"Dance?" Joanna cleared her throat awkwardly, and pretended to be uninterested. "I'm not a fan of dancing."
Julian smiled, a knowing look on his face. He stared into Joanna's eyes challengingly. "Is that the truth, or are you just scared?"
"Are you kidding me? Why would I be scared?" Joanna scoffed, but she couldn't meet Julian's gaze.
Julian's piercing eyes reminded her of Ace. When he looked at her, it was as if he could see all her secrets.
Truthfully, how could she not care that Ace was dancing with another girl? She was only pretending not to care, but unfortunately, her acting wasn't good enough. As soon as she saw Ace chatting and laughing with that girl, her walls came down… She got so distracted that she forgot about the game and dragged her team down.
"If you're not afraid, then dance with me. I'm sure you'll feel much better after we dance," Julian insisted, and offered his hand to Joanna again.
Although he was Ace's nephew, he was only one and a half years younger than Ace. He had grown up abroad where there was more freedom, so he was a bit more carefree and transparent compared to Ace.
Joanna nibbled her lip and hesitated. It would be too obvious if she danced, but if she didn't, she'd seem like a coward.
Liam had also noticed that Joanna hadn't really moved on from Ace, she wouldn't have gotten distracted at her best game otherwise.
Ace clearly knew his wife was here, so why was he dancing so intimately with another girl? Clearly, he was trying to provoke Joanna!
As Joanna's number one guardian, Liam couldn't let her lose!
Liam offered his hand to Joanna too. "Boss, if you want to dance, it's best that you dance with me. After all, we've known each other for years, so we'd be better dance partners."
Julian and Liam's behavior attracted a lot of attention in the bar, especially from the women. They began whispering to each other, directing envious glances at Joanna. After all, being asked to dance by two handsome men was a major accomplishment…
"You two are terrible. You're just trying to mess with me!" Joanna felt extremely awkward with everyone watching her. She didn't want to choose either of them, but she suddenly noticed that Ace seemed to be looking her way.
It was an extremely unfriendly stare that almost seemed like a warning. At the same time, Ace also whispered something to the girl in the white dress.
Ugh, he was such a jerk!
Joanna immediately stood up. She touched Liam's face, then patted Julian on the head. It looked like an emperor choosing his consort. 'One is handsome and positive, while the other is quiet and thoughtful. Don't worry, I'll dance with both of you!'
"I'll dance with Julian first since he came from far away. Liam, wait for me like a good boy!"
Liam was extremely jealous. He could easily get any woman he wanted, and the look in his eyes said he knew it. However, he still nodded obediently. "Alright. Boss, you can dance with the fake Ace first. I'll join you once you're ready for the grand finale."
"Good boy." Joanna smiled and touched Liam's face again. She reached for Julian's hand, and he led her confidently to the dance floor.
All the women in the bar sighed, their chins on their palms.
"That woman is so lucky! She has two handsome men by her side… it's really the best of both worlds!"
"I'm curious how she managed to do it. I'm sure her family must be rich. Either that, or she rescued the galaxy in her past life!"
Christopher and Ethan, who sat on the opposite table, had witnessed this scene too and were also impressed.
"I knew it! That woman isn't as innocent as she appears… She definitely has a few tricks up her sleeve! Neither Liam nor Julian are easy to win over, but she has both of them under her control. How could Ace be her match? He's too naive," Ethan scoffed, feeling sorry for Ace.
Christopher raised his brows before taking a sip of his whiskey. "Ace isn't going to like this."
When Joanna and Julian walked onto the dance floor, the spotlight just happened to be shining down on them. Everyone looked their way. Ace and Shirley were right next to them, so they were also under the spotlight.
Ace's gaze was terrifyingly cold when he looked over at Joanna. "I had no idea you were so popular. I can understand why a kid like Liam would fall for you, but I'm truly impressed that you even managed to win my nephew over."
His nephew? Julian was his nephew? Although Joanna was taken aback, she didn't let it show. She refused to let Julian see her waver.
She kept her head held high and wrapped her arms around Julian's shoulders. They began dancing slowly to the music. "Thanks for the compliment, Mr. Moran. I'm sure you think I have no value whatsoever, but I'm actually pretty popular… I'm sure you saw how they fought to dance with me."
Ace's expression turned gloomy, and he was clearly pissed off. He then turned to Julian with a glare. "When did you start hanging out with her?"
Julian knew how to play his cards, so he answered blankly, "I don't know anything I'm just here to dance."
Meanwhile, Shirley, who was in Ace's arms, was like an innocent bystander who had been dragged into a fight. She had a frantic expression on her face, and all she wanted to do was escape.
"M-Mr. Moran, I think I've caused some sort of misunderstanding. Should I leave?" Shirley asked carefully, her eyes wide.
Ace's expression was cold. "I carefully selected you as my dance partner, and you're the first person I've danced with who can keep up. I haven't had enough fun yet. Are you getting bored?"
"Not at all!" Shirley was flattered. "I'm having a good time too. Although I'm from a dance academy. I've never met a dance partner as good as you!"
The two of them danced flawlessly, and their movements became increasingly intimate.
Joanna heard everything they said, and she thought to herself bitterly, "Why don't you both just get a room?"
In the next second, she heard a pained shout.