Chapter 684

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Jonathan remembered when Christian introduced his wife to him , saying her name was Sherry Roth . But back when Teresa was present , she introduced Christian’s wife as Sherry Johnson .
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When Jonathan first began to question Mike’s identity , Christian had explained , “ The child took his mother’s surname_
Johnson . ”
Jonathan thought , ‘ So , what’s her real name , then ? ‘
He sensed that something was off . That unease had haunted him for days . He took out his phone and scrolled to Christian’s name in his contacts . After a brief hesitation , he skipped it and called his current assistant , Riley , instead .
Riley said , “ Hello , Mr. Lynn . How may I help you ? ”
Jonathan asked , “ Riley , aren’t you close with Christian ? Did he invite you to his wedding ? ”
Riley replied , “ Yes , I got one . Is something wrong , Mr. Lynn ? Didn’t he give you one ? ”
Jonathan wasn’t carrying the invitation with him – not that he’d paid much attention to it before . He asked Riley , “ Could you check Christian’s wedding invitation for me ? What’s the bride’s name listed there ? ”
Riley asked , “ Isn’t Christian’s wife named Sherry Roth ? ”
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Jonathan thought , “ Sherry Roth , not Sherry Johnson ? Then why is their child named Mike Johnson ? What the hell is going on here ? ‘
Jonathan furrowed his brow , deep in thought .
Suddenly, Lucas sat down beside Jonathan .
Jonathan turned his head and was momentarily taken aback . He noticed that the profile of Lucas bore a resemblance to Teresa’s .
Lucas seemed to sense Jonathan’s gaze . He asked , “ Sir , is there something on my face ? ”
Jonathan shook his head slightly and said , “ My apologies . ” He thought , ‘ Am I just seeing things ? Why does everyone I see remind me of Teresa ? ‘
Lucas let out a heavy sigh , running both hands through his hair before letting his head drop . He muttered , “ I’m such a loser ”
It sounded like Lucas was just venting to himself , or maybe pouring his heart out to Jonathan , because he had no one else
to turn to.
Jonathan asked politely . “ Do you need any help ? ”
Lucas shook his head and said , “ I’m such a loser . I finally managed to get one hard – won chance , but I blew it just because ! was late . I guess I’ll never make it big now .
“ I love singing arid dancing . I’ve been a trainee since I was twenty , and now I’m almost thirty . Year after year , my debut
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spot gets snatched away . Maybe I’m just not cut out for this path to stardom .
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“ Maybe reality is this cruel – I’m destined to remain unseen , destined to amount to nothing . All I want is just one chance to shine . I just don’t want to live and die without a single person in this world remembering me . ”
Lucas glanced at Jonathan and said , “ Sorry , just ignore my rambling . I had a couple of beers earlier , so I’m a little tipsy .”
He had simply been bottling up his feelings for far too long and needed to vent , completely unaware of who this “ tree
hole ” beside him was .
Lucas said , “ I’m off to find my assistant now . Goodbye . ” With that , he braced his hands on his knees and pushed himself to
his feet .
In a deep , measured voice , Jonathan said , “ Wishing you success . ”
The words caught Lucas off guard . He turned to look at Jonathan .
Jonathan gave him a slight nod and said , “ It would be a shame if you never returned to Nareigh just because of one failed audition . This city has so many culinary delights and scenic spots to offer . You’re always welcome to visit again . ”
Just then , Lucas’s assistant hurried over and called out , “ Lucas , what are you doing sitting here ? Your boarding pass is on your right . ”
“ Got it , ” Lucas replied . Before turning to leave , he said sincerely to Jonathan , “ Thank you . ”
Though they were just strangers who’d met by chance , this unexpected encounter left Lucas with a glimmer of warmth
and solace in his heart .
Suddenly , Jonathan’s phone rang . It was Gary calling .
Gary said , “ Jonathan , where are you ? You’re not at the office , and you’re not back at Forlisle Rose Estates either .”
Jonathan replied , “ I’m at the airport . What do you need ? ”
Gary blurted out , “ I have to tell you something . If I don’t say it today , who
Ks when I’ll get another chance ? ”
Jonathan stood up and walked toward the terminal lobby . He asked , “ What’s so important you can’t just say it over the phone ? ”
Gary said , “ Remember how I said I’d show you the proof ? Well , I’ve got it right here in my hands . I have to see you and tell you in person . If I just blurt it out over the phone , you probably wouldn’t believe me anyway .”
Before Jonathan could even reply , Gary abruptly hung up . He then checked his navigation . Nareigh Airport was a thirty- minute drive away , but the subway would be faster , avoiding traffic delays . So he drove to a nearby subway station .
Spotting an elderly street vendor by the roadside , Gary stopped his car . He grabbed the megaphone the old man used to call out his wares .
The old man stood there , dumbfounded . He murmured to himself , “ This kid left me 200 dollars in cash and took my megaphone ? Never seen anything like this before . ”
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Just ten minutes after Jonathan hung up with Gary , Donald’s call came through .
Donald said , “ Jonathan , are you off work yet ? Where are you right now ? I have something urgent I have to tell you today . ”
Jonathan’s brow tightened sharply . He thought , ‘ Why is everyone suddenly lining up to tell me something important ? Could it be that Gary and Donald are going to say the same thing ? ‘
Jonathan replied , “ I’m at the airport . What’s so important that you can’t just tell me over the phone ? ”