Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The deliberately intimate "brother" made Simon Lockwood’s brow twitch almost imperceptibly, his expression growing even more distant. "Something you need?"

"Aren’t you going to invite me in?" Jasper Sinclair asked with a smile. He then heaved a sigh, as if silently chiding Simon Lockwood for his lack of manners.

Simon Lockwood’s expression didn’t even flicker. "Suit yourself," he said indifferently.

Simon’s apathy made Jasper Sinclair’s passive-aggressive act seem cheap. A flicker of darkness crossed Jasper’s eyes, but he let none of it show on his face.

Once inside, he scanned the apartment. The decor was as basic as it gets, with nothing valuable on display. It was the kind of style you’d find in eight out of ten homes.

The kitchen had clearly just been used. The countertops hadn’t been wiped dry, and the trash can held shrimp shells and vegetable stalks.

So he even cooked for himself. A flash of contempt crossed Jasper Sinclair’s eyes. ’He really wasn’t raised in the Sinclair Family,’ he thought. ’He can’t shake that deep-seated air of poverty.’

With that thought, a smile reappeared on his face. "Dad wants you to come home tonight. He has something to tell you, or else I wouldn’t have bothered you."

Simon Lockwood wanted nothing to do with the Sinclair Family. At Jasper’s words, his frown deepened, but his tone remained flat. "Understood."

"Anything else?"

When Jasper Sinclair showed no sign of leaving, Simon Lockwood asked coolly.

It was an undisguised dismissal, yet Jasper Sinclair didn’t get angry. He seemed rather surprised. "You’re agreeing to go back?"

Given Simon Lockwood’s attitude last time, he’d thought he would have to argue at length just to convince him. This easy agreement was not what he had expected.

’So it’s all just tough talk,’ he mused. ’Says he’s not interested in the Sinclair Family’s fortune, but he still agreed to go back, didn’t he?’

A look of blatant disdain and ridicule flashed in Jasper Sinclair’s eyes as he looked at Simon Lockwood. "Aren’t you going to ask me what Dad wants to see you about?"

His attitude was a complete reversal from when he’d first arrived. The moment he heard Simon Lockwood agree, he couldn’t even be bothered to keep up the pretense.

Simon Lockwood had no interest in playing games. "And you’d tell me if I asked?"

Jasper Sinclair: "..." He was right. He wouldn’t.

"Seven o’clock tonight. Don’t be late *again*, little brother." Jasper Sinclair emphasized the word "again," leaving Simon with that parting taunt as he walked straight out.

Once the man was gone, Simon Lockwood’s face instantly darkened. He didn’t care what Old Master Sinclair wanted. Since the message didn’t get through last time, he would go back one more time to make things crystal clear.

’It wasn’t just that he himself had no real connection to the Sinclair Family. The original ’Simon Lockwood’ of this world felt no familial bond with them either—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been schemed against and killed by his own brother.’

’He had come to this world for Joanna Kennedy; he had neither the energy nor the time to play these games of a loving father and a dutiful son with irrelevant people.’

*

「The Sinclair Estate.」

At seven in the evening at the old Sinclair residence, the kitchen staff was busy preparing dinner while a cheerful and harmonious atmosphere filled the living room.

"You’re a fortunate man, Sinclair. Your eldest son graduated from a prestigious business school, and I hear your younger son is also at a top university abroad..." a middle-aged man said with a flattering smile, before letting out a mock sigh. "Not like my daughter here. She’s such a handful, I tell you."

Despite his words, the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. The young woman sitting beside him dutifully lowered her head with a smile, feigning embarrassment, but she snuck a glance at the man across from her out of the corner of her eye.

She had heard from friends that the Sinclair Family’s illegitimate son had returned to the country, but she had never seen him. When she first found out that this illegitimate son was to be her fiancé, she had been extremely displeased.

’But I never expected...’ Michelle Pemberton bit her lip, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She truly hadn’t expected the man to be so breathtakingly handsome.

