Chapter 176 - 175
Simon Lockwood wasn’t a complete beast. In the end, he restrained himself, only pressing against her a few more times, neither too lightly nor too heavily.
Sensing the girl was stiff and afraid to move, he leisurely came to a stop. His fingers gently brushed away a stray strand of hair from Joanna Kennedy’s neck in a rather devilish manner.
On the entire drive back, Joanna Kennedy sat prim and proper, on her very best behavior, terrified of giving Simon Lockwood an excuse to act up again.
They returned to Aethelburg at six in the evening. The housekeeper had already prepared dinner and briefly recounted the events of the past two days.
Two days ago, a middle-aged woman had somehow slipped past security and come to the villa’s front door, demanding to see Simon Lockwood. When she heard he wasn’t there, she tried to force her way inside, but luckily, the bodyguards stopped her.
"She claimed to be your aunt, so I thought I should tell you," the housekeeper said.
She had only been working for the Lockwood family for a little over a year, so she wasn’t very familiar with her boss’s family situation. All she knew was that Mr. Lockwood, who had achieved success at a young age, was an orphan with a cold and distant personality.
She had no idea if he had any other relatives. But the middle-aged woman had a cunning look about her and was clearly difficult to get along with. Her every word was a prying, probing question.
The moment she heard the entire villa complex was developed by Southland Group, she was instantly overcome with both jealousy and glee.
Right there in front of the housekeeper, she called her family, crowing that they’d struck it rich, that they’d soon be living in a huge villa, and that since the Lockwood family’s old house was being demolished, the compensation money was as good as theirs.
The housekeeper had never seen such a brazen person. ’A relative who has been out of touch for years actually has the gall to covet what belongs to the younger generation. So shameless!’
But she was just an employee, and her boss’s family affairs were none of her business. So, the housekeeper said tactfully, "She left a phone number and asked that you call her the moment you got back..."
Simon Lockwood said nothing, but he didn’t deny it either. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The moment Joanna Kennedy saw his expression, she knew the woman had, in all likelihood, been telling the truth. ’She’s really Simon Lockwood’s aunt?’
Something clicked in her mind. Frowning, she asked, "Is this the same aunt who made you tutor her son on the weekends?"
"Yes." Simon Lockwood nodded.
Joanna Kennedy’s frown deepened. "Why is she suddenly looking for you now?"
’If they were in regular contact, she would’ve known Simon was back in the country long ago; she wouldn’t be showing up only now. But if they’d lost touch, how on earth did she find him here?’
"Probably because of the old house being demolished," Simon Lockwood said.
"Then how did she know you lived here?" Joanna Kennedy still found it odd.
But then she remembered something. A while back, Simon Lockwood’s donation to Oakhaven and the foundation he’d established had been trending online for several days.
Someone had found a photo of Simon Lockwood from an interview in the *Economic Times*, snapped a picture of it, and posted it online. Though it was taken down quickly, countless netizens had already saved it.
A simple screenshot of the photo was reposted tens of thousands of times. A group of fangirls even spontaneously formed a fan club overnight, and they now spent their days flooding Southland’s official social media page with thirsty comments.
With that much publicity, his aunt had probably seen him online, gotten some greedy ideas, and decided to show up at his door.
Joanna Kennedy was vexed. "This is all my fault. She must have seen you online and that’s why she came looking."
"What is there to blame you for?" Simon Lockwood smoothed her furrowed brow with his thumb. "It’s not like I have something to hide. If she wants to come find me, then let her."
As for the house his parents had left him, a cold glint appeared in Simon Lockwood’s eyes. ’I will never give it to anyone.’
After the few days off for the holiday, paperwork had piled up at the office. Simon Lockwood left for work early the next morning. When Joanna Kennedy woke up, the spot beside her in bed was already cool.
Still groggy with sleep, she stared blankly at the ceiling before slowly rolling over and burying her face in the adjacent pillow.
The familiar, clean scent of his soap lingered there, soothing her sleepy disposition.
After breakfast, 166 weaved around her feet, whining that it wanted to go out. It had explored every corner of the house and was bored stiff. The housekeeper was only responsible for its food and basic needs, and didn’t take it out to play.
Joanna Kennedy listened to its complaints, her expression darkening. "You don’t even have to work. You have the audacity to complain?"
Gourmet cat food, more canned food and cat treats than it could ever eat, and all the toys Sean Grant and Anna Yates had bought for it.
It was a life that made Joanna Kennedy wish she could turn into a cat.
[Don’t you humans always say freedom is the most important thing?] 166 argued self-righteously. [I learned it from you! I want to be a free system!]
[...Maybe you should take a look at yourself before you say that?] Joanna Kennedy’s lips twitched.
was embarrassed for a moment before quickly correcting itself: [A free cat.]
Joanna Kennedy: [.........]
[You’re such a doofus, no she-cat is ever going to like you,] Joanna Kennedy said earnestly, squatting down.
immediately understood her. It huffed, putting on a proud and aloof air. [I don’t need any she-cat to like me.]
That tone of voice...
Joanna Kennedy didn’t get 166. ’What is he so inexplicably proud about?’
[Oh? Then what species *do* you need to like you?] Joanna Kennedy asked, feigning interest with a dry chuckle.
She hadn’t expected an answer, but when 166 just mumbled noncommittally and stubbornly refused to elaborate, her curiosity was genuinely piqued.
’Don’t tell me... he’s actually in some kind of deep, angsty romance I don’t know about?’
Well, now. Joanna Kennedy was intrigued. [Spill it! If you tell me, I’ll take you out to play and buy you some spicy snack strips!]
Ever since becoming a cat and being able to eat real food, 166 had subsisted on a diet of cat food and the like. But one time, it had stolen a spicy snack strip that Joanna Kennedy had hidden, and the experience had been a revelation.
’To think something this delicious exists in the world! It’s incredible what a good life humans have.’
Joanna Kennedy dangled the bait, leisurely waiting for 166 to spill the beans. To her surprise, 166 paced back and forth, so frantic it was practically a blur, yet it only hemmed and hawed without saying a word.
Finally, it squeezed out a single sentence: [I prefer a pure, revolutionary camaraderie. The kind between comrades-in-arms. You wouldn’t understand...]
Joanna Kennedy: [...............]
’Revolutionary camaraderie... so very pure. Heh.’
was clearly trying to bluff its way out, but Joanna Kennedy didn’t press the issue. After all, she was a kind soul, a lover of small animals, and a person who took pity on simpletons.
In the end, she took 166 out to play anyway. They didn’t leave the villa complex, just went to a nearby playground.
The residents of the villa complex were all rich and powerful people who kept to themselves. They rarely interacted and couldn’t care less about celebrity gossip, so Joanna Kennedy didn’t bother wearing a mask.
became obsessed with the slide, scrambling up and down frantically. Joanna Kennedy sat on a bench, studying her script from time to time. She had ultimately decided to audition for that low-budget suspense web series after all.
Her eyes felt a little dry from reading. From a distance, she thought she heard arguing. She looked up curiously.