Chapter 254

Cynthia called Simon. Three minutes later, the person in charge of the underground casino received a mysterious call.

Just then, Luke re-entered the casino. Seeing everyone engrossed in gambling, his hands itched to join in. Even though he knew the chip counter wouldn't give him any more credit, he still approached with a fawning expression. "Oliver, please, just lend me a little more—three thousand. I'll pay you back with interest, I promise."

Who could have guessed that just half an hour ago, Oliver, cold and indifferent, suddenly wore a broad smile? He instantly became polite and attentive. "You're our VIP, feel free to exchange as many chips as you want. Money isn't an issue; the main thing is to enjoy yourself."

Luke was incredibly surprised but didn't stop to consider why Oliver's attitude had changed so drastically. All he wanted was to keep gambling. "So, can I owe you thirty thousand more?"

"Of course, even up to 1 million!"

Luke's eyes lit up as he hurried to the counter to exchange for a pile of chips.

Watching his eager back, a debt collector leaned toward Oliver. "Mr. Powell, he's already two million in debt. Why are you still giving him credit? Guys like him never pay back."

Oliver, short and chubby, his suit straining at the seams, smiled like a jolly Santa Claus, but his eyes held malice and cunning. "Orders from above; don't ask too many questions."

Cynthia watched from the second floor for a while. In just twenty minutes, Luke had already gone to the counter twice to get credit: the first time for $600,000 and the second for $1 million worth of chips. Cynthia didn't bother to look for him and left directly. As she stepped out, the sky had already darkened. She headed straight to the BJ Building.

Jonathan had just finished his meeting and emerged from the conference room. Entering his office, he saw Cynthia sitting in his chair, idly spinning around with a picture frame in her hand. It was the photo of a little girl he kept on his desk. The first time Cynthia had visited, she'd been drawn to it and asked if it was his daughter. Jonathan had been nearly driven insane by the question. Later, she occasionally saw it and asked a few more times. He purposely kept it a mystery, telling her to figure it out herself.

Cynthia frowned at the little girl, looking utterly puzzled. Jonathan found her expression irresistibly cute. He walked in, set down his files, and perched on the edge of his desk. "You've been looking at it for ages; have you figured anything out?"

The photo was old, perhaps worn from being handled so often. The little girl was somewhat blurred, but her bright smile was still visible. Ever since Cynthia first saw the photo, she'd felt a sense of familiarity. She had asked Jonathan a few times, but he'd only joked without giving a straight answer. She thought the child might be a young relative of one of Jonathan's siblings.

Chapter 234 (or perhaps this should be a continuation of Chapter 254, given the time stamp)

She hadn't thought much about it since then. But today, she arrived early, and when she happened to see the photo again, that familiar feeling swept over her. It was as if something was trying to surface in her memory.

Finally, Cynthia managed to figure it out. She looked up, her face full of confusion. "This is my photo."

Jonathan's eyes brightened. "You idiot, you finally remembered."

Cynthia looked even more puzzled. "How do you have photos of me as a kid?"

Jonathan's smile faltered. "How can you not remember?"

Cynthia was extremely curious. "Hurry up and tell me, why do you have pictures of me as a child? Did we meet as kids?" Jonathan snatched the photo frame with some annoyance. "Of course we did."

Cynthia was completely surprised. "We actually met when we were kids? When and where?"

Seeing her curiosity, Jonathan was a bit surprised too. "Do you really not remember at all? We spent an entire month together back then, day and night, inseparable. You even used to sneak into my bed at night. Do you really not remember that at all?"

Cynthia looked horrified. "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever spend every moment with you or sneak into your bed?"

Cynthia had no memory of it. Jonathan smirked. "You really don't remember anything, even though I've kept that memory for so many years." He saw her as his salvation, the light in his life. She'd casually given him a reason to live, one he'd held onto for years. But as she grew up, she'd forgotten it completely.

For the first time, Jonathan wanted to roll his eyes. Cynthia refused to admit it. "I'm telling you, don't accuse me falsely! I've had a photographic memory since I was two. I've always remembered everything I've experienced."

"You say we met as kids and even spent a whole month together. This was so long ago, there's no way I'd forget, so you must be lying to me, right?"

For the first time, Jonathan felt an irritation. Especially when Cynthia looked so confident. He sighed, "Alright, I won't argue with you. You were only four or five back then; it's normal to forget."

Just thinking about how he'd kept her close made his frustration disappear. Looking at Cynthia, he felt his once-dim life suddenly brightened. He gently ruffled her hair. "Anyway, you'll definitely remember me from now on."

Cynthia, unconvinced, argued, "No way, absolutely no way. You need to clarify this for me. I won't forget. My memory is really good. Did you maybe get it wrong or confuse me with someone else? Are you hiding a secret love in your heart?"

Cynthia rarely acted so stubbornly. They soon ended up in a playful squabble. Cynthia was eventually carried off to the lounge.

It wasn't until nine o'clock that they finally had dinner. Shortly after they started eating, Cynthia received a phone call.

Chapter 254 (Continued?)

This time, it was Selena calling. Cynthia stared at the phone for a moment. "Mom, what's up?"

Hearing Cynthia call her "Mom," Selena was delighted. Her voice softened. "Cynthia, recently your dad's friend came by… Are you free the day after tomorrow?"

The timestamps and chapter numbers are confusing and need clarification in the original source material. The story seems to jump between different scenes and times. Consider restructuring the chapters for better flow.