"Hmph!"
Ace's expression became even darker, and he even snorted in disdain.
As for why he was angry, even he couldn't tell!
It's just that, whenever he saw Joanna being close with another man, he would feel angry!
"What are you snorting at? Bro, you said you're not jealous, but your face simply screams jealousy…"
Ethan explained, "Yes, I used to dislike Joan, but that's only because I thought she was a scheming woman who clung onto you and wouldn't let go, a parasitic flower that could only survive under the shelter of the Moran family. I thought she was a hindrance to you finding true happiness…"
"But now that you're divorced, I realize that Joan is actually really capable. Not only does she manage the Moran and Co. Law Firm and the Stellar Group remarkably well, she now wants to get land from me, presumably to do something big. She's not a soft and weak parasitic flower at all, but a strong and unyielding poisonous flower!"
Before Ethan had even finished praising Joanna, Zack immediately piled on the praises, "Ain't that right. Our boss is super talented, resourceful, and meticulous. All three of us Moran and Co. partners willingly follow her lead now. And I've never seen the law firm employees work so enthusiastically before. The law firm finally stops looking like a retirement home. This is all thanks to our boss' unmatched charisma!"
Joanna felt a bit embarrassed being praised like that. She waved her hand and said, "It's no big deal. I just have a lot of energy to spare because I recently regained my freedom. It's nothing special…"
Ace caught the key point among the string of praises. He asked Joanna with a frown, "You got some land from Ethan? What do you plan to do with it?"
"Sorry, I have no obligation to inform you about that, Mr. Moran."
"Don't tell me you want to set up a production center?"
"How clever of you, Mr. Moran, but… your guess is only half right."
Joanna said meaningfully, "The Stellar Group will not remain just a manufacturer forever. We'll also expand into the core business."
"You're out of your mind!"
Ace thought Joanna was crazy. He said coldly, "Do you have any idea what you're doing? What kind of problem you're gonna face? What kind of risk you're taking?"
Ace's interrogating questions were so sharp that Joanna felt a bit overwhelmed and did not know how to respond.
She could not understand why he was so emotional. Was he afraid that Stellar Group would grow so big that it would take away Moran Group's market share? If so, that's some serious lack of confidence!
Ethan could not help teasing him, "Bro, it's none of your business. Don't forget that you two are divorced now. She can do whatever she wants, whether it's falling in love or investing in something.
As for what risks she's taking and if she can deal with the consequences, it's got nothing to do with you!"
"That's right, why should I care?"
Ace stood up and said expressionlessly, "I'm done eating. Goodbye!"
Then, he just left.
The atmosphere instantly became extremely awkward.
Ethan looked at Joanna and Zack apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, he's a bit grumpy. He's not normally like this!"
Joanna and Zack looked at each other and nodded in understanding. "No need to explain. We all know how he is."
So, dinner went on with the three of them taking turns roasting Ace…
They parted ways after the meal. Zack and Joanna were going in the opposite direction while Ethan happened to be going the same way as Joanna, so Joanna took Ethan's car home.
The two of them chatted happily in the car, oblivious to the impending crisis…
The car arrived at the Pierce Residence.
Ethan stopped the car and looked around. "This place is pretty nice, but it's not very lively. I even heard it's haunted and that's why the previous owner moved away. Aren't you scared staying in such a large place by yourself?"
Joanna smiled and said, "What's there to be scared of? Humans are much scarier than ghosts. I'm not even scared of humans, so why would I be scared of ghosts?"
She unfastened her seat belt, opened the door, and was about to get off the car.
Ethan stared at her and suddenly felt like he wanted to spend more time with her. He couldn't help but ask cheekily, "Aren't you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?"
Joanna turned around with a gentle smile on her face. She said calmly, "Sure. I happen to have some high quality Earle Grey."
Her smile was like a blooming red rose, charming and brilliant. It captivated Ethan…
Ethan suddenly became shy. He moved his gaze away unnaturally and cleared his throat. "Don't mind if I do."
The two got off the car and went into the Pierce Residence.
These days, the Pierce Residence was no longer as run-down as it used to be, thanks to the joint efforts of Joanna and Nancy. The overgrown weeds had turned into a sea of flowers. It looked like a fairyland.
"Wow! This house looks ordinary from the outside, so I didn't expect it to look so refreshing and elegant inside. This looks like a noble's garden…"
Ethan took a deep breath and stretched with pleasure. He asked without any shame, "Do you have any spare room in the house? Can I come and stay for a few days? I'll pay ten times the rate of a 5 - star hotel…"
"You have no idea how much stress I'm in recently due to the lawsuit. I really need to relax. I think your house is a much better place to relax the mind and body than any resort out there."
Ethan completely made himself at home, as if he was returning to his own house.
"You really have no shame! Don't push it!"
While saying that, Joanna opened a cupboard and took out her treasured Earle Grey to make tea for Ethan.
Nancy was not in – she probably went out to do grocery – so there were only the two of them in the large villa.
But for some reason, Joanna did not feel awkward at all. There were no complicated emotions, as if she was merely meeting up with an old friend.
Perhaps Ace was the only person in the world who could make her feel awkward and give her complicated emotions.
Joanna was very skilled in brewing tea. After filtering the tea leaves with a tea filter, she poured the tea into a purple ceramic teacup. Wisps of smoke curled up from the cup, filling the air with a faint aroma.
Ethan carefully gave it a sip and praised, "What a good tea!"
"Glad you like it."
Joanna also sipped her cup of tea. Her every move and smile was elegant.
Frankly speaking, she was actually quite grateful to Ethan because he was willing to rent her the land at a low price, which would help her tremendously.
Even if he did not mention the cup of tea, she had planned to treat him to one anyway.
The tea room was located on the second floor. It had a large French window that provided a great view of the back garden.
In the back garden, large patches of golden sunflowers shook in the wind. The scenery made one feel relaxed and happy.
"Your sunflowers are blooming brilliantly. I remember the Moran Villa used to have lots of sunflowers too… You really do love sunflowers, just as Ace said. Do sunflowers have any special meaning to you?"
Ethan asked curiously while admiring the sunflowers.
"They don't have any special meaning."
Joanna sipped her tea slowly and explained nonchalantly, "I used to like sunflowers because of their flower language, but now, I like sunflowers because I think they have a strong character. No matter how bad the environment is, they always grow towards the sun. It's very inspiring!"
"What's the language of sunflowers?"