Joanna couldn't be bothered to waste any more time with Jovan. She turned around, entered the car, and drove away from the gravesite.
She didn't once look at Ace's so-called tomb.
That was because she believed from the bottom of her heart that he was still alive…
Under the moonlight, Joanna returned to Clara's apartment in the city center as quickly as she could.
She had been through too much today. She was exhausted, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted nothing else but a good night's sleep.
As soon as she opened the door, she realized that Liam was also there, apart from Clara.
After their fight in Moran Group, it felt a little awkward when they locked eyes.
"Joanna, you're finally home. Liam almost called the cops," Clara said with a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around Joanna's arm. "Are you hungry? I'll cook something for you if you are."
Joanna shook her head. She looked tired. "I'm not hungry. I'm just a little sleepy. I think I need a good, good rest. Goodnight."
After finishing her sentence, she walked past Liam and headed toward her own room.
"Sleep?" Clara sensed something was amiss while she looked at Joanna from behind.
Had Joanna received news about Adie?
Knowing Joanna, she wouldn't be in the mood to sleep right now and would definitely be trying everything she could to find Adie!
"Joanna, did Jovan bully you? Why do I sense that something's wrong with you?" Clara asked out of concern.
She knew Joanna and Liam had already broken up. In fact, she also knew that it was all because of Jovan. She felt that it wasn't fair for Liam.
After all, Liam had sacrificed a lot for this relationship.
If Ace was the one who won, it would've been fair game. However, if Jovan was the one who stood in their way, even Clara, who was an outsider, felt it wasn't justifiable.
Clara initially planned to lecture Joanna on this, but she didn't have the heart to do it after seeing the state Joanna was in.
"Tell us if he bullied you. Liam and I won't let him off the hook!" Clara said angrily while holding onto Joanna's shoulder.
Joanna looked up and smiled bitterly. "Do you think I'm someone he can bully?"
'That's true. You're strong enough to fend that loser off!" Clara felt even more confused now.
"So, what exactly is wrong? Did you receive bad news about Adie?" Clara asked.
"It has nothing to do with Adie. I'm just tired. I want to stop thinking and have a good night's sleep." Joanna's voice got weaker and weaker. It sounded as if she was struggling to even breathe. This was completely unlike her usually energetic self.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep." Joanna forced a smile and reached for the door's handle. She then walked in lifelessly
"I don't believe you!" Clara was still worried. She turned to look at Liam." Liam, think of something. Joanna must've experienced something devastating. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so downtrodden. Although you guys broke up, you can't just ignore her. Didn't you wait all night to talk to her after she returned? Why are you being silent?'
Clara had always been hot-headed. She directly pushed Liam into Joanna's room and closed the door with a bang. She then locked the door from the outside.
Liam instantly panicked and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge." Clara, damn it! Open the door!'
"I don't care. You have to make Joanna feel better tonight. Otherwise, don't even think about coming out," Clara uttered. Worried that the lock might not hold, she even attached a steel bar as a latch for good measure.
It couldn't be helped -her brother was too passive-if she didn't lend him a hand, he wouldn't even stand a chance!
Joanna and Liam were left in the large room all alone. They looked at each other.
"I'm sorry. You know how my sister never thinks things through." Liam chucked his hands into his pockets. He pretended to be casual and nonchalant. It was as if their argument in Moran Group had never happened.
Joanna smiled exhaustedly. 'I'm the one who should apologize. Jovan is a nutcase. I thought I could get some useful information from him, but I realized he was full of nonsense. It was a complete waste of my time. It even affected our relationship. I'm such an idiot!" Joanna's head hung low while she sat in front of the dressing table. She buried her head in her hands, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Liam frowned when he saw this. He felt bad for her. "Looks like you've found out. Cry if you want to. You don't have to pretend that you don't care. This isn't something to be embarrassed about."
From the moment Jovan showed up, Liam knew that it was impossible to keep Ace's death a secret.
He reacted so strongly in Moran Group and insisted on not letting Jovan get close to Joanna, worried that Joanna couldn't handle the news.
Unfortunately, she still found out in the end…
'Haha. I… What have I found out? I don't know what you're talking about." Joanna was still pretending, but she wasn't doing a good job at it. This made Liam feel even worse for her.
He walked up to her and gently patted her on the shoulder, as though channeling energy into her body. 'Just let it out. After all, he's the man you once loved deeply. It's normal that you'd want to cry for him."
"Just don't stay sad for too long. You have to get back on your feet and live your life. Adie and Abby are still waiting for you. You can't give up…" He added.
"Don't make things up!" Joanna suddenly looked up at Liam. Her eyes filled with tears of anger. "Jovan lied to me, and so did you! Do all of you think I'm so easy to fool? Ace is a tough man, and he won't die so easily. This is a laughable lie!"
"I know you don't want to face the truth. Well, let's just pretend he's still alive. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you he's still alive too. You can stop crying for him." Liam could tell Joanna was greatly affected by Ace's death.
Joanna was normally not quite as weak. Why wouldn't she be able to face the truth?
Since she was unwilling to accept the truth, he'd continue lying to her for the rest of his life. This was what he planned to do from the very beginning.
"Whether he's dead or alive has nothing to do with me. I won't shed a single tear for him. Even if he died saving me, I could only say that he's too unlucky…" Joanna took a deep breath and walked shakily to her bed. She fell onto the bed and said with her back to Liam, "I'm tired. I want to sleep. Save it for tomorrow."
Liam looked at her scrawny figure as she wept and shook uncontrollably and felt like he had been stabbed in the chest…
'Ace, are you dead or alive? If you're alive, just come out. How can you call yourself a man when you make a woman cry for you?'