. “
Someone’s waiting for you in your office. He’s been waiting for a while now.”
Bethan furrowed her brows in confusion and pushed the door open. Brettley’s lean and slender body perched on her office chair, his gaze focused on the drafts and sketches strewn all over her desk.
When he heard her coming in, Brettley glanced at the time and snickered. “Came to the office with only one minute to spare. How obsessed are you with that man?”
Bethan paused before she offered a polite smile. She strode to Brettley’s side and snatched the draft he was holding. “Firstly, I wasn’t late. Secondly, I didn’t break any company policies. Besides, who I choose to befriend and have breakfast with is my personal business, right, Mr. Morrison?”
Brettley could not help but frown at Bethan’s harsh attitude. “What did I tell you last night? I told you he can’t be trusted, and you should stay away from him!”
Brettley could not believe the audacity of this woman. He had given her a friendly warning just the night before, yet she still hung out with Theo and even had plans to move in together!
“You met him just last night, right? Tsk. You’ve known him for less than 25 hours, yet you’ve already gone on a breakfast date and even plan to move in with him. I never knew you were so desperate, Bethan.”
Bethan burst out in laughter as she saw how flustered Brettley was. “I ‘ve always been this way, Mr. Morrison. How could you have never noticed?”
As she said this, she started cleaning up her messy desk. “Mr. Morrison, you’re the CEO of Morrison Group, so you probably know better than anyone that the office is only meant for business. If you want to discuss personal issues, then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave, Mr. Morrison.”
Brettley squinted at her. “No, I’m here to talk business.”
He handed her a folder and said, “There’s a jewelry exhibition in Sea City next month. I want you to come up with a design draft before next week and finalize it within another two weeks.”
Bethan flipped through the folder and said incredulously, “You want me to come up with sketches for an entire series within a week?”
She let out an exasperated laugh. “I’m not sure if you’ re aware, Brettley, but inspiration won’ t come with a snap of the finger. I need time to come up with ideas. I can’t possibly create so many designs in a week, much less exquisite ones. Are you insane?”
Brettley merely gazed at her impassively. “Are you not capable of taking up this project?”
He tapped his slender fingers against the desk and remarked with an air of indignation, “Well, I guess you’ re not as good as they say you are. Perhaps you can’t do it because you’re too busy running around with that artist?”
Bethan knew Brettley was trying to get on her nerves. “
This is an impossible task! “
“I believe you can do it, ” said Brettley as he leaned against the chair and glanced at her. “I have a suggestion. If you manage to finish this job within a week, I ’11 give you a day off, and you can take Neil and Nellie out for a day trip. How does that sound?”
Bethan’s face immediately lit up at his offer. All this while, Brettley had forbidden Neil and Nellie to contact her, and he would not let her anywhere near Blue Bay Villa.
The two children had never been apart from their mother all these years, and as they had not seen Bethan in such a long time, they were definitely miserable. It would be wonderful if the three could spend some time together again, even if just for a day.
Bethan let out a sigh and snapped the folder shut. “
Alright, I’ll try my best.”
“Great. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Brettley smirked and left the office.
Just as the door swung shut behind him, however, he turned around to glance at Bethan. She was sitting at the desk, immersed in the folder’s contents and busy making notes in the margins. It was obvious she was jumping at the chance to see Neil and Nellie.
Brettley sighed and left.
“Why do you think she’s so attached to Nellie and Neil? They’re not even her children.”
Brettley asked with a frown.
“Well, it’s either she has ulterior motives or that she’s a saint,” said Jude as he leaned back against the couch in Brettley’s office. “Although, from what I know about her, I don’t think it’s the latter.”
Brettley was sitting in his office chair as he gazed off into the distance. “Maybe she has ulterior motives…”
If that was it, what was she after?
Jude shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch and shot Brettley a glance. “You know, I’m not that bad-looking myself, but why are all the women always after you?”
Brettley picked up his cup and took a sip of his coffee. “What are you trying to say?”
“The eldest daughter of the Walters, Hailey has gone missing. “
Jude yawned and gave a stretch. He raised his eyebrows at Brettley before he continued, “Mr.
Walter wanted me to ask you if you’d seen her lately.”
“Nope.”
Brettley furrowed his brows. “I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
Brettley recalled that the last time he saw her was at his and Bethan’s wedding.
“I haven’t seen her in a long time either, and I think it’s been six or seven years, too. I heard that she’s obsessed with plastic surgery. Apparently, nowadays, she’s either at the hospital getting yet another surgery or on her way there.”
Jude continued, “Both your families had an arranged marriage long before the two of you were born. I know that she’s always wanted to marry you, and word has it that she hasn’t settled down yet. Now that she’s disappeared, I thought that she’d be with you or something.”
Brettley gave him a slight smirk. “Well, if she comes to me, I’ll let you know.”
All of a sudden, he seemed to recall something. He lifted his head and glanced at Jude. “Hey, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? You didn’t even get to attend my wedding all those years ago, so why don’t you come over tonight and get to know Alice and the kids?”
Jude waved his hand dismissively. “Sorry, I can’t make it tonight. Maybe some other time.”
Night fell. The entire city seemed to settle down as the sky grew darker and darker. The Morrison Group Tower, however, still bustled with activity.
When Alice called for the third time that night, Brettley finally let out a sigh and put down the documents he was reading.
Brettley took the elevator down. When he arrived at the ground floor, he overheard a conversation between two employees from the design department.
“I don’t know what’s up with her lately. She didn’t come in for work for days on end, but now that she’s back, she’s been working like a mad woman.”
“Thank God I was quick on my feet. I told her that I had to go home because I had some personal issues to deal with. Otherwise, we’ll have to stay here and work until God knows what time…”
The two voices grew further away. Brettley frowned upon hearing their complaints and immediately turned around. He got into the elevator and pressed the button for the 18th floor.
The entire floor was deserted when he got there. The only noise he could hear was the faint rustling of paper and the sound of a pencil scratching from a corner of the department.
Brettley followed the noises and arrived at Bethan’s office, the only bright place on the otherwise dark and deserted floor. He could see her through the glass window. Bethan was sitting in front of an easel, her gaze focused on the sketch in front of her. She was so engrossed in her drawing that she did not even notice him watching her.
The dim light from her desk lamp cast shadows on her side profile. The determined and focused expression on her face was so attractive that she looked like she had just stepped out of a painting.
She looked so beautiful in the dim light that Brettley felt like his heart skipped a beat. This scene reminded him so much of his wife. Many years ago, he had watched Bethan draw and design her sketches in a similar fashion.
This woman in front of him resembled the Bethan he loved so much; down to the glint in her eyes and the unconscious habit she had of chewing the end of her pencil. Brettley could not help but continue to stare at her in awe.
After a while, he glanced at the time and decided to approach her before a familiar figure appeared at the end of the hallway all of a sudden.
Theo, dressed in all white, strode over with a takeout bag in his hand as he gently knocked on Bethan’s office door. “Director Bethan, it’s time for dinner.”
Theo’s voice was low and gentle.
Bethan perked up at his words. “Hey, why are you here?”
“I didn’t want you to starve, so I brought some dinner.”
Theo walked toward her, all smiles as he set the paper bag on the table and opened the takeout boxes. “I’ll give you two options: You can eat and finish your work later, or you can eat and let me take you to my place afterward.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.