Chapter 221 - 220
Although Joanna Kennedy found it strange, she obediently scanned the room. As her gaze passed over the table, a dazzling flash of blue caught her eye.
The flowers, Liam Valentine, Simon Lockwood’s awkward tone...
It dawned on Joanna Kennedy. Her bright eyes darted around, and she feigned annoyance, slapping her forehead. "Oh my, I really did forget something, didn’t I? Good thing you reminded me!"
Simon Lockwood: "..."
Simon Lockwood was not pleased. His expression darkened, and his grip on the suitcase tightened abruptly. He somewhat regretted bringing it up. He shouldn’t have tried to test Joanna Kennedy...
His heart slowly sank, a stuffy feeling spreading through his chest. Then, his fingers were gently clasped. Simon Lockwood froze. Before he could react, the young woman’s voice rang out in front of him.
"I forgot to take you with me..."
"..."
His breath hitched. It felt as if someone had given his heart a gentle tap.
’Forgot... to take me with her...’
Her voice was clear and bright, her eyes shimmering. Her small, flushed face was wreathed in a smile. Simon Lockwood just stared, dumbfounded, as his heart began to pound faster and faster.
Joanna Kennedy’s eyes curved into deeper crescents. She tugged his finger playfully, her voice wheedling. "What’s this? Is the great President Lockwood unwilling to come with me?"
Her eyes were bright and expressive, full of sincere, fervent emotion. Simon Lockwood hastily averted his gaze, the tips of his ears turning red. "No, it’s not that," he answered instinctively.
"So you’re willing, then?" Joanna Kennedy deliberately tilted her head to keep her scorching gaze fixed on him.
Simon Lockwood: "..."
"Stop messing around..." After a long moment, Simon Lockwood managed to force out the words.
Joanna Kennedy huffed. "Who’s messing around? You’re the one who started it..."
The words were vague, but they both knew exactly what she was referring to. Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Simon Lockwood knew he was being petty, but he couldn’t control his emotions. It was just that Joanna Kennedy had acted so differently toward Liam Valentine, and he couldn’t stop his mind from racing, making him want to test her again and again.
*
On their first day back in Aethelburg, Joanna Kennedy overheard Simon Lockwood talking with a subordinate. They still hadn’t caught Charles Jennings.
The Pemberton Family had filed a report. Charles Jennings was suspected of financial fraud, and the police were conducting an all-out manhunt. But despite the combined efforts of Southland’s forces and the police, it was as if Charles Jennings had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
A cold glint flashed in Simon Lockwood’s eyes. "Keep searching. I want him found, dead or alive."
"Yes, sir."
After the subordinate left, Joanna Kennedy quietly poked her head out from behind the door and asked in a small voice, "Simon, can I come in?"
She peeked out with just her head, blinking her big eyes. The coldness on Simon Lockwood’s face vanished as he strode over to open the door wider. "Finished your practice exams?"
Joanna Kennedy nodded. "Go see for yourself if you don’t believe me."
She had a smug, proud little look on her face.
A corner of Simon Lockwood’s mouth curled up. He couldn’t resist leaning down and pecking the pout on her lips. "I believe you..."
After the kiss, Joanna Kennedy got down to business, looking a little excited. "A very famous magazine in Parix invited me to shoot their cover. I’ve already accepted."
This was certainly news worth being happy about. Simon Lockwood lowered his gaze, his voice soft. "When are you leaving? How many days will it take?"
"The day after tomorrow. It should only take about two or three days," Joanna Kennedy said after a moment of thought, giving a rough estimate.
That wasn’t too long, but Simon Lockwood still couldn’t rest easy. He privately assigned several bodyguards to Joanna Kennedy and instructed her not to give them the slip.
Joanna Kennedy wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she knew Simon Lockwood meant well. Ever since the incident with Charles Jennings, he had become even more strict and controlling with her, a classic case of "once bitten, twice shy."
She was just glad he hadn’t insisted on coming with her this time.