’Aloof yet composed, he was more handsome than any man she had ever seen. One glance from those eyes felt like enough to make a person fall completely.’

’For a man this charismatic, his poor hearing seemed like a trivial, insignificant flaw.’

Old Master Sinclair beamed at the praise, and the frustration he felt from Simon Lockwood ignoring him dissipated considerably. "Oh, you flatter me, Pemberton. They’ve barely managed not to embarrass me, that’s all. Sons are never as thoughtful as daughters. I’ve always wanted a daughter myself!"

"Hahahaha, well that’s an easy fix! Jasper is too busy with his career to consider settling down right now, so why not have Simon get married first?"

"Sigh, it’s easy to say, but I wonder what young lady would ever take a liking to this cold, aloof brat of mine..."

Old Master Sinclair continued, his eyes shifting toward the tall, handsome man beside him. But to his dismay, Simon Lockwood’s expression remained cold, and he made no move to join the conversation.

The president of the Pemberton Family chuckled, easing the tension in the air. "Ah, that’s just how young people are these days. A bit shy."

It was one thing for Old Master Sinclair to say that, but it would be presumptuous for anyone else to agree. After all, everyone was well aware of the Sinclair Family’s standing.

The Pemberton head didn’t hide his intentions, saying directly, "Sinclair, I won’t mince words with you. What do you think of my Michelle?"

Although the Pemberton Family wasn’t from old money, they had seen explosive growth in the last two years and could be considered a leading company in the new generation of the real estate industry.

The benefits of a marriage alliance between the two families were a no-brainer. Old Master Sinclair was well aware of this, so when the other party brought it up first, he stopped beating around the bush. "Pemberton, your daughter is exceptional, of course."

Old Master Sinclair smiled and turned to the young woman who had been silent the whole time. "Miss Pemberton, you also graduated from a university abroad, correct? Did you ever happen to see our Simon at school?"

"Please, call me Michelle, Uncle Sinclair," Michelle Pemberton said, a little flustered. She then lowered her head shyly. "I’m two years ahead of... of Simon Lockwood. I never saw him..."

She stumbled over the man’s name, and her face grew even redder.

’Simon Lockwood must have enrolled right as she was graduating. She was certain she’d never seen him before. After all, with looks as striking as his, he was the kind of person you would never forget after seeing him just once.’

"Hahahaha, no matter, no matter," Old Master Sinclair laughed heartily.

As a man of the world, he had long since seen what was on Michelle Pemberton’s mind. ’It seems she’s quite taken with Simon Lockwood,’ he thought.

This made Old Master Sinclair even more satisfied with Michelle Pemberton. He turned and shot a glare at Simon Lockwood, who was acting completely detached from the situation. "Dinner isn’t ready yet. Why don’t you take Michelle out for a walk?"

"Hahahaha, that’s right! Let Simon show Michelle around. She’ll be visiting often in the future, so she needs to get familiar with the place!"

The phrase "get familiar with the place" was something one said about a future daughter-in-law. Michelle Pemberton’s pretty face flushed beet-red, but her heart was soaring. She was the first to stand up.

Old Master Sinclair chimed in, "Young people warm up to each other quickly. We don’t need to interfere. Let the two of them figure it out!"

"Hahahaha, you’re right about that, Sinclair."

With their back-and-forth exchange, the two fathers had all but finalized the engagement, without once considering whether the other party involved was willing.

Old Master Sinclair spoke with the utmost confidence. In his mind, this was a perfect match. The Pemberton Family was doing well, Michelle Pemberton was beautiful and sensible, and Simon Lockwood had no reason to refuse.

So when he heard Simon Lockwood’s unhesitating refusal, Old Master Sinclair’s eyes widened in shock. "What did you say?!"

"I’m not going," Simon Lockwood repeated, his expression unchanging.

Without looking at anyone, Simon Lockwood stood up and calmly smoothed his clothes. "If you want to go, go yourself."

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