Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

As Jasper Sinclair spoke, he glanced in a certain direction. Joanna followed his gaze and saw a girl in a white dress—the same girl from the hallway earlier.

The young lady of the Pemberton family. The Pembertons who were supposed to be joined with the Sinclairs by marriage...

It all clicked for Joanna. She finally understood. ’I knew I hadn’t done anything to offend this rich girl. So why would she set me up for no reason? It’s all because of Simon.’

Since the arranged marriage fell through, the girl was taking her anger out on her. Joanna found it almost laughable, and seeing Jasper Sinclair’s sanctimonious act made her want to laugh even more.

”Oh? And?” Joanna said. ”Is Young Master Sinclair trying to make a point?”

Joanna didn’t fly into a rage as Jasper Sinclair had anticipated. Her expression betrayed no hint of sadness or embarrassment whatsoever.

Jasper Sinclair narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening. ”Simon Lockwood is getting engaged to someone else. Aren’t you upset?”

”I am.” Joanna idly smoothed out her dress. When she saw Jasper Sinclair didn’t believe her, she even heaved a sigh. ”I’m heartbroken.”

Her terrible acting felt more like a deliberate insult. Jasper Sinclair’s smile vanished. He stared at Joanna in silence. ”You think I’m lying?”

’No woman would hear her boyfriend is getting engaged to someone else and not be devastated. Unless she believed, deep down, that it would never actually happen.’

The tension in Jasper Sinclair’s face eased slightly. ”I have no reason to lie to you about this. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.”

”At the end of the day, Simon Lockwood is still a young master of the Sinclair family. He can throw a tantrum now, but eventually, he’ll have to fall in line. His marriage isn’t up to him. He might like you, but I can guarantee you, Miss Kennedy, that you will never marry into our Sinclair family.”

Even Jasper Sinclair himself lacked conviction as he said this, but it didn’t stop him from putting on a calm and composed front for Joanna.

’Girls in love always overthink things,’ he thought, ’and Joanna is no exception. As long as she believes even a fraction of what I said, it will plant a seed of doubt in her mind.’

’In time, that seed will grow, and it will become the very thing that drives them apart.’

’Simon Lockwood is so infatuated with Joanna, isn’t he? Well, I’m going to make sure he can never have the one he loves. Ending up with nothing—that’s the only fate an illegitimate son deserves.’

He watched as the girl’s pretty face froze. She looked utterly conflicted, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. A hint of a smile flashed in Jasper Sinclair’s eyes, but his tone was sympathetic. ”Miss Kennedy, don’t be too distraught. It’s better to find out sooner rather than later.”

Joanna fell silent. Her lowered lashes concealed her expression, making her look utterly dejected.

Having achieved his desired effect, Jasper Sinclair was quite satisfied. He offered a few more words of consolation before rising to leave.

Once the nuisance was gone, Joanna lifted her face. Where was the dejection and sorrow? Her expression was one of pure mockery.

’If Jasper Sinclair had said all this to me a while ago, I might have actually believed him,’ she thought. ’But after really getting to know Simon, I know he’s not that weak.’

’He would never let anyone push him around. Simon will always stand firm for what he wants.’

The banquet moved on to its final segment. The CEO, Lucia Spencer, took the stage to briefly introduce the origins of the Aethel brand and its new autumn/winter collection.

The few media outlets that had been allowed entry were all major publications. They snapped photos relentlessly and began firing off questions, racing against the clock.

”What are your criteria for choosing an ambassador?” ”What age group is this season’s collection designed for?” ”How would you assess Aethel’s global ambassador, Joanna Kennedy?” The questions were direct and held little flattery; each one was incisive.

Lucia Spencer handled the questions with ease, a smile never leaving her face. As she addressed the final question, she looked directly at Joanna, who was standing nearby, and gestured for her to come up.

Joanna froze for only a second before composing herself. Under the crowd’s varied gazes, she rose gracefully and walked toward the stage.

The hem of her crimson dress swept the floor, its fine gold threads glinting like winding flames. Joanna came to a stop before Lucia Spencer and gave a polite dip of her head. ”Ms. Spencer.”

Even in such a deferential pose, she looked noble and elegant, yet still possessed a youthful, lively charm.

Lucia Spencer smiled. As the audience watched in confusion, she suddenly took a few steps back, leaving Joanna alone at the center of the stage. She then turned to the crowd and announced with a smile, ”This is my assessment of Joanna Kennedy.”

”...”

”...”

The audience was silent for several seconds. It’s unclear who gasped first, but then everyone finally processed her words and burst into applause.

’She was born for the center stage, born for the spotlight.’ For the CEO of a top luxury brand to make such a statement was no mere compliment—it was tantamount to receiving the ultimate seal of approval in the fashion world!

’How did Joanna get so lucky?’ many people wondered, their gazes a mixture of envy and jealousy as they watched the beaming girl on stage.

’Her beauty is one-of-a-kind, and she has such a pure air about her. She really does deserve the praise. Ah, well. No use being bitter about it. Better to think about how to get on Joanna’s good side.’

Several well-known celebrities in the industry had the same idea. The moment Joanna stepped off the stage, they flocked to her, making up excuses to start a conversation.

Joanna was practically invisible, surrounded by a crowd of admirers like stars around the moon. Michelle Pemberton stomped her foot, unable to stand it a moment longer. Ignoring her friends calling after her, she turned and stormed out.

She’d always looked down on Joanna, thinking her nothing more than a celebrity. But everything that happened tonight proved Joanna was far from the mere pretty face she had assumed her to be.

The moment she stepped outside, she saw a crowd of fans in the distance, holding up colorful light-up signs that read ”Joanna Kennedy” and ”Jojo.”

This only made Michelle Pemberton angrier. Escorted by security, she got into the Pemberton family’s car. She only began to calm down slightly once the fans’ signs were out of sight.

The car had only been driving for a few minutes when it came to a stop. Michelle Pemberton frowned.

”Miss, there’s someone in front of us,” the driver said.

”Who? At this time of night? Are they trying to pull an insurance scam?”

’What is this crap?’ Michelle Pemberton was already furious, and this just made it worse. The anger she had just managed to suppress instantly flared up again. Ignoring the driver’s protests, she threw open the car door, ready to yell—but when she saw who was standing there, her eyes widened in shock.

”Young... Young Master Sinclair?”

*

It was already ten-thirty by the time the banquet ended, and the guests were leaving one after another. The moment Joanna got into the car, she kicked off her high heels and began rubbing her sore, red heels.

The cheers of her fans outside filtered through the car window. The crowd seemed endless. In the dark of the night, the only things clearly visible were the glowing signs bearing her name.

”Don’t get out,” Mindy Morgan said. ”There are too many fans, and other celebrities are leaving behind us. If you step out now, you’ll block the entire road.”

Joanna’s hand loosened its grip on the door handle, and she sighed. She knew Mindy was right, but she felt guilty just leaving. Her fans had been waiting for so long, after all.

”Can I at least roll down the window?” Joanna asked.