After saying that, Justin confidently tried to pull Joanna back.
Unsurprisingly, Ace did not let Joanna go. He narrowed his eyes at Justin and sneered, "Is that so? Well see just how capable you are then!"
Meanwhile, Joanna was not enjoying being stuck in the middle of these two men as they played tug of war with her.
"Stop it!" Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and screamed at them. She kicked both of their legs and broke free from their grip angrily.
"What's wrong with the both of you? Do you think I'm a toy to play around with? Have you even asked me what I want?" Joanna snapped at them, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ace and Justin stopped glaring at each other and turned to her.
Ace said coldly, "If you have any brains, you'd know that he has a motive for getting close to you… You should know what to do."
When Justin heard this, he shrugged and admitted, "I do have a motive. The truth is that I'm in love with you and want to marry you. I feel the Baldwin family and the Moran family are on equal footing, and I can provide you with as luxurious a life as he can."
Joanna glanced at Ace, then at Justin. She walked up to Justin immediately and scoffed, "One hurt me in the past, while the other might bring me happiness in the future. I think the answer is pretty obvious."
She held onto Justin's arm and they both walked to the boarding gate. She felt free at that moment. Although Ace saw her as nothing but trash, she was a treasure to somebody else.
As Ace watched them leave, his heart ached. It was like something important in his life was leaving, and he only realized how much it meant to him after it was gone.
Joanna and Justin boarded the airplane together. Ever since she walked away from Ace, her back was straight and her expression was cold – she was determined to hide the slight fear and anxiousness inside her.
William told her once that she must act tough even when her heart was breaking apart.
Just as Anthony said, the Baldwin family had booked the entire airplane to welcome them back to Sutton.
Joanna sat in the luxurious first-class seat, her eyes filled with sadness as she watched the City slowly disappear beneath the clouds.
Justin sat beside her, some fruits and desserts in his hands. "You look a bit down. How about some sweets to cheer you up?"
Joanna immediately turned around. When she saw the variety of desserts, her eyes gleamed with excitement. She took a piece of cake and began eating it happily. "Of course! If I don't eat, I wont have the strength to be sad."
As she chewed on the food, she looked outside the window and continued to be sad.
Seeing this, Justin chuckled in amusement. He had never met a girl like her who could be both happy and sad at the same time.
He studied her delicate features and the melancholy in her gaze, and his heartbeat quickened.
"Umm…" He cleared his throat and asked carefully, "Did you mean what you said earlier?"
Joanna turned to Justin, her eyes meeting his affectionate gaze. She was stunned for a while before she smiled and asked him, "What about you? Did you mean what you said?"
Justin felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes widened slightly. 'Why am I losing my cool like this? What is happening to me?' He thought in bewilderment.
He raised his eyebrows and said in a half-joking manner, "Of course, I'm serious about it. Ever since I found out that you're Cyber Queen, I regretted my decision not to marry you three years ago."
"Is that so?" Joanna laughed and asked him, 'The Baldwin family is pretty prestigious… Would they accept a divorcee like me?"
"What's wrong with being a divorcee?" Justin's handsome face became serious, and he sounded angry as he said, "Those men are fools to give up such loving partners. It's another man's fortune to be married to a divorcee."
"You might not care, but surely your family does, right?"
"Don't worry, no one would dare object. I guarantee that they'll welcome you with open arms."
He added, "My grandfather admired yours his entire life. Once he knows you're William's granddaughter, he'll instantly arrange for us to be wed. The Moran family might not have known your worth, but I can assure you that the Baldwin family will treasure you."
Joanna felt relieved when she heard Justin's words. "Alright. I'll think about it."
When Justin heard her reply, he felt like a giddy schoolboy again. "I'll just take it that you agree!"
The flight there to the City took three hours. Joanna and Justin chatted for a while before falling asleep, and when she woke up, the plane had already landed.
Justin suddenly turned to her and blurted out, "Hey, don't freak out, but my family might be a little…" He trailed off, looking hesitant.
"What?" She removed her eye mask and glanced sleepily at him.
He sighed and mumbled, "A little flashy, I guess. Just don't let it get to you."
Joanna didn't take his words seriously, and just waved her hand dismissively as she followed him down from the plane.
The moment they exited the airport, Joanna realized that 'a little flashy' was a huge understatement.
There were over a hundred drones in the air, floating around in formation to project the words 'Welcome Miss Joanna!'
To Joanna's horror, even the airport car park had been cleared out to make way for an army of shoulders who immediately shouted, "Welcome to the Baldwin family, Miss Joanna!"
"Agh!" Joanna was so shocked that she almost fell down. She quickly hid behind Justin and grabbed onto his arm.
Joanna watched in shock as the soldiers then proceeded to march on the spot with spears in their hands. It looked like they were about to enter the battlefield at any moment.
"What's happening?" Joanna gasped, her eyes wide as she hid behind Justin.