Joanna gasped. She was afraid that Liam might actually lose control and beat Ace up. There were so many people around, and they were both from respectable families – it wouldn't look good if anything happened.
Joanna quickly stood up to drag Liam back, but Clara stopped her. "Don't worry, Joanna, you know my brother won't do anything stupid. Just wait and see."
"You're right…" Only then did Joanna sit down.
Liam was Master Blackwood, a famous elite in the City. He was known for his intelligence, and many bigshots had been punished by him for misbehaving. He definitely wouldn't do anything stupid!
When Ace saw Liam walking over, his expression remained blank and he acted as if he couldn't even see Liam.
Ethan, who was much more straightforward, stood up and glared at Liam." What's your problem?" He asked in an unfriendly tone.
Liam smiled. "No need to get riled up, mate, I mean no harm. On the contrary, since you're all older, I've always looked up to you. Fate brought us together today, so I was thinking of having a few drinks together and making some new friends."
Ethan was very annoyed. "Don't make it sound like we're that much older. We're barely a few years apart."
On the other hand, Christopher was much friendlier. He pointed at the empty seat next to him. "Master Blackwood, you have a good reputation. You've managed to elevate the Blackwood family to greater
heights, and my father always has good things to say about you. I've long wanted to make your acquaintance. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Mr. Christopher. It's my pleasure." Liam sat next to Ace with the bottle of wine in his hand.
It was undeniably an awkward Situation.
Everyone knew that Liam had been closest to Joanna after she and Ace got divorced. In fact, the two had even been photographed together at the gynecology department, and people suspected they were getting ready to have children together.
Now, Joanna's ex-husband and current boyfriend were sitting next to each other… It felt somewhat like a battlefield.
Ethan continued to defend Ace. "Christopher, why are you being so nice? He's Joanna's boyfriend, and he probably made her cheat on Ace. It's taking all my willpower to not beat him up!"
"Don't make jokes like that," Christopher scolded Ethan, then turned to face Liam. "I'm sure you and Joanna are purely a couple. It's not as complicated as we imagine, right?"
Liam chuckled. "You're funny, Mr. Christopher. We're a couple… How can anything be pure? I've made my feelings for Joanna very obvious, and there's nothing pure about it!"
After Liam said this, everyone looked at Ace. However, Ace took a sip of alcohol without saying anything. He didn't seem to care at all.
"Christopher, you heard what he said. He's clearly here to provoke us. I think you-" Ethan started heatedly, but stopped when Christopher sent him a warning glare.
Christopher might seem like a handsome and quiet person, but he was ten times more aggressive than Ace when he was angry.
Although Christopher family wasn't one of the eight most powerful families in the City, the family had been involved in politics for generations. They had connections that spanned far and wide in the country's politics, so he was definitely someone you didn't want to piss off!
Since Christopher had welcomed Liam to the group, Ethan would be disrespecting Christopher if he kept threatening Liam.
Finally, Ethan decided he would just shut his mouth and watch the show!
Liam picked up two glasses and filled them up , one for him, and the other for Ace. "Here… a toast from me to you. Thank you for giving Joanna her freedom. It's a new beginning for her, and she's so much more confident than before. You're a living saint!"
Liam downed his glass after saying that. He didn't just say that to be polite,he really did mean every word. If Ace wasn't such a jerk and forced Joanna to get divorced, she'd probably just be seen as 'Ace's wife'.
Ace looked at the glass Liam handed him, emotions whirling in him. Anyone could tell that Liam didn't have good intentions, but deep down, he actually agreed with what Liam said.
To everyone's surprise, Ace accepted the glass from Liam and chuckled. "Indeed… She's changed after leaving me. She's like a fish that's returned to the ocean and a bird that's taken off to the sky. She's found her own haven."
"I thought a boring woman like her would suffer without the Moran family's protection, and not many men would like her, but now…" Ace looked at Liam before shifting his gaze to his nephew, Julian. He then shook his head with a half-hearted smile. "She's doing much better than I thought. I genuinely hope she can be happy."
Liam nearly choked on his drink. He suddenly didn't know what to say. He never expected that heartless man to say something so emotional… He sounded genuine too.
What Liam said next made him seem a little petty in comparison. "Well, Mr. Moran, you're certainly very diplomatic. Joanna is doing great, and I bet there are people lining up all the way to Fraser just to pursue her. It's a lot of pressure for me! However, you seem to be doing pretty good yourself… You've only just ended things with Joanna, but you've already found yourself a new woman. It seems you change women like you change clothes!"
Liam thought Ace might deny it. From what he observed, Ace didn't seem particularly close to this fake version of Joanna. They looked like strangers.
However, Ace pulled Shirley into his arms. "She's very naive and adorable. I do like her."
Everyone was shocked.
Although Ethan didn't know why Ace was lying, he was loyal to him. "I bet you're surprised. Ace can't help it when he falls for someone… it was like love at first sight for these two!"
"Love at first sight?" Liam sneered. "Why does this girl look so much like Joanna then? Are you telling me you never fell for Joanna, but you fell for this fake version of her instead?"
Ace didn't say anything. Ethan, on the other hand, did. He leaned over menacingly and growled, "I knew you were here to cause trouble. What is it you want?"
Liam laughed. "There's no need to get riled up. I told you… I just want to have a few drinks. Do you have the guts to drink with me, Mr. Moran?"
Before Ace could answer, Ethan scoffed, "Why would Ace be afraid? I'm on your side, Ace. Drink until he drops!"
Ace rolled his eyes at Ethan. 'Thank you for sending me into his trap.'
Liam filled two more glasses with alcohol. "Join me… if you dare." Since Ace was brave enough to act like a scumbag in public, Liam felt what was doing was reasonable.