Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Simon Lockwood: ”..........”

Joanna Kennedy: ”???”

Henry Hughes: ”Look at you. No matter how much you hate him, you can’t just go and bite him. You could’ve hit him somewhere it wouldn’t show, like his stomach or legs.”

Realizing the other person involved was also present, Henry Hughes laughed awkwardly. ”Julius, that’s not what I meant, heh...”

Simon Lockwood remained impassive and said nothing.

Joanna Kennedy: ”..........”

Joanna Kennedy was completely exasperated. She looked at Henry Hughes as if he were a complete idiot. ’How should I put this? Should I thank him for being so considerate?’

’Well, it’s better that he got the wrong idea. Saves me the trouble of making up an excuse,’ Joanna thought. In a dry tone, she said, ”Thanks for that.”

Henry Hughes felt that her ”thanks” didn’t sound entirely sincere, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. He just waved his hand. ”No problem, no problem.”

”Jojo, you don’t have to thank me. If possible...” Henry Hughes looked a little embarrassed and said sheepishly, ”After we’re done filming the show, could I maybe treat you to—”

”Hey, isn’t that Miles and the others?” Joanna Kennedy quickly cut him off. ”Henry, Miles is calling for you. Go on, it’s time for dinner.”

”Huh?” Henry Hughes turned around, confused. Sure enough, he saw Miles Sutton, Dunley, and Susan Lee walking in.

’But... did they call for me? I didn’t hear anything.’ Henry Hughes turned back. ”Jojo, I...”

But there was no trace of Joanna Kennedy. All he saw was the tall, long-legged ”Julius,” whose expression, for some reason, was a little cold.

Henry Hughes instinctively took a step back. ”Julius” simply walked away without even sparing him a glance.

Henry Hughes: ”..........Damn.”

’Who did I piss off?’

Having finally shaken those two, Joanna Kennedy made a beeline for her favorite section: the fruit bar. She loaded up on blueberries, strawberries, and all the rest, filling a small plate. Just as she was about to find a place to sit, she saw Cheryl Chaney waving at her.

It was a four-person table. Cheryl Chaney and Sophia were sitting on the same side, with no one else there. Joanna Kennedy walked over and sat down across from them.

”Jojo, what took you so long to come down for dinner?” It was Cheryl Chaney who spoke. The plate in front of her was already nearly empty.

Joanna Kennedy gave a simple ”I was tidying up my room.” Seeing that Cheryl Chaney was about to ask more, she deftly changed the subject. ”By the way, have you guys seen the supplies the production team gave us?”

”You mean the backpack?” Cheryl Chaney said. ”Yeah, I saw it. It’s pretty well-stocked. Hahahaha, there’s even a flashlight. Don’t tell me we’re doing an escape room in total darkness?”

”And sunglasses,” Sophia added in her gentle voice. ”Perhaps we’ll be exposed to intense light.”

The two of them went back and forth, speculating on how the ”tools” from the production team might be used, their expressions as casual as if they were discussing which dish was the tastiest.

Joanna Kennedy: ”...........”

’Is this what it’s like to be a brainiac? Solving for the unknown based on the known variables? I wonder if Simon Lockwood thought of this too.’

”What’s wrong?” Seeing Joanna Kennedy’s complicated expression, Sophia felt a little sheepish. ”We’re just speculating, it’s not like we know for sure. Don’t be scared.”

The gentle, delicate Sophia was comforting her, telling her not to be afraid. This made Joanna Kennedy’s expression even more conflicted. ”It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

’A pitch-black room or a blinding flash of light... I’m not afraid of things like that.’

Joanna Kennedy hadn’t taken much food—just fruit and some diet-friendly items like broccoli. Looking at her plate, Cheryl Chaney didn’t think it was nearly enough. ”Jojo, is that all you’re eating for dinner?”

”Yeah.” Joanna Kennedy sighed deeply, a rare, aggrieved look on her face. ”My agent won’t let me eat much and even has my assistant monitoring me.”

