Joanna found Ace's sudden change in temper ridiculous. It must have been hard for an arrogant guy like Ace to put up such a gentle facade for his lover.
Joanna lifted her chin and said with a half smile. "Haven't I made it clear enough? All you have to do is let your lover kneel down and apologize to me in front of all the media."
"Don't go overboard." Ace's eyes turned cold. Somehow. Joanna seemed like a complete stranger to him.
The old Joanna was not so aggressive.
"I told you. Alice is still in the hospital with an unstable pregnancy. How can you have her kneel down and apologize to you?"
"Is that so?!"
Joanna silently clenched her firsts. Despite the heartache, she maintained her arrogance and mocked Ace. "She can't kneel but you can kneel on her behalf. Well, Mr. Moran, aren't you a man who would bend over for true love? How touching!"
Nothing mattered to Joanna anymore. Just let Ace think of her as a mean and cold–blooded woman. Despite being kind and meek for the past three years, he saw her with utter contempt. In that case, she would rather be the villain!
Ace's face contorted with anger that made people shudder.
Joanna's unforgiving behavior angered him. He seemed to have lost all control over her, and such a feeling drove him mad!
"Alice was wrong, but she already had her punishment…"
Ace tried to hold his anger, hoping to reach a peaceful solution. He warned coldly, "You're not pregnant, and you won't understand the pain she's going through. If you need any financial compensation, state your demands, but if you dare to hurt her, don't resent me for ignoring our past relationship as husband and wife!"
"Haha."
Joanna was not angry at first, but Ace's words infuriated her. "Were we really husband and wife?" she spat.
Ace had to be the most hypocritical and heartless man she had ever met. He rescued her just not long ago, but the next moment, he threatened her for Alice. How could he?
The way Ace hurt her without knowing was incomparable to the damage that Charles brought her. The damage that Ace caused was invisible, yet deadly!
"I don't want the money. I want Alice to have a bad time. Go ahead and threaten me all you want. Let's see who'll win!"
Joanna's words were a formal declaration of war with Ace. She had nothing to fear.
Zack was a top criminal lawyer. If Joanna wanted, she could hold Alice accountable for her crimes. was not entirely impossible to put her in jail for more than eight years or even a decade.
"You're so stubborn. You're going to regret this, sooner or later," Ace said, his words sounding more like advice. He left after that.
Nancy had been working in the kitchen all morning. She prepared a variety of dishes, which were Ace's favorites.
She once thought that Joanna's former husband was a reliable man and could bring Joanna happiness. She liked him a lot and was sure that Joanna's late parents would be happy with him as well. Therefore, Nancy was determined to find a way for Joanna to reunite with Ace.
"Food's ready! Time to eat!"
Nancy enthusiastically brought out the dishes and served them on the table but was surprised to see Joanna alone.
"Huh? Where is Mr. Moran?"
"I chased him away." Joanna sat down as if nothing had happened and began to enjoy Nancy's cooking.
"You chased him away?" Nancy let out a long sigh. She knew Joanna well enough to see she was playing it cool.
"Miss Joan. I know you and Mr. Moran still have feelings for each other. Have you ever given remarriage a thought? For the sake of your baby?"
"We have feelings for each other?"
Joanna stopped eating and smiled helplessly. "Nancy, you're always good at reading people, but not today. Unfortunately, you've misread the situation. Do you know the reason behind Ace's sudden visit and all that courting?"
"That's because he can't let go of you and wants to reconcile?"
Joanna shook her head. "He came to plead for his lover. He's a prideful man but stripped his pride for such an awful woman. That's unacceptable. I'll never forgive him for that!"
"What—" Nancy looked at Joanna, appalled. She did not expect Joanna's former husband, who seemed so upright and noble. to be so dishonorable. That was a great disappointment.
"I don't think he's that kind of man. He should be able to distinguish between right and wrong. He probably won't condone his lover and her bad character. Is there some misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?"
Joanna sneered, "Nancy, you lack experience in relationships. Do you know? There's no right and wrong in love…"
"The favored ones always do whatever they want. I blame my lack of charm. It's been three years, yet I never garnered his love."
Joanna had always been confident. However, she felt inferior and weak against Ace and their strange marriage.
She couldn't understand how a nice person like herself would lose to a pretentious woman like Alice. Anyway, screw that. She was done with self–doubt and hurting herself.
Nancy said nothing more. The failed relationship had indeed hurt Joanna deeply. However, seeing that Joanna hadn't let it go, she secretly decided to do something…
Ace left the Pierce Residence in a terrible mood. Anger swirled around his face, and his stormy aura would deter even the bravest souls from approaching him with a ten–foot pole.
He frightened the Moran Group's employees. Now, they were extra cautious and dared not even squeak.
At the same time, Ethan walked into Ace's office with a big grin.
"Ace, Ace. Are you there? Hey?"
Ethan sensed the strange atmosphere in the office while walking. It seemed like Ace was the cause.
"Hello, Mr. Ethan! How can I help you? Mr. Moran is busy today. I suggest you come back another time!" Rose, the secretary, tried to hint to Ethan about the situation. She hoped he would read the room and not get himself into trouble.
Ethan, however, being the goofball he was, said with a big smile, "It's okay. I'm Ace's favorite. He'll make time for me even if he's busy."
Ethan proudly lifted his chin towards Ace, who was buried in work.
"Right, Ace?"
The only reply he got was, "Get lost!"
"Ahem!" Ethan flashed an awkward smile at Rose. "Ace seems to be in a bad mood today. What happened?"
"I'm not sure," she whispered. "Everything was fine before, but I heard he became like this after leaving his former wife's place…"
"Alas, it must have been hard on Mr. Moran. Now the world knows about his failed relationship. It'll be very humiliating to lose her forever. He's probably under tremendous pressure!"
Almost eighty percent of the people in the company were fans of Ace and Joanna's relationship. Rose, one of their rabid fans, even stalked Ace and Joanna's movements.
Everyone unanimously agreed that Mr. Moran must have been frustrated with the former Mrs. Moran again. They all looked at Ace with awe and sympathy. There was also a sense of pleasure in knowing that life was fair.
"Frustrated?"
Ethan sighed and lamented, "I didn't think the former Mrs. Moran would be that aggressive. Ace can't even deal with her. I thought he could help get me some connections, but how about now?"
"Right? Mr. Moran can't have his way around Mrs. Moran anymore!"
Both Ethan and Rose sighed long and hard with sad faces.
Ace glared at them, warning them coldly. "Don't you two have anything to do? Do you want more work?"
"Please, no!"
Ethan rushed over and tried to flatter him. "Ace, I'm here for a reason! It's serious business!"