Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Simon Lockwood would often rewatch a certain video in silence. The star of the video was the girl on the screen.

He thought the girl was beautiful, her smile passionate and youthful. It was no wonder even a cold learning machine like Simon Lockwood couldn’t forget her.

Until the first time he truly met Joanna Kennedy, the girl who had only existed on his phone screen.

The director enthusiastically introduced everyone. Glasses clinked and toasts were made all around. It was impossible to *just* eat at an event like this. Joanna Kennedy did her best to keep a low profile, but she couldn’t escape notice.

”Joanna Kennedy, today is your wrap party. Southland is our production’s investor, so why don’t you offer a toast to their representative, Special Assistant Warren?”

The director’s request was actually quite normal. They were the investors, after all. As an actress on the production, it was only natural to thank them. He wasn’t deliberately singling her out.

Joanna Kennedy simply disliked drinking. She furrowed her brow slightly and was just about to stand up and offer a toast when Special Assistant Warren beside her quickly interjected, sounding a little apologetic, ”No, no, please don’t. I drove here, so I really can’t drink.”

’Was this a joke? If he let Joanna Kennedy toast him, he was afraid a certain someone would have him chopped up and served as a bar snack.’

Since the representative from the primary investor had spoken, no one else dared to say anything. And so, a wrap party meant to strengthen business ties was forcibly turned into a simple dinner.

After the dinner, Jack Warren pulled up to a villa in the suburbs. Someone immediately came to open his door and help park the car.

Before he even set foot inside the villa, Jack Warren heard a loud, boisterous male voice.

In the middle of the exquisite, luxurious, Chinese-style living room, a man with granny-gray hair was the source of the noise. Opposite him, Simon Lockwood stared down at the proposal in his hands, his profile looking cold and detached.

’I really picked a bad time to show up.’

The corner of Jack Warren’s mouth twitched. He was just about to slip away unnoticed.

The granny-haired man turned and saw him, his round eyes lighting up with delight. ”JJ! Long time no see!”

’It’s been a year. A very long year, indeed.’

Jack Warren walked over with a sigh of resignation. ”President Grant, long time no see.”

”Come on, why so formal? You weren’t like this back when we were students abroad. You’ve only been with Simon for a year; how did you get so stuffy? Tsk, tsk.”

This was Sean Grant, owner of a well-known entertainment company who had just taken it over this year. He had the face of a cutesy idol, an energetic personality, and a certain ”wise fool” air about him.

Anyone who saw him for the first time would never believe that he, like Simon Lockwood, had once been a student at a top-tier university.

Simon Lockwood had skipped grades, Sean Grant had been held back, and Jack had progressed at a normal pace. By a strange twist of fate, the three of them ended up in the same year. Sean Grant was even assigned to the dorm room next to theirs.

As fellow Celestrians, Sean Grant often visited their dorm. But even after half a year, Jack Warren was the only one who would talk to him. Simon Lockwood remained polite but distant. Sean Grant didn’t let it bother him, though, and continued to pester Simon.

Over time, the three of them became an inseparable trio. When Southland ran into funding issues in its early days, it was Sean Grant who pulled out all of his personal savings and even borrowed a significant amount from his family to help.

’He’s a great guy in every respect, he just talks way too much.’

Now that he finally had a willing audience, Sean Grant chattered away, covering everything from graduation to taking over his family’s company.

Jack Warren couldn’t stand it any longer. ”What are you even doing here?”

”Simon asked me to come.”

”...Sean Grant, you’re a year older than me and two years older than Simon Lockwood,” Jack Warren reminded him.

”I know,” Sean Grant said, blinking his big, round eyes matter-of-factly. ”You don’t get it. ’Bro’ is a vibe. I just feel like Simon has that big-bro energy.”

Jack Warren: ”...”

He took a deep breath and turned to Simon Lockwood. ”You called me over just so I could see this guy?”

Simon Lockwood finally paused, his voice indifferent. ”Didn’t you want to see him?”

”What? JJ wanted to see me?!”

”I did not!”

Both voices rose at the same time—one in vehement denial, the other in utter disbelief.

”I’m going to the study. You two can chat.” With a SNAP, Simon Lockwood closed his laptop and stood up to leave.

Forgetting all about the ”did you miss me” debate with Jack Warren, Sean Grant hurriedly asked, ”Simon, are you sure you want to acquire our sis-in-law’s entertainment company and merge it into mine for free?”

’Simon? Sis-in-law? What kind of messed-up nicknames were these?’

Jack Warren frowned. Now he understood why Simon Lockwood had summoned Sean Grant.

Simon Lockwood’s brow furrowed deeply, his voice turning cold. ”Her name is Joanna Kennedy.”

”Right, right, Joanna Kennedy,” Sean Grant conceded easily. ”Are you really putting me in charge?”

Simon Lockwood nodded.

”But, why?” Sean Grant didn’t get it. ”As her boss, how should I treat her? Simon, you have to give me a straight answer.”

”Treat her normally.”

”You don’t need me to create opportunities for you to pursue her?”

Simon Lockwood’s expression was impassive. ”Why would I pursue her?”

”Don’t you like her?” Sean Grant asked.

Jack Warren’s heart was in his throat. He cautiously watched the other man’s expression, desperately wishing he could smack some sense into Sean Grant’s thick skull.

Thankfully, Simon Lockwood didn’t get angry. He turned to look at the pink climbing roses blooming against the white wall outside. After a long moment, he said in a quiet voice, ”I don’t like her.”

”Then... do you need my help to give her a hard time?” Sean Grant asked, testing the waters again.

Jack Warren: ”...” ’Somebody save me.’

”...Not necessary,” Simon Lockwood said, his face taut. ”Just treat her normally.”

Sean Grant made an ”OK” sign to show he understood. Then he trotted boisterously to the kitchen, flung open the refrigerator, and began rummaging for ingredients to make a late-night snack.

In the study, Jack Warren’s expression was relaxed and gentle. He was adept at balancing his two roles: friend and subordinate.

He privately believed that tonight’s dinner party hadn’t been about business.

After recounting the events of the dinner party in detail, Jack Warren fell silent, adopting a perfectly neutral expression.

The tip of Simon Lockwood’s pen paused mid-signature. Without looking up, he said, ”I didn’t ask about that.”

’Right, he didn’t ask. He just suddenly, for no reason at all, after hearing it was Miss Joanna Kennedy’s wrap party, said: ”Since we’ve been invited, we shouldn’t decline. We have to send someone, or people might think Southland is arrogant, which would reflect poorly on us.”’

”Yes, yes, you’re right,” Jack Warren said with utter sincerity. ”I just wanted to tell you anyway.”

Simon Lockwood: ”...”

Downstairs, the young man’s loud voice boomed, announcing that the late-night snack was ready. He yelled for the two of them to hurry down and eat so as not to waste his kind efforts.

Jack Warren’s eyes flew wide, a flash of terror in them.

Simon Lockwood went back to his work, his tone cool. ”You go on down and eat. Wouldn’t want to waste his kind efforts.”

Jack Warren: ”...”

’Still so petty. Just because I called him out, he wants me dead? Is anything Sean Grant cooks even edible?’

Jack Warren trudged downstairs, resigned to his fate.

*

Three days after filming wrapped, Joanna Kennedy received the unexpected news that her company had been acquired. At the same time, her agent was switched from Shannon Lewis to Walter Young—

an agent famous throughout the entertainment industry for being fiercely protective of his clients.