Chapter 497
496
On the way back , Jonathan looked at the old faded photo again and again . People’s looks change over time , but while the face gets older , the shape of the bones doesn’t change .
He checked Fiona’s address and dialed the number . Vaughn answered , and there was a lot
of
noise in the background . “ Who’s this ? ” he asked ,
“ I’m looking for Fiona . Is she there ? ” Jonathan replied .
“ She’s in the hospital . What do you want with her ? ” Vaughn said .
Before he finished , Betty’s sharp voice started arguing in the background . Jonathan also heard Teresa’s voice and froze for a moment .
Then Vaughn said , “ Calm down , honey . This has nothing to do with Ms. Johnston . ”
Jonathan quickly asked Vaughn where they were .
Charlie’s court date was next month , but Fiona , the old lady he hit , was still in a coma . The doctors said she might never wake up . Even though Teresa didn’t hit her , she still felt guilty , so she came today to give some money .
After all , hospital bills weren’t cheap . Betty , who had pushed Teresa before , saw her and immediately said , “ That’s not enough .”
“ How much do you want ? ” Teresa asked . She only brought thirty thousand dollars in cash today .
“ My mom’s in a vegetable state now . We deserve at least three hundred thousand in compensation , ” Betty shot back .
Before she could say more , Vaughn pulled her aside . “ It wasn’t Ms. Johnston
ho hit her , ” he said .
Wall for her or something ? ”
Betty glared at him . “ Why are you defending her ? Is it because she’s pretty ? Did you
“ What are you even talking about ? ” he snapped .
“ Then why are you taking her side ? I’m your wife ! ” she shouted .
As she spoke , she grabbed Teresa’s arm again . “ You’re not leaving unless you give me three hundred thousand today . ” Teresa tried to pull away , but Betty’s grip was like iron . She couldn’t free herself .
“ Let her go , ” Jonathan said .
Jonathan pulled Betty away and checked on Teresa quickly . “ Are you okay ? ” he asked .
Teresa nodded . Jonathan saw her wrist was a little red , and his eyes turned cold as he looked at Betty . “ You’re the one who tried to splash water on Teresa ? ”
Betty looked at Jonathan , stunned by how ridiculously handsome he was . Last time , Teresa had brought a different guy , who looked a bit like Jonathan , but not nearly as good – looking .
She asked awkwardly , “ And who are you to her ? ”
“ Her boyfriend , ” Jonathan said , shielding Teresa . “ She didn’t hit anyone . If you want money , don’t come after her . Keep bothering her , and I’ll sue you for assault . ”
“ Charlie’s in jail . She’s his daughter , so she should pay , ” Betty shot back .
Jonathan’s face cooled even more , a mocking smile on his lips . “ Stop playing dumb . The only reason you’re after her is because you think she’s an easy target . ”
U8.17 Mon , 9 Jun
496
“ You ” Betty started , but her husband cut her off before she could finish .
Vaughn turned to Jonathan . “ Are you the one who called earlier ? ”
“ Fiona is my mother – in – law . She’s inside , ” Vaughn replied .
Jonathan frowned . “ Can I see her? ”
Betty immediately got defensive . “ What do you want with my mom ? Planning to kill her ? ”
Teresa finally couldn’t hold back and said , “ He’s a CEO . He wouldn’t do anything shady . ”
Hearing that , Jonathan shot Teresa a deep look , Teresa added , “ Just look up Horizonlead Group if you don’t believe me .”
As Betty hurried to get her phone , Teresa gave Jonathan a look , telling him to go inside quickly . He helped her just now , so she was helping him back .
Fiona was lying in bed , hooked up to a ventilator and still unconscious . Jonathan walked in , took out the photo , and looked again – she did seem to look a little like the person in the photo .
He thought , ‘ So who is my grandma ? Fiona or Genevieve ? ‘
The patient’s ID card was right there by the bed , and the name on it was Fiona .
Jonathan quickly stepped out of the room . Betty’s eyes lit up with greed . “ You’re the CEO of Horizonlead Group , right ? You must be rich . Don’t tell me you can’t even pay 300 thousand dollars . ”
Jonathan ignored her , took Teresa’s hand , and tried to lead her away . Betty blocked their way . “ If you don’t pay , neither of you is leaving . ”
Jonathan pulled out his phone and made a call . When he was done , he told Betty coldly , “ My lawyer will be here soon . If you want money , we’ll handle it legally . ”
He led Teresa out for good . She had driven herself , and her car wasl in the hospital parking lot . Jonathan said , “ I’ll have someone bring your car later , don’t want you driving alone right now . ”
As soon as they got in his car , Teresa couldn’t hold back her curiosity anymore . “ So , what’s your connection to that old lady ? Why did you come here ? And who is Fiona ? ”
“ It’s better if you don’t know . ”
Teresa still wanted to know . After all , she couldn’t believe Jonathan would get involved with someone totally unrelated .
“ She might be my grandma , ” Jonathan said quietly .
Teresa’s eyes widened . “ Wait , I thought your grandma died . ”
Jonathan shook his head . “ She didn’t die . She just went missing . ”
Teresa thought , ‘ Is that old lady really his grandma ? ‘
“ I’m not sure yet . I need my grandpa to confirm it , ” Jonathan said .
Teresa suddenly went quiet . She stayed that way for a long time , feeling completely lost .
Jonathan gently patted her shoulder . “ You don’t have to blame yourself . Like I said , I’m not even sure if that lady is really my grandma . ”
Teresa said , “ I really hope she’s not . ”
If that really was Jonathan’s grandma , Teresa couldn’t even imagine how much Irene would hate her . A wave of sadness hit her . She felt she had just been dragging him down .
08:17 Mon , 9 Jun
496
86 %
She’d been holding back her feelings the whole time . When they got to Rosary Estates , she didn’t even say goodbye . When she reached for the door , she found it was locked .
Jonathan looked over . “ Why are you crying ? ”
Teresa quickly wiped away the tears. “ You should go see your grandpa . If that really is your grandma , you should- ”
Jonathan suddenly kissed her , making her mind go blank and washing away all her guilt and sadness . When he finally let go , the air in the car felt almost
electric .
He said softly , “ Even my mom has never met my grandma . As her grandson , I have no connection to her . We’ve had nothing to do with each other for decades . Only Grandpa wanted to find her .
“ Grandpa’s health is getting worse every day . No one knows how much longer he has . His only wish is to see Grandma . The only thing I can do now is help him make that happen .
“ I told you not to overthink . I didn’t want you to get involved .”
Just then , Jonathan’s phone rang . Teresa saw who was calling and turned her face away . Jonathan answered right in front of her . Irene’s worried voice came through , “ Where are you ? Your grandpa is awake . You need to come back now ! ”