Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

If she hadn’t reacted so quickly, Simon Lockwood might have done something utterly beastly.

The air was suffocatingly quiet. Joanna Kennedy was already on edge, and seeing Simon Lockwood frozen in place only irritated her more.

Her anger flared, and she gave the man a shove before reaching around him to press the unlock button.

The car door opened, and a cool breeze hit her face. By the time Joanna Kennedy stepped into the elevator, her anger had subsided a little.

Inside the car,

Simon Lockwood remained slumped against the seatback where she had shoved him. It was a long while before he finally moved.

That slap had shocked him into clarity. It wasn’t a dream. The Joanna Kennedy in his dreams would never hit him. And dreams... didn’t hurt this much.

Simon Lockwood slowly raised a hand to his chest. A dense, sharp pain throbbed beneath his fingertips.

He knew he had messed up. Again.

*

Simon Lockwood stood guard in the hallway for days without seeing the person he was waiting for. He wanted to knock, but every time he raised his hand, the image of her disgusted, fearful eyes would flash in his mind.

’Joanna Kennedy probably doesn’t want to see me,’ he thought.

On the third day, Joanna Kennedy finally emerged. She jumped in surprise at the sight of the man standing by her door, and her first instinct was to slam it shut. But when he stuck his hand out, she abruptly froze.

Joanna Kennedy’s brow furrowed. ”Are you trying to get hurt on purpose?”

’If I crushed his hand, who would be at fault? Me or Simon Lockwood?’

Joanna Kennedy didn’t mince words. The distant politeness she’d shown initially was gone, replaced by sheer impatience.

Simon Lockwood’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He stiffly retracted his hand and lowered his gaze. ”I’m not trying to get hurt...”

Having not spoken for so long, his voice was dry and hoarse.

Joanna Kennedy noticed the dark circles under his eyes—he clearly hadn’t been sleeping. There was also a thin red line on his cheek, likely a scratch from a fingernail.

Joanna Kennedy subconsciously clenched her fists. ”So what is it you want?” she asked.

”And don’t say you’re sorry,” Joanna Kennedy cut in bluntly. ”You’ve apologized more than enough. I don’t want to hear it again.”

She’d figured it out by now: Simon Lockwood’s apologies were as meaningless as a dog’s bark. The moment she recalled the things he’d done, the crude words he’d spoken, she just wanted to slap him again.

His apology cut short, Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together, unsure what to say. Seeing her turn to leave impatiently, he rasped out, ”The situation with the Sinclair Family is resolved. No one will bother you again.”

Joanna Kennedy recalled that she had, in fact, mentioned this to him. She just hadn’t expected him to act so quickly.

”Oh,” Joanna Kennedy simply said. Silence fell again as an elevator arrived, its doors sliding open. Simon Lockwood didn’t dare follow her inside. His voice was strained as he asked, ”Are you heading to work?”

The man stood rigidly outside the elevator. He clearly wanted to step inside, to get closer to her, yet he held himself back. It was a stark contrast to his brazen behavior the other night, which, strangely, made him look rather pitiful.

Joanna Kennedy was amused. Not quite sure what came over her, she smiled. ”Nope.”

”I’m going to have dinner with someone else,” she added deliberately. ”That person you saw in front of the company building.”

Seeing the color drain from his face, Joanna Kennedy finally felt a sense of satisfaction. She reached out and pressed the ’door close’ button.

As the elevator doors slid shut, her final view was of his pale, rigid face, silently screaming his inner turmoil.

Settling into her assistant’s car, the smile still hadn’t faded from Joanna Kennedy’s face. She was in such a good mood that she began to hum.

”You’re in such a great mood, Jojo,” the assistant said with a smile. ”Is it because you heard about the new endorsement deal?”

A new endorsement?

Joanna Kennedy stopped humming. ”What new endorsement?” she asked, puzzled.

The assistant was surprised by her question. Seeing how happy she was, she’d assumed Joanna had already heard the news. ”The Sinclair Group is launching a new car, and they’re interested in you as the brand ambassador, Jojo,” she explained.

It was common knowledge that car brands were extremely selective about their ambassadors, especially luxury ones. Very few female celebrities in the industry ever managed to land a car endorsement.

The assistant had expected Joanna to be thrilled by the news, so she was confused when she saw her brow furrow. ”What’s wrong, Jojo?” she asked tentatively.

”It’s nothing.” Joanna Kennedy shook her head, saying no more.

When they arrived at the office, Mindy Morgan was already waiting, her face flushed with excitement. The moment she saw Joanna, she launched into the details of the Sinclair Group car endorsement.

”The Sinclair Group’s proposal is this: we sign the contract now, and then after a while, they’ll announce you as the brand ambassador at the new car launch event,” Mindy Morgan said, ecstatic. ”Joanna, what do you think? I feel this plan is solid.”

Mindy Morgan was genuinely thrilled. She’d been on cloud nine ever since receiving the email from the Sinclair Group. She truly hadn’t expected Joanna to be so impressive—to attend a single charity gala and walk away with a major endorsement deal.

’Such a self-sufficient artist! She doesn’t even need her agent to lift a finger!’

Mindy Morgan had already planned the contract signing down to the very minute. She never expected Joanna to say, ”Mindy, please turn it down for me.”

Joanna’s tone was calm, as if she were rejecting a run-of-the-mill gig. Mindy Morgan froze for a second, unable to process it. ”What??”

”I’m not a big fan of cars, so I don’t want to take this endorsement,” Joanna explained.

At this stunningly simple reason for refusal, Mindy Morgan was left speechless. ”...”

Mindy Morgan was on the verge of a breakdown. ”What does you liking cars have to do with anything?! They’re not asking you to marry the car, just to be its ambassador!”

But this wasn’t about the car. This was the Sinclair Family, the most powerful family in Jornheim, and they had handpicked Joanna for the job. If this deal went through, her status in the entertainment circle would skyrocket.

With the Sinclair Family’s backing, who wouldn’t show her some deference? Film roles, fashion resources—it would all be hers for the asking!

Mindy Morgan tried to persuade her earnestly. Joanna sounded weary, but her resolve didn’t waver in the slightest. Her voice was gentle but firm. ”Mindy, I really don’t want to take it.”

The way she said it made it seem as if Mindy were forcing her into something sordid. Mindy knew there was no point in arguing further. Though she couldn’t stomach it, she didn’t press. ”Fine, fine. Have it your way.”

”You’re the one who landed this opportunity anyway,” Mindy said. ”So your decision is what counts.”

Joanna smiled. ”Thanks, Mindy.”

”Don’t thank me yet, I’m not finished,” Mindy said, her expression souring. ”To make room for this endorsement, I already canceled several of your less-important appearances. There was one, though—a new variety show from Fruity TV—that I just couldn’t bring myself to turn down.”

”They invited you to be a regular cast member. I’ll send you the outline in a bit so you can look it over.”

This time, Mindy wasn’t asking for her opinion; she was telling her to review it and then sign. Joanna considered it for a moment, then agreed. ”Okay.”

’Mindy Morgan might be opportunistic, but her professional instincts were solid. A new variety show she couldn’t bear to reject was bound to have hit potential.’

Joanna only needed to read a few lines of the proposal to know her guess was right. A reality show pairing highly intelligent non-celebrities with stars in an escape room-style competition? It definitely had potential.