Ace looked at Joanna and asked casually, "So, what are your plans?"
Joanna drank another mouthful of soup, then asked, "What plans?"
"You can't really stay in the business field forever, right? It's a complicated and dangerous world, you won't be able to handle it for long," Ace explained, as he had experienced the struggles within the industry as well.
He figured that a woman like her wouldn't be able to bear the stress of managing a business. Although they were divorced, he didn't wish such an uneasy life on her.
"How would you know if I can't handle it?'" Joanna looked towards the man, a confident smile appearing on her face. "Just look at me now, aren't I doing well? Stellar Group has only been established for a few months, and we were able to sign a big contract! I even became the president of the Electronics Technology Association! Everything is going well as of now, so sorry for not seeing the dangers in this field, I guess."
"You're too naive!" The man shook his head, replying in a serious tone." First, Starlight Group is clearly a bomb waiting to explode. Joe Brown may have offered you a lot, but wait till it is time to reap profits. You'll see just how heartless he can be then! Besides, there is just so much power you can have in this industry. After being appointed as president all of a sudden, others may find it unfair, even if I don't! Being in the spotlight has consequences, you know? I advise you to leave this industry as soon as possible, or you might have to face unthinkable consequences."
Everything he said was based on his personal experience, and he genuinely hoped Joanna could step out of this incredibly painful path.
"If you ever need money, just ask. We used to be husband and wife, alright? I will take responsibility in taking care of you for the rest of your life,"
Ace said sincerely, but was only met with Joanna's scoffing.
"Don't you think it's too late to be the nice guy now, Mr. Moran? Besides, it's pretty arrogant of you to assume that I won't survive in the industry. You think I have to completely rely on you to survive, don't you?"
Ace turned cold. "That's not what I meant."
"So what do you mean, huh?"
"I just…" Ace wanted to say something, but paused. His expression was cold as ice.
"Don't you remember how your parents died? Don't you remember how the once renowned Pierce family met their downfall? Do you think you are stronger than your parents were, or do you think you're even stronger than me? Did you know that my brother died right before my eyes? Did you know I couldn't do anything to save him? Did you know I was forced to watch him take his last breath?!"
While speaking, Ace clenched his fists, his eyes red as tears started welling up in them. Tristan would always be the main source of his pain and grief. His brother's death was a constant reminder as to how weak and incompetent he was.
Hence, he really did not hope Joanna would feel the same pain he did.
The woman finally realized that he was genuinely concerned about her, which made her feel quite guilty. "Umm, hey, you don't have to worry about me…"
She then took a deep breath and continued. "I'll just be honest with you. I actually never intended to make my mark on the business industry either. It's too tiring, and I just don't have the energy to deal with everything."
"I just want to follow my plan and earn enough to live comfortably. Once my plan succeeds, I'm out of here."
"Out of here?" Ace stared at her and questioned further. "Where are you going?"
"Now, that's confidential! All I can say is I'm not going to be in the City, that's all." The woman replied. She'd actually hoped to leave in secret, but she didn't mind coming clean at this point.
Ace was visibly conflicted after hearing this. After a brief pause, he said frostily, "If you think leaving will make you happier, then you should go."
Even though he was unwilling to let Joanna go, he knew that he was in no place to ask her to stay.
Their meal had been exceptionally peaceful. There wasn't any resentment, arguments, or sarcasm this time. The two simply looked past their past, and had a long conversation with each other, as if they were old friends…
As they were about to leave, Joanna suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, with an odd scene playing before her. She immediately grabbed Ace's arm, sounding rather nervous. "Ace Moran! Wait!"
Ace lowered his gaze, staring at the hands around his arm with narrowed eyes. "What's wrong?"
"People! There's so many people!" Joanna looked around anxiously, then tried pulling Ace into the backseat of the car. As she continued to squeeze in, she mumbled under her breath, "There's so many of them! They're coming for us! Oh god, this is so scary… Let's hide in the car!"
"Many people?" Ace looked around, the confusion on his face evident. It was midnight by the time they left, and they were the only two in the parking lot at the time.
"What are you talking about?"
"Hey, why are you being so stubborn? They're right behind us! Do you have a death wish? Hide in here, quick!" Joanna was so panicked that her face was red. As if they didn't have much time, she used all her strength to drag Ace inside.
Helpless, Ace could only listen to her demands, getting into the backseat with her.
It was fortunate that there was a lot of space in the back, considering that it was an incredibly expensive coupe. The seats were made out of pure leather as well, which provided them with comfortable cushions. Hence, it wasn't all that bad staying there.
"So…" Ace was going to ask what they were supposed to do next.
"Shush!" Joanna leaned over, covering his mouth with her hands as she nervously looked out the window. She then whispered into his ear, "Speak softer! They're patrolling outside the car! We can't let them find us."
This only made Ace more dumbfounded, as he wasn't seeing any of these 'people' she was talking about, let alone the ones 'patrolling outside'.
Was Joanna trying to pull a prank on him? He thought incredulously, "Could it be… that she's trying to flirt with me? Our position is pretty… intimate right now."
Ace had spread his legs apart, while Joanna covered his mouth with both hands. Due to her eagerness to shut him up, she had pressed her entire torso onto his, making their thin clothing the only thing between them.
The man's senses were soon attacked by the faint scent of flowers, along with Joanna's warm breath against his neck. It felt like his heart was being pawed at by a little kitten…
'Damn it, this woman is killing me!'
"Ahem!" Ace's breathing became faster, and his large body shifted out of discomfort. He then moved Joanna's hands away roughly, staring back at her with passionate eyes.
His voice sounded husky as he growled, "What are you doing, Joanna Pierce?"
"Hey! I told you to stop talking!" The woman's expression was serious, and her beautiful eyes flashed. "I may hate you, but I don't want you to die…
Those people outside are so scary, and they're holding spears in their hands. We're no match for them, so it's best we keep a low profile."
"Are you still going to mess around?" Ace raised an eyebrow. 'Fine, I'll play this game of yours."
Ace then grabbed Joanna by the waist with his large hands, placing her onto his lap. He cupped her little face, speaking coldly, "If you were trying to seduce me, then congratulations, you succeeded!"
His eyes were dark with lust, as if they were flames trying to engulf the woman in his arms.
"We may have been married before, but it's a shame that we've never done certain things properly. Why don't we try everything today then?" He murmured, then closed his eyes, slowly going in for a kiss…
He initially thought Joanna would go along with his advances, as it seemed to him that this was her goal, but to his shock, he was met with the woman's horrified screams instead.
"Ah! They're inside! The little people crawled into the car! They're all over you!" "Enough!"