Chapter 311

As Teresa wandered through the mall, a sudden sneeze escaped her. Ivy nudged her with a grin.

“Or bad-mouthing me,” Teresa muttered, eyeing the third-floor chaos through the atrium—an autograph event. Teresa was just out shopping and had no idea it would be this crowded. Ivy tugged on Teresa’s arm. “It’s Kynlee Finch, the actress. Let’s go see.”

Teresa wasn’t keen on joining the crowd, especially since she was pregnant and worried about getting jostled. But then she heard, “The ambassador of the Horizonlead Group.” At “Horizonlead Group,” Teresa froze. Before she could protest, Ivy dragged her toward the commotion.

The VIP elevator chimed. Out stepped Jonathan—his charcoal suit a sharp contrast to the floral displays. The actress stepped aside, gesturing for him to take center stage. She smiled brightly, extending a manicured hand. “Mr. Lynn, I’m so honored to be the ambassador of the Horizonlead Group. I’ve heard so much about you.” Jonathan returned the handshake with a curt nod.

Teresa watched, an unfamiliar knot tightening in her chest. As if by an invisible thread, Jonathan’s head snapped up, his gaze cutting through the crowd and landing on Teresa. His gaze lingered a beat too long before he turned back to Kynlee, his smile sharpening. “The honor is also ours.”

Ivy squeezed Teresa’s arm. “Look! That’s the handsome guy from the school anniversary, the one who kept staring at you.”

“They make a perfect power couple,” Teresa said, the words tasting bitter.

“Oh, come on, it’s just business between the CEO and the ambassador,” Ivy said. Seeing Teresa about to leave, she quickly grabbed her. “Stay with me! Kynlee’s having a meet-and-greet with an autograph session. Let’s get in line.”

Teresa opened her mouth to refuse, then paused. A plan flickered to life. “Fine,” she nodded.

Jonathan could have left after a brief exchange, but when he saw Teresa hadn’t gone and was chatting with her friend, he decided to stay.

The line dwindled until Ivy’s turn came. She took a deep breath and practically bounded onto the stage, shaking Kynlee’s hand excitedly. “Kynlee, I’m your biggest fan. I bought your new album. I really like it.”

While all eyes were on the actress, Teresa slipped toward Jonathan. She pulled a white T-shirt from her bag and thrust a marker at him. “Mr. Lynn,” she held out the shirt. “An autograph, please?”

Jonathan fixed his gaze on Teresa, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why do you want my autograph?”

Teresa met his gaze unblinking as she spoke. “Mr. Lynn, compared to glamorous actresses, successful figures like you deserve even greater reverence. Your signature holds far more significance. I’ll be sure to treasure it forever.”

Jonathan stared at her for a few more seconds. “And what about the autograph I gave you before?”

“That one? Oh, please, I tossed that long ago. This time, could you sign it properly? I promise I’ll keep it safe,” Teresa said sincerely.

Jonathan’s silence stretched before a derisive snort escaped. “Wasn’t there a rule about whoever speaks first being the dog? Well, you spoke first. Guess that makes you the loser.”

“That rule only applied to texts,” Teresa countered. “Real life’s a free-for-all.”

Jonathan stayed perfectly calm. “One autograph, thirty thousand. Transfer the money first.”

Teresa gritted her teeth. “Fine, I’ll send it to you later.”

Finally, Jonathan took the pen and scrawled his name across what appeared to be adult-sized dimensions, the shirt’s true scale hidden in clever folds. He handed the shirt back to her. When he slid it back, his gaze lingered on her figure. The dress made her curves stand out even more.

“Not bad, wearing this dress,” Jonathan mused. He’d never seen her in such a fitted dress before. He turned and walked away.

Teresa tucked the T-shirt with Jonathan’s signature into her bag, then turned to find Ivy. Ivy glanced around and spotted Teresa, waving frantically to call her over.

“Let’s go. I got the autograph too,” Teresa said.

“Huh? You talked to Kynlee too? I didn’t see you,” Ivy said.

“I was on the other side, so you probably missed me,” Teresa replied.

“Alright,” Ivy said, satisfied with her own signed item. So was Teresa, but with Jonathan’s signature.

On the way home, Teresa unexpectedly ran into an old friend, Sherry. Sherry was just as surprised, not expecting to see Teresa in Everport. She got out of her car, looking Teresa up and down. “So you’re here! Oh my god, I thought you’d disappeared. You’re so close to Nareigh. Why not head back there?”

Teresa had always concealed that she was from Nareigh, but now there was no point in hiding it anymore. “So you’re from Nareigh. No wonder I never see your family around,” Ivy said, looking at Teresa.

Teresa introduced them, “This is my colleague, Ivy Stewart. And this is my friend, Sherry Roth.” Ivy knew that they might have a lot to talk about, so she made her excuses to leave.

Sherry already had her own car, and she was surprised Teresa didn’t have one in Everport. “I haven’t bought a car,” she admitted. “I take Michael to kindergarten by e-bike. It’s only five minutes away.”

“Oh wow, Michael’s already in kindergarten?” Sherry exclaimed.

Teresa shrugged. “I can’t be a full-time mom and pay rent.” So she’d picked up a teaching job at a nearby school, though uncertain how long it would last.

Sherry insisted on seeing Michael, so Teresa took Sherry to her place. The moment they got home, Michael came running over. Sherry greeted him with a big smile. “Michael, it’s been a while! You’ve gotten taller.”

“Sherry, how come you’re here?” Michael asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Sherry chuckled. “It’s not just me. Christian is here too.”

“Wow! Where’s Christian? I haven’t seen him in so long!” Michael’s face lit up.