Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Sean Grant looked as if he would defend his innocence to the death, and Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Half an hour later, the legal team arrived. At the same time, Mayor Miller and a group of officials also rushed over.

”Mr. Lockwood, I’ve seen the contract. The results of the discussion from higher-ups haven’t come out yet. Do you think... we could delay for a few more days?”

Whether from rushing over or sheer anxiety, Mayor Miller’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he spoke with a strained smile.

He genuinely hadn’t expected Simon Lockwood to be so decisive, so utterly without hesitation. He would rather make no money at all than assume the risk.

The higher-ups had been on the verge of yielding, planning to use the opportunity to skim off a few layers of profit before quietly fading into the background. But this contract showing up was like flipping the whole table over.

’Such ruthlessness. Just as expected of a self-made man. He’s not afraid of anything,’ Mayor Miller sighed inwardly, feeling this trip was a waste of time. But he still had to try and persuade him.

”To be honest with you, Mr. Lockwood, I haven’t rested for days because of this matter, trying to think of a win-win solution. The higher-ups have already softened their stance and are still discussing profit sharing. Business should be mutually beneficial, shouldn’t it?”

He framed his deliberate stalling as tireless effort, dangling a seemingly tempting hook that held no real substance.

Naturally, anyone who could rise to the position of mayor had to be a capable man.

Simon Lockwood’s expression remained unchanged. ”You’re right, Mayor Miller. It’s just that Southland has a low tolerance for risk. We simply cannot assume responsibility for the personal safety of so many workers.”

Throughout history, workplace accidents have been common. Even with advances in modern science and technology, the danger can’t be eliminated entirely.

The officials wanted to reap the rewards without taking any of the responsibility, leaving a private enterprise to bear all the risk. There was no sense in that.

The situation was at a stalemate. The new contract lay before him. Mayor Miller picked up the pen, then put it down again. After doing this several times, he suddenly stood up. ”Mr. Lockwood, let’s both take a step back. I can sign this contract that changes the responsible party, and I can also give Southland three-tenths of the profits from the mineral deposits, but...”

Mayor Miller gritted his teeth and said, ”Southland must increase its investment by at least another fifty percent.”

They hadn’t even confirmed how many mineral deposits there were, nor had they fully surveyed what kind of minerals they contained. To ask for a fifty-percent increase in investment was, frankly, an exorbitant demand.

Under Mayor Miller’s anxious gaze, Simon Lockwood’s expression showed no obvious change. After a few seconds, he nodded. ”Alright.”

He agreed just like that?

Mayor Miller was stunned. When he snapped out of it, he felt a pang of regret. He should have asked for more. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d gotten the short end of the stick.

With the legal team present, the new contract was signed quickly. This silent chess match had finally come to an end.

The two parties shook hands. Mayor Miller let out a huge sigh of relief. Before leaving, he said with a smile, ”I’ll have to trouble you to stay for another couple of days, Mr. Lockwood. Tomorrow, we’ll go with the experts to see the deposits and discuss the next steps for mining.”

”Of course.”

After seeing the group off, Jack Warren immediately went to handle the follow-up matters, and Sean Grant went with him.

Once again, only the two of them were left in the office. Joanna Kennedy’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Was Mayor Miller doing that on purpose?”

She didn’t understand business, but she had picked up on one thing: how could three-tenths of some unknown profit compare to cold, hard cash?

Joanna Kennedy was a little angry. Simon Lockwood’s stern eyes softened. He gently smoothed her furrowed brow, his voice low. ”Worried about my money?”

”Don’t worry, I have plenty of money,” Simon Lockwood said.

The man’s tone was light, but Joanna Kennedy was not pleased. She whispered, ”This isn’t about the money...”

Southland was ranked first among the nation’s corporations. Simon Lockwood’s own assets were probably more than even he could count. But Joanna Kennedy was still annoyed.

Simon Lockwood was always the one pulling the strings, the master strategist. Why should he be the one getting pushed around?

”You obviously didn’t have to agree. I know you had other options,” Joanna Kennedy said stubbornly. ”Why just hand over money for free?”

Her expression, indignant on his behalf, was something Simon Lockwood found very pleasing. It felt truly good to be defended. It reminded him of that day back in the old alley, when Joanna Kennedy had defended him just like this in front of Kyle Aldrich and his family.

A little chick, head held high, baring its fangs and claws.

A little chick...

Simon Lockwood was amused by his own thought. He lowered his gaze, his usually cold expression softening. Under the girl’s glare, he finally spoke, his voice pleasant. ”I didn’t just hand over money for free.”

”Oakhaven is poor, and developing tourism is risky. No one can guarantee it will succeed. But the jobs will be stable,” Simon Lockwood said.

Joanna Kennedy froze for a second. She wasn’t stupid; she understood what Simon Lockwood meant.

”So... you’re doing this for the residents of Oakhaven?”

The reason Oakhaven was so poor was the lack of local businesses. It couldn’t provide employment, so the economy couldn’t function. To find a way to make a living, the young people naturally had to leave and find work elsewhere.

But mining required a lot of workers. This would provide many job opportunities, and very stable ones at that. It would attract the young people working odd jobs elsewhere to return to their hometown, and it would fundamentally solve the problem of left-behind children and lonely elders with no one to care for them.

...............

Joanna Kennedy was at a loss for words. A strange, tight feeling bloomed in her chest. After a long moment of silence, she finally spoke, her tone deliberately tough. ”There you go again, playing the saint...”

Simon Lockwood: ”...............”

Simon Lockwood was so amused he was almost annoyed. His large, well-defined hand unceremoniously pinched the girl’s soft, plump cheek. He deliberately held back his strength, but he still left a red mark.

The red mark was stark against the girl’s fair cheek. Simon Lockwood felt a pang of regret. He gently kissed the spot a few times and asked in a soft voice, ”Does it hurt?”

For once, Joanna Kennedy didn’t make a fuss. She rubbed her reddened cheek herself and mumbled sullenly, ”It doesn’t hurt...”

The weather in Oakhaven was fickle. It started to rain in the afternoon, making it impossible to go up the mountain for the survey. The experts, who were already halfway there, had to turn back. They agreed to try again tomorrow.

The downpour was as brief as it was intense; by the time they returned to the hotel, it had already stopped. Perhaps because of the rain, the weather turned instantly cold. The temperature throughout Oakhaven plummeted to below freezing.

The heat had been running for a while before the room finally warmed up. Hearing a gasp of surprise from outside, Joanna Kennedy subconsciously walked to the window.

Through the transparent glass, a few specks of white drifted past, wobbling as they floated to the ground. Looking out, she saw a flurry of white falling from the sky, landing on the ground only to melt into the water...

It was snowing.

The first snow of 2024.

A warm, solid chest pressed against her back, and the man’s voice sounded by her ear. ”You like it that much?”

The man’s voice was pleasant, and he was pressed close against her. As he spoke, Joanna Kennedy could feel his heartbeat. Her gaze flickered for a moment, and she said stubbornly, ”It’s alright, I guess...”

’It’s not like I’ve never seen snow before. What’s there to like or dislike? Besides... I’m not a child anymore.’

Simon Lockwood chuckled lightly and said, ”Get your coat. We can go out and play.”