Chapter 183 - 182
"I... I..." Kyle Aldrich stammered, struggling to speak as a blush crept up his face.
Joanna Kennedy frowned, her tone flat. "I’m not close with Simon Lockwood. I’m not sure where he is right now."
She thought Kyle Aldrich had come to ask about Simon Lockwood’s whereabouts and figured her words would make him give up. She didn’t expect his eyes to light up. "R-Really?"
"So you’re really not in contact with Simon Lockwood anymore?"
’Why does he look so happy about that?’ Joanna Kennedy was confused, but she had no interest in Kyle Aldrich’s thoughts, nor the patience to answer his questions. She said, "I don’t know how you found me here, but however you did it, don’t do it again."
Her expression turned cold. Kyle Aldrich quickly explained, "I didn’t mean to bother you. I just... I really like you."
Joanna Kennedy froze for a moment, then her brows furrowed.
Kyle Aldrich continued, his expression a little awkward, "From the first time I saw you, I’ve liked you..."
"All these years, I’ve been following you. I’ve seen every show you’ve ever been in, and I often attend your events, but you just never noticed me..." Kyle Aldrich grew more and more agitated as he spoke, seeming to move even himself.
Joanna Kennedy scoffed. "When did you start attending my events?"
In the early years, she wasn’t famous, and she didn’t have many fans attending her events. If what Kyle Aldrich said was true, it would have been impossible for her not to notice him.
Sure enough, Kyle Aldrich faltered before answering subconsciously, "A while ago..."
"A while ago" was around the time Simon Lockwood’s photo went viral online.
Joanna Kennedy said with dawning realization, "So, you only started paying attention to me again after you found out who Simon Lockwood was, guessing that he and I were back in touch."
"You don’t like me. You’re just afraid of losing to Simon Lockwood."
After she finished speaking, Joanna Kennedy ignored the stunned Kyle Aldrich and got straight into her car.
The car drove a long way off, but Kyle Aldrich didn’t move. The one thing he never dared to admit had been so easily exposed by Joanna Kennedy, leaving him overwhelmed with nothing but shame.
The truth was, he’d looked down on his cousin since they were little. Simon Lockwood was always coming to his house to eat, and every time, he’d be completely silent, as if their family owed him something.
Kyle Aldrich admitted his mother could be harsh, but didn’t they still give Simon Lockwood food to eat and a place to stay?
Later, when Simon Lockwood was a little older, he couldn’t wait to move back into his own house. He’d rather collect bottles to make money than eat at their home.
Even when he was beaten so badly one of his ears went deaf, lying in a hospital bed covered in blood, he refused to notify Shauna Lockwood. They were all family in the beginning, weren’t they?
From that moment on, Kyle Aldrich started to hate his cousin. ’How could someone so heartless exist in this world? He has no conscience at all.’
Simon Lockwood was a great student. Around that time, Shauna Lockwood had Simon Lockwood give up his part-time job to tutor him, promising to pay for the lessons. But Simon Lockwood only tutored him for a short while before he stopped caring.
’Taking the money and not doing the job.’ Kyle Aldrich was utterly disgusted with his cousin. ’Didn’t he want nothing to do with our family? Then fine, let’s cut ties completely.’
Kyle Aldrich thought he would just wait and see Simon Lockwood end up deserted and all alone. But against all expectations, after so many years, Simon Lockwood had become incredibly successful, and Joanna Kennedy was still by his side...
Career, a beautiful woman... Simon Lockwood had it all. Why? Why?!
’How could a heartless, ungrateful man who cursed his own parents to death have such a good life?!’ He wouldn’t stand for it. He would never let Simon Lockwood have it so easy!
*
When she returned to the villa, Simon Lockwood was already home from work. Seeing Joanna Kennedy get out of the car, he strode over to her, frowning. "Why are you wearing so little?"
"I left in a hurry and didn’t have time to change..." Joanna Kennedy hugged his arm coquettishly. Seeing his expression was still sour, she added, "I changed as soon as I got to the studio today. We were filming indoors all afternoon, so it wasn’t cold at all."
"The temperature in Aethelburg drops a lot between day and night. Your health isn’t great. Don’t do this again."
’Such a nag, my President Lockwood,’ Joanna Kennedy pouted. "I know, I know~"
After dinner, Joanna Kennedy recounted the day’s events. As she spoke, she grew indignant again. "How could she have the nerve? Saying she wants to move in here in the future."
She used to bully Simon Lockwood all the time. She knew he had to work to pay for his tuition and living expenses, yet she still acted like he was obligated to make time to tutor Kyle Aldrich.
Now that she saw Simon Lockwood was successful, she couldn’t wait to latch onto him. Joanna Kennedy was an orphan with no relatives, but she thought it was better to have no relatives at all than to have ones like that.
While she was fuming, Simon Lockwood’s expression remained unchanged. He simply comforted her, "I won’t let her move in."
"Of course you can’t!" Joanna Kennedy said. "And you can’t give her the demolition compensation for the house your parents left you! You should go handle the paperwork in a couple of days and collect the money. It’s not like she’s the one who bought the house..."
Joanna Kennedy trailed off, her expression growing complicated as if she had just thought of something.
Simon Lockwood was confused. "What’s wrong?"
"...Simon Lockwood, is this villa... registered in my name?"
Simon Lockwood froze for a moment, then pressed his lips together, saying nothing.
"I remember you bought this house over two years ago. So... you put it in my name back then?"
Simon Lockwood: "..."
Simon Lockwood stiffly turned his head away, remaining silent, seemingly very embarrassed.
Joanna Kennedy gently took his face in her hands and turned it back toward her, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "You wanted to get back together with me from the very beginning, didn’t you?"
"...No," Simon Lockwood said, his voice strained.
Joanna Kennedy didn’t believe him. "Then why did you put it in my name?"
"The place you were living in back then wasn’t good." Simon Lockwood frowned and said in a low voice, "You were used to living in villas..."
...
What Simon Lockwood didn’t say was that he had also bought the villa Joanna Kennedy’s family used to own, but he never mentioned it, afraid it would stir up painful memories for her.
He just felt that Joanna Kennedy was used to living in a big house, so he bought one. He hadn’t overthought it.
Even if Joanna Kennedy didn’t get back together with him, he would have found a way to get the villa to her.
He said it so casually, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. But Joanna Kennedy fell silent, a warm, tingling feeling spreading through her chest.
’Damn it. If anyone ever calls Simon Lockwood boring and cold again, I’ll fight them!’
’My President Lockwood is obviously a master at this!’
"Why didn’t you just tell me directly? You’re always like this." Joanna Kennedy pouted her lips and complained, "Is the company’s legal representative in my name, too? Simon Lockwood, you don’t have to love me *this* much..."
It was a proud and smug complaint. Simon Lockwood was silent for a moment. Then, under Joanna Kennedy’s expectant gaze, he said with a deadpan expression, "It’s not in your name."