A day later, accompanied by Julie, Walter Young, and several bodyguards, Joanna Kennedy arrived at the airport. A large crowd of fans had gathered.
At first, Joanna Kennedy wasn’t sure if they were her fans, until she saw someone raise a sign. It was lotus-root pink with large, bold, black words—
[GO CRAZY FOR JOEY! GO WILD FOR JOEY! RUN THROUGH A WALL FOR JOEY!]
[MAKE WAY, MAKE WAY! JOANNA’S HERE TODAY!]
[HESITATION MEANS DEFEAT, LOVING JOANNA CAN’T BE BEAT!!!]
...
The signs were filled with slogans like these—direct, eye-catching, and making Joanna Kennedy’s vision blur with secondhand embarrassment. To make matters worse, people were screaming them at the top of their lungs. Joanna Kennedy was so mortified she could have dug a Barbie DreamHouse out of the floor right then and there.
The slogans may have been cringeworthy, but the love from Joanna’s Fans was passionate and sincere. It filled Joanna Kennedy’s heart with warmth. If she weren’t afraid of causing a dangerous crush, she would have stopped to hug every single one of them.
The crowd was so thick they had to squeeze their way through. The bodyguards formed a barrier on either side, protecting Joanna Kennedy as she moved forward. Suddenly, a few people carrying cameras darted out from nowhere and practically shoved their lenses right in Joanna Kennedy’s face.
The bodyguards tensed. Just as they moved to intervene, the men started shouting, "Joanna, we’re your fans! We love you so much, just let us take a few pictures!"
"Yeah, yeah! We came from so far away..." someone else added.
Even as they spoke, their cameras didn’t stop. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. It was as if they expected Joanna Kennedy, being a celebrity, wouldn’t dare refuse them. They grew bolder, shooting with abandon, one even crouching down to get an up-angle shot.
The once-clear path was now completely blocked, preventing anyone behind them from moving. Frustrated shouts erupted from the crowd, adding to the noisy chaos.
Joanna Kennedy’s expression turned cold. She shot a look at her bodyguards, who immediately moved to block the photographers. The bodyguards’ imposing figures made the men stumble backward, but they still craned their necks defiantly. "We’re Joanna’s Fans! You’re saying we can’t even take pictures?"
"Exactly! So much for ’doting on her fans.’ Can’t keep up the act anymore, huh?"
"She’s a big shot now. Guess she can’t be bothered to pretend anymore..."
"She’s a celebrity, but she won’t let us take photos? What’s with the attitude?"
The men traded passive-aggressive remarks, their taunts causing the real fans nearby to fall silent. They were confused. In their minds, Joanna had a wonderful temper and was always so polite...
Seeing that some fans were starting to be swayed, the men grew more aggressive, even daring to push forward. Without a direct order from Joanna Kennedy, the bodyguards didn’t dare get physical, and they actually allowed themselves to be shoved a few times.
Joanna Kennedy’s face went completely cold. "Just because I’m a celebrity, does that mean I have to stand here and let you take my picture?"
"Are proxy photographers all this arrogant now? This is an airport, a public space! It’s not your personal marketplace to make money! If you cause a dangerous situation, will you take responsibility for it?!"
Joanna Kennedy was blunt, her usual good temper gone. She directly called them out for what they were: proxy photographers. The surrounding fans finally understood and turned to glare at the men in anger.
’How many times have people said to boycott proxy photographers?’ they thought. ’How could these people be so shameless? They’ve even evolved to pretend to be fans!’ They were just betting on the fact that Joanna, as a celebrity, would be too embarrassed to lose her temper in front of the cameras.
But they hadn’t expected that while Joanna Kennedy might look soft on the outside, she was the type to stand her ground. The men had no choice but to retreat dejectedly.
Joanna Kennedy immediately started moving forward again. As she walked, she turned to comfort her surrounding fans in a soft voice, "I didn’t scare you guys, did I?"
"It’s mainly just too dangerous when everyone is crowded together like this," she said with a smile. "Next time, when we have more time, I’ll let you all take as many pictures as you want."