Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Howard Thorne was stunned for a moment. Instead of answering, he said, "I’m taking you back to the hotel. I’ll have a doctor put you on an IV."

"I’m not hurt."

"Look at the state you’re in! How is this any different from being hurt?!" Howard Thorne struggled to suppress his frantic worry. "What you need most right now is to go back and rest!"

"I want to go to the hospital." Joanna Kennedy looked up, watching him quietly. "I want to see Simon Lockwood."

"..."

Howard Thorne was both angry and anxious. "What are you going to see him for?!"

"Do you have any idea how many reporters are swarming outside?!" Howard Thorne’s mind was buzzing with anxiety. He didn’t even bother to organize his thoughts, blurting out, "They’re all here for the news about your relationship with Simon Lockwood!"

"The hospital is a public place. There’s no way to keep those reporters out. The second you go to the hospital, you’ll be mobbed!"

The relationship news had broken suddenly, shooting straight to the top of the trending charts in just half an hour. That was why Howard Thorne had come, but he never expected to witness a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Joanna Kennedy’s face was deathly pale, and her body was covered in blood. Curled up into a small ball in her oversized school uniform, she looked so small. In a daze, Howard Thorne was suddenly reminded of the Joanna he knew in high school.

As pitiful as a little stray, yet she stared at him stubbornly, her beautiful eyes completely red.

Howard Thorne gritted his teeth and said, "The Sinclairs are on their way, too."

"Simon Lockwood was injured this badly because of you, Jojo. The Sinclairs won’t let you off the hook. Why would you... why would you walk right into their hands?"

His words were like a final dagger, stabbing straight and sharp into Joanna Kennedy. Her face paled instantly.

Seeing her like this, Howard Thorne felt terrible too. "...Jojo, please listen to me this one time."

A dull ache spread through Howard Thorne’s heart. He softened his voice. "The doctors are with him. Simon Lockwood will be fine. If you go now, you’ll only cause a panic."

Howard Thorne pleaded with her at length. Joanna Kennedy finally blinked her reddened eyes slowly, her voice very soft. "I can hide."

’As long as I can just see Simon, that’s all I want. I won’t let the Sinclairs or the public see me.’

"I... I can disguise myself as a nurse," Joanna Kennedy said. "Just let me in... Just let me see him from the outside for a moment. That’s all."

"..."

Howard Thorne had never seen Joanna Kennedy so timid, begging him for another man’s sake...

Howard Thorne’s heart twisted with both pain and a sour, bitter feeling. In the end, he hardened his heart and refused. "No."

He thought Joanna Kennedy would keep pestering him, but she just slowly lowered her head and said softly, "Then when can I see him?"

Before Howard Thorne could answer, Joanna Kennedy murmured to herself, "You don’t know either."

"No one knows."

Joanna Kennedy’s voice was very light, but to Howard Thorne, it felt incredibly heavy, crushing him until he could barely breathe. He couldn’t comfort her, because he truly didn’t know.

’The Sinclairs would never allow Joanna to show up. And privately, I don’t want her to see Simon Lockwood either. For both professional and personal reasons, the best choice for Joanna right now is to go back to the hotel.’

"Once this whole storm blows over, Simon Lockwood will probably be fine," Howard Thorne comforted her, his tone strained. "You’ll be able to see him eventually."

"Mm," Joanna Kennedy replied, her eyes downcast.

Joanna Kennedy went back to the hotel. As the car drove away from the filming location, she could see a huge crowd of reporters lying in wait through the window. There were so many that even the security guards couldn’t hold them all back.

An ambulance drove past them. Joanna Kennedy stared at it blankly, her gaze so intense it was as if she could see the person inside.

"He’ll be okay, right?"

Howard Thorne heard her ask. Joanna Kennedy’s voice was devoid of any obvious emotion, but for some reason, a thought flashed through his mind—’If Simon Lockwood really doesn’t wake up, Joanna will be completely broken.’

The thought came out of nowhere. Howard Thorne turned his head away, not wanting Joanna Kennedy to see his reddened eyes.

"Right," Howard Thorne heard himself say. "He’ll be fine."

’For Joanna’s sake, I’ll pray for Simon Lockwood’s safety too.’

The filming location was a half-hour drive from the new hotel Howard Thorne had booked. Due to traffic, it took them forty minutes to arrive.

White specks drifted down from the night sky. Joanna Kennedy reached out her hand to catch them. The touch was icy cold, and the white dots melted into water the moment they landed in her palm.

The first snow of the year had come too early, falling just at the start of winter.

Tina had already brought all her things to the new hotel and arranged them neatly. Joanna Kennedy felt a little dazed as she went inside. ’Just a few hours ago, I was still having dinner with Simon.’

’Simon Lockwood can’t handle spicy food. I ate a Thai chili and deliberately kissed him. He stiffened but let me kiss him for a moment, then silently went to drink some water.’

Thinking of how the man drank water with a completely straight face, Joanna Kennedy’s lips curved into a slight smile, but tears streamed down her cheeks.

’How could everything change so shockingly overnight? How did it come to this?’

’It was my fault he got hurt.’

Joanna Kennedy lay on the bed, slowly curling into a ball. She didn’t turn on the lights or take off her clothes.

In the complete darkness, her sense of sight was deprived, making her other senses more acute. The heavy stench of blood lingered in the air. Joanna Kennedy curled herself up even tighter.

She was exhausted but felt no sleepiness at all. The doctor who came to see her was startled and hurriedly put her on a glucose and saline IV. After confirming she had no other discomfort, he left.

Tina wanted to stay and keep her company, but Joanna Kennedy refused. She stared at the snowflakes continuously falling outside the window and said, "I want to be alone for a while."

’It’s not like I have to have someone with me,’ Joanna thought. ’I’m not a child.’

Tina left, and Joanna Kennedy was alone in the room once more. She lay curled up on her side on the bed.

The cold fluid traveled through her veins. Before long, she felt chilled to the bone. Her heart felt hollow and dreadfully cold.

’It feels like my heart will freeze solid if I don’t do something. This feeling is unbearable.’

On the bedside table was the meal Tina had bought for her, kept in an insulated container. There was also a full thermos of water. Propping herself up with one hand, Joanna Kennedy got up, wanting to grab the thermos.

But her fingers, numb with cold, accidentally knocked over the "Blue Rose" that was sitting quietly on the nightstand. The Blue Rose rolled onto the floor with a heavy thud. Joanna Kennedy’s fingers froze for a moment before she finally drew her hand back.

’When your luck is out, everything goes wrong.’ Joanna Kennedy felt like a jinx. She wanted to laugh at herself but couldn’t summon a smile. She kept her eyes downcast for a long while before recovering from the suffocating pain.

The "Blue Rose" had rolled to the edge of the bed. Joanna Kennedy crouched down to pick it up, carefully wiping it with her sleeve. The blood on her cuff had dried, becoming a little stiff, but it seemed to soften as it touched the uneven edges of the rose.

A drop of fresh blood dripped from her sleeve onto the "Blue Rose." It slid slowly down until it reached the very bottom, and then, a brilliant light erupted.

In the dark room, Joanna Kennedy stared blankly at the scene, her mind already a complete void, unable to process anything.

In mid-air, the "Blue Rose" disintegrated into motes of blue light, which all surged into Joanna Kennedy. All she felt was a sharp pain in her head before she lost consciousness.

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