Joanna called for a cab and waited at the curb of the villa, her body swaying occasionally.
At some point, Ace had followed her out, and his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. There was concern in his eyes as he asked, "You don't look well. What's wrong?"
"I'm pissed at your little mistress!" Joanna replied instantly.
She wanted to shake the man's hand off, but she felt too weak, and she couldn't muster up the strength to do it.
"Are you okay? Do you need me to send you to the hospital?"
Ace didn't feel comfortable leaving Joanna alone and was fully prepared to get his car.
"I don't need your false sympathy!" Joanna shot back. Ace was a hypocrite, and she didn't give him a second glance and sneered. "If you're really ashamed, then you should advise your lover and get her to apologize to me on her knees, or the consequences will be even direr! Either way, I'll be pursuing this matter to the end. I won't let her off so easily!"
The words were imposing, but because she said it weakly, it sounded more like a rant without any killing intent.
"That's fine, do whatever you want. It's your right. Just let me get you to the hospital first." Ace said, attempting to coax
Joanna like a three–year–old.
He held her shaky body and gently started to lead her in the direction of his sports car.
"I told you it's none of your business! Let go of me!" Joanna exclaimed, struggling stubbornly with slight dampness in her eyes.
She felt aggrieved. She had clearly been the victim here, but this man was defending Alice for no proper reason, making herblook as though she was aggressive and vicious.
So. Ace's sudden tenderness had broken down her defenses. Regardless, Ace seemed to still have some conscience, so
he wasn't a complete lost cause.
The two were slowly walking toward his car when his phone suddenly rang. It was one of the two policemen who had taken
Alice away.
"Mr. Moran… Y–you have to come to the station right away! Something happened to Miss Alice, and we don't know what to
do!"
Ace's face turned hard, and he asked chillingly, "What happened?"
"Miss Alice said her stomach hurt, so we wanted to send her to the hospital, but she… she refused! She said she wanted
to see you first. It's very urgent. Please hurry!"
The policeman spoke loudly, and Joanna could hear the conversation clearly.
"I got it."
Ace hung up and released Joanna's waist. He turned to look at Joanna with his dark eyes, and even though not a word was exchanged, his meaning was clear.
Joanna silently laughed at herself. What had she been expecting? How naive must she have been to even expect anything from this man!
She waved her hand dismissively. "What are you waiting for? Your lover is waiting for your rescue!"
"Can you manage on your own?"
Ace was still obviously concerned, and it showed in his eyes.
"Does it matter? I've been doing it for three years, let alone now." Joanna replied coldly with an indifferent look.
Her heart had long since shattered into thousands of pieces, and it was now numb. Whatever choice Ace made would do little to move her.
To him, Joanna was an existence so insignificant that she could be tossed aside whenever it was convenient!
Just then, the cab she had called arrived, so she got into the vehicle without looking back.
When the car drove past Ace, she stared ahead and didn't spare the man another glance.
Ace watched the car with a sullen face as it shrunk into the distance. It was a long time before he finally averted his eyes.
When Joanna arrived at Pierce Residence, located west of the city, it was already late at night. The cab driver had heard rumors that the place was haunted, and he didn't dare drive all the way in, leaving Joanna about one kilometer away from the house.
Her abdomen didn't hurt as much as before, but it was still uncomfortable. She slowly lumbered home, feeling as though she would collapse with every step she took.
Nancy had been waiting outside for a long time, keeping an eye out for her. She rushed forward, sick with worry, the moment she saw Joanna on the ground at the gates.
"Miss Joan? Miss Joan! What's wrong?!"
When Joanna saw Nancy, who was like a mother to her, tears of resignation filled her eyes.
"Nancy, my stomach hurts!"
Like a child, she threw herself into the older woman's arms and wept uncontrollably.
For three years, from the changes in her family to her grandfather's death and even her divorce from Ace, not a single tear had been shed, and she remained as sturdy as a mountain.
But it was tiring to be strong all the time. She was only a twenty–four-year–old woman! She didn't want to be strong anymore!
Nancy was confused. She rarely saw Joanna in such a fragile state, and she couldn't help but feel distressed, and tears also filled her eyes. She gently stroked Joanna's back in comfort and said, "Shh, it's okay. Miss Joan. I'm here. I'm here with you!"
Like a lost little puppy, Joanna soaked in the warmth of Nancy's arms. Having not felt this peaceful in a long while, she seemed relaxed and wasn't as uncomfortable as before.
Nancy was Joanna's nanny and had a lot of experience in childbirth and parenting. She looked at Joanna's stomach and complexion and could hazard a guess as to what was wrong with the younger woman.
"Miss Joan, are you pregnant?" Nancy asked cautiously.
"I… "The thought of telling Margret had never crossed Joanna's mind, and denial was on the tip of her tongue.
However, Margeret picked up her hand and felt the pulse on her wrist, adding, "And almost three months along, if I'm not
mistaken?"
"Ah… apparently, I can't hide anything from you," Joanna mumbled helplessly.
Nancy's family came from a long line of skilled medical professionals. Joanna once heard her mother say that her grandmother had personally hired Nancy to manage all the affairs in their family and care for Joanna's mother, who had been pregnant then, and her, who had been born after. That meant Nancy was more experienced than many other doctors in the field.
Nancy stayed silent and continued feeling Joanna's pulse. After a while, she frowned and said. "Miss Joan, you ran into trouble today, didn't you? Your pulse is irregular. You should lie down. I'll prepare some medicine for you. You'll be fine once you take it."
"Thank you, Nancy."
Joanna obeyed Nancy's instruction and returned to her bedroom to lie down.
Nancy prepared a concoction according to the medical skills she had learned from her ancestors. Once it was done, she
brought it up to Joanna.
"Come, Miss Joan. Once you drink this, the pain will go away!"
Joanna was not the slightest bit wary of the medicine and swallowed it in one gulp.
To her, Nancy was the only person in this world she could trust unconditionally, even more than Liam or Clara.
A gentle sensation washed over her once she drank the medicine, and she felt better almost instantly.
"Nancy, my stomach doesn't hurt much anymore! You're awesome!" Joanna gushed, her eyes filled with adoration for the older woman.
"Of course! My great–grandfather was known as the famous Plum Blossom Saint, you know? As his descendent, even if I only inherited a tenth of his mantle and lacked his necromancy skills, keeping an unborn baby safe is easy."
Nancy was clearly proud of her ancestry and lineage.
"Wasn't that the title given to the doctor who was rumored to be able to perform miracles? That's your great–grandfather, Nancy? That's… Wow!"
The admiration in Joanna's heart swelled bigger. Even though she knew that Nancy came from a line of ancestors who studied medicine, she didn't know their origins were that great! Her profound heritage completely overshadowed the Pierce
family's reputation!
In that case, hadn't it been a waste for Nancy to be a housekeeper and nanny in this family?
Joanna asked curiously, "Nancy, this is the first I've heard that your great–grandfather was the Plum Blossom Saint. I heard he
was the treasure of the medical world and that he could cure people who were terminally ill. If that's the case… why didn't you pursue a medical career and waste your life here instead?"
Nancy smiled. "I was entrusted with this task. Besides, caring for you and your mother wasn't a waste of my life. It was my life's mission."
"Entrusted? By my grandmother?" Joanna was even more curious at the older woman's words. "Could you tell me a little about my grandmother, Nancy?"