Joanna tidied herself up quickly, wanting to leave. 'Oh, right. I released Miss Susan last night, so she should be safe by now. Why don't you try to contact her to see if she's okay?"
"There is no need for that" Ace, no longer exuding his usual cold and intense aura, looked very relaxed. He took off his jacket and threw it onto the chaise lounge casually, leaving only a white shirt partially covering his perfect muscular body.
Joanna's heart fluttered seeing this, and she gulped subconsciously.
The man then took off his valuable diamond watch and put it on the table. He propped his long arm on the edge of the table, and said lightly, "My mother arrived in the City last night, and should be having afternoon tea with her friend now."
"She arrived last night?" Joanna was confused. "Then why did you go to the Baldwin residence so early in the morning?"
Ace looked up and met her gaze, the corner of his lips curving into a playful smirk. "What do you think?"
"I…" She bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest. His passionate gaze was like a fire that burned her. She shook her head vigorously and growled, "I don't know what you're thinking, but this is the last bit of kindness I can offer to the Moran family. Did you even think of what would happened to me when you dragged me away like that? I'm probably now on the Baldwin family's hit list, all thanks to you!"
Although the Baldwin family had strict family rules and was very unwavering, all the members of the Baldwin family had been very kind to her. Everyone in the household had treated her like a treasure, but they were probably so disappointed and angry that she just followed their enemy unhesitatingly!
"The Baldwin family and I wouldn't have gotten into such a stalemate at all if you did not come and mess things up. You really screwed me over this time!"
'Is that so?" His gaze, tinged with frost, was like a sharp knife cutting through her skin. The man was both hot and cold! "Are you blaming me for ruining your relationship with Justin and destroying your plan to become the future mistress of the Baldwin family?"
'What the heck?' Joanna stared at him in bewilderment. This jealousy was completely unlike him!
She raised her chin and said defiantly, 'Am I such a cheap person in your eyes that I must be interested in a man if I talk to him? You're too narrowminded!"
Joanna was like a proud swan, and after tidying herself up, she continued, 'I have told you very clearly that I, Joanna Pierce, am an independent individual. I have my own thoughts, and I'm not a toy for you and the Baldwin family to fight over. If you want to fight, leave me out of it. I still have things to do, so goodbye!"
Ace stared at the woman's beautiful figure as she turned around, then asked softly, "If you really did not care, why did you shield me from the gun back in the Baldwin residence? Don't you think you're being contradictory?"
Joanna was stunned and didn't know what to say.
He was right. No matter how harsh her words were, her instinctual actions had exposed her true feelings.
How could she not care? How could she just watch him die? That wasn't the kind of person she was!
Ace moved closer to Joanna, his expression serious. "I was not joking when I said that I want to remarry you. Think about it."
Ace instinctively reached to touch Joanna's cheek, but stopped himself. He was usually a man of few words, but surprisingly, he was laying his cards on the table for her. "It's true. Think about it carefully; I'll come and ask for your answer early tomorrow morning."
Joanna clenched her fists slightly, surprising him when she just nodded obediently. "Okay."
She would consider it for the sake of the two babies in her belly, as long as he sincerely wanted to start over with her.
After he left, she stood in front of the huge French window and looked down at the city quietly, seriously thinking about her future.
'Should I stick through with my plan of making a fortune and reviving my family with the two kids? Or, should I go back to my past life and live under the protection of the Moran family? Do I really want to be a housewife whose life revolves around her husband and kids? It seems like both choices have their pros and cons, and there'll be regrets regardless.'
As she was pondering her fate, her phone rang. It was a strange contact number, originating neither from the City or greyport, but North City.
When she answered the phone and heard a woman's voice, her heart soon sank. She wanted to curse her bad luck, but just tolerated it and chatted with the woman for a while. She also suppressed her anger and said coldly, 'Okay, wait. I'll go there now."
After getting her things settled, Joanna rushed over to Redwood Mansion where she had agreed to meet Alice.
That mountain villa was located in North City. It was one of the few places that Moran Group had invested in, and it was a good spot for relaxation. Its environment and facilities were so good that it had never been opened to the public. Only a privileged few had access to the place,
Once inside the mansion, one could see that it was surrounded by mist and plants. It was rich in oxygen, and looked like a fairytale palace. A white European-style building was visible from a distance, and it looked as magnificent as a castle. It was built in the middle of the mountains, silently demonstrating the great wealth of Moran Group.
Joanna alighted from the car and saw an extremely large rose farm. The large and delicate red roses were in full bloom, and they dyed the sky red.
Alice was in a white dress, sitting on a lounge in the rose garden. She was leisurely trimming the roses and humming a song. What a relaxing and enjoyable life this woman had!
Seeing that, Joanna was furious. She snorted. "It looks like you lead a pretty good life here being isolated and forgotten by everyone else!"
Alice turned around and glanced at Joanna, saying smugly, "Of course, great troubles will disappear if you stay in such a place."
"You're not staying here though, are you? You're just hiding like a rat that's too ashamed to be seen." Joanna sneered, bringing up Alice's sore point instantly.
However, Alice was not angry at all. She slowly cut off a rose and sniffed it, then said with a charming expression, "I know you're just jealous of me since you never got what I have… After all, Ace never adored and spoiled you this way even though you were his rightful wife!" "Oh, is that so? How did he adore and spoil you, exactly?" Joanna crossed her arms in front of her chest in amusement, enjoying Alice's acting.