Chapter 60
Jonathan flipped open the notebook, scribbled his signature, and passed it back. “Where’d you get this, kid?”
“Supermarket,” Michael replied. “My mom got it for me. I’ve got a bunch. Mr. Linse, you want a notebook like this?”
Jonathan offered a smile but stayed quiet. Just then, a sycamore leaf tumbled from the tree above, landing on Michael’s head. Jonathan reached over to pluck it off just as Sherry called out to Mike.
“Mr. Lime, catch you later. I’m Mike, by the way!” Michael waved.
“Bye, Mike,” Jonathan said, pocketing his hand and watching the boy join his mom. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the kid seemed oddly familiar, but he’d never met the boy’s mother before.
Back home, Michael eagerly examined Jonathan’s autograph. The more he looked, the more something bothered him. He pulled out the signature Teresa had gotten for him and compared the two. They matched.
Michael tilted his head with a thoughtful frown, thinking. Mom and Mr. Lime must be pretty close.
Shortly after, Teresa arrived home to see a message from Miriam. Jason’s father’s company, Hunter Constructions Ltd., had gone bankrupt overnight. So she called Miriam.
Once connected, Miriam told Teresa, “Jonathan’s probably behind this.”
Teresa doubted it. “Is he that powerful now?”
Miriam filled her in. “You have no idea. Jonathan has bought up hotels all over the Nareigh district—twenty in the past two years alone. Taking down a small family like the Hunters is child’s play for him.”
Teresa kept silent, thinking Jonathan would have been even more successful if he hadn’t married her. He was a Ph.D. from the Alorian Institute of Technology; people like him always landed on top.
After hanging up with Miriam, Jason called Teresa. “Teresa, please, ask Jonathan to let my family go. I won’t sue you. I’ll tell the court I attacked you, and you were just defending yourself,” Jason said desperately.
Teresa scoffed. “That’s the truth. I’m not afraid if you sue me.”
Jason pleaded, “For old times’ sake, I’m begging you. Can’t you ask Jonathan for me?”
Teresa shot down the idea. “You should ask him yourself. He’s within his rights to deal with your family how he wants. I’m not about to ask my ex for favors for my ex-boyfriend.”
“Ex? He’s going all out against my family for you, feeding me spoiled food. If you two were really divorced, who’d believe that?” Jason retorted.
Teresa pursed her lips with a sense of satisfaction when she saw Jason like this, but she still wouldn’t help him. Firstly, Jonathan was her ex, and Jason was her ex-boyfriend before marriage; she had no claim over Jonathan. Secondly, if Jason’s father hadn’t broken the law or had any weaknesses, he wouldn’t have gone bankrupt so fast. It was their comeuppance, and she wasn’t about to get involved.
Seeing Teresa’s indifference, Jason became angry and warned, “Fine, you forced my hand. Just you wait.” Then he hung up. Teresa didn’t take it to heart, dismissing the call as from a petty person.
That evening, just after finishing shipping clothes, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Jonathan, she looked through the peephole, only to see Philip’s face.
Unable to open the password-protected door, Philip stood there until Teresa, after a moment’s hesitation, opened it but blocked the doorway.
“Why are you here so late?” Teresa asked.
“I’m your father, just checking up on you,” Philip said. “And this is your grandparents’ place. I wanted to see how it’s holding up.”
Teresa replied, “My roommate is already asleep. Let’s talk downstairs at the cafe so we don’t wake her; she’s got work tomorrow.”
Without pushing his way in, Philip agreed, and Teresa quickly put on her coat, and they left.