Chapter 258

257. 257
After Jennifer left , Miriam reached out to Jonathan , trying to calm him down .
Miriam figured Teresa left because she couldn’t bear living under the same roof as Jennifer anymore . Leaving seemed like her only option .
Miriam had always thought Jennifer was too controlling . Even Michael would act. nervous and hesitant around her , like he didn’t dare speak his mind .
When Michael stayed at Miriam’s house , he once mentioned Jennifer . He waved his hand and said , “ Jennifer is so serious . She never smiles . ”
Then , leaning closer , he whispered , “ Miriam , I’ll tell you a secret . I don’t like Jennifer . But don’t tell Mom , okay ? She’ll be upset . Mom says Jennifer is family .”
This time , Teresa seemed determined to cut ties with Jennifer for good . Miriam could understand why Teresa made this choice , but it didn’t stop her heart from aching for her best friend . Teresa hadn’t even told her where she was going .
After Teresa reconnected with Jennifer , her calls to Miriam became less frequent . Miriam , busy with her own family matters , also reached out less often . But she had always assumed that having a sister would make Teresa’s life happier .
In reality , that wasn’t the case . If reconnecting with Jennifer had truly brought her joy, she wouldn’t have felt the need to stay so far away from her .
‘ Teresa , come back , Miriam thought , her heart heavy with worry .
She wanted to sit down with Teresa and have a heartfelt conversation . If Teresa really couldn’t handle Jennifer , Miriam was more than willing to let her stay with her forever . Whatever it took to make Teresa happy , Miriam would support her .
In the reception room of Horizonlead Group , Simona thought Jonathan had finally agreed to meet her . But Jonathan pulled out a photo and handed it to her . “ Isn’t this the photo you used to blackmail my mom ? Go ahead . Let’s see if it affects me . ”
Simona pressed her lips together and stared down at the photo Jonathan handed over . She retorted , “ Are you really not afraid ? You know , public opinion can ruin someone . And you’re a CEO . ”
Your f
Jonathan’s gaze turned icy . “ Your father having.an illegitimate child is far juicier gossip than anything about me . ”
Simona froze , her voice rising sharply . “ What are you trying to say ? ”
“ Your dad has an illegitimate child , and everyone in the business world knows it . Yet you , his own daughter , are clueless ? Honestly , you’re so incompetent . Naturally , your dad would want a backup plan . ”
Simona’s face turned red with anger . “ Jonathan , I’m my father’s only daughter ! If you
257 257
keep spouting nonsense , I’ll sue you for defamation ! ”
“ Go ahead , ” Jonathan said coolly . “ Make it public that your dad has an illegitimate child . Saves me the trouble of saying it . ”
“ You- ” Simona took a deep breath , grabbed the photo from the table , tore it in half , and stormed out in a fury .
Donald called Jonathan , mentioning that Jennifer had said Teresa might have a house in Lonisburg , though she didn’t know the exact location . It was something Teresa had only casually mentioned .
“ Thanks , Donald , ” Jonathan said , immediately dropping everything and instructing his assistant to book a flight to Lonisburg . Benny offered to tag along , but Jonathan turned him down – this was something he needed to handle alone .
On the plane , Jonathan kept scrolling through the emails he had sent Teresa , reading them over and over . He had already sent her so many messages .
[ Teresa , come back to Nareigh . You’re not in Fernlandia anymore – where are you staying all by yourself ? ]
[ I know my mom went to see you . That photo with the stranger doesn’t mean anything . Even if it gets out , it won’t hurt my reputation . None of this is your fault – you’ve done nothing wrong . ]
[ You said I’m stuck in the past , that you don’t owe me anything , and you wished me happiness . Teresa , what kind of nonsense is that ? None of it’s true . Come back , and I’ll tell you exactly where you’re wrong . ]
LE
He had sent over a dozen messages , but they all seemed to vanish into thin air , leaving him with nothing but silence .
Jonathan’s plane landed in Lonisburg late at night . Without wasting a second , he headed straight to a dinner meeting with some of the city’s top real estate developers .
Horizonlead Group was a major player , and everyone wanted a piece of the action . But Jonathan had only one goal : to find Teresa . As long as they could help him locate her , everything else was negotiable .
Tracking down the registered property owners in each neighborhood was at complicated process . It would take at least two days to sort through the records .
“ I’ll wait , ” Jonathan said decisively , leaving no room for discussion .
After rounds of toasts and small talk , the dinner finally came to an end . Jonathan . returned to a nearby hotel alone . From his window , he gazed at the sea of lights stretching into the distance . His deep – set eyes flickered with a mix of emotions .
That night , Jonathan barely slept . He kept worrying about Teresa . The uncertainty gnawed at him , leaving him restless .
“ Mr. Lynn ,” The largest real estate developer in Lonisburg called the next day , much
257 257
sooner than expected . “ Is this the Ms. Johnston you’re looking for ? ”
Jonathan took the documents and scanned them carefully . The age and personal details matched perfectly . He was ninety – nine percent certain that this was Teresa .
“ This Ms. Johnston is the owner of a unit in Golden Bay Complex , Building One , ” the developer confirmed .
Golden Bay Complex was a relatively new high – end complex , completed three years ago . Most of the units were spacious one – bedroom apartments , with prices ranging from 450 thousand to over 600 thousand .
“ I’ve already coordinated with the property management . Ms. Johnston’s specific address is the east unit on the third floor . Since you’re probably not familiar with the area , I’ll have someone escort you ,” the developer offered .
“ Thank you ,” Jonathan replied , shaking hands with the developer . This favor would undoubtedly pave the way for future collaborations .
Finally , he was on his way to see Teresa . Sitting in the car , Jonathan stared out the window , his long fingers tapping lightly on his knee , betraying his anticipation and
unease .
Π