Chapter 340: I Have a Plan

Chapter 340: Chapter 339: I Have a Plan

Old Master Sinclair was so furious at this statement he felt he was about to have a heart attack. He truly had no idea what kind of spell this little starlet had cast on Simon Lockwood to make him cherish her so.

He couldn’t hit her, and he couldn’t win a war of words. Old Master Sinclair finally choked out, “Simon Lockwood, go on and side with this seductress! It’ll be too late when you finally regret it!”

Simon Lockwood frowned and covered the ears of the person in his arms.

Old Master Sinclair: “…”

Just a second before he keeled over from rage, Old Master Sinclair stalked out, his back bristling with fury.

SLAM! The door to the hospital room was violently thrown shut, making a heavy thud. It was easy to imagine how much force he’d used.

The loud noise made Joanna Kennedy’s own anger flare up. “Damn it, that guy…”

“That’s enough.” With a quick move, Simon Lockwood held back Joanna Kennedy, who looked like she wanted to chase after him. The movement was too large, and he wasn’t sure what it aggravated, but a flash of pain crossed his brow.

“Did I… Did I touch your wound?” Joanna Kennedy panicked instantly, forgetting all about condemning Old Master Sinclair’s crude behavior.

“Simon Lockwood, don’t just stay silent! Where did I touch?” Joanna Kennedy was frantic. “I’ll… I’ll go get the doctor.”

“I’m fine,” Simon Lockwood said. “Be good. Don’t move around.”

Joanna Kennedy was not reassured. “No, let me see,” she said urgently. “Did the wound reopen?”

Simon Lockwood was always like this. He’d play up minor scratches for attention, but when he was truly hurt, he wouldn’t say a word. Joanna Kennedy was sick with worry but didn’t dare to rashly pull at his clothes, terrified of making the injury worse.

She looked like she was about to cry from anxiety. Simon Lockwood felt both pained and helpless, so he had no choice but to turn to the side and let Joanna Kennedy check.

Joanna Kennedy’s movements were very gentle as she carefully lifted his hospital gown. The crisscrossing white gauze on the man’s back made her eyelashes tremble, and a dense wave of pain washed over her heart.

The white gauze was tinged with red, and the skin not covered by the bandages was covered in fine, dense scratches. One could only imagine how shocking the sight was beneath the gauze.

‘No wonder Simon Lockwood’s face is so pale,’ Joanna Kennedy thought. ‘He must be in so much pain.’

‘He’s in this much pain, yet the first thing he did when he woke up was worry about me not resting…’

Simon Lockwood waited a moment. He could feel the grip on the corner of his shirt trembling slightly. He sighed softly and comforted her, “Joanna Kennedy, it doesn’t hurt.”

Joanna Kennedy kept her head down, not saying a word. Teardrop after teardrop fell onto the white bedsheet, quickly soaking a small patch.

“Really,” Simon Lockwood said, pulling his clothes back down to cover his injuries. “It only hurts a little.”

“Liar…”

Joanna Kennedy looked up, her tear-streaked face revealed to Simon Lockwood. The corners of her eyes were red, the tip of her nose was red, and she looked like she’d been bullied.

Her voice was muffled and choked with sobs as she accused Simon Lockwood of lying to her again. Simon Lockwood suddenly let out a soft laugh.

As Joanna Kennedy stared at him, confused and bewildered, Simon Lockwood reached out and pinched her cheek. “I’m a liar?”

Joanna Kennedy glared at him without speaking, the meaning in her eyes obvious. Simon Lockwood didn’t get annoyed. A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes, and he nodded as if it were a serious matter. “Mm, fine. I’m a liar.”

“Joanie is the best. Joanie never lies,” Simon Lockwood added unhurriedly.

Joanna Kennedy: “…”

Having just told a lie herself, Joanna Kennedy was instantly struck with guilt. Her eyes darted around nervously. She suspected Simon Lockwood was doing this on purpose, but she had no proof. She mumbled an “uh-huh,” not daring to linger on the topic. In a small voice, she said, “As long as you know.”

“Mm, I know now,” Simon Lockwood replied agreeably.

Joanna Kennedy was left speechless and felt even more guilty. The arrival of the assistant was a genuine relief. “The food’s here. I’ll get the door.”

She walked so quickly she almost tripped, making Simon Lockwood’s heart skip a beat. “Slow down.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

The assistant had bought beef congee. The insulated container worked well; a cloud of steam rushed out the moment it was opened. After letting it cool, Joanna Kennedy carefully fed it to Simon Lockwood.

Her expression was serious, her movements gentle. Simon Lockwood lowered his gaze and drank the congee she brought to his lips.

The smooth, warm, and fragrant beef congee slid down his throat into his empty stomach. Joanna Kennedy asked him if it was good. Simon Lockwood didn’t answer, simply kissing the corner of her lips instead.

Outside the window, the snow had stopped, and the sun had come out. Sunlight spilled onto the vast white snow. A drop of melted snow slid down the glass, glinting in the sunshine.

This winter wasn’t so bad after all.

For the next few days, Joanna Kennedy stayed at the hospital to take care of Simon Lockwood. During this time, Old Master Sinclair came by a few more times, but he was driven away by Joanna Kennedy’s sharp retorts each time.

Howard Thorne also came to visit once. He told Joanna Kennedy that the others had mostly recovered. A hospital was a public place, after all. The non-celebrity contestants could stay for observation, but the stars could not.

Joanna Kennedy was silent for a moment before sending a recording to Howard Thorne. Howard Thorne opened it quizzically, and the contents made his eyes go wide with shock.

He didn’t know whose voice it was, but he could clearly hear someone inside saying that the explosion segment on *Escape* was the idea of a Sinclair Group executive.

“Jojo, where did you get this?” Howard Thorne’s tone was serious.

“You don’t need to worry about where I got it. Just send this recording to the other six people who were injured. That’s the show director’s voice on there.”

Joanna Kennedy was no saint. She had beaten up Jasper Sinclair to get revenge for Simon Lockwood and herself, but that didn’t mean the matter was over.

Jasper Sinclair had hurt far more than just her and Simon Lockwood. ‘The other victims have a right to know, too,’ she thought. ‘Even though his only target was Simon, when you get down to it, everyone else was just collateral damage.’

Howard Thorne was silent for a long time, his expression shifting. He didn’t want to shatter Joanna Kennedy’s illusions, but he still had to give her a reality check.

“Those people wouldn’t dare to go up against the Sinclair Group.” Howard Thorne looked at her, his gaze complicated. “Even if they knew, they would just swallow their anger or blame Simon Lockwood for it.”

Howard Thorne was speaking the truth. That’s just human nature. When faced with an enemy far too powerful, people often choose to suffer in silence. But what if that power gap were to shrink?

Joanna Kennedy understood. Despite Howard Thorne’s disapproving gaze, she still said, “Send it to them.”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Joanna Kennedy said.

At that moment, Howard Thorne didn’t know what kind of plan Joanna Kennedy was talking about. Although he still disapproved of her actions, he ultimately instructed his subordinates to contact the others.

He hadn’t seen Joanna Kennedy in a few days and noticed that her complexion looked much better, her lips a vibrant red. He couldn’t help but glance at her a few times. Howard Thorne was a bit sullen. “The trending topics have been suppressed, but your relationship with Simon Lockwood is pretty much exposed.”

Howard Thorne continued, “My side found out that someone sold the story to the media. Judging from the candid photos, it must have been someone from the show, but it’s unclear whether it was a staff member or one of the guests.”