Betrayed by Fiance, Embraced by Hidden Tycoon-Chapter 176: James Philips’ Anxiety (1)

’It is not about my relationship with Serena, is it?’ Sawyer wondered, locking his gaze on James Phillips.

James didn’t respond verbally; instead, he pulled something from his pocket and walked toward Sawyer.

"Sawyer, please take a good look at this photo. Here. Do you recognize the woman in it?" James 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 James, who had settled back on the sofa.

Their eyes met for a moment 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 James could respond.

"Yes, Sawyer, you are correct. The man is indeed me," James responded calmly. Earlier, he had felt a surge of anxiety as he waited for Sawyer to come 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 emerged 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.

James 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 me in the photo is certainly not Abigail..."

Sawyer still didn’t understand what was happening, and James Philips’ explanation only heightened his confusion.

’Alright, Grandpa. I get it. So what else makes you drag me 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 handsome he had been a long time ago. Still, the possibility left him utterly puzzled.

With sharp, annoyed eyes fixed on James, he finally clarified his confusion: "Grandpa Philips, I’m sorry, but can you please explain why you’re asking me about this picture?"

James Philips’s smile tightened as he responded, "Sawyer, the woman next to me 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 come here—to see if you recognize her." freeweɓnovel.cøm

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 same age as Abby?’ Sawyer wondered, keeping his eyes glued to the image.

Before long, Sawyer’s memories flooded back to when he first met Sophie Lewis. He remembered that Grandma Sophie had rejected him outright upon hearing his last name, James.

’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, meaning 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, James Philips finally spoke. "The woman is, well, was my fiancée. But something happened before we could register our marriage—she suddenly vanished from my life. I tried to find her, but I never succeeded."

James 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 meet you and ask you to look at the picture."

James’ 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.