Chapter 164 - 163: Provocation
The moment she stepped out the door, she ran into Anna Yates.
"Jo, there you are! I’ve been waiting for a while..." Anna Yates said, but then noticed her friend’s sour expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing. The air in the elevator was just a little stuffy," Joanna Kennedy replied.
’Stuffy air? I didn’t feel anything.’ Anna Yates figured Joanna must have a sensitive nose.
Not dwelling on the issue, Anna Yates mentioned that a place called Seacrest Island was supposed to be nice.
So, Joanna Kennedy went with Anna Yates in the direction of this Seacrest Island, not noticing the two people who had come up behind them.
"So where’s your Simon Lockwood?" Anna Yates asked casually.
"He’s busy."
"Busy with work?" Anna Yates tutted. "As expected of a CEO. Working so hard even when you’re on vacation. Making millions a minute, I bet..."
"Busy being angry," Joanna Kennedy interrupted her wryly.
Anna Yates: "..."
The corner of Anna’s mouth twitched. "What did you do to him this time?"
"I didn’t do anything to him," Joanna Kennedy huffed, still a little upset. "It’s his own fault for always lying to me."
’He never tells me anything, always doing this and that behind my back. And when I catch him, he still tries to bluff his way out of it.’
’Can’t he just tell me so I can feel bad for him?’
Joanna Kennedy thought Simon Lockwood was such a fool.
Anna Yates could tell she wasn’t really angry and rolled her eyes, speechless.
’Great,’ she thought. ’They’re flirting.’
’As a single woman, I’m not about to get involved with this intense couple’s drama.’
Seacrest Island wasn’t far from the villa. By the time they arrived as dusk was falling, Joanna Kennedy realized it was a restaurant.
"Your Simon Lockwood is so extravagant, building such a luxurious restaurant in his private resort. He only visits a few times a year, and it’s not even open to the public. Tsk, tsk," Anna Yates said deliberately, her tone tinged with envy.
Unexpectedly, Joanna Kennedy didn’t argue. Instead, she agreed wholeheartedly, nodding repeatedly. "Exactly! Simon Lockwood is such a spendthrift. Who is this extravagant and wasteful? It’s not like he earns that much money!"
Anna Yates: "..."
’I honestly don’t know how Simon Lockwood puts up with her.’
In the tea lounge, Simon Lockwood, who had been listening to Liam Valentine present a partnership proposal with a cool, noble expression, suddenly turned his head and sneezed.
Liam Valentine: "...Ah, the seaside weather can be unpredictable. You should take care of yourself, Mr. Lockwood."
Simon Lockwood: "..."
Though called Seacrest Island, it was more like an ocean-viewing platform, surrounded by transparent glass walls. Soft, gentle music played inside the restaurant.
A group of guests was already dining at one table—several expensively dressed young men and women.
When they entered, a woman with immaculate makeup waved in their direction. Anna Yates frowned at the sight of her and immediately glanced at Joanna Kennedy.
Joanna was puzzled. "What is it?"
"You don’t remember her?"
Joanna glanced over at the woman, her eyes meeting the other’s just in time to see them widen in surprise.
’Looks like she knows me,’ Joanna thought. She looked away, a guess forming in her mind. "Is it someone I used to know?"
That "used to know" referred to the time when she was still the young heiress of the Kennedy family.
"Yeah. Sharon Lawson, the second daughter of the Lawson family. She used to trail after Paul Pemberton all the time. You’d think she was madly in love. But later, when the Pemberton Family ran into trouble, her family didn’t hesitate to kick them while they were down."
"Then, when she saw the Pemberton Family get back on their feet, she came crawling back."
Anna Yates’s tone was disdainful. "She probably came with the young lady from the Valentine Family this time. Otherwise, with her family’s status, she’d never be able to get close to someone like Sean Grant."
’So that’s how it is,’ Joanna understood now. ’No wonder she was giving me such a hostile look. It’s an old grudge.’ She had been quite good at making enemies back in the day.
Since they were already here, it would be awkward to leave. The two of them chose a table far from the other party and sat down.
They had just sat down when a waiter immediately approached with a menu. "Good evening. What can I get for you two? These are our restaurant’s specialties."
The first page of the menu was almost entirely seafood: Sea Intestine Rice, Crab Roe Noodles, Steamed Sea Bass, Portunus Crab, and other similar dishes.
The Sea Intestine Rice brought back memories for Joanna, but just as she was about to order it, a woman’s voice cut in. "Well, well, Joanna Kennedy. Long time no see. You see an old friend and don’t even say hello?"
The woman’s voice was laced with mockery. It was none other than the second daughter of the Lawson family. She approached their table in a few quick steps and sat down without invitation, clearly looking for trouble.
Anna Yates frowned and was about to speak, but Joanna had already said coolly, "Do I know you?"
"You!" Sharon Lawson hadn’t expected this reaction. She let out a cold snort. "What’s with the act? You may have fallen from grace, but there’s no need to pretend you don’t know me."
Sharon Lawson assumed Joanna was just pretending to be unfazed. She absolutely despised Joanna’s holier-than-thou attitude.
’She’s so desperate she’s acting in showbiz, and she still thinks she’s the great heiress of the Kennedy family?’
Sharon Lawson’s gaze grew even more scornful. She turned to Anna Yates. "And you, Anna. Why would you bring her here? Aren’t you afraid she’ll dirty the grounds of the resort?"
"Sharon Lawson, don’t take it too far," Anna Yates said, her voice turning cold.
"I’m just telling the truth." Seeing Anna get angry only made Sharon Lawson more smug.
Looking at Joanna’s increasingly beautiful face and recalling something Paul Pemberton had said, a flash of jealousy crossed Sharon’s eyes. "Joanna Kennedy, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now. It would be ugly to get thrown out."
She was so imperious, you’d think she owned the resort.
Joanna chuckled, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents. "You want me to leave just because you said so? Wouldn’t that be a huge loss of face for me?"
Under Sharon Lawson’s scornful gaze, Joanna suddenly changed tack. "How about you give me some money?"
Sharon Lawson never expected her to say something like that. Her eyes went wide. "Joanna Kennedy, have you gone crazy from being poor?"
"What, you can’t spare it or you just don’t have it?" Joanna sighed dramatically. "Tsk, tsk. So you’re a broke has-been, too..."
"You think everyone is like you!" Sharon Lawson was so angry she shot to her feet.
Joanna didn’t flinch. She propped her chin on her hand and gave Sharon an innocent look. "How are you going to prove you’re different from me? You’re not giving me any money."
"I... I... I..." Sharon was caught in her verbal trap, momentarily speechless. After a long moment, she finally managed to choke out, "Why on earth should I give you money!"
"Because you’re so rich, of course," Joanna said with a blink. "You have to prove that you belong here on your own merit, unlike a has-been such as myself."
’On her own merit...’
That struck a nerve. Sharon’s immaculately made-up face twisted slightly, and she ground her teeth. "Let’s see if you’re still so sharp-tongued when you’re getting thrown out. It’ll be useless to beg me then!"
"Uh-huh. Wow, good for you," Joanna nodded nonchalantly, her tone dripping with insincerity.
Sharon Lawson: "..." She was about to lose her mind.
Anna Yates couldn’t help but burst out laughing, though she almost couldn’t bear to look at Sharon Lawson’s face, which had turned the color of a beet.