Chapter 174 Wrong identity
Chapter 174: Wrong Identity
Golden blinked once, then again, as if her eyes were trying to correct a mistake her mind refused to accept. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the door, her pulse picking up in quiet disbelief.
“Allan… Renshaw?” she called out, her voice careful, almost testing.
The man holding the tray paused briefly, then shook his head. His expression remained neutral, composed in a way that felt practiced.
“My name is Martin, ma’am,” he said evenly.
Golden stared at him, a small laugh escaping her lips, soft and disbelieving. She tilted her head slightly, studying his face more closely, as though proximity would make the truth clearer.
“Come on,” she said, her tone light but certain. “It’s me. Golden. We went to Ocean University in Florida together.”
There was no flicker of recognition in his eyes.
“I think you have the wrong person,” he replied, shaking his head again.
For a moment, Golden simply looked at him, searching for something familiar beyond the face she knew so well. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken confusion.
He shifted the tray slightly and extended it toward her.
“Your order, ma’am.”
Golden took it automatically, her mind still trying to catch up with the moment. Her fingers brushed the edge of the tray as she accepted it, her gaze never leaving his face.
“I’m sorry,” he added politely. “Wrong identity.”
And with that, he turned and walked away down the corridor, his steps steady, his posture straight, as though nothing unusual had just occurred.
Golden remained at the doorway for a few seconds, the tray balanced in her hands, her thoughts spinning.
Then she stepped back into the room and shut the door slowly behind her.
The silence inside the suite felt heavier now.
She placed the tray on the small table near the window, her movements slower than before, her mind replaying the encounter over and over again.
That was Allan. She knew it. There was no way she could be mistaken.
The same face. The same eyes. Even the slight curve of his lips when he spoke.
Golden let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding, then reached for her phone.
Her fingers moved quickly, dialing Alex’s number without hesitation.
The line rang twice before Alex picked up.
“Hey babe, what’s up?” Alex’s voice came through, bright and familiar.
Golden exhaled sharply. “Alex, you won’t believe what just happened.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Okay, now I’m interested. What happened?”
“I just saw Allan,” Golden said.
Another pause, longer this time.
“…What?”
Golden ran a hand through her hair, pacing slowly across the room. “I’m serious. He just brought my food. Like, literally. Room service.”
Alex let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Wait, hold on. Allan is now a waiter?”
Golden stopped pacing and glanced toward the door, as if expecting him to walk back in. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice uncertain. “Maybe he owns the hotel or something. No way he’s just an ordinary waiter.”
Alex snorted. “That escalated quickly.”
“I’m not joking, Alex,” Golden insisted, her tone tightening slightly. “It was him. I know who I saw.”
“But you said he brought your food,” Alex pointed out. “In a uniform?”
“Yes.”
“And he said what?”
Golden hesitated for a moment. “He denied it. Said his name is Martin.”
Alex was quiet for a second, processing.
“And you believe him?” she asked finally.
Golden let out a small, frustrated laugh. “Of course not. I mean… how do you deny your own face? We went to the same university, Alex. I know Allan when I see him. Time hasn’t even passed. It’s just two years.”
“Hmm,” Alex murmured thoughtfully. “Or maybe you’re jet-lagged and your brain is playing tricks on you.”
Golden rolled her eyes, even though Alex could not see her. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious,” Alex said. “You just traveled across continents, you’re in a new environment, your brain is still adjusting. It happens.”
Golden walked toward the window, pulling the curtains slightly aside. The city stretched out below her, alive and unfamiliar.
“I’m telling you, it was him,” she said quietly.
Alex sighed. “Okay, let’s say it was him. So what? What now?”
Golden opened her mouth to respond, then paused. The question lingered.
What now?
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Exactly,” Alex said gently. “So forget whoever you saw and focus on why you’re there in the first place. You didn’t come all the way to England to start chasing ghosts. Obviously he wasn’t interested in catching up.”
Golden leaned her forehead lightly against the cool glass. Alex was right. She had a purpose here. A goal.
Still, the image of Allan standing at her door refused to fade.
She exhaled slowly. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am,” Alex replied lightly. “Now tell me something useful. Have you eaten?”
Golden glanced at the untouched tray behind her. “Not yet.”
“Eat,” Alex said firmly. “Then rest. Then prepare to go and dominate whatever research you’re about to start.”
Golden smiled faintly. “Yes, ma’am.”
There was a brief pause before she spoke again. “How’s Varney?”
“He’s good,” Alex replied. “Busy, though. Wedding preparations are in full swing. You know how these things are.”
Golden smiled, imagining the chaos. “I can only imagine.”
“You better be ready to show up when it’s time,” Alex added. “No excuses.”
“I’ll be there,” Golden assured her.
Another thought crossed her mind. “Hey… do you know what happened to Lindsay?”
There was a slight shift in Alex’s tone. “Why are you asking me that?”
Golden shrugged, even though Alex could not see her. “Just curious.”
“Well, Fabulous Lawerence or Linda Miller should be the ones to have that gist, not me,” Alex said with a small frown in her voice. “You know they always know everything.”
Golden let out a soft laugh. “That’s true.”
They drifted into lighter conversation after that, talking about mutual friends, small updates, and random gossip that made the distance between them feel smaller.
Eventually, Golden straightened up. “Alright, I should let you go.”
“Yeah, go eat your food,” Alex said. “And stop seeing imaginary people.”
Golden smiled. “I’ll try.”
“Take care, babe.”
“You too. Send my regards to Varney.”
“I will.”
The call ended, and Golden lowered her phone slowly.
The room felt quiet again.
She turned back toward the window, pulling the curtain aside once more.
Her breath caught slightly. Down below, near the entrance of the hotel, she saw Allan.