The Unstoppable Comeback Of the Unrivaled Ex-Wife-Chapter 416 - 412
"Why didn’t you tell me that there were guests downstairs? What would your family think of me now?!"
Joanna buried her beet-red face in her hands, totally humiliated. She wished that she could find a hole in the ground and hide in there forever.
They must have found out that she had been sleeping in this late, and if she showed up looking unkempt and disheveled, she would forever be regarded as the shame of the Moran family and drown in their saliva from their disparaging opinions!
"What they think is their business," replied Ace. "All I want is for you to be comfortable."
Ace put his arms around Joanna’s shoulders and calmly led her downstairs. Then, in a casual tone, he greeted everyone, "Good morning, uncles and aunts. Please forgive me and Joanna for getting up so late."
Ace’s power and position in the Moran family were only second to old Mr. Moran, so as soon as he spoke up, his voice carried a certain authority that instantly silenced the whole room.
But when he looked down at the woman in his arms, his voice became as gentle as spring showers when he dotingly said, "Come on, don’t be shy. Say hello to the elders in our family."
No matter how embarrassed Joanna was, she could not possibly just ignore Ace’s suggestion, so she bit the bullet and greeted the people in the room.
The women feared Ace, so even though they had wagged their tongues just seconds ago, they didn’t even dare to let out a fart, all of them except Sheila, who feared no one.
"Ah, Joanna! It’s been so long since we last met! It must’ve been, let me see... four years!"
Like a demon hiding behind an angel’s mask, she took Joanna’s hands and smilingly told her, "I remember how everyone was cheering on happily when Ace kicked you out of the house back then, but I was the only one who pitied you because I have a sensitive heart, you see..."
"Sheila!" Susan cut her off angrily, barely able to restrain herself from tearing out Sheila’s mouth herself. "If you have nothing nice to say, then just shut up! No one would think that you’re dumb if you don’t speak for a while!"
The situation had now gotten awkward. Apart from Ace’s immediate family, the rest were staring at Joanna and Sheila, eager to see how the scene would play out.
But Joanna did not mind Sheila’s words at all. With a faint smile, she said, "It’s fine. I don’t hold grudges."
This emboldened Sheila, and she continued to speak even more viciously.
"That’s a good girl! I was just telling your mother-in-law that I’ve prepared a special gift for you. Why don’t you put it on and see if it suits you?"
She then took out the golden lock from the box and stuffed it into Joanna’s hands, telling her, "This is called a chastity lock. It must’ve been really hard for you, raising two children as a single mother all these years. Undoubtedly, you must have looked for some other men just so you could survive..."
"I heard some ridiculous rumors about you out there," she continued. "They say that your children aren’t Ace’s, but that their real father is that Blackwood boy, because they’ve got a gene for twins in that family. Come here. Let me put this on for you. This lock will signify that from now, you’ll stay completely loyal to Ace and the Moran family!"
Sheila, lacking an ounce of respect for her, was undoubtedly trying to humiliate Joanna. Everyone else was also watching on with amusement. After all, everyone in the Moran family, even the servants, was so used to bullying and humiliating Joanna that it was no longer a surprising sight.
"We don’t need it," said Ace with a stony face. He exuded an icy cold aura while his piercing eyes were focused on Sheila.
Intimidated by Ace’s gaze, Sheila sputtered, "What... What’s wrong, Ace? I only mean well!"
"I think this lock is much more suited for Ethan," Ace replied firmly with an expressionless face. "Perhaps it might stop him from seducing and deceiving so many women, which would inevitably bring terrible retributions like getting cut off from his children in the future."
Ace’s words caused an instant uproar. Even Joanna was visibly shocked.
This b*stard was downright vulgar!
Sheila and Arthur were seething with anger. They quickly rushed towards old Mr. Moran to complain.
"You... You heard that, didn’t you, Uncle Timothy? Ace was simply being disrespectful of us! Sheila only meant to give them the golden lock as a special gift with pure intentions. It’s fine if they don’t appreciate it, but how could he say that Ethan could be cut off from his children? You must grant us justice, Uncle!"
Sheila clung onto the armrest of the chair where old Mr. Moran was seated, wailing as if the world was ending.
Arthur then added, bringing up his long-dead father to put more pressure on old Mr. Moran, "My father died young, Uncle Timothy, but before he died, he entrusted me to you. Although I’m only your nephew, I’ve always looked up to you as my real father, so you can’t let your son and grandson bully me like this. If Ethan really is cut off from his children, my bloodline will end with him, and in that case, my father will certainly have something to say about it when you meet him in heaven!"
"Arthur..." Old Mr. Moran began. "We both know that your father entrusted you to me..."
Old Mr. Moran always remembered his dead younger brother fondly, so he was never able to take any firm and decisive actions against Arthur Moran and his family because he would always give in to them.
He heaved a heavy sigh and told Arthur, "You said you look up to me as your real father, so how could I not love you as my own son? Ever since you were a child, I brought you up together with my children, and I even brought Ace and Ethan up together too. I’ve always distributed the responsibilities in Moran Group according to their abilities. I’ve always been fair and just."
"I know," the old man continued, "that you were dissatisfied when I handed Moran Group over to Ace and let Ethan manage the branch overseas. I know that since then, you’ve been scheming and plotting to take over. I can turn a blind eye to all that, but what happened today is different... I won’t interfere with what happened today. It is not my right to take charge of this matter."
Old Mr. Moran turned to the butler beside him. "I’m tired. Take me back to my room. I’m going to take a rest now."
"What... What do you mean?"
Sheila felt as if a rug was pulled off from under her feet. In the past, no matter how much they crossed the line, old Mr. Moran would eventually give in and take their side, so why did he give up his authority so easily today?
She quickly chased after old Mr. Moran with tears in her eyes and snot on her nose, "Uncle! You can’t just leave us like this! You must settle this! You..."
"Please step back, Madam."
The butler blocked Sheila’s way, then helped old Mr. Moran back to his room.
Now that the most powerful man in the Moran family had given up his authority on the matter, Arthur and Sheila’s pomposity and arrogance deflated significantly.
Arthur turned to his cousin and said, "Alexander, we can forget everything else, but you must tell your son to apologize for the extremely disrespectful things he said!"
Alexander turned to his son, "Your uncle wants you to apologize, Ace. What do you think?"
Ace pursed his thin lips. His eyes were piercingly cold. He exuded such an intimidating air that the atmosphere inexplicably tensed up.
"Sure, I’ll apologize, but..."
His eyes became even sharper and more ruthless as he stared straight at Arthur and Sheila. "Only after the both of you apologize to my wife."
Arthur was so infuriated that he slammed the table and roared, "What?! I’m your uncle! You want me to apologize to someone younger than me? That’s an utter insult!"
Sheila shed off her mask and disdainfully spat, "Who is Joanna Pierce anyway?! She’s just a down-and-out woman who has nothing, and yet all of you spoil her like a princess! My son Ethan would never give a woman like that a second look! And I will never let someone of her status even step through the doors of the Moran family!"
"Since you’re both so brazen..." Ace’s gaze grew colder and colder till it was terrifying enough to induce shudders. "Then I’ll make it clear to you now—if you don’t apologize to my wife today, don’t even think about leaving this house."
