Lucy never expected that Joanna, who had always been a pushover, had the guts to fight back.
"You shameless witch!" She cursed furiously. "Why don't you take a look in the mirror and realize how wicked and depraved you are? You're just a gold digger whose family was financially ruined! Nothing. about you says you're worthy of my cousin, and yet, you have the nerve to delay the divorce?"
"Do you think there'd be any use of you dragging this out?" Lucy hissed. "Don't you see how Alice's belly is getting bigger and bigger every day now? Her marriage to Ace will undoubtedly happen! You have no right to decide whether or not you'll get a divorce!"
"I won't discuss whether or not I have the right to decide that right now," Joanna calmly responded. "But in any case, what's certain is that you have no say in it whatsoever."
"And so what if her belly is getting bigger? As long as your cousin and I haven't finalized our divorce, I am still his lawful wife and she is just his mistress, which means that the baby in her belly is not even Ace's legitimate child."
Joanna had evidently touched a sore spot, but Alice could not lose her temper and attack her, so she could only continue to play the innocent victim.
"Miss Pierce," Alice said sorrowfully, "you can attack and mock me however you like, but please don't insult my baby!"
"I'm not insulting anyone's baby," argued Joanna exasperatedly. "I'm merely stating the facts. If a baby born to a mistress isn't illegitimate, then what is it? A prince?"
"I...." Alice was stunned speechless, and all she could think of was to keep up her act as the innocent victim.
"Ace and I love each other," she said tremulously. "And since that is the case, it is the one who is not loved who should be called the mistress!"
"Don't waste your time with her, Alice! The only way to deal with shameless people like her is with violence!" Lucy snarled, lifting her hand to slap Joanna's face.
However, right before the slap landed, someone grabbed her hand.
"Damn it, who has the nerve to get in my way-"
Lucy immediately shut her mouth when she recognized who was behind her, and the blood drained from her face. "Mr… Mr. Blackwood."
Liam was clad in a white suit. He looked as elegant as a prince from a fairy tale, and was so enchanting that it was difficult to look away from him.
"Did you take the wrong pills today, Miss Lucy? Why are you in such a rotten mood?" Although Liam looked at Lucy with a faint smile on his face, his sharp gaze clearly warned her how dangerous she
was.
"Don't you know the consequences of stepping out of line when you are in the Blackwood family's territory?" He asked again.
"What… What consequences?" Lucy had long harbored unrequited feelings for Liam. At that moment, she was so embroiled in shame and fear that she did not even dare to meet Liam's eyes.
"Those who talk nonsense will have their tongues cut off, and those who wrongfully hurt others will have their hands chopped off!" Liam said cheerfully.
"Wh-What?!" Lucy's face turned deathly pale as soon as she heard those words. Her knees buckled and she fell straight to the ground.
"Don't forget that you're from a good family of high standing, Miss Lucy. You should take care to behave appropriately in public, otherwise you'll only bring shame to your family."
As soon as he finished speaking. Liam dropped Lucy's hand.
Lucy, now humiliated and enraged, hastily tried to explain herself, "But you don't understand, Mr. Blackwood! It was all because of this woman's filthy mouth! She's sly and wicked. She knows full well that my cousin doesn't want her around anymore, but she still clings to him and won't let him go! She clearly. wants to keep draining the Moran family's fortune!"
"What's even more disgusting." Lucy continued, "is that she even has the nerve to call the baby in Alice's belly, my cousin's baby, illegitimate! I was only trying to teach this worthless woman a lesson! What's wrong with that?"
Liam's gaze turned colder and colder, until at last he sternly warned her, "Did you think that I was joking. when I said people who talk nonsense will have their tongues cut off, Miss Lucy?"
Lucy quickly took two steps back, away from Liam. She was so frightened that she dared not even utter another word. The Blackwood family was considered the least powerful of the eight prominent families in the City, but nonetheless, their power and influence were not something to be trifled with. The Blackwood family was renowned for their connections and involvement in the black market, so Lucy understood perfectly that Liam's talk of cutting people's tongues and hands off was not just a joke.
"Mr. Blackwood," Alice said, "please don't be angry. This is all just a misunderstanding. We had no intention. of disturbing Miss Pierce at all, but when we noticed that she was held up at the entrance and how she was wearing such casual clothes, we were worried that she might not be invited, so we came here to help her out!"
"She doesn't have to be invited by anyone," responded Liam with a sneer. "My family owns this hotel, so she's free to enter anytime she wants, even if she's wearing her pajamas and slippers. Now, the two of you, on the other hand… If you still continue to behave in such a shameful manner, then you can leave immediately!"
"Um…" Alice had initially wanted to take the opportunity to embarrass Joanna, but her plan had backfired. so spectacularly that she could not utter a single word.
"That's enough," Joanna said softly as she leaned on Liam, indicating that it was time to drop the matter. "Let's go inside."
"Okay." Liam nodded obediently.
They both then entered the venue together.
