Chapter 209 - 208: Confrontation
Dawn was breaking before Joanna Kennedy was finally let go. She was dizzy and disoriented, unsure of what day or time it was.
One last time, Simon Lockwood held the girl in his arms tightly and asked the question he had posed countless times that night: "Who am I?"
"Simon Lockwood... My Simon Lockwood..." Joanna Kennedy was so exhausted she could barely pry her eyelids open. Hearing the question, she still shuddered reflexively and answered on instinct.
Simon Lockwood was satisfied. He kissed the red-rimmed corners of her eyes, then the corner of her lips, and sighed softly. "Such a good girl, Joanie..."
In the morning, Joanna Kennedy was startled awake. She shot up, and the ache in her lower back almost made her cry out. Shaking, she fumbled for her phone.
’It’s 8:30! I was supposed to be on set at 8:00!’
Joanna Kennedy endured the pain in her back as she got dressed, her movements awkward. The door clicked open, and Simon Lockwood walked in carrying breakfast. Seeing the state she was in, he furrowed his brow and went to help her, but she slapped his hand away.
"This is all your fault!" Joanna Kennedy’s face flushed with anger. "I’m already late!"
’He used to be considerate when I had to film the next day. Now it feels like he’s trying to kill me.’ Just thinking about last night made Joanna Kennedy shudder.
’Forcing me to say those things was one thing, but if I said something that didn’t please him, he’d just go quiet and punish me. He’s worse than a dog!’
The more Joanna Kennedy thought about it, the angrier she became. She moved carelessly and tweaked her sore back again, the pain almost bringing her to tears. She hung her head in frustration, her voice catching. "You already knew everything, yet you deliberately toyed with me..."
Sometime in the dead of night, she had figured it out. Simon Lockwood must have known about her encounters with Liam Valentine these past few days. He probably even knew that Liam Valentine had invested in the movie.
’And to think I was so nervous, not knowing how to tell him, even trying to find the right words.’
’But Simon... he knew everything perfectly well, and he still forced me to say it, just to watch me panic and squirm. He was just toying with me...’
The more Joanna Kennedy thought, the more wronged she felt. She turned her head, refusing to look at him, pouting with her swollen, bitten lips, the very picture of a poor, pitiful thing.
’Pouting is a request for a kiss.’ The thought suddenly crossed Simon Lockwood’s mind. He then leaned over and pressed a kiss to her swollen lips.
The soft sound of the kiss was exceptionally distinct in the quiet hotel room.
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy had overslept, her back ached, her eyes stung from crying, and her whole body was covered in marks. She had just finished complaining and was still fuming when Simon Lockwood kissed her without a word, making her burst into tears of frustration. "You... you, you..."
She sputtered "you" for a long moment without managing another word. Simon Lockwood furrowed his brow, not quite understanding why she was so furious. He said, "You lied to me, and I didn’t even get angry."
’Therefore, if he teased her, she had no right to be angry. She had brought this on herself.’
Simon Lockwood considered his logic perfectly sound. Everyone had to take responsibility for their actions, and Joanna Kennedy was no exception.
But when Joanna Kennedy heard this, she nearly fainted from anger. Tears streamed down her face. "You... how dare you say you weren’t angry?!"
Simon Lockwood: "..."
Seeing her on the verge of a full-blown tantrum, Simon Lockwood pinched the bridge of his nose. Then his eyes fell on the red marks and bruises on her fair skin, and even a few finger marks. His anger instantly vanished. He soothed her softly, "Alright, I was wrong..."
"I shouldn’t have treated you like that," Simon coaxed. "It was my fault..."
Joanna Kennedy’s temper flared up quickly, but it also faded fast. She was easily placated by his words, but out of pride, she kept her head turned away from him and grumbled, "I’m so late. The director is definitely going to chew me out..."
She looked utterly dejected. Simon Lockwood opened the container of seafood congee. "He won’t. I got you a half-day off."
Joanna Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief. She shuffled toward the bathroom in slow, small steps.
On the bathroom counter, her rinsing cup was already filled with water, and toothpaste was already on her toothbrush. Joanna Kennedy mumbled something under her breath before starting to brush her teeth.
By the time she finished, the seafood congee had cooled to a perfect, warm temperature. Joanna Kennedy was starving. She polished off a small soup dumpling in a few bites, then ate two boiled eggs, and was finally full.
Simon Lockwood cleaned up, finishing the rest of the breakfast.
Joanna Kennedy propped her chin on her hands and watched him. A thought occurred to her, and she asked awkwardly, "Did you only come find me because of Liam Valentine?"
She had assumed that Simon had found out the film crew was renting Liam Valentine’s house and had come because he was worried.
But Simon Lockwood simply said, "No."
"Then when did you find out?" Joanna Kennedy asked, confused.
But Simon Lockwood didn’t answer. His tone was flat. "Figure it out yourself."
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
After her meal, Joanna Kennedy felt drowsy again. She dove headfirst under the covers to go back to sleep.
Simon Lockwood furrowed his brow, tugged the duvet straight, and covered her completely, leaving only the top of her little head poking out.
Joanna Kennedy fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Simon Lockwood stared at her for a while. After a long moment, he bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
He wasn’t a psychic, nor had he assigned anyone to follow Joanna Kennedy. How could he possibly have known to rush over in advance?
It was the look on Joanna Kennedy’s face when she saw him; it was all wrong. He knew instantly that something had happened. He had someone investigate, and the whole story came out.
Simon Lockwood’s eyes grew cold as he thought about the information his men had uncovered.
A restaurant owned by the Valentine Group.
Someone was playing piano in the first-floor lobby. The music was pleasant, but it couldn’t reach the sole private room on the top floor.
Same place, same table. Only this time, the person sitting across from Liam Valentine was Simon Lockwood.
"Mr. Lockwood, you honor us with your presence. Why no advance notice? I would have arranged a proper welcome." Liam Valentine smiled as he spoke, pouring tea and sliding the cup across to the man opposite him.
His expression remained unchanged throughout, calm and collected, as if he had been expecting Simon Lockwood’s arrival. His every gesture bespoke a fine upbringing.
’A man like that... even without exceptional looks, if he truly set his mind to seduction, few women could resist.’
The coldness in Simon Lockwood’s eyes intensified. He cut straight to the chase: "So, you like Joanna Kennedy?"
It was hard to tell if it was a question or a statement. In front of her actual boyfriend, Liam Valentine showed no shame about poaching his girlfriend. Instead, he looked like he’d found something amusing. "Is this what Mr. Lockwood wanted to ask?"
"I thought you were going to ask me how far things have progressed between Miss Kennedy and me."
Meeting Simon Lockwood’s icy gaze, he sighed. "Alright, Miss Kennedy rejected me in no uncertain terms." He added, "You have excellent taste, Mr. Lockwood."
Although Simon Lockwood was already confident in her, he still couldn’t help but let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
Liam Valentine caught the subtle shift. His gaze grew complex. "Simon Lockwood, you’ve really..."
Changed.
’The "World Consciousness," always so cold and detached, disdainful of everything, now has someone he cares for.’ Liam Valentine didn’t know whether he should feel distressed or gratified.
Simon Lockwood could lose himself in the throes of love, but the World Consciousness could not.