Her indignant pout didn’t seem like that of a top superstar; instead, it felt genuinely childish. This was nothing like the Joanna Kennedy that Susan Lee had described to them.

Cheryl Chaney laughed. ”Jojo, you’re not fat at all.”

”Really?” Joanna Kennedy blinked. ”In that case, I’ll have a couple more strawberries.”

”Then I’ll go get you some more.”

”Hey, no, you don’t have to, please don’t...”

Cheryl Chaney paid her no mind and was already walking away.

A few minutes later, Joanna Kennedy stared at the plate of strawberries in front of her. ”..........”

Meeting Cheryl Chaney’s expectant gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse the kind gesture. She had no choice but to eat them one by one, and ended up getting full for dinner on nothing but strawberries.

Fruit isn’t very filling, and by the time she was about to sleep, Joanna Kennedy was too hungry to drift off. Remembering the beef jerky and chocolate in her suitcase, she quickly hopped out of bed, pulled a stick of jerky from her bag, and started gnawing on it.

At ten-thirty, in the dead of night, the silence made the sound of footsteps in the hallway particularly clear. They seemed to pause for a moment as they passed her door.

’Guests are staying on the fifth floor, and you can’t get up here without a key card. Who would be wandering the halls at this hour?’

Joanna Kennedy frowned and held her breath. A few seconds later, the footsteps resumed. The door to the adjacent room opened, and she heard Susan Lee’s voice.

It sounded like she was talking to someone. Joanna Kennedy couldn’t make out the words through her door, but she could tell Susan Lee was speaking with a man.

The man’s voice was familiar. Joanna Kennedy quietly opened her door, planning to get a better look, and was met with a pair of eyes glinting with amusement.

”..........”

It was Jasper Sinclair. ’Of course it is,’ she thought.

*

Perhaps because she knew her secret was out, the very next morning, as soon as they arrived at the filming location, Susan Lee impatiently marched up to Joanna Kennedy. Deliberately avoiding the crew members, she warned, ”Joanna Kennedy, I suggest you watch your mouth.”

Joanna Kennedy hadn’t planned on saying anything, but Susan Lee’s attitude annoyed her. She raised a delicate eyebrow. ”And if I can’t? What are you going to do about it?”

”You!” Susan Lee’s voice rose, but fearing she’d attract attention, she forced it back down, hissing through her teeth, ”Since you saw what you saw, you should know who he is.”

”If you dare to run your mouth, the Sinclair Family won’t let you off. I doubt you’ll even be able to finish filming this show.” Susan Lee’s face was full of scorn. ”Joanna Kennedy, you can’t afford to mess with me now. Know your place. Once I’ve married into the Sinclair Family, I might consider letting you off the hook.”

Having delivered her threat, Susan Lee turned and walked away, seemingly certain that Joanna Kennedy wouldn’t dare say a word. Even her retreating figure radiated smugness.

’What a clueless idiot.’ A flicker of mockery flashed in Joanna Kennedy’s eyes.

A man like Jasper Sinclair, who put his own interests above all else—how could he possibly marry someone like Susan Lee? Joanna Kennedy refused to believe he’d approached Susan at this particular time simply because of her looks.

’What is he really after?’

Joanna Kennedy was lost in thought and only snapped back to reality when the director began announcing the team assignments.

”Let’s see who Sophia chose...” The director pulled out the selection form and announced loudly, ”Joanna!”

’How... could this be?’

Joanna Kennedy’s head snapped up, and she instinctively looked toward the man. She saw Simon Lockwood’s expression grow colder by the second.

”Julius’s teammates are Sue, Cheryl Chaney, and Mr. Sutton! Dunley chose Hughes!” Having finished the announcements, the director stepped out of the frame.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t hear a word of what followed. It wasn’t until the groups were formed and they entered the third-floor bungalow, plunging into darkness, that she accurately grasped the man’s hand. She gently touched the bite mark, which was already starting to fade, and whispered, ”It’s okay.”