Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Her breath caught for a moment, followed by the man’s heavier, ragged breathing—intensely aggressive.

Joanna Kennedy finally processed what was happening. In just two seconds, she blushed from her cheeks to the base of her neck, feeling as if her entire body was on fire.

”I—I didn’t mean it like that...”

Her face grew even redder after she spoke. Flustered, she grabbed the doorknob and, under the man’s dark, intense gaze, quickly shut the door.

THUMP... THUMP... THUMP

In the silent room, the only thing Joanna could hear was her own heartbeat. She stared blankly at the closed bathroom door for a few seconds, then turned stiffly and walked to the bed.

Resigned to her fate, she threw herself into the middle of the bed, clenching her fists and screaming internally.

’Aaaahhh!!! Why is Simon Lockwood here?! What have I done?!’

The provocative image was seared into her mind. Joanna’s eyes were misty and her cheeks flushed; she felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

’I even said it looked good! Simon must think I’m a pervert. He has to!’

Joanna wanted to cry but had no tears left.

She was just wondering how she was going to face Simon later when a phone suddenly rang in the quiet room. Following the sound, she saw a simple black phone lying silently on the nightstand.

It was Simon Lockwood’s phone.

She paid it no mind, but the phone kept ringing, one ring after another.

’Is it something important?’

Joanna glanced at the closed bathroom door. She could still faintly hear the sound of running water; Simon probably wouldn’t be out anytime soon.

She thought for a moment, then picked up the phone.

’This doesn’t count as invading his privacy, right? I’m just checking for him in case it’s an emergency from his company.’

’Yes, that’s it.’ Joanna convinced herself, feeling a little more at ease.

Simon’s phone didn’t have a password; a simple swipe up unlocked it. The moment it opened, several messages popped up, with more still flooding in. They were all from the same person—Sean Grant.

That bad feeling returned.

Joanna opened the messages. After reading them, she was speechless. ”...”

Sean Grant: [Simon!! You okay?! Still alive?! Didn’t pass out from anger, did you?!]

Sean Grant: [Yeah, that’s right. That’s how women are. They stop cherishing you once they have you. There are so many handsome guys in showbiz, it’s normal for your girl to get distracted!]

Sean Grant: [You need to guide her properly. Absolutely no violence. We’re mature men, we can’t be petty.]

Sean Grant: [Besides, it’s just rehearsing a scene. Sure, it’s a man and a woman alone together, but it’s just rehearsing a scene. A man and a woman alone together... ]

Joanna: ”...”

It was dripping with smug, two-faced glee. If Sean Grant were here right now, Joanna would have slapped him.

Her head ached with anger. She wanted to turn off the phone and stop reading, but Sean seemed to be getting addicted to his little performance.

Seeing no response, he sent another message: [Simon, are you too heartbroken to talk to me right now? I get it, I understand. It’s fine. If you’re really mad, just watch the video and reminisce about the good old days~]

’Understand... my ass. Wait, a video?’

’What video?’

Joanna’s face filled with confusion. Before she could figure it out, another annoying message popped up.

Joanna was furious. She just couldn’t understand how that guy Sean could be so damn provocative!

She tapped out a few words and sent them.

And then, the other end went silent.

But Joanna was left feeling restless, an anxiety gnawing at her. What on earth was this video Sean was talking about?

Staring at the screen as it slowly dimmed, Joanna subconsciously tightened her grip.

She had always believed that love should be free, and so should the people in it. Snooping through someone’s phone was so old-fashioned.

But Simon’s phone seemed to have a magical pull, tempting her to open it.

「At the same time, in a luxury high-rise apartment in downtown Aethelburg.」

On a black sofa, a man stared at a photo on his phone. It was clearly a candid shot taken from behind, showing two figures, one tall and one short. In the dim light, the girl’s profile was faintly visible.

Charles Jennings zoomed in on the girl’s blurry profile, his thumb slowly stroking the screen...

Serena Sutton had just sent a job application email to the school. When she came out, she saw the man looking at her phone.

Her face paled, and she snatched it back in a panic. ”Charles, what are you...?”

Her tone held a hint of complaint.

Charles Jennings’s expression didn’t change, and his demeanor was calm. ”Sorry, your phone kept ringing. I thought it might be something important...”

Serena Sutton didn’t know what to say, and she didn’t want to offend him right now. ”It’s fine, I overreacted...”

”It’s getting late, Charles. I should head back now,” Serena said.

Charles’s tone was gentle. ”I’ll see you out.”

”No need, I drove here,” Serena refused softly, a warmth spreading in her heart.

If she had been paying closer attention, she would have noticed that although the man offered to see her out, he remained firmly seated on the sofa, not moving an inch.

Unfortunately, certain ideas were already deeply ingrained, and she took it for granted that Charles loved her.

As she was about to leave the entryway, Charles suddenly spoke. ”Serena.”

Serena turned slightly, a confused expression on her face. ”What is it?”

”...Don’t do anything unnecessary. I said I would help you, and I won’t go back on my word.”

The man’s expression was still gentle, as if it were just a friendly reminder, but Serena’s face turned white. She stiffened and argued, ”Charles, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

She practically fled, her footsteps quick and flustered. The sound of the door closing was a little too loud.

Charles Jennings withdrew his gaze, the tenderness on his face vanishing. The curve of his lips remained unchanged.

’After pretending for so long, you can’t go back.’

The coldness in his eyes, combined with the standard curve of his smile, gave him a mechanically eerie look.

’What, has your main system still not found a solution?’ Charles’s mental tone was laced with sarcasm.

The system’s voice was unhappy. ’Host, please watch your attitude. The main system is currently working to correct the plot.’

’Working to correct the plot?’

Images flashed through Charles’s mind: one moment, the girl’s bright, proud, beautiful smile; the next, Simon Lockwood’s condescending gaze.

He scoffed, his mental voice calm. ’Simon Lockwood has already made a move against the Jennings family. I can’t hold out for much longer. If you can’t think of a solution, when the time comes, you’ll be sent back to system headquarters for destruction, and I will die. Neither of us will have a good end.’

There was only one month left until that wedding at sea.

The system’s mechanical voice was cold. ’Rest assured, Host. As long as we find the whereabouts of system number 166, all problems can be solved.’

’And if we can’t find it?’ Charles’s mental tone darkened. ’We haven’t found it after all this time. Are we supposed to just keep searching forever?’

’...’

The system fell silent.

It couldn’t give an answer. System number 166 had disappeared. Even one as powerful as the main system couldn’t contact it.

This low-level, inferior system, which hadn’t even been fully upgraded, had vanished into thin air.