Ace's words made Joanna's blood boil. Fueled by her desire to beat Ace, she immediately turned to his grandfather and said enthusiastically, "It's true, Grandpa. Liam and I are officially dating. I hope you can forgive me and give us your blessings. He's the one who can truly protect me and make me happy!"
Liam looked tenderly at Joanna next to him. He knew this was only an act to make Ace angry, but he still felt touched by what Joanna said. After all, he wasn't even Joanna's backup plan.
Liam suddenly felt a rush of happiness at the feeling of being Joanna's boyfriend. It was like he'd won the lottery!
Grandpa remained stern for a few seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter. He smiled at Joanna and said kindly, "Silly child, of course I'll offer you my blessings. I wouldn't have invited you two over for dinner otherwise. I only wanted to see if this kid was reliable, and if he can look after you. You've just got out of a painful relationship, so how could I possibly let you enter another one?"
Grandpa shot Ace a look of disgust, and it was obvious who he was referring to.
Liam was very sociable, and said earnestly, "General Moran, you can test me, if you'd like. I'm good at almost everything. I can even rap! Let me show you…"
After saying that, he actually started rapping. He was as good as any professional rapper, and his skills were undeniably impressive. Liam was like a ray of sunshine who brought joy to everyone in his presence. His energy was infectious, and even the usually reserved maids were laughing watching him.
Ace was the only one with a blank expression on his face. "Ugh, how boring."
Soon, dinner officially began.
Grandpa made a toast. "I'm honored to have all of you join me for dinner, and I just want to say .. Joan, I hope you'll always be happy. No matter what happens, I'll always be your Grandpa, and the Moran family will forever be your second home. Make sure you come back and visit me often!"
Joanna was so touched by his words that tears filled her eyes. "Don't worry, Grandpa. Though Master Moran and I will not be together anymore, nothing else will change!"
Liam sobered up instantly and promised, "General Moran, don't worry, I'll be sure to protect Joan. Being with her is my
life mission."
"Good kid. You're both good kids unlike a certain someone. All hala angry!"
The three of them clinked their glasses together, and it felt like a wedding toast. In comparison, Ace, who remained silent, seemed out of place.
Ace took a sip of wine and began to feed himself. However, the food was tasteless to him. Needless to say, Grandpa's 'punishment' was truly cruel. He'd rather Grandpa whipped him instead.
Liam reached for a slice of marinated fish. After picking the bones out, he put it on Joanna's plate. He did it so naturally that it looked like he'd done it a million times before.
"Watch and learn. Liam might be.." Grandpa scowled at Ace and gave him an angry nudge." younger than you, but he's a hundred times more considerate. I think Joan is lucky to have left you!"
"Anybody can do it. What's so great about that?" Ace sneered.
"You…!" Grandpa was speechless, and felt like kicking Ace out.
Thankfully, Liam didn't seem to take the comment to heart. "Mr. Moran, you're rather arrogant and impolite, aren't you? Not everyone can do what I did. For example, you."
Liam smirked at him. "Let me ask you something. You and Joan have been married for so many years… but do you know her likes and dislikes when it comes to food?"
Ace blinked at Liam, dumbfounded. Naturally, he couldn't answer. Although he and Joanna had been married for three years, he could count the number of times they'd dined at the same table. Even when they did, he never really paid attention to the food she liked.
"I don't waste time on pointless things like that," Ace scoffed arrogantly.
"Pointless things?" Liam's playfulness instantly disappeared, and was quickly replaced by rage
"That's right. A cold-blooded reptile like you will always be selfish. Why would you ever think of someone else?" Liam wasn't afraid of making Ace angry. In fact, he would have loved to teach Ace a lesson with his fists instead!
"You know, I feel sorry for Joan. She poured her heart and soul into the relationship. She knows that you like mild-flavored food, not spicy food. She also knows you like your steak cooked medium rare, and learned over a hundred ways of cooking steak for you. Unfortunately, her thoughtfulness and efforts were just a waste!"
Liam's harsh words caused Ace to frown slightly. He subconsciously glanced at Joanna, trying to figure out whether it was true.
However, Joanna stared straight ahead with a blank expression. "Liam is partially right, but he's also partially wrong. Mr. Moran is much more cold and heartless than I am. You're all people I care about, and that's why I remember what each of you like. I don't think that information's a waste. I guess from now on, I'll just have to remind myself not to invest in the wrong people," Joanna said sweetly.
Before Ace could respond, Grandpa sighed deeply, his head hung low. "Child, I know you've suffered a lot. I shouldn't have tried to force you two to get back together. From now on, just be with Liam. He's a reliable kid, and he can make you happy."
Joanna instantly sighed in relief. Thank goodness Grandpa wasn't going to force her and Ace to get back together anymore. She had Liam's spectacular acting skills to thank for this. If she was Grandpa, she'd have chosen the bright and positive Liam over the cold and indifferent Ace too. Ace should just stay far away from her!
Joanna wanted to commit fully to the act, so she interlaced her fingers with Liam's as she told Grandpa sincerely, "Thank you for being so supportive, Grandpa. Don't worry, Liam and I will be just fine."
After dinner, the old man unwillingly saw Joanna and Liam off. Suddenly, the large house was quiet again.
"Ah, what a shame!" Grandpa kept sighing after Joanna and Liam left. When he saw Ace reading a magazine on the couch as if nothing happened, he was furious.
"Are you actually reading a magazine? Some young buck just stole your wife from you! How are you so calm?"
Ace looked up coldly. "What am I supposed to do? Cry and beg her to come back?"
"Don't even think about it!" Grandpa let out a frustrated huff. "I can tell you really don't care about Joan. Joan gave so much in the marriage, but she received nothing in return. It's better that you two go your separate ways. Don't disturb her… I think she's better off with Liam."
"I'm glad you understand that," Ace replied tonelessly. He continued reading his magazine, no emotion on his face whatsoever. It seemed that Grandpa had finally accepted the fact that he and
Joanna were divorced. He could finally have peace for a while.
But… could he really not care about Joanna at all?