Chapter 241 - 240: Not Well-Intentioned
The dinner was a sumptuous spread of many small, exquisite dishes. The steak was still warm when cut.
Joanna Kennedy finished her food in a few bites. Feeling less hungry, she asked, "Can you talk now, President Valentine?"
Liam Valentine seemed to dislike this kind of food, having barely touched his plate. He dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin before speaking. "If I told you I wasn’t the one who orchestrated this invitation, would you believe me, Miss Kennedy?"
"Not you?" Joanna Kennedy’s eyes narrowed. She looked at him with a lazy, disrespectful air, her cheek resting in her hand. "Then why are you sitting in front of me? Am I mistaken?"
She found Liam Valentine incredibly strange. Instead of telling her why he wanted to see her, he was busy explaining this away. But his next words made her freeze.
"The truth is, I intercepted Leila Lawson’s invitation," Liam Valentine said unhurriedly.
’Leila Lawson... so she’s Director Lawson. Liam Valentine really does know her, and from the sound of it, they’re quite familiar.’
"Do you know why Leila Lawson asked you to dinner? What did she tell you? That it was about work?"
Liam Valentine smiled as he said this, his dark eyes profound.
Joanna Kennedy frowned. "How did you know?"
’Director Lawson did say she wanted to discuss the upcoming banquet. It was a perfectly normal event, and as the new brand ambassador, her attendance was expected. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a meeting like this.’
"Are you trying to say she was lying to me?" Joanna Kennedy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Liam Valentine didn’t reply, but his meaning was clear.
Joanna Kennedy laughed. "Seriously? Why would she lie to me? What’s there to lie about? Just to buy me dinner?"
’Joanna Kennedy really couldn’t wrap her head around it. Was she really in such high demand now? The head of mimniu had to trick her just to have a meal together?’
"Seriously, President Valentine, do you even believe yourself? What could Director Lawson possibly gain from this?"
"She’s after you."
Liam Valentine’s voice was clear. Seeing the stunned look on her face, he continued slowly, his tone delicate, "Miss Kennedy, I imagine you know that heterosexuals aren’t the only people in the world."
Joanna Kennedy: "........."
Joanna Kennedy: "!!!"
Joanna Kennedy’s mind was completely blown. Having been in the cesspool that is the entertainment industry, she’d seen her fair share of unconventional relationships, but this was the first time it had ever happened to her!
Her mind was a chaotic mess as all of Leila Lawson’s actions flashed through her memory. All those moments that had felt inexplicably off now suddenly made sense.
Before she could even process this information, the man dropped another bombshell, as if to corroborate his story:
"mimniu’s last brand ambassador was Tanya Quinn. She wasn’t let go because they couldn’t agree on the endorsement fee. Do you want to know why?"
Joanna Kennedy was already numb to the shocks. "Why?" she asked calmly.
"From what I know, it’s because Leila Lawson broke up with her. Tanya didn’t take it well, and that’s why the contract was terminated," Liam Valentine said.
Joanna Kennedy: "........."
The way he dished out gossip with such a straight face made him incredibly believable. Joanna Kennedy was on the verge of a breakdown. "Seriously, how do you know all this?"
Liam Valentine didn’t answer. He simply smiled and said, "So, Miss Kennedy, have I earned a kinder expression from you?"
The man had adopted a very humble posture. Looking at Liam Valentine like this, Joanna Kennedy felt a little conflicted. Her expression softened slightly, but her tone was still unfriendly. "So, that’s your excuse for showing up unannounced?"
"My apologies. That was indeed thoughtless of me," Liam Valentine readily agreed. "I was just afraid you would have an unpleasant experience tonight, Miss Kennedy."
"Seeing you is also quite a shock," Joanna Kennedy retorted without holding back.
Her words left him speechless. Liam Valentine sounded a little helpless as he dropped the formal address. "Joanna Kennedy, why are you so hostile towards me?"
His tone was a mixture of helplessness and confusion. Joanna Kennedy propped her other elbow on the table, cupped her face in both hands, and said with a wide smile, "Because your intentions are anything but good..."
’They say a person’s eyes reflect their truest thoughts, and Joanna Kennedy had always firmly believed that.’
’She didn’t see much love in Liam Valentine’s eyes. Perhaps there was some admiration, but it was mostly scrutiny.’
’For a man like that to keep saying he liked her, to declare he’d pursue her even knowing she had a boyfriend—if that wasn’t having bad intentions, what was?’
Liam Valentine clearly hadn’t expected her to say that. For a fleeting moment, his perfectly composed expression stiffened. Then, the helplessness in his eyes deepened. "You’re truly interesting, Miss Kennedy."
’So he’s denying it to the death.’ Joanna Kennedy shrugged. "If you say so."
She said nothing more after that, pulling out her phone to ask Julie where she was. Before she could send the message, her phone rang. It was Julie, calling to say she was downstairs.
Joanna Kennedy stood up to leave, but then paused. She looked at the man, who was sitting perfectly poised, and said, "President Valentine, I’m very grateful for your considerable help in Marinus. But I hope this is the last time you use such schemes on me."
"If there’s a next time, I’ll tell my boyfriend. And as you’re aware, President Valentine, my boyfriend can be very small-minded."
The young woman was smiling, but her eyes were cold. Though her words were light, Liam Valentine could hear the threat they contained.
’Back then, Joanna Kennedy had only given him a single glance, and the deal between the Valentine Group and Southland fell through. If Simon Lockwood were to find out about tonight...’
Liam Valentine let out a small, wry laugh, his voice gentle. "Do you like Mr. Lockwood that much, Miss Kennedy?"
"It’s not like," Joanna Kennedy said, her eyes crinkling into a bright smile. She enunciated each word clearly, "It’s love."
Passionate, direct, and dazzlingly bold, she expressed her love without restraint, as if daring anyone who heard her to back off.
Liam Valentine felt a strange mix of emotions. His knuckles tapped unconsciously on the tabletop. He mulled the words over before he couldn’t resist asking, "If one day, you two were fated to be apart, could you love someone else the same way?"
His tone was questioning, as if he truly needed her answer to make a decision of his own.
Joanna Kennedy, who had started to walk away, paused. She frowned, clearly displeased. "President Valentine, your hypothetical is invalid. I have no reason to answer it."
"Fine..." Liam Valentine sounded regretful. Then, another thought occurred to him. "But what if... you forgot him?"
’This is getting more and more ridiculous.’ Joanna Kennedy was growing impatient. "President Valentine, that hypothetical is even more baseless."
’Forget Simon Lockwood? It’s not like I have amnesia or some brain disease. Why would I forget Simon Lockwood? Maybe when I’m seventy or eighty and have Alzheimer’s, that’s the only way I could possibly forget.’
’But then again, one look at Simon Lockwood’s handsome face, and I’m sure it would all come flooding back.’
Julie was waiting downstairs. Joanna Kennedy didn’t hesitate any longer. She opened the door and walked out, missing the look of pity that slowly surfaced in the man’s eyes behind her.
Liam Valentine glanced at the Blue Enchantress rose on the table, glistening under the lights, and smiled.
’Studies show that the intoxicating feeling of being in love comes from phenylethylamine, a chemical that only lasts for a few short years.’
’Humans were never meant for long-term affection,’ he thought. ’Joanna Kennedy would be no exception.’