"This is ridiculous!" Lucy screeched. "I'm so pissed off!"
After Joanna and Liam had disappeared from sight, Lucy started to stomp her feet in anger, cursing." When did that gold digger get acquainted with Liam Blackwood? They look like they're really close too! I've always known that she's a useless and worthless woman with no skills to speak of whatsoever. The only thing she's good at is seducing men! What a loser!"
"Come on," Lucy's boyfriend tried to comfort her. "Don't be upset, baby. You've still got me!" "What good are you, anyway? Nothing about you even compares to Liam Blackwood! You're worthless!" Despite her words, Lucy did not get angry. Instead, he told her, "I've prepared a surprise for you this evening. I'm sure that later it'll make you stand out as the most stunning woman of the night!"
Joanna and Liam walked side by side in the hallway that led up to the banquet hall.
Liam, who had been a dignified and proud gentleman outside only moments ago, had now transformed completely into a docile little puppy all smiles and adoring glances at Joanna.
"I can't believe those people from the Moran family dared to bully you like that!" He grumbled. "The next time they do it. I definitely won't let them off so easily!"
Joanna smiled slightly and teased him, "Wow, Liam… I'm used to seeing you all meek and frivolous, but when you get serious, you're actually pretty intimidating! I was shocked to see you earlier."
"There's nothing shocking about it," said Liam proudly. "I am Master Blackwood, after all!"
However, despite his words, Liam still looked like a meek little puppy. He looked at Joanna's windbreaker and commented, "But, honestly, Joan, don't you think you're dressing a little too shabbily for the event?"
"You have to address me as Miss," Joanna corrected him. "Did you forget that you're my junior?"
"But why does my sister get to call you Joan?" Liam argued, pouting like a schoolboy. He childishly added, "I don't care. I'm not going to call you Boss or Miss anymore. From now on, I'll call you Joan!"
"Absolutely not!" Joanna scolded him. "Doing that would only imply that you're harboring feelings for me. You aren't, are you?"
"Well," answered Liam honestly, not intending to sidestep around the subject at all, "since you're divorced now, what's wrong with me having feelings for you?"
He had been waiting for Joanna to get a divorce for so many years now, and now that she was finally divorced, there was no way that he wanted to remain as just her junior.
Joanna smiled, but did not respond.
Just as they were about to arrive at the banquet hall, Joanna unbuttoned her windbreaker with her slender fingers, then swiftly took it off and tossed it aside before letting down her hair. She then pulled out a red lipstick and applied it on her lips smoothly.
"Boss, you…" Liam was utterly hypnotized.
The people inside the banquet hall turned their heads towards them, stunned speechless.
Joanna stood there, clad in a rose red strapless gown that hugged her sublime figure. She looked stunning and eye-catching, but also graceful and elegant. The gown was designed in a way that exposed her waist slightly, making her look slim and alluring.
There was such a glow to her that it was almost as if she had brought her own portable spotlight, drawing the eyes of everyone around her.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd loudly proclaimed, "No way! That lady looks familiar… Isn't that Mrs.Moran?"
The room quickly erupted into heated discussions, and that was when Ace, clad in a well-tailored black suit, descended the staircase like a king. He had just finished discussing business matters with Johnson, the host of tonight's event, and his icy gaze was immediately attracted by the red gown near the entrance.
Amazement flashed in his unfathomable eyes, quickly followed by a trace of irritation.
That damned woman, he thought. What was she trying to do now?
With a chilling expression, Ace made his way towards Joanna In long strides and, as if publicly claiming her, swiftly put his arm around her slender waist.
"Mrs. Moran, I didn't expect you to arrive so early," he said through gritted teeth. "I was just about to go fetch you!"
Although there was a smile on his flawless face, his expression gave every onlooker a strange sense of chilling danger.
So the lady really was Mrs. Moran! The crowd gasped.
Those men whose eyes were fixated on Joanna's breasts, her waist, and her legs, hastily looked away. Those indignant women who had been throwing curses at her as soon as she appeared also shut their mouths instantly, not daring to utter another word.
"Come with me!" Uncaring of what people might say, he brought Joanna to a private room under the watchful eyes of the onlookers.
"What is this about?" Joanna asked calmly as she pinned a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Mr. Moran?"
"You dare ask me such a thing?" Ace's dashing face was calm as his gaze fell on Joanna's chest. He then sternly asked, "Didn't I give you a dress? What on earth are you wearing?"
"The dress you gave me was too prudish," Joanna replied bluntly. "It looked like something a nun would wear. I didn't like it."
"You…" Ace was so enraged by her response that he saw red. The dress had been made by the chief designer of Gucci even most wealthy ladies could not afford such a top-quality dress, yet Joanna had the gall to say that it looked like something a nun would wear!
But then again… it was indeed a little on the prudish side.
"Say," Joanna suddenly turned to Ace with a twinkle in her eye and asked him teasingly, "was it because. you thought that my body was not worthy of being shown in public for everyone to admire?"