’It is not about my relationship with Serena, is it?’ Sawyer wondered, locking his gaze on Jas Phillips.
Jas didn’t respond verbally; instead, he pulled sothing from his pocket and walked toward Sawyer.
"Sawyer, please take a good look at this photo. Here. Do you recognize the woman in it?" Jas asked.
Although Sawyer was confused about why Old Philips had given him an old photo, he accepted it despite hesitation.
Lowering his gaze to the photo, he frowned when he noticed the photo looked very old. The photo paper had turned yellowish, but the image was still pretty visible if he squinted his eyes and focused harder.
Sawyer went over the couple in the picture. He saw a young man who resembled Old Philips embracing a woman, and the woman looked familiar to him.
’What the hell is this? Why this woman...’ he muttered under his breath, totally shocked.
After a minute, Sawyer lifted his head and looked at Jas, who had settled back on the sofa.
Their eyes t for a mont before Sawyer asked, "Grandpa Philips, the woman in the photo looked like Abigail. But this photo is old. Abigail wouldn’t have been born. Why does a woman resemble Abigail in this photo? And who is the man embracing her?" His tone was calm, but his sharp gaze betrayed the tension in his heart.
"Wait, Grandpa Philips. This man is you, right?" Sawyer asked again before Jas could respond.
"Yes, Sawyer, you are correct. The man is indeed ," Jas responded calmly. Earlier, he had felt a surge of anxiety as he waited for Sawyer to co to this place and look at the only picture he had kept all these years. He needs him to recognize the woman beside him.
Seeing Sawyer’s reaction—his recognition of the woman—gradually eased the tension in his heart. A warm smile erged on his lips, and he felt a surge of happiness. He might be able to find the woman he lost a few years ago.
"How is it possible that a woman resembling Abby is with you? The woman couldn’t be Abby unless my Abby is immortal. But this is not Abby. Is she?" Sawyer asked, growing confused about the possibility.
Jas Philips chuckled at Sawyer’s confusion. He quickly explained, "Don’t be so gullible, Sawyer; Abby can’t be in the photo. So, young man, you can relax; the woman beside in the photo is certainly not Abigail..."
Sawyer still didn’t understand what was happening, and Jas Philips’ explanation only heightened his confusion.
’Alright, Grandpa. I get it. So what else makes you drag here? Did you try to flaunt your good looks when you were young?’ Sawyer wondered.
He couldn’t believe that this old man had dragged him out here so early in the morning, only to show him an old picture of how handso he had been a long ti ago. Still, the possibility left him utterly puzzled.
With sharp, annoyed eyes fixed on Jas, he finally clarified his confusion: "Grandpa Philips, I’m sorry, but can you please explain why you’re asking about this picture?"
Jas Philips’s smile tightened as he responded, "Sawyer, the woman next to looked a lot like Abigail at her age. If I’m not mistaken, the woman in this picture is Abigail’s grandmother. That’s why I asked you to co here—to see if you recognize her."
The explanation hit Sawyer like a lightning bolt, and he nearly jumped out of his seat. He instantly understood everything. His gaze returned to the picture in his hand, and he tried to focus on the woman again. She did indeed resemble Abigail, though their clothes, styles, and hairstyles were different. While Abigail has long, wavy hair, the woman in the picture has shoulder-length straight hair.
’Is this really Grandma Sophie when she was the sa age as Abby?’ Sawyer wondered, keeping his eyes glued to the image.
Before long, Sawyer’s mories flooded back to when he first t Sophie Lewis. He rembered that Grandma Sophie had rejected him outright upon hearing his last na, Jas.
’Oh my God! Is Grandma Sophie really the woman in this picture?’ Sawyer tried to suppress his shock while his mind raced with questions he needed to clarify.
"Grandpa Philips, who is the woman beside you? What is your relationship with her?"
Sawyer finally found the courage to ask. His heartbeat quickened, anticipating the answer.
Although Sawyer suspected the truth—that Sophie Lewis had been in a romantic relationship with Grandpa Philips, aning Abigail must be his granddaughter—he still needed to hear it directly from him.
The image of Abigail’s curiosity about her grandfather’s unknown identity lingered in his mind. Until now, Abigail had no idea who he was; even after her mother died, Sophie had tightly guarded the man’s identity.
Now, seeing the old photo of Grandma Sophie with Grandpa Philips when they were young, the mystery of the man’s identity began unraveling.
Sawyer felt a chill run through his hands as he contemplated telling Abigail the truth.
After a brief silence, Jas Philips finally spoke. "The woman is, well, was my fiancée. But sothing happened before we could register our marriage—she suddenly vanished from my life. I tried to find her, but I never succeeded."
Jas Philips’ expression grew somber as if a storm raged within him. His eyes were red as he stared at Sawyer.
He continued, "Last night when I saw Abigail in this house, it felt like seeing her again. She looks incredibly similar to her. Since yesterday, I haven’t been able to calm down. I just wanted to et you and ask you to look at the picture."
Jas’ voice trembled, and he clenched his hands tightly in his lap. The turmoil in his heart intensified as he tried to suppress the flood of emotions surging through him. After years of separation, he finally felt hope. He believed Abigail’s grandma was Sophie, his lost fiancee.
The room fell silent once again. No one spoke; they were all lost in their own thoughts.
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