Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

But the truth was, it was all just his malicious speculation—judging others by his own flawed standards.

Simon Lockwood may have had a rough start in life, but despite that twisted and toxic environment, he didn’t go astray. He never went out of his way to bother anyone, and he only ever fought back to protect himself.

He silently endured all the cold shoulders and malicious words, striving to become stronger and forging his indifference into a suit of armor.

He cared about the stray cats and dogs in the alleys, worrying about their safety.

He worked several part-time jobs and never gave up on his studies, even when things were at their toughest.

He was dealt a terrible hand, but he played it like a royal flush.

Simon Lockwood knew exactly what kind of future he wanted, and he was working hard for it.

And yet, in Paul Pemberton’s eyes, all of this was just being "unscrupulous."

"I know what kind of person he is better than you do," Joanna Kennedy said, enunciating each word.

The casual smile had vanished from her face, leaving her beautiful features cold as ice.

Joanna Kennedy regretted coming. She shouldn’t have listened to Paul Pemberton’s disgusting accusations.

After saying a quick word to Anna Yates, she left the private room. Once she was outside the hotel, the cool wind on her face eased some of her frustration.

The sidewalk was covered in fallen leaves that crunched underfoot. Joanna Kennedy was about to take a walk along the road when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Who are you? Get away from me! Don’t touch me..."

"Hey, beautiful, you’re drunk, aren’t you? Let your big bro take you somewhere fun..."

"Yeah, we’ve got even better drinks over here~"

"HAHAHA..."

The woman’s voice was obviously drunk and sounded like she was being coerced.

The men’s voices, however, were slimy and disgustingly persuasive.

Joanna Kennedy frowned and looked over.

The lights in front of the bar were bright. The girl being held by two men had her head down, but as she struggled, her face lifted slightly.

When she got a clear look at that pretty face, Joanna Kennedy froze. It was... Serena Sutton.

People were constantly coming and going from the hotel, but they all ignored the pushing and shoving, as if they were used to seeing it.

Girls who got drunk at the bar were often lured away by people with bad intentions. It happened to one or two every night. The practice was known as "body snatching."

Joanna Kennedy started to move, seeing the two men drag Serena Sutton toward a dark alley.

Serena Sutton struggled fiercely until one of the men slapped her hard across the face. The woman in his arms went still.

Joanna Kennedy’s brow furrowed tightly. Without further hesitation, she strode after them. As she reached the alley, she could hear the men’s laughter from within.

Joanna Kennedy’s fingers clenched into fists, a flicker of fear she tried to hide flashing in her eyes. She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, took a few more steps, and shouted, "Hey! I’ve already called the police!"

The voices inside stopped for a few seconds. Joanna Kennedy nervously swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. "The cops will be here any minute. If you don’t want to do time, you’d better get—"

Before she could finish,

"AHH!!"

"Boss! You damn bitch! You dare hit my buddy? I’ll kill you!"

A man’s cry of pain and a furious, humiliated shout cut her off. Joanna Kennedy’s face paled. She snatched up a thick wooden stick from the side of the alley and ran in.

The narrow alley was dark. By the moonlight, Joanna Kennedy saw the scene inside, and her pupils contracted.

There was a small pool of blood on the concrete. One man was lying on the ground, unmoving, while the other was grabbing the girl’s hair and slamming her head against the wall.

Joanna Kennedy’s body moved faster than her mind. With trembling hands, she swung the wooden stick at the back of the man’s head.

The man was caught completely off guard. He took the full force of the blow, lost consciousness instantly, and collapsed.

Serena Sutton, whose hair was still in the man’s grip, fell to the ground with him.

"..."

In the dark, narrow alley, only the sound of Joanna Kennedy’s heavy breathing could be heard. Her face was pale, and the hand holding the stick was trembling uncontrollably. "S-Serena Sutton?"

The person on the ground didn’t respond.

Bracing herself, she approached, knelt down, and reached out to help the woman up. A cold glint of light flashed, and Joanna Kennedy felt a sharp pain in the back of her hand, her brow twisting in agony.

Serena Sutton, who had woken up at some point, slowly got to her feet, staggering against the wall. Her eyes slowly turned and fell upon Joanna Kennedy’s bleeding hand, staring intently.

"Are you insane?" Joanna Kennedy clutched the back of her hand, unable to believe Serena Sutton would repay her kindness with an attack.

Serena Sutton didn’t speak, her eyes remaining fixed on her.

Joanna Kennedy took a deep breath, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the alley, dialing for an ambulance on her phone as she went.

She had glanced over earlier; Serena Sutton had stabbed the man in the shoulder, so it probably wasn’t a life-threatening injury.

Just as they emerged, she saw a white Volkswagen parked at the hotel entrance. Julie was standing by the door, tapping at her phone. A moment later, Joanna Kennedy’s phone rang.

She texted back: "Turn around."

Across the way, Julie turned around in confusion. Seeing her in the corner, she jogged over, stammering in shock, "Jojo! Y-your hand!"

"Take me and her to the hospital," Joanna Kennedy said, having no time for explanations.

The ambulance would be arriving soon, and she didn’t want to get involved. It was better to leave. Besides, the two men were the ones committing a crime in the first place; they wouldn’t dare say anything when they woke up.

Julie drove with intense focus the entire way, reaching their destination in less than ten minutes. Serena Sutton’s face was swollen and her complexion was pale; she would need a full check-up.

Joanna Kennedy went to get her wound bandaged, while Julie fretted over her the whole time. "What on earth happened? Did you get in a fight? What if it leaves a scar? You’re a celebrity!"

"It’s fine. I doubt it will. Don’t worry," Joanna Kennedy reassured her.

Then a thought struck her, and her tone turned serious. "Don’t you dare tattle to Simon Lockwood."

Julie: "..."

Julie frowned. "Then you can’t do this again. Otherwise, I really will tell on you."

Joanna Kennedy’s voice softened. "Okay, okay~"

After her wound was bandaged, Serena Sutton’s test results came back. She had a mild concussion and was in a poor mental state, so she needed to be hospitalized for a few days of observation. Joanna Kennedy silently paid the hospital fees for her.

As she walked out of the hospital, she thought for a moment, then took Charles Jennings off her block list. She sent him a message to inform him about Serena Sutton, then immediately blocked him again.

She wasn’t a magnanimous person. This was as much as she was willing to do.

Back at the villa, she told 166 what had happened and was met with a stern lecture.

[She’s the female lead; nothing was going to happen to her. You were too impulsive. You, the villainous supporting character, are the real glass cannon.]

Joanna Kennedy: [...]

The next day, she got a call from her agent, who asked what had happened last night and if anyone had seen her.

Joanna Kennedy thought for a moment. "I don’t think so. I was wearing a mask and a hat."

"You have to understand, even if you’re completely covered up, some fans can still recognize you," her agent said. "Be more careful next time."

Joanna Kennedy felt a pang of guilt. "I know."

"Is your hand okay?"

"It’s fine," Joanna Kennedy said.

"Mm, that’s good. Thank goodness you weren’t hurt anywhere else." The agent breathed a sigh of relief. "By the way, you’ve been invited to the red carpet for this year’s Vision Film Festival. It’s being held in Dresland, so get ready."

’Dresland... Isn’t Simon Lockwood on a business trip in Dresland?’