Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. When Simon Lockwood saw no revulsion or fear in her eyes, his tense body slowly began to relax.

’So what if she saw?’

’He was no saint, devoid of desire. Joanna Kennedy was the one who always idealized him—letting him move in, giving him money.’

’She didn’t even know what kind of person he was, yet she had the nerve to accept his advances.’

’She had her guard down completely.’

Simon Lockwood’s eyes narrowed. The refined, harmless expression on his face had vanished, replaced by a startling, intense possessiveness. He stared nonchalantly at the girl frozen in the doorway.

His pitch-black, bottomless eyes were like dangerous ocean waters. Joanna Kennedy felt like prey stalked by a large predator, about to be devoured whole at any second.

Instinctively recoiling from the danger, she took a subconscious step back. But the moment she turned, her wrist was seized in a tight grip, and she was yanked inside.

"Why are you running... hmm?" the man’s voice asked, accompanied by the soft click of the door closing, as if deliberately teasing her.

Joanna Kennedy opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word. She watched helplessly as the door closed before her eyes, not daring to struggle.

’This must be what it feels like to let the wolf in the door.’

A large hand, warm and strong, rested on her waist. Behind her was the man’s chest, so hot it was almost scalding. A powerful, dangerous, purely masculine scent washed over her, enveloping her completely.

Perhaps because she hadn’t answered, the man unhurriedly repeated himself. "I asked you a question. Why were you running?"

’He looked so bold and utterly shameless, as if he weren’t the one who’d just been caught doing something ’bad.’ A person should at least... shouldn’t they...?’

A sharp, sudden pain on her neck—a bite, neither light nor heavy—snapped Joanna Kennedy back to her senses. Suppressing her irritation, she shot back, "Who said I was running!"

"I’m going back to my room to rest. Let me go!" Joanna Kennedy said.

The girl "struggled" in his arms. They were pressed so close that every "squirm" brushed against a certain... sensitive area. Simon Lockwood’s breathing grew ragged. He let out a muffled groan but didn’t let go. Instead, he held her even tighter.

"Joanna, please... just be still..." a low, strained voice murmured in her ear.

Joanna Kennedy flinched at the sound of his voice, but a second later, she was even more furious. ’So he could bully her, but she wasn’t allowed to resist? It’s one rule for him and another for everyone else!’

She stubbornly continued to struggle, but it only took a moment for her to realize why Simon Lockwood had told her to stop.

There was a strange pressure against her lower back. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel a startling heat that made her heart leap into her throat.

Joanna Kennedy was an adult; she knew exactly what that was. Her mind was still reeling when she felt the man behind her shift.

Joanna froze, her eyes widening.

Joanna’s entire body went rigid. She was dumbfounded. Her soul seemed to have left her body. The circuits in her brain frantically short-circuited as a furious blush crept up from her neck to her face. She felt like her hair was about to stand on end.

Joanna spat two words through gritted teeth: "Simon. Lockwood."

The threat in her voice was unmistakable, but either the man didn’t hear it, or he was pretending not to.

"Mmm..." The soft, fragrant woman in his arms smelled just like the nightgown. Simon Lockwood sighed in satisfaction. "I’m here..."

Joanna Kennedy: "..." ’Here my ass!’

Furious and flustered, Joanna blurted out, "If you dare make another move, we’re breaking up!"

She was so livid she blurted it out without thinking.

Even though she knew Simon Lockwood wasn’t as harmless as he appeared, she never expected such a stark contrast in his personality.

Feeling the large hand on her waist stiffen, she seized the opportunity to wrench herself from his embrace, yank open the door, and bolt.

Perhaps he was too stunned to react, but he didn’t chase her. He just let her run into her bedroom and lock the door.

Having escaped the wolf’s den, Joanna leaned against the door, still in a daze. The spot on her neck where he’d bitten her tingled faintly, and her waist still felt hot, proving that what just happened wasn’t a hallucination.

’Some innocent college boy he is! He’s just a pervert with a mind full of trash!’

The thought of what that man had been doing with her nightgown made Joanna’s skin crawl. She was resolved: even if she washed it, she would never wear it again.

’No, she would just throw it out!’

A knock came from the door behind her. Joanna’s eyes flew wide in fright, and she practically jumped two meters away before remembering she had locked it. Only then did she calm down.

At the same time, she felt ashamed for her own knee-jerk cowardice and shouted angrily, "What do you want now!"

"Your clothes..."

The man’s muffled voice came through the door. Joanna immediately flew into a rage.

"Simon Lockwood, I’m warning you, don’t push it!"

’I already caught him, and not only is he not embarrassed, he’s actively bringing it to me? How could he even say that? The nerve of this guy is unbelievable!’

"I don’t want it! Just throw it away!" Joanna said.

After her angry, humiliated shout, there was no reply. Silence from outside the door. Joanna frowned. ’Did he leave?’

She tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear against it, but heard nothing.

’Did he really leave?!’

’He didn’t really go to throw away my nightgown, did he? Damn it, how could he do that? Shouldn’t he be apologizing and trying to make it up to me? What is this?’

’It’s true what they say: once they have you, they stop cherishing you. Men are all the same.’ The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She yanked the door open, only to freeze in place.

The man was standing right in front of her. He’d changed out of his bathrobe and was now wearing a white T-shirt and dark gray sweatpants. His short black hair, apparently not fully dried, dripped water onto his shoulders, making him look very young.

His tall, imposing frame blocked the light, making it impossible to see the expression in his eyes. With his head lowered, eyes downcast, and lips pressed into a thin line, he looked somewhat pitiful.

"...I’m sorry. I was impulsive just now. I didn’t expect you to walk in..." Simon Lockwood said.

His voice was soft and hoarse, filled with self-reproach and unease, as if he genuinely regretted his actions.

Joanna was momentarily captivated by his handsome face before she snapped back to reality.

’What’s that supposed to mean, "didn’t expect you to walk in"?’ The way he said it made it sound like it was her fault. Joanna huffed, tilting her chin up. "Oh, so it’s *my* fault?"

"Should I have just pretended I didn’t see anything?" Joanna asked sarcastically.

Simon Lockwood didn’t argue back. He pressed his lips together. "It’s my fault..."

"...I won’t do it again." Simon’s voice was tight, each word seeming to be a struggle. "Please, give me another chance, okay? Can we... not break up...?"

The final three words seemed to drain all the strength from him.

The air grew heavy. As the seconds ticked by, the man’s face grew paler, and his lips tightened into a thin, straight line.

Joanna sighed silently. Most of her anger had already dissipated. "I was just kidding..."

"It’s your own fault for being a pervert..." Joanna mumbled under her breath, giving his shin a light, playful kick.

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