Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

’Still bringing up old scores at a time like this!’

retorted angrily, [”Fine, I’ll shut up then!”]

Joanna Kennedy didn’t believe it and was about to ask something else when she felt a warm touch on her forehead. Someone was gently wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Joanna’s eyes fluttered open to see Simon Lockwood sitting by her bed. His face was unreadable, but his tone was gentle. ”What are you crying for?”

”It hurts...” Joanna mumbled, pouting.

Simon Lockwood gathered her halfway into his arms and picked up a glass of warm water from the side. ”Open your mouth.”

Joanna Kennedy obediently opened her mouth. Simon placed something in it, then had her drink some water to swallow it down.

”It’s a painkiller. Get some sleep. I’ll take you to the hospital tomorrow.”

Joanna Kennedy had delicate skin. By the next morning, it wasn’t just her knees; her arms were also covered in black-and-blue bruises. But she felt these were just minor scrapes and bumps, and a trip to the hospital would only end with a prescription for some medicine, so she didn’t want to go.

Simon Lockwood was at a loss with her, so he could only gently change her dressings. Fortunately, he had gotten into frequent fights and injuries as a child, so he was experienced in bandaging wounds.

After their meal, Joanna Kennedy made the excuse that she didn’t want her family to see her injuries and worry, so she stayed put in Simon Lockwood’s apartment, refusing to leave.

Simon Lockwood took the day off to take care of her at home.

That evening, Joanna Kennedy was nestled on the sofa, clutching a container of strawberries Simon had bought for her and playing on her phone. When she saw him put on his jacket, she asked, ”Where are you going?”

Simon Lockwood said he was just going out to buy a few things and told her not to wander off.

”I’m not a kid,” Joanna Kennedy said unhappily, tilting her face up at him.

Once Simon Lockwood had left, Joanna Kennedy put down her phone. Picking up a bright red strawberry, she ate it with a sigh. It was sweet, tangy, and juicy. A small box like this probably cost a pretty penny.

’He’s so frugal, yet he’s willing to buy me all these things.’

’I almost can’t bear to eat them,’ Joanna said to herself.

watched her happily pop one strawberry after another into her mouth and let out a dry chuckle.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned factory on the other side of town, a few punks were squatting inside, playing video games. This was their ”secret base.”

Another beer bottle was thrown against the wall, then dropped to the ground and spun a few times.

”Fuck, do you morons even know how to play? I’m done. My luck’s shit today,” the blond punk said with a frown.

A scrawny kid beside him, seeing his displeasure, immediately put on a placating smile. His eyes darted around as he said, ”Boss is right, who needs games anyway? I heard that massage parlor on the west side just got a few new girls in—real young, fresh, and pretty!”

”How pretty could they be?” the blond scoffed. His eyes grew lecherous as he sank into a memory. ”If you want to talk pretty, you have to talk about the one we ran into the other night. You could tell at a glance she was some rich family’s little miss. And that pale skin... Tsk, tsk, tsk...”

”Damn right. Her skin looked so supple, like you could squeeze water out of it!”

The others had clearly remembered her too, and they started chattering nonstop, their words turning foul.

The blond grinned, his gaze distant, clearly lost in some lewd fantasy. Then he seemed to remember something and cursed, kicking a beer bottle. ”Fuck! But she had to be with that fucking psycho, Lockwood!”

At the mention of that name, the others stopped laughing and exchanged uneasy glances.

One of them was new to the group and wasn’t familiar with Simon Lockwood. He spoke arrogantly, ”So what if she’s Lockwood’s girl? Boss, since you’ve got your eye on her, even if she were Lockwood’s own mother, your little bro here would go get her for—AHHH—”

A swift kick sent the talking punk flying more than a meter away. He let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

The others, startled by the sudden turn of events, leaped to their feet and huddled together, staring fearfully at the newcomer.

The blond punk was the first to react. ”Lockwood... wh-what do you want?”

Simon Lockwood was wearing a black jacket, his handsome, aloof face now terrifyingly dark. He took a step forward, and the punks took a step back.

When they were backed into a corner and no one else dared to move, the blond punk’s embarrassment turned to rage. His expression hardened as he grabbed a nearby club and swung it at Simon Lockwood. ”You little bastard! I tried to be nice, but you just wouldn’t take the hint! Forget how you went deaf in one ear? I’ll make you totally deaf today!”

The words had barely left his mouth when Simon Lockwood took the blow from the club head-on. Seizing the punk’s moment of shock, he snatched the club, tossed it aside, and began smashing his fist into the blond’s face, one punch after another.

Blood streamed from his nose, his teeth were knocked out, and more blood poured from his mouth, but Simon Lockwood, his face still a dark mask, just kept repeating the motion, swinging his fist.

The others were so terrified by his viciousness that their legs had gone weak. Not daring to intervene, they just screamed from a distance, ”L-Lockwood, you’ll pay with your life if you kill him!”

Simon Lockwood’s movements paused for an instant.

The blond finally had a moment to breathe. His face was a mask of blood, but now he was no longer afraid. He spat out a mouthful of blood. ”I know why you’re here. Sooner or later, I’m gonna get my hands on her.”

”You’re courting death,” Simon Lockwood said, his words slow and deliberate. He kicked the man into a wall with all his strength, then began stomping on his stomach with murderous force.

The blond passed out, only to be kicked awake again. His face was covered in blood; from a distance, he looked like a corpse.

Joanna Kennedy, having rushed to the address 166 gave her, arrived to this very scene. She had never seen Simon Lockwood like this, treating a human life as if it were nothing. He truly looked like he was capable of murder.

Twenty minutes earlier, 166 had frantically given her an address, telling her to hurry over. If she was even a second too late, Simon Lockwood would end up in prison for murder, and the plot would be completely derailed.

Joanna Kennedy hadn’t believed it then, but now she was seeing it with her own eyes.

She froze in shock, but quickly snapped out of it. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she ran over in a panic and grabbed his arm from behind. ”Stop it, Simon! That’s enough! Are you trying to kill him?!”

The fear in her voice seemed to snap Simon Lockwood out of his blood-soaked, nightmarish haze. Her grip on his arm was so weak, yet he couldn’t seem to break free. His voice was hoarse. ”Who told you to come here? Go back.”

”I won’t... You have to come with me.”

”...”

Simon Lockwood didn’t move. Joanna Kennedy was frantic, her eyes turning red. ”Simon, I’m scared. Please, come with me... please?”

The girl’s pleading tone, laced with a sob she was desperately trying to suppress, struck Simon Lockwood’s heart like a heavy hammer.

Simon Lockwood’s tightly clenched fists gradually relaxed. He took the girl’s trembling hand in his own. His cold gaze slowly swept over the terrified punks. ”This isn’t over.”

”...”

Only after Simon Lockwood was long gone did the punks dare to call for an ambulance, but not one of them dared to call the police.

The two of them walked in silence down the dark, empty path.

Joanna Kennedy felt like she was about to explode. She interrogated 166 about the situation. [’The book never said the male lead was a brawler.’]

’Fighting like a maniac... is that something a poor, pitiful male lead is supposed to do?!’

sounded guilty, stammering, [”The book was just a simple framework. A lot of things weren’t written in detail.”]

Simon Lockwood’s past and background were only ever glossed over.

Joanna Kennedy put a hand to her forehead, once again marveling at just how unreliable a system 166 could be.

”Didn’t you say you were just going out to buy something?!” Joanna Kennedy fumed. ”Buy what, huh? Someone’s life?!”