His unconditional protection of Alice was a merciless trample on her feelings. She was ashamed and felt bad for herself for having loved such a man!
"You two take your time. I have something else to take care off, so I'll be leaving now."
Joanna did not want to stay any longer. More importantly, she had to go check on Ethan.
After taking two steps, she turned back and told Ace, "You better hide her well, Mr. Moran. If I manage to find her, I might make the lie come true. After all, I wouldn't technically be breaking the law if I make a person who's already dead disappear."
Of course, Joanna only said that so that Ace would keep Alice under strict control and not let her come out to do dirty stuff again.
As long as Alice behaved herself, Joanna naturally would not make a move either.
Unfortunately, her nonchalant warning actually brought disaster upon herself…
After Joanna left, Susan finally snapped out of it.
"From what she said, Alice is still alive?"
"Hmm."
Ace nodded, his expression terrible.
He was still thinking about Joanna's harsh warning.
He could not understand why Joanna hated Alice so much.
"Oh, thank god. My little grandchild is safe… The Moran family line will go on."
Susan smiled brightly with her hands folded, thanking the heavens.
Ace was speechless. "What? I'm still alive!"
"So? It's not like you touch any woman. How are you any different from a celibate monk? Fortunately, Alice is able to conceive your child, but you don't look like you have any interest in Alice as a woman either. If she doesn't give birth to this baby, I don't think there's any chance you'll have another baby in the future…"
Susan knew Ace very well.
His personality was too cold and he had too much self-control. Ever since he was young, he had little interest in women.
Otherwise, he would not have been married with Joanna for so many years without touching her.
For Alice to be pregnant with his child was as improbable as winning the lottery. It would not happen again in the future.
Susan was not blind. She could see that Ace was not interested in Alice.
But his reaction to Joanna tonight… He finally looked like a man. His hormones were nigh bursting out of him.
Susan suddenly had a bold idea.
She grabbed Ace and said solemnly, "Actually, I can see that Alice is too much of a hypocrite and is not a good match for you. Since she's officially deceased now, I won't urge you to marry her anymore. When she gives birth to the child, give her a sum of money and ask her to leave."
Ace's expression was complicated.
In truth, he had planned to do the same, but when he remembered his elder brother's dying wish, he could not do it.
Susan continued, "I've given up on Alice, but there must be a Mrs. Moran. I can't let my grandchild grow up without a mother. I've thought about it. There's actually no candidate more suitable than Joanna Pierce!"
"Mom, what are you saying?"
Ace was stunned. "I thought you've always looked down on Joanna. You persuaded me to divorce her for three years while we were still married!"
"She's not ideal, but she's the best person available!"
Susan could not help but sigh. "You're almost thirty, but you've never socialized with that many women. Alice is too much of a hypocrite, while Cecilia's relationship with your good friend is complicated. After thinking about it long and hard, there's no better candidate than Joanna Pierce. There's no problem with her except for her family background."
"But more importantly, I heard she's quite capable. She quietly started a company, became the president of the Electronic Technology Association, manages a law firm well and even stole the biggest customers of Moran Group… She's not the pretty but useless woman that I thought she was. I've always had an appreciation for capable women. This new her is perfectly qualified to be your wife!"
Ace had rarely heard his picky mother speak so highly of anyone, let alone Joanna. He was glad to hear it.
After all, the conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in- law was a problem that had existed since the dawn of humanity. If this problem could be solved, then maybe Joanna and him could really start over?
Start over?!
The abrupt thought startled Ace.
"Mom, you're thinking too much. It's no longer a question of whether she's qualified to be my wife, it's a question of whether she wants to," he replied flatly.
"She wouldn't want to?"
Susan frowned. Then, her usual haughty expression crept back onto her face. "It's just an act. She's just playing hard to get. Do you know how many women would give up everything to marry into the Moran family? How could she not want to? If she didn't, she wouldn't have stayed in the Moran family for three years despite everything."
Ace poured cold water on her plan, "If being Mrs. Moran really meant that much to her, why did she agree to the divorce that easily? Why was she so eager to get through the divorce procedure as quickly as possible?"
"That's…"
Susan pondered over what her son just said and found that it made sense.
Besides, thinking back on what transpired earlier, his son was the one trying to seduce her. Joanna Pierce looked like she had no interest and was shunning him.
If she was just playing hard to get, she was trying way too hard.
"Tsktsk. Sigh!"
Susan examined Ace from head to foot with a sad expression, sighing as she looked.
Ace was speechless.
"Mom, if you have anything to say, just say it."
But Susan did not say anything. First, she took a good look at Ace's handsome and perfect face. Then, she pinched the muscles on Ace's arms and abdomen. She was puzzled. "This doesn't make sense. You're still as handsome as before, and you have even more muscles now. Why isn't she obsessed with you anymore?"
Ace:
"How about this, son…"
Susan said seriously, "Try changing how you dress. Don't just wear button-up shirts and suits every day. You look too serious. I heard women over the age of 25 don't like men with a serious personality. They prefer the warm and approachable type…"
"Isn't Joanna about to turn 25? She may be a bit tired of your aesthetics. Try dressing in a fresher way to rekindle her fascination with you!"
Ace:
He really wanted to say, "Thanks but no thanks, Mom."
Who could have imagined that the day would come when his mother, who absolutely despised Joanna and used to ask him to divorce Joanna every day, would seriously try to teach him how to win Joanna back?!
"Not only do you have to change the way you dress, you have to change your personality too. You can't be as cold as before. You have to take the initiative, be enthusiastic, and chat with her whenever you're free…"
Susan said, already beginning to feel a sense of crisis, "Actually, that harbinger of tragedy has quite the charisma. I heard a lot of young men from prestigious families already have their eyes on her, especially the young man from the Blackwood family who's supposedly very close to her. If you don't act soon, it might be too late!"
Susan did not notice before that Joanna was actually this popular.
Joanna had only just gotten a divorce but her pursuers were already lining up. The pursuers were some fine young men too!
Susan was really reluctant to let such a good daughter-in-law go. She must have been blind before not to see Joanna's worth. Hopefully, if Ace worked hard now, he could still get her back!