Chapter 336: The Smiling Tiger

Chapter 336: Chapter 335: The Smiling Tiger

On the fifth floor, in a lounge next to the VIP ward, Jasper Sinclair sat beside Old Master Sinclair, facing several leading medical experts.

“You two don’t need to worry. Young Master Sinclair is out of danger for now.”

“If he’s out of danger, why isn’t he awake yet?”

That was a difficult question to answer. A doctor wasn’t a god; they couldn’t control when a patient woke up. But he couldn’t say that. The men sitting across from him were, after all, the powerful heads of Jornheim’s renowned Sinclair Group.

The doctor chose his words carefully and said tactfully, “At present, Young Master Sinclair’s vitals have indeed improved. It’s just that his injuries were extremely severe, and he needs more time to recover.”

The moment the words “extremely severe” were spoken, Jasper Sinclair’s face tightened. He didn’t even need to look to imagine the dark expression on Old Master Sinclair’s face.

He didn’t regret masterminding the incident, but he did regret not being more ruthless.

‘Either you don’t do it at all, or you do it cleanly. Letting Simon Lockwood survive and losing Old Master Sinclair’s trust in the process… the losses far outweighed the gains.’

As the doctor continued his nervous “report,” Jasper Sinclair’s phone rang at the most inopportune time. Facing Old Master Sinclair’s grim expression, he said respectfully, “Dad, I need to step out for a moment.”

Old Master Sinclair wanted to snap, ‘What could be more important than your brother?’ But then he remembered that Jasper was the one who had orchestrated Simon Lockwood’s “accident.” He swallowed his words and, suppressing his anger in front of the others, said, “Go.”

The lounge was well-heated, but the hallway was a bit cooler. Several bodyguards in black suits were waiting by the door. When Jasper Sinclair came out, one of them stepped forward and whispered something to him.

The emotions in Jasper Sinclair’s eyes shifted as he listened. He let out a sneer. “Pay her no mind. Stop her. Don’t let her in.”

‘I don’t understand where Joanna Kennedy gets her nerve,’ Jasper thought. ‘Coming to the hospital at a time like this… She’s just some B-list actress. Isn’t she afraid the Sinclair Family will have her blacklisted?’

‘Or could it be… she thinks Simon Lockwood is dying, so she’s come to seduce me? If that’s the case, this could be very interesting indeed.’

Jasper Sinclair changed his mind. “Wait. You’re saying she’s already at the entrance? Alone?”

“No, there’s a man with her,” the bodyguard answered truthfully. “The young master of the Thorne Family.”

‘Howard Thorne, the young master of the Thorne Family… he’s also Joanna Kennedy’s boss. For him to personally escort her here… is he just that caring toward his employees, or is there something more going on between them?’

Jasper Sinclair was inclined to believe the latter.

“Let her in. Have her wait on the first floor,” Jasper Sinclair said. “And keep a close eye on her. She is only to wait on the first floor.”

‘Leaking Joanna Kennedy’s location to the press is what I’d really like to do,’ Jasper mused, ‘but Old Master Sinclair is already extremely unhappy with me. I can’t afford to stir up any more trouble.’

‘If Joanna Kennedy wants to wait, then let her wait until she’s had enough.’

“What about Young Master Thorne?” the bodyguard asked.

His phone chimed again—the sound of a new email. Jasper Sinclair swiped his phone open to look. Hearing the bodyguard’s question, he answered impatiently, “If he wants to wait, let him come in and wait too.”

“Yes, sir.”

The bodyguard received his orders and was just about to go instruct his men when, upon reaching the elevators, he heard his boss’s sinister voice. “Wait.”

The bodyguard saw his boss standing in the hallway, his eyes glued to his phone. He didn’t know what his boss was looking at, but his expression had suddenly turned ugly.

The hospital’s first-floor lobby was nearly empty. Joanna Kennedy and Howard Thorne sat on a bench, each flanked by a bodyguard.

Reporters and paparazzi carrying cameras crowded the hospital entrance, blocked by more bodyguards. They could only crane their necks, trying to peer inside.

