Chapter 286 - 285: I Believe You

Simon Lockwood didn’t know how long he had been waiting. They had only been apart for a few days, but to him, it felt like a very long time.

His gaze, however, landed on the girl’s slightly red-rimmed eyes. Simon Lockwood’s heart tightened, and his brows furrowed involuntarily. "What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?"

The man’s tone was laced with tension. Under the hallway light, his handsome and aloof face darkened slightly. He seemed to genuinely care about her, and... his heart ached for her.

The dull ache in her chest continued to spread, her vision blurring. Joanna Kennedy slowly moved her eyes and looked away. "It’s nothing..."

Crying in front of others over such a small thing was a pathetic thing to do. Joanna Kennedy didn’t want to seem so fragile and unreasonable.

She clenched her fists. The slight sting in her palm barely managed to pull her back from her spiraling emotions. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to make her voice sound calm. "Simon Lockwood, are you waiting for me?"

"Or..." Joanna Kennedy let out a light laugh. "Did you forget your keys again?"

Joanna Kennedy’s tone was teasing and her voice held a laugh, but her lowered eyelashes hid the true emotions in her eyes, making them impossible to read.

Something was weighing on her heart, but she didn’t want him to know.

Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together, his eyes unreadable. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "I didn’t forget my keys..."

Under the light, the girl’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, like a small brush sweeping lightly across his heart.

"I was waiting for you." Simon Lockwood’s voice was slow and clear as he repeated himself, "Joanna Kennedy, I was waiting for you."

...

Joanna Kennedy didn’t know how she ended up following Simon Lockwood home. By the time she came to her senses, she was already sitting on the sofa in his apartment.

The man’s soft, earnest words still seemed to echo in her ears. Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but clench her hands tighter.

She was lost in a daze of confused thoughts, not realizing how pale she looked, until her fingers were gently pried open. Only then did she dazedly raise her face.

"Joanna Kennedy..." The man’s voice carried a soft sigh. He sounded a little angry, but more than that, resigned. "Why are you digging your nails into yourself..."

...

Following his words, Joanna Kennedy looked down and saw her own red, swollen palm. The nail marks were clear, and it looked as if a little more pressure would have broken the skin.

A dull pain finally registered, and even her knuckles ached a little from how tightly she had been clenching her fist.

Discovered in her childish, embarrassing act, Joanna Kennedy felt her face burn. She stubbornly insisted, "I wasn’t. My nails are just too long. I’ll cut them when I get back."

Her smooth, pink-tinted nails weren’t long at all, only a tiny bit longer than a few days ago. Simon Lockwood sighed, his tone complex. "Joanna Kennedy, I’m not an idiot..."

...

’Not an idiot, but not much smarter than one, either.’

Joanna Kennedy pouted and tried to pull her hand back, but failed. Giving up, she let the man’s warm fingertips gently rub circles on her palm.

The method was surprisingly effective. After a short while, Joanna Kennedy felt the pain in her palm fade, replaced by a tingling itch.

Joanna Kennedy was just about to say it didn’t hurt anymore when a phone rang, interrupting her.

It was Simon Lockwood’s phone.

Simon Lockwood furrowed his brow and let the call go to voicemail. Not two minutes later, the phone rang again. Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you going to get that?"

There was no name on the screen, just a string of numbers.

Simon Lockwood answered in the same tone, "A spam call."

He said this as he picked up the phone, rejected the call, and then turned the device off, all in one swift motion.

The annoying ringing finally disappeared. Simon Lockwood was about to resume rubbing her palm, but Joanna Kennedy had already pulled her hand back. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Simon Lockwood’s outstretched hand froze for a moment before he lowered it. "Okay..."

The air grew quiet. Joanna Kennedy didn’t want to see the hurt look on the man’s face. Just as she was about to suggest going home, her gaze fell upon something messy on a nearby shelf.

In a house so neat and clean it was almost obsessive, a messy spot was glaringly obvious. Joanna Kennedy subconsciously took a second look.

They were a few books on economics and job searching.

...

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened. She looked again, confirming she hadn’t seen wrong. A thought flashed through her mind—’Simon Lockwood... is looking for a job?’

’But isn’t he managing a company under the Sinclair Family?’

Simon Lockwood seemed to have just noticed her strange expression. He turned back somewhat stiffly to tidy up the books. Perhaps because he was too nervous, the books scattered to the floor, and the recruitment flyers tucked underneath them also fell out.

English teacher at a private institute, a busboy at a restaurant, and even a boy band application form.

It was so surreal it was hard to believe, but seeing the nervous look on the man’s face, Joanna Kennedy knew she had to.

Simon Lockwood was still trying to act calm. "They’re for my major at school."

She hadn’t even asked, and Simon Lockwood was already explaining. It was obviously a clumsy cover-up. Forgetting her earlier embarrassment, Joanna Kennedy snorted coldly and said, "What major requires you to read job-searching books?"

"I wasn’t born yesterday, Simon Lockwood. Don’t lie to me," Joanna Kennedy said through gritted teeth.

In her line of sight, the man’s expression stiffened, and a flicker of nervousness crossed his usually emotionless eyes. This made Joanna Kennedy even more certain that things were not as simple as they seemed.

After a standoff that lasted about ten seconds, Simon Lockwood seemed to be the one to break, looking away first. His voice was strained. "...I haven’t gotten my diploma yet, so it’s not easy to find a job..."

The man’s eyes were downcast. His usual cool and calculating demeanor was gone. As he spoke, lips pressed together, he seemed somewhat fragile.

It was only then that Joanna Kennedy seemed to truly feel his age. Simon Lockwood... was only a sophomore in college. No matter how mature he seemed, he was still just a young man. He wasn’t some deeply calculating person.

Unable to describe the feeling, Joanna Kennedy just felt a tightness in her chest. She suppressed the urge to reach out and comfort him, asking in confusion, "Why not work for the Sinclair Group?"

Since Old Master Sinclair was willing to take Simon Lockwood back, and even acquired the magazine company, he must have intended to groom him. At the very least, he wouldn’t let Simon worry about finding a job.

Joanna Kennedy was extremely puzzled, but after hearing the man’s next explanation, she froze completely.

"Returning to the Sinclair Family... came with conditions." Simon Lockwood’s voice was remarkably clear in the quiet living room.

Joanna Kennedy faltered for a second. She subconsciously wanted to clench her hand again, but forcibly stopped herself. "What conditions?"

"..." Simon Lockwood was silent for a long while before finally speaking. "If I tell you, will you think I’m lying?"

What kind of conditions could make Simon Lockwood say something like that? Joanna Kennedy met the man’s slightly dim, dark eyes, her tone firm, each word a promise. "I won’t. I believe you."