The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 451

"Ian Reed..."

Jocelyn muttered the name under her breath.

Penelope noticed her reaction, and her heart clenched.

"Jo, what's wrong?"

Julian had just finished washing the dishes and walked in. Hearing the tension in Penelope's voice, he quickened his pace.

Seeing Jocelyn staring blankly ahead, he gently touched her arm.

"Jo?"

Jocelyn finally snapped out of her daze.

Tears fell from her eyes, completely beyond her control.

Even though she had never met the man, hearing that name triggered a visceral reaction.

Was this the undeniable pull of a blood tie?

"Penelope..."

Penelope was worried she had said something wrong. "I'm right here, Jo. What's the matter?"

Julian took a napkin and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you feeling sick?"

Jocelyn took a deep, trembling breath.

"My biological father's name was Ian Reed."

Julian and Penelope froze in unison.

"Could it just be someone with the same name?" Julian asked.

"No, it can't be!" Penelope said with absolute certainty. "The first time I saw Jo, I felt this overwhelming sense of familiarity. Her features, her entire aura... she looks exactly like the man I knew."

"He was nearly thirty back then, right around Jo's age now. Their eyes are practically identical."

Jocelyn felt as if she had just caught a glimpse of daylight. She grabbed Penelope's hand.

"Penelope, can you still find him?"

Penelope shook her head with deep regret.

"After we cut ties, he vanished completely. We haven't spoken a single word since."

"It was only when I saw you that I remembered him. I figured he must have gotten married and had a family."

A wave of crushing disappointment washed over Jocelyn.

"Oh, wait. I think I might have a picture of him."

Penelope opened the cabinet door and pulled a small notebook from the bottom drawer.

She opened the notebook to reveal a photograph tucked inside.

The photo was yellowed with age.

But the man in the picture was still strikingly handsome.

But he swallowed the words before they could leave his mouth.

If this photograph could bring a spark of hope back into Jocelyn's life, then he would treat it as the absolute truth.

On the drive back, Jocelyn couldn't take her eyes off the photo.

To lighten the mood, Julian broke the silence.

"Now I know the saying about daughters taking after their fathers is completely true."

Even though she couldn't meet him in person, Jocelyn was still overjoyed.

She had learned his name from her mother.

And now, she had seen his face thanks to Penelope.

She was inching closer and closer to hope.

She believed with all her heart that one day, she and her father would cross paths.

Jocelyn tilted her head, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"What do you think my dad did for a living?"

Julian thought about it for a moment.

"He looks like a man meant for great things."

"What makes you say that?"