Chapter 177 - 176
Even the villa’s guardhouse was grand and imposing, clearly a cut above the rest.
Outside this exceptional guardhouse, two large men in security uniforms were stopping a middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman was running her mouth, saying something haughtily, which infuriated the two guards. They kept trying to push her away.
Joanna Kennedy pulled her gaze away and went back to reading her script. Just then, the argument grew louder. Joanna seemed to hear something and frowned.
’Did I just hear Simon Lockwood’s name?’
A bad feeling washed over her. Joanna stood up and took a couple of steps closer. This time, she heard it clearly.
"I’m Simon Lockwood’s dear aunt! How dare you stop me? You don’t want your jobs anymore, is that it?!" The middle-aged woman’s attitude was insolent. A thought seemed to strike her, and she grew smug. "Do you even know who Simon Lockwood is?! The President of Southland Group! *That* Southland!"
At these words, the guards didn’t become respectful as she might have imagined. Instead, they looked even more contemptuous.
Southland, Mr. Lockwood... If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. Dragging our own boss into it? She’s really got a death wish.
Their expressions clearly showed their disbelief. The middle-aged woman’s mouth twisted in anger. She pulled a phone from her obviously fake handbag, fumbled with it for a moment, and then shoved the screen in a guard’s face.
It’s unclear what they saw, but the guards exchanged a look, their expressions shifting from disdain to shocked uncertainty.
The phone displayed a photo taken at a meal. A family of three was huddled together for the camera, but what drew the eye was the young man at the edge of the dining table.
The young man was wearing a faded blue and white school uniform. He had his head turned slightly, his features handsome and refined, with a touch of youthful innocence and a cold expression.
"Ahem, well, why don’t you come inside, have a seat, and wait for a moment. We’ll go make a call," one of the guards said, his tone markedly different from before.
Seeing this, the middle-aged woman straightened her back, her head held so high it nearly touched the sky. She snorted through her nose and turned to walk toward the waiting area.
As she turned, the middle-aged woman froze.
A few meters away, inside the villa complex, a young woman in simple, casual clothes was holding a snow-white cat.
’Rich people just love keeping useless little things like that,’ she thought. ’Carrying it around, aren’t they worried about the filth?’
The middle-aged woman made no effort to hide the disgust on her face. Her eyes scanned the girl up and down. With a glint in her eye, she took advantage of the guards being distracted and hurried over.
"Miss, you live here too?"
Joanna Kennedy was idly stroking the kitten in her arms. At the question, she glanced up at the middle-aged woman and nodded. "Yes."
Her attitude was lukewarm, but the middle-aged woman didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she introduced herself with a grin, "My name is Shauna Lockwood. This entire villa complex belongs to my nephew."
Her tone was filled with unconcealed pride.
Joanna feigned surprise. "You’re Mr. Lockwood’s...?"
"I’m Simon’s aunt," Shauna Lockwood said intimately, making sure to add, "His dear aunt."
Joanna immediately smiled. "Oh, so you’re Mr. Lockwood’s aunt. I heard you talking with the security guards earlier. Why didn’t you come in?"
Her expression held the perfect amount of confusion.
For a fleeting moment, Shauna Lockwood looked embarrassed, but she quickly covered it up and laughed it off. "Ah, well, it’s my first time here. They don’t recognize me."
"Oh... so that’s how it is..." Joanna’s expression faded, and she glanced at the time on her phone with a hint of impatience.
Seeing this, Shauna Lockwood dropped the pretense. She rubbed her hands together and asked, "Miss, do you have a boyfriend?"
Shauna Lockwood had lived a smooth life for the most part, but one thing constantly worried her: her son’s marriage prospects.
He hadn’t gotten into college and was unemployed, living at home. He’d turned his nose up at every girl the neighbors introduced, insisting he would only marry a pretty, fair-skinned, big-eyed rich girl. This led the neighbors to mock him behind his back, saying it was a case of "a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh."
Shauna Lockwood had always doted on her son. In her eyes, he was tall and handsome. So what if he lacked a degree? He had good looks! And now, with a super-rich relative like Simon Lockwood, finding a wealthy girl should be more than easy.
And now, look at this! Wasn’t the girl right in front of her a perfect match for her son’s requirements?
’She likes cats, but that’s not a big deal,’ she thought. ’After they get married, we can just find an excuse to get rid of it.’
’If my son finds a good girlfriend, I’ll gain so much face.’ Shauna Lockwood could already picture the envious looks from her neighbors.
Joanna Kennedy took in her every expression, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. She didn’t answer directly, instead asking, "Ma’am, what is it? Why do you ask?"
"Oh, it’s nothing, really," Shauna Lockwood said, feigning coyness in an embarrassed tone. "It’s just that, well, I have a son, and he’s still single..."
She didn’t state it outright, but her meaning was perfectly clear.
Asking a young woman if she has a boyfriend, then mentioning your own single son—the intention was self-evident.
Seeing Joanna remain silent, she continued, "My son has very high standards. So many young ladies have chased after him, but he hasn’t taken a liking to a single one. It’s such a headache for us parents..."
Though her words sounded like a complaint, her tone was full of pride.
Joanna smiled. "Then he must be very outstanding."
Hearing Joanna say this, Shauna Lockwood’s eyes lit up. Thinking the girl was interested, she began to praise her son even more enthusiastically, her voice growing louder with excitement.
The guard had just finished his confirmation call when he noticed what was happening. He saw that the middle-aged woman who falsely claimed to be related to their big boss had actually entered the villa complex and was talking to a young woman. He immediately panicked.
This was a high-end villa complex. The residents were either powerful officials or wealthy businesspeople, and they valued the security above all else.
They had let a non-resident wander in. If a resident filed a complaint because of this, they would probably lose their high-paying jobs on the spot.
At this thought, the guard couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries. He immediately strode forward and took hold of the middle-aged woman. "Ma’am, please leave immediately. Non-residents are not allowed in our villa complex."
After saying this with a stern expression, he turned to Joanna. The guard’s face immediately broke into a smile as he apologized, "I’m so sorry, Miss Kennedy. We haven’t disturbed you, have we?"
"No," Joanna Kennedy said, shaking her head with an air of someone completely uninvolved.
Shauna Lockwood had just finished bragging to Joanna, only to be publicly embarrassed by the guard. Her face paled, then flushed with anger, her finger nearly poking the guard in the nose. "Hey, what’s with your tone, you little security guard? I’m the dear aunt of the Southland Group’s president! Sooner or later, I’ll be living in this villa!"
"And when I move in, the first thing I’ll do is make your life a living hell!"
Shauna Lockwood’s attitude was outrageous, but this time, the guard just sneered. Recalling the response he’d gotten on the phone, the guard didn’t hold back and retorted, "Ma’am, if you’re going to lie, at least pick a better place to do it. Southland says they have no relative by your name!"