Chapter 123 - 122
Sean Grant craned his neck to see, but he couldn’t make out what it was through the gift wrapping. He turned and met Simon Lockwood’s cool, indifferent gaze, then let out an awkward laugh. "I was just looking, just looking. Not opening it, hehe..."
He looked utterly spineless.
Jack Warren couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Sean Grant didn’t dare challenge Simon Lockwood, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t handle Jack. He grabbed Jack, who was about to head inside, and said viciously, "You! You’re staying out here with me!"
Jack Warren: "???!?!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jack Warren could hardly believe it.
He wasn’t anybody to Old Master Grant, so what right did he have to stand here?! ’Is Sean Grant a complete idiot?!’
Jack Warren tried to shake off the hand on his arm, but despite Sean Grant’s sweet and cute appearance, he was shockingly strong. For a moment, he really couldn’t break free.
Sean Grant then took the opportunity to sling an arm firmly around Jack’s shoulders. Turning his head to Simon Lockwood, he said, "By the way, Simon, my grandfather wants to see you, so I won’t go in with you."
Simon Lockwood didn’t ask why he had to see the old master. He just nodded and followed the attendant inside.
After taking just a couple of steps, he noticed the girl hadn’t followed. Simon Lockwood paused. "Joanna Kennedy."
Hearing the man’s flat tone, Joanna Kennedy snapped out of it. She met Jack Warren’s pleading gaze, gave him a helpless look in return, and hurried to catch up with Simon Lockwood.
Many people had come, and the sounds of conversation and birthday wishes filled the air. As the attendant led them to the quiet backyard, the voices gradually faded.
Joanna Kennedy stopped walking. Under Simon Lockwood’s questioning gaze, she took the initiative to say, "I won’t go in with you. I’ll just wait for you here."
’Old Master Grant only said he wanted to see Simon Lockwood. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to tag along.’
Simon Lockwood was silent for only a few seconds before saying, "Alright."
He walked around a corner, and his figure disappeared from sight. The smile on Joanna Kennedy’s face slowly faded.
The scenery at the Grant Estate had a classic, rustic charm. Red maple leaves swayed gracefully in the gentle breeze. Beneath the maple trees were several stone benches.
Not knowing when Simon Lockwood would come back out, Joanna Kennedy thought for a moment, chose a bench that looked relatively clean, and sat down. Out of boredom, she began to step on the dry leaves on the ground.
CRUNCH, CRUNCH. The dry leaves crackled, the sound overlapping with someone behind her stepping on twigs.
Joanna Kennedy turned her head to look and met a man’s meaningful gaze.
’He didn’t go to the banquet hall?’ Joanna Kennedy’s brows furrowed tightly.
’Ah, she spotted me...’
Charles Jennings revealed a gentle smile and greeted her in an unhurried tone, "Miss Kennedy. Long time no see."
His tone carried a faint, almost imperceptible sigh, as if he had truly been looking forward to this encounter.
Joanna Kennedy despised him. Thinking of her plans for that afternoon, she had no desire to waste words on him. She averted her gaze and spat out a single, cold word, "Oh."
The dismissiveness and impatience in her voice were on full display, with no attempt at concealment.
The unidentifiable emotion in Charles Jennings’s eyes deepened, but the gentle smile on his face remained unchanged.
He slowly walked closer, his eyes fixed on the girl without blinking.
’Joanna Kennedy looked stunning today. Her long, black hair was gathered in a gentle updo, and her light makeup couldn’t hide her radiance. Sitting under the red maple tree, she was somehow even more vibrant and eye-catching than the leaves themselves...’
’And yet, such a beautiful person was so childish. She was stubborn when angry, wore her frustration on her face when upset, and would subconsciously do repetitive things when bored, like stepping on leaves...’
He thought that someone as vibrant as Joanna Kennedy was truly meant to be collected and treasured. No wonder Simon Lockwood was so obsessed with her.
Even after being hit with an "Emotional Reversal," he was still clinging possessively to Joanna Kennedy and had instead been ruthless toward Serena Sutton. The moment Charles Jennings thought of this, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Meeting the girl’s confused and disgusted gaze, Charles Jennings reined himself in a bit and said innocently, "My apologies. I just thought of something quite funny. Would Miss Kennedy care to hear it?"
’What could possibly be funny? More like something vicious,’ Joanna Kennedy thought. She replied bluntly, "I don’t want to hear it."
A flicker of obvious disappointment crossed Charles Jennings’s face.
Joanna Kennedy couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up and said coldly, "Charles Jennings, stop putting on this phony act in front of me."
"What phony act?" Charles Jennings played dumb. "I don’t understand. Could Miss Kennedy be a little clearer?"
Joanna Kennedy’s expression grew colder. A few seconds later, she saw something off to the side and raised an eyebrow. Her tone was dismissive. "If you can’t even understand simple words, what else is there for me to say to you?"
.........
Charles Jennings had always known she had a sharp tongue, so he wasn’t angered by her words. Instead, he just smiled again and was about to continue teasing her when...
...a cold, detached male voice rang out from nearby. "Joanna Kennedy, come here."
"........."
Charles Jennings didn’t need to turn around to know who was speaking. The smile in his eyes vanished.
Joanna Kennedy called out in acknowledgment. As she walked past Charles Jennings, she shot him a provocative smirk, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes bright and clear.
As the girl walked past him, the fingers of Charles Jennings’s hand at his side twitched and curled, as if he were trying to suppress some unspeakable, inappropriate impulse.
He parted his lips and whispered something. Joanna Kennedy froze abruptly, her eyes widening in disbelief, the corners turning red with anger as she glared at him.
If she weren’t at Sean Grant’s grandfather’s birthday celebration and worried about making a scene, she would have slapped Charles Jennings right across the face.
The two of them were locked in a stalemate. To Simon Lockwood, the scene somehow took on an air of intimate attachment. The chill in his eyes intensified as his voice turned to ice. "Joanna Kennedy. Come here."
Joanna Kennedy didn’t move, her vicious glare still fixed on Charles Jennings.
As if finally satisfied, Charles Jennings turned to meet Simon Lockwood’s bone-chilling gaze, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Mr. Lockwood, it seems Miss Kennedy doesn’t listen to you very well."
Simon Lockwood shot back coldly, "None of your business."
Then, without sparing him another glance, he fixed his gaze on the girl and said, "Get over here."
The man’s tone was cold, and his repeated demands for her to come over made him sound impatient.
Having just heard such insulting words, only to be treated this way by Simon Lockwood, Joanna Kennedy suppressed the pain in her heart. She turned and began to walk away, ignoring everything else.
She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before the man gripped her wrist tightly from behind. Simon Lockwood’s brows were knitted. "Joanna Kennedy, what is this little tantrum about?"
’She was the one talking to Charles Jennings, she was the one who disobeyed, and now she was the one getting angry.’ Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together tightly, a nearly imperceptible flicker of annoyance crossing his brow.
Joanna Kennedy took it all in, and her heart instantly felt tight and suffocated. The redness at the corners of her eyes hadn’t faded. In a stubborn voice, she said, "He just cursed at me."
"...What?"
"Simon Lockwood, you didn’t even think to help me." Joanna Kennedy continued her accusation, her voice choked with emotion. "You just kept getting mad at me."
Simon Lockwood knitted his brows. "What did he say to you?"
But Joanna Kennedy just turned her head away and fell silent.
After a long moment, Simon Lockwood said, "I’m sorry."