Chapter 496

On the way back, Jonathan repeatedly examined the old, faded photograph. People's appearances change over time, but while faces age, the underlying bone structure remains consistent. He checked Fiona's address and dialed the number. Vaughn answered, a cacophony 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 erupted 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 their location. Charlie's court date was next month, but Fiona, the elderly woman he hit, remained in a coma. The doctors said she might never wake up. Even though Teresa hadn't hit her, she still felt guilty, so she'd come to give some money. After all, hospital bills were expensive. Betty, who had previously pushed Teresa, saw her and immediately declared, "That's not enough."

"How much do you want?" Teresa asked. She'd only brought thirty thousand dollars in cash.

"My mom's in a vegetative state now. We deserve at least three hundred thousand in compensation," Betty retorted.

Before she could continue, Vaughn pulled her aside. "It wasn't Ms. Johnston who hit her," he said. Betty glared at him. "Why are you defending her? Is it because she's pretty? Did you build a wall for her or something?"

"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 iron-like. She couldn't free herself.

"Let her go," Jonathan said.

Jonathan pulled Betty away and quickly checked on Teresa. "Are you okay?" he asked. Teresa nodded. Jonathan saw her wrist was slightly 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 his striking handsomeness. Last time, Teresa had brought a different man, who somewhat resembled Jonathan, but was nowhere near as attractive. 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 grew colder, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Stop playing dumb. The only reason you're after her is because you think she's an easy target."

"You—" Betty began, but her husband cut her off. 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 became defensive. "What do you want with my mom? Planning to kill her?"

Teresa finally intervened, "He's a CEO. He wouldn't do anything shady." Hearing that, Jonathan gave Teresa a searching 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, urging him to go inside quickly. He'd helped her; now she was returning the favor. 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 resemble the person in the picture. He thought, 'So who is my grandma? Fiona or Genevieve?' The patient's ID card was by the bed, and the name on it was Fiona.

Jonathan quickly stepped out of the room. Betty's eyes gleamed with greed. "You're the CEO of Horizonlead Group, right? You must be rich. Don't tell me you can't even pay three hundred thousand dollars."

Jonathan ignored her, took Teresa's hand, and tried to lead her away. Betty blocked their path. "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. She had driven herself, and her car was in the hospital parking lot. Jonathan said, "I'll have someone bring your car later; I don't want you driving alone right now."

As soon as they were in his car, Teresa could contain her curiosity no longer. "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 pressed. 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 fell silent. She remained that way for a long time, feeling utterly 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 imagine how much Irene would hate her. A wave of sadness hit her. She felt she had just been dragging him down.

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 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 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!"