With a serious look on his handsome face, Ace said coldly, "Is she finally here?"
"Huh? Who?"
The manager looked confused.
"Who do you think?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Moran, I have no idea who you're talking about…"
Ace's perfect facial features almost disintegrated. Keeping his anger in check, he asked, "If you don't know who I'm talking about, why are you talking to me?"
"I just want to inform you that we're closing…"
The manager lowered his eyes and said cautiously.
In truth, their restaurant was supposed to close half an hour ago.
But because Ace Moran was posing in front of the window without the slightest intention of leaving, no one dared to tell him.
"Are you waiting for someone? Do you want us to call that person for you?"
The restaurant manager saw that Ace's expression was as cold as ice, so he boldly asked.
"No need!"
Ace's handsome face stiffened as his thin lips spat out those words.
He had to accept the reality that Joanna, that damn woman, actually dared to turn a blind eye to him!
In over 20 years of his life, he had rarely faced such setbacks. He had always been able to have anything he wanted.
The few times he had had all been because of Joanna. His feelings for her became a bit more complex. It aroused in him a strong desire to conquer her!
"So you don't want to see me? I'll make it so that you'll beg to see me!"
He seemed to have formulated some kind of plan. He walked out of the restaurant and took the elevator downstairs.
The night was getting dark. The street lights were dim. There were almost no pedestrians on the streets. A car or two would roar past occasionally, bringing gusts of cold wind with them.
With a cold expression, Ace walked straight towards the outdoor parking lot.
*Honk!*
Suddenly, a car horn broke the silence, clearly meant to attract his attention.
He turned around and saw Joanna's graceful figure lazily leaning against a red convertible sports car.
The woman's beautiful face carried a touch of sexiness. Her rosy lips curled up in a seductive grin. 'Long time no see, Mr. Moran."
Ace's heart pounded fiercely, as if a storm was roaring inside. He had never felt this emotional, but he remained calm and indifferent on the surface. His expression was extremely cold.
"Long time no see?"
His slender figure was wrapped in a chilly air. He approached the woman step by step and said, "That's all you have to say after disappearing for four years?"
Joanna stared at the man who was approaching her. She could feel his suppressed anger. If that anger burst out of him, it should be pretty terrifying.
But she was not scared at all. She maintained a faint smile on her face and said nonchalantly, "Is there anything else to say?"
Ace took a deep breath and slightly loosened his fingers, trying to appear more relaxed. He snorted coldly.
"I thought you left with Justin Baldwin. Why did you come back?"
"I thought you have another appointment. Why are you here?"
Joanna smiled and asked him back.
She was not acting relaxed, she was actually relaxed. That made Ace seem like he was trying too hard in comparison.
This sense of powerlessness inexplicably made Ace angry. He hated the feeling of others controlling his emotion without being able to do anything about it.
"Enough, Joanna Pierce!"
He could no longer hold himself back. He reached out towards her thin shoulders and held her tightly in his arms…
Ace's voice was cold and hoarse. His thin lips pressed against the woman's ear. His words were painful and angry. "Joanna Pierce, you're truly the most heartless woman I've ever met!"
The emotions that he had held inside for four years rushed out of him uncontrollably like an avalanche.
He hugged her really tightly, as if he wanted to crush her and incorporate her pieces into his own body… As if that was the only way he could ensure that she would remain in his life and not leave him again!
His embrace was so tight that Joanna felt a bit painful. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
With her skills, she could easily drop him to the ground, but she did not resist. She let him hold her like a meek little rabbit.
The embrace that she once longed for was so strong, so powerful, and so warm, but… it no longer aroused anything in her heart.
It was easy to fall in love with someone and it was not that hard to let go of someone either. Four years was enough for her to completely let go.
After an embrace that felt both brief and long, Ace realized that he had reacted a bit too strongly. He slowly and reluctantly let go of her, but still stood very close to her.
"Don't misunderstand. The embrace didn't mean anything."
Joanna nodded, "Understood."
The woman's calmness and composure made Ace inexplicably angry. It felt like… he had just launched a strong punch that hit a bed of cotton.
There was no impact at all.
He could effortlessly control everything except for this woman in front of him.
Not before, not now. This frustrated him to no end!
"If you're so unhappy with me, why didn't you push me away? You're clearly capable of doing that!"
Ace asked coldly.
Joanna shrugged and said indifferently, "You misunderstood, Mr. Moran. I'm not unhappy with you. We used to be husband and wife after all. Now that we see each other again after a long time, a hug seems like an appropriate thing to do."
"Well said!"
Ace snorted, "I never knew you're such a carefree person, Miss Pierce… Do you really think that you don't need to be responsible for the troubles you caused anymore after hiding like a coward for four years?"
Joanna knew Ace would not let her off so easily, but she remained calm and asked, "Then what do you want me to do, Mr. Moran?"
"Do you know that Alice lost her child because of your cruelty? She even had to have her womb removed. She'll never get the chance to be a mother again!"
Pain crept into Ace's handsome face. His voice trembled slightly.
For the past four years, he had been mired in guilt.
He had always felt that it was his mistake that caused his brother to lose his only bloodline and ruined Alice's life.
For four years, he put a seal on the topic and forbade anyone from bringing it up. Then, he desperately worked as hard as he could to numb and also to punish himself.
Now that Joanna, the fuse of the entire tragedy, finally reappeared, he felt that it was time to undo the knot in his heart.
"I don't care whether what you did back then was intentional or an accident, it's a fact that the baby died at your hands. Alice suffered from severe depression because of that. She tried to commit suicide countless times in the last four years… You owe her an apology."
"It's that serious?"
Joanna's calm expression gradually turned grave.
She did not expect the accident four years ago to have such serious consequences.
In the past, she was too arrogant. Even if she knew that she was in the wrong, she would never apologize to someone like Alice.
But now that she had become a mother, she knew better than anyone how traumatizing this kind of experience could be. It was impossible to not feel any guilt over it.
"Don't worry, I know what to do."
Joanna looked coldly at Ace, paused for a few seconds, then added," However, this is a grudge between me and Alice. I hope you won't interfere too much. If you get injured by mistake, I won't take responsibility for it."
Ace did not expect Joanna to agree so easily. Deep down, he felt an indescribable sense of loss