A minute passed, then two. Howard Thorne was growing impatient. “Jojo,” he whispered, “are the Sinclairs really going to let us in?”

“Maybe I should just contact the hospital director,” Howard Thorne said.

The Thorne Family might not be on the same level as the Sinclair Family, but they still had enough influence to pull some strings. They wouldn’t just be left to wait here indefinitely.

“No need.” Joanna Kennedy’s fingers absently stroked the smooth case of her laptop. “Jasper Sinclair will let us in.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly in the spacious lobby, causing the expression of the bodyguard next to them to become complicated. He couldn’t help but speak up. “You’re certainly confident, Miss Kennedy. Our young master gave the order not to let anyone in.”

Though he called her “Miss Kennedy,” his tone was dripping with sarcasm. Howard Thorne’s brow furrowed, but just as he was about to speak, Joanna Kennedy cut in, a faint, unreadable smile on her face. “So, it’s you.”

‘No wonder that voice sounded so familiar,’ she thought. ‘It’s the bodyguard I clashed with last time. I can’t believe I’ve run into him here of all places.’

“What’s wrong? Have your injuries healed up yet?” Joanna Kennedy asked.

Will Warren’s face flushed beet-red with anger, and the ribs that had only recently healed began to ache faintly again. It was only after a few low-spoken warnings from his colleague that he managed to stop himself from cursing out loud.

‘Just you wait,’ he fumed internally. ‘I’ll see how I can get you thrown out of here. It’d be perfect if all those reporters got a good look at your face.’

Joanna Kennedy wasn’t one to meekly swallow an insult, but she had no interest in starting trouble. Seeing that Will Warren had been silenced by her retort, she paid him no further mind.

She gently tapped the lid of the laptop. A minute had passed since she sent the email. Just as Howard Thorne was about to suggest contacting the director again, Jasper Sinclair finally made his grand entrance.

His pace was a little rushed, but he forced himself to slow down. He looked directly at Joanna Kennedy, forcing a smile onto his grim face. “Miss Kennedy, what a coincidence. Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?”

“And Young Master Thorne is here as well.”

Jasper Sinclair had a nickname in their circles—the Smiling Tiger. Unsure of what he was thinking, Howard Thorne smiled but didn’t take the bait. Instead, he said, “Jojo wanted to check on how the others from the accident were doing. I was worried, so I came along. I trust you don’t mind, Young Master Sinclair?”

Howard Thorne hadn’t said they were there to see Simon Lockwood, but rather to see everyone who was injured in the accident. Jasper Sinclair just smiled. “Of course not.”

His mind wasn’t on exchanging pleasantries with Howard Thorne. After his reply, he looked back at the person sitting on the bench. His pupils contracted when he saw the laptop in Joanna Kennedy’s hands.

He took an impulsive step forward, only stopping when he caught the others’ confused glances out of the corner of his eye.

Jasper Sinclair fought down the urge to snatch it from her. Taking a deep breath to maintain his composure, he said, “Shall I take Miss Kennedy upstairs?”

Joanna Kennedy didn’t answer right away. She simply stared at him until the smile on Jasper Sinclair’s face grew stiff, then finally said, “Alright.”

“But before that, I’d like to have a private word with Young Master Sinclair.” Joanna Kennedy raised an eyebrow. “I wonder, could you ask these bodyguards to step away?”

“Jojo…”

“What’s the matter? Does Young Master Sinclair want them all to hear?” Joanna Kennedy cut Howard Thorne off, her tone unreadable. “Because I certainly don’t mind.”

Jasper Sinclair had been hesitating, but his heart clenched at her words. Joanna Kennedy knew too much; he couldn’t risk her revealing something.

The bodyguards withdrew, leaving only Howard Thorne as the odd man out. Joanna Kennedy looked up at him.

Howard Thorne’s face was tense. “I’m not leaving.”

“Thank you for bringing me here.” ‘Howard’s presence would hinder me,’ Joanna thought, ‘and he might even get caught in the crossfire from Jasper Sinclair’s anger.’ She said aloud, “If you don’t want to step outside, you can just leave for the day.”