Chapter 383 The Name She Loved

"You wash the vegetables. I’ll cook when I get back."

Johnathan handed the bag to Sierra as he spoke. The two of them had an easy rhythm.

Sierra nodded without acknowledging Chase and went inside first.

"What do you want?"

Johnathan turned to Chase, who was still in a daze.

He’d heard everything Johnathan and Sierra had just said – and he could hardly believe it. He never imagined his son could be so… down-to-earth.

Looking into Johnathan’s calm, unreadable eyes, Chase finally remembered why he’d come.

"I heard what you told your grandfather. Johnathan, no matter how much you hate me, don’t leave the Wynn family."

"That’s what you came here to say?" Johnathan replied coolly.

"Yes."

"Don’t be so stubborn, Johnathan. This is important."

Chase pressed his lips together before adding, "You know… your mother always preferred calling you Sam over Johnathan."

Johnathan had chosen the name “Johnathan” for himself as a child. He’d asked his mother why he couldn’t have her last name. She told him it had to be Wynn.

Back then, Johnathan wasn’t afraid of anything. He’d picked a name and told his mother – but instead of being happy, she’d scolded him harshly, which was totally out of character for her.

That had been years ago. He’d long forgotten it – until Chase brought it up just now.

Now that he thought about it, her reaction had been strange. It was just a name. But she’d been unusually insistent on the Wynn surname.

Suddenly, a thought came to him.

"How did you and my mom end up together?" he asked.

Chase froze for a moment, then instinctively replied, "Because we were in love, of course."

The moment he said it, he knew it was the wrong answer. Sure enough, when he looked up, Johnathan’s eyes were full of mocking amusement.

Chase gave a bitter smile. "Believe it or not, that’s how it really was."

Johnathan didn’t comment on that. Instead, he asked another question.

"Do you know what happened to my grandparents?"

This time, Chase visibly paused.

"How would I know? I haven’t had any contact with them in years."

But he didn’t meet Johnathan’s eyes when he said it. His son was too sharp. Chase had a nagging feeling that Johnathan might already suspect something. He began to wonder how he’d respond if Johnathan kept pressing him.

But to his surprise, Johnathan didn’t follow up. He just nodded like it had been a casual question.

As he turned to leave, Chase quickly called after him. "What about what I just said—"

Johnathan turned back and gave him a faint smile.

"Why are you all so desperate to keep me in the Wynn family? Wouldn’t everyone be better off if I left?"

"Don’t say that!" Chase snapped, unable to hold back. "You’re my son. You’re the future head of the Wynn family!"

But he couldn’t get the words out under the weight of Johnathan’s steady, unreadable gaze.

Looking away, Chase muttered, "The Wynn family is your responsibility. Don’t try to run from it. Jose isn’t your enemy. He won’t take that position."

With that, he turned and left in a hurry, as if staying any longer would allow Johnathan to uncover secrets he’d worked hard to bury.

Johnathan watched him go for a long moment before closing the door.

Sierra had heard the noise and came out, concerned. But she didn’t see any anger in Johnathan – his expression was… complicated, like he was lost in thought.

"What is it?" she asked.

She was worried. Even though it seemed like Johnathan had untangled some emotional knots today, running into Chase again had her on edge. And his reaction this time was completely different from before.

"It’s nothing."

Johnathan smiled, his thoughts still turning. After a moment, he said, "I just remembered some things from the past."

Chase had brought up his mother – and that triggered a few long-buried memories. Like the issue with his name. And the Yaeger family.

The Yaegers weren’t just some ordinary family. While they didn’t compare to the Wynn family, they were still respected, with a legacy of education and culture.

He used to see his grandfather, grandmother, and uncle fairly often. But at some point, they just disappeared from his life. He remembered asking his mother about it. She told him they were busy.

Then, when his mother passed, his grandparents only showed up once for the funeral.